Chapter 58.

Millicent frowned. How could he have slipped past her? She was working on wining his acceptance, and it seemed to be working. Then all at once he seemed to have gotten bored, unthinkable!

Hawthorne sat with the High King and the Healer sipping the libation that the Goblin King had served. "Is this not more pleasant?"

"More pleasant than what?" Oberon asked softly.

"More pleasant than trying to tolerate the presences of mortals." He finished. "They will never be like us, no matter how long they live among us in our Kingdoms." The high ranking Lord stated.

Oberon had heard it all before, the many complaints by Fae over Mortals. "They are different from us."

"They don't belong in our…" Hawthorne paused. "They don't belong so close."

Oberon regarded the Fae man, and one of his Court members. "I recall a time when you could not get enough of them…when you were insatiable."

The Fae Lord wore an overconfident arrogant self-satisfied grin. "They have their uses," He sighed. 'I never said they did not. But bedding one is not wedding one." He reminded his old friend. "You yourself never took one as a bride. Your own Queen is one of us, old friend."

"Are we discussing my Queen or my sons?" Oberon asked.

"Sire." The Healer entered the conversation. "I know I am not well received, just now." He placed his goblet down. "However, I am the one who worked hardest at saving your son Lord Quinn."

"For which you were richly rewarded." Oberon stated coldly.

"Yes, I was rewarded." The man admitted freely. "Now, as the soul is reunited, we've a chance to save him…from himself."

"Save him? Or condemn him?" Oberon snapped.

The Healer stood up to present his case. "Sire, I am only your servant. This is your son! A Fae King….why condemn him to living a life with a Nephilim wife?"

Hawthorne added softly. "My daughter and he were children together. She knew both halves of the tortured soul. She is fully Fae."

Oberon looked at both of them. "My son is bonded to the Consort of the Goblin Throne. Or have you two conveniently forgotten that fact?"

"He could change his mind…" Phineas said softly. "The prophecy says so."

"If the Nephilim does not complete the tasks… if the Dragon is not reborn or bows to her…if she finds not this mysterious crystal throne…" Hawthorne said with an evil smile. "Then your son is free to choose another."

"Or if the maiden becomes a maid before the vows." Phineas said with an equally evil grin. "And I doubt that a silly girl raised a mortal has the fiber considered necessary to stave off the lustful nature of a Full Fae Male."

Oberon looked at the healer with disgust. "What did you do?"

Phineas slid his hands into his sleeves. "I followed the order of the prophecy… I planted seeds in the fertile soil of the mind of Quinn's part of the soul."

Oberon stood up. "You admit this?"

"I proclaim it, proudly." The Healer smiled.

Hawthorne held out a hand. "All we request, Sire, is that you allow us to act upon the prophecy, unhampered. If we are successful, you will still have your Goblin King, but we will have a Fae Queen."

"This is madness." Oberon stated.

"The request is an honest one, Sire." Phineas stated. "We demand the right to test the prophecy."

Oberon frowned, he could not refuse the request and they knew it. "So…mote…it….be." He said as he took his seat. "God and Goddess help us all."

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Sarah pulled herself free of the King's tempting embrace. "Ok, let's not get ahead of ourselves here."

The King smiled at her. "Complaints, my darling?"

She took a long breath, then let it go. "Only that there's no cold shower here in the tower."

"Cold shower?" He moved closer. "Sounds awful."

Sarah placed the work table between them. "Down Casanova!" She ordered.

The King snickered but backed down. "I hope you have good reasons for putting me off."

"The best…we've got enough trouble with the prophecy! I don't need you playing 'petty fingers'." Sarah warned.

"Prophecy?" the face on the Fae King went almost blank. "What prophecy?"

Sarah's mouth dropped. "You still have no memory?"

"It seems to be more a matter of selective memory…and I'm not the one who made the selection." He sat on the work table. "So tell me what this prophecy is all about."

"You." She said as she began to pace and think. "It's all about you."

"Sounds wonderful," he teased. "I like being the center of attention."

Sarah laughed at his comment. "Honey you have no idea!"

"Oh I have a few." He teased back.

Snapping her fingers she got his attention. "Mind out of the Fae gutter if you don't mind."

He turned serious. "What does the prophecy say?"

Sarah moved closer, took his hands into hers. "Trust me when I say this…I can not tell you."

"Why?" He asked softly.

"Because there's too great a chance that giving you information could screw it up." She said quietly.

He looked at the young woman. "I trust you."

Sarah nodded. "Good. Because you're going to need to." They both heard the female voice calling the name, 'Jareth'. "We have company." She growled.

"Let me take her away from here." He slipped off the table.

"Don't touch her, or let her touch you!" Sarah warned.

"Not a problem." He said, leaning forward to kiss her soundly. "I've got all I need in you, ma petite." He headed for the door.

Sarah waited until he had exited then she whispered. "They are both still there…just not conscious of it, still merging…not restored. Ok Mother Universe!" She said in a plaintive voice. "A little help here would be nice!"

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Millicent was ever so pleased at the king appeared in a clearing near her. "Where have you been?"

"Little King's room." He teased.

"Oh." She blushed. "Jareth, darling! I think my Father and I should stay here for a little while. It's been ages since you've entertained anyone from Court."

"I've been…laid up." He reminded her.

"But you're well now!" she smiled brightly at him. "A bit of partying is just what you need to spark you up." She looked at the garden. "It would do you good."

"I don't think a house full of guests is a good idea just now." He hedged.

"Nonsense!" She was not being put off. "Why you use to throw the most wonderful spectacles."

