A week and a half passed since the dinner, when the Mardins were revealed to be two Goblin warriors previously thought to be dead. Alexicai and Saranda Mardinson were truly alive and well, and played gracious hosts to their king, though they preferred to stick to their human names. Much to the displeasure of the afore mentioned monarch, they refused to call him anything but royal titles.
During his stay, the Jareth has learned to do various household and outdoor chores, such as mending the stone barriers around the garden, cleaning gutters and changing air filters. He didn't know how many of these newly acquired skills he'd use back home, but he was willing to earn his keep in the home.
He'd, also, spent much of his time with Theodora, watching her at her practice-golf was quite a strange and difficult sport, Jareth had come to conclude-and she'd come to the house, again, for dinner on Sunday. This time ran a bit more smoothly. The two talked for hours at a time, about anything and everything, his world and hers, fears and dreams, the state of his kingdom, though they were both hesitant to touch on the Necromancer.
The Little Witch also showed him an entrancing thing called 'anime.' Jareth especially liked the one called Fullmetal Alchemist. It enchanted him and he wasn't quite sure why. He had even taken to brushing down the shorter part of his hair down and braiding the rest. Jareth admired Edward Elric for his loyalty, bravery, and selflessness, though he wouldn't tell another soul that fact for anything. Except Theodora, mayhap it came up in conversation.
Jareth was in the middle of cleaning out the gutters when Mardy came out with his phone to his ear. "Sir, hold on one moment." He covered the speaking end, "Your Highness, would you mind doing me a favor?" The Mardinsons had started keeping their true forms visible to Theodora and Jareth alone. To everyone else, they were the sweet old couple they had been for ages.
"If you finally call me by name, then you have a deal." He cleared out the leaves in the section he had been working on.
He debated for a moment, "Fine, Jareth" the warrior bit out uncomfortably. "Only because I'm desperate. I have a work emergency and I need to leave now. Theodora asked me to pick her up from school today, but obviously I can't. Can you do it? You just need to walk her to the golf course, it's Daniels' day to train her."
"Yes, but-."
"Great! I'll leave directions for you, so you can get to the school. I would advise you leave after you've finished that. You are wonderful, sir. I will make it up to you. Thank you, You Majesty!" He rushed inside talking into his phone again.
"Well, we were close to a first name basis." Jareth sighed as he finished his task and went to clean up.
Soon, he was on his way, squinting at the hasty scrawl trying to decipher the directions to the school. Eventually, Jareth made it to the tall, brown, brick building. It was two stories and wide set, with many windows. The entrance doors were glass, surrounded by large windows.
The Goblin King seemed to be early, so he sat in the shade of one of the many trees in front of the school and read the book he'd brought with him. During his time here, he had grown quite fond of Harry Potter and was already nearly finished with the third book. Just as Snape leapt in front of the Golden Trio to protect them from a werewolf, a bell rang somewhere in the building and a few moments later, students were flooding out of the main doors like ants from a fire. Some swarmed the cars waiting, some drove themselves, other had thin metal riding devices, and the rest took off on foot. Jareth stood and magicked the book to more manageable size to fit in his pocket and leaned on the tree to wait.
Finally, he spotted her. She wore a white and gray striped shirt, shorts almost to her knees, and sturdy, brown boots, on her back, she carried a black pack. Her hair hung in a curtain, covering her face as she watched the ground on which she walked, and shone a fiery red in the light. Jareth stood straight to get her attention when his sight was blocked by three girls who stood in front of him.
The girl in the middle had black hair, and she wore black tights that came to under her navel, a pale orange shirt with an anchor on it which ended above her navel, leaving some midriff bare. The friend to her left wore a short jean skirt and a low cut, black tank top, her blonde hair in a low bun on the side of her head. Lastly, the one on her right wore a long skirt that looked and flowed like water, and a low cut, long sleeved blue shirt. They all wore shoes with a spike of some sort, and their faces were thick with paint-like makeup. The way they carried themselves, seeming to throw their womanly shapes in the faces of everyone both surprised and sickened him. This is how young girls here dress? Are they bred for a brothel?
The middle girl spoke first. "Oh my god, hi! I've never seen you around before and in such a small town, that's, like, almost impossible. Are you new here?"
"Yes." Obviously.
She giggled and her friends followed suit. "I'm Amanda. This is Megan and Alicia." The girls on her left and right greeted him when their names were said. "What's your name?"
"Jareth."
The trio giggled again and Jareth found it odd. Did they always do that?
"That's an odd name. Is it popular in Europe?"
