CHAPTER THREE

A Goblin, a Trickster, a Warrior

"There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior…

A nameless, terrible thing,

Soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies.

The most feared being in all of the cosmos.

And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it.

One day it would just drop out of the sky

And tear down your world."

-The Doctor from "Doctor Who" Series 5, "The Pandorica Opens"

It was not until mid-October that fate decided to finally rear its ugly head.

Most tales would say that the day of destiny happened on a dark, stormy night, when the wind howled and thunder lashed mercilessly from the heavens, but this was utterly and completely wrong.

It was a beautiful evening in early fall. The sun was still setting in the clear blue sky as the Guillemin family sat in the library after dinner. Lord and Lady Guillemin were chatting quietly in gilt chairs next to the window, while Sarah and Aubrey lay on the plush rug that was situated in front of the large fireplace. Sarah was attempting to teach Aubrey to walk, holding his tiny hands and wiggling his arms to try to persuade him into a walking motion. Aubrey was trying, Sarah would concede to that, but he was also in rare form tonight, throwing a little temper tantrum every time he fell down onto his bottom. Every time Aubrey realized that he had failed once more, he would stick out his lower lip and pout, making Sarah giggle like a little girl.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door to the library and opened it quickly. One of the young boys who ran errands for the steward entered the library and strode rapidly across the room, bobbing in a hasty bow as he began to speak.

"Milord, milady, I am so sorry to interrupt you like this, but I was sent to tell you that someone has arrived, unannounced. He will not say who he is, but he looks as though he is quite important, as his clothes seem to be of a fine make."

"Yes, of course, we shall be down in a few moments," said Lord Fabian, dismissing the boy.

"Milord…"

The boy remained where he was. He seemed to be having an inner battle with himself, as if deciding whether or not it would be wise to speak what was clearly causing him internal strife.

Lord Fabian looked at him, a little surprised.

"What is it? Speak, child." Lord Fabian asked.

"Milord, I feel as though I ought to tell you...the steward said that I should not bother you about such fantastical things, but I feel as though it is my duty to inform you of what I have seen. He arrived without a horse, and yet his clothes are impeccable, no dirt or anything on his cloak. He could not have traveled from very far on foot without soiling his cloak. I would say he came from somewhere nearby, save for the fact that I do not recognize him, nor does the steward. He speaks quite nobly, though his accent is not one that I can not place. At the same time, he has an air about him that is passing strange; I cannot explain it, other than saying that it is peculiar."

"Thank you for telling me. I will now be better informed when we meet our mysterious visitor," Lord Fabian replied, smiling kindly at the boy.

Sarah looked quizzically at her parents as the boy rapidly left the room, as though he was glad to get away.

"Who on earth would arrive so suddenly?" she queried as her parents rose from their seats.

"I have no idea," said Lord Fabian, "but I have a feeling that this will not be very pleasant."

"Why do you say that, dear?" asked Lady Emeline, looking up at her husband.

"I am not sure," he replied, taking her hand, and patting it softly. "I just have a funny feeling. The boy's words just now have not instilled me with a great deal of confidence at the moment."

Lady Emeline moved across the room to where Sarah and Aubrey sat on the rug, and picked up Aubrey, who smiled and let out a stream of incomprehensible baby talk. Sarah smiled and got up as well, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress.

When Lord Fabian, Lady Emeline, Sarah, and Aubrey entered the great hall, a cloaked figure sat in the large, throne-like chair at the end of the hall that was reserved exclusively for Lord Fabian's use. Sarah drew in a quick breath. Who was this man who felt so strongly that he was above the jurisdiction of her father that he would immediately set the tone of the evening's proceedings to one of outright hostility?

"May I inquire as to who you are," asked Lord Fabian, his voice quite frosty. "The steward tells me that you gave him no name."

The cloaked figure deftly uncrossed his legs and stood up in one fluid motion, his raven cape swishing around his shiny black boots.

"You should know who I am," said the cloaked figure, "Or have you forgotten? It has been a great many years since I have entered this hall, after all."

He laughed, high and cold, as if he was sharing in some private jest.

"Quit speaking in riddles, and talk plainly! I ask you again, who are you?" warned Lord Fabian, his hand reaching to his side by force of habit, to where his sword was usually belted.

The cloaked figure descended the few steps from the dais and stopped, raising his arms wide beneath the cloak, spreading it out so it looked almost like wings.

"I have come to collect that which is rightfully mine."

With a flourish, he threw back his hood, revealing a shock of long pale hair, pointed ears, and a silver circlet upon his brow. He was dressed in black, a billowy silk shirt emerging from beneath an iron-colored ornamental breastplate and dark leather greaves. Sarah knew immediately who he must be. Her hand flew to the iron amulet that was hidden beneath the collar of her dress.

