Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth... I just like to take the characters on vacation :)

High King Niall paced in the corridor outside the Infirmary in a blur of velvet and silk. His outward appearance of calm, cool, and collected was broken for reasons anyone passing by could not name. The servants and attendants had an idea, as per the palace gossip train, but out of respect for their beloved king, ignored his mad stalking with a turned cheek. For centuries, the king attended etiquette classes, excelled in combat courses, and did everything that was expected of a High King of the Underground. However, out of all of his calligraphy classes, all of his ancient history texts and magic tutorials, not once was there a guide to becoming a father.

"Send him in," the High Queen ordered the servant once she was fairly certain she looked decent. True, the king and herself were wedded, but it was no reason to give her hand maidens a heart attack due to a scandalous appearance. She would rather appear carefully disheveled than look how she felt- like she just had a baby. Queen Ziomara pushed her silk gowns about her one more time and managed to slap a few eager-to-help hands out of the way before her king walked in to the room.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as he walked in, slightly stooped from worry and anxiety. All the furrowed brows and frowns could not mar his Fae beauty. All-powerful High King of the Fae Realm my arse, mused the queen silently. I still think he's adorable. The new mother held out her hands for her husband to take as he approached.

The king scrambled up the platform her infirmary bed was placed on and took her warm hands in his cold ones, where he then proceeded to place kiss after kiss on her knuckles and fingertips until he was sure he had covered all the skin he could reach. What he wanted to do was grab her face in his hands and kiss her full on the mouth, as a king rightly should to his beloved queen. He considered it a moment, but allowed the need to pass so to not over-crowd her.

"How is he?" Inquired King Niall after taking the seat vacated by the queen's hand maiden.

"The healer said he's healthy and strong. I'm not surprised after the sass he was giving me for the last three months," Ziomara's eyes glittered with amusement at her husband's crazed state. "Calm down, Niall. If I can manage to keep it together after birthing that bundle of joy, I am quite certain you can too." The queen took her husband's hands and began rubbing soothing circles on the tops. When did I start wearing the pants? At that thought, the healer walked around the corner from the hallway that lead to the bath set up for the babe. The king released a breath he didn't remember holding, replaced his calm exterior, and looked upon his first born child.

"Congratulations, your majesty," exclaimed the healer in a whispered tone. "Your son sleeps, but he is the image of princely perfection." The healer raised his chin slightly at the end of his statement, as if he were proud of his handy work. "He will indeed make the Underground proud to call him king!"

The king's calm faltered minutely, but it was enough for the queen to notice the gears turning in her husband's beautiful head. "Thank you, Kaedre. Your services to the crown are greatly appreciated." Niall made a stiff motion to signal he wished to hold his son. After being told how high to cradle the head, what to avoid bumping, how gentle his rocking motions should be... Niall stared slack-jawed into the cherub face of his heir, his first born, his pride and joy.

Kaedre bowed to his king and then his queen and backed out of the room through the hallway he entered from. Once he was gone, the queen felt like she could speak to her husband more freely. Ziomara tried to limit the slaps to the back of the head she delivered to her husband to times when she knew they were alone. "His name is Caelan. I've already decided." She smirked at her husband in a way that said, go ahead and try me.

"Yes, I like it. I'm not so concerned about the name as I am his future, you know." Niall continued rocking the babe in his arms, only taking his eyes off his son's face for a moment to address his queen. "He was born of Samhain. I hope he doesn't mind a few Goblins."

"Do not worry, my love. If anything, it should help mold him in to a proper king." Ziomara gave a reassuring pat on his forearm, and gazed at the two loves of her life. She knew no child of herself and Niall could fail at being a king. It was his destiny. Speaking of which... "Do not forget: this evening we are paid a visit by the Oracle."

Niall looked at his queen, her beauty even more so radiant with the glow of being a mother. He told her how beautiful she looked. As always the modest queen, she blushed and waved off his compliment, scolding him for changing the subject. His heart swelled with pride for his family, one truly blessed by the gods. "I would not miss it for anything." He looked down again at the stirring babe in his arms. The babe's eyes fluttered open and blinked against the harsh lights of the infirmary before closing them. He was again fast asleep and breathing steadily as if he never stirred.

"His eyes are mismatched. What does that mean?" Niall's voice cracked a little on the last word. His gaze searching Ziomara's face for the answers he hoped would be there for the taking.

She only shrugged her delicate shoulders before adding: "More the reason to see the Oracle, my love."

The Oracle of Prophecies followed the Royal Fae guard- his name already escaped her- through the hallways of the High court palace. Destination: throne room. Purpose: bless the heir to the High throne. Gafidae liked her job alright, but being Oracle of Prophecies was not always pleasant. Sometimes, there was just no good news to bear. But, thems the apples when it came to telling the future. Gafidae lost count of the times an angry Fae couple turned away the wisdom of the Ancients because they did not like the truth. But she knew this time would be different, a new scenario full of possibilities. And Gafidae liked possibilities. The Royal Fae guard, Drust, she recalled, stopped in front of two large, elaborately carved wooden doors. The images depicted on the surface illustrated the history of the Underground in elegant dips and curves. She forced her self to focus on the task at hand. The throne room was just on the other side, and so were her clients. Gafidae squared her shoulders, raised her chin respectfully, and pushed open the doors with self-assurance.

