Labyrinth 1. The Beginning

Preface:: The Beginning:

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Being your slave, what should I do but tend  
Upon the hours and times of your desire?  
I have no precious time at all to spend,  
Nor services to do, till you require.  
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour  
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,  
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour  
When you have bid your servant once adieu;  
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought  
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,  
But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought,  
Save where you are how happy you make those.  
So true a fool is love that in your will,  
Though you do anything, he thinks no ill. ShakespeareSonnet 57 

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In each life there is a story, in each story there is a beginning and an end. With each end comes a new beginning. All which start must end full circle. Thus says the ancient wisdom.

I am here to share, or rather recount the events which changed my world forever.

Who am I you may ask, I am the nameless. I am the storyteller and tale weaver, the chronicler of the Underground. I am the faceless voice behind the rushed scribbles which serve as the only written account of this tale.

You may wonder how I have come upon such detailed information regarding this, how could I a nameless narrator know such intimate details of those involved? While I will never tell just how I shall tell you one thing, I was there. I was there at the start and at the end and for every part in between. I witnessed the hate and the passion, the love and the betrayal. I know the characters inside and out, know the plotline by heart.

So now where shall we start? The beginning, perhaps? Alright, but we must go farther back than just the beginning. We must go to the beginning of the beginning.

Within the Underground there has always been kingdoms, these kingdoms were ruled by mighty and note worthy kings and queens. Each and every one coming from a long and noble bloodline. If there were no heirs to take a throne a kingdom was handed off to the closest relative, some times being absorbed by a neighboring kingdom. This was how it was always done, this was the true way.

It was the way of every kingdom including Ailill, the horse kingdom of the North. Ailill was one of the triad kingdoms, the three oldest kingdoms that held the most ancient power. The rulers of these kingdoms the keepers of this power, both in control of it and bound by it. Their blood lines strengthened and their Queens producing many heirs. This is the way it has always been. At least until the fateful day which has forever been dubbed the day of mourning.

King Cionaodh found his wife, Medb, lying with his brother. Now King Cionaodh was a good king, an honorable king filled with morals who had ruled Ailill for seven hundred years. He held such a great love for his wife, such a passion that to see her in the arms of his brother was more than he could handle.

Upon seeing them embraced in a tangle of lovemaking, he drew his sword and plunged the silver blade through his brother's heart. Hearing the screams of his wife did little but enrage him further and the blade soon was driven through the womb of Medb. Had his only crime been the death of these traitors, then little would have been done. But upon slicing the womb of his wife he unknowingly murdered his unborn child. For this the council cursed Cionaodh, he would no longer live as an immortal. His days would be numbered leaving him only the length of a normal mortal. His throne would not be entrusted to those of his blood for he would have no children.

And so it was, upon the death of Cionaodh just ten years after the murder of his child, the kingdom of Ailill fell to ruin. Its subjects left to fend for themselves as no one wished to claim the throne in fear of a curse upon them.

Seeing this, the ancient council sought the wisdom of Ealisaid, the keeper of the Eastern Gates. In times of great need her wisdom was required. It was the way it was always done, just as it is done today.

Ealisaid warned that the throne of Ailill would continue to decay, that no one of the Underground would ever sit as sole ruler of the kingdom. In fear of the ancient power being lost they pleaded with Ealisaid for a turn of fate. She advised that what fate would hand them would not be to their liking. But still they pleaded with her.

And so it was that just twelve years after the death of King Cionaodh the Despised, Ealisaid spoke of her prophecy.

The throne of Ailill would remain vacant until she, the Maiden, from Aboveground would descend to claim it. This Mortal Maiden would be little more than a child, still young by mortal years. And upon her ascension to the throne she would be given the name Epona, the true name of the Queen of Ailill.

Epona would be a balancing weight within the Underground. She would restore what had been lost, or destroy it forever.

The Kingdom of the Labyrinth had once been a pure and beautiful place, but such purity couldn't last with a tyrant king on her throne. Unlike the punishment that befell Ailill, the Labyrinth befell living ruin, her kings forever to rule in devastation.

So Ealisaid made a way for this kingdom as well. Epona would unite two of the ancient triad kingdoms, Ailill and the Labyrinth and would restore both kingdoms to their former glory.

For making the way Ealisaid declared that a King of the Labyrinth would bring Epona to Ailill. He would be forced to answer every call of the young mortal women, and must test them through the Labyrinth. She stated that only those who defeated the King's Labyrinth would be considered as Epona. But many would defeat the King, mostly as the time grew nearer for her coming. And so Ealisaid gave the council a gift, the true knowledge of the prophecy, Epona's true test. Only they would be able to recognize who she really was.

And so it came about, the prophecy was spoken and all who came after awaited or even feared it. Most of all Jareth, King of the Goblins, Ruler of the Labyrinth.

For hundreds of years he was forced to attend to the needs of countless mortal women by taking children. But he was a foolish king, he was selfish and arrogant. And he had little need to study on any matter that did not please him. And thus it was not until his five hundredth year that King Jareth learned of the prophecy and his part in it.

Angry at the fact he was only a pawn in their little game and fearful that he would loose his kingdom to Epona he rebelled against Ealisaid and the council. He refused to simply let the girls run the labyrinth. He tested each himself, trying as he might to detour them from beating him, going even as far as testing those who won, twisting the game so he would be allowed to send the child back.

But even so, Jareth knew not fully of the prophecy. He did not understand the truth in it. For no one, not even Ealisaid could stop the true Epona from coming. For just as the labyrinth, nothing was as it seems. The truth of the test and the fate of the kingdoms could not be changed.

And so it came to be, twenty years after the mortal Sarah beat the labyrinth and unknowingly passed the chance to become Epona, there came a young woman. A mortal maiden who would change the course of history forever.

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Authors' Note: Ok so we got this out earlier then we expected. Anyway, first off thanx to Nerds for finding the sonnet for us.

Now I know Jareth and not even the OC was in this one, but they will be in the next chapter. Yes we will be starting each chapter with a poem, sometimes they will be known poets other times they will be ours.

And not the whole story will be written like this, this was just basicly our preface.

Ok for disclaimer go to author page, but no we don't own Jareth, the Labyrinth or anything from the movie, we only own the OCs and everything not in the movie. We also don't own the sonnet, thanx to the wonderful Shakespeare for that one!

Please review we would love you forever!


	2. Fate Impending

Fate Impending:

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What a long night is this!---I will not  
change my horse with any that treads but on  
four pasterns. _Ça, ha!_ he bounds from the  
earth as if his entrails were hairs; _le cheval  
volant_, the Pegasus, _qui a les narines de feu_!  
When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he  
trots the air; the earth sings when he touches  
it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical  
than the pipe of Hermes.  
**_Henry V_ (3.6.9)**

**--------------------**

Nothing could stop them now. It was a partnership, a conversation if you will, between beast and rider. As the two pulled ahead of the pack, they were eagle and feather. One useless and incomplete without the other. The pulled, loose mane of the mount whipped back in the wake of his charge for the wire, teasing the nose of his jockey, crouched low on his neck to urge him on.

They were three lengths ahead. Four lengths. Five lengths now! And still gaining ground, while the rest faded back, doomed to hit the finish line behind them. Far, far behind them.

The homestretch flashed by like it was only a length, and then they were flying past the finish. They had won!

Standing in the stirrups, the rider pumped a fist in the air in triumph, then patted the mount's lathered wither proudly. As the destrier eased down into a canter, then a boisterous jog, he tossed his refined head, despite his jockey's taken contact on the rein. He knew what that rewarded pet meant, the screams of the crowd in the grandstand, and the sight of an empty track before them. He fought the iron bit, chomping on the wet metal until his rider gave him a small amount of slack to move in. With a strike out at the soft track dirt in apparent jubilance, the colt snorted, turned back to the out rail and parading past the grandstand once more to cheers.

"Good, Marathon! G'boy!" the jockey praised in a high tone. As soon as the reins were held by a groom, the little rider dismounted gracefully, pulling off the riding cap and goggles to reveal a tightly twisted French plait of ebony-hued hair, rose tainted cheeks, and long lashes fanning over sapphire eyes.

She beamed at the groom who had collected her mount, and the young boy grinned back.

"Well done, Case! You smoked 'em!" he said, rubbing his girlfriend on the back. Casey laughed and reached over to ruffle his already tousled red hair.

"We did, didn't we? Hang on, I've got to go weigh in." Quick as a flash, the young jockey undid the girth of the little saddle and carried it over to the scales, returning a few seconds later with a euphoric grin still plastered over her face.

"One more race today, and then you, sir, owe me a congratulatory kiss," Casey said to the red-haired groom, Ian. Ian shook his head, smiling mischievously.

"Well, let's wait until you actually have time for me, hm?" he said, assisting her in re-girthing the three year old and then giving her a leg-up.

"Now for the photo!"

Horse and rider were led inside the winner's circle, sending photographer's shutters a-clicking. Casey smiled from her perch high on the colt's back, very aware of Ian's hand slipping up the inside of her calf, out of the view of the cameras and reporters. It only made her that much happier to know what awaited her when the day was over. She and Ian would retire to their apartment above the stables of Trilogy Racing Facilities and would more than likely spend the night curled up together on the couch watching a movie.

Her real destiny on that particular day was both a great fortune, and a terrible disaster...

Before she knew it, Casey was mounted on a young grey filly in her fourth and final race of the day. As she came out of the paddock and onto the track to meet the pony that would lead her to the gate, she felt the hairs on the back of her next standing up as if somebody was watching her. Taking the reins in both hands, she scratched the back of her neck with the hand that held her crop.

_Of course someone is watching you, Casey_, she told herself firmly. _You are infront of a crowd of thousands... You always have been, calm down._

Something didn't feel right, and now the inexperienced filly below her was picking up on the nervous mood. She skidded sideways on her tiptoes, jostling the lead pony and pinning Casey's leg against the other rider's stirrup. Casey's breath caught in her throat and she winced. The grey was already lathers in sweat, flanks dripping. Casey tried desperately to calm her mount, but to no avail. Suddenly, the maiden burst forward into a jittery lope, breaking from the hold on the lead and surpassing the number 2 and 1 horses easily. Caught by surprise, Casey was jerked forward, and as the horse stumbled in the loose footing, she landed on the horse's neck, but caught and pushed herself back into the saddle, fixing her stirrups quickly.

At long last, they made it to the gate, and to Casey's shock, the filly went in on the first attempt of the men to load her. Out of the corner of her eye, Casey could see the lead pony being ridden way, his rider looking very pleased to be rid of the troublesome filly.

Casey took long deep breaths, wishing very much she could calm her own flaky nerves. Why was she being like this? It was a maiden race, and she had never been nervous before, not even for a stakes. She closed her eyes for a second, counting the number of horses being loaded by the sounds of bands and clanks. Finally, she heard the last horse load and her eyes snapped open, a new burst of energy speeding through her, renewing her. She had only a second to check her mount before there was the loud sound of a bell, the doors of the gate snapped open, and the horses charged forward.

The grey filly ran smoothly just behind the lead for the first furlong. Behind them, the pack fought for position, but she was free and out. Only to hold this filly back until the last furlong and then set her free to take the leader out. It was easy, too easy.

There was an odd noise behind her. The click of a jockey's tongue to their horse and then the shoulder of a rival mount collided forcefully with the filly's rump. It was more than a bump, it was an impacted that could have made the strongest draft stallion stumble. Casey's little filly was pushed forward and she tripped over her own legs. For the fleet of an instance, Casey's mind grappled for a little hope that the filly could catch herself again and stride on. Then she could pull the horse up, dismount, and walk away. But the hope was gone and the grey came down hard on her front legs and chest. Momentum kept her going and she was flipped over onto her neck and her body followed, crushing her rider beneath her in the thick track dirt.

There was a loud snap.

Casey gasped, suddenly empty of breath and then everything went black.

It was over... her life had ended almost as quickly as it had begun. She supposed she had to look on the bright side. Now, she would not stress over her little sister in the orphanage. Her thoughts would no longer linger on the deaths of her parents and her brother. But then, she countered sadly... She would never be able to ride again... She was dead.

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Jareth stood at the edge of the Labyrinth, his wild hair fluttering about like gossamer in the gentle wind. He clamped his hands tightly behind his back and looked over his kingdom. He would often come here just to take in the sight. It was true that the Labyrinth was not the most stunning kingdom, but it was his kingdom. And no matter how he acted or presented himself he loved being king and would do whatever it took to keep his throne.  
While not the most prosperous kingdom it was important. The Labyrinth was one of the triad kingdoms, the first three original realms of the Underground. From these three came all races and kingdoms, and more importantly held the ancient power on which the Underground had been built.  
He sighed as he gazed at the winding and the ever changing passageways of the Labyrinth. He loved his kingdom, but how he hated the Labyrinth. It was a prison he was bound to.  
For generations the Kings of the Labyrinth used its walls as only a means to protect their kingdom, a creation much more useful then a damned moat or some revolting beast that couldn't tell the difference between friend and foe. Its shifting walls could keep enemies out or bring those who the King wished right to the castle. But only a generation ago the power of the Labyrinth had turned against the King. Jareth was too young to fully remember, the only memory he could ever recall was the Council's summons for his father. Since that day the Goblin King had no choice but to answer the call of mortal girls.  
He shifted his weight from foot to foot. This arrangement seemed to be little more then a simple task set by the Council, apparently a means to keep the ideas and belief of his world alive within the mortal world.  
He spun around and rammed his fist into the barren tree behind him. He and his father had been so foolish, blindly following the Council.  
The wind picked up as Jareth rested his forehead against the tree. It had been getting to close lately. Since he had found out about the prophecy he had been able to detour the girls. That was until Her, Sarah. It had been twenty years almost to the day that she had beat the Labyrinth. She was the first, but not the last. Since that day each mortal girl came to be stronger and stronger, each and everyone solving the Labyrinth as though it were nothing more then a child's toy.  
At first he had been able to scare them off, just as he had with Sarah. But then they became relentless, too many of them accepting his offer. Had he been a ruthless King he would have slaughtered these mortals, but though it may be hidden he did have a heart and instead took them before the Council. But each time she was denied, the Council stating she was either too young or too old, and with more then Jareth could ever have imagined there to be, not a maiden.  
These rulings had pleased Jareth no matter the reason for their denial, unfortunately though it did leave him with a handful or mortal women who the Council made him keep his vow to make their dreams come true. As many of them soon tired of their fantasies, he was left with trying to find places for them all. Most of them worked in the castle as maids and the others soon became prized by the other kingdoms and left to serve other kings.  
He cursed under his breath not noting the dropping of the temperature around him. He didn't care that the others failed to become Epona, what he cared about was it was getting too close. With each new mortal he could feel her coming and he feared what would happen when she came.  
A cold breeze brushed past his form causing him to shiver. He looked around him, this was strange for this time of year. Taking a step forward he began to feel the spreading of a pain in his sides. A whisper filled the air around him and coaxed his powers to reach out. The feeling was the same as when a mortal called for him, though with the strength of every mortal he had ever met thrust into one.  
He collapsed to the ground as the pain swept further through his body; tears were forced from his eyes as he power reached out to whoever was calling him. The whisper around him increased and filled him; he gazed hazily out before him. Something was wrong; this was far different from every time before. The whisper of she who called held great power, the power sending a strange feeling of tenderness through to his heart. He tried to block it out, how could this being inflict pain and such warm feelings at the same time?  
No longer able to see or hear, his power being forced to reach out to she who called, he lay helpless on the ground. Lifting an arm above him he summoned the smallest amount of power from deep within him and transported himself to his chambers in the castle. There he collapsed atop his bed, the world fading black as a rush of servants hurried themselves into his room at the sound of him falling.  
Whatever it had been, whoever, they had such strength to call his entire power and will to them. Such power was dangerous, and would have the means to inflict whatever damage they saw fit. Sadly Jareth didn't realize just what damage she would cause.

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A bright pair of sapphire eyes snapped open. The young woman to whom they belonged stared blankly up into the azure sky and licked her parched lips slowly. She was thirsty, very thirsty, and it was nighttime. Where was she? Still on the track, she thought wildly. Why hadn't anyone come to get her? Had they not seen her fall? There would have been at least 5 other races taking place today... How could she not have been trampled, killed? Killed. The word echoed through her mind. She had been killed... Her back had broken when the filly fell on her. The filly!  
Casey sat up quickly, starting to feel panicked. She had to make sure that horse was alright, never mind herself. Then her surroundings came into focus. The terra beneath her felt hard and stony, not like the moist, loose dirt of the track. She frowned and looked around. She had been in pain, great pain, and now, as she sat here, holding herself up, she felt nothing. She felt... what was the word? Serene, in fact.  
Cautiously, Casey stood. Nothing here was familiar. No track, no rail or furlong markers. Instead, she found herself in almost desert-like terrain, interrupted by a huge wall looming overhead that looked rather like it might have been volcanic rock.  
Still, being in the strange, unknown place, she did not feel worried at all. She felt calm, and peaceful, like she would if she were cuddled up on the couch, watching a movie with Ian.  
"Oh, Ian," Casey whispered hoarsely, her throat dry. He must be worried sick about her... but how could she have gotten here? She didn't remember waking up before and being moved, and it was an odd place indeed for someone to leave her, and with her back broken. That was that other thing. Her back had been broken, she was sure of it. She felt it when she had been crushed beneath that filly. She had felt it snap, and then felt the impenetrable numbness throughout her.  
Absently, Casey rested a hand on the huge stone wall, thinking. Then she jumped away as a warm energy filled her at the touch of the wall. She stared at the wall and then down at her hand. It was still tingling, as though the wall conducted some sort of static electricity. However, it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. The leaned her forehead against the stone and smiled. It was cool and warm all at once, refreshing her. Suddenly, she was no longer thirsty either. Feeling content, Casey looked up. Her eyes scanned over what she could see of this strange land. In the distance, on a bit of a rising slope, covered in twisting, turning walls, she could see a large castle.  
That was where she needed to be, she knew. Though she did not know why, that was her destination.

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Authors' Note: Ok first chapter! We got this out way quicker then expected.

And for those who do not know the reason why we chose Epona and why Casey is a jockey. Epona was the ancient Celtic goddess of horses, but no our Epona won't be a goddess.

Anyway we hope to get the next chapter out soon, and reviewing would be wonderful.

Disclaimers: We do not own anything from the movie, please see author page for full disclaimer.

Poem thanks to Shakespeare.

The title of this story comes from the song Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses by U2


	3. Of Politics and Riddles

Of Poilitics and Riddles:

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In visions of the dark night  
I have dreamed of joy departed-  
But a waking dream of life and light  
Hath left me broken-hearted. 

Ah! what is not a dream by day  
To him whose eyes are cast   
On things around him with a ray  
Turned back upon the past? From A Dream By Edgar Allen Poe

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"Don't even keep the gate locked," Casey muttered. She had just pulled open the think metal door to the thick wall, and was looking back at it suspiciously.

"Don't they have to worry about people sneaking in?" She pondered this for a while and then turned to stare at the black wall on the on the other side of the passage she stood in. She blinked, then looked to the right, and then to the left. There was nothing here, but wall, and rubbish littering the pathway. How was she supposed to get in? 

After a few minutes of walking in one direction, Casey stopped, and looked back. She felt the strange prickling on the back of her neck again. The feeling of being watched. The same feeling she had had during the post parade on the grey filly. All at once, her uneasiness morphed into concern. How badly hurt had that filly been? Surely she would have had to be put down. There was no chance a little horse like that could have survived a crash that large... 

Casey blinked back tears helplessly, trying not to think of what might have happened to the filly. It was all her fault, really. She had taken the easy win for granted and hadn't been paying attention. She was the only one to blame for the loss of that beautiful young horse. When she got home, she would need to send a very long letter of apology to the owner... Hopefully they would not file a lawsuit against her for their loss. 

Quite suddenly, she collapse to her knees on the stone ground, holding her head and gasping as white hot pain surged through he skull. Almost as soon as it had started, the agony stopped. She looked up, her breathing slightly haggard and what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. 

A large marble archway had appeared in the wall before her, leading into the labyrinth, and standing there in the shadow of the arc stood a magnificent glistening mare. Casey stared, and as she watched, the creature stepped forward slightly and bowed its head. Next its body lowered and it dropped to its knees in a bow. Casey blinked. What was going on? 

Climbing to her feet quickly, Casey stepped towards the filly, holding out her hand. The hose stood and nosed Casey's hand almost affectionately. She nickered and shook out her thin pulled main. Casey smiling weakly. This was her... The filly that had fallen. She was here and completely unharmed. 

"Hey there, girl," Casey whispered, stroking the refined face. "How are you?" In answer, it seemed, the grey bobbed her head. Casey's smiled widened. "That's good... I've been worried about you." But before she could say anything else, the filly turned and trotted away, vanishing around a bend in the maze. For some reason, Casey didn't feel she needed to follow.

- - - - - - - - - -

Jareth wiped the sweat from his brow, he groaned as he turned over. His eyes shot open, and took in his surroundings. Why was he in bed? He was summoned he should be Aboveground getting the mortal girl to come back with him and run the Labyrinth. But he was in bed in his chambers, still within the Underground.

He searched his mind, he had been summoned. But it was different, stronger…… He tried to stand up out of bed but collapsed back into the sheets.

"Oh, Your Majesty! Please do not get up!" The sound of a gentle voice rang softly in his ears. Celeste, one of his mortal maids set beside him on the bed. She was one of the few girls who he actually liked. In fact she had been one of only a handful in the past twenty years he had taken as a lover.

She reached out and smoothed his hair back from his eyes.

