156AN: I realize I've forgotten the standard disclaimer. Here you go: This is a work of fiction written for entertainment purposes. The first, second, third, and all future chapters are not intended for profit and acknowledge the original authors of Labyrinth- both book and movie, as well as the author and owners of rights to Harry Potter, also books and movies. And of course, a nod to William Shakespeare for naming the fairy monarchs.
Um, if I left something out—this is all in fun, no money, nowhere.
Chapter Three:
"Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, I need you!" Sarah Williams called into the full-length mirror at the end of the hall.
The mirror was mounted on the hall closet door, but that shouldn't matter. Any mirror she called into should serve as a portal for her lifelong friends. They were certainly taking their time today, however. A glance at the clock told her that five minutes had already passed and not even a peep.
With a shrug, Sarah moved into her new apartment's little kitchen—no, it was called a flat in this part of Nova Scotia. From the window over her sink, Sarah could see the spot in the distance that was Prince Edward Island.
The Isle of Princess Amelia was a much smaller mirror to its brother Prince Edward Island, but lovely, nonetheless. The island floated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence almost equidistant between the coasts of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. There was a respectable population, though. Enough so that a pre-school had been added and Sarah would finish out her teaching degree specializing in pre-school and kindergarten education here. If she liked the school and the island well enough, perhaps she would stay after graduation. It was only a fourteen hour drive from Halifax to her parent's house. Piece of cake.
"Sawa! Sawa home?"
"Sarah, are ya in here?"
There was no mistaking Hoggle's voice any more than there was a possibility of mistaking Ludo's distinctive style of speech.
"In here, guys!" Sarah called, moving into her small living room.
"Sawa!" Ludo shouted, lifting her in a hug. Somehow he said more when just saying her name than most people did in ten minutes of conversation.
With no further ado, Sarah turned and wrapped her arms around Hoggle. She was tempted to kiss his cheek, but it seemed to upset him greatly, so she satisfied herself by pressing her cheek tightly against his.
"I've missed you both so much," she said with a little sniff. "Where's Sir Didymus? Isn't he coming?"
"I imagine he's all caught in that mess around the castle," Hoggle explained, stopping to pick up an empty mug. "If'n ya gots tea, Sarah, I'd about kill for some."
"Mess around the castle?" she queried, carefully avoiding mentioning the king. She wanted to know about him, but would not ask. Nope. She certainly wouldn't.
Quickly, she began to pour tea for her friends, glad that she'd made such a large pot full.
"BAY-bee. He pwetty," Ludo sighed happily, explaining nothing. "Sugar rock, Sawa. Lots."
"Three for me and cream," Hoggle informed her.
Having stirred Ludo's tea and handed Hoggle his spoon, Sarah was in the midst of doling out cookies when she heard her third friend's voice.
"Lady Sarah? My lady?"
"In here, Sir Didymus!" Sarah met him as he came out of the short hallway and carefully gathered him close for a hug. "How are you? Where's Ambrosias?" She looked around and then gently led Sir Didymus to the small table where she'd left a cushioned ottoman that was just his size. "Hoggle mentioned something about a mess around the castle? And Ludo said there was a baby?" she prompted.
"Yes, oh yes, quite a melee, my lady. Even Their Majesties, High King Oberon and High Queen Titania are in residence this week, simply to welcome the new heir. The goblins are on their best behavior and I daresay there isn't a single chicken to be found. Ambrosias is hiding behind a hedge just now, and avoiding the chaos."
"Th-the king has an heir? He got married?" Sarah managed carefully, pouring Sir Didymus his tea. Why did that bother her so much? She hated the goblin king…didn't she?
"No! Course not, Sarah. We woulda told ya that!" Hoggle exclaimed, nearly spilling his tea.
"A-a," what was the word? "Um…consort, then?" For some reason that thought was even more upsetting to her, even though British men and women marrying the reigning monarch were referred to the same way. "A girlfriend, I guess?"
"No, no, my lady. Nothing like that. There was no union per se with the king," Sir Didymus answered, ducking his head in embarrassment.
"So it's not really his baby then?" she asked, sounding somewhat hopeful to her own ears.
"Oh, dear me yes, the infant prince is very much his issue, Lady Sarah. I'm afraid I'm not explaining this well, am I?"
"Was magic!" Ludo announced, clapping his furry paws, or hands; Sarah was never quite sure. "Baby magic!"
"Yep," Hoggle agreed. "His Majesty is more than the Master of the Labyrinth and king of the goblins. He's heir to the high throne, too…it's a big deal, like being heir to the king of the world up here, I guess. So when too much time goes by without an heir, the people get nervous." Sarah studied their faces, trying to order all the questions bubbling in her mind. "When the king needs an heir and there ain't no queen in sight, he gets his family together and does somethin' with his magic ta make one," Hoggle stated, as if it were crystal clear.
