"We have a problem," Jareth called out as Sarah fumbled through her apartment door, juggling a few grocery bags.
"Do we?" she huffed.
It was still odd to return to the apartment and find a mythological man rummaging through her bookshelves or investigating things in the refrigerator. He never stopped examining things and he had no sense of personal space. Today she found him kneeling at eye-level with Loki. It seemed that there was some invisible power struggle taking place in the kitchen.
"Apparently, the feline truly believes that he is the god of mischief. You should really be more careful with your dispensation of titles," the Goblin King shook his head, never breaking eye contact with the cat. "He says that he has tired of my unwelcome intrusions upon his realm and that I take far too many liberties with his personal slave, thus I must leave and never return."
Sarah crinkled her eyes and cocked her head slightly, a habit that she was adopting from her companion, "Do you mean to tell me that you can speak cat?"
"Of course I can speak cat," Jareth managed an exasperated grimace without forfeiting ground to Loki.
Placing the groceries on the counter, Sarah circled around the combatants, "Did you tell him that he's not a god?"
"He does not believe me. He says that he knows a deceiver when he sees one."
"Good, I don't want you to break his furry little heart. It won't hurt him to believe it," she smiled.
"I cannot allow a cat to banish me," Jareth squinted.
"Well, you need to make some sort of treaty with him. Perhaps you can become one of his slaves too?"
"I think not! Jareth, Goblin King, slave to this masquerading furball, it's absurd," he scoffed.
"You must do something, I do not want Ragnarok taking place in my flat," she retreated to the counter to put away the groceries. Men.
After a few moments Jareth appeared at her side, "I believe we have reached an accord."
"Oh?" she shoved a container of coffee into the cabinet.
"Yes, he will allow me complete ownership of the slave in question, in return for his very own wing of the castle and his pick of goblin servants. He also required license to chase and try all chickens who rise in unlawful coup within our co-reigned realm...that was a hard bargain, I am not sure how he ended up with half of my kingdom."
"I am not following," Sarah sighed.
"It's time for you to come home," Jareth graced her with a rare and serious expression.
"Popping in and out of my world in order to see you is not too great a price to pay, but it isn't ideal. I want you with me always and sometimes I even miss the tiny god of mischief. He is much better company than most of my subjects, with the exception of Hoggle...maybe. I belong in the Labyrinth...you and Loki belong with me."
"I didn't realize that you...isn't it too soon to move in together?"
"I don't want you to just move in. You need to move on, I am your future as you are mine. Why should we wait any longer? You want to write, I and Loki need to rule, the Labryinth is a perfect place for all of us to do those things. I won't stop you from entering the mortal world when you choose to. I will even teach you how once you have absorbed enough magic," his eyes twinkled at the thought.
"You mean...I can...I could use magic?" her eyes grew large.
"After enough exposure, yes. Are you more excited about that than having me at your side forever?" He frowned mockingly.
"Well...forever's not all that long...I'm joking!" she chuckled at his grimace. "Of course not, but that is pretty cool," she smirked. "I could pop around frightening you...and disappear mysteriously...I like the idea of that."
"Very well, tell me you'll be my queen," he demanded, trapping her against the counter with his arms.
Sarah would never grow accustomed to how quickly his moods altered. One moment he was playful, the next seductive, and then another second would see him amused once more. She met his smoldering gaze without hesitation, allowing him to encroach upon her space further. He placed a few warm kisses on her neck and beneath her ear.
"It is hard to argue with you when you won't stop making sense," she giggled.
"Yes, I am the very picture of reason," he tugged on her ear with his teeth causing more giggling to ensue.
Molly wondered back into the shop while she flipped through the mail. At the bottom of the stack she found a beautiful envelope that was made of fine paper and felt full of magic. "Schmendrick," she called pushing aside the starry curtain, "Look what came in the mail."
"Yes dear, what it is," the ageless magician peered around the corner of the small dark room.
The two gathered close together and opened the mysterious letter cautiously then read the flowing invitation:
Molly Grue and Schmendrick the Magician (Last of the Red Hot Swamis):
You are cordially invited to attend a New Year's Ball to be given at the Castle beyond the Goblin city. Transportation will be provided by the Goblins (the right words being, "I wish the goblins would take me to the Ball, right now).
Sincerely yours,
Sarah (You were right about all the beady eyes...)
P.S. Cats are welcomed.
"Schmendrick, this is from that young lady who left her bag in the shop! Magic must have found her again," smiled the frizzy haired woman.
"Ah yes, I saw that one coming," nodded the Magician knowingly.
"I'm sure ye did," remarked a peg-legged cat wearing a patch on one eye who sat calmly on the round table. "Shall I be needing my fancy clothes then?"
"What fancy clothes?" scoffed Molly who had little patience for the ambivalent feline. "It doesn't say when the party starts," she remarked.
"When the wine drinks itself, when the skull speaks, when the clock strikes the right time, only then will you find..." purred the cat.
"You are telling the wrong story, fur-brain," Molly shook her head and rolled her eyes while Schmendrick continued to assert that he foresaw the invitation and the cat continued to prattle on about events long since over.
Thanks for reading follks! I may do a few one-shots (is that what they are called?) from time to time to check in on the royal family, but I want to work on something else for a bit.
Cheers,
3iggy