A Knight's Castle
Mar. 8th, 2020 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
queenkatyastarTitle: A Knight's Castle
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Labyrinth
Characters/Pairing: Sir Didymus
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: FFC s.93: Bingo: Knight's Castle
Word Count: 1,109
Date Written: 6 March 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: A Knight's castle is his home.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Sir Didymus looked up as the wind shifted, bringing truly horrible scents with it. His ears perked up, then laid back against his furry head. He bared his teeth silently. Every one who had ever come to his little piece of the kingdom had always complained of some imaginary, wretched odor. It had to be imaginary, although the other creatures did put up quite a show every time without fail, for he'd never once smelled anything horrible in his territory.
The wretched scents that did come, such as those currently accosting his delicate senses, were always from beyond the Bog. It was funny that the King had chosen to call this place the Bog of Eternal Stench, for although the friendly spirits of the swamp did tend to make very gaseous noises, they never actually smelled -- not like that child's dirty diaper. Of course, he could scarcely blame the King for the smell, even if it was horrible enough to wilt the few flowers that occasionally appeared in the Bog. Jareth had little choice than to keep trying to find a heir, after all, and he certainly didn't know a thing about raising children.
Sir Didymus could lend him a paw, but that would mean leaving his post at his precious Bog and journeying closer to the castle, the castle that was not his. The wind shifted again, and Didymus lifted his head, barking with joy. His whole body wagged, from the ends of his whiskers to the tip of his bushy tail. He could hear singing far off, and he felt like singing himself. He joined in the song, making up the words as he went and singing about the wonders of his Bog.
Most Knights defended a castle, but not he. He didn't have anything nearly as boring or ordinary to look after. Most also secretly wanted to be King or at least be very close to their royal leader, but again, not Sir Didymus. He would be quite pleased to stay in his current post for the rest of his life, and he wasn't lonely one bit, not with the rocks and other spirits with which to commune. The rocks that appeared in his Bog had been around since the very beginning of the Underground kingdom, and they had stories to tell from even times Jareth could not recall.
After all, Jareth had not always been their King, and the rocks were the oldest of all the beings to roam the labyrinth. They knew the stories of all the earlier lieges, both good and terrible. They knew how each, too, had received their heir, almost always through deceit and traveling to the world above. Jareth had been one such heir, so of course, it only made sense for him to have grown tired of his role and be desperately seeking a heir to replace him. Sir Didymus only wished the wretched beasts didn't smell so much, or cry so loudly.
He shook suddenly, biting off the words of his song, and again flattened his ears against his head. That child was not only messy. It was hungry as well, and crying quite loudly because of it. Oh, the things he could teach his King! If only Jareth would listen, and if only he himself was willing to leave his Bog which, of course, he very much was not.
Sir Didymus jumped into one of the most ancient trees in the swamp. It glittered more brightly than all the rest because of its age, but that wasn't why he always chose this particular post to strike up his guard until the next girl came. Along with being the oldest, prettiest, and wisest, this tree was also the tallest. From its ancient boughs, the dog Knight was easily able to spot his King's latest foe. It was a wonder, he thought, scratching, that there was always some naive girl ready to give up her brother, cousin, or even son, and then of course, once they'd realized what they'd done, they always regretted the deed, whined and simpered, and eventually threatened to fight his Royal Majesty.
As though any one could truly wage war against the great Goblin King and hope to win. It wasn't possible, not with all the power and magic that Jareth had at his disposal. He could easily beat any opponent and could just as easily turn these girls into snakes or cloths as he did his own Goblins. The thing that saved them was also the very thing that was this particular King's saving grace, and the very reason why Sir Didymus considered helping him freely when he did -- his honor. No matter how greatly Jareth yearned for a heir, he was not willing to take the child unfairly. The girls spoke the words, so he took the babies, but when they wanted them back, if they could play their roles correctly and stand up to the King until the very end of his test, he always gave the children back.
What none of the human children seemed to comprehend was that Jareth did not have to play by the rules. He made the rules himself. As King, he didn't have to bow to any one, but he also needed a heir in order to be able to leave the kingdom for as long as he wanted. Without a heir, all the creatures of the labyrinth would be in danger in his absence, free to be conquered and ruled over by any other magical being who saw fit to take them over. Goodness knew there were plenty of those, and most of the Labyrinth's citizens were no more powerful than Sir Didymus himself.
Which, of course, was not to suggest that he was not a foe with which to be reckoned. He might not possess magic, or much physical strength, but no matter the opponent, he would never stop fighting for what he knew was right in his heart and his code of ethics. He would never, for example, stop protecting this swamp. He would never stop protecting his Bog, his very own castle. Jareth could have his labyrinth and his castle and all the Goblins in the world. The girls could keep their wretched, screaming brothers and their world above which was supposed to be so much prettier and grander than anything they had down here. It was supposed to be, but Sir Didymus knew it wasn't. Nothing could be better than his Bog, and he would protect it to the very end. He yipped, seeing the girl named Sarah moving closer to his Bog, and readied for the fight again.
