Caisleán Caladh - Eleven Years Before Sarah's Run…

Jareth padded silently out of the bathing chamber, toweling off his dampened hair. The one luxury he went out of his way to create for himself in the castle… that immense bathing pool in his chambers… and he availed himself of it every night that he had a spare hour. It had been centuries since he'd slept in dirt and bathed in frigid streams, but he still remembered it vividly.

As he walked into his bedchamber, he sighed in contentment. It wasn't magnificent on the scale of Ardalon, but Caisleán Caladh was far and away the most wonderful place in which he'd ever planted his feet. The warmth of the walls, the cheerful, cozy décor… the happiness of the residents… all of it contributed to the sense of accomplishment that he allowed himself to indulge in now and again. His gaze fell on the crystal portrait of his parents, as it did at least once per day. While he couldn't be sure, he felt in his heart that they could see what he'd done… what they all had done… and they approved.

There was a dinner tray on the table, as he'd requested. Tonight, he'd felt the need for quiet contemplation, a mood that would strike him every now and then, and when it did, he would spend the hours before he retired to bed in deep thought. It was at these times that inspiration would usually flow through him; some of his best innovations came from evenings like this. To be sure, most of his ideas were imported from things he'd seen Above, and it seemed like every trip opened up new avenues of human ingenuity that he could explore and perhaps imitate down Below.

For some reason, tonight didn't bring innovative thoughts, but old memories. Memories of those dreadful years after his parents died… the desperation, the hunger, the fear. Nights of never being warm… never having eaten enough… exhaustion that made it a chore just to breathe…

Yes, it had been centuries since he'd endured it, but sometimes… it would come back. He'd wake in the middle of the night, straining his ears for the sounds of a Fae warband, shivering with a cold that he no longer felt… and it would take a few moments before he realized that he was in his own chamber, in his own castle, in his own Kingdom. This happened more often during the first century or two after they'd founded Caladh, and while the incidents lessened in frequency over the years, every so often it would happen again, taking him by surprise and leaving him shaking in the early hours.

Finishing his repast, he decided to do his contemplating while lounging in his bed. The softness of the mattress, the pillows, and blankets… all went a long way towards reassuring himself that those terrible years were over, and a new destiny awaited him. Awaited all of the Goblins.

He lay on his back, every muscle in his body loosening bit by bit. Again, he sighed… but this time, the sigh had a note of disquiet. It didn't take much thought to realize what it was that weighed on him.

He was alone.

He took lovers occasionally, mostly when the loneliness in the middle of the night became overwhelming. And while temporarily diverting, they simply couldn't fill the void he had within his heart. He felt like a jeweled swiftlet, having built a lovely nest for his mate… and no mate to be found.

This was a given in the first century or so after the founding of Caladh. While the wished-aways provided some female children for the Goblin Kingdom, as did the increased ratio of females born to Othánas women, it had only been the last century or so that the population had recovered somewhat. Girls upon reaching their majority still had a plethora of males competing for their attention, and most bonded quickly, but so far… not a one had inspired the least bit of interest on his part, beyond a night or two's distraction.

Admittedly… he hadn't given much thought to the whole idea of finding a wife until the last hundred years or so. There simply hadn't been time… between building the castle, expanding the Labyrinth, the wished-aways, the Fae finding them (and the subsequent wars which were hard fought and eventually won), he couldn't imagine where he'd find the time to win a lady's heart. And while being King might have been an initial attractant to the maidens of the Kingdom, the reality of his position meant that any woman he took as his Queen would have a crushing number of duties right alongside him. This was enough to give any woman's heart pause. Indeed, Lily had once told him jokingly that even if she hadn't met Garthan, she would not have chosen Jareth in any case… as she did not want what the crown would demand of her.

And as the years went on… his loneliness grew. It was magnified by his proximity to Garthan and Lily who, even after a century of marriage, were still wildly in love. He didn't begrudge Garthan his good fortune, not for a moment, but he couldn't help the pang of envy he suffered at times. Especially since Lily had given birth to their son. Little Anduin was absolutely adorable, and Jareth found it almost impossible to keep the wistful look off his face whenever he saw the boy.

He wanted an heir, yes… he found that his desire to have children of his own was getting stronger with every year that went by. More than that, though… he wished that he had someone to love. Someone who would love him back. Sometimes he would lay in his cold bed, alone, thinking to himself that he would give anything… anything within his power, just to have someone to hold in the night, to wake to in the morning… every morning. Forever.

It would all have been enough to send him into a spiral of despair, but somehow, deep down, he knew that his Queen was out there… somewhere. And someday, probably when he least expected it, he would find her.

