Chapter 6, Something Deeper
The air was warm, and vibrated with the pulse of a quickening heart beat. Sarah opened her eyes, but couldn't see, not right away. The room was hazy; red and pink puffs and swirls churned around her. Room? No, not a room per say, but a place. She closed her eyes again and stretched her body. She felt...so warm. There was a twinge in her abdomen, like a ball of pure energy was erratically growing and pulsing inside of her. She welcomed it, and arched her back so the feeling intensified. She curled her legs, but they wouldn't close. She rose her arms above her head and wiped away the hair from her face. Her eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by the pressure and heat around her. She forced them open, but she couldn't focus on her surroundings.
She felt a pull in her stomach, causing her to jerk away, but found herself held in place by a more intense pressure. She felt -contact. She peered down her body, still mostly covered by blankets, and was able to make out a mound within the fabric. She pushed her hands into the plush underneath her and tried to move away once more, only to be met with the same result.
She reached for the blanket and started to push it down her body. Suddenly, the mound started to move, and the twinge in her stomach flared again, making her buck up into the pressure on her stomach. Her mouth dropped open from the sensation. She held the blanket at her waist, too distracted to continue moving it down. Her eyes narrowed, or widened, she shouldn't tell, when the ruffle over her stomach started to move and the tips of pale fingers began to crawl out from under the fabric. She thought she gasped, but she just couldn't seem to focus. The fingers became a hand, and soon the mound began to stir. She felt the twinge leave her body, and felt an emptiness from its absence. The mound of blanket rose and burgeoned until a now exposed forearm reached up and pulled it back.
Her waist tickled. Light blonde wisps of hair dangled and pooled around her torso. She tilted her head slightly, observing. She felt drops of heat moving up the center of her belly, and squirmed. Her eyes slowly began to adjust to the haze, and she gasped again as the pale yellow puff rose to reveal two pale blue eyes and a wicked grin.
The hum in the air started to settle. She heard herself gasp and she jerked away when Jareth started crawling up her body. She pushed herself down into the bed as he loomed over her, nose to nose. His eyes scanned hers, hooded by the same haze that filled the air. His smile was haunting.
She stared up at him, too dazed to feel confused, and could only watch as her mind fought to catch up. Her eyes flicked down from his face all the way down to where the blanket pooled around his hips. His torso, his arms, his hands were bare. She marveled at the way his skin glowed; but then again, everything around them glowed. She brought her eyes back to his, and open her mouth slightly as if to speak. But no sound came. She felt...lost. Where am I? What is Jareth doing here? She felt the familiar fire of anger, but it was a receding wave drifting off in the distance. She felt so -hollow, like all her emotions were being barricaded from reaching her, yet she remained aware of their presence. Her stupor left her helpless as Jareth lowered his head and claimed her lips with his.
At first, there was nothing, no reaction. But, as his lips moved and molded to hers, she registered that hers were in fact moving and molding to his. There was a crack in the damn between her mind and her emotions, and a sliver of true consciousness broke through. She brought her hands up to push him away, but were easily subdued when his clamped around her wrists and held them down. He deepened the kiss and curled his tongue around hers. Sarah took in a sharp breath. The crack in her dam was spreading, and was slowly bringing her back to herself. She tried to pull away, but had no where to go. She pulled against his grip on her arms, but met no avail. She wriggled beneath him, and tried not to notice the spark that flared when their stomachs touched.
"Jareth? What -are you -doing." She managed to snarl between gasps for air. She was gaining more and more control of her body, and fought harder against him. Jareth remained silent, but moved his hands from her wrists to lace his fingers with hers, and brought both their arms above her head. "Jareth- get. off. of. me." She said and made move to bite down on his lip. A low rumble of laughter radiated from the back of Jareth's throat. He pushed his hips into hers, and welcomed the pain of her teeth against his flesh.
Sarah pulled against his hands. She was worried now. She'd bit down on him to what she thought would cause extreme pain, but he didn't flinch, nor pull away. Actually, he kissed her harder. She could taste his blood in her mouth, and could feel him pressing against the apex of her thighs. That was when she realized they were both naked beneath the blanket.
"Jareth. Stop." She said, her voice was a little louder now. She pulled harder and harder against him, but his body engulfed her completely.
He shifted so that he held both her hands with one of his, and brought his now free hand to hold her jaw in place, making it harder for her to speak. She snarled and jerked against him, and tried hopelessly to pull herself from his hold. The hand holding her face moved down to wrap around the side of her ribs, and molded to the contour of her waist as it traveled down to her hip.
Sarah continued to struggle and flail as his hand moved to grip the junction of her thigh, and pushed her legs open further.
"What are you doing?!" She managed to squeal, and flailed her entire body against him.
"Don't fight me, Sarah." Jareth murmured against her lips. The sound of his voice was the last crack in her wall, and sent the whole thing crumbling down.
She started fighting him frantically then, using all her might to break free. His strength was inhuman, and only caused her panic to rise.
"Get off of me." She growled. Her flailing was becoming violent now.
"You have so much energy..." He murmured again, and pressed his hand down on her thigh to hold her in place, and continued to push himself against her. "I can give you...release." He added. Sarah groaned and huffed as she fought. Her eyes burned fury into his, but he seemed completely unaffected. He removed his lips from hers, and turned his head to nip at her ear. "I know...why you're fighting me, Sarah." He said, and kissed the pot behind her ear. Sarah grimaced and darted her head away.
"Jareth, please. Stop." She tried again. The hand on her thigh moved suddenly, and she felt through his shifting that he was positioning himself at her entrance. Her body reacted first, and unleashed all Hell on him in an attempt to get away. "STOP! Get off of me! Jareth!" She shrieked. Her body developed its own inhuman strength as she fought with all she had to the point where it became a struggle for him to hold her down.
She felt him resting -waiting- at her entrance, and did all she could to shake him off. Sensing she was about to break free of his hold, he brought both hands to hold her arms down on either side of her face, while simultaneously easing himself inside of her. For a split second, everything froze. Then there was a snap in the air.
Sarah gasped and groaned, with both anger and -something else. Jareth closed his eyes briefly, savoring the moment, and gave a low moan as he sank deeper and deeper until he was fully buried in her. There was pure and utter disbelief in Sarah's eyes as she realized what was happening. He pulled out slowly, and just as slowly thrust back in, and gave her another muffled moan as he did so.
Something exploded in Sarah. It wasn't panic. It wasn't fear. It wasn't even sorrow or pity. It was rage, pure, animalistic rage. A cauldron of fire, anger and murderous intentions boiled over and spilled out her eyes. She shrieked, and growled through gritted teeth as she fought, not to escape him, but to attack him. Jareth's eyes darkened, and a sly smile curled one end of his lips. He reared over her, and held her hands firmly as he slammed inside her once again, and again, and again. There was a shroud in his eyes, a challenge, like he was testing her, -like they were playing a game. Sarah fought and fought, but her arms were useless, as were her legs, and he kept himself above her just out of reach from her head and teeth. He continued to groan as he moved in and out of her, taunting her.