"Celeste what happened? I believed I was summoned." He looked up into her stone gray eyes and ran a hand along her side making her shiver. She cleared her throat and taking the King's subtle hint moved closer.

"And so the healer said. All signs show this is true, but what is puzzling my Lord is that the summoning almost killed you." Jareth pulled the girl down beside him and pulled her in as she rested her head on his chest. He could hear the worry in her voice, he shrugged it off. He cared for his lovers in a friendly manner, but he never loved them. He would pretend to dote on them, giving them gifts of jewels. Giving them wonderful chambers within his castle, fancy dresses and maids of their own. Many of them attended grand balls as his guest, but never as his Lady.

He sometimes felt sorry for them, they must have felt like only the King's playthings. Only there to scratch an inch for him. But each girl had a choice, he told them from the beginning what they would be to him. 'Friends with benefits' is what Celeste had called them.

"How close to death was I actually?" Celeste softly trailed kisses along his chest before sitting part way up to gaze at her king.

"To close, the healer had to use all of her power to save you. She is drained now, she said before she left that it was strange." Jareth ran his fingers through her hair and furrowed his brows.

"What was strange?" She leaned into his caress and closed her eyes.

"She said she could feel the pull of the one who summoned you; she said it took much of her power as well. She said something wasn't right with the girl who called. She said the life force was almost nonexistent, as though the girl had been dying. Whoever it was used up your power as well as the healers." Jareth sat up and pulled from Celeste as he again tried to stand. This time he was successful and he began to make his way to the window.

"If she used both of our power, then…….. She must be healed now, whatever was wrong the healer's powers would have cured her. Yet if she had been dying how had she………" His voice trailed off as he looked out the window and at the great Labyrinth. He watched as the walls began change. Anger welled up inside of him. The Labyrinth was not closing off the way but making a clear path right to the castle, to him.

He ran his fist into the wall making Celeste jump slightly. She had seen his anger and though he had never taken it out on her or any of his lovers it still frightened her.

"My Lord what is the matter?" She stood from the bed and walked to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he continued to look out at the Labyrinth. He didn't turn around, only pulled one of her delicate hands to his lips pressing tightly.

"Celeste I need you to send word to Lord Diarmuid that I have need of an audience with him. And that the matter is urgent." Celeste looked up at her King. Jareth tried his hardest to refrain from contact with the council, and now he wanted to talk with one of its members?

She nodded and before leaving let her emotions take over and turned Jareth around in her arms. She pressed her lips firmly to his and roughly kissed him, her worry prevalent in every move. She pulled away and gazed up at him. He smiled and laughed lightly.

"Celeste I'm ok now, I didn't die. You just go off and contact Lord Diarmuid and I promise you I will make up for worrying you tonight." He let a seductive smirk cross his features before she let go and quickly left do ask she was ordered.

Jareth turned back to the window, a frown now firmly in place. He had never seen the Labyrinth make such a clear and easy path, it would help the girl in small ways. But never anything so blatantly obvious.

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Silently a cloaked figure slipped along the walls of the Labyrinth, he fingered the stone as he moved. The girl who he followed had yet to see him and he hoped to keep it that way. He watched as she fell before him, he smiled. Maybe she was not who they believed her to be. But as an archway appeared before her and the fallen horse passed through his blood boiled. His hopes had been smashed, their worst fear was here. She had come, after hundreds upon hundreds of years she was finally here.

Epona had descended into the Underground.

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Two hours. Casey had been walking for nearly two hours now. Occasionally, exhaustion or thirst overtook her, but she learned that all she needed to do in these instances was touch the wall of the colossal labyrinth and it was as though she were waking from a well-resting nap. It was as though the maze itself was alive and helping her... Helping her do what? 

She was wandering through a strange, though wonderful, place, with no idea what she was going towards. That was another thing, and even stranger still. In the distance, over the gentle rises and falls of the ground on which the labyrinth was built, Casey could see the insanely intricate, meandering corridors of the kingdom. Yes she never took a single turn. Her chosen path stretched ahead of her for as far as she could see, much like the first path in the labyrinth. The castle in the center remained resolutely before her, guiding her on. 

There was a soft crunching noise behind her, followed by a louder rustling of leaves. Casey spun around on her heel and saw, to her amazement, that the hedge-like wall had moved to completely block the way back. The started to panic a little. 

Was this the goal of the inhabitants of the land? To lure her in and trap her?  
Casey looked frantically towards the castle beyond, then to the dead end behind her. What was she going to do? She was trapped.

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On the other side of the thick organic wall, a hidden figure cursed violently. With surprising force, he kicked out at the hedge, swearing still louder.  
Damn Jareth and his labyrinth! he thought. Damn the magic of the place! And damn the prophet and her sight!

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Jareth paced through around his office, now dressed completely in black. The only bit of color being the gold and silver pendant resting gently against his exposed chest.

"My Lord you shouldn't be walking around, you were practically dead two hours ago." Celeste lounged on a large velvet chaise that rested just to the right of Jareth's desk. The skirt of her long pink silk dress spilled over the edge making it appear that she was draped in a blanket. Jareth glanced over at her and took a few steps her way. He stopped and continued to pace only an arms length from her.

"I can't, it has been years since I have talked to any member of the council. Lord Diarmuid, I haven't even spoken to him since I made my thoughts on a certain matter known. And we have always been friends." He clamped his hands behind his back and squeezed them together.

"Friends? In what sense of the word Jareth? You didn't even show up for the birth of my child." Jareth stopped in his tracks and turned to see who had spoken. There leaning casually against the door frame was Lord Diarmuid. His long russet hair toppled over his low opened slate shirt. He smoothed out the front of his black tunic, taking particular care to pay as much attention to the small emblem over the right breast. The symbol of the Council of Kingdoms, the sign that allowed him much more freedom then it should. Council members were known to take advantage of their status, almost to the point of breaking the law.

"No but I was there for the conception." Jareth laughed as Lord Diarmuid rolled his eyes.

"Jareth it's been two hundred years and you still haven't changed. It is good to see a constant besides trickery and lies." Diarmuid clasped Jareth's arm at the elbow, the two sharing a friendlier handshake. Jareth patted Diarmuid on the back and furrowed his brows as he stepped back.

"I take it my Brother, that things are not proceeding well within the Council." Diamuid shook his head, his hair falling even more onto the front of his shirt.

"Nay, Jareth you can't imagine the turmoil within the Council's own ranks. Political matters set aside there is enough personal treachery to last two millennia. I am sure you have heard of the Sisterhood that has formed within the lower kingdoms." Jareth nodded and ran a glove encased had over his chin. The Sisterhood was a faction of noble women within the lower kingdoms. It was rumored their efforts were to seize the position of the Council. They claimed to have the support of the Four Gate Keepers, though Jareth doubted that. The Gate Keepers normally made no alliance with any party. They preferred to remain neutral in situations of politics. Though there were those who made exceptions. Ealisaid's prophecy being one such time.

"That I have. I hear they have already rallied the support of the Kings of the Western Kingdoms, all but King Adhamh." Diarmuid clasped his hands behind his back and took in a deep breath.

"Adhamh is loyal to the Council. Not to mention that he is too scared to make any move against us, Lord Deiniol has had his sights on Bronwyn for centuries. He would love to have a reason to send his army in and capture the kingdom for himself." Jareth shook his head in disapproval; it was always one thing after another with the Council members. He didn't understand those like Deiniol. Even if he did seize Bronwyn he couldn't legally rule as king, he would become Lord Regent and his heirs would never be more then minor Lords and Ladies within Underground nobility. Only those of the ancient bloodlines were allowed to rule with the title of King. And that was what was so puzzling about this business with Epona. Jareth's thoughts were interrupted as Diarmuid went on.

"But the Sisterhood is determined to have a Matriarchal Underground!" Jareth laughed and looked at Diarmuid. His brother never was one for female rulers; his great dislike had caused many a rumor that he did not favor the sex at all. It was shocking rumor for their parents to hear to say the least.

"Yes I suppose they are, but it is strange as this is not the old days. Women are just as equal to men in the Council today. If not more powerful as they tend to achieve allies much better then men. Not to mention I do believe they are much smarter then most the men on the Council." Diarmuid huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes well, I digress. I am sure that you did not send for me after all these years just to discuss political babble." Jareth's expression which had turned lighthearted at the political small talk suddenly turned hard and dark.

"No, though I do wish it was." He ran his hand through his unruly hair quickly turning very pale. He leaned back on his desk his eyes becoming distant.

"Jareth?" Diarmuid reached out for his brother, but before he could even touch his arm Celeste who had been quiet up till now rushed over and grasped Jareth and pulled him to the chaise. He sat down and patted her arm softly.

"Thank you Celeste, I guess I am still a bit worse for wear." Diarmuid glared down at the girl who still had her arms wrapped around the King.

"A Pet I take it?" He flicked his wrist at Celeste and threw her an callous glare.

"No, Diarmuid I swear the rumors to be true! You are so blind to benefits of the opposite sex, that political mind of your's has clouded your sight." Jareth pulled from Celeste's arms and kissed each hand before setting them back in her lap.

"My sight hasn't been clouded Dear Brother, I have an appreciation for their sex. I just don't swim in it, mostly with a mortal." Jareth stood looking much better and made his way to his desk.

"You digress again Diarmuid." His brother shot on last glare at Celeste before returning to Jareth's side.

"Then what is it that has brought me here?" Jareth produced a crystal and threw it at the wall behind him. A window appeared revealing the Labyrinth before them. Diarmuid gazed at it before shaking his head.

"Ok, and what does this have to do with anything? I mean it is a little dirtier then when we last spoke, but I am sure that this is not the urgent matter you needed me for." Jareth sighed and pointed out to the clear path that had been made within the Labyrinth.

"No, that is the reason. I have not willed it to do that. I believe she has finally come." Diarmuid heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. He then turned to Celeste and pointed to the door.

"Leave us mortal." Jareth lowered his brother's arm and stood in front of him.

"She stays; Celeste and all my lovers know why they were brought here." Diarmuid rolled his eyes, his brother was a fool. How proud their parents would have been. He thought it was a good thing they had both died long ago, what a disgrace their children became.

"So you tell your pets everything. Not a wise move, mortals can't be trusted." Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose. This was getting tiring.

"And like our kind can? What do you expect them to do? It is not like they could ruin things, keep Epona from me. I have tried my best to do that myself and look now, she has come and there is not a thing I can do to stop her. I am going to loose my kingdom. The Labyrinth isn't even giving her a challenge; it is leading her right to me!" His voice rose as he spoke, the fear apparent in his tone. Diamuid slumped in Jareth's chair, sprawling his legs just like his brother.

"Ah I see, so that is why you have called me. You want me to what? Kill her?" Jareth's brows furrowed as he shook his head.

"No, of course not! I am far from a monster, no matter what some people think. I only want your counsel on ways to avoid this. There has to be some way, a loophole that would allow me to be rid of her without harming her." Diarmuid laughed as he stood. His brother was naive, to think there would be a loophole to a prophecy.

"I'm sorry Jareth but there are only two ways out of this, Kill her or………" Diarmuid cracked his knuckles before leaning over the table.

"Or you must make her hate you, make her wish herself back Aboveground. But that will only prolong things, Epona will return again." With that he walked to the door and bowed to Jareth and Celeste.

"Now if you will excuse me I will allow you to think this over. I shall be in my normal chambers. I expect they have yet to be changed. Good day Jareth, Good day his pet. Please do try not to piddle on the floor. The carpets are expensive." Jareth frowned as he left. He didn't relish the idea of killing the girl. Sure he didn't want to lose him kingdom, but to kill in cold blood? He shook, he would just have to get her to hate him, make her send herself back Aboveground. And he would just have to do that every time she came.

Celeste wrapped her arms around him and played with his pendant. He looked down at her a smiled a sorrowful smile.

"Yes?" She brushed a finger over his abs and smirked.

"You My Lord are going to really have to make things up to me tonight for having to endure that man and his statements. So I suggested you get some sleep while it is still day, because you are not about to sleep tonight." Jareth laughed slightly, he knew there was a reason he cared for her company more then his other lovers.

--------------------

A crystal glowed against dark stones, images floated within the cold orb and cruel eyes peered in deep. A voice emanated from the sphere, deep and heavy with the most foul accent.

"So? Is it what we feared?" The owner of the crystal ran a finger over it and with a heavy sigh nodded.

"Epona is finally here. The Labyrinth is helping her, by this rate she will be within the castle by dusk." A groan could be heard from within the crystal.

"Well we can only hope that King Jareth continues his little play and that she falls for it. If she returns back Aboveground it may be another six hundred years before she comes again. Or even another mortal generation. Whichever will at least grant us time. We must postpone her coming until Ailill is either completely in ruin or Jareth is dead." The hand which held the crystal shook slightly as the man looked around.

"There is another way. One that won't allow the mortal and King Jareth to even meet until it is too late." A pleased smile graced the face inside the cold orb.

"And what would that be?" The man laughed and he ran fingers through his hair.

"Remember that the prophecy is very strict on what Epona would be. If the mortal were to turn out to not be a maiden then there would be no worry if her and Jareth met. Even if she did pass the true test she no longer could be crowned Epona." Clutching the crystal tighter he laughed in a whisper.

"Ah, this would be most unfortunate indeed for Epona. I expect this to be done with the utmost discretion?" The light within the crystal began to wane to a gentle glow.

"Of course, she is still within the Labyrinth. No one will see, I will take great care in that. Do not worry, our problem will be solved very soon."

- -----------------------------

"Lost, are you, young one?" A gentle, but sharp voice split the air suddenly, causing a chill to shake down Casey's spine. She froze in her tracks; someone was standing very close behind her.

Casey could hear, almost fell, their breathing. Slowly and with her jaw set Casey turned around. What she saw nearly made her faint. Standing there with an air of distinct pride and dignity was a magnificent creature. The head of a woman, perched upon the body of a golden lioness to become one. A huge sphinx, watching Casey steadily as the girl stared. Casey blinked, and then blacked out completely.

----------------------------

It was a strange feeling, blanking out twice in one day. With a little shiver, Casey rolled over on the soft green grass. That was odd. She remembered standing on wet cobbles before fainting. Unconcerned, she huddled close to a warm, furry mass beside her and felt the rhythmic purring of a large cat. Her eyes shot open and she almost screamed. There, lying in a powerful stance was the sphinx, smiling down at her calmly.

"Fear not, my child," the royal-looking beast soothed. "I shall not hurt thee." Nonetheless, Casey was inclined to stand and move away. She did so, watching the animal warily.

"Wh-where am I?" she stammered, looking around. Her path was gone, replaced by a wide, walled in meadow. The sun beat down on them, blocked only by the feeble attempts of the leafless branches of an oak tree. The sphinx rose to her padded feet and watched Casey with apparent interest.

"Still within the great labyrinth, I assure thee," she replied, dipping her regal head in a nod. Casey backed away, convinced she was going to be eaten.

"But I need to get to that castle!" Casey exclaimed, pointing up, once more to the building on the incline. It was not further away again than she had remembered.

"All in good time, dear one... I hath something to show thee. Something I do expect you will enjoy." The sphinx stepped towards her, throwing up her head and beautiful locks of auburn hair. 

"I have a present for thee, if you would like to see..." With one large paw, she turned over a rock between them, Casey leaned forward to see better. There lay a beautiful golden medallion, hung on a thin gold chain and glinting brilliantly in the sun. Casey gasped and reached out for it, but before she could pick up the necklace, the sphinx made a strange sort of noise and swatted her hand away with a paw.

"I am not giving it thee... You have to answer my riddle, first." Casey stared. A riddle? "Do you accept?" the sphinx pressed.

"If you answer wrongly, or not at all, there will be consequences, but if you are correct, you may have this treasure, and I will show you the way to the castle beyond the Goblin City." In her state, the words 'Goblin City' did not even register on Casey's mind. She was entrance by the pendant, and nodded.

"Alright... May I hear your riddle?"

"You must answer in five minutes," the sphinx explained, before reciting.

"_My first is common and offers support,  
Though when it is used, the user looks short,  
Often seen where friends consort,  
But seldom seen or useful in sport._

My second is always near the tail of a fish,  
And both in the midst and end of a dishonest wish.

Put them together and tell me once more,  
What is it you do to those you adore?"

Casey blinked at her. She couldn't be serious... That hardly seemed English! 

"Um, could you repeat it, please?" she asked.

"Slowly?" The sphinx smirked plainly, but acquiesced. As the creature completed the verse once more, the young woman felt panic bubbling up in her abdomen again. She was trapped. She could not answer this.

"S-so," she stammered slowly.

"A... A... Supportive thing... that makes people short? Um..."

"3 minutes left..." the creature said, looking thoroughly pleased that Casey was struggling.

"The tail of a fish," Casey repeated, trying hard to ignore the sphinx's taunting expressions.

"A... fin is at the tail of a fish! Is that it?"

"You forget the other parts of the verse, child... 2 minutes." Casey had started to sweat. She considered just turning and running for her life, hoping she could get away quick enough.

"Could you repeat the last part once more?" The sphinx did so.

"Fin... Fin... Adore? I adore Ian... and my sister... Fin?"

"1 minute," the sphinx said, grinning. She shifted back onto her haunches, preparing to spring. Casey shut her eyes tight, knowing the end was coming.

Again, she thought bitterly. She felt like she had already died once today. 

"Time is up, small one... Supper is due..."

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Authors' Note: Ok so hope ya paid attention hehe lots of information in this chapter. Oh yeah and Jareth has a Harem, a mini harmen but yeah hehe. Well we just thought he has all those beautiful mortal girls around him and he will need companinship after all. Hehe anyway, hope ya liked the chapter.

Disclaimer: Check Author Page for full disclaimer, but no we don't own anything from the movie, only what is not in the movie. And the lovely bit of poem at the beginning we don't own either that belongs to Poe and thanks muchlies for it too.


	4. Fear

**Warning: This chapter contains decriptions of sexual assult. Not overly decriptive, but if you are disturbed by even the slightest mention of rape, or are a minor we ask you please don't read. **

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Fear:

--------------------

A SUDDEN blow: the great wings beating still  
Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed  
By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,  
He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.  
How can those terrified vague fingers push  
The feathered glory from her loosening thighs,  
And how can body, laid in that white rush,  
But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?  
A shudder in the loins engenders there  
The broken wall, the burning roof and tower  
And Agamemnon dead.  
Being so caught up,  
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,  
Did she put on his knowledge with his power  
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop? Leda and the Swan By W.B. Yeats.

--------------------

A tall hooded figure watched safely hidden away within the shadows. The girl had gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble. To speak with the Sphinx was a very stupid thing indeed. He smiled; if he just stayed quiet his job would be taken care of for him. But, he thought to himself, what was the fun in that? Should he be denied the pleasure of this woman?  
"Cherish, the answer is that you cherish those you adore." He stepped out of the shadows, the hood of his cloak still covering his head. Both Casey and the Sphinx looked around in surprise. The cat's tense muscles eased up, she padded gently in a circle and peered at the man. 

"Correct." Her purr-like tone rung out and she nodded her head to the cloaked figure. "Very well done, noble sir." She looked at Casey and licked her human lips. "Thou art lucky, today, child." With a bit of a glare, the cat-woman looked once more to the man who had spoken.

"Cherish?" Casey said, sinking to her knees, weak with relief. "Oh God, I would never have gotten that... Thank you."

"Reveal yourself," the sphinx demanded, squinting intelligently at the dark shadows hiding the man's face.

"No. I know the laws of your riddles. I have no need to reveal who I am. Leave and only then shall disclose my name." The man took a step closer, each footstep a warning to the beast. She may be larger but he had more power is one word then she could hope in her entire body. The Sphinx shrunk back on her hindquarters, scattering the terra beneath her as she frenziedly backed away. She had the lower hand in the situation, she knew it. All the same, she hissed at him indignantly.

"I live here, sir. You cannot force me off my home." The man laughed as he approached closer.

"Think not? I can and have every right! Do not push me beast, I do not take too kindly to it." He lifted his hand revealing a small ball of light forming in his palm. The normally formidable creature suddenly looked rather like a mouse, cowering in a hole from her foe. Her eyes flicked to the ball, as did Casey's, and they both stepped back from the man, though in different directions. The sphinx did not need telling twice however. She spun and bolted away, a sour look on her face as her powerful quarters worked beneath her. The light fluttered up from the man's hand to shower the small enclosure with sparkled dust.

"Now I do believe I have made a promise." He lowered his hood and gazed at Casey. His green eyes were bright beneath his smooth red hair.

"I am Lord Murtagh, it is a pleasure to meet you Lady...?" He made a bow and smirked as he looked her over while his face was concealed behind his hair. Casey watched him carefully, she was frowning.

"I'm... Casey, just Casey... my Lord?" She scratched the side of her nose subconsciously, very aware suddenly of how she was dressed, still in her bright blue and yellow racing silks and jockey boots. In fact, she realized, her riding crop still hung from her wrist as well, more out of habit than anything.  
He looks a bit like Ian, she thought, relaxing a little.  
"Thanks again, for helping me." She smiled weakly. "Cherish... I never would have..." She trailed off quietly.

"Not to worry, My Lady Casey, most new to the Labyrinth would not have figured it out. I only know because I have heard the same damn riddle for the past five hundred years. Stupid beast is getting boring in her old age. King Jareth should have had her put out of her misery long ago." He smiled and nodded to he crop at her hip. It looked very much like what Jareth carried, damn that Gate Keeper. She picked the perfect match for that bastard.

