Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.
Summary: Sarah may have won the challenge, but she couldn't resist the thrill of the game. Returning to the Labyrinth behind Jareth's back, she made up her own game with her own rules, until the rules changed and there was nowhere for her to run except to Jareth himself. ONESHOT!
Jareth's Prize
Sarah snuck around the hedges on the balls of her sneakers, avoiding stepping on dry leaves so she wouldn't be heard. Jareth walked by from the other side of the high brush dictating to his commander in chief about strengthening the battle antics of the goblin army. As soon as he turned down another passage, Sarah darted from her place and ran for all she was worth in the opposite direction.
Jareth froze suddenly, tilting his head to the side as he strained to hear the shuffling sound behind him. He'd heard those footfalls before, always behind him, and always almost out of hearing range. With a quirk of his brow, he returned his attention to his commander, and continued to dictate as though nothing had distracted him.
Sarah ran as fast as she could towards the castle, gaining cheers and excited hoots as the goblins rooted for her to run faster. The game was simple. Sarah would be given a random starting point from somewhere in the labyrinth, and she had to reach the castle, undetected by the king, while Jareth stepped out for his daily meetings with his advisor, commander in chief, and head of staff.
It had been a game Sarah had come up with one day after her friends told her of Jareth's daily walks. She was technically too old to play such silly games, but that was part of why Sarah loved it so much, it felt wonderful to just have fun with no one telling her to act her age and grow up. She'd done enough of that since starting college, and the more friends she made in the labyrinth, the more often she enjoyed going back.
At first the other inhabitants were confused by her return and her sneaking around behind the king's back. But after word spread that she was merely playing a game they soon joined in, often helping her by distracting the king further while she snuck past him. It had become as much of a thrill for them for Sarah to get to the castle without Jareth knowing as it was for Sarah herself. Especially since the king usually knew about everything that went on in the kingdom.
There was no prize except the thrill of running through the labyrinth without Jareth knowing she was there, reaching the castle before his return, which had no scheduled time limit on any given day. Then Sarah would be sent home before the king realized she'd ever been there at all. She'd lost a few times, being sent home because the king returned to the castle unexpectedly, which instantly made him the winner of a game he wasn't even aware he participated in. Other times a wish had been made, forfeiting the game instantly. Sarah was forbidden to be in the kingdom without the king's permission while a wisher was present and was sent home immediately after a wish was heard.
She ran through the goblin city with flushed cheeks and heart pumping. Racing up the winding path, she crossed the bridge and sprinted down the entrance hall with one last spurt of energy. Reaching the throne room, she leapt into the air, and threw her arms above her head. "YES!"
She turned around to face the doorway, laughing with excitement and jumping up and down, expecting to be swarmed by friends for reaching the castle before they sent her home. Only no one was there. With her smile slowly fading from her face, she looked back outside to see Jareth in the goblin city.
"Damn," she murmured. "What the hell's he doing in the city so soon?" She turned around to look behind her. There really wasn't anywhere to hide in this room, if you weren't a goblin that is, and if she was still there if a wish was made… well, she wasn't sure what would happen, but everyone was adamant about getting her out of the kingdom as soon as a wish was heard, so it couldn't be good.
She was stuck. Jareth was making his way into the castle, and she had to find her way out. The only problem was that there was only one way in and out of the castle, and that was the entrance Jareth was heading for. This was not good at all. No one had any idea what his reaction would be if he found Sarah in the kingdom, in the castle no less, and no one wanted to find out, especially Sarah.
Noticing a stack of crates in the far corner, Sarah ran for them, relieved as all hell that there was enough room for her to squeeze between the crates and the wall to hide. She no sooner hunkered down into the shadows behind the crates when Jareth strode confidently into the room. He stopped suddenly, his back rigid as he looked around the interior with an intent gaze.
Sarah watched him with bated breath, completely enthralled and scared at the same time. 'God, I could stare at him forever,' she thought, taking in his appearance through the slats in the crates. He hadn't changed one bit since she first met the Goblin King, but her perspective of him had. She understood better the power he reigned his kingdom with, his objective for keeping wished away children, and her attraction for him grew every time she'd caught sight of him. He was just as intimidating and fearful as when they had first met, but he also had a quality about him that allowed humor and amusement.
