We all know I'm not Jim Henson, nor am I related to him in any way. (As far as I know) So that means I don't own squat. :)
Whew, it's been awhile, huh? Hope you guys enjoy it!
Chapter 1
Her heart was pounding so fast that for a wild moment she feared it would burst in her chest. A strangled sob was muffled by her hand and large tears slowly leaked their way from the corners of her eyes while she tried to still the shaking of her body.
Her brief tremors had woken up her fiancé and he turned to her now in the darkened chamber, the moonlight from the open window illuminating his pale skin and worried frown. "Sarah, are you awake love?"
She nodded briefly, hand still pressed firmly to her mouth as she fought back the sobs. With out another word he brought her into the warm security of his arms, holding her tightly with her head pressed firmly onto his bare chest. "It's just a dream," he whispered close to her ear, "it's alright, I have you."
His velvety smooth voice helped to calm her somewhat and gradually the rapid drumming of her heart eased. She no longer shivered violently and the urge to sob in fear had abated, but slow tears still spilled hotly from her eyes. "Why is this happening to me Jareth?" She asked quietly, her voice slightly hoarse and her nerves frayed.
It was a question he couldn't answer, not that she really expected him to. It had been three weeks since she had made her decision to stay with him, three wonderful, bliss filled weeks since they had announced their engagement to the Goblin Court. Two nights ago however, everything had changed as Sarah had the nightmare for the first time.
She thought it had been bad the first time, but it seemed to get worse. The first night she had cried for an hour, silent tears of sorrow as she huddled in the protective circle of his arms. But he had soon convinced her it was nothing more than a dream. The second night she had partly woken up screaming, still trapped within the hellish realm of her unconscious mind. It had taken Jareth several moments to awaken her fully and afterwards neither had been able to go back to sleep. Tonight was the worst one yet though. After suffering through three nights of the nightmare, both were coming to the unfortunate realization that maybe these weren't just terrible dreams.
"Am I seeing the future?" She asked in a hollow voice. His lack of response caused her to sit upright so she could look into his eyes. The silver light streaming in through the window made it hard to discern much from the mismatched depths, but still she probed them carefully. "Jareth, is all that really going to happen?"
He tenderly brushed the fresh tears that fell, cradling her cold cheek in his warm hand. "She will never touch you," he promised darkly, his voice curt and his eyes hard.
Sarah pulled back slightly from him, her head hanging and her voice soft. "It doesn't have to be by her hand." She felt more than saw his start of surprise and she sighed, knowing the time for secrets was at an end. "Jareth, I know that what we have, what we're doing is forbidden. I know about the trials and I know that if I fail them I'll die." For the first time in her life she felt small and knew she was a coward by refusing to look at him. It hadn't been right to hold back from him her knowledge, but she had, somewhat angry at him for refusing to confide in her.
After she had seen through his mother's treachery, when she had returned to him and they had felt secure in their love, they had talked briefly about what had happened and why she had run away. The things his mother had told her had been so terrible and a small part of her still wondered if there was any truth to them, she hadn't gotten much out before she was holding him tight, crying silently in his arms. That had been enough for him and he declared the discussion to be at an end. Whatever else his mother had said he didn't care to hear, it was enough that Sarah was back where she needed to be, in his arms and ready to be his wife and queen. It wasn't until a few days later that she realized that in her inability to confide in him what had been told to her that he had neglected to explain to her anything about the trials or what they would do in order for her to pass.
"You were never supposed to know of these things," he bit out harshly. She flinched, hearing the venom in his voice, but still she refused to look up. "Who told you?"
"Does it matter?" She returned, neatly side stepping his question. Although Lady Regna had spilled most of the beans, Lord Avery had confirmed it to her and she had no desire for Jareth's wrath to descend on him. Becoming more heated and animated though she finally looked up and met his darkened eyes. "Except that it should have been you who told me," she said, her voice growing stronger. "Why would you not tell me yourself?"
The peace of the night having been shattered, he pushed back their satin coverlet and got out of bed. Angrily running a hand through his wild hair he bit out to her, "There was never any need to. Everything will be resolved before the council even knows of you."
Her indignation began to rise and while a tiny corner of her mind knew she sought a fight with him only because of the lingering backlash of her dream, part of her really was sad and hurt over his decision to keep things from her. "So I was to be your dirty little secret, is that it? You're willing concubine?"
