Pre-Chapter Notes:

This story takes place a couple of years before Princess Helena's birth and Randel's departure for the century-long tour.

This is something of a monster-in-the-woods story, in the tradition of those fun movies from the 70's and 80's like Prophecy, Night of the Lepus, Grizzly, etc. There's some violence, not much gore, but a touch of creeping terror.

It's also sort of a 'buddy' story. I wanted to tell a tale of how Toby, Anduin and Jacen bonded together but was at a loss on how to do that. Then, as I was flipping through channels on TV, I saw the movie Cabin in the Woods. Just seeing the characters trying to cope with being terrorized at the titular cabin got me to thinking about putting The Boys into a similar situation, and their experience being the thing that really made them a tight-knit unit.

Toby glanced back down at the sketches before him, Aurelet's kiss still tingling on his lips. His Ice Princess.

About fifty years ago, Sarah had published a bestselling novel with the titular character based on Aurelet. While there were echoes of 'The Snow Queen' and that old Disney movie 'Frozen', this tale was considerably different and followed the adventures of said Princess through a mythical land that was scorched and barren, and how she brought new life to the area. That was a pretty good analogy for Aurelet… a cool and refreshing personality that revitalized those she came into contact with.

She'd been a cute kid back in the day. Once she'd gotten out of toddlerhood, she had taken to following him, Anduin, and Jacen as they racketed about the castle. She was unendingly curious and loved to watch as Toby tinkered around with mechanical toys. He remembered when she'd gotten hold of one of his old Lego sets, and proceeded to build fantastical things, all without any instruction on how to do so. Toby himself needed to have the detailed plans before he could pull off something similar, and her ability to just intuitively know how the pieces should fit together was (in his opinion anyway) astounding. He started conjuring her some other building kits from Above, gleefully watching as she tore into them, following the instructions first, but then tearing it apart and changing it to a more efficient design. It was fascinating just to observe her, the way her brows would come together when she was figuring something out, the way she would bite her lower lip when she concentrated. He'd felt great affection for her, thinking to himself that if he'd ever had a little sister, he would have liked one like her.

But as the years passed and she grew older, Toby started noticing something unsettling. Her eyes would linger on his too long, her smile carrying a subtle change whenever she bestowed it upon him. It became even more pronounced once Anduin had left the Creche to start studying with Randel. He'd found himself spending more time with Aurelet alone, coming to know her as an individual as opposed to Anduin's little sister. And that's when it started to become really disturbing.

While not yet an adult, he had anticipated that at some point he would start feeling an interest in girls. Jareth had given him 'the talk' quite a long time before, so he'd figured that once he'd matured to a certain point, he would be subject to the same urges most Othánas were heir to. This didn't happen. While he could objectively appreciate beauty when he saw it, there was a conspicuous lack of sexual desire on his part.

Added to that was his disturbing tendency to think ahead… to think of Aurelet. Whenever he pictured the future, she had the most prominent role. If he tried to imagine his future children, they looked like her. If he tried to imagine his future wife… it was her. This puzzled him greatly… she was pretty, yes… but so were other girls closer to his age. And while it was natural that her youth would fail to arouse his baser instincts, it was really odd that no other girl did either. He recalled thinking to himself in exasperation that it was all very well to imagine his future children, but if he couldn't even feel lust… how the hell was he going to father any?

Aurelet didn't help matters. It was becoming very clear that she had something of a crush on him, which in itself didn't bother him as such crushes at her age were common, but she was taking no pains to hide it from anyone. Her demonstrative affection toward him coupled with his increasingly strange feelings for her was starting to give him a lot of sleepless nights. It had become so obvious that even Garthan was starting to look at him oddly, with an almost wary expression that he'd never had before. As time went on, Toby realized that he and Aurelet had somehow become heart-bonded. This explained his lack of desire toward other women, but it was disturbing, nonetheless.

He had been so disturbed by it that he'd talked to Sarah about what was going on. Both of them had been raised Above, taught from a very young age to avoid strangers… and why. The depths of human depravity were at times frightening, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was some sort of degeneracy starting to manifest itself within him. True, he was no longer human, at least physically, but Jareth had not wiped his human memories from him when he'd done the transformation. It made Toby sick to think that perhaps there was some part of him that still carried the capacity for human evil.