The rare occasions she had been witness to him laughing in enjoyment nearly had gotten her caught more times than she could count. She simply hadn't been able to take her eyes off of him, and stood transfixed with flushed cheeks and ragged breaths. If it weren't for a helpful goblin who had pulled her into hiding, Jareth would have turned around to find her standing there staring at him completely dumbfounded.
Sarah sunk lower into the shadows behind the crates as his gaze slowly scanned the room, seemingly searching for something with intent piercing eyes. Did he suspect someone in the room? Possibly. He did seem to just know things most of the time. But, he would never suspect Sarah being back in the labyrinth, and as long as she remained still, she just might make it out of this in one piece.
Then the unexpected happened, a wish was made. It rang throughout the castle in the very air. "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!"
Sarah watched as the throne room, the Goblin King, the very air changed in response to those magical words. Jareth vanished from the throne room within a flash of lightening. She bolted from her hiding spot towards the entrance, coming upon some goblins as they came in from the city with their ale and livestock.
"Hey!" a goblin exclaimed. "How'd you get in there?"
"What?" Sarah asked, confused. "It's me, Sarah. Remember, I was playing the game just before the wish? I need you to send me back home."
"Intruder in the castle!" the goblin cried out loudly. "Guards! Intruder in the castle!"
Sarah pushed him down, making him spill the keg of ale, and pushed the others out of her way as she ran out into the city.
XxXxX
Jareth returned with the wisher, the baby already having been taken to the castle by his goblins, only to hear the alarms about an intruder in the city. After quickly explaining the rules, he left the wisher on the hill, and vanished immediately to reappear in his throne room.
"What's all this ruckus?" he demanded, boisterously. Goblins were mulling about in confusion with the crying baby, while his armed guards mulled about poking things with their spears searchingly. "What is going on?"
"There was an intruder in the castle, your Majesty!" his commander in chief informed him. "We closed the gates, and have the city surrounded. We will search from inside the castle outwards until she is found!"
"She? What type of creature is she?" he asked authoritively, taking the crying baby from a goblin to soothe the scared thing.
"A mortal girl, Sire," the commander replied. "She appeared in the throne room shortly after you left to answer the summons."
"A mortal girl?" he voiced suspiciously. "What does she look like? Describe her to me!" he commanded impatiently.
"She's older than most, your Majesty," an ale soaked goblin answered. "With long dark hair, and green flashing eyes that turn cruel in an instant! She said her name is Sarah, but we all know that Sarah went home, so this girl is an imposter!"
"Sarah," he murmured softly to himself thoughtfully, lowering his gaze unseeingly. "So, it was her. I knew I felt her presence." He turned his gaze to his commander and all the goblins present. "The intruder will be left alone!" he commanded forcibly. "She will most likely try to find her friends and leave the labyrinth." His eyes hardened coldly. "She is 'not' permitted to leave. I want you to make her come back to the castle, and make her find me personally."
"Yes, your Majesty!" the entire horde chanted as one voice. Then the commander asked, "What about the wisher, your Majesty?"
Jareth laughed sardonically. "What of her? She is to run the labyrinth the same way as all those before her. Make sure the two never cross paths. I refuse to lose another child, and this one needed to be wished away." He looked down at the quieted babe in his arms, his tone softening dramatically. "Didn't you, precious thing? They've been nothing but cruel to you. But, all that will change in just a few short hours."
He placed the baby in the circular stone crib, tucking her in with soft blankets and pillows, then returned his attention to the goblins. "Well?" he exclaimed impatiently. "What are you still standing around for? Go find the one called Sarah, and make her turn back towards the castle!"
"Yes, your Majesty!"
Jareth slid into his chair with a gleam in his eyes and a sardonic grin etched on his exotic features. 'Two runners at once,' he thought to himself. 'One trying to get out, and the other trying to get in. Now this is very exciting.'
XxXxX
Sarah quickly discovered that everything changes in the goblin city when a wish is made, not to mention Jareth's personal changes. Besides everything being rearranged that made sneaking around nearly impossible, there were more windows and doors in the huts and stone structures, allowing intruders to be detected more easily. Resorting to literally crawling on her hands and knees, she tried to keep low to the ground, and away from the main paths, which wasn't easy at all!
