I
Chapter 31
At that moment, the bailiff (or whatever the position was called here) called the court to order and demanded that all of the occupants rise to show their respect to the court. Sarah stood and looked around. The gallery behind them was empty, so it would be a closed courtroom today, she mused. She then got her first look at the heads of the thirteen Underground kingdoms. The Pixie Queen was lovely; the Dwarf King needed a step stool to reach his chair; the Elf Princess looked barely old enough to date. On and on, they filed in from the right. When Erlinwar entered, Sarah was surprised how much the Troll King looked like a WWF wrestler with long, coarse, red hair and a muscular body going soft around the middle with age. What was most disconcerting were the tusks that jutted to either side of his pig-like nose. He gave every appearance of being hard and brutish. As he sat down, there was no mistaking the cunning, evil smile he gave Jareth, and Sarah decided that she hated him in that moment.
Seated in the middle, six seats on each side of her, was Titania, Queen of the Seelie Kingdom. She immediately took charge and convened the court to order, asking everyone to seat themselves.
"Let the complainant come forward," she instructed.
Sarah's mother and her counsel rose and acknowledged the court.
"State your objections to the marriage contract. We remind the parties that the court has been provided with an authentic copy of the contract prior to the commencement of this hearing," she intoned.
"If it please the court," murmured Linda Williams, looking for all to see as if she were a concerned and grieving parent. Sarah was forcefully reminded that her mother was, if nothing else, a consummate actress. "My daughter is too young to be claimed," Linda asserted.
"There is no minimum age spelled out in yer contract," pointed out, Sarah looked at her chart, Vashoth, the Gnome King.
"My Lord," Sarah's mother continued smoothly, "it simply didn't occur to me to negotiate for one. I didn't think the Goblin King would try to claim a mere child."
"How old is the bride, in human years, please?" asked the Pixie Queen.
"Only thirteen," replied Linda forlornly.
"That's not true," Sarah interrupted hotly, before clamping her lips together tightly, realizing that she had spoken out of turn.
Titania turned to look at Sarah, her eyes widening a bit as she stared, finally holding her hand up for silence. "You will have an opportunity to speak; please hold your remarks until it is your turn to present your case." The Pixie Queen leaned over and spoke hastily into Titania's ear. "However," continued Titania smoothly, "since your age at the time of claiming is at the crux of this case, a request has been made that the matter be cleared up immediately. Sarah Williams, please state your current age for the record."
"Fifteen," Sarah replied. "I turn sixteen in two months."
"Be there any proof that would prove the girl's age one way or th' other?" inquired the Gnome King.
"Yes," Sarah answered. "In the Above, children in the U.S. are issued a birth certificate. I don't have it, but if you could get a copy, it would prove that I'm telling the truth."
"Benthee," Titania gestured to the bailiff.
Jareth leaned down to whisper, "There is no active magic allowed in the High Fae Courtroom, with one, notable exception; perceptual magic is allowed by all creatures with magic. But only the bailiff may perform active magic. He or she is responsible for binding prisoners, transporting evidence, administering the truth spells to humans, and so on. Documents and evidence conjured by the bailiff are absolutely authentic and admissible directly into evidence." Sarah nodded and watched as Benthee murmured something and a document appeared in his hands. He took it to Titania.
"Why no other magic?" she whispered to Jareth as Titania perused the document and passed it among the rest of the council.
"It prevents utter chaos and keeps things civil. Some of the arguments can become quite heated," he murmured.
"The bride speaks the truth," Titania declared. "By Fae law, she was above the age of consent at the time of claiming. Complainant, raise your next objection."
"But she is not Fae," Linda cried out.
"Looks Fae to me," muttered the Gnome King in an irritated manner.
"She's human, and under human law, she is not capable of consenting," insisted Linda.
Several members of the court whispered among themselves.
"Bride," called the Gnome King forcefully, "be ye Fae or be ye human?"
Sarah moistened her lips. She had expected this to come up due to Jareth's earlier warning. "I'm told that my mother is fully Fae and that my father is human with trace amounts of Fae blood, Sir, which would make me just a little more than half Fae. Since I have been in the Underground for nearly three weeks, I am transitioning to Fae, and those characteristics are now emerging."
"If I may," interjected Tieran, "I have done an extensive study of the human laws regarding consent, and there is no consensus whatsoever. In some countries it is normal to marry children as young as six or seven years old. Others mandate a minimum age for sexual consent and marriage as high as eighteen years of age. It varies from region to region. Sarah Williams is a resident of the United States, and there is no consensus among its own states."
