Chapter 57.
The days had dragged into weeks and the weeks into a month and then two. The King stayed in seclusion with his father and an Old English sheepdog as his only companions. Each day Talbot reported to the Consort as she sat on the King's throne. Oberon was hopeful, on the third day of his being with the King during his confinement; the young Fae King opened his eyes and mouthed the word 'Father'.
Oberon rushed to the side of the bed. "My son." He said softly.
The young Fae closed his eyes and smiled.
The next morning as the sun rose the eyes of the young King opened and stayed open. Talbot was called and he asked the young man if he wished for anything. "I'm hungry." The man admitted sounding unsure of himself.
Oberon laughed softly. "Talbot could my son have some breakfast?"
"It will do him a world of good," the Healer said encouragingly. "I'll see to it myself, Sire."
When the Healer exited, Oberon relaxed. "You seem troubled, my boy. What perplexes thee?"
"I don't remember him…that Healer… I mean." The handsome Fae frowned. "I don't really remember much of anything."
"It will all come to you." His father assured him sensibly.
"Have I been ill?" Mismatched eyes sought answers in the deep blue eyes of his father.
"No, my son. Not ill." Oberon had been warned about overloading the young man with information.
"I was injured." The King said, not questioningly, but rather as a statement of fact.
"Yes," the High King agreed.
The dog that had been resting on the foot of the bed edged his way up closer to his master. The man absentmindedly stroked the long tangles of hair.
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Sarah had been told the King had opened his eyes and asked for something to eat. Talbot told her everything he could each time he left the King's side.
Anne watched Sarah's face when she was given the news that the man was awake and hungry. "This is a good thing."
"I know." Sarah nodded. "I'm glad he's awake."
Anne handed her the list. "This is what we know. The High King's seed produced two offspring who shared a soul. Each had an equal half; each had the ability to be good and bad. The sacrifice of life is what Quinn did to save Jareth in the mine. And the Shattered Soul be came the Two mad One. We know that you Sarah are the Daughter of the Fallen. You've had a battle with both a Scribe…and a Healer. We know we are in the great silence and that you freed the captive soul."
Sarah nodded, "Now tell me what we don't know."
Cairbre held a second list. "We don't know what the forgotten sign is. We don't know were to look for the crystal throne, or how to get a dragon to be reborn…We don't know how walls can kneel. And the whole question of fighting an ancient war?" He handed his list to the Consort.
Sarah looked at them. "Don't worry, we'll get this, I promise." She took a deep breath. "I have to go make sure the Goblins are behaving."
Anne watched her leave. "She's coping."
"For how long?" Solea asked quietly.
Anne shrugged. "As long as the King is alive, she'll do what she hast to."
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For two months the King kept to his rooms, only seeing his father and the Court Healer. Goblin Summer had come to an end and the seasons were changing to Autumn. The trees in the Kingdom were now ablaze of color. The Two mad One stood at his balcony window and gazed out onto his Kingdom, the dog was at his side. "Father." He called to the man seated and reading reports. "I think it's time for me to venture out of this chamber."
Oberon looked up. "Excellent." He smiled. "What would you like to do?"
"I'd like to have breakfast with my champions again." He stated firmly. "It's time I showed my face, and got reacquainted with them."
"I'm sure they'll be happy to see you are regaining your strength." Oberon called a footman to let the cook know they'd be joining the Champions for breakfast.
Giles and Celestia arrived first, followed by Robert, Karen and the children. As Anne entered on Ryan's arm she pointed to the table. "The King's place is set."
Giles nodded, and watched the door. Moments later the King and High King appeared in the door. Giles spoke first. "Good morning, Sire. It's good to have you back with us."
"Thank you." The young Fae King said. "Forgive me if I don't recall everyone's name. All my thoughts and memories are a bit foggy." Toby broke free of his mother's grasp, ran around the table and flung himself at the man. The Fae looked down, smiled and picked the child up. He looked at him with fascination. "Well hello to you too, little man…missed me?"
Robert watched as his son gave a long hug to the King.
Turning to Karen the Fae asked, "May he sit with me, just this once?"
"Of course." Karen said cheerfully.