Suddenly, he lowered his body to lay flat against her, allowing him to move deeper than before. he nestled his head against her neck and bit down. Sarah growled, extremely frustrated with both Jareth and herself. The more she fought, the harder he bit, but she didn't care, just as he didn't care when she bit him. For some reason, Jareth let go of her hands then and brought them to pin her hips in place as he picked up his rhythm. The feeling was sharp, and decadent. She dropped her mouth open on instinct, and another flare of rage bloomed from her own reaction.
The moment her hands were released, they flew to his chest and started pushing against him. He wouldn't budge, so she moved them to knot in his hair and try to pry him from her neck. He growled when she pulled his hair, but still her efforts were futile. With no other option, she returned to trying to push him off and dug her fingers in to his shoulders. She felt her nails sinking into his flesh until they drew blood, and still there was no significant reaction from him.
"Jareth-" She called out, exasperated. He moaned at the sound of his name on her lips, and hooked his hips into her hard. She gasped, but managed to keep any other sound trapped in her throat. She would not give him the satisfaction. "Get the fuck off of me!" She finally roared, and pushed him with all her might.
Something changed in Jareth's demeanor then. It was brief, only a flash, but she caught sight of it. He released his hold on her neck, and in a blur, brought his hands from her hips to tear her hands away from his chest. Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself being pulled. When her eyes caught up, she realized Jareth had rolled her on top of him. She glared down into his eyes, with rage, hatred, and confusion. He said nothing, and only returned her fiery stare.
The sound of Sarah's heart pounded and pulsed through the air as they stared at one another, challenging, testing. He still held her wrists firmly to the bed, though his body was motionless. The temperature in Sarah's body rose and rose, but she couldn't react. Her conscience screamed at her to run away, to jump off of him and maybe even attack him, but the burning heat clouded the sound. She had so much energy, she couldn't think straight. He was right, it needed a release.
Through the midst of Sarah's turmoil, Jareth decided to act. He moved his hands from her wrists, and laced his fingers with hers. His hold was light, and submissive -giving her control. Sarah dug her nails into the back of his hands. She felt like a chained lion just a hair's width away from clawing through its victim. The tension was agonizing. She wanted to rip him apart, she wanted to run away. For a moment, she teetered on the edge, caught in a place where she knew nothing but instinct, raw and pure; and behind it all lay a blooming intensity somewhere deep in her abdomen as Jareth continued to throbb and pulse inside her.
Jareth kept his eyes locked with hers, wordlessly communicating his challenge to her, and waited for her to react. Suddenly, she ripped one of her hands from his, not knowing if it would actually work or not and thrust it down on the base of his neck. She wanted to strangle him, but still he remained motionless. Her fingers curled into his skin and actually trembled from the restraint of her fury. The beat of her heart became a prodding metronome, nagging her. Her chest heaved with frustration, but her urges were all melting into one. She needed control.
Her fingers tightened and twitched over Jareth's clavicle, as slowly, and begrudgingly, she lifted herself and rolled her hips. Jareth drew in a long, hard breath. His ears tensed, though he tried his best to remain stern, and maintained the pull their gazes had on one another. Sarah was quiet, and stared daggers into him as she lowered, then raised her pelvis again. She repeated this motion, slowly, again and again, gauging his reaction and her own. She was so angry, so frustrated, but for some reason, she couldn't stop herself. She had so much emotion but nothing to direct it on but Jareth.
She shifted to rest her weight on the hand she kept at the base of Jareth's neck, and continued to rock astride him. The hand laced with his tensed and trembled, as she tried her best not to let herself feel any pleasure.
Jareth made to move his free hand, but Sarah caught it and held both his hands down, forcing herself to lean over him. Her dark tresses swirled with his light ones and framed both their faces. She focused on her anger, and on the control she now had. She didn't question that it was control that he had given her and could easily take away. She ground her teeth and thrust herself down on him harder. Jareth gave an involuntary flinch of pleasure, and broke eye contact for just a second. When his eyes settled on hers again, they were softer, hungry and -appraising?
Suddenly, Jareth sat up, and allowed Sarah to keep his hands in place as he brought himself nose to nose with her. She gave him no reaction, and simply carried on with her undulations. Jareth's chest rose and fell faster and faster as he held himself back from her. Their faces were so close, their lips just out of reach. Before the build could threaten to boil over, he brought his hands to her hips, and rocked them harder, sharper. She kept her hands on his upper arms, and did her best to keep her mouth closed.
Testing her limits, Jareth leaned forward and began gently nipping at her collarbone. Sarah rolled her head, then pushed him back.
"Don't touch me." She snapped, implying that she meant his mouth specifically. Jareth tilted his head ever-so-slightly. There was a spark in his eye and a small creeping grin spread across his lips.
Completely ignoring her, or rather reacting oppositely, he rose his hands to hold her back as he bit and kissed along her neck, savagely. Sarah snarled and clawed at his arms as he shifted to sit on his knees. He held her up and started thrusting into her once more. He moved so fast, twisting and hooking himself until she couldn't fight it anymore. She rolled her head back, and let her mouth fall open so she could let out a moan. It was small, barely audible, but it was there. Jareth smiled into her skin and pounded harder.
"Mmm..." Sarah moaned, just loud enough to cause her to stir. She scrunched her eyes tight before opening them, and snarled as she realized it was all just a dream. She blinked, and roamed her eyes from side to side and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized what she was doing.
"Well, well, you're a feisty one." Jareth rumbled with a laugh. Sarah's eyes bugged out of her head and her face burned a deep red. She did a quick once over of herself. She was laying in bed, cuddled around Jareth -again. One of her hands had snuck under the hem of his shirt, while her legs had hooked themselves around his. It was then that she realized she was grinding herself against him. Instead of panicking and making a scene, she sought to compose herself fast.
"I told you to stay out of my head." She snapped and withdrew herself from him. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her.
"Why Sarah, I have no idea what you are talking about." He said, and let all his amusement show in his voice. Sarah brushed the hair away from her face, and scooted a little farther away from him.
"Stop fabricating my dreams." She clarified. Jareth tilted his head and gave her a very knowing eye.
"Sarah, you know as well as I that I had nothing to do with the creation of that particular dream. All I had to do was walk in and press play." He said, haughtily. Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, and tried to use her anger to over power her embarrassment. "Though, you didn't fight so fervently in the original." He added. Sarah scoffed.
"Oh, I wonder why?" She asked, rhetorically. "You just dream raped me, were you expecting me to just lay down and take it?" Jareth grinned at that.
"If I'm not mistaken, I believe you responded in kind. You were making some lovely sounds in your sleep, by the way. I hope to hear them again, soon." He said, and crossed his legs at the ankle.
"Just because you can manipulate my dreams doesn't mean they have any standing in reality. So, I assure you, you will never hear those sounds the way you are obviously implying them." She countered, and was pleased with her own resolve. Why is he here? Is he going to show up in my bed every morning?
"You sound so sure of yourself. Fear not, I'm not going to bother arguing with you, I've been in your head enough times to know otherwise." He said, dryly. Sarah glared. Of all the arrogant -self indulged -high handed -urrrghhhhh.
"You have some audacity. You know nothing about me." She almost yelled. Jareth rolled his eyes.