"Thank you, counsel," Titania interrupted what looked as if it would be a long analysis of U.S. law. "We on the council are familiar with the humans' lack of ability to agree on this most basic point. Since the bride is more than half Fae and will be fully Fae soon and both parties to the contract are Fae, in the interests of uniformity and expediency, we will be applying Fae law to the interpretation of this contract. Complainant, state your next issue with this contract, or we will dismiss your complaint and be done with this."
"I believe my daughter was coerced, that she did not fully consent to the claiming as the contract required."
"What is your basis for this belief, Lady Lindell?" queried the Elf Princess.
"My daughter is a good girl," Linda replied emphatically. Sarah struggled not to sneer at her mother's performance; she was affecting the same mannerisms and vocal inflections as when she had played Cleopatra two years ago. "I believe she was a virgin prior to this…this monster laying his hands on her. She wasn't ready for something like this, and she would never have consented if she were not coerced or downright forced."
The Gnome King was clearly annoyed. Sarah wasn't sure if it was because he saw through Linda's theatrics, knew that others were trying to turn this against Jareth, or if he just wanted to get the hell out of there and salvage the rest of what promised to be a fine day outside, but he bluntly called out, "Jareth, my lad, did you force the girl?"
Jareth stood. "I did not," he stated clearly.
"Did you coerce her in any way?" demanded the Elf Princess.
"No, My Lady, I did not."
There was more whispering among the council members.
Finally, Titania spoke. "Again, we have a request to go out of order and ask the bride. We are reluctant to do so because no truth spell is effective during the Fae transition, and she retains the ability to lie. Are all parties in agreement to accept her testimony?" The three solicitors quickly went on record in agreement.
"Sarah Williams," said Queen Titania, "stand please."
The bailiff then came over and administered an oath, and Sarah found herself promising to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth upon her most sacred honor and by the Great Goddess Danu. She faced the court.
"Sarah Williams," began Queen Titania, "did Jareth, King of the Goblins force himself upon you in completion of the marital contract in question?"
"No," Sarah replied evenly.
"Sarah Williams," continued Queen Titania, a resigned note in her voice, "did Jareth, King of the Goblins coerce your cooperation in completion of the marital contract in question?"
Sarah stared directly at King Erlinwar as she spoke. "No," she replied emphatically as she watched him turn a deep, angry shade of red.
There were gasps from both the council and from Sarah's parents. More whispers.
Queen Titania looked relieved. "As there is no longer a case in controversy…," she began as she raised her gavel.
"Wait," was hastily blurted by the Elf Princess. "Sarah Williams, were you aware of the marriage contract at the time of the claiming?"
"No, I wasn't."
The Elf Princess nodded. "I renew my previous motion that this court ban all contracts for marriage in the Underground."
Queen Titania sighed loudly. "That is a matter for a council policy hearing not a contract hearing."
"Nevertheless, I put forth the motion," said the little Elf Princess stubbornly.
"I second," a young man who had been silent until now, the Ogre Prince, Kymon, Sarah saw from her chart.
Queen Titania looked shocked. The room erupted with loud whispering. She banged her gavel for order. Finally, she said on a tired sigh, "It is a moot point in this case and better just to address it in the next policy hearing. Have none of you looked closely at the couple before you?"
Eleven pairs of eyes fixed Jareth and Sarah with a hard stare. Sarah looked back, eyes wide and uncertain; Jareth leaned back in his chair, crossed his ankles and arms and grinned at Erlinwar.
Whispers of, "By Danu,"…."Faelium,"…."Not invoked for a millennia," surged around the council.
Linda Williams looked positively green, ill to the core of her being. Erlinwar was apoplectic with rage, his jaw worked but the only sounds that emerged were little pig-like grunts. Robert and Karen Williams looked completely confused. Jareth looked around the room at the complete and utter chaos and struggled not to laugh. Sarah gave him a look like he was two sandwiches shy of a picnic, and he grasped her hand and squeezed it gently, nodding reassurance.
Queen Titania banged her gavel for silence and looked at the Elf Princess, who responded, "I'll not withdraw my motion. The Faelium is just a magic bond, and all bonds can be broken."
The elderly Snow Queen looked at the elf in shock. "The Faelium is not any bond; it cannot be broken; this is not something this council should be meddling in."
