Chapter 23.

Sarah walked along side Quinn as the group made the procession to the Royal apartment. Each couple bidding the others good night and going into their rooms until there was only Quinn and Sarah left in the hall.

Quinn leaned on the wall, "So here we are again." He let his hand bend down and began to stroke her hair. "Alone at last." A throat cleared and they looked up to see Meep floating over head. Quinn looked back at the girl. "You, me and the Duenna." That comment drew a growl from the edgy Pixie.

"Don't tease Meep…he's very sweet." Sarah admonished.

"Yeah, yeah." Quinn sighed. He looked tired, "Care for a nightcap?" He asked knowing he would receive a refusal.

"No," the quite reply came.

Quinn leaned closer. "I'll even let your Duenna tag along." He teased.

Sarah giggled against her better judgment. "Stop that!"

He stroked her cheek. "Alright, but you send me off to sleep with Merlin…and he hogs the bed." Quinn feigned anguish.

"Before you go…there is one thing I'd like to request." Sarah placed a hand on his arm. "For reasons of safety."

"Ask." Quinn pulled himself to his full height.

"I think we need to move my father to another wing… I don't trust Phineas." She kept her hand on the arm of the King.

Quinn sighed, "Free pass number what five or six? I am losing count…" he nodded then and bit at his lower lip. "I'm not opposed to the suggestion. I want Karen and the children a safe distance from the healer…. We'll have them brought over here come morning."

"Thank you." Sarah said softly, moved forward and kissed the cheek of the man standing before her.

Quinn placed his hands on her forearms. "Woman…go in your chamber, before I get ideas." He warned.

"Good night, Quinn." She whispered.

"Good night, Sarah." He watched her enter and then looked up at the Pixie. "What are you waiting for, get in there and protect our girl."

Meep made a rye face. "Oh, she's our girl now?"

Quinn reached up and swatted at the quick moving target. He turned, went to his door and braced himself for the attack of the happy hound. "Merlin!" he ruffled the dog's long hair. "How's my best friend?"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

At breakfast, Quinn was most apologetic to Karen. "I'm afraid we have to play musical rooms with you and the children, Karen." He took his seat as he spoke.

"We're moving?" She sounded disappointed. "Oh what a shame, I've stated to grow accustomed to our rooms."

"I promise you ones just as nice, but over here, in the royal apartments…Family should be treated as family." Quinn said decisively. "How's the wedding plans coming?"

Anne was frowning at him. "What's this about uninvited guests to the wedding?"

The King leaned back in his seat. "Oh didn't I mention that because you're both champions we have to open the invitations to all the kingdoms and their representatives?"

"Are you kidding me?" Anne frowned. "Blast it all, I thought it would be a nice quiet family affair."

The King snickered. "Anne when was anything here ever nice and quiet?"

Ryan smiled, totally unaffected. "Hey, just dress me up and show me where to stand."

Robert laughed. "Good attitude boy." He teased lightly.

Ryan and Giles both looked at the man, then each other. Ryan looked back and said. "Who are you? You look like Master Robert…but you don't talk like him, no matter how close the voice sounds."

Robert nodded, "I have that coming…" he agreed. "Let us say, I've turned over a new leaf."

Sarah and Karen looked at each other.

Robert shrugged, "Why fight it, we are here, here we remain."

"Logical." Giles agreed, wanting to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

"Paradigmatic." the Adjudicator corrected. "Oh Sire, we need to discuss the new courthouse for trials. The old one…well the Goblins have been using it for a pub."

Quinn sat upright. "OH Lords, are they brewing that vile brew in the basement of that building?"

Robert hooded his eyes and nodded. "It smells like…like…"

"The bog of eternal stench." Quinn offered. "And tastes twice as vile."

Sarah gagged. "How would you know what the bog tastes like?"

Merrily the King went on. "Sarah, darling, I know you know what the bog smells like, you telling me you could not …taste it? Come on, smell is part of taste!" He looked at Robert. "We'll never get that odor out of there! You pick where you want the new courthouse and I'll see to having it erected."

Sarah pushed her breakfast aside. "I've lost my appetite."

"Then would you be so kind to oversee the transfer of your parents to our wing dear?" Quinn took a hearty bite out of a piece of toast.

Sarah glared at him, "Sadist." She growled.

