A.N. - Sorry for the delay everyone, a lot of personal stuff going on in my life right now, though I hope to make it up with this chapter. This story is turning out to be longer than I anticipated, but I've decided to roll with it and I hope to update a bit sooner in the coming chapters.

The Magician

A little known fact about the Otherworld was the connection between its kingdoms and the rulers of those kingdoms. The very fiber of a kingdom depended upon the one who sat on the throne. The succession of a ruler, when necessary, was a long process involving a multitude of spells being cast, some of them painful to the one taking the throne. However, the stronger the Fae, the less time it would take for a kingdom to acclimate to its ruler. Most succession rituals took months, sometimes even a whole year. There had been the rare occasion where the process only lasted a week or two. But once a ruler and kingdom were bonded, it was as if the two were one entity. The weather and even landscape was attuned to the mood of its king or queen. So, this being the case, Hoggle knew that today was a good day, as the sun was shining and the castle had more windows to let in the sun. There was even a sprawling balcony jutting off of the throne room which overlooked the Labyrinth. It was really quite peaceful, he reflected, as he waited for the king to re-enter; well, peaceful if you could ignore the goblins playing in the recesses of the room. Hoggle would take it, for everyone knew that the Goblin Kingdom had some of the most volitile weather and landscapes, being subject to the king's mercurial moods. Hoggle shuddered as he recalled the time when Jareth isolated himself for two months. The goblins had barely went outside during that time, as everything was dark and gloomy. The dwarf often wondered if things could have turned out differently...

"Ah, Hogwart, just the dwarf I've been waiting for," came Jareth's smooth voice. Hoggle shook his head, clearing his mind to the present, and didn't even try to correct Jareth's wrong use of his name. "So, what do you think of the Duchess' seamstress?"

Hoggle shrugged, replying, "I'm not sure we can use her to ferret out what's really going on. She's a halfling, but I was only allowed half an hour with her, so I couldn't ask where she'd come from or nothin'."

Jareth snorted. "And I'm willing to bet she's no halfling. No, if Nilrem has tasked me with sorting out what Ravena is up to, then you can be sure it's not something good. I wish he hadn't given me this assignment, though, as there are plenty of Fae who would jump at the chance to catch the Duchess conducting illegal activities. She's rubbed far too many the wrong way."

Hoggle hesitated before stating, "You know he just feels badly about what happened to your father, but this task has given you some of your old spark back, and we're all relieved."

A glint of mischief danced within Jareth's eyes at that. "Oh, my citizens are concerned for my well being, are they? Perhaps some of them would enjoy a dip in the Bog, for old time's sakes."

Panic filled Hoggle at that as he exclaimed, "Of course they wouldn't, that place is awful!" Jareth laughed as the dwarf realized he'd been teased and he shook his head. "So what do you want to do about Ravena and the seamstress?"

"I'll observe the halfling when she comes, start a casual conversation, and try to glean some insight into the truth. If all else fails, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Ravena's power is no match to mine, after all. The sooner I get to the bottom of this, the sooner I can be left alone again. Now, don't you have a garden to tend Hogsbreath?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." With that, Hoggle turned and hastily exited the room, slightly afraid that Jareth might not have been entirely kidding about the Bog.

Keelia had managed to convince Ravena that she and Sarah needed to go into the Gilded Plaza, a sprawling Fae market, for supplies. Really it was a stroke of luck that Ravena had been distracted by an invitation to attend an afternoon hunt then dinner party, by King Hadaer of the nearby lesser kingdom of the Wilds. King Hadaer was married, but his son, Prince Brewen, was quite available. Sarah made sure to fashion up a stunning dress for Ravena. It was a slim, wine red gown, with fluttery half-sleeves and which dipped just low enough in the front to give a hint of cleavage. As a finishing touch, there were thin ribbons of silver around the waist and tying the bodice, and four small garnets in the shape of a diamond were placed in the center of the front between the breasts. Ravena had been pleased at Sarah's subtle design, and was off in no time, giving leave for Sarah to do as she wished, within reason.

The Gilded Plaza reminded Sarah of a very large Farmer's Market, and a twinge of homesickness enveloped her. Trying to stave off the feeling, she asked Keelia, "So who is this mystery person we're supposed to meet?"

"He's a magician who lives just off the Plaza here. He's a bit peculiar, and quite young, but he's powerful. If anyone can give us some guidance with our plan, it's him." Keelia led the way through the stalls and throngs of shoppers until they reached a small covered wagon with brightly painted words and images all over it.

"Magical Weapons and Trinkets! Fortunes told!" Sarah read out loud, then turned to her friend who was knocking on the wagon's door, "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Of course we are, I've been here loads of times when Ravena's allowed me to come to the Plaza. Ah here we are," she said in satisfaction as the door opened.

Whatever Sarah was expecting, it was not who stood before them. A boy no older than ten looked expectantly up at them, amusement shining in his blue eyes. He was dressed in high quality robes with stars and moons on them, like the kind one would buy in a good costume shop. He even had a traditional looking wizard's hat to match. "Oh, hullo Keelia," he said smiling, "What brings you by my wagon today?"

"Hi Nilrem, I've brought a friend of mine who was recently procured by Ravena. This is Neala and she and I have something to discuss with you."

