A/N: To those who have come this far, thank you. Thanks for sticking with me. I get that this is several hundred times slower than what you would probably like or expect, but that's because I'm trying to do something different with my story. I don't want it to be what anyone expects, I don't want it to be the same as all the other stories out there. I want it to be different. And that just so happens to mean that it's going slow. For that I'm sincerely sorry. But this isn't going to be one of those "throw 'em together, happily ever after" after a couple chapters, so I'm sorry to disappoint if that's what you've come for.
You might like to know that as of this chapter, things are picking up in speed. All the foundations are set for what's to come.
For those who have been nothing but supportive, who review consistently and seem to understand what I'm doing, thank you. Your little inputs give me the motivation to keep going with this. I'm mostly writing it for you guys, the ones who have gotten this far and aren't bored yet. This chapter is for you. (So don't hate me, please, this might not go how you thought it would). At any rate, HAVE AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER. SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG LOL.
Disclaimer: All recognised material is the property of Jim Henson, from Labyrinth.
On the grand chess table, the pawns were all set. The rooks had taken up their places, the knights were stationed at their posts.
The King was wide open. His bishops missing. His queen was absent.
As the onlookers watched on, with poise, the black Queen made her move.
Check.
"He's burning up! Quickly, Robert, let the doctor in!"
The Williams residence was in an uproar. First, the power had gone out noisily in the night in a dazzling shower of sparks, then when the candles were lit and Karen had gone to check on Toby, it was to find her child in less than apparent peak health.
By morning he was feverish, and hadn't woken. Robert had taken the day off work to sit with his wife and child, yet the doctors who had come when called couldn't fathom what was wrong with the boy. His vitals were stable. If it weren't for his fluctuating temperature and lack of consciousness, he'd have been a positively bouncing boy. Yet that wasn't the only thing that was strange with the picture.
The boy hadn't been moved.
No ambulance had been called to whisk the boy off to hospital to hook him to an IV. No one had encouraged them to take him themselves. It was as if when the mere thought of moving him sprang to mind, it was snuffed out quickly and efficiently.
So another doctor would be called, from the same place, though no one recalled that they hadn't long left the Williams residence, only to repeat the charade all over again.
And Sarah? No one had phoned Sarah.
It is rather a shame that mortals can only see skin deep, with their little blind eyes. Anyone else would have seen that Toby's spirit wasn't even in his body if they'd taken a closer look.
The blue curtains fluttered in Eanraig's solar, their inner voiles wafting into the room and giving the appearance that it was much draughtier outside than it really was. Rather than the entire ensemble being present, Toby had spent the evening with only Eanraig's company. Discussing public matters, schooling him on Jareth's kingdom and subjects, answering questions about the Fae species and other non-human creatures that they affiliated on their side of the 'veil'. He had been perturbed to say the least, especially since at their last encounter the King had lost his temper with Baran and Toby and shut down all topics of conversation in the process. Yet here he was now, being overly accommodating and conscientious, courteous almost to a fault.
He had been given a bed, which he found odd since he always woke up at home after his visits. He had questioned it, yet all he had received was 'You need rest, boy. All will become clear come the morn', before the fae had left him to his devices.
The door had been locked, just like he had expected it to be.
And truth be told, he had indeed gotten those answers in the morning. For here he still was, in the fae realm, and not at home. Awake in time to see Terauramulis' fascinating sunrise. With two suns he had expected more light somehow. A faster sunrise. And when he'd finally turned away from the window and its featherlight voiles, it was to see a servant bringing him breakfast, and Eanraig peering over their shoulder at him as if expecting him not to actually be there.
"Ah, so it worked. Good. That's good."
Toby looked at him incredulously, stalking up to him to demand just what in the hell was going on, but his inner tirade was cut short when a bundle of clothes were dropped heavily into his arms and the King merely continued past him towards his desk.
After a moment of not moving, Eanraig looked back up at him expectantly and sighed, "Well? Get dressed then, boy! You can't very well walk around with the dirt of yesterday clinging to you like a foul broth," he exclaimed, making a shooing motion, "Honestly, mortals, you really are disgusting creatures."
"Um… I was actually gonna ask where I go to get dressed? I kinda wanna shower."
This time the gloved hand was even snappier, "Where do you think? Through the door beside you! I would have thought that much was obvious since you were in here last night. Surely, you'd have relieved yourself by now?"
