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In A Time Of Winter	By : Jetredgirl Category: G through L > Labyrinth Views: 5645 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Labyrinth or it's characters in any way. The Original Characters ARE mine, but I don't profit from them either :)

Chapter List
- 4
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- 6
The Goblin Castle:
Harmony padded silently down the dim hall. The shadows providing enough cover that she would not be noticed by most of nocturnal creatures that may be wandering about.
It was deep in the night in The Goblin Kingdom, everyone had went to bed hours ago.
She had tried, but once again she had been awakened by terrifying nightmares. She shared chambers with her sister Lily which had been expanded to accommodate two large beds as they had gotten older. She almost crawled into bed next to her sister to alleviate her fear, but stopped once again, and put on her robe and slippers to wander the dark castle alone.
When they were young they preferred to sleep in the same bed. Only a little less than 2 years separated them, so they had grown up being extremely close even if they were as different as night and day. Only when Harmony had started to change from child to young woman had she desired a bed of her own, but still wanting her sister close by.
She supposed it was about time she got chambers of her own, being full grown and on the cusp of entering society proper. Part of her wished she could just stay as she was. There were still several sets of empty chambers and her father could expand the castle at will. She would like to move to a different wing. She sighed at that thought, knowing her parents would never allow it. The royal family wing was the most secure area of the castle.
As much as she fought it, she knew deep inside she was blessed to be cherished and loved so deeply by her parents. She remembered when it was just herself and Lily and how they would dance among the flowers in their mother's garden, their parents sitting on a blanket watching and laughing their eyes filled with love.
That was time of such innocence for all of them. Then more children came. Not that she didn't love her other siblings, but something started to change inside of her.
Somewhere after the twins were born, she had begun to contemplate what it meant to be the oldest. The first born. She had to be be responsible, sensible. She spent much time at her father's side. Learning magic, diplomacy, anything and everything he did running his kingdom, she wanted to learn it. He alone taught her to use a sword and even he was astounded by her level of skill with it.
Harmony thought maybe a part of her resented her mother having more children after Lily. Few underground parents were blessed with more than 2 or 3 children in their long lives.
Most immortals had been astonished that Jareth's parents had 4, her Aunt Jewel had been what was called a "pleasant surprise" by her grandfather born after all their other children were grown and gone to their own lives so she was little competition or worry to her siblings for their parents affections.
Harmony also wished she had known her mortal family. They were little more than a story of people whose lives were so brief yet without them she would not exist. Her mother and Uncle Toby did the best they could but for Harmony it was hard to comprehend.
She had no idea what it was really like to lose someone she loved. She could not imagine it. Her family would live for thousands of years at least.
They had dealt with death in The Goblin Kingdom. Not all creatures were immortal here. They had several denizens of their lands that had been friends die over the years, and her father..her father had brought back many a human child too sick or injured to be able to survive long enough to change.
He mourned every precious soul, they all did. They were given proper rites and thier ashes scattered among the flower covered hills to the east of The Labyrinth. So they all knew what death was, what it felt like to be sad at loss. Not of someone truly close to them though. No one of blood. None of them could even think of such a thing. It was outside the realm of possibility for them. Or at least it seemed that way.
Harmony noticed she was nearly to the throne room. She thought a minute and decided to go outside and walk among the gardens.
It was a cool evening, full of stars, the moon shining brightly. The air was sweet with the fragrance of all the blossoms bursting with color she could see under the light of the moon.
She walked around a while, then sat, staring at the night sky.
The nightmares. They had started several months before. Visions of dark ominous clouds, of snow soaked with blood. Lightning and fire, pain, fear..lifeless eyes of love ones' faces. She was hanging by her fingertips over a chasm looking up into her father's eyes as he tried to reach for her, screaming her name. She reached for his hand, she felt the touch of his fingers brush against hers..then the earth gave away and she was falling back into the darkness. The last thing she could see was the despair on his face as he realized he was unable to save her...then she woke up.
Harmony shuddered as she came back to the present. The look in her father's face is what haunted her the most.