The members of the council raged at one another, the battle lines clearly drawn between the older and younger members of royalty.
Sarah watched as a crafty look crossed Erlinwar's face. "My fellow council members," he intoned. "This is clearly too weighty of an issue to decide now. May I suggest we take the matter under advisement while we look into the Faelium bond and discuss marriage contracts behind closed doors? What matters now is this young woman," and he gestured toward Sarah. "We should send the poor girl home to her distraught family while we consider further, however long it takes." Sarah looked at him closely. It sounded so reasonable, but she was very, very certain, and she suspected it was that basic magical intuition Jareth had talked about, that if the council sent her Above, something very bad was going to happen to her. Jareth apparently thought so too, and he began talking to Tieran in a hushed, heated whisper.
There were several murmurs of agreement among the Fae council.
"I object, your honors," stated Tieran forcefully as he stood to address the court.
"State your objections, counselor," Queen Titania said calmly.
"First off," began Tieran, "we do not know if, at this time, either of Sarah's parents is willing and/or able to provide for her. Secondly, she has chosen to embrace her Fae birthright and is currently undergoing the transition and learning to develop her magic; sending her Above would disrupt that and the iron exposure would weaken her and prolonged exposure could cause permanent harm. Lastly, this court just determined that Sarah Williams is of age to decide for herself, and yet you are proposing to determine her living circumstances without consulting her at all. Surely this court is not so hypocritical."
"Be careful with your insults, counselor," Queen Titania warned as she pondered the objections. Finally, she looked carefully around the room. "As these are your clients' concerns, you may ask," she said flatly.
Sarah saw Tieran stand and realized he had been given leave to cross-examine her mother. Tieran looked at Sarah and raised an eyebrow. Sarah realized he was tacitly asking how hard he should be. She thought quickly of her mother's behavior today, preventing Sarah from telling her the truth so she could continue with this farce of a trial, the bribery for false testimony—suborning perjury, and the still undisclosed act of selling her daughter for the personal use of a torturer and rapist. Sarah had truly wanted to believe her mother was just sad and misguided, but she couldn't delude herself any longer.
"Rip her apart," Sarah whispered at last. A slight, cruel smile quirked at the corners of Jareth's lips as he nodded his assent.
Tieran didn't hold back. Sarah watched one of the most skilled attorneys she had ever seen tear her mother apart. By the time he finished his questioning, Linda Williams had been forced to admit that she had sold her daughter to three different magical creatures, first for talent, then for opportunity, and finally for a prize yet to be named by Linda. Tieran forced her to admit that she had heard of Erlinwold's cruelties but hadn't looked into the matter and had essentially promised Sarah to a monster, sight unseen. Moreover, she admitted that Erlinwar had threatened to kill her if she failed to get the Goblin King's contract set aside, as Erlinwar was desperate to unite the Troll Kingdom with the magical ability of the House of Tuatha de Danaan. And, because of the information Sarah had provided, he was able to force her to admit that she had carried an offer letter to Sarah suborning perjury and bribery. Sarah was amazed how much it hurt when Tieran's skillful questioning revealed that Linda had never loved her own child and that, if it would benefit her career, Linda would sell her again tomorrow.
She stared at this cold woman who called herself 'mother' as uncontrollable rage built to a crescendo in her very soul. At that moment, Jareth looked over at the flash of deep blue and saw that Sarah had forgotten her gloves again. Her emotions were clearly out of control, and she was a hair's breadth from maiming her own mother. He hadn't realized how fast Sarah's magic had progressed until this moment, and he doubted Sarah had either. He slipped off his right glove quickly and grasped her hand tightly, pulling the powerful energy ball into his body with a pained gasp. She looked down, startled, as she realized what had happened. Jareth pulled off his other glove, and hissed "put these on," as he pressed his own gloves into her hands. Sarah complied, shaking slightly.
There were murmurs from the court at the completion of Linda's testimony and several of the High Fae Council demanded that Erlinwar recuse himself from the proceedings as it was clear, after Benthee conjured a copy of the second marriage contract, that he had a vested interest in the outcome of this case. He reluctantly agreed when it became apparent that the other members of the High Fae Court were ready to unanimously vote him off the council if he did not recuse himself. He stormed out of the courtroom, muttering under his breath. Sarah was very aware that she and Jareth had made a very dangerous, very powerful enemy today.
