Chapter 11
Jareth was strolling through the gardens outside the High King's castle beside the High King.
"Well, I think she's a perfect choice.", King Zeus said. "Though I understand your reluctance with a mortal woman."
"Yes, and thank you, Father.", Jareth replied. "I was wondering, since you have so much experience with Mother, that we could switch places tonight. I'd be you, and you'd be me. You could, um..." Jareth trailed off.
The High King laughed. "I know exactly what you're saying, boy." He slapped his son on the shoulder and conjured a crystal. It multiplied into two, and King Zeus handed one to Jareth.
Jareth grinned. "Thank you, Father.", he said, and in unison, the two men threw the crystal on the ground. Thick white smoke covered them. When it cleared, Jareth found himself staring at... him. A perfect representation, right down to the clothes he'd been wearing.
When the High King/Jareth spoke, it was in Jareth's smooth voice. "I'd say that worked swimmingly well.", he announced joyfully.
"Yes.", Jareth replied in his father's deep, gruff voice. "Now I know why Sarah was attracted to me all those years ago."
The High King laughed. "Oh, gods, boy!", he exclaimed. "Rule Number 1: Don't be too overconfident. And, don't forget, I'm the only one who'll be saying whether or not she is still attracted to you."
The High King pulled Jareth through the doors of the castle, past the Entrance Hall, until they came to the doors of the Great Hall. Jareth heard music and talking and laughter coming from the other side of those doors.
"Father, this isn't a masked ball, is it?", Jareth asked... Jareth.
The other Jareth chuckled. "No, boy, it isn't." He opened the door and strode in.
The High Queen Elizabeth and Sarah were talking in hushed voices. When Jareth and... the other Jareth came up to them, they stopped their conversation and grinned.
"Hello, love.", the other Jareth/High King said to Sarah and kissing her hand. "You look very beautiful tonight, my lady."
She did look quite beautiful. The green dress with gold embroidery looked so right on her, and so familiar. But he just couldn't remember where he'd seen it before.
"Yes, I believe the boy may have made the right choice for his bed tonight.", Jareth said, grimacing inside and assuming his father's shrewd humor.
"Father.", the other Jareth said in shock. "That was not called-"
"Come on, you egotistical dolt.", Sarah said, grabbing Jareth's father's/son's/dolt's/High King's/Jareth's hand and dragging him to the dance floor.
Jareth was surprised at Sarah's insistence. Sure, she was stubbornm and bold, but she was still rather shy about showing affection in public. He shrugged off the uncertainties and looked at his mother. He was about to comment Sarah on her breathtaking beauty when he remembered that his mother was supposed to be his wife.
I wonder if this qualifies as incest, Jareth thought as he asked the High Queen to dance. Because that is certainly what this feels like.
Jareth fought the urge to let his eyes stray over to Sarah as he danced sickeningly close to his mother. He loved his mother, there was no doubt, and he'd danced with her before. But he'd never danced with her like this, and he was extremely uncomfortable. If he'd been paying more attention to the woman he was dancing with, he'd have noticed that she was trying to contain her own look of discomfort.
"So, what were you and Lady Sarah talking about when Father and me arrived?"
"What? Oh, er, we were talking about... costumes.", she replied.
"For what?"
"Just... costumes in general."
"Why?"
"Why do you want ot know?"
"Well, as far as I've heard, the Lady Sarah hasn't been into costumes for for nigh on 17 years."
The High Queen sighed. "We can only hope, my king, that she wasn't interested in other men for the past 17 years, either. It would hurt the boy, if only because she didn't tell him about them herself."
"Oh, she's had a few boyfriends, trying to replace m-, Jareth." Jareth instantly regretted saying that.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know that?"
Jareth sighed, thinking up a lie quick. "I've been monitoring Jareth's magic for a few years. The number of times he's looked in on that girl is unhealthy. And the various kinds of situations she was in when he looked in on her. I lost count of the times he spied on her while she was taking a shower."
The High Queen choked, and for a moment, she looked completely appalled, as if she herself had been offended. But even though the subject wasn't talked about often, King Zeus could very have done the same thing.
"When this damned ball is over, I'm going to strangle that boy."