"Who am I? Why, none other than the Keeper of the Labyrinth, Lord of the Dark Wood, benevolent Protector of the Realm, and the ever swift arrival of destiny. In short: I am he whom you should rightly fear; I am the Goblin King."

He let out a peal of wicked laugher at the petrified looks on the faces of the humans that stood before him.

Lord Fabian moved swiftly between the Goblin King and his family, Sarah shielding her mother and Aubrey from the view of the Goblin King. A thick blanket of tension descended upon the hall, smothering the humans with fear. The Goblin King remained cool, completely unaffected by the stifling atmosphere.

Sarah's thoughts moved as slow as molasses, while at the same time, her heart beat madly. She had known that the Goblin King would be appearing some time in her life, and yet he had caught her off guard.

"Nothing to say?" the Goblin King drawled, raising one pale eyebrow. "You really should not be so surprised that I have shown up. I told you that I would, after all." He grinned, revealing sharp teeth that glinted in the firelight. "I always collect my debts in a timely manner."

"You cannot have him!" cried Sarah, her tenuous composure snapping at last, taking a few steps towards the Goblin King, as if she had any chance at all of frightening him off or intimidating him. The Goblin King merely smiled with a look that might have been called benevolence, had it rested on the face of anyone other than a fae lord.

"Lord Guillemin, I presume that this is your eldest," said the Goblin King, appraising Sarah, who felt her cheeks grow pink from the intensity of his gaze.

"Yes, she is. Sarah." Lord Fabian's response was curt.

"She is quite lovely. A credit to your beauty, madam." The Goblin King nodded in mock politeness to the Lady Emeline, who glared at him in return, not daring to speak as she clutched Aubrey closer to her breast.

The Goblin King sighed then, affecting a remorseful tone.

"But alas, it seems as though you are mistaken as to why I am here this night."

"Really, pray tell then, why are you here?" Lord Fabian replied drily, his voice as sharp as the crack of a whip.

"Do you not remember the curse I placed upon your unfortunate family? The wording of it is quite specific. It has been many a year since that fateful night, and yet I can remember every word I uttered with complete and utter precision."

The Goblin King began to pace slowly, reciting the curse he laid centuries ago on that unnamed Guillemin ancestor; the humans before him watching his slow tread across the floor with distaste, fear, and suspicion.

"I curse you. Yea, not solely you, but your descendants as well. For spurning the affection of the Goblin King, Keeper of the Labyrinth, Lord of the Dark Wood,

the Protector of the Realm, and for rejecting his most generous offer, what fate has befallen you shall befall every one of your kin. Every first-born child shall yield their younger siblings to me, whether they wish it or not, they shall be compelled to do so. They shall earn their freedom just as you have this night."

Lord Fabian rashly interrupted the Goblin King, anger getting the better of him as he ground out his words. "Yes, of course we know the bloody curse, I do not see how that is any diff-"

The Goblin King swiftly raised a slim gloved finger, effectively silencing Lord Fabian.

"Ah, be patient my good man, there is yet more to my curse, which you seem to have forgotten in your haste to interject."

The Goblin King continued to repeat his curse from so long ago, completely unruffled by the thick haze of tension that permeated the great hall.

"And yet, after your grandchildren are dead, and yea after their grandchildren are dead as well, I shall spare the second-born child in favor for the first-born daughter."

The Goblin King paused speaking for a short moment and stared at Sarah, who could feel the blood drain from her face. He continued on with a triumphant note to his voice, almost giddy that his words had elicited such a response.

"I shall test her, and if I deem her worthy of my affection, my heart, and kingdom, I will take her to be my queen, and it shall cause her more heartbreak and woe than it would have ever caused you had you chosen to accept my most generous offer. For all eternity, your descendants will curse your name and detest you for what you have done. Your actions tonight have single-handedly destroyed the future of your dynasty."

Lady Emeline let out a scream of dismay, and began to sob. Little Aubrey was startled by his mother's terror and began to wail in her arms, adding to the din.

Lord Fabian turned to Sarah and stared at her with a look of unbridled alarm, quite unable to speak. He took the few strides to be at her side, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Whether this was to comfort Sarah or to comfort himself, Lord Fabian was not quite sure.

People streamed quickly into the hall at the commotion, curious to see what was going on.

"Oh look," said the Goblin King sardonically, "An audience."

He turned to the throng of people who had entered the room and spoke in a booming voice.

"Mortals! Take heed! I am the king of the goblins, and I have come to lay claim on what is rightfully mine, as set forth by the curse that I cast before any of you were born, and yea, before your fathers were born and their fathers as well. I am not here for the babe, but rather the young woman, Sarah Guillemin. I intend to take her with me back to my kingdom and make her my queen. Do not attempt to impede me or dissuade me from this. I can assure you that if you try, you will invariably fail, as many have failed before you. No man could ever beat me and no man ever will. This is old magic at work."

