Disclaimer: dont own anything but my own characters!
A/N here's chapter six yeah! this ones really focused on toby and just for you curious folks out there there is a five year time differance between the Underground and the real world. (for every five years that pass Underground only one year has passed aboveground) thanks again for those of you who are reviewing this story and favoriting it or story alerting it i love you guys and another shout out for my wonderful beta trampymctramp for working with me it make this story all it can be thanks sooo much!! ok on to the story....
Chapter 6 Toby returns
21 years later Aboveground 85 years into the Great War- Underground
Toby entered the house completely exhausted. He had never liked attending funerals and he had just returned from attending two. Setting his keys down on the door side table, he ran a clammy hand over the light stubble on his chin. How he longed to have his sister there with him, but she had disappeared twenty-one years before, and his parents had no idea what he was talking about when he had asked about her as he grew up. They always asked him whom he was talking about as if he was crazy.
He wanted to know what lay beyond the locked door upstairs and now after all these years he was going to find out. He had a feeling the room had once belonged to his sister but he wanted to be sure.
Toby sat in the upstairs hallways with his back against the wall, staring at the perpetually locked door. After what seemed like hours he stood and tried the handle. As it had been his entire life, he wouldn't budge to his touch. He frantically started twisting the doorknob back and forth, throwing his shoulder into the hard painted oak.
Chagrined, Toby leaned forward and rested his sweaty forehead against the unmoving door. "I wish this damn thing would open," he said, to no one in particular. Suddenly he heard a click, an eerie creaking, and the door slowly swung inwards to reveal an old room with a bed, vanity, posters and stuffed animals. Slightly unnerved, Toby peaked into the room and grabbed the closest object to keep between the door and door frame, should it close and lock again on its own accord. He set the large orange beast on the ground to block the door.
Books were strewn all around, and Toby carefully made his way to the vanity. Atop the vanity he noticed a book, a music box, and a statue. The statue was of a man who looked familiar somehow, almost like a long forgotten memory. It had wild hair that was both long and short and stuck out in a few places, but still looked oddly fitting for its style. The music box held a doll with chocolate brown hair and fair skin which resembled his long lost sister. Finally his eyes fell upon the red leather-bound book.
"The Labyrinth" he read, under his breath. He opened the cover and noted how stiff it was from years of idly sitting and waiting for a pair of eyes to enjoy its contents.
Toby sat upon the feminine bed comforter and started reading the stale pages. As he delved further into the story, snippets of memories started coming back to him. The thunderstorm, her story, the goblins, and the King. By the time he finish the book he realized where his sister had been all of these years.
Gathering his courage, he said in a calm voice, "I wish to speak to the Goblin King. Right Now." Nothing.
Suddenly a gruff voice spoke up "You will need to call on the Queen not the King."
He jumped at the sound but was encouraged by the response. He thought about the advice for a moment and then rephrased his wish. No sooner had the words left his mouth than a storm blew in and he saw a dove flying at the window. Instinctively he ducked when the window suddenly flung open and the dove flew in. When he stood back up, he saw a beautiful woman with long, dark brown hair and mismatched green eyes standing before him.
"Sarah?" he asked in disbelief.
"Toby!" she cried in surprise.
"Is it really you?" they both asked at the same time.
"Yes, it's me, Tobes."
"What happened to you? Why didn't mom and dad remember you?"
Sarah sighed heavily then said slowly "I wished you away that night Toby, and after I did, I realized my mistake and I vowed to get you back. Well, I did, but I fell in love and I could not leave my heart behind so, after rescuing you I stayed. I married the King and well, here I am."
"Why didn't the King come when I first made my wish?" he asked confused.
He saw the flicker of pain pass through his sisters' eyes before she said quietly "He can't at the moment Tobes." Then seeing his confusion she continued, "The Underground is at war Toby, he's fighting."
As she was explaining all this to him, he was mentally absorbing it all. Toby stole a glance at his sister's hands to see what sort of grand engagement ring a Queen would wear, but her ring finger was bare.
"Sarah, I thought you said that you married the King, but I don't see a ring" indicating her left hand.
She could not help the smile that spread across her lips. How am I supposed to explain the faes' most sacred ceremony to a mortal?
"Sarah, are you even listening to me?"
"I'm sorry Toby, what were you saying?"
"I asked if you would take me back with you."
Though she wanted too desperately, he had not said the right words.
"I can't Toby, it's not allowed. I can only take someone who has been wished away. I'm sorry."
Toby caught her hint and, smiling, he said, "I wish to return to the Underground. Right now." With those words, Tobias Williams disappeared from the face of the earth, never to be seen again.
Goblin Castle
Sarah and Toby reappeared in the Throne Room.
"Mother?" Daryan, her eldest, asked as soon as they appeared "Who is this?"