"Yes, dear." They answered.

Sarah looked at Karen, "When you're finished, we'll go over the rooms and find ones that suit you and the children best…we've a lovely suite of rooms that have access to the family garden. That might be a good place to start."

Robert smiled proudly at his daughter. "When did you grow up? It seems like just yesterday I was tucking you in with your teddy bear."

"Daddy!" Sarah hid her features behind her hands.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Rooms were chosen and belongings were arranged. Sarah followed the suggestion by Quinn that Karen might like some of her personal belongings in the new suite of rooms. He was right, and Karen appreciated the gesture. She and Sarah set about making the rooms feel more homey. The Goblins dragged furnishings in and other items. Soon it was looking more to Karen's tastes.

Robert had picked a sight out for the new courthouse. He and the King discussed the size and other requirements. Then the King posted a warning near the old courthouse, which he was sure would be ignored.

Anne went over the guests' lists and the instantaneous responses to the wedding invitations sent to the other Kingdoms. Seating in the state dining hall was arranged as well as the use of the ballroom that had been used during the Tourney.

Tempers as the day drew near grew heated. Two days before the wedding things came to a head. Sarah was going over the placement of guests with Mycroft when Quinn found he had to interject a point of protocol. "Sarah, you can not place Hawthorne at a table with our local gentry."

"I don't see why not." She said stiffly.

"He's a Lord of the High Court." Quinn answered tersely.

"He's a pain in the ass." She corrected with a menacing glare. "He's lucky I don't seat him and that snake daughter of his down in the bog!" She gathered her skirts and stormed out of the dining hall.

"Sarah! I'm warning you!" Quinn shouted in Jareth's voice. "You can not and will not do this! It's a snub our court can not afford!"

"I don't want him or her here!" Sarah turned toward him in the great entry hall. "She'll be all over you as quick as a jackrabbit on a date!"

"Rubbish!" Quinn said folding his arms, Goblin King stance well practiced.

"Oh really?" She shoved the guest list at him. "Think you can do a better job? Here! Be my guest!" She began to walk away.

"Hold it!" Quinn shouted. "I'm not in charge of the running of the Castle! YOU are."

"Well then take them off the official list!" She turned and stood her ground. "I've worked for nearly two weeks now on this wedding…. All day I have been sorting and resorting guests because you say they have to be in specific places due to rank. Well I have had it! I'm not having them sit any higher!"

"You don't have a choice!" Quinn tossed down the ledger. "You think I want them here?"

"Well, you must, because they are coming…and I know it's not to give well wishes to Anne and Ryan." Sarah growled.

Quinn closed in on her, gripped her forearms and spat in her face. "I have no idea why HE wants you…you little hell cat! You are being stubborn and stupid…and behaving like a mortal!"

"Right you are Bucko!" She shoved him off. "I'm behaving like a mortal…Well guess what fancy pants! I was raised Mortal…that's what I know."

Frustrated and beyond endurance he howled and balled his fists. "To hell with you!" He turned and stormed out of the hall. "To hell with all of it!"

Robert, Giles and Ryan saw him storm past the girl and head toward the cellar stairs. Ryan called out. "Hey, Babalouie! Where you headed?"

"The cellar!" He shouted not stopping.

"What's in the cellar?" Giles asked. "Why would you go there?"

"To get drunk!" he shouted as he continued down the stairs."

"Want company?" Robert asked carefully.

Quinn paused on the stair; looked up at the landing the three men were on and waved them to join him. He reached the wine cellar before the others and produced four tankards and filled them with ale, not the swill the Goblins drank but fine old Celtic ale. He passed tankards to each man as he entered the cellar. "To the women who make our lives hell." He toasted.

Giles cocked one brow up and sighed. "To the women."

Robert snickered. "Got the best of you did she…son?"

Ryan nearly spit out his ale, but instead gulped and sputtered. "Son? When did that start?"

"Awhile ago." Quinn downed his brew. "Have you any idea of how stubborn that girl is? Have I told you she once rejected not just me, but the kingdom as well…." He poured more ale. "She's impossible."

"Oh you've got it bad…." Robert sighed. "You think Sarah's bad…. You've not met Linda." He raised his tankard. "To my bitch first wife…God I miss her."

