Chapter Three
Three months after Prom…
It was funny how small her life was when it was packed in boxes. Sarah wasn't taking much with her to Columbia University. The apartment her mother had been prevailed upon to rent for her was already furnished. She wasn't sure how her dad talked her mother into it, but Sarah chalked it up to his fantastic courtroom skills. Maybe he shamed her… after all, he and Karen were paying for the balance of her tuition and all her books and supplies. Sarah's scholarship paid the rest, and she had a college fund set up by her paternal grandparents for living expenses. But when Sarah mentioned getting a job so she could get a place off-campus, her dad vanished into his home office for about three hours. When he came back out, he was tired but triumphant. Karen joked that the famous Linda Williams didn't want bad publicity if it came out that she was neglecting Sarah's college education. Sarah privately thought that Karen was right.
Either way, it was a cute little place in a building with about 40 units, walking distance from campus. The apartment/condo was a single bedroom unit which was owned by someone who was doing a 5-year program somewhere overseas. This person knew her dad and was willing to rent the place for a cheap price. The building had great security (even a doorman, imagine!), a nice pool and spa area and was nicely landscaped. It was better than anything she could have afforded even if she did get a job. Sarah was just grateful that she had a place to herself… she couldn't imagine how she would manage the Goblins in a dorm room with a roommate. And the Goblins were coming with her, they had made that very clear.
So, after packing everything up, her life was whittled down to 6 boxes and her vanity. The vanity mirror held the portal that allowed her friends to visit her, so she made sure to wrap it in a ton of bubble wrap. They could come through the bubble wrap without issue, so now they were in her room, helping her pack. Tippy was curled up on the bed, napping. Sarah made sure to pull the blanket up over the little Goblin. Like all the Goblins, Tippy was able to "pop" in and out at will. The thing was… she "popped" in about a week after she ran the Labyrinth, but never "popped" out. She took an immediate liking to Sarah, cuddling her regularly, almost like a cat. She spoke with a tiny little voice and usually in single word sentences. She wasn't as mischievous as the other Goblins, in fact she was really sweet and gentle, a lot like Zee. Zee was one of the many Goblins that visited her regularly, and he seemed to have adopted little Tippy as his own. Sarah adored her and couldn't shake the feeling that Tippy was a very young Goblin, as Goblins go. Her antics (and Sarah being loopy with anesthetic during a wisdom tooth extraction) inspired the creation of the Tippy the Goblin series that Sarah was writing. In fact, Tippy's exploits, as published by Sarah, were a key factor in obtaining the scholarship at Columbia. Even Hoggle, who barely tolerated her other Goblin visitors, loved Tippy. She was just too cute.
Now that they were finished with the packing, Ludo lounged in the corner, purring with his usual contentment. Hoggle sat in the small chair by her bed and Sir Didymus was perched on one of the boxes. "Well, My Lady. It appears we have completed our quest," he said, smiling brightly at her.
"We have, and I couldn't have done it without you guys. Seriously… I don't mean just packing, I mean everything."
Hoggle reached over and touched her hand gently, "Aw, Sarah… yous don't need to say that. We's your friends. Friends do for each other."
"I just can't believe that tomorrow I'll be in a whole new place. It's sort of surreal," she said quietly.
"Is My Lady apprehensive?" asked Sir Didymus.
"Yeah, I guess. It's a lot… all my life I've lived here. I never had to worry about paying the electric bill or making sure there was food in the fridge. Now, it's all on me. Plus, there's school… college is going to be harder than High School, that's for sure. But I think mostly it's just that I'm leaving everything I've ever known." She could feel the tears in her eyes as she said this.
"But yous the Champion, Sarah. Yous was in the Underground. And look at ya now!" said Hoggle, squeezing her hand.
"Sarah, hero!" Ludo grumbled softly.
"Indeed, My Lady. You are the Champion of the Labyrinth, a stupendous feat if I may say so. You are a hero to the Goblin Kingdom, remember that."
That was something she still didn't comprehend. According to her friends, the citizens of the Goblin Kingdom actually did view her as something of a heroine. At the very least, they admired her courage and perseverance. "I never did understand why the Goblins liked me… I destroyed part of their city!" she said, laughing.
"Just their part of it. And to be truthful, they destroy it themselves at least once every six months anyway," laughed Sir Didymus. "Everyone admires you for your win, even the King."
Sarah's smile vanished. "Oh, I doubt that…" "Indeed, he does. In fact, I have only ever heard him speak of your win in glowing terms."
Hoggle snorted, "Sure. Da Rat can smile one way then smack ya another."
Sir Didymus gave him a scowl, "Remember, Brother Hoggle… the Goblin King was gracious enough to offer us sanctuary from the Fae. You would do well to remember that and not address him as a… rat."
"Sanctuary from the Fae? But I thought… I thought he was a Fae. I mean, he doesn't match the descriptions I've read about them, but… if he's not a Fae, then what is he?" asked Sarah.
"A Rat," said Hoggle, ignoring the scorching glare Sir Didymus leveled at him.
"I thought it was obvious, My Lady. The Goblin King is, in fact, a Goblin."
Jareth was sitting at the desk in his study, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. He'd already had a taxing day, and the night was shaping up to be just as taxing.
"It's been almost three years, Jareth. We have come no further than we had three months ago." Garthan's frown was almost as impressive as Jareth's own. "We need to formulate a plan to get the Champion here with us Underground."
"We have a plan," Randel said. "I thought we'd agreed to wait until Sarah was ready to reach out to us."
Garthan shook his head, "I know… but we have literally moved not one step forward since the day she left. We know she feels the heart-bond. What I don't know is why we don't just bring her here. Her brother cannot be touched, but she has no such immunity."