Jareth looked at his mother with surprise, completely who he was supposed to be. "I didn't really do that, Mother." He stopped dancing and put a surprised hand mouth.
"What?!", the High Queen shrieked.
"Er, Jareth? We've got a bit of a problem.", said the High King as he came up to them, still under the guise of Jareth.
"I'll bloody well say we do!", Jareth's mother shouted. "Jareth! What is this I hear about you spying on me while I was taking a shower?"
"What?!", Jareth and the High King shouted at the same time.
"Jareth.", the High King/Jareth said, smashing a crystal ball and turning back into the High King. "I'm afraid they had the same idea we did."
Jareth smashed his own crystal and became Jareth again. "I'm not sure I understand.", he said slowly.
"JJ and Leanna were right. You are a thickhead.", the High Queen said, then nodded at Sarah. Sarah conjured two crystas, which Jareth had had no idea she could do. One crystal she smashed in front of herself, and the other she smashed in front of the High Queen. Sarah turned into the High Queen and the person Jareth had been dancing with turned into Sarah, who was blushing furiously and avoiding his eyes.
"Understand yet, boy?", the High King asked his son.
"I'm believe I'm beginning to, Father.", Jareth answered, now amused. "And I admit, it's rather amusing to think that I was married to you for a few moments there."
Sarah's pride came roaring back with a vengeance. "I have several things I would love to call you right now, most of them taught to me by our daughter."
"Tell me. I'd love to hear some of the new nicknames Leanna has come up with, though I'm quite sure she's called me all of them."
Sarah was about to retort when she suddenly sank through the floor. She was followed by the High King and Queen. Jareth looked around, and he suddenly started falling himself...
Jareth jerked awake, ane the first thing he heard was laughter. The High Queen had her head buried in her husband's shoulder as her own shoulder shook. The High King was wiping tears from his eyes. Sarah had her head on the table and was banging her fist on the wood. Leanna was simply smirking. Except for Aaron, the other men were laughing their arses off as well. Some had even fallen on the floor.
"I say, girl! Where'd you learn to do that so well?", King Orius asked, wiping his eyes in much the same manner as the High King.
"The future archmage, JJ, taught me.", Leanna answered.
The High King calmed himsedl and asked, "JJ?"
Jareth grinned. "My future archmage, Jareth the Second, the Runner that I brought before the Court two years ago. Those two have pet names. Isn't it cute?"
Leanna glared at him. "It is not a pet name. Everyone else calls him that, too."
"But you came up with it. What does he call you, Leanie?"
Leanna's glare turned murderous. "Well, I can see why my mother was angry with you. And I now know what you've been teaching JJ."
"What?"
"You're both skilled at breaking hea-"
"Enough!", Jareth shouted, standing abruptly, "Stop letting your anger cloud your judgement! Do not blame me or JJ for something you're doing to yourself!"
Jareth suddenly realized the room had gone utterly silent.
"But he doesn't lo-", Leanna started, but was interrupted by a cloud of glitter.
Jareth had appeared, and Jareth smirked. "I take it you used my gift, then?", he asked the boy. He'd given JJ a crystal through which he could observe the proceedings.
Instead of answering, JJ pulled Leanna close and kissed her. Leanna put her hands on his chest as if to push him away, but she snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
"What do you think?", Sarah asked Jareth.
"I think our plan worked well.", Jareth replied, then grinned. "It also gives me ideas, and brings up memories."
"What? Now you want to get them married? Or perhaps get them in bed together, huh? You're her father. You're supposed to protect your daughter's virtue, Jareth." She snorted.
Jareth smirked. "Now, love, I don't necessarily have to have ideas about them, now, do I?"
"But who- Oh." She blushed and took a sudden interest in her fingernails.
The High King cleared his throat and the young couple broke apart.
Leanna cleared her throat nervously, glared between Jareth and Sarah, and hissed, "I'm going to kill the both of you, I swear." And she did swear, quite spectacularly, to both of them in turn.
"Leanna, have you been spending time with sailors?", JJ asked her, grinning like an idiot.
"Well, actually, she has.", Sarah said, "Her great-uncle was a sailor. I'm afraid he's part of the reason for her vocabulary."