She now understood why she had always been sent home immediately when a wish was made, everyone had forgotten who she was! They told her that the labyrinth changed while a wisher was in the kingdom, but Sarah didn't think that would have included the inhabitant's very memories. She paused and flattened herself behind some bushes as a troop of riders stomped by. 'What if Jareth doesn't remember who I am, either?' she mused with sudden trepidation. 'Oh my god, he would kill me, he would… no, don't think about it, Sarah.' She told herself, resuming her crawling once more.
Right now her only hope of not getting caught was to find a place to hide until the wisher either won or ran out of time. 'Great,' she thought cynically. 'Thirteen hours to sit and wait without being seen or found by anyone. Just terrific.' She reached the outer wall and followed it around to the city gates, which thankfully were designed to keep things out and not in. 'He'll most likely change that too if I get out of this mess!'
She peered through the gates to the other side, seeing armed guards attentively standing watch. 'Damn.' Glancing around her surroundings, she noticed a small trap door on the ground a few feet away. 'The oubliette,' Sarah thought with enthusiasm. 'Perfect!' Without another thought, she scrambled to the small door and pulled it open.
Checking behind her to make sure no one saw her, she found the first rung of the ladder with her foot and began her decent, barely fitting through the small opening. Once she was fully on the ladder, she reached back up and pulled the door closed over her head. 'Oh shit,' she thought with dismay as all light was blocked out when she shut the door. Peering below herself, she couldn't see a damn thing, not even her own hands on the ladder in front of her!
Changing her mind about this idea, she raised her hand above her head to push the door open again, only to find nothing but air. "Oh, no," she whispered fearfully. She grabbed the ladder with both arms, hugging it while trying to calm her sudden fears. She couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, and was scared to death to move. What if there was nothing under her and she stepped down only to fall?
She placed her forehead on the rung of the ladder that she desperately clung to, a whimper escaping her throat. "No," she whispered with sudden determination, taking a deep breath to take control of her emotions. "I've done this before. The ladder goes down to the oubliette, I know it does!" With new resolve, she cautiously removed her foot from the rung, bent her other knee, and slowly lowered herself to the next rung. Sighing deeply with relief, she slowly repeated her actions, one rung at a time.
XxXxX
"Your majesty," the commander in chief addressed a few hours after both mortal girls were released into the kingdom. "The wisher is completely lost, deep within the labyrinth, wandering around aimlessly."
Jareth nodded at the report. "And Sarah?" he asked casually. "What of her whereabouts?"
"We don't know, your Majesty," the commander answered cautiously. "She simply disappeared."
"What do you mean, simply disappeared?" he asked tightly, trying to remain calm.
"We can't find her anywhere. She never got out of the city, we're sure of it, your Majesty. But, we've scoured every building and hiding place between the castle and the city gates, and we can't find her!"
Jareth frowned deeply. 'She couldn't have returned home,' he pondered. 'No one would remember her, and I would have heard anyone uttering her name.' Bringing forth a crystal, he commanded it to show him Sarah's whereabouts. Up until now, he had assumed she was being chased and corralled in his direction, arrogantly awaiting for her appearance before him.
Peering into the clear orb, his frown deepened even more as nothing but darkness was shown to him. "It's impossible," he muttered under his breath. "Nothing can hide from my magic," The frown cleared somewhat from his features as he tried again. "Show me Sarah," he commanded more specifically. Again, he was met with nothing but blackness.
His temper simmered to the surface, irate that he was denied his command, and was about to throw the crystal across the room when he heard the faintest sound of a sniffle from the orb in his hand. His eyes immediately locked onto the crystal, straining his hearing to listen closer. Then he heard it again, along with very subtle crying. A satisfied smirk graced the king's features.
"Very clever, Sarah," he stated openly, knowing she couldn't hear him. "She's in the oubliette," he announced affirmatively to his commander. "Take a few goblins, and go retrieve her."
"Yes, your Majesty!" the commander replied readily, then paused. "Uh… how are we to find her, Sire? The oubliette is a very massive, and very dark in most places."
