Authors Notes: Thank you to all you wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter, this is chapter six (a chapter I never thought I'd get to because I am notoriously known for never being able to finish anything!!) its totally Jareth-centric and its all about this Dinner that he is going to, his cousins dinner of course. Enjoy and please do review
Oh and no kidney beans, Poets shirts or dresses were harmed in the making of this chapter!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is all property of Jim Henson I just borrow, I wish I could say I owned a Labyrinth DVD but I just loan it from my boss!!
Dedications: To Notwritten for her endless support and to my boss, who will probably never read this but its thanks to his long fantasy talks in the kitchen and endless letting of his DVD collection that I have got so far with this… keep the fantasy alive boss!!
Chapter Six Dinner Guests
Jareth was Fuming, not only did he have to sit through his cousins endless taunting before dinner over Sarah Williams but now he was trying to get her to skip the subject while they were at the dinner table. It was going to be a testing evening.
"Jareth Dear," His cousins Wife, Keelin began "you really should get out more, after all there are hardly any women in your part of the underground, and well, to socialize would do you no harm"
"Mother, Jareth does quite well; he has his eye on someone at the moment any way" Esmelda countered
Jareth shot her a death glare and she shot him a look that seemed to say 'next time I won't help'
"Oh really Jareth, who, do I know the lucky Fae?" his cousin Ossian jibed, spearing a prawn with his fork.
Jareth wished that the ground would swallow him up.
After his parents demise three years earlier Ossian had taken Jareth under his wing and was determined to have him married off by this winter, Jareth had other ideas.
As much as he loved his younger cousin, Jareth grew tired of Ossian's constant meddling, so what if he was almost double Ossian's age and had not married if his cousin was happy wit a castle full of offspring then that was up to him, but his constant meddling had to stop.
"Cousin won't you take a walk about the garden after dinner, Cyra's new here she's visiting from Keelin's side of the family, I think you might get on well together"
Jareth looked over at the petite blonde that sat next to Esmelda and looked at her apologetically before nodding to his cousin.
"Good, good, she comes from a good family you know" said Ossian with a wink in Jareth's direction.
Jareth for his part felt sorry for Cyra, the poor girl had no clue what was going on and had to listen while Ossian talked about all of her attributes as if she were a potential heifer for sale.
"Ossian please!" Jareth admonished, turning to Keelin he said "How is Tristain?"
"Teething" she said.
He watched as her nose scrunched up and said "I can lend the services of a few goblins, they are quite chewy, or so I've heard.
Esmelda looked shocked. "You don't use goblins for that do you Jareth?"
"How do you think you cut your teeth Esme?"
She looked shocked
"Was it clean?"
"Of course" Jareth said in between chuckles, "your mother wouldn't let it near you till it was"
Esmelda said nothing, but when her parents weren't looking she used her knife to send a kidney bean from her meal soaring towards him. It found its target and stuck to his white poet shirt, raising an eyebrow he fired one back, and the food war began.
Jareth had time to reflect while he was waging a silent food war with his cousin about things, like how much he had missed his family, even if they were intent on marrying him off to someone he didn't know, and how much he enjoyed his cousins company. For all her tantrums and protestations Esme was not the same girl that demanded stories from her favorite cousin, nor was she the same girl that would cry endlessly over a broken toy. She was growing up; she had suitors calling all the time, and hardly remembered childhood problems, she was more likely to cry over a torn dress or a suitors rejection than over a toy, moments like this were becoming a rarity now, as more and more often she would be out when he came to call.
Jareth was broken from his musings when the bean he had aimed at Esme missed its target and hit Cyra square between the eyes.
Cyra for her part tried to muffle her cry of outrage but to no avail
"Jareth, Esmelda what do you think you are doing?" Ossian looked shocked and the two guilty parties realized it was a bit late to try and brush the offending kidney beans from off their persons, so they tried to look sorry which resulted in Keelin bursting into a fit of laughter.
"My dear Jareth did you think I hadn't noticed the little war that was going on between you and Esme"
"Sorry Keelin, the foods wonderful…"
"What's on your mind?"
"It doesn't matter." Said Jareth shaking his head and trying to brush away the kidney beans, some of them had stuck to his shirt with the aid of a little sauce from which ever meat they had been eating.
Esme's dress on the other hand was ruined she shot a withering look at Jareth and bean to have a deep conversation with Cyra.
"Your sisters late again"
"Ossian…" Jareth growled
"She never said she'd call" Keelin added trying to Ease Jareth's discomfort
"She should take as much time to visit relatives as she does looking after those subjects of hers!"
