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Perchance To...	By : Rhondda Category: G through L > Labyrinth Views: 5268 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or any of the characters seen in the movie. There is no money being made by this story

Chapter List
- 10
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As they drew near Sarah could see the field of tents had indeed been transported to just outside the castle walls. There was a slight greenish tint to the air. She would suppose it was from the light being filtered from the lake, the same with the darker feel. Except for the bright waves of sun magnified by the rippled water above, the place seemed as an overcast day.
The procession rode in silence through the dancing light of the water-filtered sun until they reached the camp. That was when the sound of chatter and laughter filled the air once more.
Sai grinned at Sarah. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"No one said anything about that." Her voice was accusing as she pointed up, indicating the lake water swirling above their heads, looming and threatening as some large fish swam by. The sky was supposed to be endless above, not looming barely over the treetops.
"I thought everyone knew Annwn was the land under the lakes. I'm sorry. I sometimes forget that our ways are not your own," Sai looked properly apologetic.
Six people approached and Sai grinned. "Sarah, these are the children of our companions. Lady Oriana's daughter, Mary," a pretty redhead who looked to be about twenty years of age curtsied to Sarah. Sarah was certain that Mary was human. "That's Kyle, Macha's son," Sai indicated a tall, dark haired man in his mid-thirties, also human though his ears seemed to come to a slight point. "Jane, Lunid's pride and joy," a fresh faced but plump girl in her late teens nodded. "Karen, Cariadwyn's daughter," a blonde child of ten smiled shyly at Sarah. "Thomas, Dana's youngest," the mocha skinned boy looked fifteen. "And Emmy, our newest foundling and Kalar's delight," the dark haired child was three or so with huge blue eyes and she half hid behind Karen, whose hand she held.
"They're all..." Sarah paused, her surprise evident on her face.
"Human. Yes. I told you they were children from Jareth. What do you think he does with the little ones that are wished away?" Sai looked at Sarah expectantly.
"He told me he turned them into goblins," Sarah's anger was evident in her tone.
"I said no such thing." Jareth had brought Diabolique around to join the group. "You ASSUMED that's what I said. I told you, you had thirteen hours to complete the labyrinth or your brother became one of us forever. Us, indicating that I was including myself." He leaned in the saddle to look directly in Sarah's eyes. "Tell me, Sarah, do I look like a goblin to you?"
"You mean right this minute?" She glared.
The other ladies seemed to find Jareth's 'joke' on Sarah vastly amusing. They laughed heartily. Taking their leave of them, they collected their human children and faded into the camp.
"Let's not linger. We have to catch up with the others who are also residing in the castle tonight." Jareth clucked his tongue to urge his nightmare forward.
"Yeah, let's. I'm SO looking forward to it," Sarah urged Starshine to follow the others.
Once in the courtyard of the castle, servants rushed to take their horses. Jareth seemed amused as he watched one man try to figure out how to approach the unfamiliar nightmare. He seemed to know enough about the creature to be wary. Diablique snapped razor teeth as the man and he leapt back in terror, spurring the beast to rear up and use it's clawed front hooves to strike. Jareth simply rode out the move, making no move to control the mare's actions. A large circle cleared around the animal. However, Jareth offered neither respite nor advice as the man tried to figure out the best angle of approach.
Luckily for the groom, Ian ran across the courtyard to fetch her reins. "I'll take her. You see to the rest."
The man nodded thankfully and reached for Starshine's lead.
Inside the castle proper, they were greeted by a lady bearing a tray with a loaf of bread with a silver salt celler sitting in the bundt-like center. A goblet of red wine sat to the side. Jareth took a pulled a piece of the soft bread from the loaf, where it was apparent others had as well. He dipped the bread into the salt and ate it before taking a sip of the wine. He looked meaningfully at Sarah and she carefully repeated his actions. The bread would have been wonderful if not for the salt. She tried not to think of how many people must have sipped from the wine goblet and took a small mouthful to wash down the brine of the bread. Sai followed the ritual next. Sarah noticed that Gwyn, himself, served a tray to Tatiana and Oberon.
Sarah could have smacked her own forehead. Of course, she recalled now that salt and bread was some sacred ritual of hospitality in many cultures. In this place where words held such power, what power then did such deliberate rituals hold?
Sarah and Sai followed a torch bearing servant up a flight of stairs while Gwyn led the High King, Queen and Jareth into what appeared to be the great hall.
Sarah lost track of the twists and turns as she walked past beautiful tapestries and paintings, many of which depicted scenes that moved with aching slowness, like the ones in the Goblin Castle had. The young boy leading them stopped outside of an intricately carved door and, pushing it open, gestured them inside.