"As I said, I will not argue with you." He said. His lack of opposition left Sarah on a ledge. She huffed and glared away from him. Why did he have to be such a scoundrel?
"Is there a reason for all this? Or do you just enjoy trying to mess with me?" She asked, and gave herself a mental pat on the back for not swearing. Her thoughts were screaming XXX all the while.
"Now, that would be telling." He said, and gave her a lopsided smile.
"Do you think this is funny?" She asked him, appalled by his gall.
"A little." He said, and gave her a pouting smile when her glare intensified. "Oh, come now, Sarah, you make it only too easy." He said, and brought his hand to is mouth. She almost fell back off the bed when she saw there was blood on his fingertips. "Mmm...feisty." He added, and gave her the most wicked smile she had ever seen.
"What- I? I thought that was just a dream! You? We didn't?" She stumbled over her own tongue. Jareth's smile grew, if at all possible.
"No, think of it as something like a...lucid dream." He said, and ran his tongue along the inside of his lip. Sarah stared at him -horrified. What does he mean, lucid dream? We didn't actually have sex? But he has my bite mark? What? She barely noticed when he reached out for her hand. "Come here." He said. His voice was soft, but the command was evident. Sarah pulled away.
"No. You and your arrogance will stay away from me." She said, and made a move to climb off the bed. She shouldn't have turned her back on him. Jareth's eyes sharpened.
"I told you to come here." He said again. His voice was lower, rougher. He reached out across the bed and clamped down on Sarah's wrist. She jerked away instinctively, but he pulled her back so she fell on the bed. "You should be a little nicer when you speak to me." He said, and the anger in his voice was almost palpable. Apparently his good cheer was on short reserve.
"No, I shouldn't. Let go of me." She said, clipped and precise -just incase he didn't understand. Jareth sighed, and pulled her further. He then shifted on the bed so he was laying on top of her. He took hold of her other arm, and glared his pale blue eyes into hers.
"I am growing tired of these demands, Sarah." Jareth warned. Sarah took a deep breath, to stop herself from exploding on him.
"Would you like me to feel sorry for you?" She asked, snidely. She knew she would be better off toning down the sarcasm with him, but damn it he riled her so easily. Jareth's eyes narrowed further and his mouth formed a hard line.
"No. But, I don't think you fully understand your position in all of this, beloved of mine. Allow me to explain it to you further." He said, and used his knee to pry apart her legs so he could nestle between them. Sarah held her ground, but couldn't help but be a little intimidated by the parallels this drew to her dream. His hands twisted around her wrists, but were careful not to cause her pain.
"I'm not your beloved." She corrected. Jareth gave her a dastardly smile.
"Oh yes you are." He retorted, and pushed himself against her. "Make no mistake, Sarah, My Love, it is by my good grace that I allow you to defy me. Continue to disrespect me and I may take that privilege away. I am enjoying this game you insist we play, but come our wedding night -you will submit yourself to me." He said. His voice was stern and unwavering.
"So, you are going to rape me then." She wasn't backing down from this. Jareth's eyes softened just a tad, he looked amused now.
"No." He said. Sarah waited for him to go on, but he remained quiet. She noticed his thumbs were stroking along her wrists as he held her down.
The silence began to grow awkward. The unsettledness downed out her anger, something that she was secretly glad for as she knew her temper would only result in something sour for her. She darted her eyes quickly, not wanting to meet him in the eye and she sighed in defeat.
"Could you let me go?" She asked, entertaining the thought that maybe he would listen if she didn't demand as he called it. His eyes lowered for a moment.
"That depends. Have I made my point yet?" He asked. He sounded irritated, though his hold on her arms loosened substantially. She pursed her lips and glared off to the side, swallowing her pride.
"Yes." She choked out. Not a moment later, Jareth was off of her and pacing around the bed. Sarah sat up, completely thrown with the way he could swing his moods so radically.
"Come." He ordered. Sarah pulled her knees up, and looked around the room. She was still in her night gown.
"Shouldn't I get dressed first?" She asked, trying to give a reason for her hesitation. Jareth paused and turned.
"It can wait...I've brought you breakfast." He explained, thinking that maybe if he just told her it would skip the inevitable fight over it. Sarah looked away from him, as if testing the truth of his words. After a moment, she climbed down from the bed and patted across the floor.
It was cold this morning, with the absence of the bed. Her night gown only went to about the knee, and she shivered as a draft caught her ankles. Jareth paused in his step again as he watched her.
"Are you cold?" He asked, and was apparently full of nothing but concern. Sarah frowned, and furrowed her brow a little.
"I'm fine." She said, and continued on her path towards the sitting area. Jareth walked passed her, towards an armoire. Sarah's curiosity couldn't help but follow. She watched as he opened the doors and selected a garment from it as if he knew its confines like the back of his hand. He draped whatever it was over his arm, and closed the double doors. Sarah teetered on her heel, unsure of his actions, and waited as he stepped towards her again. He moved to stand behind her, and draped a long robe over her shoulders. She brought her confused gaze to the floor as she lifted her arms to shrug it on. He paused behind her for a second or two, and lightly squeezed her shoulders. The moment was surprisingly intimate. She didn't understand -how he could threaten to take her freedom away one minute and be all nurturing and tender the next. It threw her for a loop to say the least. His hands lingered a little longer, until he finally stepped away and proceeded her into the sitting area.
Sarah followed warily, and watched him as he breezed through the room and gracefully took his seat at the small dining table. He seemed to be in a perfectly good mood again, right after holding her down and sexually threatening her. Is he bipolar or something? She didn't understand. His behavior frightened her. If he was going to be cruel and vicious, then he should be cruel and vicious, not bounce back and forth between that and...what, normalcy? Compassion even? Maybe it was just a part of his fucking with her, mind games and all. Needless to say, being around him felt like dancing through a mine field. And I have to marry him... The thought rang like a bell in her head. Fuck. She'd forced herself not to think about it, and try to be practical about the situation. So, for now, she'd just try to forget about it all together. She wasn't ready to handle that little elephant in the room quite yet.
She perched on the edge of her chair, and waited. There wasn't any food on the table.
"So, what would you like?" He asked, and beamed at her from across the table. It was this very behavior that frightened her most -when he was actually being nice and cheery. It was ironic that it was this that scared her, and not when he was about to rip her apart.
"Uhhmm-" She said, and darted her eyes from one side of the room to the other. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her. "I can have anything?" She asked, and winced as if he might strike her down or something.
"Anything that you will eat." He replied, and stressed the word will. Sarah pursed her lips at the bare table. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One encounter at a time. That would be her new motto. If she could make it from one to the next, she might just make it out alive and with most of her sanity still intact. Pick your battles... Her thought murmured. Just the thought of Liana helped her settle. She wondered when she would see her again.
"I'd like eggs -scrambled, bacon, sausage, home-fries, blueberry pancakes and a side of french toast...with a glass of orange juice, please." She said, and lowered her eyes a bit when she realized how long her list was, and saw how taken back Jareth looked by it.
"Are you going to eat all that?" He asked. Sarah shrugged.