Sarah had suggested that he take his concerns to Jareth. This resulted in him being taken along for a fishing trip, just himself, Jareth and Garthan. Anduin had been a little put out that he was not invited, but Toby knew that there was more to this trip than met the eye. He was right.

As soon as they were settled in the cabin, Garthan and Jareth had sat Toby down for a discussion. Jareth was of the opinion that there was no cause for alarm, that he was biologically an Othánas and thus not subject to human depravity. Garthan, however, appeared to have same fears that Toby had… that some human darkness was lingering in the back of Toby's mind. Toby spilled out everything to them both, his love for Aurelet, his desire to marry her someday, the lack of physical arousal toward her (or anyone else), his fears about his humanity, his utter terror at the thought of bringing harm to her or anyone in the Goblin Kingdom. He remembered telling Garthan that he would take a blood oath, to never lay a lustful hand on Aurelet until her majority, or even to exile himself until she came of age.

Garthan had looked at him for a long time, and he could feel those ice blue eyes staring into his soul. He must have seen something that reassured him, since after a long moment, he'd shook his head. "No. Your word is sufficient for me." He went on to explain that Toby would not be feeling this level of fear if there was some sort of degeneracy hovering in the background… evil people tended to not be afraid of their own evil. Jareth agreed, and posited that while a heart-bond with a girl as young as Aurelet was unusual, it was not entirely unknown, and they shouldn't attribute it to anything dark on Toby's part. In the end, they both managed to set Toby's mind… if not at ease, then at least back to a more manageable level of anxiety.

When he'd seen Aurelet after the trip, he sat her down to have a talk about what was happening. She was nonchalant, admitting her heart-bond to him and for the most part, shrugging off his concern. As she'd put it, she had no need to look farther for a life-mate, so why bother with it when she got older? They couldn't bond until her majority anyway, so… they wait for her majority. She certainly wasn't disturbed by any of it.

So, they continued as they had been, at least until she'd reached the age where she could legitimately be courted. It surprised no one when he'd presented her with his token, the pendant being a small golden gear. It was the first time they'd kissed, the first time he'd felt the least bit of desire stirring within him. As she matured, her beauty began to stir him more strongly, until eventually his fears that he would somehow be impotent were completely swept away.

He kept to his promise to Garthan, however. Aurelet, while knowing of this promise, had simply remarked that she would just move in with him on the day she came of age. At first, he took it as a jest, but as time went on and his feelings for her got stronger, he found himself looking forward to that day with eagerness. That day was coming in six months.

Another aftereffect of that fishing trip was the acquisition of their workshop. Once the discussion of his relationship with Aurelet had ended, a new discussion about his part in the Strigoi war and his tinkering took its place. Jareth and Garthan liked his ideas so much that they'd asked him to devote a significant amount of time to bringing them to fruition. Toward that end, Jareth had designated a suite of rooms in the Administration wing to be Toby's workshop, a place where he could work on his devices, store parts and even conduct experiments. Without even a second thought, he'd asked Aurelet if she would like one of the rooms for herself, to use as an office, which she furnished with a large drafting table and shelving to hold her many engineering tomes. During her apprenticeship, she could often be found there with her Dwarven instructor, a mountain of designs around them.

It was during this time that Garthan realized that while Aurelet had the skill and insight to make an excellent Spymaster, her heart just wasn't in it. She hadn't wanted to disappoint her father, and if the needs of the Kingdom had called for it, she would have done whatever was necessary, but her true passion was building things. Garthan had taken her aside to have a heart-to-heart, and when she'd confessed that her interests lay elsewhere, he took it in good spirit, even going so far as to arrange an invitation to the Royal Engineer of the Steelshank Dwarves to Caladh for a month so that Aurelet might benefit from his expertise. He ended up being so impressed with her that he stayed for three, and to this day they corresponded regularly.

Aurelet's ability to almost intuitively solve knotty problems ended up being a benefit to Toby as well. He'd lost count of the times he had been staring at his notes, trying to find a workaround to the various obstacles he would encounter, when Aurelet would come peek over his shoulder, give his notes a once-over, then offhandedly suggest a solution. Even on the rare occasions when her solution didn't work, it did seem to always point him in the right direction toward making his inventions a success.