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Sarah watched from the door, then turned and walked away. Oberon was seated in her chair, and she didn't feel like facing the King just yet. He had not asked for her, not once during his convalescence. Seeing her Goblin King sitting with the others smiling had taken her hunger from her. She walked down the passage past the throne room and went toward the Wizards tower.
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"Sire," Giles addressed the King. "Will you be spending the morning in the throne room?"
The Goblin King nodded his head. "Yes, I need to see what's happened during my confinement."
"I'm sure everyone will be glad to see you back, sir." Celestia stated.
Giles continued. "I've the blueprints for some of the new work we last discussed if you'd care to see them."
"Do all my champions ware more than one hat, Giles?" The Goblin King teased.
"Yes." Anne answered.
The Goblin King looked around the table. "Is someone missing?"
Anne held her breath, but he had not asked for Sarah.
Giles nodded. "Your Mystic, Sire."
Oberon watched his son, but there was no spark there.
The King shrugged, "Ah, well I suppose our Court Mystic is very busy…I'll see the Mystic later."
Anne hid her disappointment. "If you'll all excuse me, I must get to my office. My Goblin assistants need direction."
Ryan rose from his seat as well. "I've got some new moves to practice with Sir Didymus. He's a fount on information on old styles of fencing."
Karen took the children when they had finished their meal off to the play yard. Robert made his excuses and went to the new courthouse. Celestia also excused herself and left Giles with the two kings.
The Goblin King turned to the Archer. "I'm sorry if everyone is slightly uncomfortable."
Giles looked at his king. "We all understand. You've been though a great deal of late."
The King tapped his leather clad fingers on the table. "Yes, and it's not over yet, is it?"
"No, Sire." Giles agreed.
"Well, Sir Giles, why don't you run along and get those blueprints and I'll see in the Throne Room."
When Giles exited, Oberon spoke. "It's hard for them; they want to ask questions…"
"I know," the Goblin King sighed. "I'm glad I came here though father." He rose gracefully from the table. "I like them. They are all good people."
"Yes…they are." His father agreed.
There was a wistful sadness that passed the King's features. "I only wish my Mystic had joined us."
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Sarah sat in the window of the Tower for a long time. She looked out on the Labyrinth. It was looking very strange, and had ever since she'd captured Angus in the crystal sword. She was glad that she had stopped into her mother's chamber and had eaten breakfast with Linda and Jeremy. What disturbed her was her mother's insistence to go ahead with the wedding plans. Looking at sketches of what her mother wanted to do with the ballroom upset her. Sitting here, in the quiet of the Wizard's tower was calming.
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The Goblin King entered the Throne Room, a smile came to his lips. "I know this place." He said to his father. "I remember this place! But it was not nearly this clean in my memory." He walked toward the throne, placing a hand on the curved ivory top. "Yes. I know this. This is mine."
Oberon watched as the Fair young Fae moved up the dais stairs quickly and sat down, then lounged with one leg up over the arm. "Some things never change." He muttered.
The Goblin King looked toward the door as a small man; a dwarf came into the room. "What do you want?" He asked harshly.
The dwarf looked up, and in a gravelly voice said. "I wants nothing…I sees yer back."
The King stretched out and nodded. "Yes, I'm back…" He sought and found a word. "Hogsback."
"Hoggle!" the little man stamped his foot on the stone floor.
A pleased look came into the mismatched eyes of the King. "Yes, well is there a reason you're in my Throne Room?"
"I came to ask the Consort if she wanted us to press cider with the left over peach crop." The dwarf growled.
The leg that had been carelessly thrown up over the arm of the throne came sliding down. The face of the King for a moment looked panicked. Then he glared at the dwarf. "Don't we always press cider?"
"Yes, sire."
"Well then I suggest you go press cider…Hogsbreath."
"Hoggle." The dwarf shouted as he too his leave.
The Goblin King turned to his father. "I have a Consort?"
"Yes."
"I don't remember." The Fae sighed, and would have liked to asked more questions but was interrupted by the arrival of three guests.
"Sire, how good to see you up and about again." The first man came forward. He was wearing Healer's robes but didn't come close and kept a leery eye on the High King.
"Indeed." The second Fae man said as he too came closer. He was dressed in the high fashion of the court and looked very confident.
