Chapter 12.
Robert looked at the suite of rooms given for the use of the Williams family. He should have been grateful, alas he was not. He resented being dragged from his world into this realm. He resented having no control of his family or their fate. He had no idea of where Sarah was, and he knew she was beyond his hold. Most of all, he resented being called Nephilim.
Karen on the other hand adapted to the change instantly. She looked at the rooms and saw potential. Giles helped her take the little ones into one of the bedrooms and get them settled. She pulled a chair up to the bed of her son and began to tell him a bedtime story as if it were any other night at home. If there was one thing that could be said of Karen, it was she knew how to roll with the punches. There was no way she was going to have what normalcy she could hold on to ripped from her grasp. The children were use to a certain order of life; she was going to try to keep it that way.
Giles returned to the main sitting room between the bedrooms and addressed the man who looked like he wanted to scream at someone. "Mr. Williams, if there is anything you need or want, please do not hesitate to let us know. All your needs will be seen to."
"My Daughter…When will my daughter be back?" Robert asked.
"Back? I'm not sure I understand?" Giles looked at the man quizzically.
"When can I expect my daughter? She should be with her family." Robert detested having to repeat himself.
"Ah." Giles looked surprised. "Sarah has her own rooms in the Royal apartments. As do all the members of the King's Champions."
Robert's head snapped in his direction. "She's living with him?"
"No, she is not." Giles understood exactly what the man thought. "She lives in a wing of the Castle that he occupies but she does not live with him…not yet. Nor will she until they wed. That is how it was explained to me."
Robert shook his head. "I don't like it! She should be here with us! She's just a young girl…."
"Sarah is one of the most powerful Mystics ever to grace the Underground, Mr. Williams. She is not, just a young girl." Giles interrupted the tirade. "She has a very heavy load of duties, and she is most competent."
The man who had been masquerading as a mortal paused. "She's competent?"
"Most Competent." Giles repeated keeping a civil tone.
Robert sat down. "I wanted to protect her from all…" he waved his hand, "this."
Giles remained impassive. "Sir, you could no more protect Sarah from magic, then you could prevent her from breathing." The Archer pointed to a bell cord. "If you have need of anything during the rest of this evening, pull that cord. A servant will see to whatever it is. The hour grows late, and my wife will be wondering where I am. I will most likely see you come morning. Until then, good night."
Robert waited; he heard the sounds of footsteps in the hall. Placing a hand on the knob, he was not surprised that it did not turn.
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Quinn walked Sarah back to the Royal apartments, at her door he stopped and leaned on the wall. "Well, here we are."
"What will you do with my father?" The girl asked.
"I'll find something to keep him busy and out of our hair." He promised. "I doubt I'll have to threaten him with the bog… but thank the Gods it's always there, comes in handy sometimes."
A hand reached out touching the arm of the body that was familiar. "What are we to do?"
Quinn placed a gloved hand over hers. "We'll cross each bridge as we get to them…together…you, him, and I." He leaned down and kissed her brow. "Go to bed, Sarah. You look very tired."
"So do you." She whispered.
Quinn nodded and sighed. "Good night, Sarah."
Sarah leaned forward pulled him toward her and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Quinn. Say good night to Jareth for me, please."
"I will." He watched her go in her room; placed his hand to his cheek and wondered if the kiss had been for him, or the other? He walked toward his door, opened it and paused. He whistled low and a shape came bounding up the steps and through the corridor. Quinn looked down, "Come, on Merlin, you get to bunk with me tonight."
The hairy beast pranced past the Fae and into the bedchamber.
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Anne listened to Ryan and Giles discussed the matter when they arrived at the Wyrn for the morning ride. She could tell that Giles was not happy about the situation. "Poor Sarah." She said at last.
Giles nodded. "She must be feeling just terrible."
"We will have to be careful with her…help her over the rough spots…" Ryan agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't feel up to joining us today…"
Giles blinked and pointed. "Here she comes now…and …she's smiling."