Many of those inventions were intended for the Army, and it was during his meetings with Jareth, Randel and Garthan that his own intuition and ingenuity had a place to shine. Little by little, he'd ended up becoming more involved in the intelligence gathering, until one day it had occurred to both Garthan and him that he just might be the natural choice when it came to espionage. Toby had always loved tales of secret agents and covert missions, and he eagerly participated in the planning and execution of several operations. His 'day job' as an artificer was the perfect cover, and he had to admit, it tickled him that people thought him to be a humble tinkerer, when in reality he was participating in the Goblin equivalent of the CIA.

It was also at this point that his qualms about his human tendencies started to get even stronger, especially after he'd turned over some of his nastier little 'surprises' to Randel for distribution to the Army. If the whole mess with Aurelet hadn't been enough to give him doubts, the fact that his mind ran in such bloodthirsty ways certainly was. Humans… they were inventive, yes. But they seemed to turn those qualities on each other, always trying to come up with new ways to cause death and destruction. If they could slaughter their own with such abandon, what kind of savagery would they turn loose on those they felt no kinship with?

It was one of the reasons all the other races had fled Earth Prime and come Underground in the first place. As it stood now, one push of a button could turn most of Earth's surface into radioactive ash, and it chilled Toby to think that those tendencies were still within him, bubbling under the surface.

He loved the Underground, absolutely adored the Goblin Kingdom and the people in it, but he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps bringing him and his sister here was in some way a mistake. Sarah was still human, with all the tendencies of her species. Jareth seemed to find that to be a benefit, but… Sarah wasn't designing things that could kill people. Toby was. Even now, he was working on the talismans that would allow death squads to pop into every palace in the Underground. When Jareth had revealed to him the Contingency Plan, Toby's mind automatically went to solving the issue of Jareth having to go personally with the death squad, and he was well on his way to a solution. He couldn't help but wonder if it was his humanity that allowed him to think this up, and if it was simply the first step to a long chain of inventions that would eventually end with the Underground equivalent of nuclear weapons. He shuddered at the thought.

He remembered something he'd read once, about a man named Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb, back in World War II. When he'd seen that first blast, the fruition of all his work, he was purported to have said "Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds."

Would Toby be the destroyer of this one?

Anduin left the security meeting with something of a heavy heart.

The Kingdom was peaceful, had been for decades, but Jareth insisted that they meet regularly to discuss the happenings both inside and out. Appearances were deceptive, and the King had learned to never take peace for granted.

While Anduin understood (and agreed with) this attitude, he left each meeting with a growing sense of disquiet. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were becoming complacent, despite their attention to detail and constant vigilance. It was true that the Fae had not tested them in almost a century, and judging by the intelligence they were receiving, they had no immediate plans to try, but that didn't mean the Kingdom couldn't face adversity from another direction.

Like who? The Strigoi are our allies, and grateful for our assistance in the last war. The Dwarves have no interest in our territory, nor us in theirs, and our relations are friendly. The Elves are nominally part of the Kingdom already, even if they are autonomous. Aside from the Fae, just who are you preparing to fight?

Anduin didn't know. It wasn't that he wanted a war, not at all. But if there was one thing he'd learned in all of his study, both Below and Above, was that war had a habit of sneaking up on people, at least until afterwards, when the signs became clearer in retrospect. And many times, they started with something ridiculous.

Just look at World War I, Anduin thought. No one could have imagined that an assassination halfway around the world would have sparked such a global conflagration. The convoluted chain of alliances led to nations declaring war on each other, when they themselves had no real connection to the catalytic event. This was not an issue here Below, as the Goblin Kingdom's alliances were relatively straightforward, but there was an aspect of the present situation that had echoes of that long ago conflict.

Fighting a current war with the last war's tactics.

It seemed to be a pattern in the wars Above, that for the first half of a given conflict, the tactics used were always those that were successful in the last war, forgetting perhaps the technology that had been developed in the meantime. It almost seemed like the side that adapted first was the one that would prevail in the end.

And the Goblin Kingdom wasn't adapting.

Change came slowly in the Underground, that was true. It was almost like an inertia that permeated the residents here Below. During the Great War, the Fae took almost two centuries to change their tactics, something the Goblins certainly took advantage of. By the time the Fae had developed new strategies, the Goblins were out of their reach. Even now, while they did come up with new tricks now and then, the Fae were reliably consistent during their brief periods of aggression.