"And yours, Mother.", Leanna retorted.
"My language isn't nearly as bad as yours, young lady.
King Aaron stood as Leanna rolled her eyes.
"The girl has most definantly proved herself in magic.", he said coldly, interrupting them. "But what of swordplay? In some situations, magic won't always help you."
Leanna smirked. "When you sent your best men to challenge me, King Aaron, I'm sure that you're aware that I sent them all back... incapacitated.", she answered, sneering.
"Incapacitated? Leanna, as far as I know, you simply dueled with them and won.", Jareth said.
"No, Father, those were just a bunch of men passing through. No, these were some rather nasty assassins, which I did send back to Scanra utterly disabled."
"You didn't kill them, did you?"
"No, of course not."
Jareth sighed with relief.
"Is this true, King Aaron?", the High King asked.
"N-No! It's vicious lie!", King Aaron shouted.
"It doesn't matter, High King Zeus.", Leanna said. "If he wants me to prove myself again, I will. Let me fight your second fiercest man."
"Second fiercest? Why not the fiercest?"
"I prefer to leave myself something to look forward to when I duel my father again.", Leanna replied smoothly.
Jareth chuckled instead of pointing out that he could most certainly best his daughter in a swordfight, even if it was only slightly.
King Zeus looked slightly taken aback at her smart reply, then he grinned and shouted, ". Someone fetch Rupert! And now, to the Courtyard!" Everyone got up to leave.
Outside, jareth was the last one there, since he'd had to go to his room to fetch something. When he got there, Leanna was being fitted with leather armor. he pushed his way to the front, which wasn't hard since most of the people there feared him. He held the long, slender package in his hands out to his daughter.
"Here, Leanna. I, er, had this made for you.", he told her, a little uncomfortably.
"Is it gonna blow up in my face?", she asked, but she took it and unwrapped the silk wrapping. Her jaw dropped. It was a sword still in its sheath. The sheath was made of pure gold. The hilt was made of silver, enhanced by magic to keep it from ever getting damaged. It had small crystals embedded in it. The handle was wrapped in black leather, and the pommel had a small version of Jareth's amulet.
Leanna looked up and Jareth. She grinned and threw her arms around his neck and whispered, "Thanks, Dad."
To say Jareth was utterly shocked would be an understatement. "Um, you're welcome." He drew back and pointed to the emblem on the pommel. "A sword fit for a princess of the Goblin Kingdom. Not to mention spoiling my daughter who definantly doesn't deserve it."
Leanna just widened her grin and belted the sword to her hip. There was a metallic hiss as Leanna drew the sword. The blade was wicked sharp but beautiful. Like the hilt, it too had been enhanced by magic to make sure that it would never brake. It had also been mixed with the metal from a fallen star, which was one of the strongest metals Jareth had ever encountered.
The man standing opposite Jareth's daughter, who was obviously Rupert, was tall and lean, and he had a bored, slightly amused look on his face. Jareth could tell Rupert thought this was going to be easy.
Sexist bastard, Jareth thought, then leaned towards Leanna and whispered, "He thinks this is going to be easy. Why don't use your usual technique and make him think that for a bit before moving in for the kill."
Leanna looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned, nodded, and replied, "Your wish is my command, my lord-father. I got that line from a book."
"Just like your mother, taking lines from books." Jareth studied her for a moment before nodding. He figured she knew what she was doing. Leanna just grinned and faced Rupert.
Everyone made a circle around the two fighters. Rupert started taunting Leanna. Leanna took her usual stance, standing perfectly straight and still with her sword held rather loosely in her hand. Her face seemed to be made of stone. Rupert growled and struck. Leanna slowly delfected the strike, as if the sword were too heavy for her. Sarah squeezed Jareth's hand, but Jareth just grinned. Leanna knew what she was doing; she'd used this ploy several times before.
Leanna thrust, but Rupert knocked her blade aside and went for her neck. Leanna was just able to dodge away. She grimaced as Rupert sliced open the sleeve of her shirt. Sarah's hold on Jareth's hand was starting to hurt.
