CHAPTER SIX
Blessed With My Curse
"So I bless you with my curse,
And encourage your endeavor.
You'll be better when you're worse.
You must die to live forever.
I will show you the depths of the night,
We can never go wrong.
Together we can take it
To the end of the line,
My eyes are like a shadow on you…
And since I know all your dreams,
I understand what you need.
And when I call you,
You must go where I lead.
Your dreams are so hungry,
It's time now to feed."
-"Gott ist Tot" ("Original Sin") from Jim Steinman's musical "Tanz der Vampire"
Sarah merely stared at the Goblin King for a few moments, trying in vain to gather her suddenly scattered thoughts. No words would spring to her lips. Was this just her mind playing tricks on her? Had the Goblin King really said what she thought he had?
"I-I…what?" asked Sarah, utterly confused at this bizarre turn of events.
"I merely wanted to know if you would like to learn how to escape?" asked the Goblin King, his innocent look not quite reaching his eyes, which were full of mischief, and naturally, a craftiness that was inherent in all fae.
They made their way down from the terrace, descending into the garden. They walked along the dappled paths until they found a place to sit and talk, a carved stone bench which sat next to a glassy pond. Sarah sat down without comment, still trying to untangle her thoughts. Why was everything so much more confusing around the Goblin King?
"I thought the whole point of this curse was to take me away from my home, my family, and everything that I have ever known, and keep me here forever. Had a sudden change of heart, Goblin King? Arguing forever no longer holds its appeal?"
The Goblin King snorted derisively. "That would not be very sporting, would it? It is 'not fair' as you would say. There are always caveats to such things. If there were not, one could not get up to such delightful mischief. Do you wish to know how to escape me? 'Say your right words." He smiled impishly at his own words.
"Yes, but…" Sarah remained unconvinced. Surely this was some kind of cruel trick that the Goblin King was employing to unbalance her and give him yet more power over her.
"Do you not remember what I said, how I worded the curse? You say you know the story, but it seems as though you do not know it at all. It is your hereditary curse." The Goblin King spoke in a mock-heavy voice, seeming as though this was very trying for him, when in fact, he delighted even more in knowing far more than Sarah. Such was the advantage of being an eons-old fae monarch. How could a simple human possibly hope to match him?
Sarah, in return, glared at the Goblin King. She wanted him to get to the meat of the matter: what it would take for her to escape. He clearly enjoyed dragging this out as much as possible and delighted in mocking her mercilessly at every step.
The Goblin King continued in his torment, as blasé as a fae could possibly be when talking about a several hundred-year-old curse that he had cast in a fit of resentful rage. Especially since it was a curse that concerned the future of the young woman standing in front of him.
"Let me remind you: '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. 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,' et cetera, et cetera and et cetera. I shall test you. I would not want to take just anyone as my Goblin Queen. My Goblin Queen must be my equal, worthy of my affections, and steadfast. I had thought I had met my equal in your ancestor. I had never met her prior to our fateful night, but I had watched her, and against my better judgment, I began to grow very fond of her. She was headstrong and steadfast, much as you are, and she was not afraid of facing the unknown. I should have recognized that when she tried to wish away her sibling that she was cruel. and unfit to be my consort. It was a hard thing for me to realize that she was not my equal, she was far from that, she was as all humans are down at the core: selfish and unkind. It was a mistake to grant her the power to summon me. It is not funny how things are always so much clearer after you have done them? How things that seemed to be the right choice at the time are quite often the wrong one afterwards? Fate is fickle like that…"
The Goblin King fell deep into thought, and his countenance seemed to be a little bit remorseful. Sarah was a little shocked that the Goblin King was telling her such things. It was as if the carefully mischievous façade that he had fashioned had fallen and revealed the true fae beneath it. She could not even find it in herself to rile up her emotions to defend humankind. Some part of her knew deep down that his assessment was right. She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. He was so alien, and his radical changes of emotion and way of seeing things were so foreign to her. He had seen things that she could neither comprehend nor imagine, and he had lived and loved so fiercely. She began to recognize just a little of what it was like to be fae. To have seen and done so much, and to have the power to inflict great change would be a great and terrible responsibility. It seemed both a blessing and a curse. What would you live for when you lived for so long, and with few who could challenge you physically, magically, or mentally?
The Goblin King looked sharply at her, his face darkening as he beheld her sympathetic expression. He stood sharply, towering above Sarah, who sat stock still on the bench, a little shocked at the Goblin King's sudden emotional upheaval.
"Do not presume to pity me, human." His voice was suddenly cold. "I am telling you what you should know to brave the trials and tribulations that you shall soon face. If I speak more freely than I should, it is because I have been without somewhat intelligent companionship for a long while, and I want you to understand my position. I want you to know why and how I selected and why I chose to act as I did. You cannot impose the thought and morals of humans upon me for I am not human, nor have I ever been, similar though we may look."
Sarah sat stiffly, uncomfortable with this sudden change in the Goblin King's demeanor. She was loath to admit it, but she had been thinking some of those very things. It was so hard to accept that Goblin King was real, though he stood before her very eyes. She had thought of him for so long as fantasy, as a thing of the past, that she could not grip the veracity of his existence.
The Goblin King started to pace steady circles around the bench where he and Sarah had settled, his hands grasped behind his back. He continued to speak.
"To win back your freedom, you must run solve Labyrinth. I will take you far from here, to the borders of my kingdom. You shall be further away from your old home than you are at the present. Even if you were near to your home, you would not be able to go back through the stone passage to your world. Only I can open the way. You shall have to find your way through the wood to my Labyrinth, pass through the Goblin City, and make your way here, back to my castle in three days time to earn your freedom. If you fail to complete this task, your fate will remain unchanged and you shall stay here forevermore ruling as Goblin Queen. If you should successfully run the Labyrinth in the allotted time, pass unscathed through the Goblin City, and reach my castle in time, I shall return you to your world, and your family shall be safe from the curse."
"Additionally, as I know that this has probably already popped in to that pretty little head of yours, no, there is no way that you can deliberately fail. Try to run away or cheat me in some way, and I shall visit your family in recompense. Who knows what I might do to them? I am, after all, the Goblin King, and am capable of unspeakable revenge." He arched and eyebrow at Sarah, as if daring her to protest this caveat.
"You need not take this path, however, it is your choice. It certainly will not be an easy journey, not in the slightest. Your hardships will be many and your hope will be all but extinguished. The chances of you returning victoriously from this expedition are slim at best."
Sarah said nothing. What was the Goblin King playing at? He offered her a chance at escape so freely, and yet now he was trying to dissuade her from choosing this path. What was his ulterior motive?
"Why take all the trouble when there is so little chance of reward?" asked the Goblin King silkily, pacing slowly around the bench where Sarah sat, mentally weighing her options. "You know in your heart that either way will lead inexorably to me. You cannot possibly hope to outwit me and my Labyrinth. Fate binds us together, you and I."
"Are you trying to dissuade me from running the Labyrinth, Goblin King? What is it that you are trying to achieve?" asked Sarah cautiously. She did not know the rules of the Goblin King's game, and yet she found that she had been thrust into the game never the less.
"I am merely pointing out the obvious, my dear, and that you have little chance of success. Why not just accept your inevitable fate, Sarah?" He stopped behind her, set his hands lightly on her shoulders and bent down to say his next words. "Turn back Sarah, turn back before it's too late." His breath tickled her ear.
"Never." Sarah's mouth set into a hard line, determined to oppose the Goblin King, no matter what it took.
"Never is an awfully long time, Sarah. Can you say for certain that your thoughts will never ever change on the matter? If so, I envy you for knowing your future so well. It must be simultaneously a greatly advantageous gift and a heavy burden. I think that this is not the case, however. I think that you are just saying this to displease me. I congratulate you on your success at this."
"If I win, will the curse be broken forever? Will you never again steal Guillemin children?" asked Sarah suddenly, a small ray of hope lighting her thoughts. She could end the misery of the Guillemin dynasty for all time and save her own descendants from having to live through the same pain that the ancestral Guillemin had. She could right the wrongs of so many years ago and escape the Goblin King in the same fell swoop. It was her only hope.
"Yes, the curse will be fulfilled if you win." The Goblin King seemed quite sure that Sarah would not and could never solve his Labyrinth. It unnerved her. What lay within the walls of the Labyrinth that was so terrible that Sarah would be unable to complete this task? There must be some way that she could win.