"No," Jareth said, quietly.
"We must do something, Jareth! You've been dodging wedding alliances for the last 200 years, but at some point, one of those Fae bastards is going to try and force the issue. We can take them on one, two or even three kingdoms at a time, but we can't take them all at once! Marrying Sarah will halt them and their little plots right in their tracks," said Garthan, his voice getting heated. He took a breath and continued more evenly, "It's not just that. We've forced them to recognize us as a sovereign kingdom, but the longer we go without a Queen, and by extension an heir, the more we are looked at by other kingdoms as a flash in the night, and not a true nation."
"I know," Jareth replied, his voice even quieter than before.
"I hate to say it, but I'm starting to agree with Garthan. We can't afford to wait much longer. She grows older by the day… are we to wait until she's too old to bear children?" said Randel. "Lily was right about everything, I grant you, but if Sarah was going to come back to us on her own, she would have done so by now. I think we need to help things along."
"Absolutely not," Jareth said, his voice pure steel. "You didn't meet her. You don't know her. I can promise you that if you snatch her from Above and toss her at my feet with a bow on her head, you will not make her my queen… you will make her my enemy. And THAT, I will not risk."
"I concur, Sire." Three startled pairs of eyes turned to the door of the study, where Sir Didymus stood at attention. Jareth glanced at the clock, realizing that this was the hour that Sir Didymus always came to present his weekly report on Sarah. With the dignity of a creature ten times his size, Sir Didymus marched over to Jareth's desk and executed a bow. "I have come straight from My Lady's home to deliver my report. There have been… developments." All eyes focused even more sharply on Sir Didymus.
Jareth felt like he was going to burst into a thousand pieces. "What kind of developments?"
"As you know, Lady Sarah departs tomorrow for the place of higher education. She was feeling understandably melancholy at the thought of leaving home. In an effort to cheer her, I impressed upon her the status she holds here as Champion and bid her to consider her accomplishments. I also mentioned how the Kingdom as well as you, Sire, admire her for her achievement."
"And?" asked Garthan, eagerly.
"She was somewhat skeptical at first, but I believe I have managed to convince her that you hold no rancor for her and indeed admire her. I was also able to impart to her your generosity in protecting the various creatures who come to you for asylum. She appeared quite impressed with your kindness."
"And?" asked Randel, leaning forward intently.
"And… she asked me a series of questions. About you, Sire," he said, looking at Jareth. "Specifically, she was curious as to your species, as apparently, she had originally thought you to be a Fae and was puzzled that you did not match the descriptions. I explained to her about the Greater and Lesser Goblins and gave her a bit of the history of the Kingdom. Not much, just enough to whet her appetite for more information. I was afraid that if I waxed lyrical, she would see my intent."
"What was her reaction?" asked Jareth, warily. He was not at all sure whether the knowledge that he was a Goblin (albeit a Greater Goblin) would repulse her in some way, given what she knew of the Ughlánas.
"She laughed," replied Sir Didymus. "Apparently, it amused her that you are in truth an Othánas. I did not get the impression that this was off-putting to her in any way. If anything, I think it was reassuring to her that you are not Fae. At any rate, her curiosity led her to ask more questions about you and the people who live in the Kingdom. She appears to have shed her earlier aversion to speaking about you, at least in generalities."
Garthan looked over at Jareth, "You see? Maybe now is the time to bring her Underground." Before Jareth could answer, Sir Didymus drew himself up to his full height. His eyes, normally so bright and merry, had narrowed on Garthan in a way that sent a shiver of unease down Jareth's spine. Most people underestimated the little fox. Jareth did not. Sir Didymus could be more savage than an Ughlánas when he needed to be.
"Under no circumstances will you drag My Lady down Below," he said, his voice as hard as iron. "His Majesty is indeed correct; any such act will make her an enemy to the Goblin Kingdom and is grounds for her to sever the heart-bond. Remember that, before you think to bend her to your will." He then looked at Jareth, "Sire, she is about to start her higher education, which is extremely important to her. I understand the urgency to woo her and crown her your queen, but I think you would be better served to allow her to finish this "college" she is so set on completing. I fear that even if she were… friendly to you at this time, she would not come Underground until her schooling has ended. It is only four years."
Randel choked, "Four years?"
"Four years," confirmed Sir Didymus. "And in that time, I intend to prevail upon My Lady to reach out to communicate with you. In fact," at this, Sir Didymus showed them a sly grin. "I hadn't had the chance to tell you the best development. Apparently, My Lady is considering doing exactly that." He held up a paw when he saw the three Othánas about to interrupt. "Yes, she mentioned such in the presence of the King, but that was just in speculation, to her escort. No, this time, I believe she is seriously considering it."
Garthan snorted, "I'm sure that went over well with Hoggle."
"Indeed, it did not. And while he was able to convince My Lady to put off any such communication for now, he was not able to put her off it completely. What's more, she told him so. She was rather… irritated at Hoggle's continuing disparagement of you, Sire. That is the new development. She is starting to understand that Hoggle's opinion regarding you is by no means the complete picture and that she might want to consider a different point of view."
The three men sat back in their chairs, pondering this development. "And you believe you can bring her to this different point of view?" asked Randel.
"I do. But I need time. My Lady will not voluntarily abandon her education to come Underground. In the time that it takes for her to complete it, I will be tirelessly working to present Your Majesty in the best possible light. Eventually, she will take that leap of faith." The little fox looked around at the three men, then went in for the kill. "I may be an avowed bachelor, but even I know when a young lady's heart has been captured. You may rest assured, Sire… you have indeed captured her heart. I could tell by the sparkle in her eyes and the blush in her cheeks… you are on her mind a great deal. Do not risk that by succumbing to impatience."