"What strange attire My Lady, what kingdom have you traveled from?" Best play the ignorant with this one.

"Uh, Louisville... Kentucky." Her voice was barely a mutter. "I was at work... This isn't what I normally wear. D-did you say five _hundred_ years?" she asked blankly, staring at him.

"Louisville-Kentucky, hm. I have never heard of the Kingdom. In the deeper southern realms I suppose, there are so many sub-kingdoms there it is hard for the Council to keep track of them all." He smiled and walked a bit closer.

"And don't look so surprised. I'm seven hundred years young, I'm still three hundred years from my millennium mark. And what about you, my dear Lady? You couldn't be past three hundred, a child to me." He laughed inwardly knowing how a mortal would take this. Casey's jaw dropped. The man standing before her was practically an antique to her, and yet he didn't look over 40.

"No... I'm 20... _years_ old." She blinked. How could this be? Lord Murtagh must have seen so many things in his lifetime... The colonization of the Americas, even. And every single war the public school system had ever bothered to teach her about. How was that possible?  
Noticing him step towards her, she took a few steps back, but in her hurry, she tripped over the stone the sphinx had unearthed earlier and stumbled. She caught her balance easily, but also twisted her ankle. She winced.

"Oh dear child, here let me take a look at that." He walked closer and kneeled before her.

"You are no more than a baby, twenty years old. I must say, that's younger than my youngest living descendant. Moira is sixty years old, the baby of the family. And she is persistent in staying that way, she refuses to marry no matter how many times her great-great-grandmother finds her a suitable suitor." He laughed and wiped his hand off on his cloak. Casey shivered slightly, knowing his eyes were on her legs and tried desperately to back away again. 

"But... how do you live for so long? When do you get old?" Murtagh rolled his eyes and reached out for her foot.

"Hold still will you? I can't very well heal your ankle if you are trotting off like some spooked horse." He ran his hands along her leg a surge of energy flowing through him into her.

"Now as for the age issue, we don't get old. At least we don't think we get old. It's the problem with being immortal, or at least mostly immortal. True immortality would mean that you could slice me to bits and spread me all over the Underground and I would still be alive. No I guess you could say we are semi-immortal. It's complicated, to say the least. The oldest known living being of our kind would be the Southern Gate Keeper. She is so old, no one dares to calculate her age for fear of running out of numbers." He set back on his heels and looked over his handy work.

"Wow... That's old. I mean, well... Back home, we start getting old at about 50, usually, I guess..." She shook her head, her leg still tensed slightly from his contact. She tenderly stepped on her foot and exhaled deeply.  
"That's better... What did you do?" Lord Murtagh stood and removed his cloak and handed it to Casey.

"My Lady you must know? Do not your people have use of the ancient power?" He looked at her confused though he was smiling wildly inwardly. He was like a cat on the hunt, playing with his prey. Though when he pounced, his victory and spoils would be much more enjoyable. He would slowly devour his pound of flesh of her.

"Ancient power?" Casey frowned, shifting uncomfortably under his cloak. "No... We don't have any powers. We're just... human, normal humans..." Murtagh raised a brow and set his hands on his hips.

"A mortal? Well by the Gates, we get few mortals here." He laughed slightly unable to completely cover his own lie. He wondered what she would think to know that in the past four years mortal girls came everyday, and before her, Jareth had to deal with two right after the other.

"Well I must say only the Keepers know how you could have gotten here. Well then I guess I should maybe be your guide." He held out his hand and smiled with full knowledge that once he gained her trust he would gain her. He wondered, just how did she taste?

Casey peered down at his hand and hesitated. Could she trust this man? He seemed polite, kind, but she was in a strange place where nothing was like what she knew. At long last, she rested her hand gently over her, shivering at his touch.

"I need to get to there," she said quickly, pointing to the castle. "Do you know the way?" Murtagh smirked as he closed his hand around hers. Such soft skin.

"That I do My Lady. Come now, it will be growing dark soon enough. And the Keepers only know what creatures and evils lurk in the Labyrinth after dark." He bowed and bore his eyes into her as he rose. By the Gates he could hardly wait. Casey smiled despite herself and nodded.

"Thank you." She started to follow him, her own fingers wrapped gently around his, more out of an excuse to feel safe than anything else. "What sort of things live in the maze? I mean... other than that cat." Murtagh set his hand against the wall of the Labyrinth. He could feel it as it tried to burn his skin. He never was welcome here. He used all his power just to open a way back to the path the Labyrinth had made for Casey.

"Oh, horrid things, creatures who have control over rocks, dwarves and furries. These are the nice creatures. I have not searched the depths of this cursed place but I have heard the stories of creatures that eat the flesh of man, teeth as long as my arm. And it is said they like to age their meat first. One man returned from here, said there was a cave deep within where half alive prey hung rotting from the ceiling. Oh but now look listen to me, this is not the subject to discuss with a Lady." He laughed inwardly. He did love watching them squirm. Casey blanched, she felt as if she might vomit. That was truly disgusting. Shaking in sudden fear, she inched closer to Lord Murtagh.

"But... But they wouldn't attack you, w-would they, though? The creatures can't eat you? You're a... a lord?" Murtagh laughed and wrapped his arm around her as he pulled her into him.

"My Lady such creatures care not about titles. To them it doesn't matter that I am a member of the Council or if I was a lowly dung scooper. But don't fret I shall do whatever is in my power to keep you safe." His hand lowered slightly as they walked, her shivering form exciting him before it was time.

"A member of what council?" The question made her sound sincerely interested, which she was, though really she just wanted to get her mind of the horrors of this land. Looking up at him, Casey became very aware of his hand low on her body and, even in her state of confusion and fear, she was relieved to feel the safety of a man's arm around her.

"The Council of Kingdoms. Basically a group of grumpy old men and women who sit around and discuss random and useless matters about the Kingdoms of the Underground. Boring really." He pressed her even closer, his fingers dancing over her side. She seemed so trusting, such a pity really. It was rare to find innocence here. Casey shuddered at his touch, but was much too entranced by the information he was feeding her to move away.

"The Underground? What is the Underground?" Her voice was a little shaky. "If it is boring, why do you stay on it?" He laughed and played with a bit of her hair with his other hand.

"Why, My Lady, you do love questions. But this dear one is the Underground, all that you see from horizon to horizon, all the way to the edge of each of the four gates." He ran a finger down her cheek and slid his other hand up to meet her chest.

"And as for why I stay with the Council, there is the money, the power, title, and the best reasons are these." He laughed deep throated and ran his finger along her chin. Casey stiffened and made to move away, but his arm was holding her tight.

"So you... you get paid? To be on this Council?" She shivered again, suddenly wishing very much to have a few feet of space between them. He was getting much, much too friendly now.

"It's not like a normal job; the money is more along like riches. I do get a share of taxes paid, gifts from Kings and Queens when they have need of something." His hand squeezed firmly onto her breast and he licked his lips. Damn with waiting, who cared if he earned her full trust, the outcome would be the same. He had her in his arms, that was all he needed. Casey's breath caught in her throat and she made a desperate attempt to pull away.

"Sir... Please," she mumbled as she grabbed at his hand and tried to pull it off of her. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that..." A deep laugh escaped his quivering lips.

"I am not asking you to be comfortable, in fact I don't believe I asked you anything." He squeezed his hand around her throat and pushed her up against the wall. Using his knee to press tightly into her belly he pulled out a dagger from his boot and began to cut a straight line from the top of her shirt to where his knee pressed. He looked eagerly at the now exposed skin. He ran the tip of the dagger just across her flesh from her neck to play between her breasts.

Casey's eyes went wide, but as she tried to scream, she choked. Her arms lifted to his shoulders, trying to push him away, and though she was very strong for her size, he was still stronger. She whimpered, feeling the blade of his dagger on her bare chest. She had really gotten in some trouble now. She kicked at him, her booted foot connecting hard with his shin.

"No... please," she choked out, his hand still pressed to her throat.

"Damn!" He shouted as her foot connected with his shin.

"Scream all you want, child, it will not detour me. In fact I prefer it when they scream." He used his dagger to cut the rest of her top off and made a few cuts along the pants. He stuck the dagger back within his boot and pressed his mouth hard down on Casey's as his other hand roamed her body, tearing at the pants causing much of it to fall.

Casey struggled, searching frantically for any inch to escape. She had never even allowed Ian to touch her like this. She had always felt uncomfortable with contact from any other human, and it had taken nearly a year for her to be able to relax fully in Ian's arms. This was much too much. She felt like she might faint as he rid her of her silks and half of the undergarments, leaving her almost completely bare. Her body was quaking in fear and anger, and pain as her rough-handled her.

"Why?" she croaked. "Why are you doing this?" His grin widened as he lifted his hand from her throat just to claim her chest. He pressed himself against her hungrily ridding her of the last of her garments.

"Because Casey, you are a threat to us. Jareth can not have you if I have had you first. Ailill will fall, and you my dear are going to be fun to take." He pressed his lips to her neck, placing open mouthed kisses along her shoulder. His teeth roughly bit down on the base of her neck, almost drawing blood. The girl winced and inched downwards against the wall, away from his teeth. She whimpered once more and her hand went for his throat now, trying to gain some advantage against him. She dug her fingernails into the skin of his neck, scraping away at the skin. She was trying to hurt him... Trying to make him get off.

"I haven't done anything to you... I-I'm innocent..." She could feel tears welling into her eyes now.

"Precisely, but you won't be when I am through with you. Your innocence will no longer be a threat to us. Jareth could love you all he wants, touch you and fill you for centuries to come, but you would never amount to anything more then his mortal whore." He lowered himself slightly, pulling her down with his strong arms.

"I wonder what you taste like. Are you sweet like a peach, or maybe salty?" He grinned and pressed another kiss to her throat as he began to release the bonds of his clothing.

"I... I don't understand..." Casey mumbled, her words almost indeterminable. She could barely see through tears and her own terror. It seemed to be making her blind. She kicked out again, but hit nothing but thin air.  
"Who is Jareth?" she asked, her voice high-pitched and terrified. Strangely, the name calmed her as she said it, though only a little. Her hands shook, her nails now bloodying his face and neck.

"Please... Please don't do this... I can't..." Murtagh laughed again positioned himself atop her. He held on to her arms and pinned them above her head.

"You stupid girl, Ealisaid didn't even give knowledge of the prophecy. I bet you do not even know who you are." He pressed another hard and hungry kiss upon her lips, biting down till a drop of blood formed on her lower lip.

"Jareth, I will enjoy seeing him suffer for this." He moved himself just right, this was his favorite part of his job.

Casey clamped her thighs together hard, gritting her teeth. Something told her that it wasn't just for her own sake that she had to keep him from doing this, but what much more could she do? He was going to win one way or another.

"Stop, please! I'm no one... You can't do this to me!" Murtagh rammed his knee into her midsection, his hands still firmly holding her hands in place.

"You are a feisty one! It's a pity you don't realize just what I am doing. It would be so much more enjoyable to see the look of fear that can only come from full knowledge on your face as I ravage you again and again. Guess I will just have to settle for Jareth's once he realizes the truth of the prophecy." He glared down at her, such a pity. Jareth didn't even know what he was losing."

"Jareth?" Once more, saying the name oddly comforted Casey, despite her fright. She gasped, winded from his knee in her stomach. "Help..." She whispered. "Please, somebody..." She shuddered, her consciousness about to give out again. With the last bit of fight she had, she freed one of her hands and pushed his face away, tipping her head back and shouting into the approaching sunset.

"Jareth!!!!"

------------------------------

Jareth lay back on his pillow, Celeste resting gently against his bare chest. He stroked her hair, his mind was still racing over Epona. Why him? Of all people why did she choose him?

He may not seem like it at times, but he adored his kingdom. He even cared about his worthless goblins. It bothered him to think he could lose his throne in the matter of days, maybe hours.

"Now wasn't it a good idea to take an early night?" Jareth looked up at the wooden canopy of his bed, his fingers absently playing with Celeste's hair.

"Hm?" His mind was still on Epona, even with Celeste's distractions. He wondered how he would loose the Labyrinth. Would it simply be the Council handing it right over to her, maybe he would loose his hold on the ancient power. He shuddered at his next thought. What about war? If the Council sent her straight to Ailill she could build her kingdom and raise a great army. The inhabitants of Ailill were very strong, even the weakest subject held more ancient power then the entire Council put together.

He knew it would take years, hundreds even, for Ailill to strengthen enough for war. But what was a few hundred years to one who would live to be millions of years old?

"My Lord? I said was this not a good idea? Taking an early night?" Celeste gazed up at her King. She knew about whom Epona was, she had tried her hardest to understand. Jareth had told her about the prophecy after he took her for a lover. She had been sorrowful at first, to think she could have been a Queen of a kingdom. But now that she looked back on it she was glad the council refused her. What would she do with all that power? She had no doubt in her mind that she would have finished off Ailill instead of restoring it. Not only that but she adored the life as a concubine, and though she had promised Jareth she wouldn't, she adored him.

She knew he was holding out for a political marriage. It was only logical, to marry the princess of some wealthy King. By doing so the Labyrinth would gain status within the ranks of the Underground. But even with all this she could not help but hope that one day he would see what he had right in front of him. He already chose her company over the others.

"Oh yes My Dear." Celeste sat up and turned his face to look into hers.

"My Lord what is the matter? What are you thinking about?" Jareth sighed and pushed back a few strands of her hair. He felt guilty at times for keeping her with him. She was beautiful and King Oran of Aigneis had interest in her. She could have been a queen instead of a lowly concubine. Mortal women may be a normal thing for him, but for the rest of the Underground they were a rarity. A commodity of sorts. It was their fragileness, Underground men found it to be attractive.

"Just about the Sisterhood, if they succeed in overthrowing the Council who knows what the consequences could be." Celeste clicked her tongue as she shook her head. Her fingers trailed along his chest making lazy circles.

"My Lord you know you can't lie to me. You were thinking about Epona again weren't you? Do you really think that girl in the Labyrinth is her?" Jareth clamped his eyes shut, out of all his lovers Celeste knew him the best. She could always see right through him.

"Yes, Celeste the Labyrinth has never before led a girl right to me before. There is no doubt she has finally come." He sat up and ran his hands through his unruly hair a few times.

"Maybe you should take the advice of Lord Dairmuid, send out the hunters and kill her. If she is threatening your throne, shouldn't you have right to defend it?" Jareth shot up from the bed, the light filtering in from the window resting on his beautiful willowy form.

He pulled a robe around him and began to pace the length of the bed.

"I am no monster! I will not kill in cold blood! She may be a threat, but she won't even know it yet. I know the Gate Keepers, they twist things, creating traps within traps within traps. It is their nature. Ealisaid's prophecy only speaks of her coming, and ruling. Not one of you, not one mortal girl who summoned me knew what they were doing. That girl will be just as ignorant of who she is. She will wander around scared and frightened, the only sure thing to her will be she is trapped in some stone hell. I won't kill her like that. Only when she understands her place, only when it is fair battle will I engage her." Jareth's pace increased, he was mentally beating himself up. He had a soft spot for mortals, but that was no reason for him to find the idea of Epona scared and alone particularly upsetting.

"My Lord I……." Celeste tried to search for words, ideas or anything. But the situation seemed dire. It seemed Jareth's only chance to survive this with his throne was to engage Epona in a war and win. But the prophecy? Celeste curled in the covers of her King's bed, a trap within a trap? She had read the prophecy over and over again once she had learned about it. If the Gate Keepers loved to play games maybe this was just one huge game to them. Maybe it was possible for him to win this coming war.

"I just wish I knew why? By the Gates Ailill is a Triad Kingdom, she holds just as much ancient power. Why would the prophecy state that Epona would unite our two thrones? What is the point?" A thought struck Celeste. She may not be too versed in the ancient powers, but she did understand them enough to know that they were what held the Underground together. She sat up not even bothering to cover herself with the blankets.

"You said that Ailill is a triad kingdom right? And The Labyrinth is one as well?" Jareth nodded as he leaned against the wooden poster of his bed.

"Yes, in the beginning of the Underground there were three Kingdoms, The Labyrinth, Ithel and Ailill." Celeste stood and cross the room, stopping to look out the window.

"From what you have told me and I have read, the ancient powers in which the Underground were built flow through these three kingdoms." Jareth grabbed a blanket from the bed and placed it around her shoulders and leaned against the wall next to her.

"That is correct. The Triad Kingdoms in fact carry an unrefined power, it is much stronger then any other kingdom. It runs deep and even if the kingdom were to be destroyed, its buildings toppled to the ground that power would still be held there. What are you getting at, I already know all this?" She sighed as she rolled her eyes, it was so obvious it hurt.

"Think of it My Lord, if that strong of power runs through only one kingdom what would happen if you merge two of them?" Jareth stood up straight, why hadn't it dawned on him before?

"The resulting power would create the beginnings of an empire. The one who sat on the throne of two Triad Kingdoms would have the power to dismiss the Council and do as they see fit. By the Gates, Ealisaid plans on creating a ruling force so powerful the entire Underground would be subject to it." The idea was startling, he knew that years before the Triad Kingdoms served as the High Kingdoms, but they were separately ruled. If one being held the power of two kingdoms….. And at that the pure power of the Labyrinth, what had been put in place?

Just as Jareth began to finally see what he had known since he learned of the prophecy a strange uneasiness surrounded him. He could feel himself being called. Something was wrong. He rushed to the window looking out, was she calling him?

"My Lord are you well?" Celeste ran her hand up and down Jareth's back, he shook his head and looked back at her.

"Go back to your chambers, lock the doors when you leave and lock yours. Tell the others to do the same." He looked back out to the Labyrinth, the sky seemed darker then it should be.

"My Lord?" Jareth clutched the stone sill of the window and fought the strange fright welling up inside of him.

"Something is wrong, I do not know if it is Epona or not. But it would be safer for you and the other ladies to stay locked in your chambers. Go now, I shall let you know when it is safe." Celeste nodded and turned to go. She didn't leave him with a promising kiss, or a suggestive comment. She had seen him in moods before, but nothing like the raw fear she saw in his eyes just then.

Once he heard his locks click, he collapsed to the floor. He felt as though his heart were being ripped from his body, some great fear was surging through him at an alarming rate. He couldn't control it or quash it down. All he knew was that he needed to protect, but what? What did he need to protect?

He conjured a crystal in his hands and raised himself to the window once more. He released the crystal, before passing out in a heap of sinuous limbs.

--------------------

Murtagh bit at her finger as she pressed his face away from her. Why was she calling out for Jareth? He pressed his lips to Casey's once more, he was relishing her fear. Just as he was about to take what he wished he felt himself being torn in two. The pain was so great, his arms seemed to pull from his shoulders and his legs twisted behind him and snapping from his hips. His eyes rolled back as the pain of his entire body vanishing into a spray of powder washed through him. 

Lord Murtagh born of the Kingdom of Rhodri, Lower member of the Council of Kingdoms was dead. His body now dust that covered the nude form of the mortal girl, Casey.

Ealisaid stood in the shadows, her tall thin body draped in a gold cloak. The hood pulled completely over her long silver locks. She waited for the girl to recover. She and she alone saw what had transpired, and only she knew who saved the girl.

She smiled to herself, Jareth already felt her. He protected her and yet they had to meet. It wouldn't be long now, after centuries of waiting the Underground would be united as it should have been at the beginning.

Casey screamed again as she felt herself being covered in a thin layer of body particles. Her whole body seemed to seize up for a moment, she was unable to move. Her eyes showed her nothing but darkness and she felt her fear still bubbling up in her. Then, after a few moments, her vision cleared to a hazy mist-like film, she shakily moved her hand over her own stomach, feeling the disgusting texture of the dust that was Lord Murtagh. She looked down, and her face grew ashen once more. She flipped over hurriedly and vomited onto the stone floor of the labyrinth.

It was then that Casey felt the familiar feeling of prickling at the back of her neck. Once again, she was being watched, though she couldn't really comprehend it at the moment. She lay naked on the ground, quaking from the horror that she had just minutes ago experienced. She rested her forehead onto the cool, wet stone, feeling ill, and weak. She had used all the energy she possessed to try and fight off that horrid man, if it hadn't been for... What? What had it been that saved her? She wondered, but lacked the strength to lift her head up to see anyone in close proximity.

She closed her eyes slowly and felt a throbbing pain at the base of her neck, spreading up to her skull and down along her back. She winced at it, willed it to leave her. She must get up... She must make it to the castle, to... She didn't even know what, or who, was waiting there for her. She was already struggling to keep her mind functioning, even just this slightest bit. She remembered calling out... She couldn't recall what precisely she had said, or even more curious, why. Murtagh had been about to take her, to force her of her virginity, her womanly right, but he hadn't yet, had he? Had she been too panicked to notice? It wasn't as though she knew what it would have felt like anyways. It could have happened, and now all the work to keep herself pure, though she hd never been sure why she worked so hard at it, had all been for nothing.

This was her last, uncomforting thought before her eyes drooped closed. Whatever had, would, or might happen, she was too exhausted just now to act accordingly. She could barely feel the tips of her toes, and she could sense a dark, purple bruise creeping over the porcelain skin of her stomach from repeated blows of Murtagh's knee in her midriff. She knew she must be covered in who knows what disgusting matter, but she just couldn't really care just now. Even the fact that she was lying totally bare in the middle of a walkway barely perturbed her from the thoughts of sleep. She didn't care about the supposed monsters of the labyrinth, the Sphinx, or that she had been so gullible.

There was nothing she could do right now... Let whatever found her, find her. She couldn't fight anymore until she got some sleep.