He could not be like most fathers were, she knew that. He was a king and bound by certain rules to behave a certain way in public. Not that he didn't break those rules often to a certain degree.
But it did not matter. She never doubted how much he loved her.
When she was very small, she would sneak into his study when he was alone working and he would sit her on his lap and tell her the most outlandishly silly tales and they would laugh until her sides hurt. He loved to sing her funny little songs.
He would conjure up little sweets just for her and tell her to not tell her mother or else they would both be trouble. She would smile and nod while eating them, then sometimes she would doze off there in his lap. She always woke up in her bed, tucked in and safe.
She knew he surely had these types of moments with all his children..of course he did. He was not one to neglect making sure any of his offspring ever doubted his joy at being a father to them. Those private moments were his way of making sure each child knew they were special to him in their own unique way.
Harmony sighed and closed her eyes. Part of the reason she had been in such a foul mood lately was her lack of sleep. She just didn't want to tell her mother that. She would get all "mothering" and try to help her, which would only to serve to annoy her further.
She opened her eyes as a small noise came from above. The shadow of a large bird gliding closer. As it approached the owl reached for the ground with it's talons, transforming into booted feet as they touched gently to the soft grass.
Her father.
"Harmony? What are you doing out here this late in the evening?' He asked quietly as he approached. He slid into a chair across from her a concerned look on his face.
"I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk." She answered looking down at her hands, not wanting to lie but also really not wanting to tell her father the truth either. It wasn't a lie, not really. She couldn't sleep.
"Why were you out so late youself?" Harmony asked him as she looked up again. Changing the subject seemed like the best bet.
"The same I suppose. Something is in the air. I sense a change coming. I am restless because of it." He replied, looking up into the sky.
Harmony nodded. "Me too Father." Not bothering to elaborate. "What about mom?"
"I don't think so. Not yet anyway. She will sense it soon enough. I do not want to worry her yet." He stood and offered her his hand.
"Would you like to stay or shall I walk back with you?"
Harmony took her father's offer and stood, taking his arm as they walked back towards the castle.
"Daddy...I don't like this feeling." She leaned against him.
Jareth knew something had been eating away at the girl. She rarely called him daddy anymore, having forgone what she called a childish term. When she did Jareth knew something was really bothering her and she was seeking comfort from him.
"It is unpleasant I know, child. Don't fret much about it. What will come will come. We will deal with it then." He said soothingly.
Harmony saw a piece of parchment tucked in the inside pocket of his jacket. "What's that?"
He paused and pulled it out. "A note informing me Prince Elsian will be in Talystra in one week's time. I was to be told so that I may be there to watch the proceedings and make sure all goes as planned."
His brow wrinkled and frowned as he spoke.
"Oh is that why you are unsettled..May I go with you?" Harmony asked.
He stopped and turned to her. "Yes, I am very unsettled as you say..and I would prefer it if you didn't. It will be bad enough convincing your mother not to go. One of my children though? I think not."
She looked up at him, eyes wide and pleading. She knew he had a hard time saying no to the look she gave him.
"Please? I really want to get a look at this so called prince. After all he almost took my life too..before it had barely begun. I'll be safe with you and the guards and I can handle a sword as well as any of them."
Jareth sighed and continued down the hall, his daughter beside him but looking at him with those huge eyes he knew so well. "I will think about it."
Harmony hid a small grin.
"I saw that." He said, grinning back. "Get to bed young lady." They had stopped in front of the door to her chambers.
She gave him a big smile then and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Father."
"Ahh..back to "Father" when you get your way." Jareth smirked, laughing. "Goodnight."
Harmony went inside the darkened chambers and closed the door.
She went into the bedchamber and shed her robe, trying to be quiet. As she settled into her bed she heard her sister's voice come from across the room.
"Mony? Are you okay?" Lily asked in a sleepy voice.
"I'm fine Lils, go back to sleep. I just took a little walk and talked to Father for a few minutes."
She heard a yawn for her younger sister. "Alright. G'night."
Harmony was amused and touched at her sister's concern. That was Lily, always checking up on everyone.
She tossed and turned for a while. Eventually slipping into a preferably a dreamless sleep.