"Your things are waiting, m'lady. Your lady-in-waiting is in the kitchens if you wish me to fetch her." The boy lit several braziers with a touch. Like those in Jareth's tent they were bright, but not with true fire.
"That's all right. I can see to myself for now." She didn't really want to bother Col.
The lad left and Sai looked at the huge portrait over the large bedroom's fireplace. Sarah followed her gaze and had to admire the workmanship as well. The woman was stunning.
"Now there's a nice little dig." Sai sat on the edge of the huge, canopied bed.
"What is?" Sarah noticed the room was lavish sporting rich jewel tones with gold embellishments, reminding her vaguely of India.
Sai pointed to the portrait. "Princess Aifa. Shall I tell you another story?"
Sarah nodded and sat in a well-cushioned chair, leaning forward to catch every word Sai spoke.
"I suppose I should start with once upon a time, then. Isn't that how tales of the Fae start? How trite. Actually, this happened about five hundred years ago, before even my time. But I have heard the story many times, and from various sources who witnessed the events. Still, this is not a first hand account, mind you." Sai sat back on the bed and smoothed her skirts, making herself comfortable.
"Princess Aifa of Annwn was surpassingly beautiful, even by the Fae standards. Only her appetite exceeded her beauty. She didn't crave food, mind you, but power and pleasure. She was determined to move her way through every willing male in the courts, from lowest to highest, by trading political favors for pleasure. It is said that in her three hundred years she had learned all there was to know of fleshly matters, and invented more than a few on her own. It was then that she decided to have a goal. Her goal, it seemed, was to be High Queen of all Faerie."
Sai motioned to the portrait. "She determined that the best way to go about this was to snare the High Prince into marriage. Thus, when Oberon finally passed from this temporal existence, she would become High Queen through his son.
"Now, at this time the High Prince was very young, only one hundred or so. He was used to being flattered and to having his pick of women. After all, everyone wants royal favor and he was happy to oblige. In under a week Aifa had gotten into the High Prince's bed. Her astounding knowledge soon drained his Highness of most of his operating brain cells. She was leading him around, and it wasn't by his nose." Sai snorted.
"Oberon saw what was happening and his warnings went unheeded. After all, what did an old man know of love? Love? Like Aifa knew the meaning of the word beyond its relation to herself." Sai checked to make sure she still had Sarah's attention, then continued.
"To intercede, Oberon took it upon himself to teach both parties a lesson, and to have his own enjoyment at the same time. He began to openly seduce Aifa. It didn't take much. Her ambition over ran her common sense. Why wait for untold centuries with a spoiled princeling when she could have the High King himself? With her knowledge, she could convince Oberon to leave Titania, or so she thought.
"She left Jareth with a pat on the head and a mention of what a pleasant toy he'd been, and ran off to be with Oberon. THAT was the first part of the rift between Jareth and his father. It was also what convinced Jareth love was for fools and a distinct weakness to anyone who was foolish enough to be tricked by it. Such softer emotions were a trap, so he began to suspect, and easily used by those knew how."
"Soon enough it became apparent that Oberon was not as entranced with Aifa as Jareth had been. He wasn't about to leave his Queen. He dismissed Aifa from Court after he bored of her. She immediately saw what had happened. She tried to win Jareth again, but she'd been gone long enough that he'd let the blood flow from parts south back into his brain and he had wised up. After all, she'd left him for his own father."
"Furious, Aifa returned to Annwn with her ambitions shattered. She took up with some other men of the court who were moderately powerful nobles and kings, trying to incite a rebellion, no doubt. But no one was fool enough to oppose Oberon for the likes of her. She was soon discovered to be pregnant and kept the child.
"You see, the Fae women are only fertile once every fifty years, and for some reason, the childbirth death rate is about fifty percent. It's one of the reasons the Fae take human children. It was not really surprising to the Fae that she decided to keep the baby. But something in her snapped at his birth. Oh, he was a beautiful baby, by all accounts, but Aifa had used up much of her strength and magic in the birthing of him. She was lovely still, but not as lovely as she had once been. She went mad. There is actually much reason to pity poor Gwyn. For the first fifteen years of his life he was raised by an insane mother and his almost senile grandfather. When he was fifteen, Gwyn himself found Aifa. She had put an iron blade through her own heart."
Sarah gasped. "How horrible!"
"Exactly. She blamed the High family for the foiling of her plans and the loss of her beauty and power, and no doubt she fed such drivel to her son. A little before Gwyn was born Jareth had completed the split with his parents. There are those who say Aifa went to see Oberon to claim that Gwyn was Oberon's own, after all it would improve her position to have born the High King's bastard. However, the High King refuted this, and told her he would not claim the child. After Aifa's death, the High King and Queen took pity on Gwyn, who was then just a child, and brought him to live at court. It fueled speculation that he was actually Oberon's. But the High King and Queen, while often petty, would not blame a child for the sins of the parent. When Gwyn's grandfather died, Oberon declared Gwyn King of Annwn, and Master of the Wild Hunt.
