Chapter 46.

Phineas stood on the terrace looking at the grounds. Hawthorne kept his things in order. It was one of the things Phineas understood. So deep in his own thoughts was he that he never heard the Scholar come out to stand beside him. The other watched for a few moments than cleared his throat quietly. The healer turned slightly to acknowledge the presence.

"So you failed." Elthric scoffed at the arrogance of his contemporary.

Phineas was not amused. "I have not failed," he glowered. "I've only just begun."

"Old friend, a word of warning," The Scholar whispered softly. "Do not underestimate the girl because she is young and inexperienced. Do not take for granted that she was raised in the world of man and is not equal to you."

"She isNephilim," Phineas spat out.

"She is the consort of the Goblin King," the scholar corrected.

"You can overlook her nature?" the Healer asked.

"I can see beyond it." The other answered. "Old friend, if we are to win this King to our side. If we are to be victorious we must not be mired in the old thoughts. You want your half of the shattered soul to be the side that has dominance. As do I…Quinn of Tarsi, as I knew him before the advent of his meeting the Mystic of Labyrinthia was a man who was worthy of being King."

"Quinn of Tarsi should have been Quinn the Goblin King in the first place," the Fae Healer grumbled. "He was far superior to that fair haired child the High King lavished all his attentions on."

Elthric sighed. "Let go of your resentments."

"I stood back." The Fae reminded the other. "I didn't protest when Lilith's father wanted to sacrifice her for the chance at power. I even helped."

"The High King aside," Elthric said firmly. "We must keep our focus on the task before us now. We must find a way to tempt Quinn back to our way of thinking."

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A week had passed, and Sarah was still unhappy with the King's attitude. Much as she tried to see his point of view, all she saw was disaster in the making. The idea of Karen and Linda living in the castle day in and day out was enough to give the girl trepidation. Much as she tried to keep her thoughts from affecting her daily duties, it was not working. Each day she found herself faced with the prospect of disaster. Still she stayed at the side of the Two-made-One.

Quinn was looking at the courthouse that Giles and Robert had designed. "Nice team work." He commented softly, Sarah on his arm remained quiet.

Robert nodded. "There's no way the Goblins can turn this one into a pub, Sire."

Giles snickered. "Don't be so sure Robert. I personally had to make sure they didn't carry any casks of ale in yesterday. They tried to sneak a few past me."

Quinn heard a soft chuckle within his being. "Yes, well they are happy little buggers."

"Soused little drunks more like it." Robert sighed. "We just have to keep an eye on them."

Sarah looked at the court house. "It's a very nice building."

Robert looked at her. "You seem preoccupied, Sarah." He sighed. "You must have your wedding on your mind." He looked back at his building.

Quinn looked at the girl, and wished it had been the wedding she was thinking on, but he knew it was not. 'What can I do for her, Jareth? She's so unhappy.' He knew there would be no answer. His fingers closed around the small ones within his grasp. Turning her face to the one of the King, she tried to smile. Quinn took her into his embrace.

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Cairbre stretched, and yawned. "I think we need a break for a day or two."

Anne looked at him with anxiety. "Do we have that kind of time?"

Solea looked at the board and agreed with her husband. "We could use a break. Day in and day out on this is muddling us. We're talking in circles."

Rubbing her sore eyes the redhead had to concur. "Ok. Let's call it a day. I'm going for a ride. My poor dragon must think I've forgotten all about her."

The Bard shook his head. "Dragons understand the need to decipher prophecy more than most creatures. However, I think your taking a ride right now is an excellent idea."

Anne patted his back and looked over his shoulder at the page he'd just finished working on. "When we get the last bit, we should be in good shape. I just hope Linda is the one with the last section. I don't relish trying to find it if she does not have it."

The Water Sprite watched her exit. "She's right, you know. If Linda does not have it we are in hot water."

"Count on you to think in aquatic terms," the Bard teased.

Blushing, the woman slid arms over her husband's shoulders. "Have you thought of a contingency plan?"