_
Sarah was roused by Jareth getting into bed.
"Everything alright?"
Jareth moved so he could wrap his arms around his wife and snuggle in close.
"Fine, love" He said by her ear. "Sleep was eluding me so I went for a quick flight. I ran into Harmony sitting in the gardens. She seemed a bit troubled."
Sarah nodded. "She has been. To tell you the truth she has been downright surly at times lately. Quick to snap at people. Especially me. I try not to take it personally. I know it's that whole mother daughter thing girls go through...but it does hurt a little. Now I know how my mother and stepmother felt when I was such a brat."
Jareth hugged her to himself. He seemed to be comforting many of the female members of his family lately. "Everything will work itself out, Sarah. She loves you, this I know."
She turned in his arms to face him. "Easy for you to say. You get to be the good parent." She said as she raised her brow.
He smoothed her hair back and kissed her softly, stroking her face. "Well, let me keep you from your worries this night." He replied giving her a smarmy look.
Sarah giggled and put her arms around him. "Horny old king. Using your baubles in such an obvious way to distract me."
He chuckled then kissed her again, his caresses changing into something more than comforting. "I never claimed to be anything else."
Jareth rolled onto his back taking her with him so she was on top, then swept her away into sweet passion that made her forget everything but him.

_
The Hall of The Troll King:
Merkle the dwarf was in rather a foul mood. Removed from his hovel in the middle of the night and dragged to the black mountains to see the Night Troll King. What they wanted with him he had no idea. Dwarves had little magic, if any at all, and certainly weren't good eating. They were one of the few sentient species fairly safe in the troll lands. Not that there were many there mind you. Merkle was one of maybe half a dozen that resided there.
He preferred these lands because he was left alone. He wasn't particularly fond of immortals either, and since they rarely ventured into troll territory he could be left in peace. He had found an area that had a small lake nearby close to the thorny forest. He built a house and could hunt small game and fish. It was the way he liked it.
The guards dragged him kicking and screaming towards the throne.
"Let me go you ugly things! I got nothin' for ya!" Merkle bellowed.
The guards threw him at the feet of the king, chuckling at how he landed most awkwardly and rather painfully on the stone floor.
"The dwarf, King Garak." One guard said.
The King looked down at the pitiful little man. Usually dwarves were beneath his notice as they were of no use to him. In this case though, he needed the services of one. The one thing all dwarves were good at was acquiring unique treasures of all kinds.
"Hello Dwarf. Merkle isn't it? I am sorry my guards were so rough on you. They are rather unrefined. They do their jobs though, I'll give them that."
The dwarf stood and glared at the king. "What do ya wants?"
The king stepped down and walked back and forth in front of the dwarf.
"It has come to my attention that you have a brother that resides in The Goblin Kingdom. I just want you to go for a visit and..bring me back a souvenir, you might say."
The dwarf rolled his eyes. "Yeah.. Hoggle. Not seen 'im in years. Hear tell he is the queen's pet. Fool that he is. Can't trust immortals.""
Garak opened his palms and smiled. "I agree completely Merkle! This is why I am working on a little project to help protect the troll lands from them! You can help me! All I need is one thing and immortals will never be able to bother us here again, you included. The queen's pet you say? This would me the mortal queen of Jareth? Very nice. We hear she is a lovely little morsel, that one. Humans are quite a delicacy to night trolls you know. Before the immortals gained exclusive right to traveling the ways, we were able to enjoy mortal flesh regularly."
Merkle grimaced. "Don't know about that. Wouldn't eat either immortal or human if I was starvin'. Let's get down to business, King. what do you want me to bring back and what is in it for me?"
The king made sure the look on his face was calm and sincere. "Gold of course. Elven. One of my guard patrols snuck into the elf lands a few years ago and, well let's say, procured a large cache of it. We really have no use for it. You bring me what I need, it's yours. Here I will show you."
The king produced a crystal showing a pile of delicate gold pieces in a pile.
Merkle eyes about popped out of his head. All that treasure!
"You haven't said whats you want." He answered trying not to drool.