"You will be my wife," he said angrily, beginning to pace before the bed. "And once that blessed day comes madam, the council will no longer matter!"
"If it were that easy Jareth, why wouldn't we have been married already?" She bit out, jumping from the bed as well to glare at him over the mattress. "And that still doesn't excuse the fact that you kept this from me!" Her lips trembled slightly, even though she willed herself not to cry. "How could you not tell me, especially after the first dream?" She asked him harshly, her hurt eyes betraying her hard words.
His pacing stopped and he faced her with his hands crossed over his chest. "I didn't want you to worry," he said. "In a week it wouldn't matter as we would be wed." For a moment his head was bowed and when he looked back up at her his eyes were softer, the angry light replaced by his unspoken apology as he said, "I consulted with the guardians after your first dream and they assured me it was not a true vision, but a manifestation of your fears."
"Gee, thanks for not telling me that either," she said sarcastically. She turned away from him and sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly tired and drained.
He was suddenly there, the fight gone from him as well in the face of her sadness and hurt. "I truly did not want to hurt you love," he mumbled gently into her hair, his arms wrapped around her waist and pressing her back against his warm chest.
"I'm not a porcelain doll Jareth, I promise I won't break," she told him just as gently, running her hands up and down the arms that held her so tightly. "A man and a woman are expected to share things with each other, that's why a marriage is called a partnership. You can't just keep things from me and not expect me to be mad."
He was quiet for a moment, thinking about what she had said. Finally, he exhaled sharply before saying, "Will it suffice for now that I promise everything will be fine? All will be resolved on our wedding day and we will never have to worry about that witch ever again?"
She wanted to sigh in frustration, knowing that that was far from coming clean with her about what was to happen. But, she trusted him with her life and her heart. If he said everything would be fine, she would believe him… For now. "You're going to have to let me in soon you know," she whispered to him as he began to tenderly kiss her neck. "Queen's can't be kept in the dark you know," she said with a mischievous smile and a small shiver from the pleasure he invoked.
With a loud theatrical sigh, he switched over to the other side while his hands began tugging at the bottom of her night gown. "Yes, I know. The gods alone know what I was thinking when I wished for you as my queen." He shuddered falsely as he added, "Imagine the naggings I'll receive when you have power to back it up!"
She huffed hotly, turning in his arms to scold him and said, "I do not nag!" Before she could get farther than that though his lips had claimed hers in a toe curling kiss. With a soft moan her arms twined about his neck and she pressed herself fully against him. As they fell back against the pillows, her brief anger was forgotten and words were abandoned for a time.
The beautiful and regal, at least in her own mind, Lady Regna strolled down the corridor of the dark and depressing castle flanked by two large lumbering guards. The fact that she was tailed endlessly by the disgusting creatures had not been lost on her and contrary to Gregory's assurances that they were there for her protection, she knew they were his spies and reported back to him faithfully on her every movement. She sneered briefly now, recalling how the brutes even sought entry into her very bedchamber, a fact which she still bristled over. Only her threat to leave the Troll King to his own devices, withdrawing her support and vital information about his rival, had made him see reason. The large beast now merely stood guard over her doorway while she remained safely ensconced within her room.
Finally she reached the room she had sought and stood still as one of her guards clumsily banged on the door for her. A flustered looking woman opened the door after a moment's wait and curtsied lowly to the lady. "My lady, a pleasure as always. My mistress bade tell you though that she is not receiving visitors at the moments and requests that you-"
Without even waiting for the girl to finish the lady brushed past her. When the guards moved to follow she looked over her shoulder fiercely at her and said, "Your accompaniment is not necessary." Both bore identical looks of stubbornness, but her hard glare seemed to eventually convince them.
"'is majesty will 'ere of this," the larger of the two warned her. Still, they turned their backs to her and took up positions on either side of the doorway.
The maid, now wringing her hands tried again, "My mistress will be happy to see you to-"
"I believe I would like some tea, and perhaps your mistress would as well," Lady Regna told her firmly.
For a second the maid looked as if she would still try to dissuade the lady from staying, but finally she curtsied again and mumbled, "Yes my lady." She exited the room quickly and Lady Regna closed the door tightly behind her.