He felt the tingle in the center of his mind… and sighed again. The Labyrinth had found a potential wisher. It had taken a bit of time to hammer out what the rules for wishing away children were going to be, and then he'd had to create the fairy tale that would be distributed Above to potential wishers. After so many centuries, he and the Labyrinth now operated like a well-oiled machine.

Rising from his bed, he went out to the balcony, changing into his owl form and transporting himself Above. For a moment, he was disoriented… it was mid-day here, and he'd just come from the dim candlelight of his chambers. He soon got his bearings; he was in the Northeastern United States… fascinating place… and he winged his way through the air, letting the Labyrinth guide him to his target. He came upon a park, one with large grassy areas and shady trees, and felt the pull to an area where there was a small pond. He glided over to a large tree beside the pond, landing delicately on one of the branches.

As he looked around, he saw several children and their caregivers. Many were playing with balls, some were throwing a plate-shaped toy that drifted on the air, some had dogs with them. His attention was drawn to a woman sitting on a bench, a food storage box beside her.

She was pretty, with long dark hair and green eyes, but she had a petulance to her face, a sly malice in her manner that put him off immediately. She sat on the bench looking utterly bored, a frown of dissatisfaction pulling her mouth downward. As he watched, a little girl ran up to her.

"Mommy… look! See what I found? I think it's a fairy!"

The girl was adorable. She had the dark hair and green eyes of the woman on the bench, but the child had a sunny personality and a joy to her spirit that the woman didn't have. She held the brilliantly colored butterfly in her hands with the utmost gentleness, her delighted smile shining brighter than the sunlight that poured down around her.

"Oh, Sarah… that's just a butterfly. You'd better put it back."

Jareth could see the hurt and disappointment the woman's words caused the girl. Her head bowed, she dutifully turned back to some of the flowering bushes beside the lake, gently coaxing the butterfly to alight on one of the blooms. She whispered to the lovely little insect, talking to it as if it were indeed a fairy. Smiling to himself, Jareth was charmed.

At that moment, a little boy, perhaps a year or two older than the girl, started to run by her, a stick in his hands. He was chasing a pair of geese that had no doubt been trying to defend their nest. The girl turned to watch while the boy swung his stick, the geese hissing in anger. Before Jareth could even contemplate an action, the girl had decided to intervene.

A frown of determination and anger on her face, she ran over to the boy, ripping the stick out of his hands. He looked at her in shock, shouting a demand that she return the stick.

She returned it, all right.

Her green eyes blazing, she started beating the boy about the head and shoulders with the stick. It wasn't very thick, the boy would only suffer a well-deserved welt or two, but the ferocity with which she beat him back, away from the geese, was an awe-inspiring sight. The boy apparently felt the same, as he'd turned and run away from the girl as fast as his legs would carry him.

Her chest heaving, she glared at the boy's back for a few moments, then dropped the stick as she turned to face the geese. Curtsying to the animals, her sweet little voice drifted over to him.

"At your service, Sir Goose. My Lady."

The birds wasted no time heading back to wherever their nest was. As Jareth chuckled to himself, he glanced back at the girl's mother. She was reading something… a stack of papers bound with little brass clips. She hadn't seen the incident. As he gazed at her, he felt the tingle in his mind… no doubt, this woman was a potential wisher. He looked back over at the girl, who was now humming a tune and dancing in a circle.

"Sarah, it's time to go," came the grating voice from the bench.

"Oh, but Mommy… can't we stay a little longer? It's so pretty here!"

"Now, Sarah Williams. Right now." Came the derisive answer. The woman rose from the bench, intent on dragging the child away. Jareth took this opportunity to conjure a book on top of the food container. The woman would think she'd brought it herself. He looked back over at the child.

With courage like that, she'll be a good addition to the Goblin Kingdom, he mused. Reaching out with his magic, he traced a rune on the child's forehead. This one would be designated for the Goblin Kingdom, most definitely. The Ughlánas he would assign to watch over her were certain to adore her.

His mission completed, he launched himself into the air, intent on returning to his chamber and getting some much-needed sleep. For some reason, his heart felt… lighter. He couldn't shake this odd feeling of happiness and optimism that had come over him when he'd marked the girl.

And he could have sworn that in the back of his mind, he'd heard the Labyrinth laughing.

The Labyrinth watched as Jareth conjured a red book on top of the container of food the mother had brought to the park. It picked up on the King's inner thoughts as he did so.

"With courage like that, she'll be a good addition to the Goblin Kingdom," he mused.