The High King and Queen sat regally in their thrones- one of gold and one of silver respectively. Gafidae bowed deeply toward her rulers before making her way toward the dais. She focused her eyes on the bundle in the arms of the High Queen. Before she was ten yards away from the babe, she felt it. It being the babe. As obvious as a wall would be to a Fae when it walked face first in to it, the powers that the Royal Heir was harboring were just as blatantly obvious to Gafidae. "He's different to you too, isn't he." Gafidae knew she was being disrespectful, but something about the child made her nervous- uncharted territory. Fae children just don't have this kind of power. Not when they're so young. Not that the child was evil, his powers are no where near as dark as an Unseelie. She felt like the faster the High King and Queen knew about their son, the better it would be.

"He has eyes that are not the same," the High King stated, "One is the color his mother gave him, and the other is a color not of the Underground." The High Queen stiffened at the mention of the second eye color, but regained her composer too late. Gafidae noticed.

"May I approach the babe, your majesty?" The High King nodded and turned to his wife. The High Queen stood and walked a few steps down the dais toward Gafidae. The High Queen handed the cooing babe to Gafidae, nestled her fingers in the soft silver-blonde hair of the babe before turning to sit next to her king again. Better get this over with, mused Gafidae. I can only imagine what they're going to do to me if I give them bad news.

She closed her eyes and was immediately bombarded with an onslaught of fast-paced images. Most of the images were fuzzy, moved too fast for her to understand. One image stuck out. A man in black with silver-blonde hair. The babe grows up to look pretty good, she laughed silently before she focused once more. His position was casually sitting in a stone window opening. I know that place... The Goblin Castle! The image showed the figure twisting glittery orbs in his palms distractedly. I've never seen that before. Ho is he doing that?

The vision changed once more, the face of the figure now visible to Gafidae. His face... beautiful. Every inch of it screamed Fae Royalty. But lonely. What caught her attention was the eyes. One of blue, alike to his mother's Fae eye color, and the other brown. A strange color, true. No Fae has such a color. The eye color found in the Aboveground... it;s quite common there.

Answer me, gods of wisdom. Gafidae implored the Ancients. What awaits the future High King of the Underground?

Her eyes opened, her vision changing from fogged with the future to clear with the present. The anxious expressions of the High King and Queen visible as plain as day. Uh oh, thought Gafidae. Even the answer she received she did not like.

"The Ancients have spoken. Your son may not take the High throne until his Queen with the same ailment as himself is found: One eye mortal, and the other eye Fae." Gafidae laid the babe in the arms of his mother once again and stepped off the dais. "I know no more than that. I don't want to assume anything, but I don't think they meant his bride would have the same mismatched eyes... your majesties."

The High King nodded thoughtfully, "Thank you, Oracle. Is there anything else you can offer us concerning the Heir?" He looked hopeful, he really doesn't know how vague the Ancients tend to be.

"From the visions I saw, he will be a great King, extremely powerful." She thought about mentioning the spinning orbs of power and how odd it was to her. Instead she approached it a different way, "He will have powers not seen before by Fae. He has been blessed." While true, I doubt the future Goblin King will see at as a blessing in the long run.

The High Queen looked at Gafidae imploringly, "Is there nothing else? A time at which his match will be found?"

"Nothing else was given. Honestly, this is the most detailed the Ancients have ever been." That did not seem to settle the happy parents.

"Then all we can do is be patient," The High King said diplomatically, "He will be prepared for the throne regardless."

Gafidae approved of her King's plan. She then bowed before her king and queen and turned to exit the throne room. Something tugged at the back of her mind. Something she knew she should say. It came to her like a whisper, from the Ancients. "Actually, there is one more thing." Gafidae turned around, standing at the midpoint between the thrones and the door. "What is the name of the Prince?"

"Caelan. It means 'heir.'" The High King and Queen looked at each other, love clear in their eyes.

Gafidae shook her head and looked at the marble floor, cursing her job for the first time, "The Ancients have a name... They wish for his name to be 'Jareth.'"

The High Queen's delicate eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "It shall be done... but what does it mean?"

Gafidae looked unsettled, she avoided the gaze of her king and queen before inhaling deeply, drawing courage in like air. "It means, 'Fate dealer.'"

AN: Okay, I know this chapter may have moved a bit fast... but it's meant to be a prologue of some kind. For my first story, I think it's lookin' pretty good. I've outlined this story through and through so I already know what's going to happen... It's going to get better ;) R&R this sucker and tell me what you think!

P.S. If pronunciations are necessary, just holler and I will include them in the next chapter.