But if the Fae were consistent, so too were the Goblins. Every war they had fought since the Founding was fought pretty much the same way. The only deviation from this was perhaps during the Strigoi war, when a brilliant, almost Napoleonic move by Sarah (with the assistance of Toby and his tinkers) stopped the Fae in their tracks and was responsible for wiping out a large portion of their offensive capabilities. In studying that war and that battle, Anduin came to the conclusion that they had to be more flexible when it came to fighting.

Especially now, what with Toby designing new and more interesting weaponry for the Army. His main focus was minimizing Goblin casualties while causing mass damage on the side of their opponent. The devices Toby designed were rather ingenious, and a bit bloodthirsty. While this didn't bother Anduin in the least, he knew that it disturbed Toby, that he should be able to think up such deadly things.

But innovative weaponry aside, it was the tactics that concerned Anduin. The bulk of their defense was based on what had always worked before… it was rare indeed that something new was ever tried. The Fae dismissed human ingenuity in much the same way that they had dismissed the growing fury of the Goblins once upon a time, but that didn't mean they always would. At some point, some Fae bastard was going to get the idea that they should take a closer look at how humans fought and perhaps use some of their tactics.

And Goddess help the Kingdom if they did.

It was for this reason that Anduin felt driven to study human warfare through the ages. From the Ancient Egyptians on the fields of Kadesh to the Allies in Normandy, to the Pacific Conflag last century and the various brushfire wars that broke out here and there, Anduin tried to study them all. While much of the weaponry of the last seven centuries was exclusive to the Above, some of it could be adapted to the conditions Below (something Toby was hard at work to bring about). He recalled Toby's discovery that gunpowder and other human explosives were ineffective in this world, as were the attempts to harness electricity. Anduin regarded this with irritation, but Toby saw it very differently. His eyes haunted, he told Anduin that perhaps it was a blessing that there were some things forbidden to them here Below. Given what he knew of human warfare, Anduin was forced to agree.

The tactics, however, had no such restriction. For a time, he briefly considered whether he should try to attend an Aboveground military academy, in order to get a broader understanding of military strategy as played out Above. Sarah had suggested that he scour the Intranet instead, reasoning that any Academy he went to would be biased to a particular nation, and if he wanted a more broader approach he should study the entirety of the history of human warfare. This made a lot of sense, and Anduin made it a point to spend much of his leisure time at the Estates in the Above, combing the Intranet for documentaries, commentaries, and even movies. From there, he started integrating some of the tactics he had studied into the wargames he participated in. Most times, they were a resounding success.

But that was in wargames, not reality. He wanted to apply the things he'd learned, perhaps put them into practice so he could analyze their usefulness to the Army as a whole. But how?

How do you tell your commander, a man who'd fought in wars for a thousand years, that you think his tactics might be a bit outdated? How do you tell your father, a man who'd spent his life weaving a web of espionage and information, that they needed to concentrate on more than just the generalities? How do you tell your King that he's getting complacent, and that you fear the next war will be fought very differently than the last one?

You didn't. At least, not without sounding like a petulant child.

His feelings of futility deepened as his thoughts drifted back to his father. As devious as Toby's mind was, it was perhaps no surprise that he would end up embroiled in the intelligence gathering that Garthan oversaw. He knew that his father had hoped for him to follow in his footsteps, and was a bit taken aback when Anduin elected instead to pursue a command in the Army. He'd accepted Anduin's explanation that his gifts lay elsewhere, and took the decision in good spirit, but there had to be some measure of disappointment that his son had no wish to follow after him.

And neither did Aurelet. While fully as crafty as their father, and certainly as intuitive and analytic, Aurelet turned her intellect towards creation as opposed to destruction. From the moment she started toddling after himself, Jacen, and Toby, Aurelet had showed an interest in construction and design, to the point that Anduin had remarked good-naturedly that she spoke in Toby's secret language, that of engineering. He'd had no idea how prescient that remark would turn out to be.

He became aware of their heart-bond right around the time that Aurelet started the change from girl to woman. This had caused some consternation with his father (and Toby too), but Anduin took a more practical view of the situation. They were so well matched; it was practically Fate that they would bond. Their ages were somewhat disparate, but that wouldn't be the case for much longer. He knew Toby well enough to know that there would be nothing untoward between them until Aurelet reached her majority, thus in his mind there was no cause for concern.