The king gave him a friendly smile. "Nothing of much value to most. A mere token. A small piece of immortal magic for the spell I'm working on to keep immortals out of our lands. Pure light magic. I'm sure your brother has almost unlimited access to The Goblin Castle. If you go visit him, act friendly, get inside and get me something I can use..and all that gold is yours no strings attached."
Merkle was a little confused. "How would I get that?"
"Ah.. good question." Garak answered. "All those immortals..all you need is to get a hold of one of their crystals. That should do the trick. Immortals are easily swayed to show off their magic with flattery and cheap words. With all those immortals that are there, surely you can get one to conjure up such a thing."
Merkle thought for a few minutes. Surely there had to be a catch. Trolls were hardly friendly. All that gold... "What happens if I don't?"
The king went and sat back on his throne.
"What happens is immortals who are already planning to overthrow these lands and take it over according to my spies in Talystra, will take over here and all of us will be subjugated or killed. Do you want that? Do you want to be a pet for a queen too, Merkle?"
Merkle shook his head fiercely. "Well..I can tries..ain't gonna guarantee nothin!"
"No no no of course not. You can only do your best." Garak told him trying to be agreeable to manipulate the stupid dwarf.
"And afterwards immortals can't comes here and I'll get my gold and be left alone?" The dwarf asked.
The king nodded. "No harm will come to you by my hand, Merkle. My guards will escort you to the border to the open spaces, I will make sure you have small traveling crystals that will take you just outside The Goblin Kingdom. Now when you enter you will be detained but once they think you mean no harm you will be fine. Just a few days is all it should take. Take the second crystal and bury it outside The Goblin Kingdom, once you leave you can retrieve it and travel back. My guards will be waiting for you just inside the troll lands to escort you back. Simple and a week of your time will bring you a lifetime's worth of gold."
Merkle thought for a few minutes. "Well..I s'pose it'd be worth it to keep those damned immortals outta my face. Mights be nice to see my brother too, fool that he is for gettin' mixed up with a queen."
Garak smiled complacently. "Very good. Guards make sure Merkle has plenty of food and water for his journey, and is taken to the border at first light."
The guards took him to a small chamber with a cot to get a few hours sleep before sunrise. The gave him a large bag made out of some sort of skin filled with food and several more small bags made of skin filled with water. He sat them next to the cot and laid down, the piles of elven gold shown to him dancing around in his brain. He smiled as he fell asleep, thinking of his future riches.

_
The Elf Kingdom:
Prince Elsian returned to his small cottage in the woods near the Elf Castle. He spent the day fishing to relieve much of his pent up anxiety.
He was nervous about returning to Talystra after so many years in exile. He had little desire to go but his father insisted he go to see his mother. Not that he didn't want to see her but these many years he had spent mostly alone had cleared his mind on a great many things.
His mother had begged for his life, she alone had held out hope for him. Now she was dying and he knew it was his and his now long dead sister's doing. They had broken her heart, her gentle spirit.
He also knew his father now had a noblewoman whom he made an official consort in residence at the castle waiting for his mother to die so that after a proper amount of mourning in time he would have a new queen and new heirs. His mother had reluctantly agreed it was for the best.
He had heard from several of the servant elves that had came to him that said woman was very much pregnant. With a son. Elsian of course would never be king now. Not that he wanted to. Not anymore.
He and his sister Elspeth had been adopted anyway. Certainly if they had not participated and been punished for what they had done, their place would have been secure. The shame he had brought onto his kingdom and his status as being less than blood had all but removed him from the royal family in all but name. If he would have been a child of blood it would have been different. The fact he was a foundling gave his father the opportunity to refuse to acknowledge him at his discretion.
In the years before she was taken to the capitol to receive her treatments only his mother had cared enough to even acknowledge him. She made sure he had everything he needed. Now she would soon be gone, and he was certain he would be removed from the family lineage altogether. Certainly not a prince anymore.
In these past decades, he decided that wouldn't be such a bad thing. He could just be forgotten, and someday maybe he might find a woman who had not heard of him, he could have a family and live in peace. After his exile ended he could move somewhere far away from The Elf Kingdom and would never have to step foot in it again.
