The Wee Folk

Part 2

Jareth felt Sarah leave the bed, heard her wander into the nursery, and then felt her slip back into the bed from checking on Ori. He rolled so that she lay in his arms, her body across his, and he could not help but be grateful for what fate had given him. He could still remember the dark days, the days before she was his.

The Goblin King fumed, he was enraged.

How DARE that hapless mortal king deny him the right to marry the girl, but then also give her, the Goblin King's obsession, in promise to another?

The Goblin King would see that mortal dead, would see his kingdom burned, and his head upon a pike.

For a year he had been beseeching the other King to allow him to take the Princess in marriage, doing things the proper way, and he had been denied. He had watched as she forgot about him, as she began to move on from him, but a present placed where none other had access quickly remedied that.

He had kept his mortal aware of him, appearing in her dreams, watching her from his familiar, and leaving her small gifts that left no doubt to his attentions. He had spoiled the other suitors attempts at courtship, but the King had  still found one that would marry the Princess.

The Goblin King WOULD NOT stand for it. He would have the girl, whether it be by her world's way or his.

However, before the Goblin King could act, tragedy stroke.

The Queen died, breaking the contract between Sarah and her attended, as the Princess would now enter a year of mourning and tradition stated that one could not attend ANY social gatherings, even ones own announcement ball.

The Goblin King would ensure that the mortal boy forgot about the Princess before the time of mourning was complete.

He watched, in earnest, as she turned to books to forget her sorrows, as he knew she would.

He watched with held breath as she discovered the red leather bound book, one that lacked an author's name, and began to read it.

He watched as her time of mourning ended and her father found solstice in the arms of another woman.

He watched as his mortal became filled with sorrow once more as her father remarried, as he continued on, as if her mother had never been.

 The Goblin King longed to reach for her, to take her from the pain she felt, from the betrayal, but did not have the power to do so. He had been able to see her at her coming of age ball because her parents had told the entire Kingdom to attend, the Goblin King had had an open invitation.

Now he had none.

But still he watched.

He longed to comfort her when she learned she would soon be a sister, that her place as heir could be potentially disrupted if the babe was born a boy. Watched as her fears came true, as she was cast aside, as even the suitors stopped coming to see her, as she was left alone, and yet he never abandoned her.

He watched in eagerness as she looked upon the babe with discontent.

His eyes were steadfast as her lips formed the words, his excitement grew as he sent his goblins to take the child, and he traveled to the Between to match her in a battle of wits once more. He expected to take her Immediatly, to end the game between them, and make her his Queen.

But when he reached her side, it was not with a joy filled gaze that met his own, but one of fear and regret.

"Please-" she had BEGGED, not even when he had her flush against his body had she begged-