The End
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Labyrinth
Characters/Pairing: Sir Didymus
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: FFC s.93: Bingo: Knight's Castle
Word Count: 1,109
Date Written: 6 March 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: A Knight's castle is his home.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
Sir Didymus looked up as the wind shifted, bringing truly horrible scents with it. His ears perked up, then laid back against his furry head. He bared his teeth silently. Every one who had ever come to his little piece of the kingdom had always complained of some imaginary, wretched odor. It had to be imaginary, although the other creatures did put up quite a show every time without fail, for he'd never once smelled anything horrible in his territory.
The wretched scents that did come, such as those currently accosting his delicate senses, were always from beyond the Bog. It was funny that the King had chosen to call this place the Bog of Eternal Stench, for although the friendly spirits of the swamp did tend to make very gaseous noises, they never actually smelled -- not like that child's dirty diaper. Of course, he could scarcely blame the King for the smell, even if it was horrible enough to wilt the few flowers that occasionally appeared in the Bog. Jareth had little choice than to keep trying to find a heir, after all, and he certainly didn't know a thing about raising children.
Sir Didymus could lend him a paw, but that would mean leaving his post at his precious Bog and journeying closer to the castle, the castle that was not his. The wind shifted again, and Didymus lifted his head, barking with joy. His whole body wagged, from the ends of his whiskers to the tip of his bushy tail. He could hear singing far off, and he felt like singing himself. He joined in the song, making up the words as he went and singing about the wonders of his Bog.
Most Knights defended a castle, but not he. He didn't have anything nearly as boring or ordinary to look after. Most also secretly wanted to be King or at least be very close to their royal leader, but again, not Sir Didymus. He would be quite pleased to stay in his current post for the rest of his life, and he wasn't lonely one bit, not with the rocks and other spirits with which to commune. The rocks that appeared in his Bog had been around since the very beginning of the Underground kingdom, and they had stories to tell from even times Jareth could not recall.
After all, Jareth had not always been their King, and the rocks were the oldest of all the beings to roam the labyrinth. They knew the stories of all the earlier lieges, both good and terrible. They knew how each, too, had received their heir, almost always through deceit and traveling to the world above. Jareth had been one such heir, so of course, it only made sense for him to have grown tired of his role and be desperately seeking a heir to replace him. Sir Didymus only wished the wretched beasts didn't smell so much, or cry so loudly.
He shook suddenly, biting off the words of his song, and again flattened his ears against his head. That child was not only messy. It was hungry as well, and crying quite loudly because of it. Oh, the things he could teach his King! If only Jareth would listen, and if only he himself was willing to leave his Bog which, of course, he very much was not.
Sir Didymus jumped into one of the most ancient trees in the swamp. It glittered more brightly than all the rest because of its age, but that wasn't why he always chose this particular post to strike up his guard until the next girl came. Along with being the oldest, prettiest, and wisest, this tree was also the tallest. From its ancient boughs, the dog Knight was easily able to spot his King's latest foe. It was a wonder, he thought, scratching, that there was always some naive girl ready to give up her brother, cousin, or even son, and then of course, once they'd realized what they'd done, they always regretted the deed, whined and simpered, and eventually threatened to fight his Royal Majesty.
As though any one could truly wage war against the great Goblin King and hope to win. It wasn't possible, not with all the power and magic that Jareth had at his disposal. He could easily beat any opponent and could just as easily turn these girls into snakes or cloths as he did his own Goblins. The thing that saved them was also the very thing that was this particular King's saving grace, and the very reason why Sir Didymus considered helping him freely when he did -- his honor. No matter how greatly Jareth yearned for a heir, he was not willing to take the child unfairly. The girls spoke the words, so he took the babies, but when they wanted them back, if they could play their roles correctly and stand up to the King until the very end of his test, he always gave the children back.
What none of the human children seemed to comprehend was that Jareth did not have to play by the rules. He made the rules himself. As King, he didn't have to bow to any one, but he also needed a heir in order to be able to leave the kingdom for as long as he wanted. Without a heir, all the creatures of the labyrinth would be in danger in his absence, free to be conquered and ruled over by any other magical being who saw fit to take them over. Goodness knew there were plenty of those, and most of the Labyrinth's citizens were no more powerful than Sir Didymus himself.
Which, of course, was not to suggest that he was not a foe with which to be reckoned. He might not possess magic, or much physical strength, but no matter the opponent, he would never stop fighting for what he knew was right in his heart and his code of ethics. He would never, for example, stop protecting this swamp. He would never stop protecting his Bog, his very own castle. Jareth could have his labyrinth and his castle and all the Goblins in the world. The girls could keep their wretched, screaming brothers and their world above which was supposed to be so much prettier and grander than anything they had down here. It was supposed to be, but Sir Didymus knew it wasn't. Nothing could be better than his Bog, and he would protect it to the very end. He yipped, seeing the girl named Sarah moving closer to his Bog, and readied for the fight again.
The End
