A World Full of Shadows
6. Foul Deeds Will Rise
Queen Mab contemplated her reflection as she dusted another coat of fine powder onto her face. She was in good spirits and could already detect some signs of reinvigoration in the Unseelie Court. The promise of renewed belief was enough to give them a boost. She was able to pass into the mortal realm with greater ease and magically speed up the publication of Sarah's novels. The project was gaining momentum, as other Unseelie with regular human contact began to infiltrate other areas of potential influence, like television, movies and the emerging internet.
"Well, don't you look like the buzzard that got the gizzards?" Vetya flounced into the room uninvited.
"Why should I not? Everything is working out better than even I foresaw," Mab almost risked a smile.
"What are we to do about the Goblin King? I've heard reports that he has transformed his labyrinth into something beyond its former glory. He may have plans for the mortal, and if he gets her under his power she will be useless to us. His insubordination deserves suitable punishment, and I hear he has that snivelling dwarf back with him. You went to the Goblin King for help and he snubbed you, we cannot let that stand," the icy queen snarled menacingly.
Their blood lust was returning with a vengeance and they longed to wreak death and destruction once more.
"He will bend his knee before us and swear loyalty, or he will die," Mab promised.
She had observed him with the mortal, and seen how passionate he was underneath his aloof veneer. He had a reputation for being heartless and cruel, but that wasn't the Goblin King she'd witnessed. He wouldn't be the first male to try and better themselves because of love. Mab wished the human was dispensable; because she was sure her death would hurt him more than any other punishment. It was a great pity that they needed Sarah, for now at least.
"Does Yarla still have a fancy for some dwarf meat?" She inquired of her cold companion.
"Always," Vetya was appalled at the notion and her face contorted in disgust.
"Send Rotgut and some of his Red Cap friends to the Goblin King's labyrinth. They can recapture his repulsive little sidekick and snack on a few of his subjects while they're about it," Mab ordered.
"We'll find a suitable way to punish both servant and master," she said with glee.
Jareth tried his best to hide the small boxed gift from Sarah so he could make a surprise of it, but she was onto him.
"What you got there?" She questioned as he performed a sleight of hand trick.
He noticed how much warmer she'd been to him since that night, three months ago, when he'd told her about his parents. She asked him for more details about his family and childhood during their subsequent nights together. There wasn't much for him to tell, his mother, Lady Malin was threatened with expulsion from the Seelie Court due to her penchant for sexually corrupting mortal men, unless she married a suitable fae lord and swore never to return to the human world. She chose banishment and Jareth was left to be raised by his grandparents, it was hardly a tragic tale. There were those who said Lady Malin was so in love with the mortal father of her child, she went to the human world to be with him. Jareth didn't know the truth of it, as his mother never returned.
"Well, am I getting a present or not?" Sarah was growing impatient as he'd slipped into reverie.
He opened his hand and held out the gift wrapped box for her to take. She eagerly accepted it and dramatically opened the top to reveal the contents.
"A key?" Sarah questioned with bewilderment, not sure what she'd been expecting to find in its place.
She held up the small shiny silver object on its matching chain and waited for an explanation.
"I want you to come and stay with me underground, and although I wish this to be a permanent arrangement, I know you would never even consider such a proposition, unless you had a way to get back if you wanted to. This key will allow you to come and go as you please," he said.
"Jareth, we've been over this before, I have a life here and commitments, I can't just up and leave… And that's if I even wanted to, which I don't," Sarah protested.
She was in denial about the strength of her feelings for him. A guy giving you a key to his place was a significant relationship milestone she wasn't sure she was ready for, and panic set in.
"I believe it is customary for humans to take something called a vacation, wouldn't you like to be treated like a queen for a while?" He tried to tempt her.
Sarah slumped down on her armchair and she placed the key back into its box.
"I need some time to think," she said.
"About what?" He sharply inquired, confused by her underwhelming reaction to his present.
She stared deep into his eyes and thought about all the times she'd done the same thing as she'd lost herself in him. There was nothing that felt as good as he did inside her, but it was more than just the sex, it always had been if she was honest. Sarah wanted to follow her heart, despite her mother's warning, even if she was terrified of where it would lead.
"How do I know the key will bring me back? You've wanted me to go and live with you for such a long time, how do I know you'll let me come home?" She questioned.
"You don't trust me, Sarah?" Jareth was hurt.
He may have played dirty when she wished Toby away, but he'd been straight down the line this time, well almost. She still wasn't pregnant, nor had she confessed her love for him. He was confident it was only a matter of time though, on both counts. Once she had his child growing inside her, she would be under his protection and bend more easily to his will, and then he would make her his forever.