Cairbre pulled her to his lap. "Of course I have."

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Ryan saw his wife head toward the Wyrn. He called out to her and rushed to join her. "Going for a ride?"

"Care to join me?" Anne asked.

"I'd love to."

Both, hand in hand, walked to the mounting area outside the entrance of the Wyrn cavern. Ryan called over one of the Wyrn grooms and requested his and his wife's dragons be saddled. They waited the short time it took to ready the steeds. Soon they were soaring over the Kingdom and away from the worries that seemed to crowd daily life these days.

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Quinn, having taken leave of the Archer and the Adjudicator, had spent the rest of the day in the throne room. He heard the supplications and dealt with the issues that had presented themselves in daily life. He was more than relived when the last subject had been bowed and exited the throne room. He knew that the King's court was important, and he'd done everything in his power to keep things in the kingdom on an even keel.

Turning, he hooked one foot up over the arm of the throne in the same manner that Jareth always had. Relaxing against the curved piece of ivory that made up the back and arms of the throne, he smiled. He was accepted as the King, and no one seemed to question his rulings. The comfort of the throne seemed to lull him into a reverie.

Like a snake, slithering into a garden the thoughts began to move smoothly in to the psyche of the Two-made-One. It was good to be in charge. It was good to have and wield power. It was what he deserved.

Quinn traced his upper lip with the tip of one gloved finger. Dark thoughts of power seeping into the conscience mind. He could have it all. The throne, the power and most importantly he could have the girl. All he had to be was patient. He was strong, and it was his will that sustained life. He enjoyed power, always had the voice in his mind said with confidence. He was born to be King.

Entering the main hall Sarah saw that the Fae was relaxing in the throne. He looked like Jareth for a moment, confident and arrogant, the way she had seen him from time to time when she first ran the Labyrinth. She taped on the archway to alert the man in the throne that she was there. He had not moved, and she entered the room wondering what he could be so lost in thought over. The look on his face was smug and foreign to her. "Sire?" She moved closer.

Mismatched eyes darkened as she neared, 'I could have her. I...Could…' He shook himself. "Sarah." He greeted her in a husky voice. "I didn't see you enter."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked looking intently at the face that was softening.

"Power." He said. "It's a good thing to have."

"I suppose it is." She nodded. "For a King to be without it would be unthinkable."

"Every man desires power of one sort or another, my dear." He found his eyes raking over her and enjoying the view. "Even if it's just the power to do one thing, it's all that matters."

"That's a dark thought." The young woman felt an urge to run, to hide.

"Come here, Sarah." Quinn said enticingly. "Sit with me."

Fear shot though her like a spearhead. "I don't think that we have time…they will be holding dinner for us." She was not sure but it appeared he was pouting.

"I could send word to have them go ahead without us…we could have a private repast later." He patted the seat invitingly. "Oh do come here, I won't…bite."

"You are in a very strange mood, Sire." She hesitated.

Cocking his head to one side he tapped his upper lip. "Am I? Yes, I suppose I am. Please sit with me."

Sarah went up the step of the dais and sat down next to him, facing him. "You'd best send word for them to eat. It's not good to keep the little ones waiting too long, you know."

The King sent for a footman, ordered him to have the family go ahead with the evening meal without them. He then placed a hand on her knee. "Thank you, my dear." He sighed. "I just don't feel like being with anyone but you right now."

"I'll take that as a complement." The young woman smiled. "Is there anything you'd like to discuss or would you just rather sit here quietly?" After a thoughtful pause, Quinn tapped his fingers against his upper lip again. Sarah pointed. "You do that a lot when you're concentrating on something of importance I've noticed. It's very you, and very un-Jareth."

Quinn looked at his hand. "He doesn't do that, does he?" He asked and frowned. "Sarah, have I been doing other things that are...Un-Jareth?"

"Not noticeably." Sarah shrugged. "Mostly it's just that one hand thing."

"What did he do?" The Fae asked.