"Uh… no."
"Then go! Go! Before your urinate all over the rug that's older than your entire kind."
It took longer to get dressed than Toby would have liked, since he had planned on being super fast and getting back out just to spite the fae who had been so dismissive of him. But the laces on everything had been… well, a hassle.
Eventually he emerged, the thunder of the waterfall-like wash he'd had still ringing in his ears and clinging to his hair. And there was Eanraig, still on his own.
Oddly, the man wasn't doing any paperwork. He stood in the same spot Toby had stood in after waking up, where he'd watched the twin suns' ascent through the sky, realising Terauramulis wasn't white washed as he'd imagined. He'd finally seen the kingdom. And he had been in awe.
"You know, younger boys than you have stood in this very room. Prestigious or poor, fae or dryad. Yet never was there my own, in here," Eanraig mused softly, not even turning round as the door sealed itself back into the crystal wall and disappeared behind Toby.
He looked at his back, almost too narrow for his build, like a bird. He chose his words carefully, or at least he tried, but he had too many burning questions to be entirely sincere. The most prominent being why was he still here?!
"Why not?"
The king lifted a shoulder, his posture morose as he huddled over a goblet of wine in his hands. "I do not have any children, Tobias. My wife is… barren."
Toby balked, looking sick.
"Baran? As in, you're married to Baran?!"
The look he got was a mixture between incredulous disbelief and intense disgust thrown over his shoulder as the fae finally turned to level a look at him, "No, you wretch! Barren! Sterile!"
He paused, letting the words filter through the boy's sleepy mind, before he finally nodded.
"Why not adopt then?"
"As the High Monarchy, we cannot. An heir of the High Monarchy must be borne by blood, not rites of passage."
"Why not abdicate?"
"Why would we? When we eventually fade, the next in line will still be of blood."
Toby narrowed his eyes at him, "You mean Jareth."
Eanraig smiled finally, "I do."
"But he's already a king. What would happen to his Kingdom?"
"It would pass to his children when he took up this honour."
"What if he doesn't have kids?"
"He will, Tobias."
"What if he said no?"
"He won't say no."
"But what if he does."
"He can't," Eanraig ground out.
"Why?"
"To say no would leave Terauramulis without a ruler, which would put our entire kind in jeopardy."
There was a silence.
"Couldn't you just choose someone else?"
A muscle jumped in Eanraig's temple. From what Toby had seen so far, the Fae had notoriously short tempers.
"No. An outsider could not be trusted with the secrets of this rock we stand upon. With what keeps us alive after all this time, keeps our magic in check. Unlike humans, we do not just throw away responsibility if it simply doesn't suit us or our moods."
"Don't you have a responsibility not to marry mortals?"
A frown, "Yes, what of it?"
"Well Jareth threw that one out when he fell in love with Sarah and offered his soul to her, is all," Toby muttered back, defiantly, "Not very immortal like. He could choose to throw away Teraura-hoosawhatsit too."
"And Jaque finds you endearing."
The fae stalked back to his desk and with restrained grace, took his seat, before signalling for Toby to sit across from him. His breakfast somehow was still hot, the cooked meats and breads making his stomach rumble embarrassingly loud.
Eanraig pretended not to hear or notice when the boy hungrily dug in.
"We have important matters to discuss before you return home, so I took the privilege of tying your soul here for a few days. Do not worry, your physical body shan't be harmed, Choilleach is maintaining your health as we speak from outside your house. However, what I am about to tell you and need you to understand will take a little longer than we have when you simply pop back in and out. You have a critical choice to make at the end of this talk, Tobias, and I beseech you to think on it long and hard before you make it. Am I clear?"
With his mouth full and bacon grease running down his chin, Toby nodded and answered with his mouth full, "Crystal."
"Excellent."
The next few minutes were the most uncomfortable of the adolescent's life so far, and considering he'd once wet himself and had to walk himself home, that was saying something.
Eanraig sat with his fingers interlinked and elbows propped on his desk, his chin resting on the crux of his knuckles. Toby chewed faster. Eanraig continued to stare at him with near glowing eyes and a wicked smile that reminded him of the tales of how Fae used to hold such power over mortals that they regularly went missing and were never seen again. He swallowed. He drank. He swallowed more. Yet it seemed to take overly long for his mouth to finally empty, his throat constricting with nerves.