Ryan sat down taking a sip but going much slower than the King and the Adjudicator. Giles also sat down and slowed his intake.

"She's a witch!"

"Linda?" Robert asked hazily.

"No." Quinn sighed. "Sarah."

"They all are." Robert stated as he raised another tankard to his lips.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Cairbre looked at his wife. "Should I stop them?"

"No." Solea placed her hands on her mate's shoulders. "They need to clear the air.

"They are going to be in pain, my love." Cairbre sighed.

"So be it." The Water Sprite laughed. "Better in pain, then separated from the ones they love."

"Speaking of which, what's happening on that front?" Cairbre was very glad he was not a party to the drinking. He preferred a clear head to a throbbing one.

Solea waved her hand and a second window of action appeared in the Scrying pool. Sarah was in tears, and Karen was pouring tea for her and Anne. "Now dear, he didn't really mean you should go to hell."

"That's what he said." Sarah sobbed. "I was only trying to make the wedding nice." She defended her actions yet again.

Anne waved off the tea. "You were trying to protect your man from a barracuda." Anne stated.

Sarah sniffed. "That too." She wiped her nose with a hanky. "And he doesn't care."

Karen pulled the girl to her feet. "Now you listen to me, young lady! You are going to be marrying a king, and having to deal with things like this all the time. Can you afford to be careless? Can you really afford to sub these people?"

"You don't understand." Sarah moaned.

"Oh don't I?" Karen challenged her; "do you really think I enjoyed when I had to invite the senior partner to dinner?" She reminded Sarah of the things he had done for her father's benefit. "Do you think I enjoyed allowing that man in our house?"

Sarah thought about it. "No, I guess you didn't."

Karen picked up the seating chart. "Alright then, let's fix this."

Sarah hugged the woman. "Thank you, Mom."

Karen patted the girl's cheek. "Been there, done that." She looked over at Anne, "What to jump in here?"

Anne shook her head. "Nope, I'm just the bride, wind me up and watch me go." She joked. "I've faith in your abilities to fix this."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Quinn looked at Robert, draped over a keg of ale. "She never gives in!"

Robert laughed, "She gets that from her mother."

Giles had long ago set his tankard aside, as had Ryan. "I'll take the King, you take the Adjudicator."

"Take them where?" Ryan asked, seeing the pair wind down.

Giles pointed up.

"How?" Ryan looked at his friend.

"I'll transport us with magic." Giles whispered softly.

"You can do that?" When Giles nodded, Ryan ran a hand though his dark wavy hair. "How long have you been doing that?"

"About a year now…one of the perks of living here permanently." Giles motioned Ryan to follow him. Robert's eyes were closing and his balance was nearly gone.

Ryan gripped the older man and held his weight with ease. "Got him."

Giles pulled the King's arm over his shoulder. Quinn smiled at the Archer. "But she's beautiful…and so glorious when she's angry, you know?" He smiled like a loon. "And we love her."

"Of course you do, Sire. No one's ever questioned your love for Sarah." Giles said softly, thinking he was comforting the man. "Come closer Ryan, Place your free hand in mine." Within a flash, they were in the hall of the suite of rooms belonging to the Adjudicator. "You take him. I'll see Jareth to his rooms." Again a flash and the pair were gone.

Ryan tapped on the door and Karen opened it. "Oh dear God, what did they do?"

"Got blind stinkin' drunk, that's what they did." Ryan said. "Tell me where you want him."

Anne looked at her betrothed. "You didn't join in the fun?"

"I'm not stupid." He said going past her. "I had one ale and stopped. So did Giles."

Sarah looked over at Ryan. "And the King?"

"Giles is seeing him to his bed even now." Ryan groaned. "This one's getting heavy."

"That one is asleep." Karen giggled. "Just leave him on the bed, Ryan."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Giles let the King slump to the bed. "You're safe now…Quinn."

The man looked up. "You know?"

"Yes." Giles removed one boot.

"How long?" he moaned.

"A while." The other boot was taken off and tossed. "Does it matter?"

"It might," Quinn closed his eyes. "Giles."

The Archer sat down beside him on the bed. "My lips are sealed."

Quinn let his hand pat the other's back. "We thank you."

"Say hello to Jareth for me." Giles sighed, then stood up. "Good night… my King."

Quinn turned over and buried his face in the dog's mane.