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Authors' Note: Ok well hope this chapter was to your liking. This seems to be turning out much darker then originaly planed, hehe its what happens I suppose when two evil writers work together.


	5. Our Steps Cannot Avoid

Our Steps Cannot Avoid:

--------------------

Outside the pull of gravity  
Beyond the spectral veil  
Within our careful reasoning  
We search to no avail  
For the constant in the chaos  
For the fulcrum in the void  
Following a destiny  
Our steps cannot avoid.  
Across the vein of night  
There cuts a path of searing light  
Burning like a beacon  
On the edges of our sight  
At the point of total darkness  
And the lights divine divide  
A soul can let its shadow  
Stretch and land on either side. ---Nexus--Dan Fogelberg  
---------------

Ealisaid slid out from the dark corner she had been hiding in. The girl looked horrible, like death on a bad day. She kneeled down beside her and ran her long elegant fingers down the girl's cheeks.

"Shh, hush now child. Everything shall be as it should be." She ran her hand down Casey's neck and shoulders, she kept moving her hands over her body. Where her skin touched, the sand and filth vanished replaced by a magnificent emerald green gown. Ealisaid looked at her handiwork. The green velvet was embroidered with the scrolling knot of three horses entwined, the silver embellishing silver curling over the breast and spiraling off to create a whirl of silver vines down the skirt.

"Casey get off the ground, you must get up." She urged the girl gently, her hands pulling at Casey's.

Casey, still weak with exhaustion, lifted her head slowly and looked at the woman standing above her. She looked down at her new attire and gasped quietly. The dress was beautiful. She turned back to Ealisaid and climbed to her knees.

"Who are you?" she whispered hoarsely. "How did you know my name?" She winced with soreness and fell backward onto her backside. "Please don't let him hurt me..."

Ealisaid smiled and ran her hand down Casey's hair.

"Shh, don't worry, child, he is dead. You are cared for, he is protecting you." She took Casey's hand and tried to lead her to the wall.

"I am Ealisaid and my child, I have known you for thousands of years." She stopped trying to pull the girl and kneeled down again. She pulled off her hood to reveal her shinning eyes and floor length silver hair.

"Casey, listen to me, you are weak and you will never make it to the castle. You must heal. Stand up and I will help you to the wall." She offered her hand as well as a sweet and knowing smile.

Casey nodded and took the hand that was held out for her. She rose, shakily to her feet, but with Ealisaid's help and a few minutes' time, she made it to the labyrinth wall. She slumped against it, welcoming the flood of energy that came from the wall, and relieved to feel revived. Even her heart swelled with an odd feeling, almost like... pride. With a small, impulsive smile, Casey turned back to Ealisaid, standing straight and at her full height, though that in itself wasn't much, as she was tiny.

"Ealisaid..." she said softly. "What do you mean you've know me? I'm only 20 years old... I've never met you in my life." People of this land, the Underground, were all very strange indeed, Casey thought, squinting at the silver-haired woman.

Ealisaid smiled as she stroked the girl's hair.  
"I knew you when you were nothing more than a faint idea in the minds of your ancestors. I knew you when I spoke, I knew you when I slept. We have all known you, and have been waiting for you." She gazed up at the castle and took a step towards it.  
"My dear Child, he has been waiting. Though he doesn't realize it." She turned back to Casey. Could the girl feel Jareth as she knew he felt her?

"He?" Casey asked. She stared at Ealisaid. None of this made any sense at all! How could anybody know her here? Why would they be waiting... for _her_? "Jareth... He's the one waiting?" she asked, remembering faintly some of what Murtagh had said. She looked up at the castle. "Who is he? Jareth?"

Ealisaid slipped her hand from her robe, in her petite palm conjuring a small crystal. She held it out, the small orb showing visions of the Labyrinth, a crumbling city, and the foggy figures of a man and a woman.

"He is your present, your past, and your future. You cannot escape him just as he cannot you... He is your guardian, your jailer, your friend, and your lover. You will hate him and love him, he will hurt you and heal you." She handed the crystal to Casey and stepped back.

"That, Child, is who he is." She stood watching the girl, she knew she was her. She had waited years for her to come. All the work, all the toil would be worth it. What had been destined from the beginning, would now come to be.

Casey stared down at the crystal, shaking. All at once, she felt her head grow heavy and her eyelids started to droop. She held her breath and looked down at her trembling hand, though it was different now. She could feel as the fear and shock left her body, they were slowly replaced by anxiety and a mother-like care. She frowned and looked at Ealisaid.

"I still don't... understand..." she whispered. It was difficult to speak when she felt like all she wanted to do was care for whatever being was lying unconscious on a cold stone floor. She frowned. Where had that come from?

"Will...Will you take me there?" she said, looking at the castle once more. She needed to get there. No matter what else happened, if she was there she would be safe... She would be... home.

"Unfortunately my child that is one thing I can not do. You must go on your own." She conjured another crystal, this time one that held no images. She handed it to Casey and pulled the hood of her cloak over her long silver locks.

"Keep these two with you, the first will be your guide. You do not have full power, until you have joined two thrones you will be as weak as a mortal. You must use the crystal as we would our inner eye, it will show you what can not be seen by shadowed eyes." She took a step back and looked at the castle, she could feel him. He used to much power protecting Casey, the girl had to get to him soon.

"But... why can't you take me there?" Casey asked slowly. "I don't..." But anything else the girl had been planning to say, didn't make it. She bit her lip hard to keep from crying with the anxiety that rippled through her. She could feel a headache creeping up on her, just as she felt when something happened back home. When Ian had been kicked, and his ankle shattered, only now it was multiplied ten fold. She felt she might die of worry if she didn't reach that castle soon.

"How do I use the crystal?" Casey asked, looking a little frantic. "Please, tell me quickly!"

The first crystal you only need think what you need and it will show you. But it is the second crystal that you will need to know of." She stepped closer and wrapped the girl's finger around it and gave a slight breath over their hands.

"It is a healing crystal, of sorts. More like a transfer of power. We of the Underground are very different from those from Above. And Jareth even more so, his ancient blood will make his part in this even harder. Power for power." She smiled and glanced again at the castle.

"You will know what to do when the time comes. Now go child, the Labyrinth has made a way for you. Follow her and you shall be where you are needed. Farewell, Your Majesty." She bowed and backing away disappeared right before Casey's eyes. Power for power indeed, but she would have never told the truth, emotion for emotion, passion for passion.

"Your Majesty..." Casey stared at the spot where just moments before, the odd woman had been standing. But she had no time to dwell on what was going on. She needed to get to the castle. Looking awkwardly at the pair of crystals, she frowned, afraid that she would drop and break one of them. Looking to her belt, she found a small pouch that fitted one crystal perfectly, and another on the other side. With both crystals safe at her belt, Casey picked up some of the light-weight, emerald cloth of her dress and broke into a run towards the castle, her still booted feet thudding over the damp stone ground.

--------------------------------

Cold darkness, void, absolute nothingness. Jareth lay in complete darkness, he knew not where he laid. The only knowledge he had was it was chilled and empty, no not empty. He could feel something, it was faint but grew quickly. What was it?

He furrowed his brows, did he have brows in this existence? The closer the feeling came the more he was able to recognize it. It was emotion, pure emotion. Passion and caring, but why were these feelings coming upon him in this realm of nothingness?

He resisted the urge to reach out to the emotion. It had to be a trap, who would care that much for him? It had to be a trap.

Casey had reached the castle doors at last. She stopped and leaned against it heavily, puffing out short breaths. Such a strange little city surrounding this castle. She hadn't seen a single inhabitant, though she guessed she had been running too fast to tell. Catching her breath, Casey pushed open the mammoth doors at long last and stepped over the threshold. Instantly she felt comfort flood her, and she had to fight the impulse to find a comfortable place to sit and just fall asleep. No, she had something she needed to do. She pulled out the left-hand crystal and peered at it.

Where? she thought. Where do I go?  
The crystal answered by displaying a large wooden door, similar in style to the other doors she saw, but as she gazed at it in the ball, she memorized it's wood grain patterns and then set off down the corridors of the castle.

Jareth tried to back away from the emotion now steadily coming closer, but he found he had no real body in this place. He was so far in the depths of his mind, no wait this was no simple place of thought or illusions. This was much more deep seated, much more intimate.

His limbs were cold, chilled so deep to the bone he believed he would never again get warm. He longed for the roaring heat of a fire, for the warmth of a body entangled in his. But in this place of emotion he found neither.

Heat pricked at him, the comfort was trying to find him. He tried again to pull away but it was in vain. He reached out with is thoughts with his own emotion as though they had arms. He beckoned the calmness to him, he could no longer fight. He guided it to him.

Casey opened one last door and stepped through into the room. She felt a warmth and love filling her heart as she looked around. There was a huge bed, large, gaping windows, opening out to show the Labyrinth, and a little desk. And there, on the floor...

She gasped and ran forward, looking down at the man strewn out on the floor. He was odd, strangely fascinating and attractive as he lay there, his robe fluttered about him. Kneeling down, Casey pulled the fabric of the robe over him carefully, her fingers brushing his lean form slightly. She shivered, but felt no need to pull away. In fact, she wanted very much for this man to awake...

"Jareth..." she whispered, crouching by him and brushing white wisps of hair from his face very gently, letting her own black locks spill out of her French braid and over her shoulders. "Is this Jareth?" she asked to nobody in particular. "Is this who that woman spoke about?"

It was here, the warmth surrounded his body. He tried to call out no longer caring if this was a trap or not. His voice wouldn't work, whether it was frozen or whether he had no voice in this realm.

He tried a different method to get the emotion's attention. He reached out with his own emotion, but found it almost spent. Why?

How had he used his emotion, how could you use up such an abstract thing?

"Shh," Casey whispered, resting her hand gently on the man's forehead and slowly stroking his hair back. She took out the second crystal and stared at it. What was she suppose to do? How could a crystal heal such a being, when all that appeared wrong was that he had passed out? She frowned and rested a hand gently on the man's cheek, running a finger along his cheek bone. He was very attractive, she thought to herself, smiling. Then she frowned and shook her head. She had to do something to help him, but what?

She looked from the crystal, to the man's closed eyes and back again. Then she gasped. There, in the crystal, she saw two shining eyes of completely different color, looking back at her. Then the imaged changed, the two eyes became two faces, gazing steadily, longingly, adoringly at each other.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Casey leaned forward over the man's face. Her cherry lips were mere centimeters from his cheek. Her breath blew lightly over his face and into his pale hair, making strands blow about against the stone floor. Then, quite quickly, her lips connected with the skin of his cheek and she held them there for only a moment before pulling away and running a hand down his thin arm instead.

Jareth could feel as the comfort enveloped him. He groaned as a pain rushed through his head, he limbs so very cold. He was waking.

He couldn't yet open his eyes, they still persisted in remaining shut. But he could feel other things, use his other senses.

Warm breath brushed over his face, Celeste? No he sent her to her chambers, and this breath was something different. It was sweet and held within its warm an inkling of power.

He felt hands and arms on him, heard the melodious sound of a woman's breathing. He groaned again trying to form words. He swallowed and licked his lips. He could feel power, feel emotion. He reached out with a delicate hand and grasped for the crystal in Casey's hand.

Casey watched him, looking at his hand. Then, gently, she reached out and took his hand gently, holding it from underneath in her free hand, and set the crystal down in his hand.

All at once, the crystal grew warm, and then temperature kept rising. Soon, it was enough to almost burn her and she tried to let go, but the crystal seemed to be holding her to itself. It felt to Casey as though a large, strong, but gentle hand we holding her hand down on the crystal, which had turned slightly opaque and started to glow a dull blue.

Jareth moaned in relief as a flood of emotion passed through him, he felt his body fill with warmth and affection. His eyes fluttered open slowly and gazed up through still clouded eyes at the figure before him. Long black hair toppled down pale skin. To his shaded eyes she seemed a phantom, but no matter he could feel the power and the emotion flood from her through to him.

He licked his lips again and tried once more to speak.

"Who are you, dear Phantom?" He held tighter to the crystal afraid to release the energy that was flowing within him.

Casey's eyes went wide unexpectedly, and she tried to release the crystal, frightened of this new feeling of power within her. But still the crystal would not allow her to let go, though the heat on her palm and fingers grew. She could feel his own fingers brush hers lightly as he clamped down tighter on the crystal. But his eyes... His eyes were what intrigued Casey.

One was delicate blue, the other a rich gold. She seemed to lose herself in those intricate eyes, she knew she never needed to look away. Until the end of time, she would see those eyes, and they would be just as beautiful as they were now. She gazed for a long time, before realizing he could not focus back on her. It took her a while to comprehend his question.

"Casey, but I'm not a phantom," she whispered, slowly running the fingers of her free hand through the many thin strands of hair. "I am..." What had Murtagh called it? "I am a mortal..."

Jareth's eyes went wide, a mortal? He tried to pull his hands from the crystal but found himself stuck. He searched the emotion running through the crystal, the power he found within it should not be possessed by a mortal.

Paling even more he realized the source of the crystal. Ealisaid, the only other being in the Underground who had the power to manipulate crystals. In one simple thought, he realized who was towering over him.

"Get away." His voice was dark and filled with centuries of hate. How dare she be in his chambers, how dare she come to him.

Casey's blood ran cold. The crystal seemed to turn to ice between them, but still did not release its hold. Pulling back her loose hand, she clamped it into a loose fist upon empty air, quivering. Why did he not want her here anymore? She tried to pull her hand back, but still, it held firm.

"I... I can't," she whispered hoarsely, feeling miserable suddenly. "Look, are y-you Jareth? I need to..." She trailed of when she realized suddenly that tears were falling down her cheeks. What was going on now?

"Need to what?!" Jareth tried to pull his hand from the crystal only to find himself as stuck as Casey. He glared at her, his eyes filled with hate, hate and fear. Suddenly he felt the previous passion be washed away and replaced by a completely new emotion.

He fell back, his head crashing onto the ground with force. His entire body was filled with sorrow, pain and misery. Without permission a few stray tears slipped from his eyes.

"What are you doing to me?" He turned his head with great effort, the sneer on his face covered with the pain he was being flushed with from the crystal.

"Me?" Casey sobbed. "I'm not doing anything to you..." She shook as he fell back and she inched closer to him. With a distinct gentleness, she took hold of his other hand for a moment, and then released it.

"Let me go... Please, are you Jareth?" she repeated the question.

Jareth mustered as much power as he could and pulled his hand away, he flung back his hand finally free of the crystal. He silently cursed Ealisaid, whatever she gave Epona was powerful.

"You know very damn well that I'm Jareth." He sat on his knees, the palms of his hands pressed firmly to the floor. His breathing was forced and heavy as he tried to regain his composure.

"No I didn't!" Casey insisted. As her tears dried, she started to feel a little annoyed. She wondered suddenly what could possibly cause this odd chain of emotions. She had hit quite a spectrum in the last five minutes alone.

"What am I doing here?" she whispered, her eyes were wide, dull, at her new-found feeling of rejection. "When can I go home?"

Jareth swallowed as he stood wavering as he lifted. He suddenly realized he was still in his robe and ran his hand in front of him conjuring his clothes. So even the real Epona had no clue as to who she was. But then how did she know to look for him, how did she know his name?

"Home? My dear I wish you would go home." He paced a bit around his room. A smirk appeared on his lips as he crossed over to her. He leaned in close careful not to touch the crystal.

"You want to go home? All you have to do is wish it." Should she wish herself back Aboveground he would be able to get rid of her, no questions asked.

"I-I want to..." Casey's voice faltered as she sat upon the floor looking up at him. "I don't know what this Underground is, I don't know why I'm here, but everybody else seems to." Her note quavered as she spoke and her eyes had started to light up again. In fact, they were smoldering.

"All I've had since coming here is hell... I was almost eaten, almost raped, and then given subtle hints about some supposed future and made to come here." She smoothed out a few folds of her dress that cascaded over her legs and the cold stone floor. "And before that I had a horse fall on me, broke my neck, then was miraculously healed. I'm sorry if I seem unreasonable, but I'm not having the best day!" She lifted her gaze to the window beside her. "I just want to go home... I just want some normalcy!" Though she was not sure exactly why her voice was risen and bitter. She did not trouble herself in calming it or even leveling the hysteric pitch it was taking on.

Jareth leaned in closer so his face was a mere breath from hers.

"Wish to go home, you must wish it." He readied himself, knowing at this moment her mind was clouded with anger, she would not realize the consequences of her words.

"Wish it child, and you can return." He smirked and circled her as though she were his prey.

Casey's eyes followed him, though she did not move her head. After a few moments she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. When she opened them again, her breathing had relaxed, though her eyes still glittered dangerously.

"I wish I could go home..." she said in a whisper. Then she raised her volume almost to a shout. "I wish to go home, Jareth!"

Jareth laughed and stopped just behind her. He lowered his lips to her ear and slowly slid his hands down her arms pulling her back into him.

"Then it shall be, it's a pity though. What awaits you back Aboveground I mean." He conjured a crystal and focused in on the thought of home she was projecting. The crystal fell to the ground, something was blocking him. Damn! He couldn't send her back, Ealisaid was blocking him!

Casey waited patiently for something to happen. Nothing ever did.

"Jareth... I want to go home..." Casey said, stiffening in his arms. She suddenly felt anger boiling up in her about and after a few seconds it was unbearable. Her face the deepest red, she about and glared at him. She then, without any warning, lifted her hand and brought it fiercely across his cheek. There was a loud crack and even Casey hand stung with the force of the slap. She gasped.

Jareth stood, face bright red. He could not believe what had just happened, first he realizes that Ealisaid was forcing Epona to stay and then that woman smacks him.  
He moved forward as though to smack her himself, his hand raised above his head.

"You will regret that. You should count yourself lucky, had I been able to send you back your neck would still be broken." He flicked his wrist and Casey disappeared before him.  
He collapsed in a chair silently cursing, how dare that Keeper block him! Why was she so adamant about him loosing his kingdom to that girl?

-----

Casey appeared suddenly in a dark, dank, and foul smelling room in the same position as when she had left Jareth's. The floor she now sat on was samp and as she heard the squeaking of a rat, she screamed and jumped to her feet.

Bars. There were bars on the door and tiny window. He had sent her to a dungeon. She stood there, shaking with fear and anger, but the former faded quickly as she realized what she had done. Guilt flooded through her, forcing her to sink to her knees once more. She had hit him, and it had been hard. She hadn't meant to, but... why did she feel guilty anyways. He had told her he would send her home and he hadn't. She should feel furious, but no... Now she felt only terrified and horrible.

She shivers, hugging her arms around herself as a cold draft blew in through the window. None of this made any sense... Was it all a dream? She pinched herself, it hurt. No... this was very real. Very real, and very strange... And very horrifying.

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Authors' Note: Ok sorry it took awhile to get out it was My -Rhia's- fault. Anyway hope you enoyed it, and please do review. We like to know what you think of it.

Disclaimers: Please see author page for full disclaimer. But no we don't own Labyrinth. Nor do we own the Song, The Nexus, from the beginning of the chapter. That belongs to the wonderful and talented Dan Fogelberg.


	6. Conflicted

Conflicted:

--------------------

"The beautiful and the sensitive and the oh so very young  
We are adapting to your silence  
I can live here without you  
At least I'm learning  
But I cannot live without your songs":::-Battle of the Dragon::-Stevie Nicks  
----------------

Casey had been cooped up in this jail cell for... She looked down at her watch and swore loudly.

"30 minutes?!" she shouted. It had seemed more like 30 days! Why was she being kept like a prisoner, she did not deserve this! She had come and helped that man, the King, she had done not one thing wrong until she had slapped him and that had only been because he had not sent her home.

She shivered, remembering his touch as he held her against him. She touched her arms where his gloved hands had slid down. This touch... Despite the anger, it was full of comfort and warmth. Now without it, she felt cold, scared, and her heart heavy. She coughed harshly into the sleeve of her green dress. Great, just great... She was getting sick now too.

With a kick aimed for the bars of the cell door, Casey attempted to take her frustration out on something inanimate. All she ended up doing however, was slipping on the wet floor and landing violently on her back side, letting a cry of alarm escape her. She groaned and rubbed the place she had fallen on, sitting back against the stone wall.

She just wanted to figure this out and go home. She had not wanted to leave her life at home, and she did not want to die, but her experiences here so far were not much better than just ending it all. She shook as another cold breeze swept through the cell. She was so cold. 

--------------------

"You did what?" Diarmuid leaned back in his chair quite amused at his brother. Jareth really did know how to handle these things with 'style'.

"I sent her to the dungeons. What are you laughing at? It was you who suggested I make her hate me." Jareth toyed with a few crystals, what in the world was he going to do? Epona was there and who knew how long before Ealisaid interfered again.

"Yes that I did, but that was to send her back Aboveground. You said that you were being blocked, thus can't send her back. So why are you keeping her here, you know what you must do now don't you?" Jareth cringed, his brother was always the morbid one. Not really bloodthirsty, but most definitely morbid.

"I am not going to kill her. She is ignorant of who she is, I am not heartless or a cold killer." Diarmuid took in a breath, his brother was sometimes too soft.

"She would have died had you sent her back, what is the difference?" Jareth fixed his gaze to the window just across from him, his eyes watching the graceful flight of the clouds as they drifted past.

"She was dead before she came here, it was not of my doing. There is a difference between the two. I will not hinder fate if I am asked to abide her rules, but I will not take it into my own hands to kill that girl. As of now she is just as innocent as any of the babes I bring here." How pathetic, so wonder the Goblin Kingdom was in ruins. With a weak king who could expect anything else?