Sarah Williams was more than smiling, she was laughing merrily with the Fae King as they walked side by side. "You didn't! OH I don't believe it!" She laughed.
The Fae held her elbow, "I swear we did! You should have seen her face, it was priceless…and for a moment she just stood there…."
"You two were just awful!" Sarah admonished. "If I were the High Queen, I'd have take a switch to you both!"
"Well she got even…Chased us up the waterfall! I had no idea the woman could run that fast, and in long skirts!" The Fae was expounding on the whimsical tale he had been telling her.
Sarah was laughing so hard her sides hurt. "Did she catch you?"
"She caught one of us." The Fae snickered. He looked at the other Champions wait on them. "Good Morning!"
"Sire," Giles greeted him then looked at Sarah. "Good morning Sarah."
"Giles." She greeted him with bright eyes.
Anne looked at the King then at the Mystic. "Everything alright?"
Sarah nodded, "Yes." She mounted her dragon. "OH, it's good to be home."
"Good to have you home, my dear." The Fae said amicably. He too mounted. "Shall we ride over to the eastern boarder?" He suggested to Ryan and Giles.
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Robert received the note requesting the family join the king and his champions for breakfast. Although worded as a request, Robert realized it was a command to appear. He felt the resentment rise again. He had spent most of the night pacing. Karen had refused to be in the same room with him. Not that he blamed her, but it was frustrating.
Karen came into the sitting room as the light of day was beginning to stream into the large room. She saw him looking at the note, "What's that?"
"We've been invited to have breakfast with the King and his…champions." Robert passed the parchment to her. "He wants all of us, the kids as well. This is not a request, Karen. It's a royal command."
Karen nodded, she understood. "I'll go get the kids up and bathed. I wonder if we have clothes."
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The Fae had told them on the way back he had asked the Williams to join them for the morning meal. He wanted the champions to help the family adjust to their new home. The King was the first to arrive in the private dining room of the Royal apartments. He looked at the additional chairs and tapped his chin. Sarah entered a short time later.
"Everything looks fine." She assured him.
He leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. "We are nervous. We should not be nervous. It's our house!"
Sarah giggled. "You'll make Daddy's day! He's most likely steaming."
The Fae looked at her gown, it was the same green and buttercup yellow gown she had worn when Giles had his contest in the Tourney. "You look wonderful…I've always liked that gown… The colors suit you, well."
Sarah curtseyed. "Thank you." Her voice was happy, and relaxed.
Anne and Ryan entered hand in hand followed by Giles and Celestia. Each took their places and waited for the newcomers to enter the room. They did not have long to wait, the family entered escorted by an Elf servant.
The King stood up, "Welcome, please come in and do be seated." He motioned Karen to sit in a chair between two high chairs. "I hope you rested well, Mrs. Williams."
"Yes, thank you…sir…" She looked at her husband for a clue as to how to address the man who now held their fates in his gloved hands. "Thank you for the change of clothes…"
"You may call me Jareth here in the family quarters. When in the public rooms, you will address me as Sire." The man said smoothly. He looked at Robert. "Did you rest well Robert?"
The man bristled. "No…Sire, I did not." He was refusing to use the familiar with the King.
The King rang a bell and a servant came to his side. "Coffee for Mr. Williams." He ordered swiftly. He looked over at Karen, "My dear, do you also drink coffee with the morning meal?" She nodded. "A cup of coffee for Mrs. Williams as well."
Sarah sat quietly at the side of the Fae. She could see how he had them all fooled. He was in essence Jareth.
Robert looked over at his daughter, then at the King. "I would like to know what's to become of us."
The Fae King leaned back in his seat, totally relaxed and unaffected. "That depends on you, Robert." He placed his right hand over Sarah's left. "You are the father of our intended. That gives you certain privileges, of rank and station. I'm willing to be…generous."
"Generous?" Robert spat the word out. "How do you intend to be generous?"
