The Heart of the Labyrinth Part 2

**Chapter contains brief language**

Outside of the castle, the setting sun was casting a long ombre with shades of bright pink, purples, and reds that faded into deep blue and then black across the sky. The outdoor air stung Juliet's chest as she gulped deep breaths of it. Her mind was racing with the words she had skimmed over in the letter she had seen in Nerrissa's chambers moments ago. The garden path that lead further into the labyrinth was abandoned allowing for the startled girl to argue aloud to herself.

"You idiot." She scolded herself under her breath. "Why didn't you grab it?!" Thoughts whirled around in her head, crazy theories, and panicked assumptions coursed through her mind in a consistent stream.

"No this is good. She has no idea I know... but what exactly do I know? I know that Nerrissa is up to somethings, I know that she is very thoughtful and a great conversationalist and oh my gosh am I seriously talking to myself about a crazy unfounded conspiracy theory?!" Juliet covered her eyes with her hands and then proceeded to let out a slow breath to steady herself. "It isn't completely unfounded." She assured herself. A small voice in her mind piped up. 'What does this mean though? Founded or unfounded, what exactly do you believe it means?' Composing herself in order to think clearer the young woman began to mutter her list.

"Well, it's something that has to be kept a secret, obviously. It's something she thinks I would tell Jareth if I knew about it. Why would I tell Jareth about it if I knew what it was? It isn't like Jareth and I are oh so close...." The final thought tugged Juliet's mind to a side track. "I mean... wait are we friends?" She thought long about it, about the last few months. There had been times where the king had been what could be concluded as nice, he hadn't forced her into slavery per say, he gave her near free reign over the entire castle and she could come and go into the Labyrinth as she pleased, when he was struggling on his music he would ask for her help, he had even helped her prepare for the ball. "Oh my gosh." A brief montage of the moments when Jareth had mercilessly teased, pranked, and been a general jerk to her flashed to mind. "Demented... but... friends?"

Juliet stood in the hedged walk way utterly dazed by her revelation when suddenly she jumped when she heard.

"Don't tell me you're going soft on us." Juliet turned around to see Natijad perched on top of the hedge wall to her left. A sudden feeling of exposure overcame Juliet. She could feel the blood in face instantly and she inwardly groaned at it, knowing that Natijad would surely notice as well.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Not enough apparently." Natijad sneered in amusement. Looking at the goblin's vague shadowy outline sparked an idea.

"Nat... are you still looking for something fun to do?" Light wasn't necessary for her to know the exact expression that currently donned the creature's face.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" he snorted.

"It involves sneaking into Nerrissa's chambers." Juliet added with an unexpected sense of secrecy that made her look both ways down the mazeway.

"Look you don't have to convince me anymore. I'm hooked! What is it?" Natijad insisted from the very edge of his perch.

"I need you to get something for me."

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