"And so you put her in the dungeons, oh brave touch my brother! Are you going to keep her there for all of eternity? You know if she really is Epona she isn't mortal anymore. Do you really plan on keeping her locked up in there forever? Wouldn't it be kinder to just kill her?" Jareth groaned, that was exactly what had been going through his mind since he had sent her there. The mental torture he would cause by keeping her locked there for eternity, many of his people who had been imprisoned for such a time ended up insane.

"What is it of your business if I do? She called me and I shall do with her as I wish." At least, he thought, until Ealisaid interfered again.

"It's not my business, unless it interferes with you ruling the Labyrinth. Then it is my business. I still think you should kill her. Anyway Brother seems time is running away from me, I shall see you at evening meal." With that Diarmuid left. Jareth slumped further back in his chair as he thought over the girl now imprisoned in his castle.

"Damnit!" He conjured a crystal and watched as the girl disappeared from the cell, now all he had to do was talk to Celeste. He knew she was not going to like this.

-----------------

"Damn you, bastard!" Casey screamed as she reappeared in a different room. Her toes tingled oddly at the feeling that the transportation gave her, She tried to stand up, but felt a little disoriented and sat down on the hard stone floor again.

Where was she? Looking up, she blinked around as her newest surroundings. Dark yellow painted walls surrounding a huge chamber filled with plump cushions and pillows, a rather overstuffed-looking sofa, an enormous bed overflowing with blankets and duvets, and the tallest wardrobe Casey had ever seen. The sight made her simply gasp, dropping all other worries. She stared with wide pale blue eyes for a full ten minutes before she noticed the door. A gigantic oak door that must have cleared about five feet over her head, impressive despite her own short stature. 

Casey's heart leapt into her throat. If she had been given a room...was she free to go out of it? Maybe, possibly, that door was unlocked. Cautiously, as though she thought the door itself might come alive and eat her any second, Casey slunk towards the shut door. A moment later she was shouting curses at the castle and its master at the top of her voice. She yanked at the door handle fruitlessly, but it stayed resolutely locked. Making an irritated and frustrated noise, Casey threw herself onto the bed, covering her head with one of the lush pillows.

On the brightside, she thought... At least she wasn't locked in a jail cell. She was not freezing cold, in fact, her body felt satisfactorily warm. Yet inside...she felt cold, alone, and afraid. Why would he reject her like he had? She had done nothing to receive such treatment from him. She was, in fact, his equal... was she not?

"Iris...," she whispered, hugging her knees close to her chest. Memories flooded her senses. She could remember the screams of her sister upon seeing their dead mother dangling from the dining room chandelier, the musty smell of the orphanage that her sister, Iris, had been taken to, the blazing headlights of an oncoming semi-truck, the metallic taste of blood, and the sharp searing pain. Unconsciously, Casey slid a hand down her thigh to the scar that formed a four inch long semicircle around her mid-thigh.

She could not quite recall when she passed into the realm of dreams, but it did not matter. Sleep brought no relief for her troubled mind. For with sleep, memories melded with nightmares. Nightmares and had haunted her every night for a long, long time. Four years it had been, since she had had a peaceful night of rest. Everyday she worked herself to utter exhaustion in the hope that at night, her mind would be too tired to replay the horrifying images over, and over again. But the effort brought no avail. There was no escape from remembering, nothing she could do to forget. 

--------------------

Celeste stomped down the hall to where her king had directed her. She could not believe this, she was to play servant to some tiny, arrogant mortal bitch! She was the King's favorite lover and she was to be this mortal's maid?!!!!!

She stood in front of the door, taking deep breaths as she prepared to enter. _"Now please be civil my dear, she is a guest remember?"_ Guest her ass! As far as Celeste was concerned this girl was nothing more than a bug, and she knew what one did with a bug…..they squashed it!

Entering she noticed the sleeping form of the girl. With an evil smirk she slammed the door shut as hard as she could.

"Oh oops! Its slipped from my fingers, what a butterfinger I am!" 

Though Casey jumped and flinched horridly, she did not wake. In her dream, her nightmare, the slam translated as the head-on impact of a semi-truck and a little family sedan. In her sleep, she gasped, then screamed in agony as the memory of twist metal digging across her thigh ripped through her. Yet still, she remained fast asleep, unaffected by Celeste's malicious attitude. 

Celeste groaned and made a few more things slam, soon tiring of this little "innocence" game. To hell with it, she thought, and grabbed the pitcher of water from beside the table. She stood just above the girl and began to pour the ice cold water over her.

"Get up!" 

Casey leapt to her feet, gasping loudly as the water trickled down her back. It took her a moment to blink away her disorientation, during which, she stood shivering from the cold. When she was able to focus, she turned and glared at the woman behind her.  
"Who are you? What was _that_ for?!" she shouted, her face going bright red with fury. 

"I, you "pretty" little thing am someone who should not be here. I am going to be missing an important engagement because of you. I was sent here by His Majesty to wake you and get you dressed in the proper clothing for the Goblin realm." She set the pitcher down on the table and walked a little ways to get out one of the dresses Jareth had assured her would be there. 

"His Majesty? That bastard sent you here?!" Casey exclaimed, baring her teeth. Before she realized what she was doing, she had grabbed Celeste's wrist and spun her around. Then, she planted her fist right into the other woman's eye with a sickening thud. Surely, she thought smugly, there would be quite a bruise there in just a few moments, if she had judged her punch well enough. 

"Right then!" Celeste fell backwards clutching onto the wardrobe for support. She was not about to let this girl get the best of her. She had dealt with worse in the Labyrinth.

"You will pay for that!" She threw the dress back within the heavy wood wardrobe and pulled out another. She was not built for fighting, but she sure as hell could make her pay. 

"Bite me!" Casey cried, dancing out of Celeste's reach and climbing up to standing on the well-cushioned bed.

"I can dress myself, thank you very much! I am _not_ a four year-old, despite what your _King_ might think!" 

Celeste groaned, what a stubborn girl. And she was Epona?!

"Be my guest, but even great queens have to have help getting dressed." She threw down the white dress with its matching corset, which she had deliberately picked out to be a size to small, the chemise which was so large it could fit two in it and not to mention the ribbons that laced the sleeves. The bloomers that tied at the waist and just below her knees, the over dress that had to be placed just right at the shoulders to keep it from falling off were also thrown on the bed. And lastly a pair of knee high stockings and slipper shoes. 

Casey gazed down at the rather intimidating set of garments and slowly climbed down, looking a little defeated. 

"Fine, fine! You can dress me, but don't you try anything funny, or I'll give you a nice fat lip to match that pretty eye of yours." She sneered, hoping Celeste would take the warning to heart.

"And my name is Casey, by the way. Who are you?" 

Celeste started to undress Casey, though rather roughly.

"I am the Lady Celeste, one of His Majesty's lovers. His preferred lover in fact." She pulled the bloomers up her legs and secured them tightly before she threw the chemise over her head, giving the sleeves a good yank as she tightened the ribbons. 

Wrinkling her nose at the enormous chemise, Casey coughed. 

"Lover?" she repeated.

"So, is that like his whore or something? His distraction? His... carnal satisfaction?" She smirked, looking down her nose at Celeste. 

"Yes I guess you could say that." Celeste laughed as she wrapped the corset around Casey and began to pull the stays very tight.

"I am his concubine, one of many. And I am proud too, not just any one shares His Majesty's bed. He is kind a gentle, and passionate. Oh he is very passionate, and he knows just when to be rough and when to take it very slow." She whispered in the girl's ear as she pulled the ties completely together with one last yank.

Casey gasped. It was not just the sudden tightness of the corset or the creaking as her ribs were constricted horribly, but also the talk of King Jareth's bed and his passion. She held her breath for a second, trying to get the thoughts out of her mind. Then she took a shallow, tentatively breath, wincing as the corset gave to room to adjust. How could the ladies of the Underground live like this? 

"S-so? He sleeps with you, you get laid, and you get rich. He does not _love_ you." She took a moment to catch her breath.

"It's the same thing as a...whore. Tell me... How many of your _whores_ does Jareth _own_?" 

Celeste pushed Casey onto the bed as she slipped the stockings on her feet. She laughed, like her words were hurtful!

"You act as though I should be offended that you have called me a whore. It is funny, but you will see. In the Underground it is normal for rulers to have concubines, even queens have them." She flung her off the bed as she pulled the dress over her head and began to tighten it around her chest and hips.

"Currently His Majesty King Jareth has five lovers. But he does not own us. We all knew what we were getting into from the beginning, and we are free to leave at any time." She worked to weave the white velvet sleeves over the chemise, making sure the girl would have trouble with using her hands. 

Casey grimaced down at the dress she was being made to wear. With an almost violent wave of the hand, she clutched at her over-corseted abdomen. Surely her ribs would crush under the pressure. When she did speak again, her voice came out quick and breathless.

"Only five? I would have thought a King such as him would have seven," she said, closing her eyes for a moment.

"One...for every day of the week." Celeste fixed the heavy white brocade overdress across her shoulders, she tied it neatly at each small hidden ribbon along its back collar. Most overdresses weighed around seven to ten pounds. This one weighed in at eleven.

"Oh well he would need a great deal more than simply seven. His Majesty takes delight in us, he often takes two or three of us at a time." She pulled Casey over to the dark cherry wood vanity and forced her to sit on the hard bench. She pulled at the girl's hair as she began to weave it this way and that. She would have to remember in the morning to have the hot irons heated, there was no worse pain than having that heat so close to the scalp. 

Casey groaned. It was not just the tugging of her hair that was bothering her. If was the sheer weight of the garments wrapped, tied, and draped over her tiny body. She felt like each arm weighed a ton and when she walked, she was stepping through an absolute marsh of dress. 

"-But not all five at once?" she inquired, her neck being pulled back at a painful angle to allow Celeste to do up her hair. 

Celeste laughed as she placed Casey's hair in a snood and began placing small pearl pins throughout her hair.

"His Majesty may be very _very_ gifted, but even he has his limits." She left her side for a moment to pull out a box of jewelry from a standing shelf. Opening it she lifted a necklace with a large white owl cared from white jade. She placed the piece around the girl's neck and set to work with placing the matching earrings, and other jewelry on her. Even a perfectly cut diamond ring encased in the wings of a silver owl. 

"Ah, so even great kings have their lim- Do I really need all of this?!" Casey cried, starring at herself in the mirror and grimacing.

"I look like I just came from the grandstands at the Derby in the 20's! This is ridiculous!" She grabbed a few of the rings and threw them onto the desk.

"At least spare me my hands! Where's my crop?" She stood and searched frantically, or as frantically as she could with all of her layers and the rib-crushing corset, for her riding whip. She finally found it buried in the pile of pillows she had been sleeping in before and placed the loop of leather about her wrist where it hung, almost comfortingly. 

"Yes you do." Jareth stood just behind Casey, his hands resting on his hips. His own crop clutched in his right hand. He looked the girl up and down and then to Celeste. He groaned at the purple mark forming around her eye.

"I see Celeste that things have not gotten off well between you. You may go now, wait in my chambers and I will be there shortly to take care of that blemish." Celeste nodded and began to walk from the room as Jareth caught her arm. He ran his hand over the mark and frowned as she winced. He softly pressed his lips to hers before letting her go again.

"I would suggest Casey that you wear all that you have been asked to. You are now a "guest" of the Goblin Kingdom, and I will not tolerate a lady looking anything less than a woman. We are different in the Underground, our women do not go parading about dressed as men." Jareth grabbed the rings she had thrown and held them out to her. A wicked grin on his lips. 

Casey's teeth ground together irritably, but when she reached for the rings again, she took them gently, her fingers brushing his palm.

"Then I suppose... that women here may not ride either? Or are we forced to ride sidesaddle?" She slipped the rings on her fingers, not taking particular care in it.

"Not that it matters, I guess. You wouldn't let me ride, would you?" She lowered her head, unintentionally taking in the details of his day attire. She raised an eyebrow, though she did not think he could see it.

"I... I'm sorry I slapped you," she whispered, her words surprising her. She wanted to smack herself. She was apologizing?! Why was she _apologizing_?! 

"Women may ride if they wish, in fact it is a popular pass time among them. How they ride I could not tell you, but I can say most of my ladies ride on top." He smirked as he looked her over. It was summer in the Underground and Celeste had taken care to dress her in the heavy garments of late fall. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"It seems you have a taste for hitting, first me, then Lady Celeste. You ought to control such a thing, you might damage those pretty hands of yours." He grabbed her hand and began to trail his finger along her palm. 

Casey went crimson for a second, then it faded and she was sent into a series of strong shudders at his touch. Her lips parted on their own accord and she drew in a shaky breath.

"Um... yes. Well, I have developed a strong self-defense mechanism. I-I'm very...sensitive to when people provoke me, and she... Well..." She trailed off, unsure of where her sentence was going as thoughts of "riding" drifted through her head. 

A sudden heat rose in Jareth as he held Casey's hand. He lifted his hand from trailing the patterns in her palm to slip it in her hair. His gaze held on her lips as he pulled her closer. He released her hand and ran it down her side, slipping it just across the small of her back. He pressed her tightly to him, her ample and hindered breasts pushing against his ribs.

He set his lips on hers, barely brushing them over the soft and moist flesh. Her breath was hot as it forced his mouth open. Just as his eyes began to close a thought struck him, what was he doing?! He pulled back quickly and composed himself.

"I doubt you are very threatening, just be sure not to provoke me. I can do much worse than send you to the dungeons." He walked to the door, turning before leaving.

"Unless you wish to roast in your clothing I would suggest being kinder to Celeste, or she might go as far as having you wear fur in this summer heat." With that he turned and left, the door making a loud click as it locked after him. 

Casey tilted her back, a soft moan escaping her mouth and the ghost of his lips still left tingling on her skin. She felt lightheaded, like she might just faint from the feeling. She released a long breath as her heart slowly returned to its resting rate. She scolded herself. She should not be feeling this way after a King had force her to kiss him. After all, just yesterday, she had been nearly raped. She should be traumatized, and yet, she was not. And it wasn't as though Jareth had really _forced_ her, either. She had not exactly struggled. With a frown, Casey sat down on the bed.

Despite what had happened previously, she was at a complete loss at what to do now. Should she wait here for somebody to come and get her, or leave? She couldn't leave, of course, he had locked the door. Standing up, she went and tried the handle tentatively, almost hopefully. She whined. Locked, still! She tried once more. Why did they bother dressing her up in so many clothes if they just planned to lock her in her room afterwards. 

Once more, she moved to twist the handle open, and to her amazement, this time it gave way and the door swung back for her. It was open, and leading to seemingly never-ending corridors and chambers and rooms at her disposal, at least until she was caught. For now, though, she was free! 

--------------------

Jareth leaned against the wall of his office, what had he been thinking?! He wasn't, that was obvious. Why the hell did he feel the need to be with her, to be in her? It wasn't like simple lust. He knew lust, he gave into it every night. This was different, this was something deeper than lust. He felt a pull of power as he held on to her, the touch of her skin made him only want her more.

What was wrong with him?! He should loath her not desire her! He marched from his office, Celeste was waiting for him.

He rounded corner after corner till he came to his chambers. Entering he slammed the door causing Celeste to jump. Unable to release the feeling inside him by simply pushing the thoughts from his head he marched to Celeste.

She gasped as he began to pull her dress from her, his lips passionately running over her lips and breasts. He flung the two of them on his bed, pausing only to remove the bruise from her eye. He pulled the blankets over them trying the best he could to remove Casey from his mind.

--------------------- 

The castle was hers! It had been nearly ten minutes since the door had amazingly opened, and Casey had not yet run into a single other living soul. In fact, she was a little suspicious of this, and she kept looking around as though expecting to see Celeste or Jareth jump out and start shouting at her. It had to be some sort of trap, but yet, she wasn't scared.

She traveled about the castle slowly, having difficulty moving in the excess clothing. It was not even as though she knew where she was going or had any goals or any rooms she needed to get to. She just needed to be moving, despite how difficult it was to do so. She needed to keep her mind off of things. Off of Jareth, off of Ian, and Celeste, and Murtagh and everything.

Ever since she had been young, the way she had distracted herself was to move, to be active. After the car crash that had killed her father and brother and mentally destroyed her mother, Casey had taken refuge in daily walks through the oak grove by her school. She had preferred to take hours to walk and explore rather than go home to care for her little sister and ill mother. It had been both good and bad for the teenage Casey. Her grades managed to stay level, and she kept away from drugs and alcohol, but every day, the guilt that she was leaving her mother and sister alone dug a knife deeper into a wound that to this day still smarted with pain. The biggest blow was when she came home late one night to hear little Iris screaming in horror and fear and walking in to discover her mother, dead, and hanging. A week later, the agency took Iris from her, leaving her alone, and family-less, one month until her eighteenth birthday, and he highschool graduation, what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life. Instead, she skipped the ceremony, and the moment she was given a diploma, she hightailed it to a well-known horse farm and got herself a job as a groom.

Now where was she? She was a champion, young jockey, wandering aimlessly in a castle in a different world, avoiding a King and a small hoard of concubines, as well as whatever awful servants and people His Majesty ruled here. 

--------------------

Jareth flung back on the sheets, his face flushed from his attentions to Celeste. A small and delicate hand trailed up his bare chest, full cherry lips following closely behind. The lips soon found his, both pairs already swollen with passion.

"My Lord, it has never been like that. I don't know what got you so excited but I wish it would happen more often." Celeste giggled as she trailed her lips to nip at his ear. Jareth just closed his eyes trying his best to disregard her statement. He was not at all happy with what had just transpired. He had come to her to get rid of his frustrations and forget about Casey, only as he reached his peak the only name and thought in his mind was of that blasted mortal locked in the guest chambers.

None of this made any sense, she had been brought there to take his kingdom. He shouldn't have this strange feeling of need. He had only just met the girl!

"My Lord? Are you ok, you have grown very quiet. You surely did not wear yourself out so soon." She kissed him biting down on his bottom lip. Jareth started at her action. This normally excited him, but he was no longer in the mood. 

He smoothed out her hair and lightly kissed her forehead before standing from the bed. He quickly dressed, making himself presentable. Celeste watched in confusion, her king was acting very strange.

"I am going for a walk, you just rest. I fear I may have been a little too rough. You may skip evening meal if you wish." He ran his hand through his hair and strode from his chambers in a hurry. Celeste just laid back and pulled the blankets around her nude form. Something was most certainly wrong. 

--------------------

Casey froze in horror as she heard the click and the creaking of a door being opened somewhere to her left. She spun about, her face showing her fright, and her eyes landed upon a tiny creature scuttling toward her along the passage. She stared. The thing had not yet spotted her, but it was moving quickly towards her, apparently transfixed with a roll of parchment on which a message was scrawled neatly.

Next, a small series of events took place in rather quick succession. The creature looked up, back down, did a double take, bared his tiny teeth and made a high-pitched exclamation something along the lines of, "He-AH!!" Casey jumped, stared down at the little goblin, and shouted in surprise. Then she felt ill, like she might be sick just from the sight of the furry, scaly little being. Immediate after, she felt stupid for having yelled, for surely someone..._else_ had heard and was now rushing to investigate the commotion. 

--------------------

Jareth walked with wider steps than normal, his feet pounding quite hard on the stone floors of his castle. He was trying to get that girl out of his head. Why was she there anyway?

He cursed Ealisaid, her and her damned prophecy! Why had he been chosen to bring Epona to the Underground? It could have been any king or any one at all, but it was him. Was it the Labyrinth the reason she had chosen him?

He paused to slam his back into a wall. He was thinking too much about this, it didn't matter why. What mattered was that the girl Casey was in his castle and there was no doubt she was Epona. He had to keep her from knowing the truth as long as possible. But what would he do with her?

He pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed Ealisaid a few more times. In the distance he heard one of the goblins yell. He shrugged it off as he always did, the goblins were very noisy creatures. But the sound that followed the goblin's scream he could not dismiss. The sound of a girl screaming.

He ran down the halls till he came to the source of sound. He groaned and set his hands on his hips. How the hell did she get out of her chambers? 

When Jareth arrived, Casey still stood dumbstruck and appalled. Her eyes had been locked on the goblin, until she had hear the footsteps behind her. Now she turned around to see none other than the king himself, standing there with his hands on his hips.

For a few minutes, realization did not sink in for Casey. She actually took a step towards him, turning back about to stare at the goblin. She shakily reached behind her and held onto Jareth's arm tightly.

"Wh-what _is_ it?!" she asked in a loud whisper. Then something hit her like a steam train and she actually stumbled away from Jareth, shaking. What would he do now that he had found her out? Who would be punished for unlocking the door to her room?

"I'm sorry," the mumbled, almost inaudibly.

"The...the door was..." The trailed off, and without another word, fled from the corridor. She turned this way and that, taking a long and twisting route to nowhere.  
At last, she reached a dark, deserted room. She looked about before sliding down the wall in the farthest corner and hiding her head in her hands. He would find her, she knew, but at least this might prolong the inevitable. 

Jareth stood there for a moment completely confused at what had just happened. Shaking off the strange new feeling he appeared silently in front of Casey. He looked down at her laughing to himself.

_This was the girl who was to be Epona? This was the girl who would tame the power of both Ailill and the Labyrinth, his conqueror?_

"Come now, really? Stop acting like a child." He held his hand out to her in hopes she would at least get off of the floor. This was not a dignified position for anyone.

However, Casey rose to her feet without his assistance, completely ignoring his hand. She glared up into his face, but after a few seconds, she could no longer hold the dislike in her eyes. Her disposition seemed to melt before him. She could do no more than look up into his eyes with an odd expression that few would be able to translate into emotions.