"Well, I'll have to assist you in that matter, now won't I?" he stated arrogantly. Glancing back at the orb, he made a very small gesture of tilting his chin slightly. Suddenly a soft glow was seen within the crystal, clearly showing Sarah sitting huddle in a corner with her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms hugging herself. "There, now you have a light to follow."
XxXxX
Sarah had no idea how long she'd been in the dark. She had no idea how long it had taken her to simply reach the floor, but it had felt like a very long time. She was exhausted both emotionally and physically by the time her foot touched stone. Then she had lowered herself to her hands and knees, not knowing how high the ceiling was, or if there really was a floor, or if she was merely standing on a stone in the middle of nothing.
Creeping along she heard things scurrying away from her, making more tears fall from her eyes at not having any idea of what it was that made those noises. She was prepared for something to attack her from the darkness, but had no idea what she would do if something did. Finally, she had come in contact with a wall, and followed it until she found a corner. She'd been sitting there ever since, too afraid to move, and not having anywhere to go anyway.
More than once she had felt something scurry across the tips of her sneakers. She gasped and pulled her feet in closer to her body, and that was when she realized that nobody knew where she was. That nobody even remembered her being in the labyrinth, and Jareth had no idea to even look for her. Despair set in, and the tears started to fall, hot, and burning. She hadn't wanted to be found, and put herself in the only place that would guarantee that. She would die down there, and no one would ever know what happened to her.
Suddenly there was a soft glow of light, seemingly from nowhere, just like the last time she ended up in the oubliette. "Ho… Hoggle?" She caught sight of shadows moving away from her, apparently repelled by the dim light. But Hoggle didn't answer her call, only silence. "Jareth?" she called fearfully. He was the only one who could bring light into the darkest places of the labyrinth, he had to know she was there.
"How are you enjoying my labyrinth, Sarah?" He gloated with obvious amusement, his voice wafted in the room like smoke in a draft.
She was ready to cry all over again from the humiliation of failing at something she had succeeded in before, of needing him to come rescue her. Then, relief filled her entire being. 'He remembers who I am! He knows where I'm at!' Her resolve set in, that inner strength that refused to give in or give up wrapped around her like a cloak. She raised her head with determination, her eyes searched the room above and around her.
"I did just fine in the labyrinth, Jareth," she replied in a strong voice, rising to her feet. "But your oubliette sucks!"
Jareth's eyes sparkled with delight at her answer, and a smile graced his face. He had been worried about her for a moment, thinking her spirit had been broken within the darkness, which is what it's purpose was. But then he saw her eyes harden with that familiar cruelty, and knew that she was going to be just fine.
"I've sent someone for you," he told her haughtily. "Don't get lost on your way out." His laughter echoed in the small space she had put herself in, fading off into the silence.
XxXxX
Dum, dum, dee, dum. Dum, dee, dum, dum, dum, dee, dum.
Sarah couldn't get that foreboding tune out of her head no matter what she thought of as she followed the two armored goblin guards through the tunnels of the oubliette, another two following at her back, with the commander leading the way. She briefly wondered if Jareth was capable of squeezing the life out of someone with a simple gesture of his hand just like…
She shook her head vigorously to shake away that line of thinking. Jareth was obviously more amused by her being in his labyrinth, the oubliette more specifically, than anyone would have guessed. At the moment, she was more grateful to him for finding her than she was worried about what he was going to do with her now. With any luck, he'd just send her home and forbid her to ever come back, which would be more punishment than she'd ever admit to him.
They stepped through a space in the wall, just like the ones out in the labyrinth, can't see it unless you know its there, and entered a corridor in the castle that was off to the side of the throne room. 'One way in and out of the castle, my ass,' Sarah thought disgruntled. The goblins escorted her to the throne, and stopped before the king.
"Patrol elsewhere," he told his guards with a disinterested wave of his hand, his eyes focusing solely on Sarah. "And what do we have here," he asked sarcastically, swinging his legs to the front of his chair to stand up. "Well, well," he voiced patronizingly, circling around Sarah. "If it isn't Miss Sarah Williams, back from the Aboveground." Sarah sighed deeply, accepting his sarcasm while focusing her gaze forward. "Slightly worse for wear this time around, wouldn't you say?" he asked rhetorically, reaching out a hand to let a lock of her dirty and tangled hair slip through his gloved fingers.