"So… what do you need to tell me?" He finally asked, wiping his mouth roughly on the crisp linen beside his plate and trying to maintain eye contact.
The smile grew.
"I need you to wish your sister away." Eanraig said simply, head tilting to the side as he continued to watch him.
Toby choked. Eyes watering, he reached for his drink again, yet he saw no hint of the fae joking in his face… even though he looked incredibly amused. It was dark amusement, it had an edge. His features looked sharper than ever, his colours of his eyes swirling together as the band around his iris' broke and the white steadily began to disappear."
"But… but she's an adult!"
"The fae don't just take children, Tobias, don't be so naïve." Came the reply.
"A-Aislinn will kill her if she goes to Jareth's kingdom, I can't! She'll die!"
"Aaaand that's why you won't be wishing her away to Jareth, my dear boy. You'll be wishing her away… to me."
The figure in front of him could not have looked any less human. There was something beautiful about him, yet inherently dangerous. The hairs all over his body were standing on end, and the food in front of him suddenly looked nauseating.
."Words hold all the power in the world, dear boy. It's all in the wording; We can iron all the details out later, naturally, so what do you say? Give her up, Toby."
He shook his head, "N-no, w-why would I do that?!"
The fae king sat forward in his seat, magic crackling around him in the air, shattering it, pushing the fragments towards him until he couldn't concentrate on anything other than the being before him, "To save her, Toby… she's in danger. Give her to me, I can keep her safe…" Eanraig crooned softly, hands coming round to wrap gently yet firmly around the boy's wrists. He realised belatedly that he was no longer wearing gloves, and his sharp nails were digging into his flesh.
There was something about his voice that made Toby want to give in to him, something seductive yet benign. He fought it.
"Just say the words, and whoever is harming your sister won't be able to hurt her anymore. Do you understand, Tobias? I am offering to protect your sister from harm. I am offering to save her life. Wouldn't you want that? Don't you want to give her to me?"
"Y-yes…"
"That's riiiight, Tobias Williams, wish her away. Wish her to the High Fae King, right now. Don't fight me, I am your friend. I only want to help…"
Tears began to run down Toby's face, for reasons unknown, but a great power was beginning to wrap around his mind, squeezing and puling. He finally knew what was happening.
"You're trying to make a contract with me, aren't you?"
The king faltered, before his smile grew tenfold, "Your sister has schooled you well, Master Tobias. Yes, indeed I am. Only a contract between a fae and a mortal of this magnitude could protect darling Sarah."
"So I have to make a sacrifice."
"Some would say that giving up your sister to the Fae was your sacrifice."
Realisation finally hit home, "You'll never give her back, will you?"
The powerful magic that had filled the room all but exploded, swallowing them.
The world began to spin, the broken music from his first ever trip growing to a crescendo in his head. The desk began to lift, his chair left the ground, and the crystal walls around him began to grow too-bright, until the light began to burn his eyes. Yet still he could not drop Eanraig's gaze, could not pull his hands free of his grasp.
"No, Toby, I will not," his voice rang, yet still it sounded too soft.
The colour began to bleed from everything around him. Yet it wasn't turning black and white, there was no grey. Thing were turning green. Dark, marbled greens.
"I refuse."
Annoyance flashed through that gaze, a new pain spreading coming from his wrists, "Then what will you offer, to see your sister again."
"I offer…. I offer…"
'Think, Toby, think! What do you have that he could possibly want?! It's all about the wording...'
"I offer… my heirship to Jareth's throne? Do you want that?!"
To his right, he saw a parchment scroll appear, writing in a language he couldn't begin to fathom bleeding through onto the page. As he watched, finally wrenching his gaze from Eanraig with a cry of pain, he saw the words reshuffle themselves, or disappear.
"I do."
The entire room had fallen away, they were in a sort of vortex of strange colours, the air too cold for the room they had just been in. In the colours he began to see pictures, videos, of people he knew. His friends. His parents. Merlin, their old dog. His school. Baran, Arlyn, Jaque and Lachlan. The goddess. The garden. Toby's resistance against the magic around him was taking an effect, and over the noise of his memories, he could hear Eanraig ushering him to give in to it with a ring of concern.
Then Sarah swam into view. A broken, crying, bruised Sarah, pleading for help with no sound. Alone in a dark corner, swatting at something invisible to leave her alone.