"I... am not a child," she spoke flatly.

"I know more about maturity and reality than a spoiled, nemphomaniacal king such as yourself could _ever_ know." 

Jareth snapped his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest. He composed his breathing and advanced on the girl slowly. His eyes bore into hers as he tried to keep from yelling at her.

"How dare you presume that I know nothing about maturity and reality, I have lived much longer than you and have seen things that would haunt your dreams."

"But you have always gotten whatever you want, haven't you?" Casey retorted.

"You are rich, and powerful, and everyone fears you, don't they? You did not have to witness the death of a father and son, and have felt the guilt of living through what they did not! You did not come home one day to find your mother swinging from a chandelier, dead!" She drew it a deep, shaking breath and tried to calm herself. 

"Tell me if I am wrong, _Jareth_, but you have it made! Sitting in a throne, not a single care in the world! Either of them!" 

Jareth threw out his hand and grasped her arm a little tighter than he had planned.

"You think you know me? You think you are the only one who has suffered? I may not have had to watch my brother die, but how do you think I am king? You think my father just stepped down? You have seen family die, I have seen my people die. I know bloodshed like you could never imagine. I have had the stench of blood on these hands for far to long! And all I have asked in return for following the plans of the GateKeepers was to be able to keep my kingdom. To be able to serve them the best I can.

"Do not think child that because I am king that I get all I have ever asked for. It is not the people who are the servants but me! I have sacrificed more than you can imagine, seen wars and had to watch as arrogant young mortal girls like you wished away children. And all for what? To loose it all to some damned prophecy! And it is all because of you! You have caused me and my kingdom so much unrest!" Jareth let go of her arm and slammed himself back against the wall. So much for keeping the truth from her.

Casey blinked. 

"Me?" she asked, thoroughly thrown off her guard.

"I...did..." She stared at him, mouth agape.

"No! I did nothing! I've done nothing to you, or your kingdom. You are the one keeping me here against my will. Let me go, and I will be as good as gone. Let me go home, to my horses, my sister...my boyfriend. You are a liar..." she muttered.

"Your kingdom has caused me enough pain... Your world, I don't belong here. None of your problems are my fault, except for your whore's black eye, and that red cheek of yours. The man, the lord, that tried to rape me? His death was none of my doing, it just happened. And that woman, Ealisaid... she is _mad_. She spoke of you hurting, healing, loving, and hating me, or I, you. I do not remember, and I do not care. She was raving. And so are you, and everybody else in this place! Why am I here? You want me to go, and yet refuse to let me? I don't understand!" 

Jareth ran his hand through his hair causing a few of the strands to slip out of place.

"If I could send you back I would, but it is not up to me. I am not the one keeping you here, it is Ealisaid. And you are right she is insane! Why she had to involve me in this stupid prophecy is beyond me, why she had to involve her..." He stopped suddenly and looked to Casey, why the hell was he telling her this?

"Her?" Casey asked.

"Her what?" She stepped forward and looked up into his mismatched eyes, searching them.

"Jareth? She involved what in what? Tell me!" Jareth groaned and sneered down at Casey, stupid mortal!

"It is none of your affair! You shouldn't even be here, you were dead when you called to me. You near by killed me!" Jareth tried to avoid her question, few in the Underground knew the truth. Had they it would not be him on the throne, but his younger brother. Of course maybe that would have been for the best, he just knew Ealisaid planned this out! 

"I. Did. NOT!" Casey insisted, finding her volume rising a little.

"What on Earth do you mean, I 'near by killed you'?" Her breathing quickened as she gazed up at him, still.

"The only physical harm I have ever brought to you was that slap in your room. Everything else, anything else, was not my doing? How could it have been? If you are such a great king, then how could I, a twenty-year old woman, nearly kill you? And without knowing so, or meaning to? I have no reason to kill anybody, no really motivation..." She trailed off, looking at her feet, and tears filling her eyes. _Except perhaps, myself_, she thought, bitterly, mentally beating herself up for all that had gone wrong with her family, her life, as she always did. 

"When you called out to me you used most of my power to heal yourself. Had not the healer been there I would have been dead." He could still feel that pull of power on him, it still felt like she was taking from him.

"You my dear are more dangerous than you think, why do you think you are here? I can tell you it is not to brighten my day!" 

Now, Casey was highly confused. Very little of anything he had said to her so far, made any sense. It did not help that he seemed to insist upon being contrary and argumentative. He spoke it words equivalent to riddles to her. Not like the sphinx's riddle, but she still felt like she needed to decode every sentence that came out of his mouth.

"I...don't really understand," she said.

"But I suppose it doesn't matter. You won't explain it to me no matter what I do to try and convince you to. What harm there could be in telling me, I don't know." 

Jareth walked a few steps to Casey, his eyes transfixed on hers.

"As long as you don't know, you are safe. I am no monster, I don't want to hurt you. Most of all I don't want to kill you." 

Casey's breath failed her as he moved closer.

"Y-you don't?" she asked.

"So, as long as I don't have my questions answered, no harm will come to me, and I am stuck here for the rest of my life?" 

Jareth stepped back and shook his head.

"Ealisaid's prophecy can't be fully stopped. But I'll tell you this, as long as you stay Casey I won't have to hurt you." He turned and began down the hall, he stopped halfway and turned back.

"Lord Murtagh's death is not on your head. I do believe that it was I who killed him. You best go wash up, evening meal will be soon." With that he turned completely and left wondering why he felt the need to tell her about Murtagh, mostly considering until she had mentioned it he had no clue that was what had happened.

Casey silently turned around, forehead furrowed deeply. Why her? she wondered. Why did this have to all happen to her? At least she would not be tried for murder... or whatever happened her when one person killed another. He admitted it had not been her fault. Casey shook her head to try to rid her mind of thoughts about Jareth. She could not help but be drawn to him. She especially felt a strong desire to turn about and run after him. She did, however, manage to control herself. She walked steadily back down the hall, the way she had come, instinctively knowing they way back to her room.

He had mentioned evening meal. Dinner, she supposed. It would probably be poisoned, she thought. But he had assure her she was safe, and though she did not know why, she trusted him. She would come to dinner and do what he asked of her. Maybe if she did, he would be pleased, and would not hate her so. She could not stand the air of coldness that radiated from him. Yes, she would go to evening meal, but she first needed to get out of this dress. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authors' Note: Ok LONG chapter, hehe the length and a few other things would be the reason for this being so late. We are already well into chapter seven so hopefully it won't be too long, but no promises. 


	7. Questions Unanswered

Questions Unanswered:

--------------------

Oh what a fine facade,  
a glorious masquerade!  
Come with us on dais floor,  
and dance as the mummers do.

Watch as we disguise emotion  
and eradicate sentiment,  
making all flesh conform. ::-A Fine Facade-::-Rhiannon Adel Christy

---------------------

Jareth sat quietly at the table within the dining hall. The table was quite large, looking at it one would think that every noble within the Underground could be seated there. In reality, only all of the important ones. Though not that any of them ever visited the Labyrinth, nor could it be said that Jareth ever wanted their company.

A loud groan came from Jareth's right, he rolled his eyes as he peered over. He had thought Celeste would be too tired to attend, he should have known better. She was attractive and most certainly his favorite of all his lovers, but she had to be the snobbiest. She had come from a rich family Aboveground, always had it made. And it was no different now, he made sure all of his lovers had everything they could ever want. Maybe it was going overboard, maybe it was just his way of keeping the guilt of what he was doing away. Whether it was just his nature or something to make him feel better he didn't know and didn't care. 

Celeste groaned again as she leaned back in her chair. She was getting rather tired of waiting on that mortal girl.

"My Lord, I do believe that we could begin. I doubt she is coming. She most likely is hiding inside of her wardrobe from the goblins."

At that moment, Casey came stumbling in. She had a slight red tinge in her cheeks, but it faded as she straightened herself up to her full height and scanned the hall. She frowned, unsure of where she should be sitting. She saw Jareth, of course, at the head of the table, and Celeste, along with four other women she could only assume were his other lovers and a man that she had never seen before.

Clearing her throat, she gave Celeste a dark look before striding towards the first empty seat she saw. Surely, she thought, it was better to take some seat and be corrected on that, than to stand stupidly in the doorway.

"I... er, I'm sorry for being late, Your Majesty..." she rolled her eyes, giving up on trying to speak fancily. "I had to change into more comfortable clothes... And I had to figure it all out for myself, so it took a little longer." She sneered at Celeste now.Indeed, she was dressed in a very attractive, somewhat low V-cut cadet blue dress, light weight and quarter sleeved for the hot summer.

"The Ladies in my Court do not have Lady's Maids as a simple display of their ignorance. Your tardiness is one example as to why those who wear such clothing must have help. The fact that you could very well be wearing your undergarments as a dress is another." Jareth smirked as he lifted a crystal goblet to his mouth allowing the deep red wine to pass over his slightly swollen lips. An attestation as to what he had been doing before arriving for the evening meal.

Celeste giggled as she played with the long sleeved hem of her pink dress. She slipped a finger over her perfectly painted mouth and threw a wicked smile to Lady Alisia who was hiding her pink rimmed lips from view by sipping at her wine.

Casey fought back the blush of red threatening to overtake her pale countenance. She looked from Jareth to Celeste, then, following Celeste's gaze, to Lady Alisia. Her mouth opened slowly, readying to speak.

"Undergarments?" she inquired. "Your whores wear undergarment you say? Sorry, your...ladies?" She shot a malevolent glance at Celeste again. "And here I thought you had ordered them to only wear the necessary top dress. The quicker to strip them down and take advantage of them?" She heard the clearing of a throat beside her. Looking around she saw a long-limbed, dark-complexioned woman smirking at her rudely.

"He hasn't the need for that," the woman said, she had a slight accent, though Casey could not make it out. "His Majesty has much quicker ways t-" she stopped quickly, fearing she may have gone out of line, and looked down at her meal. She was not able to hide her smile.

Jareth laughed a deep and hearty laugh, leave it to Layla to brag.

"This is true, and I am sure every one of my Ladies could attest to this fact. Perhaps I should demonstrate." Jareth held his glass out in front of him and slowly ran his finger up the stem, the movement being mimicked on Casey's leg. The skirt of her dress slipping up as his finger went further and further up the glass till he reached just close to the rim. His finger rested there for a moment, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he twirled his finger lightly.

Celeste paled and hid the deathly glare behind her glass. What did she care if Jareth took another lover? He had four others already.

Casey's breath completely failed her. She found herself gripping tightly onto the stem of her own goblet with increasing pressure, though she did not seem to be able to let go of it. After another moment or so, the crystal snapped in two, the top half of the glass toppling over and spilling the wine over the table and her wrist. She swore loudly, grabbing her napkin and dabbing at the red liquid, as she subtly moved her chair away from Jareth, trying to push the skirt of her dress back down.

Jareth smirked as he set his glass down, he ignore the evil eyes he was getting form everyone of his lovers. They never did like it when he flirted. It normally took them a year or two to even warm up to a girl when he took a new lover. His thoughts drifted to Casey, as long as she never found out about being Epona she was harmless to him, and she was quite beautiful...

He threw those thoughts aside as he noticed a trail of blood running down her hand where she had snapped the glass in two. He stood from his place and kneeling before Casey took her hand in his.

Casey jumped as he held her hand. Immediately, she stood up, pulling her hand away from his grasp. Her skirt fell once more around her ankles as she pushed back her chair. Her face was a mask of confusion as she looked down at Jareth and then to the door quickly.

"W-would it be alright if I skipped the meal, Your Majesty?" she asked quietly, not meeting his eyes, or even looking in his direction. "I am suddenly...um, tired."

Jareth sighed as he stood up and grabbed her hand again.

"No you may not..." He leaned in so only she would be able to hear him, he had no need of the others listening in. Though he knew they would try their hardest to hear.

"If you would not provoke them so then there would be nothing to be worried about. Now please sit back down so I can heal this cut on your hand and you can eat. I am sure that you have not had food in a long time. You need your strength." He gazed deeply in her eyes as he cupped her bleeding hand.

"My strength? But why do you need food for that?" she wondered aloud. "Y-your labyrinth... doesn't it give you all the strength you need? When I was there, when I tired, I touched the walls and it gave me strength..." Slowly, she lowered herself back into her seat, her eyes locked onto his.

Jareth shook, if he needed any more convincing of who she was that was it.

"You mustn't speak of that, ever...Remember what I told you earlier. I don't want to hurt you." Kneeling once more in front of her he slipped off his gloves and began to run them over her wounded hand. He held back the sudden urge to run his hand up to her lips and just focused on healing the cut.

Across the table, Lady Layla arched high eyebrow at Celeste and Alisia. She cleared her throat softly, looking back down at her plate and sneering knowingly.

Casey shivered slightly, looking down at her hand in his.  
"Whatever you wish, sire," she whispered breathlessly. "But... is it not true?"

Though the wound was now healed Jareth still traced his fingers over her hand.

"No, the Labyrinth does not give power and strength unless..." He trailed off, one more word and that would be it. She would soon be able to figure it out. He squeezed her hand lightly before pulling back and standing to tower over her.

"You must eat now, there will be time for rest later." He turned and waved his hand across the table to rid it of the spilled wine and then took his seat completely forgetting that he left his gloves in Casey's lap.

Casey stared down at the gloves in her lap for a moment. Then she opened her mouth and looked up at Jareth, planning on telling him he left his gloves, but her gaze fell on Layla and another of the lovers whispering behind her hands. She frowned at them and closed her mouth, forgetting what she had wanted to say. She dragged her chair closer to the table and continued to eat, but one hand remained on her lap, fingering the leather gloves he had left there, the smooth material oddly comforting.

There was a particularly loud spurt of laughter from the two gossiping women across from her and Layla looked up at Casey.

"So, Lady..." she trailed off, raising an expecting eyebrow.  
"Casey," Casey mumbled.  
"Lady Casey... Could I ask you a bit of a personal question? No pressure, of course, but myself and, I think a few other of the girls, are curious."  
At this, Casey's eyes flitted to Jareth and then back again. She hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I suppose so."  
"Are you a virgin?" Layla blurted out, without thought, nor worry. Casey, who had been taking a sip of water from a new glass, choked and nearly blew the drink out of her nose.  
"I... I beg your pardon?"  
"Oh... sorry, was that _too_ personal?" Layla asked sarcastically.

"Layla that is enough!" Jareth stood momentarily but thought better of stomping across the room and returned sitting taking his glass of wine in his hand.

"I wonder how you can talk anyway, I do seem to recall that you were a virgin when you came. In fact I remember having to correct you on a few things the first few times you shared my bed." He held up his glass and turned to gaze wickedly at Casey.

"I suspect that the Lady Casey here would have no problem in that realm, isn't that right Dear? I am sure all those years on a horse have _limbered_ you up quite a bit." He smirked and carefully pressed his lips to the rim of the glass, his breath steaming up the slick corner.

Casey's eyes narrowed. Her pure instinct was having a bloody battle with her better judgment on what to say. On one hand, she could make a very nasty remark in return, or she could do the smart thing and not provoke any of them, as he had suggested. At last, she came to a compromise between the two sides and cleared her throat.

"Well, King Jareth... It's not exactly the same with racehorses, you see. You have to be even more flexible. There are no mounting blocks, we are given a leg up." She smiled to herself. "And at the gallop, you have to ride at a crouch and really stretch with the horse's movement. Do you follow?"

Jareth had to bite the rim of his glass so as not to send his wine flying about. He set the glass down, his fingers slowly trailing down the stem. His eyes focused on hers with great force.

"Is that so, I _am_ impressed. Maybe you wouldn't mind demonstrating one day." He sat back in his chair now completely ignoring the others at the table.

Diarmuid who had been silent so far, happy with his observing his brother and his mortal pets, finally sat up. He held up his wine glass to Casey and chuckled lowly.

"Seems my brother that this one has finally learned the game. Here, here Lady, you are much quicker than any mortal!"

"And so, I do hope, are your horses," Casey said, looking at Diarmuid. She scanned his features briefly, considering what his status might be. "You said brother..." She glanced from him to Jareth and back again. "You two are brothers? And somehow I doubt that you," she motioned to Diarmuid, "are a prince, or advisor... So you are either higher rank than your brother or perhaps...company for the lovers he does not have in his room ay any given moment?" She nodded toward the symbol on the breast of his clothing. "What is that for? Who are you?"

Jareth glared at Diarmuid, no snide comment about mortals, no making some wayward mention of her becoming his little pet whore? He was surprised.

"My brother I am afraid is not too keen on your sex. I have never even seen him look at a woman but to make some remark that should most likely be kept behind his lips." Jareth picked up his fork and began to pick at the food on his plate.

Casey took a rather large bite of food, and had difficulty swallowing before she could speak again, again addressing Diarmuid.

"So... you _are_ a higher rank than your brother?" she asked once more, not exactly ignoring Jareth, but not acknowledging his words either.

"Unfortunately I am not exactly above Jareth, here I am really nothing more than the second born prince. The spare if you care to think of it that way. But I am powerful in my own right, I am a member of the Council of Kingdoms." Diarmuid leaned back in his chair taking his wine glass along with him.

"The... Council of the Kingdoms?" Casey asked. Somewhere in the back of her mind, an alarm went off. She looked around at Jareth, eyebrows knit closely.

Jareth waved his had absently in the air as he finished off a bit of his dinner.

"Oh just a bunch of old men and women who like to think they have power in the Underground. They sit in a locked room and make decisions that should be left to the rulers and not a few lowly representatives who could no better light a candle than run a kingdom." He knew his brother was glaring at him, the Council was one thing they never agreed about.

"Sounds...fascinating," Casey mumbled half-heartedly. She was silent for a second, listening to the random snickering from across the dining table. She was thinking hard. Then she looked up to the King once more.

"M'lo-" She stopped dead. What on earth had she been about to say? She stuttered quietly, trying to get her mouth around the correct word. "L-l...Lord... Jareth? Where is the rest of the Council? How far from here?"

Jareth stopped for a moment, his fork still in his mouth. What had she just about called him? He had to have heard wrong, there was no way that she had almost called him her...no he shook his head there was no way, was there?

"Most of the Council are most likely in Heidrun where the High courts and the Council hall are located. Though I would suspect there are a few here and there indulging in some fancy of theirs." He set his fork down and gazed momentarily at his brother before turning once again to Casey.

"You see my Dear they tend to use their power for more than they should. My brother has even been called on misusing his power." Jareth glared at Diarmuid, had he succeeded Jareth knew there would have been no Labyrinth. He often wondered why he was willing to help him deal with Epona. She would be the perfect tool to get rid of the Labyrinth and the goblins.

"Oh." Casey was focusing down on her plate, not daring to look at Jareth, the lovers, Diarmuid, or anything. She was thinking or, more than likely, she was trying to decode all of the thoughts in her mind that did not seem like hers. She needed a horse, she needed to ride to this council. She did not know why, but she had too. At last, she looked up, but only to gaze across at Celeste, frowning slightly. Had the other lovers needed to consult the Council when they first came? Shaking her head to try and rid it of these thoughts, she turned, once again, to Jareth.

"What sort of thing do they misuse their power for?" A haunting face flickered before Casey's eyes, making her shudder. "M-Murtagh? I've only just remembered... He talked of the Council. He...he was a member, wasn't he? Before...?" She glanced at Diarmuid nervously, then stared at Jareth.

He looked down into his wine for a moment before setting it back on the table and crossing his hands together with his elbows resting just next to his plate. He took a moment to glance at his brother once more before turning his attention to Casey, though his words were more directed at Diarmuid. And his brother knew it.

"Yes he was, one of the lower Lords on the Council. But a Lord nonetheless. Though I can not fathom why he was in my Labyrinth. He never has been welcome here. He was a foolish and devilish Lord, and I just cannot understand why he would have been here." Out of the corner of his eye he watched as his brother lifted a brow before carefully dabbing at the corners of his mouth. To someone who did not know him he seemed just to be enjoying the meal. But Jareth knew much better. The slight shake of his pinky finger as he lifted the napkin to his lips, the shallow breaths and the way he kept his gaze from Jareth, were all signs that he was nervous about something.

"Ahem, well how monotonous this evening has turned out to be. My Dear Brother I must say that I remember your company to be much more lively. Come now let us cease this tedious talk of politics. I am sure your new "guest" would much rather be enjoying one of your renowned evenings of games and dancing." Diarmuid set his napkin on his now empty plate and waited for someone to speak.

"Oh yes My Lord! Please we haven't had a night of games in a long time. Surely there would be a girl to run the Labyrinth tonight. There have been so many of late, and I am sure Lady Casey would enjoy seeing this side of the game." Lady Tasia let out a loud yelp as Celeste kicked her firmly in the shin. The stern look on her face enough to keep Tasia quiet for the rest of the evening. Celeste knew she should have told the rest of the Ladies who Casey was, but she didn't want to frighten them. Each of them had done their research on the subject of Epona. As Alisia had once said; _"If his Majesty feared a simple woman then the prophecy was something important to understand. For if he fears that this Epona would destroy him she would surely destroy us too."_

Looking at Casey now, she wondered about the prophecy, if this was who Ealisaid had chosen then she had chosen poorly. This girl was barely able to understand anything about the Underground. How was she to be the great Queen who would unite two kingdoms and conquer until she created an empire?

Jareth froze for a moment realizing that Celeste had yet to tell the others. He wondered what they would think having Epona in the castle with them.

Unaware of any silent actions between the others, and failing to come up with anything more sufficient to say, Casey mumbled something about not being able to dance.