Tieran then turned his questioning to Robert and Karen Williams. Sarah watched as the bailiff, Benthee, administered the truth spells. Then the questioning began. Sarah watched intently as both her father and stepmother testified that they didn't want Sarah back; her presence was tearing their marriage apart. They admitted that they were going to send her to a boarding school if they could find the financial means to do so, and if that wasn't possible, then divorce was inevitable. It was Karen's testimony that ripped Sarah asunder. She told the court how Sarah told Toby every day, screamed it at him, how she hated him—over and over again, how cruel she was. She described how her older sister had done that to her, and how much it had impacted her self-esteem, how she felt unloved and unwanted. Karen was not about to let that happen to her precious son. They had tried to give Sarah time to come to love her baby brother, but nothing had helped. Then, Sarah had wished him away. That was the very last straw. If the Fae Court sent Sarah to live with them, she was leaving and taking Toby with her.
Sarah sat in anguish, trying desperately to hide her pain as she bit back tears of despair. She hadn't meant it, she wanted to scream. She wanted so much to take it all back, to have just one more chance. The pain of being unloved that Linda had caused her, she had caused to Toby and through him to her father and stepmother.
Tieran sat again, having sufficiently made his point.
Queen Titania was not yet satisfied. "Jareth, do you wish Sarah Williams to remain with you in the Underground?"
"I do," he replied.
"Sarah Williams," she continued in that detached, courtroom voice, "where do you wish to reside? Bear in mind, that we can erase your parents' memories. If you want to go home, you can do so with a clean slate." Robert and Karen looked startled at that proclamation.
Sarah would be a liar if she said she wasn't tempted. To go home to a loving family and be able to pretend for a while that none of this had ever happened. Oh, it was like the proverbial forbidden fruit. Just as swiftly came her own memory of her reaction to Jareth using his magic to tamper with her mind and body. She couldn't do that.
Sarah rose quickly from her seat. "If it please the court," she said, her voice getting stronger as she rushed on. "I love my father, my stepmother and my baby brother. I swear, I never meant to cause them any pain. I was selfish and thoughtless, and I didn't mean any of those things I said to Toby." She paused to blink back tears. "But, I made this mess, and it isn't fair to use magic to just make it go away or to tamper with people's minds without their consent. I have to take responsibility for what I said, …what I did. I would prefer to stay here, in the Underground, and maybe if they'll let me, I can work on my relationship with my family. Thank you." Sarah sat down and stared at her hands, wearing gloves that were too big for her.
"Very well. It is the ruling of this court," began Queen Titania, "that Sarah Williams shall remain in the Underground with the Goblin King. The court takes under advisement the issue of the marriage contract entered into by the Goblin King and Lady Lindell of the Tuatha de Danaan. The court takes under advisement the issue of the marriage contract entered into by the Troll King, Erlinwar, and Lady Lindell of the Tuatha de Danaan. The court takes under advisement the issue of the marriage contract between King Folmar of the Gypsy Clan and Lady Lindell of the Tuatha de Danaan. The court takes under advisement the issue of the Faelium bond between Sarah Williams and Jareth, King of the Goblins. The court orders an investigation into the actions of Lindell of the House of the Tuatha de Danaan for the purpose of possibly filing criminal charges. These matters remain indefinitely pending as more facts and information are gathered. So sayeth the Court. This court stands in recess." Queen Titania struck her gavel once, sharply, and the remaining members of the High Fae Court filed out.
Chapter 32
Sarah was surprised as she felt Jareth's hand on her arm as he guided her through the courthouse doors, down the steps and to the veranda below. She blinked at the strong sunshine. It was not quite 12:30, she noted, as she looked at the large clock in the center of the square. Only a little over three hours, but how her life had changed in such a short amount of time.
Linda Williams had already gone. Robert and Karen Williams stood talking quietly, clearly waiting for someone to take them home. Sarah detached from Jareth's grasp and started toward them.
"Sarah, wait," called Jareth softly. "Are you sure you want to do this? Emotions are running rather high right now and the wounds are … raw," he concluded.
Sarah hesitated, looking at her parents. Karen turned and saw her, glared for a moment and looked away. Sarah felt as if a blade had just slipped between her ribs and gone directly into her heart. There would be no forgiveness today.
She looked down, unable to meet any of the other curious stares. "Jareth, please take me home," she murmured. He wondered if she realized that she had just referred to the Goblin Castle as home. Releasing a deep breath and letting some of the tension of the day melt away at last, he wrapped his arms around his queen and took her home.
