In the Eyes of the Queen [ Labyrinth ] ✔

Chapter Three

My stepmother pulls me into a hug. "Sarah. You came early."

Her eyes sparkle as she pulls away and looks at me with her hands still on my shoulders.

I give her a half smile. "Yes, I did. I finished early today so I thought 'why not?'."

I know she is excited because she is always trying to get me to stay longer or come earlier. She convinced me to arrive today to babysit my half-siblings, stay the night, and then spend all of tomorrow with them. I know she intends to convince me to spend another night and join them in their Sunday activities as well, and I think I will let her.

"Well, we need to ready ourselves for the evening. I see you got the children from their nap."

Looking at the hall clock, I step out of their way and watch them disappear up the stairs. I wait until I hear their door shut and bend down to Toby, still at my feet. "Well, since we have the time, let us have dinner early."

Toby nods enthusiastically and follows me into the kitchen. I heard Freddy and Merlin follow as I began to scour the refrigerator. After rummaging through the kitchen to ascertain all our possible assets, Toby and I (and occasionally the eighteen-month-old Freddy) debate what to make for dinner. We decide on pasta and cheese sauce, which I can prepare rather quickly. I have Toby help with what he can as I absentmindedly hum over my own tasks. I even have Freddy help a few times, but mostly she dances around the kitchen with Merlin.

As the children finish their dinner, I hear footsteps and look up to see our parents, ready for their date.

"I see you already have dinner ready, Sarah," my father comments as he bends down to say goodbye to Toby.

"You know everything you need to, Sarah; no need to give you the typical 'babysitter talk,'" Dad laughs before turning to the children and admonishing them to behave.

I snicker as I pat Freddy's head and pull Toby against me. "Don't worry; we'll throw a huge party while you are away."

Toby agrees with an enthusiastic "Yeah!" as my father chuckles, believing—as he should—that I am jesting.

I listen to them drive away and note that a few goblins have already crossed into the house.

Toby is dragging a few goblins toward his toy chest in the other room and a goblin the same height as Freddy has obtained a pile of her clothes and is proceeding to dress her and himself in mismatched outfits. I laugh at the sight, but Freddy enjoys it. Merlin is sitting quietly and expectantly.

I walk to the hall mirror and touch the surface almost absentmindedly while my tired eyes are momentarily unfocused. Calling my mind to functionality once again, I drop my hand to my side, and summon "Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo—I need you." I see them (Sir Didymus on Ambrosius) appear in the mirror and I smile. Turning around, I find them in my physical presence.

Enthusiastic as a young schoolgirl, I give each of them hugs between greetings. "It has been too long, my lady." "Good to see you, Sarah." "Sarah—hi." "Thank you for coming; I know it has been a couple months since I was last home. It was a difficult last term at university. But now I am done for the summer!"

The familiar chaos envelopes me as the goblins play mindlessly with the children, my three friends begin an impossible game of Scrabble, and Ambrosius and Merlin disappear through the dog door to play in the back yard. It is the first time in a long time that we have had such a large gathering, so I sit back in a deep, comfortable armchair and enjoy the show with a genuine smile on my lips.

Gelda leans on the back of the chair and crosses her arms atop it as I observe the chaos with fondness mirroring my own. I feel inexplicably comfortable enveloped in it. I enjoy the company of my parents, coworkers, and my friends from high school and university, but I still enjoy this best.

The goblins play with Toby and Freddy until the toddlers fall asleep in odd positions on the floor. When the children are no longer responsive, their companions join the rest of their kind in the usual mischief against each other. I take Freddy to her crib first, remembering to change her diaper and call on her Pillow, and then return for Toby. He wakes as I carry him and protests going to bed.

"It's not fair, Sarah. You get to stay up!" he says emphatically through his sleepiness.

"No, it's not fair, but that's just how it is," I smile.

The four-year-old attempts a glare at my oft-repeated reply before settling into my arms, defeated.

As I return downstairs, I glance at the clock. Sighing, I debate whether or not to retire early. The chaos is lessened now that a majority of the goblins have left or snuck into the children's room to sleep with Freddy and Toby. My friends have given up playing board games and now sit on the floor with the television on in the background, volume low. Merlin has retired to his large cushion by the back door, with Ambrosius lazed beside him on the cold tile. The few goblins remaining play tricks on and exchange childish remarks about each other as usual and mess with a chicken.

"Get that out of here." I enunciate each word carefully, trying to control my frustration.

The goblins freeze. I lost track long ago of how many times I told them not to bring chickens are other creatures with them from the otherworld.

They all scramble behind furniture and into dark corners, one of them with the chicken. The silence following indicates their departure. I sigh, surveying the mess. Ludo would be no help cleaning up, and I cannot imagine Sir Didymus stooping so low as to do pages' work. The remaining goblins might help a little, but I know it will not be worth much.

I walk over to my friends and tell them "I am ready to retire for the evening."

Sir Didymus jumps up. "Of course, my lady. We shall depart promptly." With a flourish, he rises on his toes and grasps my hand, placing a kiss in the air above my knuckles. He nods to his companions ("Sir Ludo, Sir Hoggle") and after they return his farewell ("Didymus," "Bye") departs through the wide doorway as Ludo rises laboriously. I hear Ambrosius pad toward the front hall. "Sarah—bye" Ludo says before fading from view.

Hoggle hesitates and looks around. "Do you need help, Sarah?"

Of course, I need help, but I feel reluctant to ask. "At least put away the game for me, Hoggle. I think I can manage the rest on my own." 'Lies do not become us,' I think ruefully.

He looks at me doubtfully, but nods. Delaying the task before me, I plop unladylike onto the couch and let my mind wander.

I had not originally tolerated the goblins or their mess. I had not initially allowed Toby to be exposed to the otherworldly reality, either. When it became clear—about a year after his visit to the Castle—that he had somehow retained memory of his time in the Labyrinth despite being only a year old at the time I did my best to persuade him it was a dream or imagining or just a story I told him, but his certainty of its reality was just as strong as mine.

Though I gradually allowed the goblins into my life, and eventually, though reluctantly, stopped preventing them from exposing themselves to Toby, I still kept Freddy away from the chaos until rather recently. It soon proved too impractical, however, so even Freddy was pulled into our in-between world.

Reluctantly, I rise from the comfort of the couch and survey the room. I begin to tidy up and remove the vacuum cleaner from the closet as I pass. Returning to the scene of the largest mess, I let out another of my frequent sighs. I cannot tell the difference yet although I have been working for a while now.

"I wish it was clean already!"