"I will not let you take her," Lord Fabian growled, his face darkly clouded with emotion. He bellowed a command. "GUARDS!"

Silver-plated men rushed forward to aid their lord, but before they could do so much as raise their weapons, the tang of magic filled the air, and suddenly a goblin brigade appeared out of the ether. The motley crew yowled and hissed as they surrounded their king, banging spears and hammers against their shields, effectively drowning out every other sound in the great hall.

The Goblin King smiled and raised a hand and the goblins fell silent at once. He spread his arms in a smooth motion, as if he was displaying his most prized possessions.

"Behold! This is but a miniscule demonstration of my power. I do not think that you would want to see the full extent of my power."

"I will never go with you!" cried Sarah from behind the shield of her parents, trying and failing to extricate herself from their grasps.

"Are you so sure," said the Goblin King, "Are you not afraid of what horrors I will unleash if you do not come with me?" The Goblin King spoke in a soft voice that was laced with tinges of anger, verve and supplication. He continued to speak smoothly. "Shall I tell you exactly what will happen? Shall I give you the luxury of knowing all the details before I force you to make your choice?"

Sarah merely glared, not deigning to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

"Very well," snapped the Goblin King, a little testily. Clearly he was unused to people resisting him. "If you do not agree to this, I will take you anyways."

Sarah made a noise of disgust and squared her shoulders as she started to speak in her defense. The Goblin King, however, cut her off swiftly.

"But soft," scolded the Goblin King, his eyes narrowing, "I am not yet finished speaking. I will take you to my kingdom, either way you choose, and if you continue to insist on resisting me, I will take your little brother as well. If you choose to come quietly, however, nothing more will happen to your family or your little town. As I have said, if you choose to defy me, I will take you and your brother, and I will finish what I should have done many, many years ago. The Guillemin line will be no more, and I will release the horrors that I so graciously keep from molesting you and your townsfolk. The full power of the dark forest shall be unleashed. I, as the Lord of the Dark Wood have sole control of these beings, and believe me, they are not to be trifled with. Everything you know and love will cease to exist. Now you know just some of the repercussions of your choice. Now choose."

As the Goblin King finished speaking, a smug look settled on his face. Sarah was incensed.

"We will fight you, never the less," declared Lord Fabian, steadfastly undeterred by the fact that he and his guards were outnumbered three to one by the Goblin King and his goblins, and also hopelessly outclassed by the Goblin King's magical prowess and Machiavellian cleverness. The goblins that surrounded the Goblin King uttered quiet cackles and half-heartedly readied their weapons, reminding Lord Fabian just what kind of force he was dealing with.

"Do not try my patience, my lord, this is not your choice, my lord, but hers. Your part in this tale is nearly over. I would urge you not mistake my politeness for weakness. That would be a most unwise decision, and most likely fatal. Stand down."

The Goblin King turned to Sarah, ignoring her seething father, and reached out a hand to her, trying to make it seem as though it was as a placating gesture.

"So, I ask again, how do you answer me, Sarah? Will you come with me and become my queen, or will you deny me as your ancestor did hundreds of years ago and watch as everyone and everything you know is destroyed?"

It was no choice. The Goblin King knew as much, for he could not hide the look of triumphant satisfaction that drew his mouth into a sneer.

Sarah glanced at the people who were in the hall. What would they be thinking of her right now? Their future now depended on the choice that she alone had to make. Damn the Goblin King. It was unfair. She turned to her parents, and gazed at them, not quite seeing them for a few moments. Sarah mentally made her choice, if it could be called such, and she steeled herself to meet her parent's reactions. The expression on her face hardened, her mind quite decided on what answer she would give the Goblin King.

"No, Sarah," Lord Fabian urged in an insistent undertone, correctly reading the determined look that had settled on his daughter's face. "I will not allow you to do this. There must be some other way."

"Do not you see father? I cannot refuse him. I simply cannot. Either I go with him or I watch as everything and everyone I love is destroyed." Her face twisted into a wry grin, trying to convince her father, as well as herself. "Not much of a choice, I will admit, but I know which one that I can choose that will allow me to live without any regret of the consequences. Who knows, maybe he will find that I would make a terrible consort and he will send me home. One could only hope."

"Sarah," Lady Emeline plead, still cradling Aubrey to her breast as if her life depended upon it, "Please do not do this, there has to be some way, something we could offer him instead…I cannot lose you, my dear daughter."