The Goblin King had been moving her closer and closer to where they had left her father and the Healer with the High King. "I'm not sure… there's other plans in the works here right now…"

Millicent pouted. "Oh come now."

Oberon looked up. "What does she want?"

"Millicent here, thinks she and her father should be our guests." The Fae used the girls name for the first time. The girl looked at him with joy.

Oberon saw her reaction and he wondered how it was that the boy recalled the Fae female's name. "Perhaps they are the distraction we need." He said.

The Goblin King frowned. "Seems I'm out voted. Stay then, if you want to." He bowed. "I will have rooms made ready." He walked away.

Millicent smiled confidently at the men left with her. "I told you, no man can resist me."

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The Goblin King found his Consort standing in the great hall. "Bad news honey." He said miserably. "We've got unwanted guests."

Sarah was talking to Mycroft. "How did that happen?"

"That…Millicent just invited herself and her father and that hack healer…and she's demanding that I entertain them…she says I threw the most wonderful spectacles!" He was pointing toward the direction he'd just come from. "Even my father seemed for it! So I'm here to arrange rooms."

"That would be my job." Sarah stated. "You gave the running of the castle over to me years ago."

Mycroft coughed and cleared his throat. "If I may suggest," he began softly. "We could place them in the south wing."

Sarah tapped her chin. "No… place them in the East wing…in the Amber Suite."

The butler looked surprised. "That's a suite for honored guests, Lady Sarah."

The Goblin King smirked. "Baby, what are you up to?"

"Fighting fire, with fire." Sarah said, then turned to him, "Fighting…oh, honey, I think I've got it!" She leaned to the king and kissed his cheek. "Mycroft, see to the rooms! Honey, I've got to see Annie and the Bard."

"What Bard?" The Fae King shouted as she run off. He turned to the butler. "What Bard?"

"The one who's been here for months." Mycroft said as if that answered everything.

The Fae King shook his head and wandered into the throne room. Taking a seat in the throne he let out a long breath. "What is a Bard doing here?" he asked the air.

'Recording.' Said a inner voice.

The King sat up in the throne. "Who is that?"

'Wouldn't you like to know.'

Tapping the leather clad fingers on his chin, the King pondered if he were losing his mind. He suddenly took off the right glove, crooked his fingers and placed them over his upper lip to think. So many things didn't feel right, but this, this felt right. Looking around the throne he spotted the item he'd missed. He raised the riding crop in his right hand and turned to hook his left foot over the arm of the throne. Absent mindedly he began to tap the crop as he suppressed the bored yawn.

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Sarah ran into the war-room. "What's the most ancient war?" She called out. "Think civilization people!"

Cairbre shrugged "Men fighting over territory?"

"Close, no cigar!" She looked at Anne and Solea. "Think ladies."

Solea smiled, "Women fighting over a man!"

"Bingo!" Sarah shouted and wrote it down next to the text on the board.

Anne held up a hand, "That only works if there's another woman involved and…"

"Millicent and her father are here!" Sarah announced. "She's demanding the King throw her a party."

"No way." Anne laughed. "And he's going to?"

Sarah snapped her fingers. "Prophecy people! We need to stop thinking lofty and get down and dirty!"

The Bard raised a brow. "Down and dirty?"

Anne tossed the scroll she'd been compiling over her shoulder. "Down and dirty…think like two sixteen year olds."

"Right!" Sarah said taking a seat. "I have to battle Millie."

"Almost makes one feel sorry for poor Millicent." Anne sighed, when Solea cast her a dark look, she repeated. "Almost."

The Bard looked at the board. "So the ancient war is the war over a man's heart?"

Solea nodded, "Most ancient battle there is."

He looked at the words. "Are the storms real storms or soul storms…"

Sarah pointed to the dark gathering clouds. "Both."

Anne moved to the window and stood side by side with her best friend. "Know what the problem is?" when Sarah shook her head the red head continued. "I've been here so long, I'm starting to think like one of them!"

"We need to remember who and what we are." Sarah agreed.

Anne put her hand out. "You mean before we were the Goblin King's champions?"

"Yep." Sarah placed her hand over the outstretched one.

"Just a pair of rowdy girls!" Anne declared happily. "Look out Millie baby, you are gonna know what hit ya!"

"Amen." Sarah said.

"Solea took a seat beside her husband. "I see why you like them so much." She said quietly. "What fun it must have been to be their teacher and watch them grow."

"I've been blessed." He admitted know the other two were too absorbed to hear.

Sarah looked at the board. "Ok, you and I figured out the riddles in the complex. This should be a cake walk."

"Sarah," The Bard said quietly. "We still don't know anything about the Crystal Throne, and the Dragons are refusing to give us any information. Where did you read about the crystal throne?"

Sarah slapped her forehead. "Meander's Queen! That blasted Robin yet again, seems to interfere in my life no matter how many times I try to get rid of him."

"I don't remember it in the book." Anne said.

"It wasn't in the book, it was in the play." Sarah recalled. "And if I'm not mistaken, my mother still has a copy of the play in her keeping. Linda never throws scripts away."

"Wait!" Anne grabbed her by the shoulders. "It wasn't in the book?"

"No," Sarah said quietly. "Robin changed some things for the play. The producer hated most of the changes and they got cut. Mother said that he refused to have dragons or a throne built. Too costly."

"And you just remember this now? You didn't mention this when we were in the complex."

Taking a long sigh, Sarah looked bothered. "Anne, Robin followed the original book with the things he did in the complex. None of it was like his play. Why would I tell you things that could throw us off track? We were trying to survive, remember?"

"So where's the Crystal throne?" Anne asked as Sarah headed out the door.

"Damned if I know!" The Mystic called back.