The world was fuzzy and so abstract it didn't seem real. She had no idea what happened the night before, only glimpses and dreams to clue her in. Sarah pulled the sheets closer to her body enjoying the warmth they provided her. For some reason, she was colder than usual, and in a lot more pain; especially her head. The slightest rustle of fabric sounded like sirens and bells ringing in her mind, but she would deal with that later. Right now, she wanted rest. Fatigue plagued her, and her dreams weren't helping either. She had never been one to have erotic dreams, but last night she had a vivid and rather explicit fantasy about a certain childhood memory.
Sarah turned on her side to avoid the sun's rays gleaming through the curtains in the hotel. Currently, she was in Las Vegas to celebrate her twenty-first birthday with some friends. Some time during the evening they split up, but that wasn't something to worry about; they could manage just fine. Pulling a firm pillow close to her, Sarah opened her eyes to slits.
"Mmm…Squishy pillow…" The words dripped from her mouth, each syllable clanging noisily in her mind. "Squishy, squishy." She squeezed the pillow, a smile growing on her lips. "Mmm."
Something made her freeze. The slightest shift of air in the room sharpened her senses. The pillow just…breathed? Sarah's eyes shot open as she sat ramrod straight. It wasn't a dream.
"How did this happen?" She screamed despite the pain.
"Well," Jareth began calmly, "It's quite simple really. When a man and woman—"
Sarah tossed a reproachful glance over her shoulder. "Stop acting so smug! Ah!" She cradled her head in her arms gingerly. "You took advantage of the situation."
"I was just as intoxicated as you, my dear. And, if my memory serves me correct, you approached me." He stood and walked over to the windowsill. Sitting down, he gestured her to him. "I won't bite."
"I'm not going anywhere near you." Sarah kept her feet planted stubbornly, but refused to take her eyes off of him.
Jareth leaned back against the glass, the sheet lying on his lap leaving hardly anything to the imagination. "Your pride is much larger than your bite. Now, get your precious self over here so I my cure your infliction." Sarah's eyebrows shot up quizically. "Instant-hangover-cure, love."
"Oh..." She wandered back to him, pulling the sheets tighter. "So how does this work?"
Jareth tugged on a piece of her hair, bringing her to his eye level. "Simple."
He briefly placed his finger to her forehead and all of her fatigue and wear drained from her body. Sarah felt light, but certainly not carefree; especially with his highness flaunting his satisfaction.
Sarah sat back on the bed. Her eyes were cold with the slightest flicker of white fire as she looked him over. "Once you pay for the room you can leave."
Jareth chuckled at her attempt at dictatorship. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Now that we've eloped-"
"What?" Her face blanched faster than Jareth would have thought possible. "We're married? That can't be!"
"Look at your hand." She looked. Adorned on her finger was a plain gold band, but a ring nonetheless. Jareth frowned at the one hugging his finger. "We match."
"You-You ass! How could you do this to me?" Sarah leapt at him causing her sheet to fall dangerously low (which she hastily fixed).
He scoffed at her narcissist remark. "I, actually, was just beginning to enjoy life without you. I was supposed to hold try-outs for my harem next week."
"Pig!"
Sarah's speech quickly slipped farther and farther away from proper dialogue and was soon nothing more than groans and grunts. Jareth, on the other hand, chose to stay quiet as she threw her temper tantrum around the room. The sad part of this fiasco was that she hadn't even heard the bad news yet.
As stated in Underground Law 987 paragraph 34, should an immortal marry a mortal, the mortal must return to the Underground and rule alongside his/her spouse. If said partner refuses to come willingly, magic will trap the being and keep it as a prisoner until the mind is swayed. However, only marriages performed Underground are considered officially binding; therefore, any marriage committed Aboveground is invalid and is not under the regulation of Underground Law. The only exception to that is if the marriage has been consummated considering that such an act is binding in any aspect.
What a toll. So far, the only good news was that at least she wasn't pregnant.
After explaining their obligation to Sarah, Jareth speculated as she curled into herself and fumed silently. "We should probably leave now before my subjects fall into chaos."
"This is a joke, right?" Her voice was shaking on the brink of hysteria. "I mean, none of this is true. It's just a very cruel joke to get back at me for beating you."
"I'm afraid not. Can you please get dressed so that we may leave?"
She got up very slowly and picked up her clothes off the floor, each piece littered with glitter. "Augh! Honestly, Jareth?" He shrugged in nonchalance. "Glittery clothes should be the least of your problem, dearest."