She took the key back out of its box and contemplated the matter of trust.
"How does this work?" She inquired.
"You hold it and wish yourself to wherever you want to be, such as I wish to be in Jareth's bed in his castle, and it will take you directly there," he smirked.
Sarah scowled at his egotistical assumption.
There was only one way to test the key out, and for that she would have to take a leap of faith. She decided the prospect of visiting the labyrinth whenever she wanted wasn't totally unappealing, as long as the option to leave was always open.
"Why don't you sleep on it, my love?" Jareth didn't want to be too pushy.
She decided he deserved a demonstration of trust.
"Your place or mine?" Sarah asked.
He didn't have time to reply.
"I think yours, I am kinda curious to see if your decor is as ostentatious as you are," she said.
"I wish to be in Jareth's bedroom in his castle."
In a flash she found herself standing in a vast space which was illuminated by an enormous chandelier. The walls were wood panelled in a deep rich mahogany and in the centre of the room was the grandest four poster bed she had ever seen. The columns were elaborately carved with a spiral pattern and the royal blue bed linen was lavishly embroidered. Sarah wasn't to know that the Goblin King had recently redecorated the place to please her. She was impressed, if a little intimidated, as it put her comparatively modest apartment to shame. She didn't know why Jareth would chose to spend his nights in her cramped bed, when he could be here. He flew in through the large arched window and transformed from his owl state.
"Well?" He inquired as he gestured around the room.
"It's amazing," she sighed.
"I was just wondering how you ever put up with my teeny weeny little bed, when you had this one waiting here for you," she said.
Jareth grinned.
"Simple, my precious Sarah, you were in it," he explained.
He stalked over to her in a seductive way and backed her up against one of the wooden posts.
"I am going to take my time with you tonight," he vowed.
"I will worship every part of your beautiful body until you cry out for mercy, and I shall show none," he ran his tongue over his teeth.
Sarah was so ready for him and she pulled him down on the bed, her concerns about spoiling the fine decor were forgotten.
A gaggle of goblins sniggered as they listened at the door. Their king was back to his seductive best after many long years of moping, and it called for a celebration.
"Your majesty?" Hoggle gasped as he appeared at the top of the stairs puffing and panting from his exertions.
"What are you lot up to?" He asked the goblins.
"The king's got company," one of them said as he made an obscene hand gesture to illustrate his point.
"Out of my way, I must speak with his majesty," Hoggle had urgent news of intruders in the labyrinth.
He was about to rap on the king's bedroom door when a scream of pleasure from within stopped him in his tracks.
"Oh, Jareth," a familiar female voice cried out and the little dwarf blushed crimson.
"Shoo, get away from this door now," he ordered the goblins as he herded them down the steps.
He would just have to deal with the emergency himself, and try to scrub recent events from his memory.
Jareth awoke to an empty bed, which perturbed him, although it shouldn't have as he'd always left Sarah before morning. He had hoped he'd exhausted her to the point where she would sleep late and he could wake her up in a way they would both enjoy. His lithe naked body was aching in all kinds of nice ways as he recalled Sarah pleasuring him with her sweet mouth until he was close to begging for mercy. It wasn't exactly the way he planned the evening, but he considered it fair turnabout for the way he made her scream until she almost lost her mind. Jareth was forced to reluctantly rise from his bed by the sound of persistent knocking at his door.
"Hogwart, you'd better have a damn good reason for disturbing me, or else the Bog of Eternal Stench will be getting a new occupant," he growled as he tied his dressing gown.
The dwarf sheepishly cowered on the threshold as he furtively glanced around for the king's companion.
"Ah, um, is Sarah alright? Does she, um, need anything?" He inquired.
The Goblin King narrowed his eyes, making his left one look entirely black.
"I didn't take you for a peeping Tom, Hog-brain; tell me, did you enjoy the show?" He raised his eyebrow suggestively.
Hoggle blushed crimson.
"It was the goblins, not me, I would never, it ain't none of my business anyway, although, if you've got one of those forget-everything-peaches going begging, I wouldn't say no. But that ain't why I'm here, I found intruders in the labyrinth and I got them trapped in the oubliette. They are from the Unseelie Court," he explained.
Jareth contemplated the matter for a moment, and then he turned to go and dress.
"Thank you, Hoggle, I'll deal with them," he promised.
The little dwarf was so taken aback by the Goblin King getting his name right, he stood agog for a moment as the door swung shut almost trapping his nose.