In actuality, he was more than content that Toby was planning to marry his sister, and not just because they were the best of friends. He was a good man, one who treated Aurelet with all the love and care that Anduin could hope for. To the best of his knowledge, Toby had avoided any sort of entanglement with any other woman, certainly since he'd given her his token but also long before. He was content to wait until Aurelet came of age, refusing to settle for fleeting pleasures when he already knew the joy that awaited him if he were patient.

Anduin had thought to do the same, but his curiosity led him to indulge in an encounter or two with the ladies that came for Spring Equinox. Like his father before him, he was a bit on the shy side, but that didn't stop the girls from wanting to try him out now and then. He didn't make much effort to pursue any of them, he simply allowed their own curiosity to sort things out. He wasn't really in much of a hurry to find a heart-mate, what with his training under Randel and his expanding duties.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure how he'd go about pursuing a mate in any case. The few casual encounters he'd had were all initiated by the girls themselves. He didn't know the first thing about courting, and there was no one to turn to for advice. He didn't dare ask his father, considering the stories his mother had told him about their early relationship. Toby never had to worry about it, since Aurelet snapped him up before he'd even been old enough to try, and thus would have no advice for him. Jacen was newly adult and had no more idea about courtship than Anduin did. Even so, Jacen wasn't shy in the least and would likely have his future heart-mate drop right into his lap. Jareth couldn't advise him much, seeing as he'd almost blown up his own courtship of Sarah, and Randel refused to even consider courting altogether.

Even assuming he did want a wife now… what would he look for? Beauty was inconsequential… his own mother was counted as one of the most beautiful women in the Kingdom, but it was her heart, her capacity for love and her personality that captured his father in the end, not her looks. Queen Sarah was also quite beautiful, but again… it was her inner qualities that attracted the King and won his love. Karina looked a lot like her and was sure to grow into a beautiful woman. He got the idea that both families would approve if there was a match between them. But… she was too volatile for his taste, and he was much too boring for hers. While they were certainly friendly and would no doubt remain friends when she became an adult, the idea of them bonding together was… a daunting prospect and highly unlikely.

If he were honest with himself, he supposed that he wanted simple compatibility above all else. And while his own sister was well matched with Toby, the fact that they shared literally everything (even their hobbies) was also a bit daunting. He'd like to have a lady with her own interests, her own hobbies, completely separate from his, that she could do on her own but also share with him from time to time, just as he could share his with her.

Shaking his head again as if to clear it, he turned his musing back toward the meeting he'd just left. It was funny… Papa was a warm, affectionate and absolutely loving father, but inside the King's Study, he was a cold, methodical man, one who made it his task to take in various bits of unconnected information and paint a picture with it. Uncle Jareth, probably the 'coolest' (thank you for that word, Toby) uncle ever, was an utterly intimidating presence in that room and one that made you think twice before opening your mouth. Randel was the only one who didn't give him pause during these meetings, probably because he'd worked with him for so long, but even he had a wealth of experience that all of Anduin's study just couldn't compare to.

And if he had it rough, Jacen had it rougher. Crown Prince of the Goblins, poor Jace had the dubious honor of someday trying to fill Jareth's shoes. They'd had many conversations over the years about this, about their feelings of inadequacy when compared to their elders. He'd only spoken to Papa about this once, a few years ago, and recalled being told that he should be thankful that he would not be tested as they had been. While Anduin agreed with this sentiment, at the same time he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever get out from under the shadow of his elders… ever show himself worthy and able to defend the Goblin Kingdom.

No… Papa was right. He shouldn't wish for such a thing. It was almost like daring the Fates to throw their worst at him.

But still, he wondered…

Jacen stretched his huge, white wings, feeling the warmth of the wind beneath them.

Freedom. That's what this is… freedom.

Up here, dancing amongst the clouds, Jacen was free. Free of being the Goblin Prince. Free of being a newly adult son to an overprotective mother.

Free of being the son of the Goblin King.

He loved his parents, respected them immensely, but being their child was at times disheartening. Mom was an amazing person; smart, funny and supremely skilled at anything she turned her mind to. It was no wonder she was so beloved throughout the Kingdom. And while he was growing up, he idolized her. Still did, really. She was a patient teacher and had a way of making even the drudgery of diplomacy a fun game. She was an excellent playmate, the premier storyteller and weaver of tall tales. He could still remember seeing her in the candlelight, sitting on his bed with a sweet smile on her face, telling him yet another story of high adventure and magic.