"I play a lot of sports...so I'm used to a hardy breakfast...I guess." She said, and actually sounded a little bashful by it. Jareth shook his head, like he was on the verge of laughing at her, and swooped his arm over the table. A dish of everything Sarah had wanted was left in its wake. She scanned over it slowly. It looked just like everything Karen would make. The memory made her frown, but at the same time, it was a small part of her old life that she was able to retain. She was a little thankful that Jareth allowed her to pick their food, and didn't make her eat whatever the Underground cuisine had to offer, but she would never tell him that.
Jareth saw the way she was frowning at her food, and was about to interject into her thoughts, but she raised her hand and took hold of her fork just in time. She peeked up at him as she ate. He was just staring at her again, like in the dining hall. Did he eat? Or did he just not like Aboveground food?
"Would you like anything?" She asked, sounding a little weirded out by him. Jareth smiled.
"No. thank you, Sarah." He said. His smile beamed onto her. Why was he in such a damn good mood all of the sudden? She reached down for a piece of bacon, and swirled it around in the syrup from her pancakes. Jareth observed like it was a gesture he'd never seen before. The silence, and one sided dining was awkward for Sarah. Again, she found herself feeling the need to break the tension. Did he put her in a corner like this on purpose?
"Have you ever eaten any of this before?" She asked, picking up on the eye of intrigue he was giving her plate. At least he wasn't solely focused on her anymore.
"...No. Not prepared in such a way, at least." He said, after a moments contemplation. His uncertainty made her feel like she had the upper-hand, and gave her a small amount of confidence.
"Oh...well, it's really good. If you ever feel like trying any of it." She said, and was careful not to offer him any a second time. She was a little off guard when he looked up and caught her straight in the eye.
"What sports do you play? Aside from track, that is." He asked, out of the blue. Sarah paused mid-bite.
"Why do you care?" She countered. Jareth's eyes darted down to the table for half a second. He looked, uncomfortable almost.
"Apparently I know nothing about you. As you are my bride, whom I am to spend a great deal of my future with, I would like to know you better." He said, and sounded unsure of the words as he said them. Sarah gently placed her fork on her plate. This was the exact kind of thing that made her so wary.
"I played soccer in the fall, and volleyball in the winter...and I played in a summer softball league -to stay in shape until school started." She said, dryly, and went back to her food. Jareth looked on, through her.
"And you were in many associations. You had a lot of friends." He observed, obviously recalling the time he'd spent messing with her on her birthday. Sarah tried not to huff.
"I'm sorry, but what are you getting at exactly?" She asked him, exasperated already. He looked up at her, and looked like he was distracted by some distant, complicated thought.
"It's just- been a very long time." He said, with that tone that made him sound so old and wise. Whatever daze he was in, Sarah wasn't playing into it.
"It's been three years, Jareth. That's not long at all. In fact, it's not long enough." She said, and had intended for it to be a stab against seeing him again. She didn't expect him to smile just then, and shake his head slightly the same way as when she'd lectured him about caring for his people. What is so funny?
"I'd like for you to ready yourself when you've finished dining." Jareth said suddenly, changing directions completely, and stood from his seat. Sarah's eyes followed him. He was wearing a cream colored shirt and tight brown leather pants today.
"And what are you doing with me today?" She asked and eyed him as he stalked around the table. He paused just as he reached the door. He's leaving me alone?
"Getting to know you." He said, and vanished out into the hall.
Sarah sat for a moment in silence, not quite ready to believe Jareth had actually left her. Slowly, she brought her eyes away from the door and back to the table. What does he mean getting to know me? She'd been picking at her food up until now, but now that Jareth was gone she felt a rumble in her belly that told her she was indeed capable of eating everything that was in front of her.
When she was finished, she left her empty plates on the table and headed towards her dressers. She didn't know how long Jareth would be gone, so she made sure to take precautions in his absence -starting with bringing the day's outfit with her into the bathroom before hand. As she rummaged, she found yet another pair of trousers. This made her smile -a little. She'd always hated wearing skirts. Pants gave her a sense of security. Even the fancy dresses she would dress up in for her schools plays, she would almost always have a pair of shorts or pants underneath. She found a matching shirt and a pair of boots and to go along with it, and fished through the sea of her underthings to top things off. She pursed her lips as she sorted through all the fine satin and lace she now owned and wondered if Jareth really had picked all this out for her. Everything was so delicate looking -not like Jareth at all. If she had to guess, she would have said he was more of a leather and straps kind of guy.
As she carried her pile into the bathroom, she couldn't stop the thought swimming through her mind that Jareth allowed her to choose what she wore. Even more so, he allowed her to have options -like pants. There seemed to be subtleties of kindness about Jareth, but they were small and by normal, human standards wouldn't be considered acts of kindness at all but rather simple givens. She told her herself this as she waited for the tub to fill. She would be thankful to have these things, but she wouldn't be thankful to him. Why should she thank him for letting her pick her meals and attire? She had free will, she had rights. He was forcing her to marry him for Pete's sake! No amount of cheeseburgers or tight breeches would make up for that.
Sarah was pleased to find her room still vacant one Goblin King when she exited the bathroom. She ran her fingers through her damp hair, and wound it up into a messy bun -using the elastic band she was wearing the night she was taken. She hated walking around with wet hair. Did the Underground have hair dryers? Did they even have electricity? She wondered as she walked across the room to sit at the small vanity wedged between the two armoires.
"Captivity with the Goblin King, day two." She murmured while looking herself over in the mirror. Her eyes caught on the picture of her family she'd wedged into the frame, and she frowned at the harsh creases that now obscured part of Toby's face from where she'd had to fold it. She lowered her eyes to the small wooden box holding the small white flowers Hoggle had given her. What were they doing? Were they worried about her? She hoped they weren't. As she currently could do nothing about it, she didn't want for them to be going through any pain or stress on her behalf. I'll see them again...I'm going to be Queen, after all. Jareth can't stop me from simply seeing them, can he? She wondered, and absentmindedly rose her hand to stroke against the glass. The only other object on the desk was her mother's necklace. She whipped her head around when she heard the quiet thump of boots across the floor.
Jareth appeared around the corner, and a small smirk lit up his face once he spotted her -obviously pleased that she had gotten up and dressed all on her own. Sarah remained indifferent.
"You're looking very dapper this morning." He said. His voice was light and breezy, as if this was the first time he'd seen her that morning. Sarah stood, but held her ground.
"Where are we going?" She asked, ignoring his comment. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her.
"It's a surprise." He said. The words rolled dangerously off his tongue, daring her to make a repeat of the day before. Sarah felt the start of a scowl threaten to burnish her brow, but she fought it off and squared her shoulders.
"Just so you know, I'm not a fan of surprises." She said, dismissively, and paced passed him through the room and towards the door. Jareth turned in his spot as he watched her. She stopped in the center of the room, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned back to face him. "Please, lead the way." She said, sardonically, and ushered him towards the door. Jareth stood tall, and stalked towards her.
"I can tell the difference between sincerity and sarcasm, Sarah dearest. Just so you know, I'm not a fan of that patronizing tone of yours." He said as he passed by. His demeanor was stern, but she couldn't tell if he was angry or not. "Now, as you so graciously conceded, allow me to lead the way." He added, in the same sardonic tone as Sarah, and opened the door that led to the hall. Sarah's eyes lingered on the door opposite, she still had no idea where it went.