"Oh mother," said Sarah shakily, her voice faltering as she nearly lost her composure. "I am quite certain that there is nothing on this earth that we could possibly offer to him that would make him change his mind. You forget that this is the Goblin King. Oh mother, please do not make this harder for me than it already is. When I first realized whom it was who had arrived so suddenly here tonight, I felt so guilty, though I had not done anything yet. I knew that I would somehow give Aubrey to him and that there was nothing I could do to stop myself from giving in to the Goblin King's wiles. But now I do not have to betray my family. Do not you see how much of an improvement this is?"

"Improvement," Lord Fabian scoffed, "How can this be an improvement? Do you even hear what you are saying? This is the Goblin King we are talking about. You said it yourself; he is not human. He does not think like a man. He may be all pretty words and gentle courtesies now, but who knows how he will behave when he is in his own element."

"Even a Goblin King has to have honor, father. I will take that chance instead of the certainty of what will happen if I do not."

Sarah smiled sadly at her parents. It seemed as though it was harder on one's heart to try to convince a parent to let go of their child than to walk willingly into a monster's lair to kill the beast.

"Do not blame yourselves. I am making this choice of my own volition. You have raised me to be a strong young woman, and you have taught me how to be honorable and brave in the face of uncertainty. It is past time that I left the nest. I am a child no longer. I have not been for some time now. I can hold my own against the Goblin King. You'll see."

Sarah grasped her mother's hands. The older woman was shaking with silent tears.

"Raise Aubrey just as you have raised me. Help him to grow into a brave and courageous little boy. Show him the differences between right and wrong, and guide him along the path of life to make the choices between what is right and what is easy. Tell him stories of his older sister who set out on a great journey to have adventures and to slay dragons. Tell him how much I love him."

"As touching as this is, I do have a kingdom to run," interrupted the Goblin King, lazily adjusting one of the cuffs on his jacket. "Time is short. Make your choice."

Sarah turned resolutely to face the Goblin King, stepping out from behind her parents. She straightened stiffly to her full height, behaving as regally as if she were a queen. She took a deep steadying breath and gave the Goblin King her reply.

"I will accompany you to the Goblin Kingdom and consent to your demands. However, I must have your word that when I go with you, you will not harm my family or the village in any way. If I agree to keep to my end of the bargain, you must agree to keep yours. Will you swear to me that you will keep your word?"

The Goblin King swept into a graceful bow.

"I swear it, Lady Sarah."

He straightened up and held out his hand once more.

"Come."

"Now?" asked Sarah, a hint of uncertainty straying into her voice.

"Of course," said the Goblin King roguishly, "It is further than you think to the Goblin Kingdom, and we have to get to know each other better if we are to spend an eternity together."

Lord Fabian let out a low growl of outrage, and Sarah turned quickly, imploring her father with a pleading look to not try to fight any more with the Goblin King. She was doing her best to hide her fear behind a mask of bravery, but failed when she saw the look in her father's eyes. He was scared, and that frightened Sarah more than any Goblin King ever could.

Lady Emeline threw her arm around Sarah, squishing Aubrey between the two of them in her earnestness to hug her daughter.

Lord Fabian joined the group hug, and they stood there for a few moments, the last time their family would be complete.

"Goodbye," Sarah whispered, a few tears escaping from her closed eyes. Lady Emeline smiled sadly and wiped them away, and then stoked Sarah's auburn hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

Sarah sighed and urged her feet to carry her to her fate. She turned slowly to face the Goblin King, and strode forward with far more courage in her decisive steps than lay in her heart.

Sarah was not fully aware how imposing the Goblin King's presence was until she drew nearer to him. She felt very small and somewhat fragile in comparison. Courage. She must be brave. For her parents. For Aubrey.

Sarah delicately ignored the Goblin King's outstretched hand. Sarah was perversely pleased at how the Goblin King's indulgent smirk dropped a few degrees at her impudence. She was letting him decide her future, but she would be damned if she did not try to resist him at every opportunity.

The Goblin King dropped his hand, and instead closed the gap between Sarah and him, and laid it lightly on the small of her back. Sarah jumped. She refrained from giving the Goblin King a foul glare.

Sarah did not have to worry about that however, for her father was giving the Goblin King a murderous enough look that would have killed any lesser man.

The assorted goblins flanked the Goblin King and Sarah, like a motley honor guard. As the procession moved forward, the humans in the hall parted swiftly, watching silently as the aftermath of the Guillemin curse was manifested in front of their own eyes. Sarah glanced once more at her parents and her baby brother as she and the Goblin King passed by. They walked on steadily through the great hall and out of the large wooden doors that punctuated the far end of the room, disappearing into the dark night.

AN: Hooray! Sorry for posting this chapter so late, my lovelies! I'll try to be more on the ball next time.

As always, thanks for all of your lovely reviews and comments! They really mean a lot to me!

Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith.