Oh my goodness! A fourth chapter! YAY!
Thanks to neonpanda for the review! I know so many issues and the wolf! Suspense!
Hope you guys enjoy this chapter too!
Fairer Tales: Forgetful Nature
How? HOW!
It took Queen Megara a moment to compose herself. The mirror's restating of the long ago prophecy had shook her to her core. The mirror's final mistake of the day had been laughing at her disheveled state, but her laughter hadn't lasted long, the queen had used her powers to torture the mirror girl into a state of unconsciousness.
Queen Megara now sat back in her rooms, in front of her vanity, putting her appearance back to right. Shaky hands replaced curls that had slipped loose from their holdings in her attack of the mirror. Icy blue eyes found their match in the reflection of the ordinary vanity mirror, a simple question rang through her mind. How?
How? How had she forgotten the day she had first heard that prophecy? She had gone to long lengths to find out what or who this "tamer" was supposed to be, and what "beast" the prophecy was referring to. So far her searching hadn't turned up much; the first telling of the prophecy had claimed that at the time she was told the infamous "tamer" had come into being, it hadn't been any clearer. No matter what she did she couldn't find out anything specifically, but that was the way of things wasn't it. Prophecy's never told you the whole story and even if they did it would all be in riddle. Nonetheless, the lack of information had not put a stop to Megara's search for the "tamer"; what would it matter the "beast" if she could dispose of the "tamer"? It had been a long road getting to where she was now, as queen, and she wasn't about to give it up to some "tamer".
Megara had searched everywhere. She had first assumed that the "tamer" would be Fae, but there had been no news of a Fae child being born in the Underground, and since children were so rare and prized among her kind it would have been something that she would have noticed. She began searching for other babes that had been born in the Underground, ones of nobility, those born into some sort of power. The list grew the more she looked, and by the time she considered it she didn't even want to look Above. While the humans were lacking in anything special she would not underestimate them as some of her kind had; she had seen the result of that folly and would not follow blindly in their footsteps.
There had been a decent number of births among those of some form of inherited power Underground, and the ever present problem with humans both Above and Underground was their ability to spawn a slew of descendents within one generation. There was no way that she'd be able to dispose of any babes, Above or Underground, without calling attention to herself in some way.
Having calmed down significantly, Megara looked over her put back together appearance and found it just as flawless as she had earlier that morning. Well, almost. Her brows were still knit together in concentration as she tried to think of how she was going to take care of this "occurrence". Maybe she was thinking and going about this whole situation the wrong way, after all there's always a solution to "setbacks" like these. "Leola!"
A brief moment later a young servant girl nervously entered the queen's chambers. "You called for me, my lady?"
"Yes," Megara watched the skittish girl's reflection shift uncomfortable just within the door way in her mirror. "I shall be quite busy in my study, make sure to it that I am not disturbed."
"Yes my lady, as you wish." She curtsied quickly, doing everything possible not to make eye contact with the queen. Standing, Megara made her way over to the girl; using a pointed finger, the queen lifted the downcast face of the servant girl cowering in front of her until her large brown eyes were locked with the queen's cold icy blues.
"And as for my meals… make sure to leave on the table, by the balcony, I will take my meals there." The queen looked over the young girl, a mask of indifference masking her thoughts. "Am I understood?"
"Y-yes, yes your majesty." The young girl stammered shifting uneasily from one foot onto the other.
"Good, you're dismissed."
"Yes, my lady. Thank you, my lady." The girl bowed as she slowly backed towards the door. Upon reaching it she quickly slipped out of the door, shutting it behind her. A smug grin worked its way across Megara's beautiful face. Hmph, "deer"; how appropriate of a name for such a girl.
Entering her study, Megara gave a swift gesture with her hand, the curtains instantly swung open at the pull of her magic. The sunlight flooded her study, illuminating books and ancient tomes, vesicles and candles. Other than her mirror room, she spent quite a bit of her time here, thinking, researching, finding… solutions to whatever problems she encountered on her rise to the top.
Megara paused a moment, reflecting back on her climb. For as long as she could remember, she knew she had deserved… better. She had been born to a quaint couple, duke and duchess, well known, well respected. Being married off to some young duke or baron was not what Megara had ever imagined for herself. She'd always wanted to be a princess, and once she realized that it wouldn't simply be given to her, she was prepared to go after it tooth and nail. First she'd need money, that she acquired with her first marriage; her young husband had met with an unfortunate and untimely end, something involving iron while Above, but no matter how many may have whispered it, she didn't have a hand in it. No she was completely innocent this time. But she took advantage of the situation none the less, played the part of the pining widow well enough for everyone to cease their suspicions and catch the attention of a young prince, which helped her with second step, a step up in ranks. She had pushed him away and ignored his advances, in the beginning. Eventually she gave in, they were wed and she was crowned a princess. But she soon realized that it wasn't enough. She wanted more. A few more years, some more strategic planning, and a dash of underhanded tactics she was finally on the throne as queen. She had made many sacrifices in her quest, some would cause more than one person to frown upon her, but she didn't care. She had achieved her goal and now ruled over Lunarwood, and was willing to do anything to keep it that way.
Returning from her little trip down memory lane, Queen Megara prepped herself for the task at hand.
The next morning greeted Jareth sooner than he would have liked.
