-1Jareth walked into the throne room, sighing. His face was pale and lined, with dark patches under his eyes. Sitting down, he turned to Alice, who was lying on the floor.
"I suppose I should give you something to eat."
"No, its alright. I'm not hungry." She said quietly, sitting up and facing him. Jared looked at her, concerned for some reason.
"Did you sleep?" He asked. She shook her head.
"I never sleep. My form of sleeping is knocking myself out with a handful of tranqs and sedatives."
He looked at her quizzically, biting his nails out of habit.
"Well...is there anything I can do for you?"
She looked up at him, brow creased and eyes questioning.
"Why are you being so nice to me? Yesterday you backhanded me and broke my freaking wrist."
"Well you bit me!" he retorted, and then stood in awkward silence for a few moments "I don't know why. You're trapped here, with me for the rest of eternity so I may as well get used to you. I return to my original question, is there anything I can do for you?"
"No, not that I can think of."
"Well I have business to attend to, so I'll leave you to your own devices."
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Jareth had spent the past few hours fulfilling his kingly duties, but he was bored now. He summoned a crystal, searching for the location of the girl. He found her in the garden, playing with the thorns on the roses. She was singing quietly.
"Ground control to Major Tom, ground control to major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on."
To say that the girl had a talent for song was a boldfaced lie, but the undeniable sadness in her voice captivated him. He was rushed with the sudden urge to know all her secrets, to know what made her tick and what made her hurt so.
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"I was wondering if you were interested in joining me at dinner. We have many things to discuss."
She jumped, biting her hand to hold back a scream. She trembled, visibly shaken.
"I didn't mean to ala-"
"No, no, its alright. I get a little freaked out when people talk to me or touch me when I'm not expecting it. Um...dinner. Okay. When?"
"Now."
She stood and faced him, smiling gently. He started walking in the direction of the dining room, and she followed. He sat down at the head of the table, and she took a seat to the left of him. Jareth grinned, she was daring. Most subjects, fae included, would sit at the end of the table, directly facing him, but never at his side. Dinner was brought out and the two ate in silence for several long minutes.
"What happened?" He said, avoiding her eyes to hide the interest he knew shone in his.
"Absolutely nothing." she replied with a lopsided grin.
"You're lying."
"So what if I am?" She turned, looking him up and down as if she were inviting a challenge.
"Why do you harm yourself?"
"Because it helps."
He watched her as she talked, her eyes downcast. And as he looked at her, he realized how pretty she was. True, the beauty was almost hidden by the black bags underneath her eyes, the scars on her arm, and the obvious fear in her demeanor, but it was there.
"Earth to Jareth..."
He started at the sound of her voice, realizing he had been momentarily lost in thought.. He shook his head and looked at Alice.
"Forgive me, my thoughts wandered."
"Yeah, no shit." Her bluntness made him grin. He cleared his throat.
"You must know, that since you failed to complete the labyrinth within the given time...you must stay here, with me, forever." He looked at her, and she nodded, understanding.
"I'm aware. " She said, not taking her eyes off of his. Her stare made him uncomfortable, and he looked at his plate.
"I win!" she said gleefully. He shook his head, confused.
"Win what?"
"The staring contest."
"I wasn't aware of any contest being held…"
Alice laughed heartily.
"Oh never mind."
"Alright then." He said, returning to his dinner.
The next few moments passed in silence before Alice cleared her throat.
"Jareth…is there anywhere I could…take a shower, or a bath or something?"
"Yes…I'll have a servant prepare a bath for you.. It will be waiting for you when you return to your room."
"Thanks." She said, rising and heading towards to door. Before reaching it, she turned to say goodnight.
"Goodnight Alice." Jareth mumbled, not looking up from his dinner.
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Alice returned to her room to find a large bath tub full of steaming water waiting for her, just as Jareth had promised. A mirror, two bottles of what looked like shampoo and shower scrub, and two fluffy towels were provided as well. Looking around to make sure she was alone, she began to undress. She pulled her hair from the bun it was held in, she sighed as it fell in a wave to her waist. Slowly, she climbed into the large bath and lay for a few moments, relaxing. The hot water eased the pain in her muscles and she smiled in appreciation. Holding her breath, she dipped below the surface, soaking her hair which she then began to wash. She lounged in the water for several minutes after bathing herself, enjoying the sweet scent of the bubbles and the silky heat of the water around her. Eventually the water began to cool, and she decided it was time to get out. Sighing, she wrapped one of the towels around her shivering body. She walked over to a large dresser at the side of the room, not wanting to put her soiled every day clothes back on, and pulled out a long, black, silk skirt, and a black poets shirt with a more feminine cut to the fabric.
She didn't know that she was being watched. After finishing his meal, Jareth had conjured a crystal, checking on the girl who had entered his life in such a violent way. The cold orb in his hand showed the girl carefully climbing out of the bath he had had put in the room she would be staying in. He knew he should look away, but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the girls pale frame. Her skin was inhumanly pale with a sickly yellowish tint to it. Her blonde hair was the color of tarnished gold and it fell, unruly, down her back, almost reaching her waist. She was a picture of petite perfection, barely five feet tall, thin, with small, but perfectly proportioned globes for breasts. Her face was rounded, with a strong jaw, thin lips, and a feminine nose. Her eyes….
Jareth started in surprise.
Her eyes were two different colors. One green and the other hazel, giving her a strange, feline beauty.
How could he not have noticed this before?
"Because you looked at her with pity, disdain, and anger." His mother answered softly, slowly walking into the room. "You see her now with eyes unclouded by hate."
Jareth snorted with laughter. "Eyes unclouded by hate. That's rich, when did you come up with that one, mother?"
When no response was heard, he turned to look, but she was gone.
"Damned woman, always popping up out of nowhere with her cryptic phrases and crazy advice." He shook his head, and turned back to the crystal. She had extinguished the candles in her room, and apparently gone to bed. The show was over for this night, and Jareth sighed. Rising and walking to the window he gracefully took his animal form, relishing the feel of the cool night air flowing through his feathers.