"My sister is a good Warden, I wish others could say the same cousin, Cyra how about that walk that Ossian promised you?" and saying that He took the young Fae's arm and walked out of the dinning hall
"Well I think that went well"
"Father, if only you tried to be nice to him, it's not his fault that he's not married, maybe if you actually let him chose who he sees he might enjoy these dinners a bit more"
"And while he's doing that he might just want to think about growing up, I mean He's a grown man having a food fight" Ossian shook his head and covered his eyes with his hand
"Husband, please, maybe Esmelda has a point" Keelin whispered laying a comforting hand over her husbands
"I just want the best for him, I told his father I would look after him…. I, I have done very poorly indeed."
?!
"I am soo Sorry about the way my cousin acted; He seems to think that I need a wife for some stupid reason!"
Cyra just nodded
"I mean I do quite well on my own but he has to interfere…"
"I know what you mean, my brother is just the same 'get married to the goblin king and you'll want for nothing' those were his words, does it even matter if I love another, shouldn't marriage be about love?"
"Have you maybe thought that he is just trying to advise you on what is best?"
"It never sounds like advice it always sounds like he's telling me what to do"
Jareth nodded, he knew what siblings were like, after all, if Izzie had been at dinner she would no doubt have been plotting about how to get Sarah back, plotting with Esmelda what's more! He never could stand it when women plotted.
"What will you do?"
"I don't know, what would you do?"
Jareth smiled "You could always wish him away and I could stick him in the bog until he realizes how unfair he's being to you"
Cyra giggled "As appealing as that sounds who will look after Tortain and teach him about the kingdom?"
"Advisors?" Jareth proffered shrugging his shoulders in a non committed gesture
"No they would just tell him what should be done and pretend it was for the good of the kingdom but really it's for the good of lining their own pockets"
"There is your answer then, become your brother's advisor, when it is his turn on the throne teach, advise and offer council to him"
Cyra smiled and kissed Jareth on the cheek "Thank you, I shall think about that wish your majesty"
Jareth smiled and led her back to the patio doors "Be sure you do"
"Are you not rejoining us?"
"No, thank you but I think I have heard enough of my cousins 'Advice' to last several lifetimes, and after all I have neglected to visit the gardens here for too long"
"Very well but remember the council you have given to me this night and be sure to take some yourself"
He smiled a kind gracious smile and watched the girl inside.
"My brother actually has a soft center, and here's me thinking that it had just been misplaced down the back of the settee"
Izzie, how nice of you to join us, you missed dinner." Said Jareth in a monotone not turning to look at his sister
"Oh you could at least pretend to be happy to see me" Izzie replied with a hurt expression
"Why bother when you would see through it instantly"
" well you could at least try, would it be too much to ask?"
"Maybe not but I have had enough of humoring people tonight"
"Since when did your heart turn to stone...? Ohh yes, around the time that Sarah Williams defeated you wasn't it"
"Izzie I am warning you, I have thrown Goblins in the bog for less"
Izzie pretended to look shocked "But I'm your sister, and I have news of the girl"
"What makes you think I would be interested?"
"Because Esme told me about the dream you sent Sarah just the other night, but… your right you look totally disinterested so I won't even mention her again" smiling she began to walk towards the patio doors
"Wait, when did you see her?" asked Jareth
"That's more like it! She was outside a toy store in her town, with Toby"
"Toby?!"
"Yes you know the brother that she ran the Labyrinth to win back"
"How is he?"
"Not too good, His parents have just been through a divorce; Sarah takes him once a week to give Her Father a break"
Jareth sighed thinking of what Toby's life may have been like if he had stayed underground
"And Sarah?"
Izzie smiled "So you do care about her?!"
"No, I only want to make her feel what I suffered, defeat and rejection"
"Jareth…."
"Will you help me?"
"I… I why are you asking me this?"
"Because I know what a brilliant trickster you are"
Izzie rolled her eyes "If I help I help, but I will not harm her, do you understand Jareth?"
"Ohh don't worry, I just want to see her carted away to… Bedlam"
A cookie to anyone who knows what Bedlam is Ok soo its simple I know this chapter is for my Sister who's stuck by me through think and thin, I hope your Grandpa gets better soon Sweetie, oh and tell me what you thought of Izzie
And to my other reviewers thank you for sticking with me soo far, I will have a bit of revenge for you in the next chapter, I hope!!
TBC