"Then it is no choice. I must run the Labyrinth. If there is any chance, any small chance at all that I can end your horrible curse, I must do it!" Sarah cried out passionately, turning to face the Goblin King, who returned her look with a strange cast to his face.
"Oh, Sarah," mused the Goblin King humorlessly, straightening up and resuming his slow circuit around the bench. "Always the martyr, are we? How tiring that must be. Even so, it seems as though you revel in playing the part! Do you not wish to be able to take the easy path through life every now and again? Give the hard decisions to another and chose to live in blissful ignorance?"
"I could think of nothing else that would be more repugnant," said Sarah contemptuously, standing and raising her chin proudly, "I will be the one who shapes my own destiny, fate be damned. I will run the Labyrinth and defeat you for once and for all. I will rid my family of your foul influence and win my freedom come hell or high water. I shall do it, and you will be bereft of both victims and a Goblin Queen. No longer shall this curse haunt my steps. For my freedom and for the freedom of my family line, I shall prevail. And you, Goblin King, there this nothing that you can do to stop me. I am stronger than you think, and even all the horrors in your Labyrinth could not dissuade me from accomplishing this." Sarah's face felt hot from the intensity of her words. She could not back down, not now that there was even the smallest chance of earning so much in one fell swoop. She could not let the Goblin King win. She would not allow him the vengeful triumph of besting her and her family once more.
"Are you quite sure about that? You seem so certain of your success. I wonder…" He stopped for a moment to look at Sarah appraisingly before continuing. "What if you cannot finish the Labyrinth, what if you lose heart or get hopelessly off course or…" the Goblin King stopped suddenly, and a cruel smile played across his features. "I should just let you find out, shall I? No need spoiling the surprise unnecessarily. It would be ungentlemanly of me."
Sarah snorted in disgust. Not only should she try her damndest to win to free herself and her family, but Sarah was also certain that if she had to spend an eternity with the Goblin King, she would end up killing him. She imagined striking the smug look off of his face, and she adopted a pernicious grin of her own, mirroring the Goblin King's smile. Interacting with the Goblin King on a daily basis would be stressful on the best of days, and tediously deadly on the worst.
"When I solve the Labyrinth and pass through the Goblin City, where in the castle am I supposed to go to win?"
"If you make your way through," corrected the Goblin King impishly, trying to get a rise out of Sarah.
"When I most certainly solve your Labyrinth and raze your Goblin City with ease and arrive at the castle to defeat you once and for all." Sarah emphasized, trying and failing to control her temper. Sarah did not want to argue with the Goblin King even more, but she could not help it.
The Goblin King laughed and smiled indulgently at Sarah.
"Fine, when you vanquish all your obstacles and arrive here at the palace three days hence, you must find your way to me. How about the throne room?"
"Fantastic," said Sarah without enthusiasm, "And will I be shown where the throne room is or will I have to find it myself?"
"I think you can already guess the answer to that question, hmm?" said the Goblin King simply, feigning innocence. It was infuriating the way he acted like, well, a mischievous, beguiling fae.
Sarah gritted her teeth and fought back against the stream of angry words that rose to her throat. It was as though the Goblin King was put on this earth for the sole purpose of tormenting her and trying her patience. It was unfair. That was fate, in a nutshell. Unfair.
"I presume that there are more rules to this game of yours," said Sarah in a dangerously sweet voice, trying to put the Goblin King off of his game, even just a little. She succeeded, reveling in her victory as the spiteful grin on the Goblin King's face diminished just a shade to a look of malignant mirth. She was quickly learning how to fight back against the Goblin King, and he had best beware, lest he end up losing to her human prowess. He had warned her about not underestimating his fae nature; he had best take his own advice and not neglect to take heed of her humanity.
"Indeed there are," replied the Goblin King placidly, taking a seat once more on the stone bench. He lightly patted the empty space next to him on the bench, indicating that Sarah should sit down once more. Tentatively, Sarah sat down as well.