"Hello, Jareth." A breath feminine voice said softly. "You look wonderful."
"Thank you." The Goblin King said cordially, "Won't you all come in, tell me what brings a High Court Healer, a High Court official and his…lovely daughter to my court."
Oberon wondered just how much was bravado, and how much was memory. "Healer Phineas, I thought I made my thoughts on this clear."
"We come to give our support to the Goblin King, Sire." The healer said in a voice that dared the High King to challenge.
The girl ignored the tensions and looked only at the Goblin King. "We are old friends are we not, Jareth?"
"Are we?" The Goblin King looked at the woman. He had fleeting memories of her, and pleasant distractions spent in her company.
Millicent knew he recognized her. "Of course we are." She said in a cheery tone of voice. "I remember a time when you invited me to come and see your new gardens. Well…here I am."
Lord Hawthorne watched as his daughter skillfully plied her feminine wiles. She could do what neither he nor the healer could do. She could distract and tantalize the King. "One hears so much of the new gardens here."
The girl moved closer. "Could you not find time to give me a…tour?"
The Goblin King nodded. "Fresh air would be nice…just now." He looked at his father. "I think we could use a break, eh Father?" Stepping down from the dais the King didn't offer his hand or his arm to the Fae woman but motioned all to follow him. The tour of the garden began.
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Sarah stepped away from the window she'd been sitting in. She walked over to the work table and gingerly touched some of the tools. One of the last things on the table was the infamous spell book that the shattered souls had written together. Their names side by side on the cover page of the spell brook, hidden in the designs they'd placed there.
Sarah let her fingers trace the names and the designs. She opened the book; it fell open to the last spell that had been used. She leaned over the table and looked at the page. Silently she began to read the spell that had given her so much trouble. When she noticed the floor seemingly fall away from her she realized too late that she was in trouble.
"No!" she cried out. "Not again." She began to rise like a balloon, her hand and feet flailing against the air. "No!" Still she rose as she had before, again until she was close to the cross bar and rafter. Again the spell conked out just as she made a grab for the wooden beam. Her fingers and nails dug into the wood as she began to cry out. "Help!"
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The Goblin King found himself wanting to flee his guests almost immediately. The two men did their best to keep the High King occupied so the young woman could flirt and tempt the younger King. He was flattered at first, she was a thing of beauty to behold, but too vain. He found she was also lacking conversation skills that went beyond anything shallow. The Goblin King offered refreshment and they were seated in one of the many pretty groves. He quietly slipped away, unseen he thought. But he soon found he was being followed by the young woman. He hid in a niche in a wall and watched as she passed by. He followed the wall until it came to a curved base of a tower. He felt something as he touched the stones, something familiar. Then he thought he heard an alarmed call. He looked carefully, found and opened the secret hinged door. Shutting it behind him he found himself in the lower level of the tower. He listened and again heard the call for aid. Looking at the stairs he began to ascend.
Reaching the top landing he listened, again the call came. Opening the door, he looked in the upper room and then looked up when he heard a thrashing sound. Mismatched eyes filled with laughter as he spied the young woman hanging from the wooden beam. "Excuse me, but did you mean to hang yourself from that beam?" he asked as he leaned on the door frame.
Sarah looked over her shoulder, "Sire!" she grabbed the beam tighter. She looked down at the floor. "Help me!" When he didn't move she pleaded. "Please."
"Oh never let it be said I refused a pretty lady anything." He levitated with ease and graceful technique. Reaching out he took hold of her waist and instructed her to release her grip on the beam. He placed her on the beam and then sat down on it as well. "Better?"
"Much." She agreed not looking at him; she looked down at her hands now gripping the edge of the beam.
"Let me guess…" He teased. "You're the Court Mystic."
Sarah nodded, still not looking at him.
"Not a very good one; are you?" He teased again.
"I'm still learning." She admitted. "What I do, I do very well." She defended herself and her honor. "But that damn spell is not even mine."
"Oh," He didn't seem convinced. "Whose is it then?"
Sarah looked at him for the first time. "Yours."
Mismatched eyes flashed lively fire, "Indeed?"