"Well, you changed things around," she responded evenly. "I had to improvise."
"Ah," he voiced with sarcastic understanding. "So, you improvised your way, once again, into my oubliette." He came around to face her, meeting her eyes as she looked up at him.
'God, I must be a retched sight,' she thought, remembering how she had crawled around in the dirt.
"What? no clever comeback?" he asked, almost sounding disappointed.
"How long was down there?"
He studied her for a moment, wondering what she was up to now, and found himself ready to accept whatever challenge she presented him with. "Nearly nine hours."
"Nine hours!" she exclaimed, meeting his gaze. "You knew I was down there, and left me there for nine hours!"
"Not exactly," he stated in a velvet voice with a smile. He turned and stepped up to his throne, sliding comfortably upon the cushions. "We were merely looking for you in the wrong places."
"But, you knew I was here, somewhere?" she asked cautiously. "Even though everyone forgot who I was?"
"Yes, about that," he stated, frowning seriously. "Why 'are' you here, Sarah?"
"I was bored," she whispered really low, bowing her head to mask her voice even more.
"What was that?" he questioned, placing his hand by his ear as he leaned forward. He knew full well what she had said, but was having fun tormenting her.
She knew he heard her, the gleam in his eyes told her so. "It's not the first time that I've been in the labyrinth without you knowing about it," she informed him arrogantly, raising her chin defiantly. "I've been coming back regularly since you sent me home with Toby."
Jareth rested his elbows on his knees, and held her gaze intently. "I'm more than aware of how often you've visited, Sarah. Playing your games to amuse yourself at my expense." He sat back, then slouched sideways to throw a leg over the arm of the chair as though bored, turning his head to the side to look at her. "What I find interesting is how you actually thought that I didn't know what was going on in my own kingdom." He lowered his tone as he continued. "I would have caught you today, by the fairness of your own made up rules, if I hadn't been summoned by that wish."
"That's why you walked through the city," she stated with dawning, then more to herself. "I knew there was something wrong about that."
"Yes," he replied, indulging her. "But there's one thing that I am still unclear about." Sarah met his gaze, waiting for him to continue. He swung around once more to fully face her. "What do I get for catching you?"
"Nothing," she replied simply, shrugging. "The game was forfeit. It's always forfeit when a wish is made." She licked at suddenly dry lips when his eyes hardened at her answer. "If you weren't in the city when the wish came, they would have sent me home right away."
"But they weren't able to," he stated in an easy tone, rising from his throne. "In fact, by your own rules, if I return to the castle before you reach it, I am deemed the winner." He stepped close to her, leaning over her shoulder to speak into her ear in a deep suggestive tone. "Am I correct?"
"Yes," she whispered, closing her eyes at what his voice was doing to her, his nearness as he leaned over her. "But… I did reach the castle first, they just weren't able to send me home."
"Ah, but the second rule to your game is that I am not supposed to be aware that you were ever here to begin with." He shifted from leaning over her one shoulder to the other. "But I was more than aware of you being in my labyrinth, Sarah. I purposely trapped you within my castle, with no way of escape." He brushed aside her hair covering her ear, tucking it behind the lobe, then leaned in even more. "I win."
Her breaths were nothing short of small pants. He was right, he had caught her, and that was the challenge, to not get caught by the king. She'd seen him searching the room, had suspected him of knowing 'someone' was there, and he would have found her if the wish hadn't been made.
"There's no prize, Jareth," she whispered, breathing unevenly at his closeness, and the uncertainty of what he would demand as winner of her game.
"Come now, Sarah!" he declared suddenly, moving to stand in front of her. "You've granted yourself the pleasure of returning to my kingdom by your own will. You have roamed freely, making friends, and enjoying yourself. 'That' has always been your reward for playing your game." He tilted his head back slightly, his chin raised just enough to look down his nose at her. "I want to know what you offer your king for winning your game, Sarah."
'Oh, no,' she thought in a panic. 'Oh, shit.' She searched her brain for something, anything to tell him, and came up empty. "I don't have anything," she told him, fear and regret lacing her voice.