Sarah followed Jareth down the corridor that she recognized as leading towards the great hall. She didn't know how she remembered the way, and marveled at the way she anticipated each corner and door before they approached them. Did she really manage to remember it all? Or was it the castle's doing? She paused to wait behind Jareth as he eased open the large door that she remembered entered the back left corner of the room.
She didn't know what she was to suppose to expect upon entering the room, but was welcomed by a wave of roaring chatter. She scuttled behind Jareth from the jolt of noise, and gazed out over the hall with a look of abashment. The entire hall was filled with Goblins, bouncing, laughing, causing a ruckus, Goblins. She looked up to Jareth, who was stalking towards a throne (similar to the one in the throne room) that sat in the middle of the end wall of the room. His shoulders were hunched and his hands were clasped behind his back. It was as if the room was completely empty to him. She paused once they reached their destination. What were they doing here exactly? Didn't he say he was getting to know her? Jareth eased back in the chair and turned to look up at her.
"I want you to stand -there." He said, and pointed to a spot about two feet to the side and away from him. Sarah furrowed her brow. I don't get a chair? How long are we going to be here? She wondered. She wanted to complain, but sensed the serious aura radiating around Jareth and thought otherwise. She took a few steps until she stood just where he had pointed.
"What are we doing here?" She asked, and eyed the crowd as they fought their way into a line.
"This is a grievance summons. I offer them every month or so." He said. Sarah shot her brow up at him.
"Ok? And that means?..." She asked, and sounded just as annoyed with his non-explanation as she felt. Jareth kept his stare towards the crowd, and shifted to rest his jaw on his knuckles.
"Citizens that make the journey to my castle are given the right to voice any grievances they have and request possible compensation from me personally." He said. Sarah blinked a couple of times. That seemed very...humane coming from him. She turned her head and peered out over the crowd once more. Her eyes widened a bit. There were a lot of citizens.
"So, why do I have to be here, exactly?" She asked. She was still trying to piece together how this had anything to do with him getting to know her any better.
"I want you to observe." He said. His voice was low and solid, as if he was warning her not to ask any further questions. Sarah turned her body to fully face the crowd and sighed. This was going to be a long day.
Sarah stood, and waited for an echo shouting "Timber!" as she wobbled on stiff knees. How long is he going to make me stand here? This crowd is endless, it'll take days to get through them all... She groaned to herself. Individually, each Goblin passed quickly. One, or a group, would step up -voice their issues, and ask for compensation. Jareth would think over each case, some more extensively than others, and give his verdict. The subject would be dismissed, and another would take its place. It had been a steady cycle, for hours it felt. She wanted to sit, or kneel over for a minute, but Jareth had told her to stand, and even though she cared nothing for obeying him -this wasn't just between her and Jareth. They were in front of all his subjects, some of whom were dealing with very serious matters. She wouldn't insult them for a chance at miffing their King.
A great majority of grievances it seemed were related to the Erastora-? Bore -thing? that Jareth had mentioned having destroyed a village in the Sulu district the previous day. Many were complaints of Goblins who were now homeless and had requested shelter, or merchants who's stands were destroyed and were requesting compensation for their lost goods, or farmers who's crops had been trampled, again requesting compensation for lost profit. There were so many... How big was the bore exactly? She frowned at the site, and would look to Jareth each time a request was made.
She became very angry after that. Each time a Goblin stepped forward making one of those claims, Jareth would simply wave it aside and move on to the next. How could he be so cruel? Did he really not care for the wellbeing of his subjects? It was almost too much. On more than one occasion, she found herself slowly turning towards him, about to unleash all kinds of lecturing and insults against his crown, but was able to catch herself just in time. Each time she looked at him, she expected him to look bored, or detached. However, he couldn't have looked more attentive the entire time. He was mostly quiet, contemplatively so.
Other grievances were simply ludicrous, and made her want to lash out at them for daring to group themselves with Goblins who were actually struggling. Some had fair enough complaints, -like stolen poultry or property damage- but would ask for an outrageous amount of compensation, while others were simply there to waste time. About a third of the complaints she'd had to stand through were matters a child would take to a parent -a broken rattle, or having no more ale. She had no patience for those Goblins, and she simply couldn't fathom how Jareth had managed to remain calm and reserved during the whole ordeal.
These were the basic categories of complaints that approached the Goblin King, and Sarah listened to each one. Yes, her legs were sore, but she couldn't say for any one minute that she was bored. She truly cared for the Goblins, and saw a shadow of the friends she'd made in each one. She wanted to help them, to voice her opinions. Jareth was infuriating her with his neglect, but each time she opened her mouth, she closed it again. It wasn't her place to speak out against him, especially in matters like this, she knew that much. Was that why he made her stand there? So she could learn her place? Sarah only grew more and more irritated with that theory. I thought he wanted to know me? Maybe spend time with me? Or at the very least simply talk to me, ask questions? She couldn't find a single way to connect the morning with the afternoon, it was mind-boggling.
Suddenly, Jareth stood from his throne and addressed the crowd. Sarah watched him sternly.
"All those who seek any form of compensation due to the repercussions of the Erestoran Bore attack of yesterday will be met with a royal consultant within three days time. The entire district will be up for renovation, so all those who have voiced their concerns to me today -along with all other citizens who reside within Sulu- will be hereby compensated to the fullest effect within the renovation period. To all others whom have spoken this day, your verdicts have already been met." He said and turned as if to walk away. Sarah gaped for a moment. Her anger towards him left her so fast she felt empty without it; though the void was quickly filling with a new kind of confusion and wariness. What? I thought...he didn't care. But- he just...just issued a whole lot to a whole lot of people...repairing towns, farmland, paying for lost profit...and not just for those who were actually attacked?
She felt a little guilty now for thinking such nasty things about him in regards to his subjects. He was a king, of course he would care. He just ordered an entire renovation, completely indifferent to whether or not certain areas actually needed it or not. Again with the subtleties. She stopped her gawking and looked up to him for a cue.
Jareth glanced over his shoulder, and jerked his head in a signal for Sarah to follow. His eyes were sharp as he watched her. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was blushing. Why is she blushing? She dipped her head low as she scuttled to him, like she was ashamed to meet him in the eye. What ever the reason, Jareth was just glad she was no longer shooting him daggers in her stare. He was a little surprised when she actually joined him at his side instead of glowering behind him.
"Why did you just leave like that? There were still a lot of Goblins waiting..." She asked. Jareth peered down.
"Sarah, the crowd will never become any smaller. I could sit there for days and days and nothing would change." He said, and watched as she lowered her gaze to the floor, deep in thought. But now they all have to wait another month... She thought.
"Where are we going now?" She asked, changing directions. Jareth almost smirked at the small sense of adventure in her voice. He liked it when she was like this -innocent and...dare he say, kind? Civil at least? It was better than rage and childish tantrums.
"Back to your room." He said. Sarah frowned, but remained quiet. "As you may have heard, I am planning to renovate an entire district within my kingdom. I have to consult plans and budgeting with my advisors." He explained. Sarah gave a small nod. That made sense...and on a brighter note, she wouldn't have to see him for a few hours at least.