"No." They giggled again. It seems they do. "Listen, ladies, I need to-"
"Wait. Jareth-I've heard that name somewhere. Haven't you guys?" The blonde, Megan, said.
"Yeah, it does seem familiar. In fact, his face looks kind of familiar, too." Alicia said. She'd been quiet until now.
"I can assure you, I've never met you ladies before. Now if you'll excuse me." He attempted to walk around them, but Amanda, the obvious leader, grabbed the sleeve of his black t-shirt.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"I'm looking for a friend." Jareth looked around and Theodora had disappeared. Damn. Where did she go? "Now, really you'll have to excuse me!" He pulled her arm from his shirt and walked towards the school. He had only taken a few steps when there was a hand on his shoulder, trying to pull her around.
"Wait just a second, mister. Do you want to-"
"Hey!" Another voice cut in. Thank the Consciousness. He turned and there she was, rushing up to him: Theodora. "What are you doing here?" She glanced briefly at the girls.
"There you are! Mardy said he had an emergency at work and couldn't pick you up. He asked me, so I came to escort you." The relief in his voice was evident.
"Oh, really? Thank you!" She threw her arms around his neck and they hugged.
"I don't mind. I haven't seen you since Monday. Come on, let's get you to practice." The pair started to walk away.
"Um, excuse me?" A voice had them turning around. It was Amanda, the grabby girl. "We were still talking." She threw Theodora a dirty look.
"Yes, and I'm very sorry, but as you can see, I have found my friend and-"
"No, Jay, go on. Finish your conversation, it's okay."
Though his insides warmed at the nickname that she had given him recently, he looked at her imploringly, begging with his eyes to give him an excuse to run. "What about your practice? You'll be late."
Theodora laughed. "It's fine. Go on."
Inwardly sighing, he walked the few steps towards the three. "Now, we really must make this quick. She *does* have places to be soon."
She sashayed up to him, hips swaying like a tree in a hurricane and her hand found it's way to his arm again. This was going to bother him, quickly. "I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to hang out sometime. I could show you around. You are new here, after all. I can promise you it'll be fun." She looked at him and bit her lower lip. Do human men really go for this kind of thing? The old-fashioned king much preferred Theodora's modest appeal over this girl's brazen attitudes.
Jareth, once again, grabbed her wrist and pulled it off of him. "No, thank you. I have a wonderful guide already."
"You mean her? The Movie Freak?" Megan laughed, pointing at the girl behind him.
"What could be so great about her? She's just a friendless brainiac. She's got no personality and not even that pretty. There's no way she can be any sort of fun. We'll show you where it's at, Jay."
His blood boiled and he drew himself up to his full height, back ramrod straight. Few things were scarier than an angry king. "Madam, let us make a few things clear, right this very moment. One is that my name is Jareth." He hissed at Amanda. "Nothing more, nothing less. Secondly, Theodora is neither now, nor will she ever be a freak, and she is not she friendless. I have told you multiple times that she is mine. Yes, she is quite smart, a quality that I happen to admire. Thirdly, she isn't pretty." He looked the two girls in the eye. "She is beautiful. One of the most beautiful people I have ever met, in fact. Though, unlike you, whose beauty is only skin deep - if it goes even that far - her beauty radiates from the inside and enhances her already-good looks. She is kind, funny, brilliant, caring, strong and considerate. She is everything you and your friend are proving yourself not to be in this short and unfortunate conversation. I have tried multiple times to get away from you and you continue to cling to me. Me, a total stranger! Do you think that is attractive? For, I can assure you, that is extremely grating on one's nerves."
Amanda's face was red and there were tears in her eyes. Megan was red faced and angry. Alicia seemed to be having a silent, apologetic conversation with Theodora. Many people had stopped to stare at them.
Jareth straightened even more and turned, then paused and spoke over his shoulder. "If I hear about you insulting her again, I can promise you, the consequences will not be fun." He walked over to the Little Witch, his Little Witch who was standing silently, with her arms crossed and was now looking at the ground. He put his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, let's get you to practice."
As they made their exit, Theodora laid her head against his shoulder. They walked in silence, while she pointed the way. He could have Shifted them there, but he sensed she needed the time to calm down. She wasn't as good at hiding the sniffling as she thought she had been. He took a bead sized crystal from his pants pocket and clapped it between his hands, pulling out a handkerchief.
He handed it to her and she wiped her nose and composed herself. They walked in silence longer.
"Why are you crying?"
"Did you really mean all that?"
"What?"
"Those things you said to those girls. About me. Did you really mean them?" She stopped and looked at him, her eyes glassy, the tip of her nose red.