Silently, the Labyrinth chuckled to itself. Speaking on a lower level than usual, one that Jareth couldn't hear… not yet… but someday would, the Labyrinth imparted its wisdom directly into his heart, to be called forth when the time was right.

*Indeed, she will. She has the grit and the determination to triumph over all adversity. She has strength to lend to you when you falter and to keep you on the proper path. The fortitude to share your burden. A loving heart to ease your troubles, and a kind soul to be a balm to yours.

I have looked into the future, Goblin King. All of your decisions will eventually lead to her. All of hers will lead to you. It will not be easy. You will suffer much pain and at times, despair. But in the end, in her hands, your heart will be safe. And through her, your line will live forever.

Jareth, aroon… you have just met your Queen.*

Author's Notes:

You might have noticed that the details of Vesryn and Helayne's death as well as Jareth's transporting of the population to the Labyrinth was a bit different from the tale Lily had told Sarah. One reason is that the history books didn't get into such grim detail (although some of the more lengthy treatises did).

Sharp-eyed readers might have noticed a reference to Lily's father, Tre (short for Tremane) Deganna as being one of the architects of the castle. He also accompanied Randel on his journey (he was the ginger-haired Othánas I mentioned, and we'll see more of him in a future side story). Indeed, when Randel danced with Lily back in 'Spring Flowers', he was catching up with her on how his old comrade was doing. During their journey, Randel told Tre what had happened to Jareth's parents (as well as his own), but he didn't actually see it happen… he saw the aftermath. Some of the details were incorrect when relayed to Lily's dad, who then relayed those details to her.

It was also the common belief that Jareth had transported the entire population, when in reality it was only the older warriors… the Ughlánas had transported the bulk of the Goblin people (the young warriors transported themselves). I wanted to demonstrate how a tale can change over the centuries as it gets passed down, sometimes contributing to the 'mythos' of a particular person.

If anyone remembers the original creation myth I wrote back in 'Kingdom', Danu took the strongest, largest and most intelligent Goblin to mold into the first Othánas. What I didn't mention was that the name of that Goblin was Danaar. Yes… he was the direct ancestor of Jareth Danaaru, King of the Goblins. I'm sure you guys already picked up on that, but I thought I would confirm it (Jareth didn't mention that in his letter to Sarah because he thought it would sound pompous).

But… the question could be… was Danaar really 'transformed' by Danu, or was he just the first named Othánas historical figure (like Gilgamesh, King Arthur or Beowulf as an example) who took on a mythological aspect after thousands of years?

Whatever the case, it is why Konrad, Vesryn and later Jareth were considered to be the natural leaders of the Goblins and why Vesryn and Jareth were each in turn proclaimed their King.

What is the Labyrinth? It is an Avatar of Danu. She had always intended the land around the Labyrinth to be the homeland of the Goblins and built the Labyrinth in anticipation of their arrival. The sentient consciousness in the Labyrinth is a servant of Hers.

It must be pointed out that while the 'gods' in my story do at times meddle in the affairs of their creations, free will does exist. Jareth wasn't 'fated' to marry Sarah, at least not by the decree of any outside power. But all decisions he could make, all paths he could take… they all naturally led to Sarah as his Queen. The same went for Sarah. All of her choices, no matter what they were, would eventually lead to Jareth on their own. Danu didn't mandate that… it was their own wills that made their pairing inevitable. The Labyrinth simply looked to the future and saw the end result.

Vesryn's vision was given to him by Danu and consisted of the most likely outcomes of the situation as it stood. Could there have been different choices made? Yes, but it was highly unlikely. Jareth's choice to come back (as an example), while HIS choice, was predictable. He would never abandon his brothers or his people, no matter what it cost him (you could say that Danu was trying to restore some of Jareth's morale by letting him make the choice, even though She already knew what his answer would be). Garthan going back for him, while HIS choice, was predictable. He would never leave his King behind, ever. Randel could have made the choice to go back as well, but his determination to follow his King's command (and that the people would need him if Jareth and Garthan didn't return) made his choice predictable, too. There were millions of little choices that led to the events of 'Kingdom of Dreams' which, while not set in stone, were so predictable that the outcome was pretty clear. This is what Danu shared and what the Labyrinth saw.

This is one of the few side stories that has direct interaction with Danu as a character. Religion to the Othánas is a very personal thing… to believe or not is up to the individual and they don't have temples or formal religious structures or tenets. There are no priests, if you want to talk to Her, you did so. She might even answer.

After the emotional rollercoaster of this story, we need something a little different. Next up… a fun little monster-in-the-woods tale.