It broke his resolve, until finally he was crying too, eyes glued to the scene of her writhing on her couch trying to scream as something closed around her throat…
"Stop it, STOP IT! I... I wish the High Fae King would take my sister away, right now!"
His words echoed around the still room.
He blinked, then blinked again, but the room was back the way it had been before Eanraig had touched him. Said fae was sitting across the desk from him breathing hard, tugging his gloves back on and trying to smooth down his hair. Beside his arm, a scroll lay flat on the desk, ink still drying.
"What just…"
"Do not worry, Tobias. I had to establish the contract in order to forge the protective bond we'll need to keep her safe," he rasped, "Your protective barriers just made it a little harder is all."
"What was with the magic display? Why did you use my full name?"
The fae turned weary, standing from his desk and slowly moving around it. "Your bond to Jareth was… a hindrance, his magic was preventing me from making a contract with you, so I had to use more force," he said softly, eyes slowly knitting themselves back to normal, "And names have power, don't you know? To know someone's full name is to have complete power over them, hence all us fae only ever give our first names. Our full names are known to us, and us alone. I used yours to help break down your barriers, so you'd do what we needed you to do."
A moment ticked by, then Toby stood up so violently that his chair was knocked over, "SARAH! I wished Sarah away- where is she? She's going to hate me, you have to let her go, where have you taken her?!" He demanded, looking around the room frantically as if expecting to see her there.
"I cannot let her go and you know that fine well," Eanraig said wearily, leaning back against his desk and stealing a grape from Toby's plate, "As for where she is... I don't know. I suppose it depends on who brings her, really."
"But I wished her away to you! So shouldn't you be getting her?!"
He was fixed with a look, "Did Jareth take you away? No. His goblins did, his subjects. So, my most loyal will have been alerted, and one of them will be bringing her to me. While I stay with the one who wished her away – which is you – to ensure you don't want her back. You know, through a trial of my choosing. Which you don't want. So you just have to say that."
"You can have Sarah…?"
A bright flash shot up from the bottom of the scroll on the desk, before it rolled itself up and a ribbon appeared around it.
"Perfect. Well in any case, that took a lot less time than I thought it would. You mortals are such fickle creatures, it's hard to say how long it'll take to crack your inner nuts. So you can go home now."
"Now? But what about Sarah?"
"Sarah is still coming… but you will not be remaining around to greet her. See, you finally got what you've wanted all this time, Toby."
A knot twisted in Toby's stomach, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that you won't be visiting anymore, unless we expressly summon you, which won't be likely. You'll dream normally again, go about your normal life. It's a win-win situation."
A cold trickle of fear ran down his spine, "What if I want to visit?"
Eanraig looked at him in exasperation, though his expression was warm, "Make up your mind, child! First you hate it here and hate us, the next you don't want to leave. You gave up your mode of transport. What do you want me to do, take you as well?!"
"N-no, I don't want to leave my parents!"
"Well there you go then."
"But-"
"Goodbye, Tobias."
"WAIT-"
But he was gone. His feet left the ground and his world turned black.
Eanraig stared at the spot the boy had vanished in as he lifted his wards, shaking his head in a small amount of disbelief. What a curious critter. He was a little fascinating, if he were honest. Such small emotions yet such force he felt them with. Adorable.
He turned to leave his office, bringing his scroll with him, when a faint pop! Like a bursting bubble sounded behind him and he froze.
He turned on a swivel, his heel still poised to take another step forward, and he took in the newcomers with eyebrows that disappeared into his hairline.
On his rug, his priceless rug, a gaggle of goblins covered in magical residue were wrestling a grown woman into submission with cries of delight and pain as they were thrown off or bitten.
One popped up from between her kneecaps and shouted at him, trying to squeeze past the bone appendages towards the King, "We got her, we got her, fir Kingy! We fot we'd get her fir ye since we were under her bed!"
The woman was struggling less and less as she started to take in her surroundings, her eyes slowing down before finally coming to rest on the cause of her kidnapping. And the power behind her glare almost terrifying.
"Ah yes, thank you for her prompt er… delivery. If you'd be so kind as to let her go, I'll see to it that you are rewarded and sent home accordingly, hm?"
They all nodded, though a couple seemed more than reluctant to let her go as they stepped back. With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared with more giggles and cheerful cries, and he found himself left alone in the presence of Jareth's 'mortal'.