"As I am sure you have noticed, things are not always what they seem in this place. The same goes for my Labyrinth. Forget everything you know about the human world, as it will not help you there. Firstly, do not try to cheat the Labyrinth or its inhabitants. Their logic and reasoning is vastly different from yours, and you will most likely end up digging yourself into deeper trouble if you try to apply your standards to a situation involving a Labyrinth-dweller. The Labyrinth has a sort of consciousness of its own, and it will not be kind to you if it perceives that you are trying to make your way through in a deceptive manner. Secondly, sometimes the way forward is also the way back. It is best if I leave that little bit of advice at that. Thirdly, do not stray from the path. I cannot guarantee that all my subjects are a kind a I." He ignored Sarah as she made a small sound of skepticism and continued to lay out the rules.
"Do not try to mark your way or leave a trail. It will not prove useful, nor shall it be permitted. The Labyrinth has a way of turning you around, marks or no marks. The marks you leave may not be there when you look again, or they may be changed. Fourthly, some ways you tread will be only one way. Be wary of this, and make your directional choices wisely."
"And lastly, do not die. It would be most inconvenient, and I can dare say that you would not like it terribly much."
He grinned at her and cocked his head to the side inquisitively. "Would you still like to try to solve my labyrinth?"
"Sounds like a piece of cake," said Sarah bluntly, throwing back her shoulders in an attempt to radiate confidence and nonchalance. "Is that the best that you have got?"
The Goblin King laughed extensively. "Oh Sarah, what bravado you have! I almost want to deny you the chance of running the Labyrinth just so I do not risk losing you. What fun you are! I cannot wait to say 'I told you so,' when I come to collect you from the vast incomprehensibility of the Labyrinth three days hence. It shall be wonderful having you as a companion. How young and naïve you are. How very human. So full of willful ignorance." He grinned at her. "You know nothing."
"I guess that I will have to learn, then," said Sarah, still keeping up her air of haughty confidence.
The Goblin King said nothing, unconvinced, and merely nodded his head once in acknowledgment of her declaration.
"Is there anything there in the Labyrinth that would seek to harm me?
"No, not unless you make it angry or annoyed," said the Goblin King, looking pointedly at Sarah.
"Wonderful. So, 'yes,' essentially?" said Sarah sarcastically, rubbing her brow in consternation.
"Essentially," answered the Goblin King, without much mirth.
"Are you in control of everything that happens in the Labyrinth, or do you merely just influence it as a sort of warden? Does everything in there follow your rule?" Sarah suddenly felt a little frightened. She had not really counted on there being conscious beings in the Labyrinth, other than the occasional small furry animal or song bird. Now that she knew that there would be other magical entities in there with her, she began to doubt her own valor. "Can anything get in the Labyrinth that is not supposed to be there? What kind of creatures will there be? Will I be able to defend myself if the need presents itself?" Sarah had begun to babble, her nervousness breaking down her brave façade brick by brick.
"Having second thoughts, are we?" asked the Goblin King, peering down at Sarah with a curious expression.
"Not a chance. I merely want to have all the advantages I can for my journey. Know everything that there is to know about my enemy. Gain the tactical advantage," replied Sarah in a slightly strained voice. She had aimed to sound blasé, but her bravado somehow got lost as it passed the lump in her throat.
"I cannot tell you exactly what you shall find in my Labyrinth," replied the Goblin King, "but I can assure you that I know everything that happens in my Labyrinth. There is no reason to be afraid for your life, for the most part."
"For the most part?" asked Sarah a little uneasily. She should probably just stop asking questions and assume the worst. It seemed as though she would have to bring a weapon into the Labyrinth with her. Would the Goblin King give her one? Sarah was not so sure. As helpful as he was being, Sarah was sure that there was much that the Goblin King was neglecting to say. He would not give her such an advantage that was for sure. As he had said, things were not what they seemed in this place. He wanted to win just as much as she.
"Spoilers," teased the Goblin King, his teeth glinting with a wicked smile. "I cannot have you knowing everything before you have even began. It would be vastly unfair to this poor old Goblin King. Why not leave the rest to chance? You will find out soon enough."
Sarah gritted her teeth. She would be glad to start her adventure through the Labyrinth, if only to escape from the Goblin King for a few precious days. She had to win. If she was annoyed by his presence after less than twenty four hours, then she would most certainly be unable to spend an eternity with him.
Another critically important question popped into Sarah's head. Hopefully the Goblin King would deign to answer it without any snark.
"Do I get any supplies for my journey, or shall I have to make do with the clothes on my back?"