Sarah made her way to her throne. After sitting, she absently caressed the arm of the larger throne of the King and said to her gathered offspring, "Children, I would like to introduce you to your Uncle Toby. Toby, these are your nieces and nephews. I'm sure after a few days you will remember their names easily."
"Is this really your baby brother, Mother? Is he really our uncle?" Gyan asked.
Smiling she answered "Yes."
"Will he be staying?" Emma, one of Sarah's daughters, asked.
Toby looked at the young men and women around him and wondered if these were really her children and, if so, how could they be older than he was? He was quick to answer the young woman's question, "I would like to stay."
Turning to his sister, he repeated his question which had not been answered earlier.
"Sarah?"
"Yes, Toby?"
"I asked you something earlier and you never did answer me."
A thin smile crept up on Sarah's face. She asked "Toby, come, tell me what do you see?" as she held her left hand out for him to see.
Toby noticed a long, thin scar that ran from her thumb to her outer wrist. "Sarah how did you get that scar?"
Her smirk grew into a smile that could rival that of the Cheshire cat. Her eyes clouded over, as if she was seeing something that was only visible to her.
"Toby, you asked me earlier if I was really married to the King because you didn't see a ring. I am married, just not in the way you would traditionally think. The fae marry in a ceremony called the Mate Bond. It is a sacred ceremony and not one to be entered into lightly, for once entered you are committing the rest of your life to this person.
Jareth and I took it one step further. We entered into a Blood Bond."
She stopped, unable to go on as a wave of sorrow took grip of her soul. She got up and walked to the window trying to calm herself.
Her children surrounded their Uncle Toby and tried to explain the rest of the bonding ceremony to him, then said, "Don't worry about Mother. She just misses Father, we all do."
"Well for all you know he could be dead."
Sarah overheard the last part of their conversation and walked over to the group.
"No, he's not dead Toby."
"How can you possibly know that?"
"Well, you recall that I said I Blood Bonded to him, do you not?"
At his nod, she continued, "Well, if he were to die then so would I."
"Sarah?" he asked, a look of confusion and fear on his face.
"That scar you asked me about, it is my wedding ring Toby, one far more binding than any mortal ring. I love him Toby and I bound my life to his as surely as he did to mine. We can't be parted, even in death."
Curious, Toby asked, "How long has this war been going on?"
"We are in the eighty-fifth year."
At his confused look, Sarah explained the time difference to him.
"So, you're telling me that it's been one hundred and six years since your disappearance from Earth?"
She simply nodded.
He took a moment to look into her mismatched green eyes and saw the sadness dwelling within his sister.
He asked, "How long will the war last?"
She sent a sad smile his way and then answered his question "The war will last almost two-hundred years, Toby." Then she returned to her throne. "Oh, I almost forgot, you will need to see the High Queen tomorrow Toby."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because if you intend to stay here you must pledge your loyalty to the High Crown."
"Okay."
Daryan and Gyan then spoke up "Come, we'll show you to your chamber."
The next day The Goblin Queen took her brother to see the High Queen.
"Toby, I would like to introduce you to Her Majesty Titania, High Queen of the Whole Underground."
Toby bowed low to the monarch showing his respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you your Majesty."
Such a wonderful young man thought Titania. "Come, tell me, how old are you Tobias?"
Rising he answered her "I'm twenty-three, your Majesty."
Titania then thought to herself, Well, he is old enough, and I do sense some latent magic within him. Now I just have to find him the perfect bride. She looked around the court and wondered which young woman would be the perfect bride for Sarah's young brother.
After a few moments, Titania announced that it was time for the Loyalty Pledge. Toby vowed to be an honorable subject to the Crown.
Afterward, Titania called aloud for all to hear, "Tobias Williams, I Titania High Queen of the Underground, give to you the title of Duke and give the estate of Arva to you and your descendants."
Toby was surprised by this. He had learned from his sister, nieces, and nephews that that particular estate was one that was very much sought after. For the High Queen to bestow it upon him was a sign of her high esteem.
After a while, a young woman of the court approached the new Duke Toby and his sister. He saw her beauty and wondered silently if he could get to know her better.
She stopped before The Goblin Queen and curtsied, then asked Sarah in a low sweet voice, "May I have a word Your Majesty?"
Tansy, who was a distant cousin to the High King, meekly approached the Goblin Queen. She was not sure if she could ask the Queen what her heart was begging her. Everyone in the kingdom knew that no one had solved the Labyrinth except the Queen, and everyone knew the promise that the King had extracted from her before the war, yet she was determined to try anyway.
She had seen the Queen's brother and had known instantly that he was her Mate so with that thought in mind she curtsied to the Queen and had asked to speak with her. As they turned to leave the room, she noticed his curious gaze following them and smiled to herself.
Sarah was curious as to what Tansy wanted to talk to her about.