He took her in, from her bedraggled hair to the bruises around her ankles, then the questions burning behind her eyes.
Admittedly, he had more than a few questions of his own.
Despite her immense panic and the pain still biting around her throat and through her head as she tried to breathe, Sarah raised her head somewhat regally from her position on the woven carpet, eyes flickering as the goblins disappeared in a flurry of glitter. Indeed, rage was bubbling inside her chest as her eyes focused on the one figure who hadn't disappeared yet and had the gall to smile down at her in a picture of a warm welcome.
Welcome her ass, where the hell was she?!
He looked like Jareth. He had the white blond hair, though his eyes were somewhat of a slate grey where the other Fae's were electric, storming blue and golden brown. But he had the easy gait that she had come to associate with the mythical race that was anything but a myth.
Somehow, she was in front of a Fae. The fact that an entourage of goblins had taken her here and he was apparently speaking of rewarding them, she could only hazard a guess as to what it meant for her.
She had known it when the air had tingled against her skin where she hadn't been grabbed, had smelled the magic before she had landed in a heap on the rug. Outside was too clear and too bright to be outside her flat in New York. She was in the Underground.
Irked by the silence that had met her when her kidnappers finally left, she let it stretch out a while longer while shooting her worst glare at the stranger, waiting for him to break it. She didn't want to be the first to speak. It would probably end worse than if he did.
Eanraig averted his eyes from her in a show of inspecting his impeccable poet's shirt, scrubbing a nail against the cloth sitting under his clavicle. As her gaze worsened, he cringed, and gave a great sigh as he finally lifted his eyes to her's in defeat. And winced once more.
"Sarah Williams, eldest daughter of Robert Williams and Linda Linitane," he wet his lips, hands clasping behind his back as she raised her chin defiantly, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the legendary Runner of The Labyrinth." Remembering himself, he stooped forward and extended a gloved hand towards the almost prone woman, a tight smile barely concealing his sharp teeth.
She slapped it away with a growl, standing fluidly without his aid and looking away with a scowl. "You mean Linda Williams."
The King tipped his head indulgently towards her, his smile never wavering, but he dared to shake his head in almost patronising disagreement, "I'm afraid not. Your mother married her dear Jeremy a few months ago, after a rushed engagement and a much longer separation. She is no longer a member of the Williams household."
Sarah grit her teeth, a fleeting sense of betrayal shooting through her. She trained her eyes on the door over the fae's shoulder to stem the burning behind her eyes and lifted a shoulder. "More fool her." She sniffed, clearing her throat, "You clearly know more about me than I do you- Isn't it rude not to introduce yourself?"
Her eyes swivelled back to him like a sharpened needle and he hissed under his breath, moving to step past her towards his desk, "Of course, forgive me. I'm used to everyone knowing who I am when they are speaking with me, it was a lapse of concentration," he spoke boredly, though if she could have seen his expression she'd have seen the nervousness residing there. Turning once he was back at his windows, the light behind setting him a foreboding figure, he dipped his head again, "I am Eanraig, seventh High King of Terauramulis, Ruler of Fae." The breeze blew his hair into his eyes, which seemed to flash at her as she stared back at him, "I believe you've met my nephew?"
The brunette gasped, shock evident as her mouth dropped open. How could he be Jareth's uncle?! They looked about the same age, perhaps a decade of difference. Was Jareth's father that much older than him? Conflict warred across his features, the fae watching on in amusement before a faint chuckle brought her from her thoughts.
"Come now, Sarah, surely by now there is nought else to surprise you? Is it so unbelievable to find yourself back with us?" He smirked, and immediately she could almost trace the familial traits. Instead of finding it endearing, she glowered.
"Please, if anything it feels like you all never left me alone," she quipped snidely, looking with renewed disgust around her at her surroundings. God, they were so condescending. "I was just wondering why I'm here, is all. You've neglected to clear that up as well, your esteemed majesty," she cut a mocking curtsy, missing the warning signs in the changing of the fae's posture.
Eanraig's eyes narrowed, his shoulders squaring as she flounced away to inspect a nearby tapestry, "And here I had been led to believe that you'd done a lot of growing up since your last tryst in these parts, Miss Williams. How sorely mistaken my sources have been… I'll have to see about fixing their mistakes…"
She shot a look over her shoulder at him, turning with a huff of indignation, "I've grown up plenty, thank you! Forgive me for not being in the best mood since I was kidnapped for whatever bloody reason you… you- have concocted, dragged against my will to a place that by rights should not exist, and have been spoken down to since I arrived."