He transported her directly to the kitchen. "Meep," he called as he settled a numb Sarah into a chair. "Serve lunch immediately. The Queen needs to eat."
Turning his focus to Sarah, he dragged a chair over and sat next to her, removing his gloves from her hands as he conjured hers from wherever it was in the castle she had forgotten them this time. He rubbed her hands lightly. "Do you need me for anything?" Sarah shook her head. "Alright then. I'll be in my study meeting with Tieran," he said as he vanished.
Meep and the rest of the staff fussed over her as if she were a hungry child in a snit, coaxing her to eat. When she had at last eaten enough to satisfy them, she went in search of Jareth, finding him still in his study with Tieran.
"My Queen," Tieran acknowledged, bowing over her hand, "are you well?" he inquired solicitously.
"No," Sarah answered honestly, "but I will be. How did we do today?"
"As I was telling the King, I think that went about as well as we could have hoped. There was clearly no force or coercion involved, so His Majesty faces no criminal charges or sanctions. His position as Goblin King remains secure, and King Erlinwar will not be taking part in the case discussions or the vote. Even if the marriage contract is set aside, the Faelium protects you. The Elf Princess and the other young ones do not understand what they are dealing with in regards to the Faelium," he concluded sagely.
"Are you certain?" Sarah asked at last. "I was hoping it could all be set aside, the marriage contracts, the Faelium, at least then I would have some choice about my own future. And Jareth wouldn't be stuck with me because no one else wants me," she said, defeated, a note of self pity coloring her remarks.
Tieran looked helplessly at the Goblin King. Jareth was leaning against the fireplace mantle, staring into the flames. He turned slowly. "Sarah," he began reluctantly, "I thought you understood. Erlinwar wants you. He is desperate to mate his son with one of the Tuatha de Danaan. Trolls have no magic in their blood. Even though the Fae of the high houses are selfish and regard their children as cattle to be sold into marriage to gain power and wealth, no other was willing to make such a contract with the Troll King and his deviate son.
By the time their Fae children are of marriageable age, they command sufficiently formidable magic that they can protect themselves if necessary should he try to force a mating. I was not the only one who saw your loss of control today, the demonstration of your power. You failed to see his fascination with you. You lack control, right now, but the raw potential for sorcery level magic is there. You are of marriageable age and you cannot yet protect yourself. Had things gone according to his plan, you would have been claimed when you turned eighteen, perhaps even earlier if he had become aware sooner of my contract with Lindell. You would have been married to Erlinwold and bore him legitimate heirs with great magic in their blood. Erlinwar is doubly dangerous now that his plan has been thwarted. There isn't a shred of real doubt. If you are sent back Above, you will go missing, another statistic, a runaway. You will be used as a brood mare; any child you bear will be passed off as a legitimate heir, the offspring of Erlinwold and whatever wife Erlinwar can find for him. Unlike Tannith who escaped and those others who died, you will receive better medical care while you are of value and can produce offspring. Then you will be killed, before your magic reaches a level where you can control it well enough to protect yourself, so you can never reveal the truth. So long as you remain in the Underground, the Faelium protects you. Everyone here knows you are my mate, the Goblin Queen, and protected by my magic and the magic of the Labyrinth; the trolls cannot get to you. You cannot bear Erlinwold a legitimate heir so long as you are wife to another, and if you were to go missing, the Troll Kingdom would be ripped asunder in the search. It would be civil war." Jareth sighed again.
"Until your magic is fully developed and under control, you are vulnerable outside the Goblin Kingdom," Tieran reiterated. "What his Highness says is true, but it would be best not to tempt fate. Once the hot headed young ones on the council realize that it is not in their power to split a mated couple, all of this, the legal part of this mess, should die down," interjected Tieran.
Sarah stared at her gloved hands in her lap. "If the Troll King has no magic, how did he fulfill his end of the marriage contract and give my mother the stardom she wanted?"
"As in the Above, power and money buy what you need. The Troll King and other powerful, but non-magical, lords purchase the services of those who do possess sorcery level magic. The particular sorcerer who performed this bit of magic happens to be the second cousin of the Dowager Summer Queen," Jareth stated on an even note.
"So that's how you knew about the second contract," she said. "You knew about it almost as soon as it was signed."
"Just so," he acknowledged. "How I acquired an authentic copy of the contract, well, that's another story."
Sarah sat silently wondering if the Goblin King was always three steps ahead of everyone else.
