Chapter7

Great faith is not found; it is made of tiny demonstrations of commitment on a daily basis.

The goblin city was empty except for the six standing in the middle of the town center. The wind was picking up now moving dust and dirt from pace to place around everyone's feet. The sky was clear with no clouds around and a few birds that were flying. Eve stood shocked in place, as she had heard Stephan's words. He was her uncle, Jareth's brother.

"You're my uncle?" Eve questioned. There was really no doubt that he was Jareth's brother. He had the face, the blue eyes, and the build. He stood almost face to face with Eve towering over her with him six-foot frame. His face was soft, warm looking and peaceful. His gaze was intense on Eve as if studying her face as well.

" I am." He said with a thin grin. "You have Jareth's eyes." He said almost laughing. "And smile." He continued.

"Thank you. But…" Eve paused and looked at him with curiosity. "Where have you been?" She asked. Stephan smiled, looking past her at Mani.

"Let's get back to the castle. We can talk better there. Are those you friends back there?" pointing a thumb back at the three boys.

"Yes. That's Demetrious, the prince of the Elf's, Nick, Prince of Fairies and that's Robin Goodfellow, everyone knows him." Eve said walking over to them making sure that they were all okay. Stephan walked with her shrugging and apologizing to the three. Eve looked at Demetrious with soft eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked her in a whisper, as they all stared to walk back to the castle.

"Yes, I just think that this is getting weirder and weirder." She whispered back. They had reached to entrance gate where two goblin guards stood. "Excuse me," She said to the guards as they gave a slate to her. "Lord Lysander Mani is wounded in the town center if you would escort him home, please." She asked. The guards gave a bow and nod to her and walked off toward the town center, as the five walked inside the castle.

Eve had shown Stephan into the newly cleaned library. Demetrious, Nick, and Puck had gone home, knowing that Eve would need time with her uncle. The books were glimmering from their shelves, shinning bright from the giant chestnut bookcases that lined the massive room. Stephan stood in the center of the room looking at the entire room turning in a circle. Eve stared at him as she closed the door, realizing that at this moment she had a blood relative, and a family. Stephan's eyes fell upon Eve, as he smiled at her.

"I have to admit you've made a great start." He said taking a seat on the large auburn couch and putting his feet on the clear glass coffee table. He was staring at her again as she stood in the middle of the room smiling back at him.

"Thank you. It's taken much to get this far." She replied, sitting on the couch opposite from him.

"Well I have to admit you have mush more to do Eve. Making the kingdom look nice and pretty again is not going to make everything fall back into place again. What's your main plain of attack?" He said shifting in his chair. Eve looked at him for a moment and wondered what he meant by attack.

"How did you end up in jail?" She asked smiling a little. The question made Stephan blink a couple times from the subject change; he sat back in his chair folding his hands tightly.

"I was leading a revolt against your father, about seven years ago. Me and the last few of the fae's and some elf's joined up and tried to… um…" Stephan stopped a moment and looked down pulling out his hands placing them in his lap. He looked back at Eve with guilt. " We tried to kill him." He stared at Eve silently, as he watched her face and her movement on the couch. Eve looked over at the wall then back at Stephan after a moment, she made a comforting smile at him.

" I understand. "She paused. "That you needed to help him and save him, and stop him." Taking her gaze off him and back at the wall. " I didn't know him then, you did." She said looking back at Stephan eye to eye. " What went wrong?" She asked resting her elbow on the arm of the couch closet to him. Stephan shifted in the armchair again sitting on his side folding his hands.

"He and Lysander Mani tore down all the hideouts that we had and I was in on of them. He personally took me the cell. He promised me that he would kill all my conspirators; I know he killed all of them. He swore that he would never let me see daylight again and that I would rot in that cell; there was a good amount of time where I did think that." Stephan took a deep and intense breath.

"How did you escape? I hadn't even gotten to who was in the castles prisons, to release you." She asked with great inquiry. Stephan lifted his head and closed his eyes as if trying to remember it all.

" I had hears that Jareth had left the kingdom and left some child in charge." Stephan opened his eyes and glanced at her and then closed them again. "I knew that it would be the only time to escape. Knowing that Jareth was out of picture I could at least kill Mani and attack Jareth later." He said opening his eyes again and looked back at Eve as she peered at him as he finished his story.

"If he was here would you have killed him?" She asked him with raised eyebrows. Some sad emotions appeared on Stephan's face; to Eve it looked like he was going to cry.