"That does not give you the right to disrespect powers far above your station. I have no love for mortals, Sarah, I am not my nephew. You would do well to keep that in mind."
The words were delivered matter-of-factly, but the threat was apparent in his expression as he snapped his fingers to the side of him. Just as her eyes snapped to the movement, the door behind her creaked open a smidge, and a redheaded mop of hair squeezed through.
"Your majesty? Is something the matter?" His eyes inevitably roamed over Sarah's dishevelled figure with great curiosity, then returned to his King as Eanraig smiled a little.
"Indeed, Cleary. Could you send in-"
The door all but imploded, cutting him short. Ash blonde and charcoal swept in respectively, eyes dismissing Eanraig as they too settled on Sarah. Lavanya spared the King a smirk, though his own wife seemed to have completely disregarded his presence.
"Hel-"
"So, you're the famous Sarah."
Lavanya intercepted Yennifer's practiced greeting with effortless grace, crossing the rug until she stood but a mere foot from the girl's face. Her eyes were critical, mouth pursed tightly, almost as tightly as her friend's who stood behind her with a mild look of annoyance.
"I guess so. And you are…?" Sarah yet again refused to cow to the expected respect these beings seemed to demand of her, crossing her arms defensively across her chest. In stark contrast to the first female fae she'd ever clapped eyes on, her pyjamas felt so much less appropriate for this meeting when so close to the pale blonde's black glittering gown. The cut of the dress was almost immodest as it dipped towards her navel, the sleeves flaring out in sheer silk from her elbows, jewelled constellations sparkling up at her from the bodice to the skirts.
Yeah, somehow sesame street seemed a tad… underwhelming.
"Lavanya-" Yennifer started forwards, pulling at her arm gently before turning her attention back to Sarah and extending a lily white hand, "Sarah. I am Queen Yennifer, Eanraig's wife. Welcome to Terauramulis."
Sarah stared on in wonder at the not-quite-black haired fae garbed in a dusky salmon, worry in her large eyes, before she lifted her hand to shake Yennifer's. The fae gave her a puzzled look at her action, before carefully extracting her hand and holding it away from herself for a moment, then clasping it before her in her other hand. The answering jolt hadn't gone amiss to the human girl, who stared at her hand as she shook it out away from her with a faint "ow?".
Recovering, she raised her chin again, "Nice to meet you, your majesty." She ignored Eanraig's indignant huff and tried a strained smile on, "Could you please tell me why I'm here? Your husband hasn't been exactly forthcoming."
"Eanraig!" she exclaimed, rounding on her husband. The fae stood back with his hands raised, before slicing his hand towards the door. Cleary barely managed to remove his awestruck face before it slammed. Yennifer scoffed, turning a regretful smile on the mortal girl, ""You're here because this is where you need to be, my dear."
Removing her arm from the woman, Lavanya started forward again with a grim expression. "Your brother wished you away." She deadpanned.
The air left Sarah's lungs.
Staggering back, her shoulders bumped into the tapestry covered wall as she shook his head vehemently, "No… no, he wouldn't. He's smarter than that. I taught him-"
"-Taught him to be afraid of those who meant him no harm, because of your own choices. Yes, we are all aware of Toby and your upbringing. From what I've heard, he was a difficult study due to your teachings, so I suppose a congratulations are in order. You mortals do enjoy that kind of thing."
Sarah grit her teeth. "The only way he'd have done this is if he felt he had no other choice. What did you do to him? How… how did you find him?!"
Eanraig settled against his desk, toying with his gloves, "He found us, actually. Well indirectly. He found Jareth first."
The air in the room thinned.
"Ja-reth?" Sarah's voice broke a little, shaking her head again. Her heart twanged painfully. "He didn't hurt him, did he?"
Lavanya's wrist twitched as if she might strike her, but Yennifer caught it deftly before smiling at Sarah again, "Of course not. He merely upset the precarious scales of our council, and my husband stepped in for damage control."
"Where… where is he? Toby?"
"At home, dear girl," Yennifer soothed, "He was not harmed. He is quite safe." She seemed to relax a little at the question, though Lavanya merely tutted and turned on her heel, striding for the door.