The problem was… he wasn't that little boy anymore. And she was having a hard time accepting it.

He hadn't noticed anything untoward until he started going through puberty. That's when he noticed that she was a little bit more cautious in what she allowed him to do. A little more paranoid. She seemed to be hesitant to let him out of her sight for any length of time, and while this didn't bother him when he was a child, as an adolescent (and now adult), it was downright annoying.

He'd put up with it, seeing as he didn't have a choice, but sometimes it rankled. He knew that part of it was because he was the Prince… the Heir. Of course, she would be concerned for his safety. That made sense when he was small, but it seemed like the older he got, the more worried for him she became.

Dad had said that it was something most mothers went through when they saw their children growing up. They knew that the day was coming when the baby they had cuddled and nursed would suddenly be an adult, taking control of their lives and leaving their parents behind. It was an adjustment period, one that would even out over time. Dad's own mother, Jacen's grandmother, felt much the same way. Dad recalled many times when he'd seen the smothered fear in his mother's eyes, whenever she beheld her growing son.

Well, given what Dad was doing when he was an adolescent, I think she was entitled to be a little afraid for him…

What Dad was doing.

That's what really rankled him, deep down. Dad had been so young, barely into puberty, when he'd taken his place in the ranks of Goblin warriors. So had Randel and Garthan. Before he'd even reached his majority, he'd facilitated the mass evacuation of the entirety of the Goblin people, founded a Kingdom, built Caladh…

The most monumental thing Jacen had ever done was talk the Gharian Fae out of starting another war. And if he were honest, they didn't really want to go to war with the Goblins in the first place, so talking them out of it was rather easy.

Banking to the left, Jacen glided over the Western side of the city, watching the people as they bustled on the streets below.

What would it be like to be anyone but the Goblin Prince?

Being the Prince wasn't the problem, if he were honest with himself. It was being the son of the fabled Goblin King that was… uncomfortable.

It wasn't that Jareth was a bad father. On the contrary, he was phenomenal. Always willing to share his time, always ready with advice and encouragement. He was never stingy when it came to praising Jacen's accomplishments and was compassionate towards his failures. He was loving, understanding and… fun. He was just… an extremely difficult person to have as a father.

He was respected. Revered. Feared even, in some places. He was absolutely a living legend, but being his son and trying to live up to his example was pure, unadulterated hell.

Everything he did, everything he was, everything he hoped to be, was somehow always laid against what Jareth had done at his age, and Jacen was the one always left wanting. Jareth either did it first or did it better, whatever the accomplishment was. There was never even a comparison.

He used to love to hear stories of his father's exploits, back during the Great War. Now, he dreaded them. Dreaded the looks of expectation he'd see, when someone would recount a random vignette about Jareth's youth. Cringed inwardly when after the story was told, the listeners' eyes would drift over to him, Jacen, and look him over critically, as if to say, 'What have you done?'

At about a hundred and fifty years old, Jareth founded a Kingdom. At the same age… Jacen learned French.

Quel exploit! Jacen thought sarcastically to himself.

Even that wasn't very extraordinary, as Jareth knew at least twenty-five languages, fluently.

About the only thing Jacen did at around the same age as Dad was master polymorphing, and even then… he was sure Jareth had done it at least a year earlier than Jacen did.

Now that you've bitched and moaned to yourself, Jacen, why don't you get to the heart of what's really bothering you?

What bothered him… was that someday, far into the future as it may be… he would be King.

King of the Goblins. The prospect made him want to vomit. Not only because he couldn't imagine a world without Dad in it. Not only because it would feel as if a part of his soul had been ripped away. It was the wider implications of such a situation that left him cold and nauseous.

Who the hell would want me as their King? After a King like him?

There was literally nothing special about Jacen at all. He learned most things at the usual pace, some sooner, some later. He was quite good at his combat lessons, if not the prodigy that Anduin was. He was intelligent and learned easily. He had a good sense of humor… he was friendly. Girls considered him attractive and sometimes wanted to tumble with him.

All words that could describe a thousand other Othánas males.

You have a human mother…

If Jacen could have snorted in his owl form, he would have.

But I'm Othánas. Mom's DNA didn't make much of an impression on me except for my eyes. And my cheekbones. Everything else is literally from Dad's side of the equation.

Jacen's mind ran in circles while he banked right, catching a thermal and rising higher.