"Was the damage really that bad?" She asked, concerned.
"No- the village that was attacked is on the border between my kingdom and Erastor. These things tend to happen almost regularly; but that area needs to be rebuilt anyway, this incident just happens to be the proper motivation." He said. Deep down, he felt at ease that they were having a civil conversation, but on the surface he couldn't help but sound wary and closed off. Sarah started to fall behind.
"Oh...do I have to go back to my room?" She asked. Jareth stopped and turned.
"Where else would you like to go?" He asked. Sarah tried not to cower now that his attention was directly on her. Where do I want to go? Hmmm, home maybe? She thought, but wisely didn't speak.
"Um...no where specifically I guess..." She said, and let her eyes roam everywhere but at him. A creeping smile curled Jareth's lips.
"Very well, I'll leave you to explore." He said, and immediately started walking down the hall, in the direction they'd just came.
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked, and sounded just a little more concerned than she had intended to.
"I've told you, I have business to discuss." He said, and turned away from her yet again. Sarah stood stiff, like the floor around her was made of lava. "Just remember to stick to the areas I've shown you." He called out, just before the darkness of the corridor consumed him.
Sarah gaped, wide-eyed, and nibbled on her lip. She felt- nervous, being alone in the hall. She thought she would be happy to be out of his company, but his abrupt departure caught her off guard. I can't believe how much he trusts me...not to run away...not to wander aimlessly into the white room... Does he honestly trust me? Or is he just that arrogant? She wondered. Or...maybe it's a ploy...he puts his trust in me so that maybe I'll put some of my trust in him...? She wasn't sure which theory was correct, but her mind was in a deadlock between arrogance and conspiracy.
Slowly, the eeriness of the hall started to creep in. She looked from one end of the hall to the other. Where to go? At first, she thought about going to the library, maybe Liana would be there. But, that seemed too obvious. If Liana was anything like Jareth, she knew how to find Sarah if she really wanted to, so there was no use in trying to find her.
Unsure of her destination, Sarah chose to just start wandering down any one random corridor. She recognized it of course, but pretended she was exploring all the same.
As she wandered, she realized she was approaching one of the many "game rooms" located throughout the castle. She remembered this one from the tour, and figured it would be a good way to pass the time until Jareth eventually came back for her.
The room was vast, and open. Her footsteps would have echoed if the air wasn't already filled with the laughter and merriment of Goblins. She closed the door behind her and scanned over the different spectacles. There were various groups of Goblins enjoying different kinds of games. Some were grotesque, like who could fit an entire chicken in their mouth without getting their eyes clawed out. She winced and shied away from that area of the room. Further in, she spotted something vaguely recognizable to her. It looked like a game of botchy ball, though instead of throwing botchy balls, you threw your head. It reminded her of the Fire Gang, though these creatures weren't the same. They all looked completely different actually, no two the same. Were Goblins such a varied race? Or were there other species amongst them?
"Hey, lady! You wanna play?" Asked a dismembered head as it rolled by. Sarah's eyes widened for a moment.
"I would, but my head doesn't come off." She said, and shrugged. The group of about four or so Goblins gasped simultaneously.
"That's ok! You can use my head!" Called one of the Goblins. This one's head was also dismembered, and its body held it by the nose like a handle. Sarah paused for a moment. Did she really want to play this game?
"Alright then." She found herself saying, and smiled at the way their faces lit up with delight.
Sarah jumped and cheered as the Goblin known as Brammba's head hit the target head square on. She thrust her fist up in the air in a sign of victory, as all the rolling heads cheered around her. This was the third game she'd won in a row, and was getting a little into it. She blamed sports for her competitive streak. She brought a hand to her chest to quiet her laughter and made move to reach for her head to start the next game, when strangely everything went quiet. Sarah cocked her head and furrowed her brow at the look of blind panic on her new friend's faces. They were looking past her. She turned, and slowly the smile waned from her face.
"You have quite the arm there." Jareth said, and cocked his head to mirror hers. The remnants of Sarah's smile faded into a flat line. Why did all the Goblins look so afraid?
"Why are they afraid of you?" She asked, sternly, and placed her hands on her hips. Jareth's eyes sharpened.
"Because they know their place." He said, and smiled wickedly at her. "Come." He said, and turned as he offered her a hand. Sarah hesitated, and looked back to her friends over her shoulder.
"Go on miss. We see you again soon." Said one head, that was currently stuck upside down.
"Yes, come back and play with us again!" Called another. Sarah gave them a sad smile and turned back to Jareth, already scowling. Why did he have to come back? She grumbled. This was perhaps the first time she was able to get her mind off everything bad that had happened to her, and it was over just as quickly as it began.
She didn't take his hand, and just walked passed him instead. Jareth gave her a scowl of his own and took her by the elbow as he pulled her out of the room.
"I'm glad to see you've found some means of entertainment in my absence." Jareth said, once they'd entered the hall. She fought her glare at him, he seemed sincere enough.
"So was I -as short lived as it was." She said, and scowled at the floor.
"Sarah, are you pouting?" Jareth asked, and almost laughed as he said it. Sarah didn't answer. "Do you have any idea how long you've been in there?" He asked. Sarah continued to glare, but gave in to glance up at him. "Sarah, we left the summons around two o'clock. It's now well past ten." He said, and sounded half in disbelief as Sarah felt. I was tossing heads for eight hours? She thought, and reflexively brought a hand to her stomach. "I imagine you're hungry then? I arranged to have food brought to you, but I assume you were too preoccupied?" He asked, teasingly.
"I didn't think it had been that long..." She murmured. Jareth grinned, and absently loosened his grip on her arm.
"I've told you, time is virtually meaningless here. I could have been gone five days or five hours and it would have been the same." He said, and turned her down a corner that would lead to her room.
"That makes no sense. I can still tell the difference between five minutes and five hours." She said and paused beside Jareth so he could open the door to her room.
"Once you adjust, you won't be concerned with telling the difference." He said, and released her arm to shut the door behind them. Sarah eye him for a moment. Damn. That mean he wasn't leaving yet.
Sarah ignored his last comment and walked further into the room. She looked out the small window facing the Labyrinth, it was already pitch black out. Where did the day go? Would it always go by this fast? If she had to spend it with Jareth, she certainly hoped so. She wasn't paying attention as he roamed over towards the fireplace.
"Come here." He said, or ordered. Sarah glared over to him, he hadn't even looked up at her. She huffed at his smug certainty.
"Why?" She asked, and kept her feet firmly in place. Jareth paused, he was about to lean down for some reason, but was now frozen in a hunched over position as he turned his head to face her.
"Because I said so." He snapped. Sarah bit the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't snap at him. He was really getting sick of her defiance. Good, she thought, because she was really getting sick of his orders.
"Maybe you could try asking me." She said, and waited. They were at level ground for the moment. She could tell Jareth wanted to growl at her, and it only made her stand taller.
"If I asked you, you would say no." He said, and waited. The ball was back in her court.
"You would only know that if you asked now wouldn't you?" She asked him and narrowed her eyes a bit. Jareth's ears tensed. He could either concede, swallow his pride and do what she said, or he could force her to obey him, and inevitably back peddle a mile before the start line.