"Nothing? Nothing!" he all but barked at her. "Then perhaps I shall simply take what I want from you," he stated decisively, advancing upon her threateningly. She stepped back from him, slightly shaking her head in the negative as he kept coming towards her.
The back of her heel hit the stone circular crib, she flailed her arms for balance, feeling herself about to fall backwards. His hand snaked out and grabbed her arm, saving her from falling, from landing upon the baby sleeping contentedly behind her.
"For the time being," he dictated in an even tone. "I suggest you find my private chambers, wash yourself of the filth you're covered in, and find something clean to wear within my wardrobe." He released his hold of her arm, confident that she had regained her balance. "Perhaps, by the time the wisher is finished, you will think of something to appease my generosity for allowing you to play in my kingdom behind my back."
He turned away from her, vanishing from the room before she could ask anything of him. She looked around the throne room warily, recognizing so many familiar faces, most of whom she had a name for, and shuddered at the chilling expressions the goblins were giving her. Bravely, she raised her chin, and met their stares head on.
"The king wishes me to find his chambers, would one of you, please, show me where it is, so I don't get lost?"
The goblins looked around at each other, mumbling amongst themselves in their own language.
"She did say, please," one offered objectively.
"Then you take her," the commander ordered. "And keep watch to make sure she doesn't escape again."
"You don't have to keep watch," Sarah reassured them. "I won't defy the king. He didn't say I could leave his chambers once I get cleaned and changed, and I don't have any intention of getting lost again."
"Smart lady," one of them muttered from the back of the horde.
"Are you truly Sarah?" the commander asked, stepping forward from the rest.
"Yes, I am. I wasn't sent home before the wish was made."
"Name thy friends," the commander ordered for proof.
"Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo," she named off, then pointed from one goblin to another within the horde and continued. "And you are Scrape, Grady, Lookout, and you, sir," she rested her gaze upon the commander. "Are Commander in Chief, Roust."
An accumulation of gasps filled the room, their eyes growing wide. "Only the real Sarah would know our names!" one insisted. The other goblins nodded in agreement.
"Come," Roust stated authoritively. "I shall escort you to the king's chambers personally."
"Thank you, Roust." She started to follow him from the room, then paused to look back. "Fritter, I'm sorry I pushed you down earlier, and made you spill the ale."
The goblins watched as she followed their commander from the room. "Well, that was very polite of her to say," Fritter remarked, then looked at his brethren. "Speaking of ale, let's drink some!" Cheers and boisterous shouts rang throughout the room as they merged towards the keg.
XxXxX
His chambers were full of enchantments. A warm water spring, obviously for bathing, a fountain, possibly for drinking or just a beautiful ambiance. The oversized bed, the doubly oversized closets, futons, couches, throw rugs, and pillows. She could fully understand why he would want to have such lavish chambers for himself after having to be in the drab and filthy throne room for hours on end. She wondered if he ventured from his chambers when he didn't have to. She knew he chose to have his meetings with his subjects while walking in the gardens, or the hedge mazes. He truly liked to have beautiful things around him, and this room alone proved it.
She stripped her soiled clothes from her body and eased into the warm spring, sinking herself into the water up to her chin. She was surprised how the water itself felt as smooth as silk, with a pleasant aroma wafting up with the tendrils of steam. She closed her eyes, feeling the dirt and weariness of her body wash away, leaving her feeling relaxed and content.
The resounding peel of a grandfather clock woke her up with a start. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but the water was so soothing, she had no desire to fight the effects of it. Surmising that it was the thirteenth hour, since the clock wasn't so obvious for any other time, she quickly stepped from the spring, grabbed a robe, and rushed to one of his closets to find something to wear.
Her mind became a whirlwind as she shuffled through one outfit after another, trying to think of what she could offer him as appeasement for winning her game. She breathed with impatience at not finding a shirt that wasn't completely opened at the neck, and sprinted to another closet to see if she had better luck. It was filled with nothing but formal wear. Silken shirts with laced cuffs, jewels sewn into the fabric with some sort of magic, tailcoats with glitter and studded with jewels.
"Damn," she muttered. "Why's he have to be so damn flamboyant?" Moving to yet another closet on the far side of the room, she hoped against hope of finding something. "Come on, Jareth, you have to own something that I can wear that's modest!"