You're better at Monopoly…

Mentally shaking his head, Jacen gave up trying to find anything about himself that would make of him a King good enough to follow in Jareth's footsteps.

Nothing. I got nothing.

It wasn't even in the privacy of his own mind that he felt he had to measure up in some way. Certainly, Jareth himself never made him feel as though he were 'less than'.

It was the people.

How would they look at him, this utterly ordinary Othánas with a skill at Monopoly, wearing Jareth's crown and stepping into Jareth's shoes? How did he do that without being an utter disappointment to the Goblin people?

Jacen did what he always did to shake off such depressing thoughts. He executed a loop in midair. It never failed to lift his spirits, and it didn't fail him now.

I love this, he thought. Now I know why Dad does it every day.

Even in that, he didn't compare. Jareth flew over his entire Kingdom, every day, checking that all was well. The most Jacen had been able to finagle was a patrol of Caladh.

Where the most excitement I get is from the tricks I perform in flight.

Judging by the position of the sun, Jacen knew he'd better head back to the castle before his mother got worried. She wasn't a fan of these patrol flights of his, no matter that they were literally right outside the castle. She could lay eyes on him at any time, if she went to the right window.

Sighing inwardly, he swooped over the central garden on the castle grounds. He could see a group of young women walking along the crushed seashell path, an older lady shepherding them, no doubt in the hopes that one of the many bachelors in the city would take notice. Gliding so that he faced them, he dove down, transforming back to his Othánas form and touching his feet to the ground with the smoothness of a dance move. The girls fluttered and giggled, smiling brightly at him.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Jacen's slightly self-congratulatory grin faded a bit when he saw the older lady lean forward and say, "Oh, he's just like his father, with those lovely aerobatics!"

At least the younger women were oblivious to the effect of that remark. Always remembering his manners, Jacen bowed elegantly to the ladies and took himself off into the castle, feeling their admiring glances following him.

Bog damn it, there's no escape, is there?

Not even paying attention to where he was going and letting his muscle memory operate, Jacen walked to his father's study to make his report.

I can't stand this. Not another hour. Not another minute.

None of that was in his face as he rapped on the door and entered when bid. Jareth was alone, sitting at the heavy, ornately carved desk where he processed all his correspondence. He looked up and greeted Jacen with a smile.

"How was the flight?"

"Good," replied Jacen. "It was good."

Jareth's eyes narrowed at him, "But?"

Jacen looked at him, puzzled. "But what?"

"But something is bothering you." Jareth replied smoothly. "Did anything happen on your patrol?"

How the hell does he always know?

"Nothing happened. As usual. I mean, what am I looking for, anyway? A broken cistern? A traffic jam? A horde of raging barbarians?"

Now Jareth's expression grew even sharper. "Jacen-"

"Dad, it's nothing. Okay? Just… leave it."

Yeah right, Jace. He's going to leave it, of course he will.

He tried to look at his father with a serene expression. Judging from the way Jareth frowned, Jacen knew he was failing miserably.

"I just don't think…" Jacen sighed. "I'm just not making a difference. I'm not doing anything."

"You're learning how to run the Kingdom, Jacen."

"By flying a patrol that any pubescent boy could fly?" retorted Jacen with a touch of bitterness.

Jareth's brows lowered, and he gazed at Jacen sternly. "Kingship isn't about the exciting moments, Jacen. It's only about three percent exciting and ninety-seven percent tedious and boring. Perhaps I am testing your patience level."

Yet another lesson failed then, thought Jacen, mentally smacking himself.

"Patience is all very well," said Jacen slowly. "I have that." At Jareth's dubious look, Jacen frowned. "You know I do. It's not a matter of patience, Dad. It's…"

Do I dare?

"Dad, did it ever occur to you that I'll never be the King that you are? Not now, and not a thousand years from now. Goddess forbid, if you get taken away by Martians, what the hell kind of King would I even be? You have more power in your little finger than I'll ever have in my entire body for my entire life. How… how do I do a good job? A job like you did? How could they," Jacen pointed out the window. "The people… how could they look at me and have any confidence that I can be even half as good a king as you are?" Jacen shook his head, "They can't. They can't ever. Nothing I do will ever compare to what you've accomplished, and I'm only going to end up disappointing everyone."

"You should be glad you weren't 'blessed' as I was, Jacen," said Jareth quietly, a distinct glow of sadness in his eyes. "Gifts like I was given are an indicator of how chaotic one's life is going to be."