"Sarah, would you please join me?" He asked, with an obvious forced sincerity. Sarah remained impassive, but inside her conscience was doing a victory dance. Whatever the size, a victory was a victory. She nodded and slowly stepped to join him.
Jareth eyed her warily, not quite believing that she had actually listened. She crossed her arms as she stood before him, waiting.
"Please, have a seat." He said, with an emphasis on the word please, and gestured for her to sit on the rug beside the fire. Sarah looked down to the floor, and then back up at him.
"You'd be surprised how far good manners can get you." Sarah said, mocking his sentiment to her in the dungeons, and plopped down on the rug at his feet. Jareth sneered. He was angry again, like he was with her last night. Why did it anger him when she listened?
Jareth sat on the rug across from her. The light from the fire illuminated them both, and created shadows that enhanced each of their features.
"Why are we on the floor?" Sarah asked, her arms were still crossed over her chest.
"Why not?" Jareth countered, and swept his arm over the space between them. A small covered tray appeared.
"We're eating on the floor?" She asked. Jareth eyed her for a moment.
"Clever observation." He said, dryly. Sarah's stare was unwavering.
"That isn't very proper." She said, mocking his lecture of her table manners the previous night. She knew she shouldn't be egging him on, why was she exactly?
"It's just the two of us, I think you can deal." He replied. Sarah stared at him for a moment. She'd half expected him to be angry with her prodding, but here he was with a sly smile on his face playing along. She wanted to snarl. Instead of responding, she reached out and took hold of the lid on the tray and removed it. She held it up for a moment, a little stunned by what was underneath.
"...pizza?" She asked, confounded. I didn't tell him that... Jareth looked suddenly proud of himself and her reaction.
"I know this is a popular dish in your world. I went on a limb and assumed it would be something you would like." He said. Sarah's eyes darted from the pie of delicious intoxication up to Jareth and back again. It seemed like he was -trying. Trying to please her. What the hell?
"Um- thank you?" She said, uncertainly. She wanted to tell him no, that she hated pizza more than anything in this world; but the truth was, pizza was one of her most favorite foods and this one smelled...heavenly. She could feel her mouth watering from just looking at it. Jareth said nothing, and simply stared at her as he waited. Sarah's eyes darted again. Why does he have to stare at me when I eat? It's kind of creepy... She thought, and warily reached down for a slice.
It was quiet as she ate.
"Jareth?" Sarah quirked up after another unbearable silence. Jareth's stare had long since traveled away from her and over towards the fire. He looked -content. It was like she wasn't there. Why wasn't he eating? He looked back to her once she spoke, however. Sarah shriveled down in her spot. She hated this. She hated the silence. But she also hated making Jareth think that she cared enough to just talk to him. Even more so, she hated that she actually wanted to talk to him. "This morning- you said that today...you were getting to know me. But, I've hardly seen or talked to you all day..." She stopped there, not sure of the impression she was making. It wasn't so much that she cared about him getting to know her better, but the fact that she was confused by him saying that and then- nothing.
Jareth looked innocently lost for a moment, before he responded.
"And I have been." He said. Sarah furrowed her brow at him.
"How?" She asked, and kept herself from saying anything more. She wanted to give him as indifferent a reaction as possible. Jareth tilted his head to one side. His eyes brightened immensely, as he judged the thoughts behind her words.
"Well, I now know that you prefer action. You like to do things yourself, and you like to be prepared." He said. Sarah gaped and then shook her head.
"What? And how would you know that?" She asked, surprised by his response.
"Your clothes." He said, and raked his eyes over her apparel. "You've been here two days, and both you've chosen to wear pants and tall leather boots." He observed.
"So?" Sarah responded, and shook her head again.
"It's clear you've chosen such attire because it offers you more security than a dress. Now, you can argue that the reasoning behind that has something to do with me, and I will not deny it-" He said, and paused to give her a naughty smile. "But what is key to that statement is that you seek security -function over form. Your choice in attire states that you are prepared to do something physical, and you feel secure in such because you prefer to be physical. You aren't a dainty maiden, are you? All those sports you play? You like contact, you like control, of yourself and the situation. That's why you've always strived to be at the top. It wasn't enough to be a part of an organization, you had to run it. You had to have the security of control." Jareth explained. Sarah leaned back on her tail-bone.
"I didn't think leather boots offered that much insight into my personality." She said, neither confirming nor denying his statement. Jareth smiled.
"I've gotten to know some other things about you today as well." He said, baiting her for another speech.
"Which is?" She said, giving in to feed his ego.
"When I told you to stand during the summons. You obeyed me without question. You stood there for hours, not fidgeting or complaining once." He said. Sarah rolled her eyes at him.
"Ok, and that means what, exactly?" She asked.
"You obeyed me because you were in the presence of the kingdom. You put my subjects above your own comfort and your anger towards me because you knew it was your place to honor them as your subjects." He said. Sarah pursed her lips, but said nothing. "I told you to observe, and you did, without fail, not because I told you to but because you have true compassion. It is one thing to do as you're told, it's another to believe in what you are doing. I could see how angered you were by the way I brushed off the victims of the Sulu incident. You didn't agree with my actions, but you held your tongue. That is because deep down you know it is not your place to question me, not when matters of the kingdom are concerned. I also saw the impatience and irritation you felt with some of the other complainants. You know what is rational, you know how to judge what is worthy and not worthy. I could see the concern you felt for my people, the desire to act for them. I saw you do all these things, while keeping perfectly quiet and standing tall. You presented an image, a strong symbol to the entire kingdom. Further more, I saw first hand how you were able to connect with them on a personal level. You have the ability to instill loyalty and friendship among the people." He looked off to the fire when he finished speaking, and stared intently, like he was imagining something as clear as day. "You will make a fine Queen." He said. His voice was much softer now, and full of praise.
Sarah continued to stare at him through his rant. Her brow drew tighter and tighter as he spoke. He sounded so proud -proud of her. That was what he meant by getting to know me? He just wanted to see if I really was a "suitable candidate"? She couldn't hide the small stab of disappointment that came with the realization. He doesn't want to know "me", he doesn't want to know what I like, my fears or aspirations...
"Oh..." Was all she said, and looked down to the floor. Jareth glanced back at the hint of woe in her voice, and furrowed his brow a little. For a second there he could have sworn she sounded...disappointed?
"Why? What did you think I meant?" He asked, already having a tiny hint as to what she thought he meant, and failed to stop the slight haughtiness that laced his voice. Though, his smirk faded when her brow continued to sag.
"I- I don't know. Nothing, I guess." She said. What did she think he meant? A game of twenty questions? Truth or dare? A picnic maybe? Anything at all? Wait- why was she disappointed again? Jareth turned to her, and sent away the tray with a swoop of his hand.
"If you're unsatisfied with the means I've gone about today, I could get to know you in other ways.." He said, and leaned over slightly. Sarah's eyes widened. No. That's not really what I had in mind... She thought, and rolled back a bit to scoot away from him.
"Um- no, I'm fine." Sarah muttered, and scooted farther away. Jareth leaned over on his knees and reached for her ankle and pulled her back.