"Perhaps I don't want you dressed modestly," he announced in a deep voice behind her. Sarah spun around gasping in surprise. "That robe would be the most modest thing you will find, I'm afraid." She pulled the folds tighter around herself in response. "Unless you wear something extremely formal," he added, is eyes dancing with amusement.
"I'll just wear this, then. Until my clothes are dry, that is."
"Ohh, what a pity," he drawled patronizingly. "I wasn't aware you'd ever wear those rags again, and had them sent… to the cleaners." he chuckled deeply at his own humor as he walked away from her.
"You can't possibly be that cruel," she stated decisively, stepping from the closet to follow.
"Can't I?" he quipped, pausing to look at her briefly. "You've watched me long enough to know exactly how cruel I can be when it suites me, why would I be any different towards you?" He suddenly gasped softly with a feigned expression of surprise, touching his lips with his gloved fingertips. "Oh, dear," he whispered patronizingly. "You actually thought I would be 'nice' to you."
"Not so much as being nice, but I didn't expect you to get rid of my clothes."
"Oh, for whatever reason why not?" he asked with disgust. "They were ruined, it tainted my magic simply disposing of the things."
"They were not that dirty!" she defended with hands on hips.
"Are you sure about that?" he questioned, holding her gaze steadily for a moment. She honestly couldn't argue too much on that note. Her clothes had been soiled really badly. In fact, she barely wanted to touch them just to get them off her body.
"No," she admitted begrudgingly. "They were pretty bad." Then picked her chin up. "But you didn't have to throw them away."
"I didn't have to keep them, either," he remarked, walking towards the warm water spring. "Have you decided what my prize is yet?"
"I'm still working on that," she answered, sounding disgruntled.
"Still?" he questioned, looking over his shoulder at her. "You had four hours, and you come up with nothing?"
"I… uhm," she stammered, looking away from him sheepishly. "I sort of fell asleep in the warm water."
"I know," he stated firmly. "I was watching you."
"You were…" she was about to get upset, then decided that being embarrassed was more than enough of a reaction. "Never mind," she finished lamely.
"I want you to assist me," he stated decisively. "Come closer."
"Assist you with what?" she asked warily, not moving.
"You are not in a position to question me, Sarah," he told her in an even tone, glancing at her from over his shoulder. He stepped to the side of the warm spring, his clothes suddenly vanishing from his entire body, and he placed a foot in the water.
"Oh my god," she exhaled deeply, seeing how white his skin was. She slowly stepped closer, not seeing so much as one single tan line on the entire length of his back, ass, or legs.
Her reaction to his nakedness had caught him off guard, it hadn't occurred to him that she may find is body repulsive or objective in any way. He stopped his movements to stand perfectly still with his back to her, his head turned to one side. "What is it now?" he asked curtly with impatience.
"Has sunlight 'ever' touched your skin?" she asked, her voice a combination of awe and astonishment.
"Never," he replied shortly, moving to ease himself into the water. Once submerged he turned his gaze in her direction. "Does my paleness repulse you so much that you refuse to come closer?"
"No," she answered quickly, snapping out of her momentary stupor while stepping forward. She wasn't repulsed at all. In fact, the paleness of his skin aroused her just as much as seeing him laugh whole heartedly. She reached the side of the spring feeling anxious. On one hand she hoped he wanted her to sponge his back for him, on the other hand she hoped he didn't.
He regarded her with calculated eyes as she simply stared at him from the side of the spring. He had intended on having her assist with his bath. However, he was uncertain as to her reaction of his nakedness, and found himself wondering what to do with her now. He raised a hand from the water to pinch the bridge of his nose with indecision.
"Why do you get headaches so much?" she asked quietly, recalling how often she'd seen him make this simple gesture.
"I do not suffer from headaches," he answered, lowering his arm to the marble at his side. He waywardly glanced at her, about to ask why she would think such a thing, when the blank expression on her face stopped him. Curious, he raised his arm from the marble to drape it over his head, smirking as her eyes followed the movement.