"Of course," said the Goblin King easily, as if she should have known that he would provide such items for her, "I am not so cruel as that."
"I should hope not," replied Sarah, trying to refrain from rolling her eyes. It was becoming a bad habit of hers.
"Is that everything you need to know? Have I sated your thirst for knowledge? I can think of nothing else that you should need to know. You are starting your journey quite well equipped, much more well equipped than others who have attempted to solve my Labyrinth. Do not take that for granted."
By then, the shadows that had been steadily creeping across the landscape as the sun passed in its slow circuit through the sky had reached the bench, the Goblin King and Sarah sitting in semi-darkness.
The Goblin King seemed aware of his surroundings for the first time since they sat down. He looked curiously up at the small patch of sky visible through the mountaintop, and seemed to let out a little sigh. If it was a sigh of relief or regret, Sarah did not know. The Goblin King was so mercurial that it was hard to keep up with his fae moods. It was tiring at best.
The Goblin King stood, holding out his hand to assist Sarah to her feet, tucking her hand in the crook of his arm as he had been doing all afternoon.
"I did not realize how late it had gotten. Time seems to have eluded me this afternoon. It is past time for us to go back to the castle. Dinner is to be served in not too long, and I should think that you would like some time to refresh yourself before then."
Sarah said nothing, letting the Goblin King lead her back up the marble steps to the castle. She concentrated once more on remembering the paths they took through the castle, trying to mentally map its layout so that once she (hopefully) solved the Labyrinth, and journeyed through the Goblin City, she would be able to find her way through the castle. It would not do if she were able to find her way to the castle and then be unable to navigate the corridors of the castle to the Goblin King. She peered into every dark doorway they passed, hoping to find the throne room. She would take any and all assistance she could get, and knowing how to find the throne room would be greatly advantageous. Unfortunately, she was unable to discern much of the shadowy rooms. Perhaps later she could look around and find the throne room and find an entrance to the castle from there.
They made their way back up to the room where Sarah had found herself that morning, and the Goblin King left her there, bowing slightly and saying a few words.
"I have arranged for a tub and hot water to be brought up so that you may refresh yourself before dinner if you wish. There is also a fresh change of clothes as well. I shall be back to fetch you in an hour so that we may go to dinner." He turned and left.
Sarah stared blankly after him. How did he arrange all that? He had not spoken to any servants or talked to anyone other than Sarah since this morning. She shook her head and pushed the door open to her room. Lo and behold, a large copper tub sat in the room, filled with steaming water.
Once more, Sarah wondered how the Goblin King arranged for this, and then gave up, deciding that the Goblin King was an enigma that she did not wish to disentangle. She had more pressing puzzles to solve. She did not have the time to unriddle such a man.
Sarah was tempted to defy the Goblin King's wishes, fast becoming a favorite pastime of hers, and going to dinner just as she was, dirty, rumpled and bedraggled. The steaming copper tub caught her eye, however, and she chalked up another victory to the Goblin King. It would be nice to wash off the dirt and grime of the past twenty-four hours and to put on fresh clothes.
Some time later, after the bath water was quite cold. Sarah decided to get out of the tub and get dressed for dinner. Had she not spent quite enough time with the Goblin King already?
Put on her underclothes and a robe that she found, leaving the dress until later. She eyed the dress warily. It was different than the one that had been there this morning. It was just as old fashioned as the one before, but it was clearly an evening gown, and it would be just as difficult to lace up as the old one.
To Sarah's dismay, her old, mud-spattered clothes had disappeared. Sarah growled, reluctantly chalking up another victory to the Goblin King, bastard that he was.
Where the washbasin had sat previously this morning there now sat a vanity table and a mirror, an assortment of pretty things littering the top.
Sarah sat down in front of the mirror and picked up a hairbrush and began to untangle her hair. It behaved much more now that it was clean. A selection of pretty combs and hair ornaments were spread out in a dish and Sarah selected a pretty silver one. She swept her damp hair up in the clip, trying in vain to tame the curling tendrils of hair that escaped.
Sarah turned reluctantly to the dress. It was pretty, a silk taffeta in dark plum, sprinkled with seed pearls. The bodice left much to be desired in Sarah's opinion, cut a bit too low for her taste. She silently cursed the Goblin King. He knew full well what he was doing, damn him.
