A Ring in the Hand
Summary: Sarah left a contribution, a ring. Unknowingly our heroine invoked an ancient rite and is now bound to the Underground and the Labyrinth's King. And then the Summer King finds out.
Rating: T (implication of sex in public... sort of... I err on the side of caution)
Disclaimer: I neither own, nor claim to own, The Labyrinth and all it's characters. I lay claim to future OC's that may or may not show up. But that is all.
**See below for Author's notes
The Summer King lounged on this throne, his eyes half-closed and sparkling through his impossibly long lashes. Nut-brown hair, crowned with shimmering leaves, gleamed in evening light spilling in from the canopy of trees above. He was beautiful and sharply in focus; the most real being in the whimsical and terrifying court of Summer.
His throne was impossibly intricate and made of a living tree. The trunk bent into a seat with the branches curling up in a symmetrically leafy backdrop behind him. Roots rose up and forward to create curling armrests. It was an impossibility, until you saw that there was a live naiad trapped with the throne, forever unable to draw away from her tree, forced and twisted into the fascinating shape.
A lazy and easy smile graced his face as he listened to the low voices of several naked sprites that clung to his shimmering golden robes.
Beneath the open air court was a marble floor, intricately carved pillars of the same gleaming white curled up into the leafy canopy. Green ivy crept down them and ventured brave tendrils out onto the marble slab. It was a scene of sweet summer harmony and peace. It was the buzzing of bees in the warm summer evenings, and the golden scent of summer sun. It was here that the Summer King ruled his court.
Without warning a sorcerer swept onto the marble, past the courtiers, dismissing the scandalised whispers that bloomed in his wake at his lack of tact.
"Your majesty." The sorcerer bowed low, his red robes spilling over the marble floors like blood. He waited for his liege lord to incline his head at him before continuing, a note of exultation in his tone. "I've found the source of the leak."
The High King sat up swiftly. Lazy eyes sharpened, the easy smile was replaced by a feral grin, revealing the sharply pointed teeth of a predator. The sprites shrieked in glee as power rolled through the surroundings. "And?"
The entire court leaned in, avarice sparking in their eyes.
"It is within the Goblin Kingdom." He said with all the joy of a gossip that well aware of how good their story is. All the creatures and assembled courtiers held their breath as the sorcerer paused dramatically.
"He is siphoning off a small amount of his powers to the Aboveground." The sorcerer's eyes danced around to ensure he had full attention. His voice lowered as if conveying an intimate secret, "He is glamouring a girl."
The Court of Summer, which had been deliberately lingering in a state of evening, fell into a warm darkness quickly. Fires sprang up, highlighting sharply planed faces and glinting black eyes. A feral spice filled the air.
"Why?" The King hissed.
The sorcerer leaned in, his own face gleaming in anticipation. "Nearly a century ago in our reckoning, a girl went though his Labyrinth to get back her baby brother, and he… proposed to her. Apparently she gave a ring to the Labyrinth. My guess is unwittingly, not knowing that in the middle of those 13 hours, the Labyrinth and King are one and the same. And then he sent her away with a trail of magic to hide her."
The Summer King's expression of malice faded with quicksilver speed. He laughed long and loud. "The Goblin King chose a Goblin Queen? A mortal? And she accepted without knowing?
"Why, this is not cause to wage our war. No, this is cause to celebrate! He must be longing for his errant bride! A century apart! What a pity! No, no. My good creatures, he is a man in love. We must be gracious… and good neighbours…
"We must fetch his stray bride here for him." He gleamed darkly at his Court. Dark mischief glimmered on his face. The court rippled in glee.
Sarah jogged up to the dorm building, glistening in sweat from her run. She turned to pause her MP3 player and remove her earphones, then moved into some quick stretches.
A sudden stillness in the air, followed by a renewed chirping and buzzing of the summer evening brought her standing up ramrod straight. A shiver passed over her skin. Warily she turned around to face the copse of trees edging the street and adjacent to her building.
Narrowed eyes widened as she perceived shapes shifting out of the green gloom, into a mass of wild people. No, not people, she corrected herself. Those are… fae.
The last word escaped her breath in gasp. A ripple of amusement passed over the green skinned, leafy haired beings. They flowed through the empty space to her.
Sarah stood as if frozen, panic thrumming through her veins. Could no one see this? Where were all the people?! She lived in one of the busiest parts of campus!
The slim brunette regained her senses too late. She started to run, but they were on her.
And with a burst of summer sweet magic, the horde of the Summer Court whisked her away. Only a few fragrant leaves were left drifting to the green sward of grass in front of her dorm.
**AN: Well, there you have it. Fourth bit. I'm a wee bit enamoured of the Summer King. Ah well. Please review if you are so inclined. And, consider this a mild chiding. If you consider this story worthy of a Story Alert, or some such thing, then possibly it is worth a moment of your time to review as well... Then again, maybe that's just me. The rest is coming soon.