There was no real desire to get out of bed today; most of the night had been spent trying to shake the feeling of uneasy impending… something. The unknown had been prodding Jareth's mind, leaving it raw with thought, questioning, and a general sense of restlessness. He had finally managed to silence his curious nature just before the sun's rays began to peak over the farthest edges of the labyrinth. Laying in his dark chambers. Jareth rolled back over, ready to sleep the day a way; others however did not see things that way. Like a whirlwind of cheer and bustling 'get up'-ness, the head of the household staff, one of the individuals who had known him when he was younger and had followed him to the Goblin City, swept into the room; immediately spotting the closed drapes, swooped down on them and flung them open with nothing more than a cheery and pleasant, "Good morning!"
"Nanny…" Jareth groaned, as he pulled the covers higher above his head.
"Good morning young sire!" she chirped, flinging back more drapes, allowing the sun to bleed in farther. "And what a wonderful day it's shaping up to be."
"Nanny…"
"Just look at that wonderful Underground sunshine!"
"Nanny…"
"Now come, now." Her voice was closer to the bed now, and he was certain she was giving him one of those familiar stern looks, probably with her hands on her hips. "What's all this then? Come on get up! None of this ridiculousness out of you!"
"Nanny." Jareth warned from under the covers the moment he felt her tiny hands latch on to the covers.
"Don't give me any of that 'Nanny' nonsense. Get up now! You've slept long enough."
"I would beg to differ."
"Well then that's what you get when you spend the night 'sampling' down in the wine cellar with your cousin."
"Why don't you go bother him then?"
"Don't you worry I'm headed there next, now come on then! Move!" with that final command Nanny gave a firm jerk, snatching the covers, and Jareth's only shield from the sun, off. Her action was met with a growl of frustration and general unhappiness, and a glare ready to set half the castle on fire. "Now what's this then? You look like you haven't slept a wink!"
"I haven't." Jareth took her moment of surprise as the perfect opportunity to snatch back his covers. "If you must know, last night wasn't exactly 'restful', and it's not the first night either."
"I've noticed, mind on explaining why?" Nanny inquired, arms crossed waiting. Just one of her many looks that Jareth had learned and lived with over the years. He wasn't sure how old Nanny actually was, when he was young he'd already thought she was pretty old, now he wasn't even sure, but he'd knew better than to ask, that was something engrained into him as a child. Nanny had always been there, chasing him around, usually catching him in some sort of trouble that he was certain he would have gotten away with. But she'd always accepted him, and had always been there, which was more than could have been said for some people that had been through Jareth's life.
"I can't…"
"Well, then, I think I can. 'Sampling', that's what, that and chasing around young women with your cousin, not surprising with the High King as your father. If you kept your mind about yourself-"
"I said I can't not because I won't. I … just can't."
"You don't know?" she asked after a pause.
"No, I don't. And that's what's keeping me up. I know something's coming. I can feel it, the Labyrinth can feel it, others around me can feel it; it's driving me crazy, I can almost taste it! And the most aggravating part about it, I'm not even sure how to go about finding out what 'it' is!"
Wrinkling her aged brow with thought and concentration, Nanny pondered the circumstances, searching the depths of her mind for some piece of age old wisdom that would service the young king in some way. Jareth watched as the gears turned and Nanny scoured the recesses of her mind for advice. Individuals of the High Court, aged and wise though they may have been, Jareth never found himself going to them for advice; far more often than not they would give when it wasn't called for and then frown upon the Goblin King for not considering their words. This was why Jareth preferred Nanny. She gave advice when asked or when she knew it was needed, that and she was one of the few people who could make him feel bad if his mistake was caused from not heeding their advice; unlike those of the High Court then, she never rubbed it in, she let him figure it out himself and would quietly accept his apology if or when he gave it.
"Why don't you, get yourself some rest for now-"
"What-"
"Don't interrupt! Now what was I saying? Oh yes! You rest for now, what you need at the moment before you can even consider doing anything is some rest. Once you've rested and gotten back to 'normal' why don't you take some time to yourself to think. Go out, take a flight maybe, you usually do some of your best thinking while flying, or so you've said. Then once you've thought of something come back and solve your problem."
"Are you saying that flying will give me the answer to my question?" Jareth quipped, skeptically.
"Well if you don't come up with anything, at least your mind will be cleared. And though that may not be the actual result you're looking for, having a clear mind isn't a bad thing either now is it?"
Jareth grinned as he considered his words and nodded his agreement. Nanny smiled and began pulling a few of the drapes closed to cut back on some of the sun. Once finished she left the room, the staffs quarters her next goal, to pass on the word to not disturb the king. Back in the comforting sanctuary of his covers, the Goblin King released a deep sigh, closed his eyes, and tried once again to quiet his mind. Nanny, in her strange and infinite knowledge, was right. Some sleep and then a flight later to take his mind off of things was more than likely for the best. The last clear thought Jareth remembered having before he finally slipped into a sound sleep was where to take this mind clearing jaunt.
"Aboveground sounds nice… I should think…" he said to no one in particular as sleep finally wrapped him in its arms and took his anxious mind away.
Oooh suspense! Well not really!
Things are getting pretty well underway now ladies and gents! I think some pretty interesting stuff is about to get underway!
Next chapter, looks like everyone's heading Aboveground!
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please review!