Sarah mumbled something under her breath as she prepared to drop the blanket. "Well?"
"Oh, you have to be joking! It's not like I haven't seen you already!"
"JARETH!"
"Very well!" He meandered into the bathroom to wash up while Sarah dressed herself. She was a ball of fire when she wanted to be. God help him should she really fly off the handle.
Just as he was exiting the bathroom, he caught Sarah trying to sneak out. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Home! There's no way I'm going anywhere with you!" She tugged her purse onto her shoulder roughly. "I'm not falling for your tricks anymore."
Jareth grabbed her wrists and held them above her head as he pinned her to the wall. "Look, princess, I am no happier about this than you are, but I don't have a choice."
Sarah struggled against him, a useless effort. "Let me go!"
He breathed in the thick scent of her. He could smell every thought running through her mind; most of them were pondering about how to kill him. But somewhere deep within those layers, he could see a pinhole of light that suspected his words to be true. For the moment, Jareth could harness that doubt and wield it to his advantage. Her innocence and trust acted like an energy source to his magic. As long as he had her will, he could take them back to his kingdom without spending himself. However, as soon as he had gotten a grasp on it, the feeling was gone. Distrust and hatred were now boiling over Sarah's every feature. Jareth silently cursed himself for taking those few split moments to admire her firm brow and set jaw. He couldn't help it, really.
"I'll scream." She stated beside herself. Anyone would know that was an empty threat.
Leaning in, Jareth smiled-his lips curling back over his jagged teeth. "I doubt you can scream any louder than last night."
That-although most likely true-was entirely the wrong thing to say. Her knee jerked up faster than all the blackest stallions in Hades and smashed right into the King's personal crystal stash. He doubled over in pain, much to the amusement of Sarah, and could barely see straight as she ran out of the room.
The incessant ringing bells echoing around the casino helped to quell Sarah's mind. In a place where no one cared who you are, she felt safe. No one was after her here, and if they were, they most certainly could not find her. She knew exactly where to stand to stay under Jareth's radar. The card tables. Hoards of people always lingered there. Some were pressing their luck, others were allegedly supplying. Sarah could only wonder how many people were only there to hide. She felt like an actress in a movie. Rather, she was trapped in a horrid and all too real fairytale. The flashing lights danced on the chips. As long as the noise and light was constant, Sarah knew she was safe.
Jareth had finally recomposed himself and was on his way to the casino to find his wife. A shiver crept up his spine with that thought. A few years ago, the idea was ecstasy; but now, he had learned to be bitter at her to help ignore the hurt. He would take her back to the Underground-it was his duty now. He didn't know what the consequence would be if he was unable to drag a mortal back, but he had no intention of finding out. Punishments were always severe there, though. Honestly, turning babies into goblins because they were wished away was insane, but it was the rules.
He buried himself deeper into the sounds of the casino. Knowing Sarah, she would be in the loudest, most crowded part of the building. When she was a child, she insisted on being alone due to the depression she felt from her mother abandoning her. As she grew, she began to understand that the places in which one is most alone, is where there are the most people. And from the looks of it, there was a rather appealing spot for such a girl behind a row of slot machines.
Jareth approached slowly but surely. She wouldn't dare try to escape. She would remain planted for the same reason she chose down instead of up in the oubliette: Sarah was no coward.
Her green eyes briefly glanced around the room assuring her that she was perfectly fine. There was no way Jareth would just walk up to her. No, he had a strong inclination towards dramatic entrances.
"Hello, Sarah." He purred behind her. "Miss me?"
Sarah faced him boldly. She refused to flinch after having such a wonderful victory. "Not in the slightest."
"As charming as I find our banter, I fear I must cut it short. We have quite a burden to manage."
"If you think for one-"
But it was too late. The air had already changed from cool and refreshing to dry and sluggish. Though, to be honest, the smell hit her before the sight. Dozens of goblins were shouting above one another over a dispute concerning a chicken and a pig. Apparently, the chicken had eaten some of the pigs food as a form of sabotage.
How Jareth could live with those creatures was well out of Sarah's reach.
His words were heavy drops repulsion as he backed away from her. They were bound, and the deal was vacuum-sealed shut. "Welcome home, dear."
Le gasp! The first, and long overdue, chapter of waking up in vegas!
I hope this first chapter entices you to wait for more. Comedy, romance, drama, all that fun stuff is going to ensue. And it is rated M for a reason.
Read, enjoy, review.
(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes)