"Well, I should be going," said Tieran at last.
"Of course," Sarah replied. "It's such a fine day; you should spend what's left of it with your wife and family." She felt the need to crawl into an oubliette herself and lick her wounds.
He chuckled ruefully. "Just an old bachelor, but maybe someday…" he trailed off. "I'll likely find some work that needs doing back at the office."
"Oh," Sarah said. Her magic was whispering to her again—well, not exactly whispering. Truth be told the little pest was being rather loud and insistent. "Since you've nowhere particular to be, I was hoping you could stay for dinner, and perhaps we could play a game." This was just what she needed, a project to take her mind off of her own problems. Bless the insistent little pest, after all. Sarah smiled to herself. At the mention of the word 'game,' both Fae noticeably perked up. Gotcha, Sarah thought to herself.
"Perhaps we could play that euchre game," Jareth's said, eyes sparkling. "It was most exciting."
"Well," said Sarah, a look of faux concentration on her face. "You really need four people for that; otherwise it's called cutthroat euchre and not nearly as much fun. Why don't you finish your drinks," she said as she nodded toward the liquor glasses on the table, "and I'll see what I can do about getting us a fourth," she said as she smiled secretively.
Jareth's eyes narrowed. She was up to something. He didn't even need magic to tell; he was long familiar with the wily ways of women. Tieran was clueless, poor sod.
She slipped out of the room before he could demand an explanation. He sighed as he turned to his guest. He would let this play out. One thing was certain; his queen did make life interesting.
Chapter 33
Sarah had never tried to reach Jareth's other sister before. "Brigid," she said clearly into her vanity mirror. "It's Sarah, Jareth's…uhmmm wife," she finished awkwardly. It was still difficult thinking of herself as such. "Do you have a minute?"
"Of course," came Brigid's smiling face. "I am dying to hear about the hearing, and your timing couldn't be better. There are three children here at Elspeth's House who are all teething, and they are currently competing to see who can scream the loudest about it. It's impossible to get a thing done."
"Can't you cast a silencing bubble, like Jareth does?" Sarah asked.
"No, like Ana, I am only partly Fae, too much human blood for any real magic."
"Ahhhh," said Sarah, understanding at last. "So you and Ana are full sisters and Jareth is the half sibling."
"No," Brigid corrected. "We are all half siblings."
"Isn't that unusual?" Sarah looked a little confused.
"Not where we're from," Brigid replied evasively. She hesitated, as if she was going to say more, but finally looked away. Sarah picked up on the obvious social cue immediately.
"So, the reason I'm calling," Sarah stated smoothly, "is because we need a fourth for euchre this afternoon. I don't know many people here in the Underground, but you mentioned before that you like games, so…," she trailed off. "That is if you can get away," Sarah interjected as she heard distant screaming resume.
Brigid looked as if she were a drowning woman and Sarah had just thrown her a lifeline. "Call me back in five minutes from one of the floor length mirrors," Brigid said with a beaming smile.
"Okay."
As long as she was in the bedroom, Sarah used the five minutes to change out of her Goblin Queen attire and into something less intimidating, opting for the emerald knock off dress and the gray slippers. She removed the diadem but left her hair up, not having the time to fuss with it. Precisely five minutes later, she called Brigid from the full length mirror in the corner of the bedroom, and looked startled as the red-haired woman stepped through the glass and into the room, looking a little harried and a trifle mussed. She grinned mischievously at Sarah. "Oh, you have no idea how good it is to get away for a while. I adore children, but…," she sighed with some exasperation.
"I had no idea you could do that," Sarah gasped in awe.
"Not everyone can. Jareth allows very few people to use the mirrors as portals. I am one of the," and here she held up her fingers to make air quotes, "privileged few." She smiled. So who is your fourth player?" she asked as they started downstairs.
"Jareth's…well, I guess our solicitor would be more correct. His name's Tieran. He's something of a workaholic, I guess, but he's really good at what he does," said Sarah, as she proceeded to fill Brigid in quickly about the events of the day.
"I'm so sorry," Brigid said with deep sympathy in her eyes.
Sarah nodded. "I'd just like to forget about it for a while. I'll have lots of time to think about it later. I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight," she said, resigned.