The Fae looked at Sarah, "Must run in the family…" He teased her quietly, before answering her father's question. "You are a man of law, of letters and rules…I can use your talents. You will have a position, and responsibilities. You will have limited freedom, but it will be freedom. Agree to my terms and you will have a very full and rich life."
"Should I refuse?" Robert was glaring.
"Then you will find yourself in dire straits." The King warned.
"How much more dire can things get? You've taken my family and myself from our world…." Robert started his defense.
"It was never your world, Nephilim." The King stated firmly without raising his voice. Nevertheless, the tone was forceful. "The only person who truly belonged in that world was Mrs. Williams, here. She is the only one with a right to complain!"
Robert paused, rethought his attack and tried again. "You have taken my authority with my family from me. You have isolated me from my daughter."
The mismatched eyes narrowed. "Your daughter is one of the Champions of this Kingdom."
"My daughter is a child." Robert snorted.
"A child you were willing to subject to a arranged marriage if I recall correctly." Jareth's voice barked.
Anne's mouth dropped. "He what?"
Giles placed his fingers to his lips, warning his wife not to say a word just then. Celestia took his lead and just sat and listened.
Karen looked at Robert, "Is this true?" Her blue eyes were wide with shock.
"Yes." Robert snapped. "I was trying to save her. I had no idea she was already lost to me…and our world. That she had sullied herself already."
The King cocked his head to one side, "Nephilim, I will tell you this one last time, so listen. Your daughter is an honorable woman, virtuous. It pleases us to keep her so. She will be our wife, and Queen. We will not tolerate anyone besmirching her honor, and that includes you."
Robert stood up. "By what authority do you claim my daughter's hand?"
Mischief danced in the eyes, now sparkling with depths of Azure blue lights.
"I'm King here, and if that's not enough for you, Nephilim…I'm one of the sons of Oberon."
Robert sat down again. His face changed from defiant to apprehensive.
Karen looked at her husband. "Robert?"
He shook his head. "I didn't…know…" He licked his now dry and parched lips. "What do you want us to do?"
"Adapt." The King said calmly. "You have between now and Sarah's birthday. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Sarah will become the wife of the Goblin King."
Sarah kept her face schooled, but sent a mental messaged to the body of the king. 'We need to talk.'
'I agree.' Came the answer…the voice in her head sounded like stereo.
Robert sighed. "I have little choice."
The King leaned forward on the table. "Make the best of things then, Robert. Take the position offered, and prove to me that my faith and trust is not misguided by the love we bare your daughter."
The man nodded. "I will accept your offer, Sire."
"Good." The King leaned back again. "I think you will find the tasks I've in mind a good challenge for you. It has been quiet some time since the Kingdom has had an adjudicator."
Robert looked up, "Adjudicator?"
The King smiled crookedly, "Law, and its interpretations need one who can scour though the tangled webs and find the spirit of the Law. You seem to me to be such a man. It took a great deal of skill to live the life you were living… You achieved a position of honor without the use of Magic…that took skill. I want you to apply that same skill for the service of the Kingdom. Do so, and I will over look the matter of you having hidden your children from us."
"Will your father be so generous?" Robert asked shapely. "I was warned of his wrath toward our kind."
"The law states that the Fae that discovers the Nephilim, and its offspring, is the Fae who has the say over them. I found you…I claimed you…you belong to me now. My father will accept that." He cast a sideways glance toward Sarah. "Just as others have had to accept that Sarah is going to be queen."
The man looked at his wife, then his children, and lastly his grown daughter sitting beside the King. "I will do the best I can…Sire."
The King rang the serving bell. "Then I suggest we eat, and being our new association." As the meal was being served he addressed Robert again. "It would please us to have you and your family take meals here in the royal apartments. Unless there is a state diner, we will eat here…as a family. We consider our champions to be our family. More than just our household."
Karen smiled at her husband. "It will all be alright." She said peacefully.
Robert sighed, he hoped she was right.