"Yes, of course." Kings were supposed to be tough and intimidating, never be weak. So, why was he always so mushy with this girl? So vulnerable?
"Really?" She looked at him hopefully. "Even that I'm-you think I'm...beautiful?"
"Yes, woman!" He chuckled. "I know are absolutely magnificent."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, when she opened them, they shone brighter than before. "Thank you. No one has ever said things like that about me before." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his cheek, ever so softly. Jareth felt blood rush to his face, and he was sure she could feel the heat of his blush on her lips.
When she pulled back, she had a big smile on her face. Jareth rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, it's - I - um." Why couldn't he get his thoughts straight? All from a kiss on the cheek? Perhaps, it is because you feel something for her.
He cleared his throat. "There is no need to thank me. Any gentleman would have defended a lady. What kind of king would I be if I had let them insult my friend? Now, come you're going to be late for practice. We'll need to Shift there, if you want time to change. Show me the place."
She placed her hands on his shoulders, closed her eyes again and did as he asked. He saw a large stall with a latrine at one end. He closed his eyes and then they were there. Theodora turned to face the toilet and swept her hair out of her face as the usual nausea overtook her. She was getting better at overcoming the ill feelings Shifting brought upon her.
When she was better, she stood up and straightened herself. "Okay, you need to get out, so I can change. Thanks for getting us here."
He obliged her and walked out the open stall door, which wasn't open for long. Reaching the door, he could hear her unzip her pants and various clothes hit the floor. He tried very hard not to think about what the clothes hid.
"Hey, Jay?" Her voice stopped him as he opened the door.
"Yes?"
"Would you go up to the counter and ask Hal to show you to the Bag Storage? I need my shoes and glove out of it and then the bag can just go out the back door. Pretty please?"
He said yes and walked out the door, only to be greeted by two more, the one in front of him saying 'Men' and the one on his left unmarked. He chose the unmarked door and it led him to an area full of plastic and wooden tables with fold out chairs. There was a large TV in the corner and a few tables were occupied by elderly men and a few of their wives playing cards and talking.
Jareth walked around a set of stairs on his left and found the counter filled be various snacks with prices. There was a younger man talking to and older one, so Jareth waited patiently for him to finish. While he waited for assistance, he noticed the young man glancing around, and the Goblin found it odd. Was he looking for someone?
Finally, the young man made his way down the counter. "Can I help you, sir?" He was tall, lanky and had black hair shaved close to his head.
"Yes," he looked at the name-tag he wore. "Hal, would you be so kind as to show me the Bag Storage?"
"Do you have a bag in stored here?" Hal furrowed his brows. "I've never seen you before."
"No, I do not, but my friend does. She needs a few things from it and she's changing. Running a bit behind, you see."
"Can you give me your friend's name, sir?"
"It's me, Hal." Theodora came up behind him, in her golf skirt and shirt and socked feet. She was still tying her hair up and her collar wasn't down properly.
"Dori! Late again, I see." Hal face lit up when he saw her. Too brightly, for Jareth's taste.
"Oh, shut up, Hal. Just because you practically live here and have no life at all." She laughed to show that she was joking.
"Theodora, let me fix your collar." Jareth warned her and did so, letting his fingers brush a little longer than necessary against the skin of her neck. He was glad to see the blush creep up her neck and her slight shiver. Hal tried to hide his jealousy, but Jareth knew it was there.
"Th-thanks, Jay. Okay, Hal, I really need to get my bag, or Daniels will have my head."
Hal handed her a keychain, purposefully brushing his fingers against hers. "Here you are, gorgeous." Jareth kept his cool mask in place, but inside he seethed. The remaining bit of the Consciousness in his mind growled at the boy, as well.
"Thanks." She brushed off his compliment. He followed her to Bag Storage as she got her equipment. "Here, Hal." She called as she locked the door back up and threw the keys to him.
They rushed outside and Theodora finished dressing. There was hardly anyone outside on the greens, since it was nearing four o'clock. Everyone was either inside or out playing the course.
Jareth lounged by her bag and watch his friend while she warmed up on the putting green. He admired how focused she was as she got into position over the ball, back straight, bent at the hips and taking her aim. He found it funny how she swore when she missed and only wore a glove on her left hand.
He didn't like when a man, the man he presumed to be Daniels, walked up to her and started criticizing her. "What the hell was that, Wiseman? How could you miss a five foot putt? That was disgraceful."
Jareth was about to say something but remained silent at the look Theodora gave him. She lined up her last ball, and hit it, the ball teetered on the edge of the hole and plunked in. She looked at her coach defiantly. "Better," he ground out, "but barely."