Brigid nodded with compassion as they reached Jareth's study. Sarah poked her head in. "Hey, it's gorgeous outside. How about tea and cards in the conservatory? We can open all of those glass doors." The men nodded and rose from their seats. "Oh, Tieran, this is Brigid, Jareth's sister. Brigid, this is Tieran, our solicitor," Sarah said as she made quick introductions. Sarah stepped back quickly and watched.
Well, damn. Her magic was right. As the two Fae stared awkwardly at one another, little hearts and flowers metaphorically began flying between the two. Jareth pinned Sarah with a hard glare. Bogdammit! His sneaky little wife was matchmaking. He sighed. This had better not come back to bite him in the ass. The awkwardness cleared after a few minutes, and they proceeded to have a lovely tea and several games of euchre, that turned into dinner and after dinner drinks and a few more games of euchre. As the clock struck midnight, which Sarah now thought of as 13:00, both Tieran and Brigid started making noises about going home.
"Oh, Brigid," Sarah said with concern, "how will you get home? Is there someone to open the mirror portal on that side? I'm not really sure how this works." Sarah said as she glanced at Tieran.
"I will be happy to see the Lady Brigid home," said the Fae solicitor.
As the happy couple vanished, Jareth pinned Sarah with a hard stare. "Admit it," he demanded. "You've been matchmaking."
Sarah shrugged, "So what if I have been? Where's the harm?"
Jareth sighed. "Sarah, think this through. That woman is my sister. That man is our solicitor. If things go badly between them, we may have to secure new counsel in the midst of all of this legal mess, which could jeopardize our case. And, we will have to deal with my distraught, weeping sister who will blame us for her anguish. There are some things Fae just do not meddle in," he said, his frustration palpable.
Sarah looked away. Jareth had a point. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. You told me to listen to my magic, so I thought…" Sarah trailed off as she felt Jareth's gloved hand tilt her chin to his face.
"Your magic told you to do this?" he asked, and something about the way he said it let Sarah know this was a loaded question.
"Yes," she whispered, as she watched thoughts play across his pale, blue eyes. "Should I have ignored my magic?" she asked at last.
"No," he replied heavily. "Never ignore your magic."
"What's wrong then?" Sarah was becoming nervous.
"I don't want to get your hopes up," he said finally. "I will need to peruse some of the old texts. It may be nothing."
Sarah sighed but didn't press him. There was no point. She had plenty to think about after the hearing today. Besides, Jareth divulged information in his own time, anyway.
Chapter 34
"Jareth," she hesitated as she made a last glance at the lit candles on the nightstand.
"Hmmmm…," came the sleepy reply.
"What should I do about Toby? What do I say to Karen and my dad? How do I undo the pain I've caused?"
Jareth sighed and gave up on sleep. She was working herself into a lovely emotional state. "You don't. There is nothing more to say. You said what you needed to say in the courtroom. They don't believe you."
"So you think I should just give up on Toby, on my family?" she said, a hint of distress creeping into her voice.
"No, I don't think words are going to fix this. Just as words have consequences, so do actions. You will have to show your family that you've changed. It will take longer and require more of an effort on your part, but you are going to have to demonstrate to them that you've changed. As soon as your Fae transformation is complete, you will need to start visiting Toby and your family and show them who you are now, who you've become."
"What if Karen's right? What if I have damaged him?"
Jareth snorted. "Highly unlikely. He's what…ten months old, twelve? The likelihood that he will remember a thing you've said to him is almost nil. Nevertheless, if he does remember, I can remove those memories from him."
"You'd just tamper with his mind?" Sarah asked incredulously.
"Yes," replied Jareth bluntly. "By the time he reaches an age where he can decide for himself if he wants those memories, they will have already potentially done damage to his psyche. If he does remember, I will remove those memories and be done with it, unless you have a very persuasive argument to the contrary. No child should ever grow up feeling that he was anything other than loved and cared for," Jareth stated emphatically.
He was actually looking out for Toby, Sarah realized, and although his tactics were high handed, his logic was unassailable. She couldn't fault him for his compassion.
Without conscious thought, she turned over and snuggled into Jareth, letting his warmth and the scent of his magic envelop her. As he held her and murmured soft reassurances, she felt exhaustion creep upon her. It was very late, and between that and the earlier emotional bloodletting, she felt like a limp dishrag that had been twisted repeatedly and put through the wringer so many times that every fiber was frayed. With Jareth's lips on her forehead, she slipped into sleep. In the morning, she was surprised at how well she had slept.