Sarah reached forward, changed the positions of his fingers and placed the index finger along side his nose. "That."

Flexing fingers he lowered his hand. "I'll keep that in mind." He took her hand in his. "I was thinking about your journey though the Labyrinth."

"Really?" she looked away. "After our last walk down memory lane I'd have thought you'd have had enough of my ranting about being abused by you and Jareth. What part of my journey are you thinking on?"

"Your ability to make friends of the inhabitants," he sighed. "Remarkable skill."

"Skill?" she looked puzzled. "I never thought of it as a skill."

"You have a remarkable way of enchanting others. Hoggle, whom Jareth and I find mealy-mouthed and repulsive…"

"Hoggle is not repulsive." Sarah protested. "He's really a very good person."

Quinn wrinkled his nose. "Right. Then there's Sir Didymus and Ludo…not to mention the effect you have on the Sons of Oberon." The girl blushed. "Remarkable, how you reduced each of us to putty."

"Putty?" Sarah laughed with a throaty sound. "Your brother and you placed every possible obstacle in my path…Sir Didymus almost took a staff to me, and Hoggle let me get bitten by the fairies at the gate. Oh yeah, really remarkable."

"Still, Sarah, you have overcome all obstacles. You reduced Hoggle to a devoted little suitor who still in his heart of hearts objects to my being within ten feet of you. You have Didymus at your beck and call. You have that orange thing howling for you…And you turned my brother into a lovesick idiot, willing to not only make you his queen but offing to give you your dreams." Quinn recited in a sing song voice. "I'd say that's remarkable."

"You have not mentioned how I affected you." She crossed her arms over her bosom.

Feral eyes bore into her green eyes. "You don't want to go there, Sarah." He warned.

"Go where, Quinnie?" She teased not realizing the danger, she smiled disarmingly. "Where did you ever come up with that Nickname anyway? Who started calling you Quinnie?"

Slowly the feral look left his gaze, "It was Angus actually." He smiled at the memory. "He called me Quinnie me lad, the first time he set eyes on me. Called Jareth Laddie buck."

"Really, I would have thought it was your father who called you Quinnie." She seemed more relaxed and leaned against his extended leg hooked over the arm of the throne. "What does Oberon call you?"

"He doesn't much. If he has to address me, it's usually just Son or Sir." Quinn shrugged with disinterest, hiding behind a mask of haughtiness.

"Why do you do that, pretend it does not bother you?" Sarah asked with bothered by his lack of reaction. The mask dropped much quicker than he'd anticipated. He looked at the young woman in shock. "Don't you think I know what it's like? To have a father who looks at a sibling as if he were the end of the entire universe? To feel like you've become an after thought or something that won't go away? A constant reminder of some…mistake that you have to shoulder the responsibility for? Quinn you don't have to hide that from me."

Mismatched eyes clouded with hurt, pain and long hidden suffering. "Sarah…" He fumbled looking for words; all the haughty and proud thoughts of moments ago were melted like spring snow. "Do you like me? I mean me…Quinn…do you like me?"

"I didn't much care for you when we first met… You were threatening our Kingdom…" Sarah said with thoughts of the first meeting. "However…yes, I have come to like you…you sort of grow on a girl, Quinn. Once you get past all the haughtiness and the pride and the stupid Fae games, there's a rather decent and caring man under it all."

Quinn cleared his throat, "Decent?"

"You may have made me make a bargain with you…but you did go to rescue Jareth…If not for you, he'd be…dead. Our kingdom would be without its King and I'd be just another consort of a fallen hero…or dead if Elise had her way." Sarah looked at him with honest eyes.

Quinn smiled at her; "Was payment so awful?" He watched as Sarah blushed like a rose.

He motioned her to stand; he stood also holding out a hand. "Come with me." His voice was suddenly playful.

Sarah placed her hand in his and giggled. "Where are you taking me to, Quinnie?"

Soon the Escher room was ringing with the laughter of a young man and woman playing silly hiding games.