Some time later, after much cursing and fussing, Sarah managed to lace up the back of the dress.
Sarah did not know how much time had passed since the Goblin King had left, nor did she much care. A brilliant idea suddenly popped into her head. She turned and left the room, making her way down the stairs awkwardly, not quite used to wearing dressed with such a large skirt. She grinned to herself as she made her way lightly down the last few steps and walked down the long hallway. Not only would she be provoking the Goblin King and disregarding his wishes, but now she would have some time to find the throne room. She only hoped that it would be enough time.
Sarah wandered in and out of rooms, carefully keeping track of where she was in the castle, adding to her mental map. While exploring in one dark room, she tripped on something in the blackness and landed in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Sarah almost cursed aloud, but she stopped herself, and managed to get upright after a bit of a struggle.
Sarah huffed in frustration at her own clumsiness, and then froze as she was brushing off her skirts. She heard voices drawing nearer in the hallway, and she hastened to hide in the shadows behind the open door to the hall. She listened hard over the thumping of her heart as the voices grew louder, trying to breathe as quietly as she could.
She caught snatches of the conversation as it drifted in through the door.
"…his majesty won't like it. We've got to stay the girl as much as we possibly can…"
"…perhaps make the order to fortify the outer wall of the city tonight, just in case…"
"…no way she could get as far as the city…"
"…impossible…"
"…she must lose. His majesty decreed it…"
Goblins! She had not seen any goblins since the night before. She had thought that the castle had been conspicuously free of any goblins this morning, but it had not registered until just now. She listened hard as their voices grew quieter, and waited for a long time in the dark, giving them ample time to move away from there so that she could move on with her expedition to find the throne room.
She moved cautiously out from behind the door and stepped out into the candle-lit hallway.
Suddenly, something grabbed her arm. Sarah spun wildly to strike out at whatever held her, a panicked shriek caught in her throat.
The Goblin King.
He looked at her for a moment, and it seemed as though he was torn between laughing and yelling.
"Ah, uh, hello," said Sarah awkwardly, wishing that the Goblin King would let go of her arm and say something. Anything at the present would do.
"May I ask what it is that you are doing, exactly?" he asked calmly, releasing her arm and folding his own over his chest. One set of fingers drummed out a silent tune on his upper arm. He was once again in his black amour and looking quite formidable.
"Uh, exploring?" said Sarah uncertainly, grasping her hands behind her back in an attempt to create a look of contrite apology.
"Whatever happened to waiting for me to come and escort you to dinner?" asked the Goblin King placidly.
Sarah thought frantically, trying to come up with something other than the truth to tell the Goblin King.
"I was…bored. Yes, I was bored, and I decided to take a walk." Sarah said, a little triumphantly, pleased that she was able to come up with something that could pass for the truth.
"In a dark room?" The Goblin King raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the dark doorway behind her.
"…I tripped?" Sarah's story was rapidly falling apart at the seams.
"Hmm…" said the Goblin King, unconvinced.
"I will not let you treat me like a prisoner!" Sarah decided to get angry in a futile attempt to distract the Goblin King from following his current train of thought any further. "I will go where I please, when I please, and you cannot stop me from doing so."
"I see."
The Goblin King was unimpressed with her tantrum.
"Do you know what I think?" he asked, taking a step towards Sarah.
"No…" Sarah trailed off, trying to take a subtle step to the side to avoid being trapped by the Goblin King.
"You were looking for the throne room, were you not?" He took another step forward, and then another.
Sarah abandoned subtlety and stepped hastily until she was standing in the middle of the wide hall, staring balefully at the Goblin King, her fists clenched. One hand flew up to her throat to where her amulet usually sat. Damn it! She had forgotten to put it back on after her bath, not that it would do much good against the Goblin King after he had worked his vile magic on it.
"I know you were, Sarah. I know everything that goes on in my kingdom."
Sarah merely pursed her lips and crossed her arms, mirroring the Goblin King's stance from earlier.
The Goblin King looked appraisingly at her, as if he were seeing her properly for the first time.
"That is a lovely color on you, you know." The Goblin King switched subjects abruptly, throwing Sarah off for a moment.
Sarah flushed angrily, and glared even more intensely at the Goblin King. Flattery would go nowhere, especially from him.