"Gwyn has always, to all appearances, remained loyal to the crown. After all, they treated him well. And if he has heard the rumors he makes no mention of it. While it IS possible that he and Jareth might be brothers, it's also possible they are cousins, or not related in the least. A score of courtiers and Kings passed through these halls between Aifa's affair with Oberon and the birth of Gwyn. The only one who knew the truth of it was Aifa, and she never told."
Sarah shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "That certainly explains a lot." She considered for a moment. "Poor Jareth, being rejected by his first love and his father at the same time. I mean, there had to have been a better way to handle the situation."
Sai nodded. "Probably there was. But Oberon has something of an amorous history of his own. I doubt he could pass up the chance. He isn't the type to put anyone before himself, and certainly not his son. That, no doubt, is why her portrait adorns the rooms set aside for you and Jareth. It is meant to twist the knife."
"What was the second thing?" Sarah looked at Sai.
"Hmm?" The kitsune looked confused.
"You said the Aifa incident was the first, and by the time Gwyn was born the split between Jareth and his parents was complete. What happened?"
Sai sighed. "Are you certain you want to know? It isn't very nice, Sarah."
"And that story you just told me was? Tell me, Sai." Sarah set her jaw, as if awaiting a blow.
"Have you ever heard of the play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?" Sai asked.
"Yes, many times. I made the connection as soon as I heard the names Titania and Oberon," Sarah said encouragingly.
"Well, old Will had most of it right. The part about the human lovers was pure drivel, mind you. But Titania and Oberon did fight for possession of a young Indian boy, three years of age. An exquisite child, so sweet and innocent. Oberon got custody of him by the very trickery the story claims. But there was no happily ever after." Sai played with her own fingers, stalling, until Sarah cleared her throat.
"Jareth was jealous. He'd been ignored, hurt, and now shoved aside for a human child. He stole the boy. When Oberon finally caught him he demanded the child back. Jareth told him, quite proudly, that he'd turned the brat into a goblin. Oberon was furious. He couldn't truly exile the High Prince, or he would have. He did the next best thing. He claimed he would teach Jareth responsibility. He declared that since he had such an affinity for goblins he could be their king. That his kingdom would be the goblin lands and the wild and untamed Labyrinth around them, and Jareth was not to grace the court with his presence unless called for. And as punishment for the taking of the child, whenever a mortal wished away a child, he was under a geas to take it, so he'd end up surrounded with unwanted children."
Sarah visibly winced.
"The irony is, no one expected him to succeed. No one could control goblins because they're too stupid, violent and unpredictable. But Jareth actually got them somewhat organized, and put the fear of himself into them. Jareth was already a very accomplished mage and he struck up a friendship, a partnership almost symbiotic, of sorts with the Labyrinth, which is a living thing. He sees to its needs and it accommodates him. As for the problem of the children, nothing was said of him having to KEEP them. Those stories of the Fae stealing mortal children were true. But Fae kind abandoned the realm of Earth when the use of Iron became too popular among mortals. They had little opportunity to take human children as their own, as they had of old. Jareth has formed many allegiances with powerful families because of his ability to give them the children they desire. And, I must say, he has never handed a child to anyone who might not make a good parent. I must credit him with that much." Sai tried to judge Sarah's reaction to all this.
Sarah sat perfectly still. "That's a lot to take in. Thank you for telling me. I think I needed to know. But... could I be alone for a while?" Her voice and manner were a bit wooden. She swallowed around the lump in her throat.
Sarah wasn't sure what she was feeling. Horror, pity, anger, admiration all warred within her.
"Of course. I'll even try to distract Jareth for a while." Sai smiled wanly, knowing well that what she had just revealed was a hard bite to swallow.
Sarah closed the door after Sai and leaned against it, closing her eyes against the mental images the story she had just been told gave her.
Could it be that she really had misjudged Jareth so badly? She curled her feet up under her as she perched in the wing-backed chair she'd been sitting on. Did it really change ANYTHING? He was still arrogant and quite capable of being cruel, even if he didn't really turn little children into goblins, he did take them from their families, he'd evidently whipped a man to within an inch of his life. And what had happened to the boy he'd stolen? Did he turn him into a goblin? Kill him? Abandon him somewhere? He was still manipulative, as her very presence here gave evidence.
Sarah spent a long time staring into a fire, lost in her own thoughts.
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