When they were in another room, Tansy began, "Your Majesty, the reason I wanted to speak to you is because I wanted to ask you something. I know, as does the rest of Underground, what you promised your King but I need to ask you this, regardless."
She paused, took a fortifying breath, and asked, "Can I run the Labyrinth to win your brother?" Sarah was taken aback by her request, so she laid a hand upon the girl's shoulder and looked into her future. Sarah immediately understood why she had requested to run the maze.
Pulling her hand away, she smiled at her future sister-in-law and nodded in acceptance. She knew that she was going against her husband's wishes yet at the same time she really wasn't. She had promised him to keep any runners out of the Labyrinth because he had not wanted to come home to find all his children wed. Thus, she figured that having Tansy run it would not really be breaking her promise.
They returned to the High Throne Room and Sarah returned to her brother's side. "Toby I am returning home. Are you ready to go?" she asked him, quietly.
"Yes." He answered.
Sarah took his hand and they disappeared.
Goblin castle
They reappeared in the Throne Room of the Goblin castle and Sarah asked Toby, "So, did any of the Court Ladies catch your eye?" a knowing smile forming on her lips as she looked at him.
Toby was not sure how to answer her. He wanted to tell her yes but he could not make the sound come out of his throat so he just smiled and nodded slightly.
She caught his nod and asked, "So can you describe her to me?"
Toby grinned and replied, "Actually, it was the young lady who asked to speak to you. The one with the long red hair and eyes the color of sapphire and diamonds."
"Ah! You mean Tansy. Nice girl. Shes' related to the High King you know. Her father is the Archduke of Arvial, and she is approximately your age."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded.
"Toby, don't you remember me telling you about the time difference between Aboveground time and that of the Underground?"
Curios, he sheepishly asked, "How old is she, then?"
Sarah hoped that this would not come as such a terrible shock to him as she said, "She's one-hundred and five years old. Aboveground she would only be twenty-one."
Toby shrugged, knowing there was no other woman for him either Aboveground or Underground. A huge grin spread across his face and a mischievous glint came into his blue eyes. Sarah knew that look and said nothing; she would enjoy watching how things worked out for the young couple.
The Estate of Arva, a few weeks later
Tansy ran the Labyrinth and though she did not beat it she was still allowed to Mate Bond with Toby. Now it was their wedding night and Tansy hoped with all her heart that her husband would Blood Bond with her.
He was now fae, though his conversion had been somewhat strange. His eyes that would normally have gone two separate colors of blue were now two very different colors. One eye had turned fiery orange while the other tinged to a deep violet. Tansy wondered if that happened to all mortals or if he was just an exception.
As she sat on the bed, she recalled her wedding. Though fae did not normally wed in the same way as the mortals did, Toby had told her that he would feel like their lives would blend better if they had a ceremony of both their worlds. Tansy heard about the pretty dress and flowers that Aboveground women wore to their weddings, so she quickly caved to Toby's request.
She sat on the bed, waiting for him to arrive. She hoped that they would Bond tonight though they did not have to, as they had all eternity to share together as immortals. Just when she thought that she would have to go in search of him, he came into the room.
Toby was nervous. He knew what the Mate Bond required, having spoken to his family about it upon his arrival, but he had wanted to know how the Blood Bond worked. He went and asked his sister, as she was the only one that he knew of who had entered into the Blood Bond. She had told him what would be involved and the more he knew the more he wanted to Bond in that way to his beloved.
Leaving his sister, he went to his new estate and went in search of his wife. He found her sitting on the bed in the master suite. Smiling gently at her, he entered the room and, after closing the door and locking it, he made his way to their bed.
"Tansy, there is something I would like to know and I want an honest answer from you." He said as he brushed her auburn hair away from her face.
"Okay." She answered, her breathing hitching softly.
"Sweetheart, I want to know before I begin if you want to Blood Bond with me, for I find that I do not want to live without you by my side." He was expecting her to ponder his proposition, but before he had finished speaking she had thrown herself into his arms kissing him passionately. He slowly lowered them to the bed where he proceeded to ready her for the night ahead.
When the time came, he poised himself at her entrance and said in a strong voice.
"I Tobias, Duke of Arva take you Tansy, heiress of Arvial, as my wife, my Duchess, my only love, my Bonded Mate. I give to you my heart, my soul, my very life." He produced a crystal blade and, looking deep into her sapphire and diamond eyes, slashed his palm.
Tansy then began in a voice filled with emotion.
"I Tansy, heiress of Arvial, take you Tobias, Duke of Arva, as my husband, my Lord, my only love, my Bonded Mate. I give to you my heart, my soul, my very life." With that, she took the blade and slashed her palm. He took their bleeding hands and bound them together with a delicate white satin sash, then, in a single thrust, buried himself deep inside her.