Jacen winced, turning his head and looking out the window. He doesn't understand…

Suddenly, the idea came to him. He wanted to get out, get away, just for a little bit. Maybe put some space between him and Caladh. Between him and Mom.

Between him and Jareth.

"Is anyone going to the cabin this week?" he asked.

Somewhat taken aback by the abrupt change of subject, Jareth blinked before answering, "No… not that I'm aware of. Garthan, Randel, and I are going in about a month, but… for the next week, no one has plans to go. Why?"

"I just… want to get away for a bit. Toby… you know he's going to be marrying Aurelet in a few months. I thought I'd grab him and Anduin and have a bachelor trip."

"What's this about a bachelor trip?" asked the voice from the doorway.

Jacen turned, dread pooling in his stomach. Mom came into the room, a small smile on her face as she gave him the once over.

"I just thought me and the guys would do some fishing, nothing special," said Jacen nonchalantly.

Instantly, Sarah's brow wrinkled. "I don't know how comfortable I am with—"

"Precious."

Sarah and Jacen both turned their heads to face Jareth, who continued quietly. "I do not believe that he was asking for your permission to go."

For a moment, Sarah blinked at him. A myriad of expressions chased themselves on her face. Annoyance. Embarrassment. Fear. Jacen hid his shock, he hadn't expected Dad to go against his mother, not when it came to something like this. He shot his father a grateful look.

Jareth stepped forward, taking her hand and kissing it lightly, "He's going with Anduin, one of the best warriors we have, and your own brother, who is one of the most responsible people I know."

This didn't seem to mollify Sarah at all, and she took a quick breath, ready to retort. Jareth didn't give her the chance to.

"Love… he's an adult. He can make his own choices, whether we agree with them or no. It is not for us to naysay him."

She parted her lips, but Jareth forestalled her again, "As is Toby. They are grown, Sarah. We cannot stop Jacen from going where he chooses, when he chooses. Remember, my love… you were younger than he is now when you moved to a different town, alone, to attend University."

Jareth couldn't stop her this time. "I had the Ughlánas," she said sharply.

"And Jacen will have Toby and Anduin. Best we simply wish him well on his journey."

She took a few more breaths, clearly warring with herself about this latest development. Faced with Jareth's smooth expression and Jacen's defiant one, she finally nodded in defeat.

At least for the moment, anyway.

Now I just have to drag Toby and Anduin along with me…

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the REALLY long chapter, but I had to get the readers up to speed on all three boys and where they're at, mentally and situationally, before the story could progress.

Sarah's issues are something I'm going through right now. My daughters recently turned 18 and we are in the transition period, going from having to ask my permission to do something to now simply informing me of their plans. It's rough, and I sympathize. Jareth in this chapter is sort of channeling my husband, who sometimes has to rein in my mama-bear tendencies when it comes to my girls.

Anduin's thoughts on his lack of contribution is more that he doesn't want to step on toes. Jareth, Garthan and Randel were all veterans, with a thousand years of experience. In Anduin's eyes, he's just a noob… and isn't sure his opinion would even be welcome to these larger-than-life legends.

Toby has some genuine concerns about his human tendencies. What he and Sarah did during the Strigoi war will be the subject of another side story, but their human ingenuity played a part in the events (I should mention that they were allied with the Strigoi in this war, not fighting them). He's well aware that the magical races of Earth had to relocate due to the rise of humans, and the fact that he retains much of his human sensibilities makes him a little worried. He loves the Underground, especially the Goblin Kingdom, and doesn't want to 'contaminate' it with his humanity.

I should make clear... Toby presented Aurelet with his token (and began to feel physical attraction toward her) when she was the equivalent of 17 years old and him 19. While technically, Aurelet was underage at this point, the disparity between their ages was one that would likely not even raise an eyebrow down here on Earth.

And… poor Jacen. It can't be easy following in the footsteps of someone like Jareth. I felt a little sad writing his part of this chapter, when he thinks that the Goblins will be disappointed with him as their King someday. He's not trying to compete with his father… he just thinks there is no comparison and he will be a poor substitute in everyone's eyes. Hopefully, I made it clear that Jareth certainly doesn't think he's going to be a disappointment and was caught a little flat-footed upon learning of Jacen's feelings of inadequacy.