Nilrem's eyes glanced to Sarah and he started, then replied, "Of course, come in, come in, quickly!"

Sarah gasped as she entered the wagon, for it seemed she was not stepping into an enclosed space at all, but a meadow which stretched as far as the eye could see. Nilrem led them towards a yew tree, its thick trunk supporting the many branches above. As she and Keelia drew closer, Sarah's eyes spotted a castle a ways off, though even from the distance she was at she could tell it was strongly fortified. "Where are we?" she asked as she sat down in the shade of the tree next to her friend while Nilrem produced glasses of water from thin air for them.

He smiled as he answered, "It has had many names throughout the ages, but I still refer to it as Arthur's Seat."

Sarah blinked. "You mean this is Camelot, home to King Arthur?"

"The same, though my friend is long dead, deciding to go into battle rather than join me here in the Otherworld."

"You're Merlin," she stated, no longer surprised. She'd long ago known that myth and fantasy were more than merely imagination.

"That was my name, many centuries ago. I am getting old, though I know I look young. Time runs backwards for me, you see, as it does for any true, powerful, magician. There aren't many of us and in fact, I can't think of any other mortal who is. But I digress. I didn't bring you here to discuss my life, but rather to figure out just what Ravena's been up to."

"Wait, how do you know about the Duchess?" Keelia asked.

"My dear, I have eyes and ears throughout the kingdoms. I know Ravena's been getting her servants illegally, but even though not many of the Fae are too keen on her, they don't trust me, so I must get proof."

"Why don't they trust you? You've been living here a long time, I'm guessing," Sarah said.

"It may have something to do with the fact that I accidentally cursed one of their own a long time ago, when I first arrived." He could see the shock on the girls' faces, so he sighed, then elaborated. "I always knew there was a portal to the Otherworld because I could commune with the fairer folk, as magicians have an innate sense for the mystical. Once Arthur passed away, I had no desire to stay in the mortal realm any longer, so I spoke with one of the Fae kings. His name was Aron and out of all the Fae folk, he was one of the few who could come and go as he pleased between the mortal plane and that of the Underground. I asked him how I could come live in the Fae world, and he told me that he had the power to make it possible, but that there would be a price. He said that I could wish myself away, but I would be transformed, no longer human, and I would have to be a citizen of his kingdom. I agreed. But what neither he nor I realized was that what we were doing was illegal. You see, if I had been a normal human man, there wouldn't have been an issue, but since I was a magician, my own powers negated the deal. When Aron brought me to his castle, the spirit of his kingdom manifested and told him that there would be consequences, not for him, but for his young son. She said that Aron's son would be doomed to fall in love with a mortal girl who wouldn't return his favor, and thus would die of a broken heart. Aron pleaded with the spirit, begging her to take his life instead of his son's. After a minute, she felt pity for the king, for she knew that he hadn't known what would happen in making the deal with me. She finally told him that while she could not change the fact that his son would fall in love with a mortal who would reject him, she promised that she could protect his heart just long enough for the possibility of a second chance at love. The king was relieved, but he knew that his own time was up, and he gave his life for his son to have a chance."

"That-that's awful!" Keelia cried.

But Sarah was shaking, tears in her eyes. "It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"My dear halfling, don't cry, I'm sure that whatever you feel you should be blamed for isn't your fault," Nilrem replied, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Sarah didn't hear him, however, continuing to speak softly, "I should have understood. The book even told me. HE tried to tell me, but he couldn't tell me everything. How could he, he had to play by whatever screwed up rules there are?!"

"Neala, you're not making any sense," Keelia shook her head. "Maybe it was a bad idea to come here. Besides, you've got to go measure the Goblin King pretty soon."

This just made Sarah cry more. Nilrem's eyes widened as he asked, "The Goblin King? What does she have to measure him for?"

"She's a seamstress," the older woman answered.

"Stop, Keelia, just stop," Sarah finally said, sniffing. "I may be a seamstress but it's under false pretenses, just like the fact that I'm not really a halfling any more than you're a, well, whatever she's glamoured you to look like."

"Neala, no, oh no! If Ravena finds out what you just said, your family is doomed!"

Nilrem jumped up, excitement in his eyes. "You're both mortal! I knew there was something fishy going on, I could sense the enchantment on you both but couldn't tell what it was!"

Keelia squawked in fear, but Sarah said, "Calm down, Nilrem isn't going to say anything. You trusted him enough to bring me here and see if he could help us. The only way he can do that is if we trust him enough to tell him everything."

Keelia visibly relaxed and replied, "You're right, I'm sorry. Go ahead then, tell him your story, for I can't remember my own."

"My name is Sarah Williams, and yes, I'm a human. My story starts seven years ago, when I was a selfish teenager and wished my baby brother away. I hadn't expected the wish to come true, but it did, and I had to go through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered to get him back. However, in my heart, I knew I would return eventually, for it's where I belong, and now I know just who my heart belongs to. I only hope I'm not too late to undo the damage."

Nilrem stood there in silence, then grinned, saying, "You are the Lady of the Labyrinth, and you intend to free the Goblin King from his loneliness?"

"I will try and can only hope that he will give me a chance to fix the mistake of my youth."

"Good. And I believe I know how we can both help the king and reveal Ravena's activities at the same time. Are you willing to listen to what I suggest?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, let's prepare."