With a sweep of her long skirts she made her way towards the bedchamber, hardly taking in any of the sights of the sitting room. Upon going through the doorway, she espied her target sitting primly in a comfortable chair next to the window where the light was best, calmly setting stitches in her embroidery.
"I see you choose to ignore my wishes as always," the girl said, not bothering to look up from her work. "May I ask to what I owe this pleasure?"
The girl's tone was polite enough, but a practiced ear could hear the barely contained malice hidden within the formal tones. Lady Regna was amused by the girls impudence and paused a moment to study her.
She sat stiffly in the chair, her long midnight blue dress with its silver embroidery along the edge falling in graceful waves down to her feet. She had waist length black hair, inherited from her father, pulled up into an elegant twist, with the ends left to trail out behind her in loose curls. Porcelain skin accentuated dainty, aristocratic features and her skin bore the same gentle glimmer and sheen that all those of the fae possessed. Currently though her eyes were downcast, fixed on the silken cloth she worked on and her lips were slightly pursed, the only outward indication of her displeasure at the lady's intrusion.
With a slow, elegant walk, Lady Regna crossed over the room to join her, sitting down gracefully into the chair facing hers. "My dear Tatiana," the lady said in a voice practically oozing her sincerity, "One would think that you weren't overjoyed at my presence!" She waited for the girl to look up and when she didn't Regna continued with a dramatic sigh, "Maybe I've worn out my welcome and it's time I left."
She could almost see the girl grit her teeth. "My lady," she ground out pleasantly, "My lord and I couldn't be happier with you here at last."
Lady Regna's eyes narrowed and she pounced on what the girl had said. "Your lord? My dear, as far as I have been able to learn, Gregory is not yours at all. The marriage that you had assured me would take place has yet to happen and you living here does little more than make you his kept woman."
Tatiana's hands clenched tightly at the thinly veiled accusation, but still she remained calm and continued her sewing. "Gregory has much to concern him at the moment and I do not wish to overburden him. We will be wed once all matters pressing have been taken care of." With a small sneer she added, "But if our arrangement doesn't suit you, perhaps you would be more comfortable staying in the dowager castle."
"I would be more comfortable," the lady said frostily, "If you lord didn't insist on saddling me with those two idiot creatures he insists on calling guards."
The girl smirked, but hid it with a delicate cough. "You did tell him that his security was lax and that you feared retribution from dear Jareth. You can hardly fault him with providing you additional security."
"More like additional spies," the lady spat out. A gentle clearing of a throat announced the presence of the returned maid. Lady Regna motioned her in with a negligent wave and the maid hastily complied.
After she had set up the tea service on the table next to her mistress' elbow Tatiana said simply, "Thank Aiyana, that will be all." The maid was quick to depart, leaving the two women by themselves. Tatiana finally set her embroidery down, pouring herself a cup of tea and silently offering one to the lady.
"No thank you dear, I must be going now," the lady said with artificial graciousness.
"So soon?" Tatiana said, staring down into the dark liquid as she stirred it.
"Yes, I think it's time I had a talk with your lord." With a menacing laugh as she began her trek from the room she threw over her shoulder, "You might thank me Tatiana, without my pushing it might be some time before Gregory gave up his other whores to make you his queen." She didn't bother to look behind her before she left, so she missed the girl looking up for the first time, her mismatched eyes flashing angrily in the sunlight.
"Thank you ever so much mama," the girl whispered heatedly. "Whatever would your children do without you?
The midday sun turned the Goblin's King into a shinning halo of platinum as he paced back and forth in a tiny, forgotten corner of his labyrinth. An old woman, small and hunched over watched him silently while sitting comfortably on a stone bench. "She's going to be furious you know," he said almost conversationally, a smooth, clear crystal being rolled absentmindedly in his right hand. "Not only am I keeping secrets from her, I outright lied to her last night."
The crone continued to sit impassively and when she spoke, her flat croak betrayed no emotion. "What you told her was not a lie."
"It was not the truth neither!" He practically shouted at her. "Things will not be alright, all that we've fought so hard for can still be lost in but a moment. How can I keep this from her?"
"She is young and you are ill tempered. For you both to know everything will surely doom us all."