She couldn't help but stare, she'd never seen anyone so pale before. She wanted to touch him, to feel if his skin was as soft and delicate as it looked. Then he raised his arm to casually rest it upon his head, baring his entire upper body to her intent gaze. With a mind of their own, her eyes slowly roamed from his elbow down to his shoulder, her breath caught slightly at the small tuff of blonde hair under his arm, and felt her face become flush as she continued her perusal of him down to the waters impenetrable surface.
He watched her closely, realizing that she wasn't repulsed at all by his appearance. She was aroused! He sat up straighter in the spring, watching as her eyes followed his body. She subconsciously leaned forward, her brows rising slightly as his hips remained just below the surface. He suddenly lowered himself completely under the water, only to emerged just as quickly, rising to stand at his full height.
Watching him emerge from the water was magnificent. Sarah stood completely spell bound at the sight of water running down his pristine skin, droplets splashed her from his arms when he pushed his hair back from his face. 'Thank god I go to college,' she thought, having seen more than one jock run naked through the hallways because they lost a bet or were simply dared to while drunk
It wasn't until he grabbed her wrist that she became aware of reaching out to touch him. "Have you completely lost all your senses?" he demanded to know. No one in their right mind simply walks up to a king and attempts to touch him without his command to do so.
"No, just the one to think with." Her fingers actually flexed wantonly as he held her wrist in front of his chest.
He looked at her incredulously, about to toss her back into the oubliette, when her breath hitched and her eyes slowly traveled down the length of him appreciatively. Jareth couldn't remember the last time a female looked at him like that, but it was enough to spark his own libido. Curious as to what exactly she would do if left unhindered, he released her hand.
Sarah had no idea how long her hand simply hung in the air without his grasp of it, but upon realizing she could move it again, she took that as a sign that it was okay to touch. She stepped closer, and knelt upon the marble side wall, not feeling the discomfort at all. With both hands she reached out to him, barely grazing her fingertips upon the skin of his chest. She inhaled sharply, or that might have been Jareth, she wasn't sure, as the feel of his silken skin tantalized her senses.
She gently ran her hands down the length of his upper body, watching as they glided over him. The contrast between her skin tone and his whiteness was more alluring that she could ever describe. Shifting her hands sideways, she caressed his waist, pausing at his hips to bite her lip indecisively if she dared go lower. Her thumbs skimmed over his hip bones, both hands in synch with each other.
With sudden realization, and perfect clarity, Sarah's mind made a decision. She let her hands drop from him, then rose to her feet. She undid the tie at her waist and slipped the robe from her shoulders, letting it pool a her feet. Raising her downcast eyes, she met his impassive gaze head on. "You win," she stated decisively, and stood before him to present herself as the prize for all the times she'd played a game that she never won. He'd known all along she was returning to his kingdom, and that alone had been the objective, to not get caught.
Her hands on his skin was pure torture. Remaining still under her attention was beyond any source of will power he'd ever used before. He was sure that he groaned when she removed her hands from him. He'd reached out to grab her, thinking she was going to try and run away, but stayed his hand when she simply rose to her feet, and dropped the robe to the floor.
Every ounce of upbringing screamed at him to be the gentleman. To take her hand and lead her gently into the spring before tenderly kissing her, tasting her lips for the first time. But he ignored those minute voices from long ago and grabbed her by the waist with both hands. Pulling her into the spring with him, he took a fistful of her hair and claimed her mouth with savage vengeance.
After the shock of him physically grabbing her, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against his body. His tongue dueled with hers ferociously, his teeth nipped her lips as he kissed her as though starved. She splayed her hands into his wet hair, wrapping a leg around his thigh as he twisted them sideways to plunge into the spring, sinking under the surface.
His kiss deepened as they floated under the water, his fingers bit into her flesh as he held onto her. She moaned deep in her throat, starting to run out of air, and wrapped her hands at the sides of his face. He complied and broke the kiss, staring into her eyes with burning desire. She looked up towards the surface, letting him know she needed air. He took her chin in his hand and smiled sardonically at her before magically taking them to his bed.
She gasped for air while he nipped lightly at her neck, his hands sliding down the length of her, reveling in the feel of her smooth skin. "Don't ever attempt to hide from me again," he told her in an authoritive voice.
"As if I could," she replied breathlessly, clinging to him as Jareth claimed his prize.