Sarah looked away and sniffed. "I didn't think that just reading the spell would activate it." She wondered why she was still trying to defend herself. She looked sideways and found the man was still looking at her. But it was not a mocking or a teasing look, it was one that was pleasant, far more pleasant than a tease.
"You're very pretty." He said quietly.
Sarah blushed. "Thank you." She answered.
"So the spell you were 'reading' is one I wrote?" The Goblin King seemed totally relaxed sitting high off the floor of the tower room on the rafter.
"Yes, sire. You suggested I use the book as a…guide and learn to write my own spells." Sarah said softly.
"That was wise of me…" He teased. "Perhaps I should have suggested you only read it while someone was here to give you aid."
"You and I are the only ones who use the tower." Sarah said quickly.
"Really?" He smirked. "You and I?"
"You said only a Magic User could enter…and You and I are the only Magic Users here at court…not that others don't use magic…." She stumbled over the explanations and was surprised to see the look of sheer delight on his face. "Oh I'm making a mess of this explanation."
The King reached over and touched her hand on the beam. "Not at all." He said kindly. "How is it that only you and I use the tower?"
"You and I are the only ones who know the entrances." She said. "You showed them to me when you brought me here to by the Court Mystic."
"Ah." He looked at her, "You mean no one can come in here and disturb me..us?"
"That's the way you set this up." Sarah said now dangling her feet and feeling safer. "You built the tower…on one of your visits here to the Goblin Court when you were younger."
Nodding the man smiled. "That rings true." He then looked at her dolefully. "You didn't join us for breakfast. Why?"
Sarah hung her head. "I came by the room…and your Father was seated in my seat…I didn't think I should intrude."
"Your seat?" The King took a long breath. "I'm dreadfully sorry. It won't happen again."
"No, it's alright. He's your father and he wants to be sure you're feeling up to taking on the tasks of being King." Sarah felt the fingers in leather stroke her own.
"I think we should get you down off this beam." The King said softly, he moved off the beam, floating in the air. Invitingly he held his arms open to her. "Come."
Sarah didn't need coaxing, she moved into the open arms. It was like dancing on air, going down toward the floor of the tower room. She almost wanted to beg him to stay in the air, just a bit longer. However, she knew that would be pushing. She kept her eyes averted as they descended. When her feet were on solid ground again she curtseyed and said. "Thank you, Sire." She turned to leave the tower, and his hand caught hers. She turned to look at him, and inquire why he had grabbed her hand.
"Is it not costmary to reward one's rescuer?" He asked keeping his grip on her hand.
Sarah blushed. "Yes, I suppose it is…what would you demand as your reward, my King?"
"A kiss." He said in a strained voice.
"A Kiss?" she repeated and began to back away.
"A Kiss." He said moving swiftly to pull her into his embrace. One hand cradled her head; the other found the small of her back. Lowering his head, his lips found hers. She felt like the petals of a rose to him. Her arms slid slowly up his back and she responded to the gentle pressures of the mouth insistently on hers. As her lips parted, he let the tip of his tongue tease them. A soft cry in her throat welcomed him as his tongue took possession of her mouth.
When he raised his head, her lips were swollen and looked as if they were pulsing softly. He looked at her with wonder. "You're my Consort." He said breathily. She nodded. The Goblin King looked disturbed for an instant. "Who chose you?"
"You did, Sire." Sarah felt shy and soul naked.
"I have good taste."He said kissing her again.
"You taste good too." Sarah pulled his face to hers.
The Fae King laughed, pulled her into an embrace and swung her around. "My Consort!" Ending the dizzying spin he took her face into his hands. "Why have you not been to see me?"
"You didn't ask for me." She answered sadly.
"Forgive me for any grief I've given," He begged. "My mind is not yet…straight."
Sarah touched his face. "I could forgive you anything."
He looked at her with a strange gaze, "If you are my Consort…then why is that Fae female chasing after me? Are we not bonded?"
"Millicent is here?" Sarah's voice turned sharp. "I'll rip her eyes out of their sockets if she so much as tries to touch you." She warned hotly.
"Baby!" The King smiled broadly.
"Don't call me Baby!" Sarah shouted, and then began to laugh.
The King enfolded her in his arms, laughing as well.