Leanna's face broke out into a grin as Rupert tried his own thrust. Leanna quickly dodged and grabbed his wrist. Rupert punched Leanna, causing her to stumble slightly. Leanna swore and deftly broke Rupert's wrist. Rupert cried out and dropped his sword. Leanna pointed her sword at his chest. Jareth cleared his throat. Leanna swore again and puts her hand on Rupert's wrist. When she stepped back again, the wrist was healed. Leanna picked up his sword and threw it on the ground near his feet.
"Let's try that again.", she told him.
Rupert picked up his sword and flexed his hand. "How'd you do that like that, like you were simply snapping a twig?", he asked.
"My mother had me learn two types of martial arts. Wanted to make sure I could defend myself."
The man nodded... and charged. Leanna blocked him easily, giving up all pretense of being weak.
Leanna's eyes widened. Dad?, she asked in Jareth's mind.
Let me guess, Jareth thought, JJ taught you this, too?
Yes, but he didn't know he was. Anyway, we've got a problem.
What?
If Rupert loses, Aaron is going to kill him.
How would you kn-
Don't ask me how I know! What are we going to do.
You've got to do what you've got to do.
You really are cruel, Dad.
Being cruel is one of my best qualities.
"Let me worry about King Aaron.", Leanna hissed at Rupert. "I can keep him from killing you. I can see your fear, and his, and I'll use that to my advantage. I'm like bloody Phobos and Deimos all wrapped into one." Her voice was so low, the only way Jareth could hear her was because her thoughts reflected what she was saying.
"Who are Phobos and Deimos?", Jareth asked Sarah.
Sarah looked at him for a moment with confusion before answering, " Phobos is the Greek god of fear, and Deimos is the god of terror. Ares' kids."
"Great."
"What?"
"Well, apparently, that would be Leanna's Gift?"
"Gift?"
"Yes, literally with a capital 'G'. Her gift is that she can tell what people fear the most and probably terrorize them with it. I'm the exact opposite. I can see what makes people happy, what attracts them. When I look at Leanna, I see her mother, her uncle, JJ, and, the newest member, me. Kind of surprising, actually."
Sarah shook her head. "Shame you can't use it on yourself.", she told him.
"Well, it works when I look in a mirror. For the longest time, all I saw was myself as I was. Then, almost 27 years ago, it was just you. Then it you and Leanna. Now it's you, Leanna, and JJ. That boy is like a son to me, which wakes it kind of wierd about what's going on between those two."
"What do you see when you look at me?"
"Toby. Leanna. Memories of your father." A smile lit up his face, a real smile that reached his eyes and made him look absolutely beautiful. "And me. I see me. And your friends, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus. And I hear a song, two songs. One is ours, of course. The other is... 'Ground control to Major Tom'. What is that?"
Sarah grinned. "It's 'Space Oddity, a David Bowie song, one of my favorites. Why I like a song about a dying astronaut is beyond me, though." (A/N I love that song!)
"I like this guy. David Bowie, you said?"
"Yeah, that's him."
Leanna beat Rupert, and the best man, whose name was Nico. Jareth barely paid any attnetion when the Court, besides Aaron and Peter, ruled that Leanna would definantly be Jareth's successor.
Leanna had gotten a cut on her left cheek during the last fight, and JJ was glaring at her.
"What?", she asked him.
"How dare you try and ruin that beautiful face?", JJ mock scolded.
"Oh, shut up!" But she let him heal her.
Jareth conjured a crystal and held it out. "Let's go home.", he said, and they all touched the crystal...
Oh my gods, I love David Bowie, really, he;s awesome. I think I'm probably the only 80s fan under the age of 20 within a 1,000 mile radius. *hiss* This chapter, I think, was the longest chapter of them all. Anyway, only one more chapter to go, and it doesn't have an apparent happy ending. Oh, it's going to be such a surprise! So will the sequ-
Jareth: Tell me what's going to happen, girl!
Lp: Nope.
Leanna: Don't worry, Dad. She's gonna do a sequel and explain everything. Er, you are doing a sequel, right?
Lp: *shrugs* I'm thinking about it...
Jareth: *lunges for Lp*
Lp: *pulls out tranquilizer gun* I have Celestialdome to thank for this lovely idea.
Jareth: *runs away screaming like a girl*
JJ: *falls on the floor, laughing his arse off*