Throwing his jacket onto a chair he took the fish to the cottage's cooking area and cleaned them in preparation to cook. As he was laying the filleted fish into a silver pan there was a knock on the door.
"Come in Drell." He said, his mouth turning up at the corners. His one companion had come for dinner. The elf always had a good nose and loved fish.
The creature slipped in the door, bowing. "Your Highness."
Elsian shook his head laughing. "Since when do we stand on ceremony anymore, old friend."
"I like to be polite, Elsian." the elf answered. His slender head rising to watch the tall immortal put the seared fish and some reheated leftover vegetables on two plates. The nearly white haired man gestured at the chair across from him at the table for his friend to take a seat and join him.
As they ate they talked. Drell had been his servant as he was growing up in the castle, and had chosen to go with Elsian when he left. He had a little hut near Elsian's cottage.
"When do you leave for Talystra?" Drell asked him.
Elsian's face fell, his bright lavender eyes full of distant pain. "I will be taken there in one week. Please do not act as if I have a choice in this. I will be there only one day, thank the Gods. You can come if you like. After all you are still technically my servant, I do not think they will object."
Drell looked down at his plate. "If you wish me to come with you I will."
"It might be nice to have one being there who did not despise me, Drell. It makes little difference if you don't want to go. You might be safer here. I've been informed The Goblin King will be there to oversee things." Elsian answered.
The elf shuddered visibly. "I suppose you can't blame him." he said quietly.
Elsian sighed. "No, I can't. I had hoped I would have another 4 hundred years before I had to deal with them. Not that he would hate me any less then. Jareth has a long memory and I have a feeling if I stay anywhere he would be able to find me, that my life will end shortly after my exile is up. No one would care and it would be within his rights. I would feel the same way, if I were him. I wish I...well..I wish things were different. I wish I hadn't been so easily manipulated by her. By them. I won't blame them for my choices though. I made my own mistakes. That I live is a miracle."
Drell ate silently for a few minutes. After he finished, he continued. "Maybe you can apologize. That might help."
Elsian barked a laugh. "I didn't spill a drink on the man, I participated in a plan that nearly cost him his wife, and unknowingly his unborn child. That's hard to forgive. I would have had my head placed on a spike in front of my castle, if I were him."
"True." the elf answered. "You never know though. Maybe it might be beneficial for him to know you regret your actions."
"Would it help if were your family?" Elsian snapped.
"Of course not My Lord." His voice becoming quiet and subservient.
"I'm sorry Drell." Elsian threw his napkin down on the table. "I know you're trying to help. You're my friend. My only friend. Never doubt my affection for you."
The elf smiled at him. "Everything will be fine, Elsian. You will go, see your mother, and come home. We will go hunting and fishing and if the Gods are good, be left in peace."
""I wish I had your confidence, Drell." Elsian replied as he got up and poured a mug of ale for himself and his friend. He sat back down and pushed the other mug in front of the elf. "Let's toast to the hope for peace."
The two friends clinked their glasses and drank, both knowing that their hope was probably in vain.
Thank you wizards woman foryour kind words, they a most appreciated!
Yes, Elsian is back. He gets some redemption. I have need of him :) Plus he is just too darn gorgeous. Okay in my head he is anyway haha. Of course because I like to torture myself, I had to add a couple of new characters too. I think I might be a masochist where writing is concerned.
Sorry this took freaking long. My muse took another vacation and I have had some personal issues that took me away from writing much. I am posting all I have written up to so far now, in attempt to force her to get to work and quit procrastinating. I WILL finish it. I need to fit all the bits and pieces floating around in my brain together in a way that will make sense and propel the story forward, just be patient with me my lovely readers!
Also, angst is a bitch to write. There is a lot of it coming. It's painful and upsetting sometimes to hurt characters that you love whether you created them or not. So much you have to do it in small doses. Yes I could just NOT write anything painful, but the pain is a catalyst for change, growth and understanding. I want my characters to not be cardboard cutouts. In my head they are as real as anyone else in my world. Strange but true.
On to the next!
- 4
- 5
- 6
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In A Time Of Winter