The Goblin King sighed. It was too late to switch this girl for another, was it not? What's done is done. It would be an adventure to tame her wild manners.
He held out a hand. "Come, let's go to dinner. Hopefully it is not cold by now." He looked pointedly at her.
Sarah stood where she was. "I am not hungry."
The Goblin King grew visibly irritated.
"It was not a request."
"I said I am not hungry," repeated Sarah stubbornly, refusing to give in.
"How about we strike a bargain then," drawled the Goblin King sweetly, drawing a few steps closer to Sarah and stopping easily when he was a few feet away from her. "You come with me and eat dinner like a good little girl, and I in return, shall show you the throne room. How does that sound?"
"I go to dinner, and then you will show me how to get to the throne room?"
The Goblin King nodded and repeated his words.
"I will show you the throne room."
Ha! And the Goblin King thought that he was winning this battle of wills. Chalk up two tally marks for Sarah.
"Very well," said Sarah regally, nodding her head in acquiescence. "I accept the terms of your bargain, Goblin King."
"Fantastic," said the Goblin King, holding out his hand once more.
They went to supper, which passed without much fuss, save for the moment when a goblin nearly tipped over a tureen of steaming soup. Sarah had almost laughed, the look on the goblin's face was so comical. After dinner, Sarah and the Goblin King sat in silence, each sipping a glass of wine, trying to act naturally in the wake of the forced calm. After Sarah had finished her glass of wine, she spoke, unable to wait any longer.
"I have upheld my end of the bargain, Goblin King, and now it is time for you to fulfill yours. Show me to the throne room."
"As you wish," said the Goblin King, a testy note to his voice, "Though saying 'please' would have been so much more polite." Faster than Sarah's eyes could follow, he moved over to her side, and grabbed her wrist. The scent of magic permeated the air, and by the time Sarah opened her eyes, they were in what was presumably the throne room.
"You said you would show me the way!" cried Sarah, tearing her wrist from the Goblin King's grasp and settling her hands on her hips, glaring ferociously at the Goblin King. "You are a cheat!" She swayed unsteadily on her feet, disoriented from their sudden travel. Magic. Sarah would never get used to it, just as she would never get used to the infernal cockiness of the Goblin King.
"On the contrary," replied the Goblin King calmly, "I upheld my end of the deal word for word. I said that I would show you the throne room, my dear. I never said that I would show you the way." He smiled impishly at her, his delight growing as he watched as Sarah's face contorted with fury. "'Say your right words,'" the Goblin King quoted at Sarah, in a tone that was quite close to a singsong voice.
Sarah decided that this was her breaking point. To avoid doing (or, at least, attempting to do) bodily injury to the Goblin King, she turned her back and strode furiously to the double doors that presumably led to a hallway where she could both escape from the Goblin King's presence and find her own way around the castle. She tugged on a large brass handle to open the door, and it would not budge, even a little. She tugged harder and gave up, swearing madly under her breath. Of course. She was in the Goblin King's domain, and everything had to be played out according to his twisted rules. She refrained from kicking the door in anger. It would not do to have a broken foot when you were trying to solve an unsolvable Labyrinth. No sense in making an impossible task even more unreasonable.
"Well look at this! Now you are the one trying to cheat!" laughed the Goblin King, his mirth infuriating Sarah even more than she would have thought possible. By the time she had spun around to hiss angry words at him, the Goblin King had strode to the other end of the hall and settled gracefully upon his throne. Fantastic. Sarah was going to have to deal with a royal prima donna. She stomped her way up the length of the throne room, prepping herself for yet another argument where she would be livid and the Goblin King would be gleeful.
She swept into a mocking curtsey. "Well pardon me, your majesty, for trying to equip myself with every tool I can for my journey. If you had not already noticed, I am rather fond of the idea of leaving this castle and never having to deal with you ever again!"
He laughed. "Oh, please. Sarah, you have more than enough clues to be getting along with. Any more hints and I should just lead you through the labyrinthine wilderness myself! You forget that words have power here, my dear, and every citizen of my kingdom will use your words against you if the chance presents itself. Take heed to choose your right words.
"Come, it is getting late, and I have yet to provide you with the supplies that I promised you."