"Thank you."
"Now, get your stuff up to the range and grab a bucket." He turned and made his way to the range.
Theodora grabbed her balls from the hole and walked to her bag. "Hey, why don't you go back to Mardy's house? I can handle it here. I don't want Daniel's to see you and call my dad."
"Are you sure? I have no problem waiting hidden."
"I'm sure. Thanks for everything today." She grabbed her bag and hefted it onto her shoulder.
"No need to thank me so much, my dear. It has been my pleasure. I shall see you tomorrow."
"Wha-" Jareth shifted before she could question him.
The rest of the day, he helped Sally around the house and watched FMA. The next day, true to his word, she saw him. He was once again waiting outside her school for her, to escort her to practice. She was walking with the quiet girl from the day before, Alicia. He looked around and but couldn't find the other two.
Theodora saw him and said her goodbyes. They walked all the way to the golf course and he told her about the new episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist that he'd watched and they were on time. The next few days passed by like this, in peaceful companionship. Friday afternoon, Theodora asked him to come to her house Saturday morning.
"My dad leaves really early in the morning, like four or five. So whenever you wake up, you can come over. We can just have fun and work on magic like we did when you first got here."
"Alright, if that's what you want. I'll take my leave of you now. Have a good practice. Be safe."
"You too. See you tomorrow."
The next morning, Jareth showered and dressed, excited to stay at Theodora's house again. He ate breakfast, washed his dishes and bid the Mardinsons a goodbye.
When he arrived in the living room, all was quiet and dark. The curtains were drawn and the room was tidy. He made his way upstairs and found Theodora's bedroom. Cracking open the door, by the light from the television he saw her form asleep on the bed, one leg pulled out and thrown over the comforter. One very long and enticing leg, he thought to himself. She was only wearing a large shirt, which is why so much was exposed to him.Her hair was splayed out around her in an extremely messy fashion, and her mouth was open, giving her a slight double chin. Why is she still so beautiful?
Maybe it was her personality that made him find her so attractive, even if she wasn't an attractive sleeper. He wanted nothing more than to lay next to her, pull her in his arms and not let her go. No, he would let her go, only to run a hand down the leg that was still taunting him.
Get a hold of yourself, man. He walked in and closed the door. "Little Witch, wake up." The words were whispered while he shook her shoulder.
She stirred and closed her mouth as her eyes opened. "Jareth? What time is it?"
"Eight o'clock."
"Please tell me you are joking."
"No, see for yourself."
She squinted at the clock and groaned. "Why are you here so early?"
"You did say to come over when ever I wake up."
She rolled her eyes. "I am going to give you the choice of one of two options. You can either a: go downstairs and watch tv until I wake up properly or b: stay in here and watch the movie. Either way, I'm going back to sleep. You know where food is, you know where the bathroom is, do not wake me up unless you are dying or the house is on fire - for which I will blame you. Good night."
She rolled over to the edge of the bed opposite him, fumbled for a remote on the nightstand, pointing it at the TV without looking and pressed a button.
Jareth decided to retaliate by plopping on the bed next to her and getting comfortable sitting against the headboard using as much movement as possible. He only settled down when she growled at him. By the time he started paying attention to the movie, the girl was yelling a crying baby.
She told a story about a Goblin King falling in love with a girl and taking a baby away. It was curious to him. He knew that over the centuries, he and his ilk would be the cause of a few legends, but nothing should have made it into this century. Humans, as technology evolves them, have a way of forgetting the old ways and stories.
There were wrinkly, brown, toad-like people all over her room, taunting her after the baby disappeared and an owl flew into the tv girl's window. There stood a man in tights that were so tight, you could almost see the complete outline of his manhood.
No. That isn't. That couldn't be. Is that meant to be me?
"You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King? I want my brother back, if it's all the same."
"What's said is said."
Oh no. Do I really look like that? I do not look that old! Is my hair really that wild? He wanted to wake Theodora up to question her about the visual consitancies, but he dared not, for fear that she would be too angry. The farther into the movie he got, the more he didn't like it. Why was he a bad guy?
Jareth resigned to watch the movie in silence and made a note of what to ask about later. The more he watched, though, the more he found it displeasing. This was so wrong.
So painful.
Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were all easy to place. Hoggle, Ludo, in all his rock-controlling, monstrous glory, as well as Didymus, were fine Warriors for the kingdom. He knew them well.
He watched through the film not believing everything he was seeing.
No. It can't be. How could this possibly be about her? This is absolutely impossible!
He knew who the girl was supposed to be.
But this story was all wrong.
Sarah was the Necromancer.