"Yes, I would have. Running away would have been too easy. This kingdom needs firm hand, like I said just making it pretty isn't going to help. There are laws that need to be changed, the city still needs work, the economy is a problem, and not to mention the neighboring kingdoms and not staring wars with them." Stephan paused and looked at Eve. She was smiling at him wider and wider as he was going on and on with his list. She was smiling at him with her hair spilling onto the arm of the couch as she held her face in her hands.

"Just that?" She giggled a little. "I know just filling a few fountains and taming a King isn't going to change much, but it's a good start don't you think; it's also why I think I will need your help." She sat up straight folding her hands in her lap. "It will give you a chance to lend a hand to your country. That and you would be able to help out your one and only niece. What do you say, Uncle Stephan?" She finished grinning. Stephan sat up direct face looking into Eve's mismatched eyes.

"You are like your father in more ways then you think. You could convince someone to jump off a cliff." He said smiling getting up from the chair. Eve stood up too grinning up at him as she stood a foot from him. A few minutes of awaked silence and Stephan opened his arms for an embrace. "Give me a hug kindo." Eve ran into his arms smiling and laughing. "I'm the only uncle you've got around here." He said pulling her back taking her by the shoulders and gazing her up and down. "How old are you? Twenty, twenty-five?" He said laughing.

"I'm sixteen." She giggled.

"Sixteen! Wow, and your mom! I didn't really meet her, but I was at the wedding. Where were you both?" He said have both sat on the couch together.

"We where hiding in the Elf Kingdom. I was born there, and the queen blessed me and gave me powerful gifts." She said.

"Was that what I saw in the street back there?" He asked. "Or was it Fae power?"

"That was elf power, but I do have a bit of fae power. I read that most fae's don't get their gifts it's taking me a little longer." She replied.

"I don't remember it was so long ago. But I can remember Jareth having powers from an early age. He let out a little chuckle. "Still carry some scars." He continued. Stephan glanced at Eve as she smiled and laugh at him. "Eve what's your main plan?" He said getting down to business. She looked at him with a comfortable smile.

"First I plan on getting rid of those women hating laws, then the economy; balancing that out then one that happens…what should we do next?" She asked him with bright eyes. He scratched his own chin a little and snapped his fingers and smiled.

"To show the other worlds and Kingdoms our new and improved kingdom and show you off as well, we could throw a ball, that would work out. We would build up public relations and make sure that no wars are getting started.

"Sounds like we have a plan then, don't we uncle Stephan." She said with an optimistic tone. Stephan made an odd face as Eve finished her sentence.

"You can just call me Stephan, at least until I can get used to the Uncle thing. I must say we have covered all the bases." He says as they both smiled at each other.

"I do believe you have left out one key player," Said an unknown voice by the door. Eve and Stephan turned to see Jareth standing in the open doorway of the library. "Me." He said. "I have to say Eve the place looks great." Jareth stumbled in sleering his words. His face looked old and warn and sweaty with a stubble of a bared. His hair was long and unmanaged as he looked around the library, stopping a couple feet from Eve and Stephan who were now standing.

"It looks really great." Jareth looked at Stephan, hatred filled his eyes Jareth started to lift his arm and hands to attack him. "You! What the hell are you…" He lunged at Stephan with hands ready to choke him to death. Eve jumped in between them before Jareth could get his hands around his neck.

"Stop it Jareth! Just stop it!" She yelled at him. "He's here to help me." She screamed lauder. Jareth stopped and pulled back away from them both.

"You freed him? He tried to kill me Eve! Me; your father. The fucking King!" He said raising his voice.

"I know, he told me. Jareth your out of control. Your rage, and kick and scream. Stephan and I are trying to make this kingdom better, look what we've done so far!" She said pointing at the books. " I want to help you Jareth. To help you become a better King, a better dad, and maybe a better husband." She said talking normally now with a simple smile. Jareth stared at her and then at Stephan.

Maybe this could work, maybe this would help, and maybe we could be a family.

"I'll have to think about it." He said to both of them. "I'm going to my room for a while." He said backing out of the room slowly.

"Sure take all the time you need." Eve said.

"Well be here if you need us." Stephan added.

"Ya, sure." Jareth said walking into the hallway turning his back to Stephan and Eve. " Where the hell can a king get some damn food around here!!!" He screamed down the hall. Eve paused a second and laughed as Stephan join in.

"I guess we have to all start somewhere, and it's a start. " She said as she turned to Stephan.

" It's something." Stephan said as both of them laughed walking out of the huge library.

Author's note:

HOLY! This was one of the hardest chapters for me to write. Sitting down and forcing me to focus on it! Well I hope you enjoyed this because chapter 8 is going to be really long is going to take some time. Only a few more chapters to go! I'm only doing 10, so…read up on some other stuff. Thanks for reading! Fm.

5