"How can I be sure that you will give me supplies that will be useful to me and not frivolous and kitschy? As you said, words have power, and I can trust you no further than I can throw you. How do I know that you did not word your previous statement in such a way that the 'supplies' you speak of are, I do not know, a ration of kumquats and a floral bonnet? " Sarah was beginning to enjoy pushing the Goblin King's proverbial buttons.
"Sarah," the Goblin King sighed, visibly restraining himself from rolling his eyes. "Quit acting like a child. I have half a mind to refuse you such generosity, but seeing as I am a gentle, courteous host and monarch, I shall grant you bountiful supplies that shall be most useful and appreciated during your journey."
He got up gracefully from his throne, descended from the dais, and walked over to where Sarah stood. It took all the self-restraint Sarah possessed to refrain from sticking her tongue out at him. She grimaced instead, and said nothing.
He closed his gloved fingers around her wrist once again, and after a bit more magic, they found themselves in a sort of supply room.
Sarah was disoriented by the sudden change of environment once more. She was uncomfortable with magic before, but now she decided that she despised it. The way the Goblin King was able to command it so effortlessly was frightening. Sarah would never admit that aloud, however, for fear of inflating the Goblin King's already dangerously-overinflated pride.
The Goblin King ignored Sarah, and leaned up against the wall. Sarah shook herself out of her reverie and moved forward, inspecting the items on the walls, trying to decide what to take.
She found a pack that would be serviceable and set it on a table, returning to the walls to find necessities to fill it. She found a wineskin, a short knife, and a long woolen cloak. She folded up the cloak and stuffed it in the bottom of the pack. She grabbed some apples from a box on the wall and put them in the pack on top of the cloak, adding a few loaves of bread, adding the wine skin and the knife.
The Goblin King merely watched, his eyes following her as she moved around the room, picking out this and that and adding it to the pack.
"You do realize that you will be gone for only three days. If I did not know any better, I would say that you are packing enough to sustain you for a journey longer than that through the Labyrinth. Not still thinking of running away, are we? It is impossible. You know what will happen if you try," the Goblin King drawled, crossing his arms is if to emphasize his statement.
"Of course I know, since you were so kind as to spell it out your ruthlessness to me so plainly earlier today. I am not so stupid as to try. I would merely rather be over prepared than under prepared. I have come to the conclusion that you are not a man to be underestimated, and so I must do everything in my power to be prepared. You should be proud. You warned me not to judge your kingdom and its inhabitants by my standards and perceptions. I am taking that to heart."
"A wise decision," said the Goblin King, watching as Sarah returned to the shelves, picking up a few candles and a tinderbox. He frowned a little as Sarah struggled to close the pack. "Are you certain that you are going to be able to lift that? What is the use of being over prepared if you cannot move from the excessive weight of your pack? Clearly you have not thought this plan of yours through very well."
"I am stronger than I look, Goblin King. Do not fret too much. Your part in this tale will end soon. In fact, come three days time, you will be bereft of one prisoner and countless future Guillemin children."
"Aah, what a pity," said the Goblin King, smiling, "You seem to be laboring under the delusion that this will be a successful journey for you. All right, I'll indulge you in this, just this once." He adopted a fake sorrowful look that did not quite hide the mocking tone in his voice. "Yes, I shall be quite inconsolable when you go home. I so longed for someone to tease and torment for so long…" He trailed off, grinning at Sarah, unable to keep himself from smiling for too long.
Sarah glared at him, hefting her pack onto her shoulder. She glanced around the room, and finding the door she walked out of the room, intending on going to bed. It was late and she had had quite enough arguing for the day.
With a soft sigh, the Goblin King pushed himself off the wall and followed a few steps behind Sarah, making sure that she did not attempt to stray off the approved path and try to find the throne room once more.
Sarah gritted her teeth and walked with her head held high. Just wait, Goblin King. You may be laughing now, but I shall have the last laugh. The time for that cannot come soon enough. Enjoy it while you still can, for it will be over sooner than you think.
AN: Thanks everyone for all the kind words and reviews lately! I really love reading through them and responding to them! Fun side note: as many of you know, I wrote this story (well, most of it) for NaNoWriMo 2012, and the kind people who run NaNo partnered with several companies, one of whom prints out 5 free copies of your book for you. I just got the copies of my book, and I'll have to take some pictures and link to them in my profile, because it turned out pretty neat!
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.