"I am feeling sort of tired, anyways...," she admitted, fingering her spoon and idly spinning it around on the table. "Is it alright, Your Majesty, if I go to bed now?"

Jareth looked around to everyone at the table, his eyes resting on Casey. She did look very tired, maybe he shouldn't have made her come to dinner. He halted his thoughts beating himself up for thinking about the well-being of this mortal, of Epona. What should he care? And yet...

"Of course Lady Casey, and I shall accompany you." He stood from the table and walked till he reached her side. He held out his hand for her but did not say anything. No remark about how she was acting, no ruse or suggestive glance either.

Slowly, Casey reached up and set her hand over his. Before standing, she crumpled the leather gloves still lying in her lap and clutched them out of sight, in the folds of her dress.

"Thank you," she whispered, ignoring the shiver that went through her at the touch of his skin on her hands. He had such pale, soft hands. She could hardly fathom why he would chose to wear gloves on a regular basis. She stood, pushing back her chair and purposefully looking away from the others at the table.

"If you will excuse us then." He quickly bowed before leading Casey from the dinning hall and on their way to her chambers. 

--------------------

Celeste wrinkled her nose as she watched Jareth leave hand in hand with Casey.

"It seems we might end up with another sister." Alisia lifted her brow and smirked knowingly. Jareth didn't pay attention to any of the girls who came from Aboveground unless he wished to bed them. Though she wondered about this one, there had been no child that she knew of. Had she wished her own self away?

"Well she does seem to be pretty, I wouldn't doubt His Majesty is attracted to her. And after that little trick of his with the wine glass I wouldn't be surprised if it was her and not our lovely Celeste that keeps his attention tonight." Tasia giggled to herself, out of all the concubines she really didn't mind getting a new "bed" sister as they called each other.

"Hush your mouth child! I would run the Labyrinth again, and this time blindfolded if he were to sleep with her!" Celeste laughed at the thought, Jareth knew better than to sleep with Casey. She was the enemy after all, only a fool would bed their enemy.

"Oh you are just jealous that he might have found a new favorite. My Dear you have had your time, but you are getting older. If I remember this right there is an old saying Aboveground, I am sure you remember this. 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks'." Alisia laughed as she poured herself another glass of wine, though not that she needed any more. She already had four glasses, not to mention the glass of sherry she had before dinner when she had "talked" with her king.

"Me jealous? You have got to be kidding me! I just mean why would His Majesty find her attractive, she wears her virginity as one would a fine hat." Celeste threw her napkin down on the table and slambed her back into her chair causing the legs to jump just enough to sound on the ground.

"Yes and you wear your promiscuity as though they were the crown jewels. Perhaps he finds her virginity to be feminine." Celeste sneered as she shot up from her chair. How little they knew, had they known who she really was they would not be saying such things.

-------------

In the corridor, Casey was walking in silence. She was very aware of her own hand held in Jareth's, but she kept her head low, watching her own feet move as if an invisible force were guiding them. She trusted Jareth to lead her to her room; though she was not sure if she _should_ trust him, she did not particularly care. It was not as if she had many choices at the moment.

Once safely away from the dining hall he pulled Casey to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Momentarily daring to look down at her he squeezed tighter.

With a gentle step back he shifted both of them to her room. He let go and just waited knowing Casey would have a few things to say to him, and with what he had to say himself he thought it best to let her get her piece over and done so he wouldn't be interrupted.

For a short while, Casey was much too stunned to say anything. She was hardly sure what to say, or what needed to be said. Searching her mind, she landed upon what had happened earlier in the dining room. Turning, she glared at Jareth.

"You are a bastard," she spat. "What did I do to deserve that treatment? Why is everyone in this place against me? That stunt with the wine glass, Jareth! At the dinner table! You are awful!" She sat down on the bed, feeling a bit too tired to put out much more effort than that for anger or rage. She sighed, reasting her head against one column of the four-poster bed. "Those women... They need to mind their own business, and only theirs."

Jareth slipped beside her and ran a finger under her chin making her look at him.

"So I am guessing that you did not enjoy my little demonstration. Strange as the blush across your cheeks and the way you snapped that glass I would say otherwise. You know I can always show you again if you need more convincing of my powers." He slipped his finger up and over her lips, tracing them gently.

Casey's head tilted towards him, her lips parted as she let out a slight sigh. Deep in her abdomen, she felt a strange desire to be with him, but she fought it down as if it were a wild monster needing to be caged. Abruptly, she snapped her mouth shut and jerked her head away, clambering across the bed to the other side and turning her back on him.

"I did not..._enjoy_ it..." she muttered. "It was new, different, but not pleasing." Who was she fooling? She knew he probably would not believe her and, truth to tell, if he did, she would have doubted his abilities as King. Still, she would not admit, to herself even, that what she had felt at that table had been because it was him, Jareth, doing it. It had just been because of what it was, had it been any other man, her reaction would have been the same... Wouldn't it have?

"Not pleasing? You jest, you would have fought against me had the feeling been unpleasant. I would say you enjoyed it, I would have enjoyed it more had it not been the glass my hands were on." What the hell was he doing? He had meant to cool her off so he could get his questions answered, instead he was what? Seducing her?

Casey's breathing hitched, her back arched slightly. She had to force herself to remain calm, breath deeply, and ignore the thoughts of Jareth's hands... Standing again, she moved to the pillow and tucked something behind it. Then she turned back to the King.

"You absolute wretch... Don't try to tell me my own thoughts. You do not even know me." She shook her head, turning to the mirror of the vanity and starting to take out the pins of the simple bun she wore her hair in.

Jareth stood behind Casey and began to help her undo her hair. He grabbed a brush and began to slowly run it through her hair as well as allowing his fingers to brush against her bare neck.

"Casey I need to know, about when you were in the Labyrinth." He ran a bare finger over her neck as he set the brush down on the vanity. His finger moving slowly up and down the nape of her neck.

Casey shivered uncontrollable, dropping the couple of pins she held. She forced out a strained and shaking breath, but when still she could not calm the trembling that seemed to radiate up from her midriff, she became frustrated. When he only continued to almost stroke her skin, she slammed a hand down on the vanity, hard. It thudded, but far from releasing her distress, it really only made her hand hurt. So she inched forwards, closer to the large mirror, looking only at her own face, and refusing to look at his reflection.

"In the Labyrinth?" she asked. "Many things happened, but I suppose you are referring to one instance in particular? Murtagh?"

Slowly using his willowy fingers he slipped her hair over her shoulder and ran his hand down her arm to rest on the hand she had just slammed down.

"Yes him. I was not telling the whole truth when I said I did not know why he was here. In fact I can pretty much guess why." He traced her fingers with his, unable to control his own actions. What was happening, why did he have this strange feeling in him?

"I need to know what he said to you? Everything he said." He trailed his fingers back up her arm and pulled her back into him.

Casey looked down at his hand on hers, watching him. Her heart was racing. His skin on hers was driving her to insanity, and yet she could not pull away.

"He... he said many things. It's difficult for me...to remember." She thought hard for a moment. "He talked of the Council, and the Underground... The ages of its inhabitants." Here, she paused. "You live for so long... How many things you must have been able to see, had you gone to my world, and yet only a lifetime for you."

Jareth turned her around in his arms, one hand pressing against the small of her back firmly so her small body was butted tightly against his. His body reacting as he slowly moved the two of them towards the bed. His free hand soon finding the neckline of her dress, his fingers slipping just inside to slide back and forth.

"I have been to your world many times, I have seen so many things. I could show you if you wanted me to. I could show you so many things." He lowered his lips slightly as the backs of his legs hit the edge of the bed.

"What else did he say?" He slipped one shoulder of her dress off and started to leave faint soft kisses on the warm flesh.

He... said something about you, and me being a threat." She racked her brains but thinking of Murtagh's words was difficult. What he had been doing to her at the time was far too terrifying. She could not formulate the words in her mind now, especially not with Jareth in such close proximity, his mouth on her skin. Before speaking again, she tilted her head to the side, her lips brushing against his ear, breathing softly into it.

"There was a name... I don't recall it exactly," she said. "Ail... I don't know. And he said something about realizing the truth of a prophecy." She paused, closing her eyes. "I'm not sure what he said, Jareth. I was so scared."

Jareth slipped down the other shoulder of her dress and delighted in the feel of it fall from her thin body. His hands found the bare skin of her back, his lips her collarbone. He turned them around so it was her legs against the bed.

"You don't have to worry, he is dead. You are safe now." He lowered her onto the bed, his lithe body covering hers completely.

"Just think Love, all you have to do is think hard enough. Look past all the fear." His lips left her collarbone to begin their search elsewhere.

On the contrary, in this new position, Casey felt more frightened. She tensed, rolling onto her side slightly. Her eyes squinted together, as though she might actually cry. Indeed, she did make a strange, whimpering noise. It was a battle, her heart against her brain, and she could barely tell which wanted what. Too soon... all she could determine from the mess of emotions, was that it was too soon. Even this, made no sense to her.

"Jareth... My dress, please," she whispered.

Jareth looked up at Casey from just above her hips, he slipped up and cupped her face in his hands. He looked her over and sighed. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and rolled off of her just resting on the side of the bed. Without looking behind him he waved his hand creating a long white silk gown over Casey's body.

Casey relaxed again, though her body was still trembling. They were both quiet for quite a while, Casey just slowly catching her breath. Then, finally, she spoke, in a very soft whisper.

"Ailill," she said, the memories becoming clearer now. "He said that Ailill will fall. And that when he... when I was no longer innocent, I would not be a threat to him, and would be nothing more than your...mortal whore." She closed her eyes tightly, feeling tears come to her eyes. "He said you could not have me, if he had me first... and that he would enjoy seeing you suffer... Jareth, that is all I can remember. I'm sorry."

Jareth turned around and searched her over, he could hardly bear to see her in such a state.

"To see me suffer? Are you sure he said that? That if he had you that I would suffer?" He ran his hand through his wild mass of hair. Not a word of that made any sense, he himself was out to be rid of her so why would he suffer if Murtagh had had his way with her?

"Yes, I'm positive that is what he said." Slowly, Casey sat up on the bed, resting back against the multitude of cushions. She looked over at him questioningly. "Jareth... what does it mean? What is Ailill? And this prophecy?"

Jareth reached his hand out to brush just under her chin.

"Remember earlier I told you I didn't want to kill you? Please do not ask me these things." He let his hand fall to the bed and hung his head just sitting there beside Casey.

Casey gritted her teeth in annoyance. She had so many questions. Her whole life, she had asked many questions. Her parents had embraced it, and now she was being told that, for her, the punishment for such questions, the ones that seemed so important, was death. Another tear slid silently down her cheek. Why she was crying, she did not know. Most likely confusion, fear, and stress, with a few additional factors. Needing to think on something, she thought back to her conversation with Ealisaid.

"'You can not escape him just as he can not you,'" she quoted the woman. "Ealisaid, when she was talking to me, it was so confusing. She called me 'Your Majesty', and talked a lot of you, Said you were waiting for me, I think? Is that... Is that true, Jareth?" She cursed under her breath. The questions! She could not help herself!

The problem was he had been waiting for her. All of his damned life he had been waiting for her, only he didn't realize it.

"Not for what you might think. By the Gates what has Ealisaid done?!" He rolled what she had said around in his mind over and over; _'You can not escape him just as he can not you,'_ Not a bit of this made sense.

He stood taking a moment to glance at Casey before shifting away without a word or warning. Nothing made sense, he had to understand this.

Casey stared at the spot where Jareth had just stood moments ago. She was frowning, thoroughly dumbfounded. What was going on? Why had he just left? And what did he mean by 'not for what you might think'? What _did_ she think? Certainly, she did not feel as if she was allowed even to do that.

Nearly half an hour passed, but Casey could draw no conclusions on what all of this meant. So, she lowered herself beneath the blankets, her head resting on th pillows, and drifted off to sleep.

-------------------

Jareth shifted to his room, a large book in his hands. He frowned as he noticed Celeste lounging across his bed already stripped down to her bloomers. He set the book on the table he always kept random bits of information that overflowed from his office.

He did not turn around as the sound of his bed creaked, nor did he respond when Celeste wrapped her arms around his waist pressing herself tightly up against him.

"I've told the other girls about Epona, I'm sorry I didn't before evening meal. I didn't want to scare them." Jareth just nodded.

"My Lord why don't you just come to bed, you look tired. I could get all the knots out of your back for you." She laid soft kisses along the back of his neck. Jareth shrugged her off and set down at the table resigning himself to figuring out what the hell Ealisaid had done.

"Celeste please not tonight, are not you satisfied by now? You have spent most of the day in my bed. Go rest, I will see you tomorrow." Celeste slammed her hands on her hips as she watched her king begin reading instead of looking at her. This was absurd! She made a "humph" noise as she gathered her dress and stomped out of the chambers. Jareth just rolled his eyes, she would get over it soon or later. He would just have to make sure to have a really nice gift for her in the morning.

He flipped through page after page, but as he knew it all said the same thing. But there had to be some hidden meaning behind the words, the Gate Keepers rarely did anything straight forward.

"I can't believe that after all this time the Great Goblin King has yet to figure out the prophecy." Jareth slammed the book shut as a small and graceful figure stood before him. He looked up and just about tossed his book at the woman in his rage.

"You! Have you not caused me enough trouble, you have to come and flaunt it too?" The woman swung her hand a bit in front of her as she walked over to Jareth, she smiled as she ran her hand through his hair and slid it down to rest on his cheek. She looked tenderly into his eyes, and for a moment she could see the look of child-like need in them. But that faded quickly away as he pulled her hand harshly away. He pushed past her to look out of the window, the Labyrinth was beginning to return to normal.

"Jareth, please don't be angry with me. I did what I had to do." Jareth conjured a few crystals and began to spin them slowly in his hands, he had found at an early age that doing this calmed him. Though at the moment it was doing anything but.

"That is always the problem, you are always doing what you "have" to do. For once you could try to do something just for you, and for me. For once could you be anything other than a Gate Keeper?" Jareth tossed the crystals out of the window and watched as they shattered against the ground below.

"Jareth I can't be more than I am." She set her hand on his arm only to have him once again push past her.

"Then you are falling short Ealisaid. All those years you were away what did you think Father and I went through? Did you not think that we needed you, your love? Did you not think a son would need his mother?" Jareth slammed another crystal out of the window, all his life he rarely saw his mother. She had left just after he was born and came around whenever she saw fit. Most of the time just to teach him how to use his power, sometimes he cursed his ability to use crystals as he did. All in the Underground could create them, but no one could manipulate them like he and his mother could.

"You had my love, you still have my love..." Jareth picked up the book from his table and threw it on the floor cutting Ealisaid off.

"Still have your love?! You have condemned me to failure! You and your damned prophecy has fated me to loose my kingdom to some mortal girl! And what shall be left of me after she has finished? Shall I die, live as a servant, or be exiled? I do not know what you believe love to be but this is far from it!" Ealisaid stepped forward holding out her hand to him, but stopped as she saw the anger welling in his eyes.

"I bet you planed this all, your affair with Father. You bore me to be your little pawn!" Ealisaid pulled back trying to hide the tears in her eyes, if only he understood what she had truly done. Then he would not hate her so much. If only she could tell him in more than just riddles.

"Yes if you must know I did plan this, I made sure that I would be the one to bear the heir to the Goblin throne. But I did not set you here just to fall. In time you will understand. Already you question the full truth of my prophecy. And why? Because you can feel it.

"When you are near her you can feel it in you, feel it take over who you are. Jareth heed my words, no matter how hard you try you cannot escape her just as she can not you. You two are linked whether you like it or not." Jareth shoot a look at her, his mind trying to understand the little bits of information she was allowing him.

"You said that to Casey, that we cannot escape each other. What does that mean?" Ealisaid stepped up to her son and rested her hands on his cheek as she began to fade away.

"Don't hold back Jareth, don't hold back to long. In time you will see, and you will love me as I love you my son." Jareth closed his eyes as the feeling of her hand faded from his cheek. Though it seemed impossible he was filled with even more questions, and not one of his original ones answered. 

He groaned as he set on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. What an example of motherly love!

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Authors' Note: Hehe ok well this one got a little long, easy to make chapters long when you have two authors working on it.

Disclaimer: Nope don't own anything from the movie! Check author page for full disclaimer...

**The poem at the beginning of this chapter belongs to Rhiannon Adel Christy, yes Rhia, do NOT use without permission!**


	8. Morning Brings the Sweetest Tempatations

Chapter Eight: Morning Brings the Sweetest Tempatations

My only love sprung from my only hate!  
Too early seen unknown, and known too late!  
Prodigious birth of love it is to me,  
That I must love a loathed enemy.

-William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Act I, Scene V)

As dawn touched the skies, light swept increasingly through the tall windows of Casey's room. At first, she groaned loudly, rolled over, and pulled one of the many pillows over her head to block out the light. It was another minute or two before she braved out from under the cushion once more.

She lie on her back, glaring bitterly up at the ceiling. What would come of today? Was she doomed to sitting at a breakfast, being taunted by Jareth and his harem, and then kept confined in her room until supper, not allowed to even ask questions?

With a sigh, Casey rolled over and dragged herself off the bed. Not bothering to wait and see if Celeste would show up to help her, she began to dig through the wardrobe, wishing she had the power to make clothes merely appear on her as Jareth had done last night.

Last night! The memory flashed before Casey's eyes. What had spurred him to act that way, and what had kept her from pushing him away? Surely, he had enough...sexual pleasure what with his five lovers to take at his leisure, and Casey thought some of them were much prettier than herself. Why had he come onto her in such a way, if that could even be what it was called... Had Casey hesitated a minute longer, if that... She shivered at the thought, though she was not sure if it was a good or bad feeling.

At last, she pulled out an elaborately embroidered, pale blue dress. The sleeves were massive, down almost to Casey's knee, but they were lightweight, and made her smile. On the breast was a design of three entwined horse heads, similar to that on the dress that Ealisaid had given her. Ealisaid, the cause of all her, and Jareth's, it seemed, troubles.

When she had completed dressing, Casey gave herself a moment to peer triumphantly into the mirror. Her silken black hair fell loose over her shoulders and neckline, and she wore no jewelry, as all she could find were enormous pieces of owls, that seemed heavy enough to pull her neck to the floor and break it all over again. With her best attempt at a smile, Casey strode to the door, and stepped out into the quiet corridor

"Hello." A small child-like girl stood just in the hallway, her bright green eyes gazing sweetly up at Casey. She took a step forward, the long silver of her dress fluttering sweetly behind her.

"You must be the Lady Casey. His Majesty has sent me to fetch you for the morning meal." She tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear.

"If you are ready we must be going

"I'm ready." Casey nodded, though as she gazed down at the girl, a feeling of unease stirred in her stomach. Jareth was not in the habit of enslaving, or even just employ very young girls, was he? She hoped not... Ever since her sister had been taken by the children's welfare services, Casey tried her utmost best to avoid being around children. It broke her heart to remember the sobbing face of Iris as the people from the agency carried her away. As if the death of their mother had not been enough...

Casey sighed. But that was the past, and, being now nowhere near Louisville, or even the world as far as she knew, she knew it was best to push the past from the front of her mind, for now. She nodded again to the girl.

"Yes, I'm ready... Take me to the meal, but I am not looking forward to it. To any comments Celeste or the rest of those bitches will make."

The girl laughed as she motioned for Casey to follow.

"Oh no no, you have no need to fret, child. His Majesty has arranged for the Royal Concubines and the Prince to take morning meal out in the gardens of the Castle. You shall be dnning with His Majesty in his personal wing." The girl again tucked a bit of the hair behind her ear as she walked just a breath in front of Casey.

"You are a lucky one, child. His Majesty never even allows the Lady Celeste to dine with him there."  
Casey blinked down at her. Why did this little girl keep calling her "child"? She herself looked no more than maybe seven years old, and then spoke as if she were an elder to Casey.

"Really?" Casey asked, shocked at this bit of information. "Why has he invited me then? I'm sure he enjoys Celeste's company far more than mine..."

The girl made a small humph like noise and shook her head.

"You might be surprised. His Majesty may prefer her company in the bed chambers, but... let's see, how to put this nicely? The Lady Celeste is not the most elegant conversationalist." The girl stopped walking for a moment and shook her head as she held her hand to her lips.

"No no, that is not even right. Oh I do wish His Majesty would take more refined concubines. The fact, Lady Casey, you are the sweetest and most polished woman he has ever taken from Aboveground. If only the royal concubines were more like you.

"But His Majesty doesn't pick the girls for their elegance, that is what a wife is for. No, Celeste was chosen for her...um 'appetite'. And I can assure you, I personally know that His Majesty has a large 'appetite' himself!" She giggled a little before continuing on down a long hall that seemed to never end.

Casey gawked at the girl, her jaw fallen and her mouth hanging open.

"I... beg your pardon!" she exclaimed, stunned now. There was no way this girl was what she appeared to be. Either that, or Jareth was rather more twisted than she had originally thought. She shook that from her mind in disgust. "Is Jareth... married then?" she asked, her heart clenched strangely as she said it.

The girl laughed, her cheeks rather flushed.

"Oh no, I am not sure even an Underground wife would allow him to continue his little pass time. No, if His Majesty had a wife he would have no need for concubines, they are only there to serve a purpose." She ran her hand through her hair once more, this time running a finger over her elongated ears. She jingled the sliver chains which ran the length of her ears and connected to the delectably embossed silver cap that covered the point at the top.