Sarah gasped as Jareth pulled her flat on her back in front of the fire. He let go of her ankle, and leaned forward so his hands supported himself over her hips.
"Jareth-" Sarah managed to say, and tried to shuffle away once more. Jareth didn't take hold of her this time, and simply crawled on his hands and knees over her as she back peddled. She realized that he was now hovering face to face with her, meaning she had missed her chance at getting up to escape him. "What are you doing?" She called out in a panic. He was looking down at her, careful not to touch her.
"Getting to know you." He said, and cocked his head to one side. "This is what you thought I meant, wasn't it?"
Sarah didn't know what to do, how to react. He hadn't touched her yet, hadn't gotten angry or forceful. The way he was staring at her...it was different.
"No...You know me well enough." She said, and wiggled a bit in hopes of inching out from under him. Jareth lowered himself so he rested on his forearms.
"In that case, perhaps you can get to know me a little better." He said, and gently pressed the weight of his body against her.
"I think I already know everything I need to." She said, and tried her best not to strike out against him. If she could keep him calm like this, maybe she could talk her way out of it.
"Oh, I assure you, you don't." He said. Sarah just stared for a moment. What is he doing? She didn't understand. He'd always been so outright and domineering. This- sprawled out next to the fire was...dare she say... no. Was this his attempt at being romantic or something? She couldn't believe this was the same person who said he could chain her in the dungeons and rape her day in and day out if he so wanted to.
"Well, I would be more than happy to discuss it with you then. With words. Preferably sitting in two opposite facing chairs..." She said, and glanced away uncomfortably.
"Or..." He started to say, and lightly ran the tip of his nose along her neck. Sarah grimaced in the darkness. This wasn't going to work.
"Jareth- stop." She said, and opened one eye when he actually listened.
Jareth paused, for just a moment, and then pressed the weight of his body fully into hers -leaving her immobile. He then pushed his elbows against the top of her shoulders, so she couldn't wriggle, and planted a soft kiss at the back of her jaw.
"Jareth - enough. Let go of me." She said, sternly, and tried her best to maneuver a way out of his hold.
"The more you command me, the worse this will be for you." He murmured, and nipped at the flesh of her neck. Sarah felt a shiver run down her spine. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath.
"Jareth, please. Let me go." She said, forcibly. Jareth's hands moved to pin hers.
"Is that a request? I can't tell." He said, and moved to the hollow of her throat. Sarah huffed.
"Yes. I'm asking you, please, let go of me." She clarified. Jareth paused. The heat of his breath flushed her skin.
"No." He answered, and pushed himself against her. Sarah's defenses stood to full attention.
"What?" She asked, panicking fast.
"You asked, and I answered. I said it would be worse for you if you didn't." Jareth affirmed. Sarah gave an involuntary flinch against him. He tightened his grip on her hands.
"B-but-" She stammered, and jerked her hands away, only to have them slammed back down to the floor by Jareth's. "Why? Why do you do this?" She cried out, suddenly. Jareth stopped, and pulled away to look down at her.
"Because it's fun." He said, and looked at her like it was the simplest and most obvious of answers. Sarah stared up at him -horrified.
"You only do this -sexually harass me- because you think it's fun?!" She asked, outraged.
"Harass you? Sarah, I'm merely playing the game you set." He said, and looked at her like he didn't understand why she was so upset.
"Game?! You think this is a game! What is wrong with you!" She practically screamed. Jareth looked taken back by her sudden fury. Did he really have no idea why she was so upset? She thought back to what he had said about being content to play her game until their wedding night... Is that what he was talking about?
"Sarah-" He started to say, in warning, but Sarah cut him off.
"No! My feelings, my sexual status and most importantly MY LIFE, is not a GAME for your entertainment!" She roared. Jareth continued to look more and more perplexed. "I am not one of your toys! I am not an object of your possession for you to mess with at your leisure!"
Jareth was quiet a moment, mulling over everything she'd just spewed at him. He cocked his head to one side and blinked at her. She noticed his hold on her hands loosened as well.
"Sarah...have I hurt your feelings?" He asked, and sounded so innocent as he said it. Sarah gaped, baffled.
"What?" She spat.
"Your life, I have clearly manipulated. Your sexual status, well, I've been threatening that as well, I will agree with you. But, I have not made a move against your feelings...so for you to bring it up would stand to say that they have been somehow affected. Why is that?" He asked, and sounded genuinely intrigued. Sarah flushed, having been caught off guard by his observation. She'd been expecting his anger. Wait -what? I did say feelings didn't I...what does he mean? Of course my feelings are hurt! After everything he's done! She ignored it, but behind the anger, a very small part of her inner self was whispering that her feelings were indeed hurt, not by being taken or forced into marriage, but by the fact that there was nothing deeper to it. He wasn't marrying her because he loved her, or thought she was funny or enjoyed her company or anything like that; he was marrying her because she fit the bill. She'd been reminded of that when he'd said what he meant by getting to know her was really to see how she would fit into the role of Queen. And now, she had asked him why he assaulted her so much, why he was so interested in her sexually... it wasn't because he thought she was attractive, or had a burning desire to make her his; it was because he found entertainment in making her uncomfortable. There was nothing deeper, nothing at all. So, yes, her feelings were hurt, whether she acknowledged the true reason behind it or not. -She chose not to.
"Why bother asking? They are irrelevant to you." She said, and glared away from him. Jareth's stare tried to follow. He brought one of his hands down to grip her chin and turn her back to face him. He was scowling when she met his gaze, he looked unsure.
"I told you, you're feelings mean everything to me." He said, and it was the twisted truth. Her feelings were the most important part in ever getting his power out of her.
"If you actually cared about how I felt you would listen when I tell you to stop. Even more so, you would have never taken me in the first place." She said. Jareth's brow furrowed further.
"I took you because I care about you more than I care about how you feel." He said, and slowly removed himself from her. Again, in his own way, it was the twisted truth.
Sarah stared up at the ceiling. Did he really just get off of me? What?! She was too caught up in that fact to bother thinking about what he had just said, and shuffled away from him. She stayed on the floor however, still wary of his actions. She watched him intently. He had looked away from her, and sat with his back against the frame of the hearth. He still wasn't leaving.
"What positions do you play, in all your various sports?" He asked, out of the blue. He still hadn't looked at her. Sarah shuffled up on her knees.
"What?" She asked and shook her head. He was so flighty. She couldn't grasp how he was able to shift so radically so fast. Jareth's eyes dared over to her then, almost glaring.
"I asked you a question. This is what you wanted, is it not?" He asked her, and sounded vaguely irritated, but he sounded tired more than anything. Sarah blinked at him, and then remembered something. Well, I would be more than happy to discuss it with you then. With words... She remembered saying that to him earlier. Is that what he was trying to do? He was giving in to simply talk now? She shook her head again. She'd only been here two days and already she was overwhelmed by him. How would she handle the rest of forever? On a positive note, it was sure to never get boring.
She let her eyes roam over him once more before responding. He really did look tired -exhausted actually, and she knew it was because he wasn't used to compromise, to giving in. She smiled to herself, maybe she wasn't the only one feeling overwhelmed.