Her words made him stop and he glared suspiciously at her. "You've not told me everything either, have you?"
"We have told you what you need to know."
"Bullshit!" The Goblin King roared. "Sarah's had the same terrible nightmare for three blasted nights! There must be a warning hidden in there!"
The old crone merely looked at him stoically before saying patiently, "We told you true when We said they were not visions of hers. When have We ever lied to you that would prompt you to doubt Us now?" Her gaze was unblinking as she stared at him and the Goblin King was forced to look away first. "We wish for you and your future queen to prosper. Do not question Our methods."
He may have felt like a school boy being scolded by a stern teacher, but he refused to have his doubts remain unaddressed. An outside observer may have noticed that the frustration he now felt was the same his love had every time she knew he kept something from her, but the irony of that was lost upon the indignant Goblin King. "I will not allow anything to happen to Sarah," he declared ominously, "And I will stop at nothing to protect her."
"We wouldn't be helping you if We did not support your endeavors," the guardian replied forcefully.
Not having much else to say to that, Jareth turned around and began to make his way from her. It was a long while before the old crone relaxed marginally and seemed to slump slightly in defeat.
While she closed her eyes in a humanly gesture of tiredness, two other beings silently joined her. On her right stood a young and beautiful maiden, eyes filled with an innocent sparkle and her lips lifted up in an amused smile. To her left was a fierce looking warrior, a large sword carried comfortably at his side and his mighty arms crossed over his powerful chest. "Our King grows more stubborn each day," the warrior rumbled out.
"He reminds me of Dorian," the maiden said huskily, a somewhat dreamy and faraway look on her face.
The crone took a moment to shoot her a disgusted look before she snorted and said, "Dorian actually listened though."
With a small shrug the maiden snapped out of her stupor and grew serious. "He's not going to like this one bit you know," she told the other two.
"He has little choice in the matter, nor do We," the warrior shot back at her. Fondling the hilt of the sword next to him he said somewhat viciously, "Although with one swipe it could all be over."
"Oh yeah," the maiden said with an eye roll, "Lets just go around killing everyone that we have a beef with. That always ends so well."
"Enough," the crone said imperiously as the warrior took a step towards the laughing maiden. "We have enough to worry about with out you two and your petty squabbles."
The maiden gave a short giggle as she said, "You mean you have enough to worry about. When Jareth finds out you lied to him he's going to be pissed."
"I did not lie," the crone said pompously causing the maiden to roll her eyes again. "I merely held back some of the truth."
"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right," the warrior said in his deep voice. "Jareth might not ever trust Us again after this."
"He will understand in time," the crone said, producing a crystal in her hand. The other two gathered in close to gaze into its clear depths with her. All stood silent as the image of their future queen came into view, strolling along peacefully with her friends. The girl seemed to be laughing at something as the perpetually grumpy looking dwarf looked slightly aggravated. "It is a heavy burden she bares," the crone said quietly to her two coconspirators. "But one she must carry alone. Our king has his own part to play."
"Still," the maiden began slowly, "don't you think they should be told where the visions came from?"
All were silent as they continued to watch for a time. At last the crone broke the heavy silence and said, "They'll learn soon enough."
Well, now that that's over with, let's talk over a few things. :)
First of all, c'mon guys! Would I REALLY kill her off? Especially in the PROLOGUE?!?! What the hell would I do with the rest of the story? And for all of you that read my Holiday Saga, you should know that I'm overly fond of dream sequences. :)
Now, before anyone asks, yes Tatiana is Jareth and Haldir's sister. I swear I did not make her up just now. If you don't remember it, go back and read over Jareth's Story, chapter 13 I believe, in the Challenge where he clearly tells Sarah that Regna had TWINS. Haldir and a sister. I meant to introduce her in TC, but I decided to hold back. :)
With a bunch more stories under my belt, I want this one to be awesome. I have big plans for it, with a semi convulted and complicated plot. Lets see if I can pull it off. :)
Oh, and for those of you that also enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean, I have a fic up that's a lot of fun and I should be posting a new chapter for that later today or tomorrow at the latest.
Thank you so much for all my reviews for this story so far! I know there was so many cause of the HUGE cliffy I left you with, but I would be ecstatic to always get that many reviews. :) hint, hint. Until next time!