Hey everyone,

I'm sorry to say that this chapter is rather short, but I felt that is came to a natural conclusion- subsequent chapters will be longer.

Thank you to everyone who has followed and/or favourited this story since my last update.

Special thanks to Hollowg1irl, kyonomiko, Melinda, Vaneesa85, windsongspringheart, Lugia'sChallenger13 and Ice demon ranger for their lovely reviews

Chapter Three: The Winds of Change

There was something different about the Labyrinth. He had been watching it for years; trying to find some crack in its defences. It wasn't a job that he relished, but compared to what he could be doing- hiding from Pan's fanatical cronies- staking out the perimeter of a glorified hedge maze was paradise.

Over the years that he had been watching the border of the Labyrinth, he had come to know it quite well; and for the first time he could see why Pan might want the place. Today, for the first time, the Labyrinth was practically buzzing. He knew there was a runner in the maze; they came every now and then over the years; but something about this runner had made the place come alive.

He knew that he ought to tell Pan about this, but one thing held him back. If he reported this he would be just as bad as any of the master's lackeys. If he reported this then his peaceful life on the edge of the labyrinth would be a thing of the past.

He was dying. His breath was short, and the poison inching towards his heart was causing him unbearable pain. The assassin had been clever- coating a cold iron blade with dream shade, even his great magic was not enough to survive both. The conniving bastard had taken advantage of a moment of weakness and struck even as the Goblin King was forced to bid farewell to the woman to whom he had lost his heart.

A subtle shift in the air told him that he was no longer alone in his chamber. The spirit of the Labyrinth had appeared at his bedside.

"Why are you here?" he rasped. "Pan…?"

"… has not yet penetrated the wards surrounding the Kingdom." The spirit told him, climbing up onto his mattress. "The Kingdom has not fallen."

"Yet," The King said, turning to face the childlike figure that the Labyrinth favoured on the rare event that it chose to manifest in physical form.

"Nor will he, Master." it told him, firmly.

He sighed. "You know that I can only protect you while I live."

"Then live you shall."

He shook his head. "Not even you can prevent thi…"

He broke off sharply as his body was wracked by a coughing fit. When it had passed he flopped against his pillows.

"Sleep now Master," The spirit said, pressing a kiss to his brow. "All will be well. I promise."

Draco raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He was lost in a section of the labyrinth that moved around more than the Hogwarts staircases. Someone had been through this place at one time or another, as there were faded red arrows scrawled here and there on some of the cobbles.

'The cobbles are changed if anyone tries to mark the trail,'

Draco didn't know where that thought had come from, but he was oddly certain that he could rely on it. If he could not mark the path then how could he know that he was heading in the right direction? He scowled, a headache beginning to build behind his eyes.

Sir Didymus sat by his Lady's bedside. When he had first seen her again after the long years which had passed between them, the Knight had sworn bloody vengeance on those who had dared to harm her. The healers who had been called to examine her on her arrival had forcibly expelled him from the chamber after one particularly enthusiastic thrust with his sabre had accidentally cut off half of the head healer's bushy black moustache. The healers had allowed him back into the chamber once they were finished and Didymus had been at his Lady's side ever since.

The thirteenth hour was a long way off yet but Lady Sarah was already beginning to look more like herself. Her hair had darkened to the mahogany shade that it had been on the day that they had first met, but it was still thick and bushy even after being brushed to a glossy sheen. Lady Sarah had been dressed in a gown befitting of her status as Queen, uncrowned though she was, and she lay as if sleeping, while she awaited the King's arrival, and the end of this nightmare.

"Awaken my lady," Didymus said softly, taking one hand in both of his paws. "Thy knights have missed thee."

The Lady awoke with a start and produced a crystal. She bid it show her the runner.

"Well, hello Your Majesty," she smiled, watching as a young man with wild blonde hair was caught in a cradle of Helping Hands.

Silence fell over the throne room as she said this. Hundreds of goblin eyes came to settle on her, all of their previous pursuits completely forgotten at mention of their long lost king.

"King back?" asked a particularly small furry specimen approaching the throne.

"Not yet," said the Lady and her eyes widened as she watched the helping hands release the man who was not yet the goblin king, allowing him to drop into the oubliette. "But he will be soon."

She rose, stretched, and vanished from the throne room. It was time to jog the Goblin King's memory.

Well, he'd managed to get out of that stone maze. Only he couldn't help thinking that he would rather be out in the open again, rather than trapped in this pitch black oubliette. How in the Underground was he supposed to get out of this?

Draco looked at his hand, and smirked. 'Magic of course,'

How did the majority of mortals get along without it? He would have to ask Sarah when reached her.

Hold on a moment… mortals? Gods this place was getting to him. Sarah was waiting for him up at the castle and here he was mulling over the trivial matters like how mortals coped without magic.

There was a door somewhere on one of the walls and he wouldn't find it sitting on his arse on the dusty floor. He produced a crystal and tossed it into the air where it hovered, casting a glow bright enough to banish the shadows from the oubliette.

The door swung open and he grinned. "Someone in this place likes me."

~v~

Next time: Draco faces the cleaners