"And do not look so shocked, child. Who do you think filled that purpose before those mortals came?" She winked as they came to two large doors. She stepped up and ran her hand along a small crystal that protruded from the heavy wood. The doors opened to reveal what looked like a large Victorian sitting room.

Casey's absolute appalled feelings were shoved aside by the awe that struck her as she looked into the room. She looked from the girl to the room for a moment. Then, after another second of hesitation, she stepped through the door and gazed around. Everything in this place was so amazing to her. She never before had dreamed of staying in such a dreamland, so rich a place, let alone a royal castle. Her family had never been rich, or powerful, and after high school, she had stayed in a trailer on some extra bit of land owned by her employers. This...prosperity was so strange to her.

"I am guessing that you approve then?" Jareth stepped from the doorway just to the right. He wore not his normal attire, but a simple pair of black pants and a very elegantly designed smoking blazer. The style was not really him, with his wild white-blonde hair sticking out every which way.

Casey looked around at him quickly. A strong wave of feelings flooded her, making her feel slightly dizzy. She nodded quietly, resting her forehead in her hand.

"Yes... It's very nice," she whispered. "Your whole castle is amazing, Jareth. Y-you... you are very lucky to be King."

"Yes, wel, I guess it is good to be King." He smiled somewhat softly and looked to the small girl by the door.

"Eibhlin, you may go now." Eibhlin nodded and backed out of the room, closing the doors as she went.

Jareth looked Casey over, his eyes stopping on the horse motif on her breast. His face went red and his mouth set. How she got such an article of clothing he didn't know.

He stomped over to her and gazing down at her, he waved his hands, changing the image to a large owl, its wings outspread.

Casey's face grew rather annoyed as she glared up at him. What was the issue with him? He acted so odd, so impulsive.

"Yes, I suppose it would be good to be a powerful royal brat," she muttered, looking away to the now closed door. "You have the power to make anyone do what you want, apparently... Make them live their life how you want them to live it."

"I only provide, I do not take that which is not given me and I give much more than I am asked. Everyone in this castle is free to live how they wish, and it just so happens that they wish to live serving me." He pulled back from Casey and opened the doors to the left of him.

"Now unless you wish to insult me some more, morning meal is ready." He held his hand out for Casey as he held the door with his other.

Without thinking, Casey took his hand and followed him into the other room.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you, but..." She shrugged, watching strands of his hair flutter behind him as he walked. She reached up on an impulse and ran a few of these said strands through her thin fingers. She sighed wistfully, gazing at him.

"Out of curiousity, who was the little girl that brought me here?"  
Jareth stopped and just looked down at Casey as she ran his hair through her fingers. Returning to reality he continued on, his hand squeezing Casey's slightly.

"Her name is Eibhlin, she is your new maid. And she is hardly a little girl." He laughed thinking on Eibhlin's reaction to being called a "little girl".

"Hardly a little... What on earth do you mean, Jareth? She is tiny... She looked about the same age as my little sister."

Casey raised an eyebrow slightly, though she was a little too distracted with combing through his hair with her fingers to offer him much more of an expression. She licked her lips quickly, her eyes locked on his.  
Jareth felt his heart stop as her eyes focused on his. He reached out with his other hand and pulled hers from his hair. He let go of her and took a step back.

"She may look young to your eyes, but she is five hundred years old. She is a member of the Aderyn. To those Aboveground she would be called a nymph. That 'little girl' look is just her preferred form. Though I must say I do like her more adult form, it has been awhile since I have seen her take it."

Casey breathed a sigh of relief to hear that Jareth was not some sort of pedophile. However, the feeling was quite clouded by the fact that he was pulling away from her. She frowned and tried to follow, but stopped herself and turned away.

"That...that explains why she kept calling me 'child', then," she said. "Where are we eating?"

"Here." He pulled back a large black velvet curtain to reveal a dining area built for two. The table set with white china plates filled with pastries and a sort of fruit salad.

"I normally dine here alone, in fact no one but you, Eibhlin and a few of her brothers who work as my cooks have ever set foot in this wing. The goblins are not allowed here." He smiled and waited for Casey to enter.

"I'm honored," Casey whispered, stepping forward and taking a seat among the pillows that were scattered about the floor around the low table. She looked around the table at the different types of food, then up at Jareth.

"If I may ask... Why have you invited me to breakfast with you?"

"I am not accustomed to apologizing, but I do wish to say that I am sorry for what happened at evening meal last night. My Ladies are not the most subtle creatures you have ever met. I do believe that is my fault. I have been shameless in allowing them to brag when we go to balls and such." He slipped down beside Casey spreading his legs out before him.

"And also Celeste is a little upset, and I would rather not endure her foul temper this morning. Nor I think would you. The other Ladies and my brother can deal with her instead." He laughed as he picked up a small pastry and began to pick it in half.  
Casey watched as he halved a pastry, though she was not feeling hungry herself. Actually, that was not entirely true. She had trained herself to not eat much for any meal of the day. She often had only an apple in the morning, a very small lunch, and then a bigger dinner. This way, it was easier to stay light for her profession, but most of this food seemed quite heavy. Too get her mind off of food, Casey spoke.

"What is she upset about? Did I say something last night that she did not agree with, beside me simply being there? She clearly did not even like that."  
Jareth bit into the pastry and moved a bit so he could better see Casey. He laughed as he looked up from his lounging position beside her.

"No it was not really you, it was more of the fact she had to sleep in an empty bed last night."

"Oh," Casey replied, understanding immediately. She rolled her eyes as she looked over at Jareth. She relaxed a little, seeing him lounging as he was.  
"She's rather needy, isn't she?" Casey reached over and picked a piece of fruit out of the bowl. "And you like that? Aren't concubines supposed to be fine with a night of... rest?" She took a bit of the fruit and held the other bite a few inches from her mouth as she chewed the first.

"One might think so, but Celeste was...well before she came to the Underground she wasn't the good girl you are. But it wasn't really that I would not lie with her, it was more along the lines that she thinks I spent the night with you." Jareth smiled feeling comfortable for the first time around the girl. As long as he pushed who she was in the back of his mind he could actually enjoy his time with her.

"Me?" Casey sounded incredulous. She was laughing, and though it was a bit of an uncomfortable laugh, it was crystal clear. "I knew I was not going to like that woman... She is a vain piece of work, I'll tell you that!" She quieted for a moment to take another piece of fruit. When she had swallowed, she stared at him, realizing something.

"Jareth... Had I not stopped you, would you... would you have...?" Her expression made her meaning plain.  
Jareth picked up another pastry and again split it in half.

"You mean would we have slept together? I don't know what answer you are truly looking for, but the truth is yes. If you had not stopped it..." He trailed off thinking back to the feeling of her flesh beneath his lips.  
Casey shivered, seemingly just at the thought. She stared off into space, the piece of fruit in her hand quite forgotten. She was thinking about the rush of feeling she had gotten last night, the buzz that his lips on her skin had sent through her mind and body. She had never even let Ian touch her in any way like that... Why had she let Jareth get so far? Why had she not stopped him? And more importantly, why did she feel so guilty about doing so at all?  
Jareth sat up and leaned over to Casey, he watched as her gaze turned blank.

"Are you alright? You look as though you are contemplating the salad. Come on try this, you will have never tasted anything so wonderful in your life." He pulled a pastery from the table and after tearing it in half he set it to her lips waiting for her to bite into it.  
Slowly, Casey parted her lips to the pastry and took a dainty bite. She made a quiet noise as she chewed it, nodding, and then swallowed.

"Very good," she admitted. "But I'm not terribly hungry. I was just...thinking..."  
Jareth sat fully up and wiped a small amount of cream from her lips. He shook his head as he set the pastry down on the table. Slowly he took her chin and made her look at him. She was so beautiful and though they had not met but three days ago she seemed so familiar to him.

"You barely ate anything last night, in fact you have barely eaten anything for three days." He let go of her chin and returned to lounging beside her.

"What could it be that has you so preoccupied? What thoughts are running through that pretty head of yours?" He smirked as he continued to watch her.

"I...don't usually eat much." Casey shrugged her slender shoulders. "It's not that I do not like the food, I'm really just not very hungry." Despite this, she reached over and pulled the rest of the pastry from his hand, taking another tiny bite. She smiled.

"I've got a few things on my mind. The Underground, the Labyrinth, you and Celeste,...Murtagh... Many yet to be answered questions, and..." She fell silent, looking down at the emblem on her dress. She started. There, once more, was no longer the large owl, but a galloping horse of about the same size. Casey's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked down at Jareth.

"Did you...?" She trailed off, glancing down at the horse embroidery once more.  
Jareth shot straight up, his eyes fixed on the breast of Casey's dress.

"Ealisaid!" He groaned as he passed his hands over the image once more to change it back to an owl. He looked away from Casey to glare out of the window. He knew she was watching, what the hell did she want from him?  
"Jareth?" Casey asked, watching him closely. "Jareth, what's the matter?"

Cautiously, she reached over and touched his arm. Her hands were soft and gentle as she wrapped her fingers lightly about his wrist, requesting that he turn back to her.

"What has Ealisaid done?"  
Jareth looked down at her fingers wrapped lightly around his wrist, he pulled his hand away but did not move from where he sat.

"Everything..." He just gazed at Casey, not moving, not smiling, but just gazing. What emotion was in his eyes would take hundreds upon hundreds of years to decode.  
Casey could do nothing but gaze right back. She wanted to comfort him, help him, but she had not the foggiest inkling as to how, or where, to start. Chewing her lip slightly, she leaned forward the tiniest fraction of an inch.

"Jareth... What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You are making no sense."  
Jareth ran a hand across her cheek before dropping it and lying fully back against the pillows. He closed his eyes as he slipped his hands behind his head.

"I suppose I'm not, at least not to you." He shifted his weight so the pillows beneath him gave way to give him as much comfort as possible.

"I am sorry I must keep you in the dark about certain things, but do believe me I only do it for protection. Yours and mine."  
Casey could not decide between pouting, or feeling angry. She watched him for a moment, until an idea formed in her mind. Slowly, almost cautiously, she inched towards him. With one hand by his shoulder to place her weight on, she leaned over him. Her breathing picked up, despite herself, making her chest heave within its corset. Her other hand rested softly on his chest.

"What about my asking questions has to do with my death?" she inquired.  
Jareth opened his eyes with a start, this was new. He didn't move from his position, only lifted one hand and began to slowly run it up and down the arm of the hand on his chest.

"It's not the questions, it is the answers. Should you ever know them what had been set in motion long ago would never be able to be stopped."  
"The Prophecy?" Casey asked, coming to that particular conclusion on her own.

She leaned further over him. In the current position, he would have a lovely view down her dress bodice, her heavy breathing still making her bosom rise and fall rapidly. Her long black hair, which she had not tied up, fell forwards, a few strands brushing over Jareth's skin.  
Jareth sighed at the feeling of her hair falling on him. He nodded as he moved his hand up to run through her raven strands.

"Yes, and as long as you don't know you and I will be safe." He glanced down from her eyes, the sight of the sweet swell of her breasts making his blood start to heat.  
Lingeringly, Casey's mouth loomed ever so close to Jareth's, her breath cascading over his face and through his flaxen hair. Her lips just barely touched the skin at the corner of his mouth. As she spoke, her cherry lips brushed over his.

"Tell me..." she breathed, closing her eyes  
"I...don't..." His breathing quickened at an alarming rate, what was she trying to do? Why the hell was she over him like this.

"...I don't..." He tried again, he lifted his head to press his lips more into her's.

"I don't want to kill you.' He finally managed as he set his head back down trying to keep his gaze from her.  
"Jareth..." Casey whispered, taking a hold of his chin and forcing him to look at her. She forced a kiss to him, her lips pushing his open and her tongue running over his teeth.

"You do not have to kill me... I won't do anything to you... I promise."  
Jareth moaned, he wasn't sure if he liked the tables being turned or not.

"But you will, you will take everything from me." Jareth wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her roughly into him.  
Casey gasped as she straddled his hips. Placing her hands above his shoulders on the pillows, she leaned over him again, looking down into his mismatched eyes.

"Jareth, I'm not going to take anything..." She pressed another demanding kiss to his lips. "Not from you." She kissed the middle of his neck. "Not from anyone..." Her lips roamed over his collar bones slowly. "Why would I want to?"  
Jareth's breath was labored as Casey ran kisses along his body. His hands slipped along her back down to her hips and around her as she continued.

"As Casey you wouldn't, you are innocent, beautiful and only a mortal child. But as Epo..." He stopped and tried to tame his boiling blood, suddenly he realized what was happening. She was seducing the information out of him.  
"What?" Casey asked, oblivious to his catching on.  
She ran one hand low on his abdomen, yanking up on his shirt so that it bunch about his chest, and then running a single finger inside the waistline of his pants.

"As what?" She planted a deep kiss on his stomach. "Jareth... I know that you want to tell me..."  
Jareth stilled his breath, for a virgin she was very good at this. He slipped his hands up just under her breasts and with one fluid motion he turned them over so he was above Casey. He laughed lowly as he roughly pressed a kiss to her, his hands pulling the fabric of her dress above her hips.

He pressed against her and laughed into his kiss before he shot up from the floor to dust himself off.

"She chose you well, the more and more you are Underground the more like my people you become." He smirked down at Casey below him, his eyes drinking in her small form.

"Next time though don't try such a trick on me, remember I can turn it around any time I wish." He kneeled before her and ran a hand from her cheek down to the inside of her thigh.

"Pity, you are very beautiful." In a shower of blue sparkles he was gone.

"Damn it!" Casey exclaimed, yanking her dress back down and sitting up. Her face was rather flushed, but she ignored the heat in her skin and stormed from the breakfast spot.

Why would he not just talk to her? Why was he being so stubborn? And why, of all things, did she feel so attracted to him? Because the truth was simply that, yes, she had been trying to seduce him, but only at first... She had never meant for it to get that far... It just happened.

Out in the hallway, Casey stomped off in one direction. She had gotten about ten feet, before it occurred to her that she was going in the wrong direction. Violently, she spun about, and went the other way. He was so horrid, and she should hate him and yet... This was not the right direction either. She turned around again, taking rough, angry steps. And yet... she did not hate him, she could not hate him. Oh hell! She was right before, it was definitely the other direction! No... she could not hate him, she could not!

Jareth slammed a crystal into the wall of his chambers, he spun around and threw his hands up in the air.

"Come on Mother! I know you are watching!" Jareth waited for Ealisaid to show, but only was given the sound of tsking from his mother's light voice.

"Coward!" He shouted as he threw another crystal.

"I do believe my son you are the coward. Why didn't you tell her? In fact why didn't you finish what you both have been trying to do since you first met?" Jareth stopped and glared at Ealisaid, she sat elegantly in the chair at his desk. Her long silver hair drifting across the large amount of paper work.

"And what pray-tell would that be, kill each other?" She only shook her head as she stood and began to disappear.

"You are a silly boy, give in to you need Jareth. Let your passion and carnal need for her rule you, not your mind. Your mind is weak and ignorant to what has been set. Listen to your body and most of all, your mind." With that she left. Jareth slammed down in his chair, it was far from everyday that your mother told you to bed a woman.

--------------------

Diarmuid walked down the hall stopping as he heard heavy footsteps. He had left the company of his brother's concubines after realizing they simply had two subjects planned for the morning. Talking about Jareth and his bed habbits, and Casey and when Jareth would take her as a lover and even if he would knowing she was Epona.

At the moment he was simply trying to find one place in the castle where he might get a little peace, he needed to think.

Hearing faint approaching footsteps, Casey spun about and glared at an intersecting corridor to her own. Cautiously, she edged towards the entry and peeked through. Her eyes fell upon the other man from dinner the following evening, Lord Diarmuid. Casey sighed in slight relief at learning that it was not Jareth coming back. She stepped out in plain sight of the Lord, double checking that her dress and hair were presentable. She eyed him, wearily, quietly.

"Ah Lady Casey how lovely to see you." Diarmuid smiled a fake little smile. He examined the look of the girl before him, she looked completely shot. Knowing that she must have just come from morning meal with his brother he had a good feeling as to why the girl's hair was tossled and her dress wrinkled. At first he was nervous that he had been too late. But the look on her face and the fact that she was not at the moment in Jareth's chambers was a good indication that nothing had happened save a little fore play.  
Casey only nodded, still feeling distracted by the high she had gotten for being with Jareth. She shook herself hard and spoke, though her voice was cracked.

"Lord... Diarmuid?" she said, hoping that her best attempt to remember the name had paid off correctly. "How was your breakfast with," she flinched, "the... ladies?"  
Diarmuid laughed somewhat bitterly.

"Ladies would be far from what I would call those five, school girls would be more correct. But my brother of course has a better sense about dealing with women. I doubt using the word "whore" when addressing his concubines would get him as much pleasure as they seem to give him." He clasped his hands behind his back as he walked slowly over to Casey.

"But to answer your question, it was horrid, just absolutely horrid. I would rather have dined in the Bog of Eternal Stench, the smell would have been more pleasant then those women's constant talk of my brother's gifts. I don't think anyone but Jareth would enjoy hearing how he can please them. I completely lost my appetite." He made a strange face as though he would throw up. He wondered what she would think if she knew about how they talked about her.  
Casey smiled, if a little falsely.

"Yes, I can somewhat imagine the situation." With a small frown and a sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest. She felt chilled suddenly, as though she had forgotten something important, vital to her existence. She shivered and shook her head in an attempt to dispel the feeling. She looked back up at Diarmuid.

"I myself lost my appetite. Or, what little I had to begin with." She shrugged. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone with...them. Not that it was my choice." She paused, looking thoughtful. "I am feeling a little hungry now, though..."  
Diarmuid set his hand to his chin in thought, a smile ran across his features as he gazed at the girl in front of him.

"Well I could always treat you to something to eat. I know a way into the kitchens that Jareth does not know about." He offered his hand to Casey trying to act as sweetly as he could.  
Casey eyed his hand warily, unsure if the best move was to take it or kindly decline. Lord Diarmuid did seem sweet, and a gentleman. Furthermore, they had already agreed on a few points, something that Casey really had not experienced since her arrival in the Underground.

"That would be lovely." She reached out with her own hand and rested her own on top of his.  
Diarmuid smiled and took her arm and wound it within his. He patted her hand as he shifted to a small room. He let go of her and pulled back one of the tapestries on the wall.

"When we were children while Jareth was busy primping himself I was exploring the castle, he still doesn't know about all the passageways. I sometimes use them when I come to visit, much better then hearing my Brother complain." He laughed a little as he waited for Casey to enter the small passage.  
As Casey stepped after Diarmuid, she smiled as well. With the help of his kind and gentlemanly attitude, she was beginning to relax. She still, however, could not get her thoughts from Jareth.

"Primping himself?" she asked. "How so? I mean...Has he always been so vain?" She shut her mouth, thinking she may have said too much. "Sorry."  
Diarmuid laughed as he conjured a small flame in his hand to light the way.

"Why be sorry, it is the truth my Lady. Jareth is very vain, but then again I can't say that I am with out fault in this area. All of my people tend to be vain in some way. I myself have an obsession with my complexion. Jareth on the other hand...well I am sure you have seen his obsessive cosmetic usage." He laughed as he rounded a bend and held his free hand out for Casey to take.  
She did take the proffered hand and increased the briskness of her walk to keep up with him on her own short legs. In head mind's eye, she could see a teenaged Lord Diarmuid peering at himself in a mirror and having a minor stroke over a pimple. She giggled, rather offhandedly, and lifted the back of her hand up to stifle the sound.  
"What is it my Lady that is so amusing?" He lifted a brow as the made their way down another bend. Diarmuid could only shake his head at the giggling girl.  
"Oh, nothing." Casey sounded wistful. "Harmless thoughts." She shifted her hand a little so that her own fingers could entwine with his as they continued padding down the corridors.

"So, just how much more of the castles do you know than your brother the King, my Lord?" she asked.  
Diarmuid smirked as they stopped just shy of what appeared to be a door.

"Oh more than he would like me to." He creaked the door open and made a quick once over through the kitchen to make sure there were no goblins about.

"Aw here we are. So what could I interest you in? My brother has some of the finest foods imported here. Perhaps a light pastry would be to your liking. The cream is scented with a lovely liquor that tastes much like the Aboveground's vanilla." He smiled as he pulled a small pastry from a delicately carved box. He split it in half and set it to her lips waiting for her to taste.  
Almost timidly, Casey's lips parted and she took a small bite of the pastry. Her nature told her not to eat such things; she would gain too much weight to be able to race. She told herself that it didn't matter any longer, though, which was true, for the most part. She probably would never get back to racing anyways.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she took another bite of the pastry, a bigger one, letting her lips gently brush his finger. She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Very good, Lord Diarmuid."  
Diarmuid smiled and leaned in to wipe away a bit of the cream from her lips. His face only a breath a way from her own.

"How about we see what else we have to eat?"  
"Mh-hm." With a nod, Casey blinked and looked away, breaking their gaze. She glanced about the large kitchens, with the stone walls and inviting fires in the grates. She moved over to one of these fireplaces, thinking hard.

Jareth. That was what her mind seemed to keep wanting to go back to. Jareth. He was all she could have significant, rational thoughts on. She shook her head as she sat down in a wooden chair by the cooking fire. Anger flared up in her again. Why was he keeping her here and not telling her anything? His idea of a joke, or...something else? She felt like she needed to punish Jareth, make him angry and hurt. She turned her head to gaze steadily at Diarmuid. She smiled.

Maybe that would not be so hard to do.

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Authors' Note: Ok sorry it took us so long to update, quite a few things got in the way. But here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope don't own it, just having fun!


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