"Then I'm sure his wishing me here was a mistake. If I could just talk to him, I'm sure he'll take it back..."
"He won't, we made a contract," Eanraig assured her, watching Lavanya with a small degree of interest, his free hand picking up a scroll that lay beside him. "Besides, even if he did, you will not be leaving so soon. We have need of you."
At that, Lavanya abruptly paused, looking quizzically at him for a moment for his choice of timing. Catching his gaze, she sighed, and turned once more to look at the human girl.
She was everything she had expected and also nothing. Her hands itched to grab her, to feel if she was real. The resemblance was so uncanny… her attitude so fiery that it was so obvious why her son had sought her out. Yet she couldn't help the unbridled rage from seeing her brushing this off so carelessly, not even asking after the welfare of the one she knew the girl cared for. She had said his name with too much conviction to prove otherwise.
The sooner she got her where she needed her, the rest of this thrice damned puzzle would fall into place.
"Wh-what? No! You can't just keep me here, I'm not a child anymore!" Came Sarah's cry.
The king pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something about "ignorant mortals" and summoning a goblet of wine out of the air to take a long draught. Swallowing, he laughed at her, "Not all of us take children, foolish girl. Most of us prefer to deal with adults."
Sarah looked between them all in dismay, searching for some trace that they were bending the truth. Not lying, no, they couldn't lie. But they were masters at deception, and she couldn't find this even a shred believable. "Why me? Why now?"
"You left quite the mess behind last time you were here, Sarah Williams. A mess that has spiralled further and further out of our hands until it has come full circle. Your naivety will be your downfall if you allow it." Lavanya's tone was harsh, whip-like.
"I did what I was meant to do! I followed the steps in the book, I played my part, and I won. I got Toby back. You're just bummed that I beat your kind at your own game!" Sarah snarled in return, green eyes swirling into a darker jade as she glared balefully at the blonde.
"Our game? Hardly. His game, that he tailored specifically to you. You can't begin to fathom the laws he broke that day for you, or what your ignorance cost him when you spat poison upon his soul to merely win. It ceased being a game long before you made it to that city, girl."
Barely, she managed to restrain stomping her foot as Sarah looked up at the regal beings surrounding her. She suddenly felt the tiredness of the year descend upon her shoulders, her frayed nerves making her cringe away from the sharp words Lavanya spat at her.
"Then tell me why I'm really here, Lavanya. Why are you all conspiring to get me back Underground?" She asked wearily.
Lavanya finally smiled, "To undo what you have done. You nearly killed him once, I will not idly stand by this time as it happens again."
"What?!"
"You heard me, Sarah. Your little game cost him everything, and yourself very little. And now... Now he is lost."
Lavanya finally made it to the door as she swept away again, pausing but for a second as Sarah fired a last question at her retreating back.
"What's it to you? Why do you care so much about what I've done?"
The ash blond merely smiled again, shrugging her dainty shoulders in reply, "I'm his mother." And then she was gone.
Yennifer watched the space where she had left for a little while longer before sighing and claiming the fae's former position before Sarah. "Please, Sarah, I must beseech you to understand our position. Jareth… he is in great danger. You might be the only one who can save him. We… we can't lose him."
Sarah was reeling. His mother?! Surely not!
Yet she couldn't shake that familiarity. Where was he? Did he even know she was here? Did he even care?
Eanraig snapped his fingers again, and Cleary appeared back in the doorway. "Please escort our new guest to the North Wing-"
"That won't be necessary!"
Pulling herself back to the present, Sarah's jaw dropped once more as a familiar blond quickly squeezed past the redhead and shot her the cheekiest grin she was sure he could manage.
Jaque stood in the doorway and raised his hand, "I'll do it! We've got a bit to catch up on anyway- Come on, Sarah, before they decide to eat you instead. When she blanched, he merely guffawed and hopped over to take her arm, pressing a glancing kiss to Yennifer's cheek as he swept past, towing the girl with him. "I'm kidding, of course."
"Jaque!" Her mouth finally caught up with her mind, shock giving way to anger.
"Shush, Sarah, save your affectionate greeting for outside. Let's leave these two alone, hm?"
With a stiff nod to Eanraig, he all but dragged her out into the corridor and pulled the door shut behind him. Though Sarah caught the sorrowful voice of the King before it swung shut, "I just hope she's not too late."