"It's more complicated than that, milady, but essentially, that's true…"
Deciding to shelve the mechanics of the baby's birth for right now, Sarah decided to articulate one of her other concerns. "I wouldn't have though the king was…mature enough to raise a child," she ventured carefully.
"My lady!" Sir Didymus gasped, bolting to his feet, apparently scandalized.
Hoggle cleared his throat uneasily. "Yer goin' on how he was during yer run, ain't ya?"
"Well, of course," Sarah said with a frown. "What else do I have to go on? But isn't that enough?"
"No, it most certainly is not," Sir Didymus rapped out sharply. After a long pause, he sighed heavily and resumed his seat. He relaxed a bit, crossing his furry legs before extending his tiny mug. "For the price of another cup of tea, my lady, I shall be glad to address this with you."
His sweet smile was apology enough for the harsh tone, but Sarah had the uncomfortable suspicion that she would be the one apologizing before it was all over.
"Of course," she murmured, pouring more tea and setting the pot down when he shook his head in the negative when she proffered the sugar bowl and cream.
After a moment, he spoke. "The Labyrinth is more than an elaborate obstacle course, my dear," he began, his eyes fixed on the steaming tea cup cradled between his paws. "It is meant to be judge and jury for those who would wish away the precious life of another, most especially that of a child. The…executioner, as it were, is of course, His Majesty, King Jareth."
She felt her cheeks heat as she looked away, her gaze arrested by Hoggle who was nodding his head in agreement. "S' all showmanship, Sarah. Ta teach you whatever lesson ya need most."
Before she could respond, Sir Didymus resumed his explanation. "Simplified, but yes, Sir Hoggle is primarily correct. When His Majesty answers your wish, he gauges your needs from your thoughts and the behavior observed by the goblins when you first called upon them."
"He can read minds?" she choked out.
"When someone wishes a person away," Hoggle explained, "their thoughts are fair screamin'. It'd be hard not to read 'em right then…for a fae, anyhow."
Sir Didymus nodded and went on. "After that, the Labyrinth adapts, and the king stays in character for the duration of your run, changing his behavior only slightly depending on the lessons you learn. You, dear lady, quickly learned that you couldn't live in a fantasy world, but needed the assistance of others in your life. We were all three quite smitten with you by the time we reached the castle. Ambrosias as well."
"Sawa fwend!" Ludo agreed happily.
"So why was he so mean to Hoggle, then?"
"Well he couldn't make it easy, could he?" Hoggle snapped. "He still scares me. He woulda done ever'thin' he said he would, including drop me in the Bog of Stench. If I was gonna help you, I was gonna have to want to, real bad."
"Perhaps, milady," Sir Didymus began gently, "His Majesty is not the one who…"
"…Who isn't quite mature enough yet?" Sarah finished, cutting the little fox off before he could complete the thought. It was bad enough that she'd said what she had, but to make him voice that—no, she was the one with more lessons to learn. She smiled ruefully, filling the teacups and offering the cookies around once again. "I'm very lucky to have such forgiving and helpful friends to stick with me, even when I don't know what I'm talking about. Good thing I know I have lots to learn."
"Yer only twenty human years, ain't ya, Sarah? That's still pretty young, ain't it?"
"I suppose so, Hoggle, but I'm nearly twenty-one—just a few months away. Here I was thinking I was so grown up, with my own place." She laughed and raised her mug in a toast. "Here's to friends and reality checks, huh guys?"
"Sawa fwend!" Ludo proclaimed, slopping his tea liberally.
"Indeed," Sir Didymus agreed. "Indeed."
"Whatever," Hoggle grumbled. "Got anymore of them cookies, Sarah? I ain't had no lunch yet."
Handing Hoggle the cookie plate, Sarah grinned to herself. With friends like these, she would be sure to remain humble. And if they brought news of the very attractive king that she wasn't wondering about at all, thank you, well, so much the better.
When a glance at Sir Didymus caught a knowing smile, Sarah decided a handful of cookies just wasn't enough for poor Hoggle.
Can they all read minds?
"You guys just talk among yourselves, okay? I think I'll bring out some sandwiches."
Hoggle opened his mouth to object, but Sir Didymus leaned toward him and mumbled something low. "Thankee, Sarah. That'd be grand," he said quickly, confusion evident on his face.
With a sigh of relief and a nod, Sarah escaped to the kitchen, ignoring the little fox's smug chuckle.
Pulling out sandwich spread and fillings Sarah sighed to herself. "Another lesson learned. Never underestimate your friends, no matter what they look like. Nothing is exactly what it seems when it comes from the Labyrinth."