As usual, Jareth was up and gone long before she awoke. She dragged herself into the shower, dressed in her yoga pants, a t-shirt, and her Nike's, and headed down for breakfast. The staff knew about all of it, the trial, her mother's betrayal; her magic crackled an electric warning. She could feel their eyes on her as she walked down the stairs and hear their whispers as she picked listlessly at her food. Unable to bear their scrutiny any longer, she bolted from the table and into the labyrinth. And promptly got lost. She shrugged and decided that she really couldn't care less.
An hour later, she threw herself down into the soft moss at the base of a massive tree and wallowed in self pity for a while. One decision, one stupid lust-filled decision had brought all of this misery. If she had been able to keep her pants on, then what…? None of this would have happened. If she had rejected the Goblin King, what would the outcome have been? He wouldn't have been able to help her. The only thing protecting her now was that she was another man's wife in this strange world, and therefore, could not bear Erlinwold a legitimate child. If she had refused Jareth, would her next encounter with the Underground have been on her eighteenth birthday when Erlinwold had come to claim her? She would have had no friends to help her, no magic, no idea how to petition the High Fae Court for help. Was that whispering voice in the back of her mind the night she had lost her virginity…was that her magic? Had this been the best course of action for her? Sarah sighed, uncertain.
That decision had ultimately brought so much pain. To know that you are unloved by your own mother, and that from the moment of conception, you are nothing more than a form of payment in a magical barter system… it preyed on the mind. Worst of all was what she had done to Toby. She prayed fervently that he wouldn't remember his sister shouting at him how much she hated him. Karen was right. She had been cruel, and she should have stopped to think how her words could rip apart his world, damage his burgeoning sense of self. Jareth had taught her just a bit too late that words have consequences.
She would have preferred to have remained ignorant. No child needs to know that she is unloved. But, really, even if the contract had never come to light, Linda Williams wasn't that good of an actress. Sarah had already begun to suspect her mother didn't love her; she never wanted Sarah to visit, never called, wasn't interested in Sarah's life, forgot her birthdays—hell, she didn't even know how old Sarah was. No, she couldn't blame that decision for the knowledge that her mother didn't love her. It was inevitable that Sarah would come to this realization.
As to her predicament with Toby, a part of her wished that she didn't know, hadn't realized what she was doing to him. But, if things hadn't worked out as they had, she would either be at a boarding school feeling alone and unwanted, if her parents could have found the money for it, or Karen would have filed for divorce by now. Sarah had had periods before where she had been nice to Toby, when she wanted something from her father and Karen. It never lasted. Even if she had gone home after the ordeal of the Labyrinth, and her change in behavior was sincere, her track record was against her, and they wouldn't have believed her. She could tell from Karen's behavior after the hearing yesterday. She didn't believe Sarah now, and she wouldn't have then either. So, the only option left open to her was to implement Jareth's plan and show them slowly, over time, that she had changed.
The strange domino effect, the sequencing of occurrences, it begged the question, were any of these events even in her control? Once Jareth had realized she was his true mate, he had been determined to claim her at all costs. Once she had accepted him, Jareth could no longer see her future because it was so entwined with his own. He could see through time, and he said that some outcomes, once certain events were set in motion, became foregone conclusions, almost impossible to change. Was this part of her life not within her control? Had her mother's lust for fame and stardom started Sarah down a road from which she could not deviate once she had given the Goblin King her virginity?
Sarah was getting a headache and the pulsing light wasn't helping. She rolled over and squinted at the pulsing blue and white orb that hung in mid air a few feet away.
Chapter 35
"You're the Labyrinth, aren't you?" Sarah sized it up, finding it oddly disconcerting to talk to an energy ball.
"We are," the ball replied in a flat, even, inflectionless voice. "You are Sarah Williams," it stated factually.
"Yes, I am," Sarah nodded. "Why are you using the plural form of address? You seem to be just one thing."
"We are more," replied Labyrinth.
"I don't understand," Sarah said. "More than what?"
"More than one," said Labyrinth. "We are all of the various magics represented in the Underground. We are its history, its collective memory, the thoughts and feelings of millions of magic wielders throughout time. We are Labyrinth."
"So, you're like a hive mind of all of these different things?" Sarah asked, struggling to understand.
"In simple terms, yes. We are much more, but in the limited frame of reference you possess, that would be the most apt description."
Sarah nodded. She now had some understanding of Jareth's reticence to discuss the Labyrinth. It was kind of creepy.
"So, uhmmmm….what did you want to talk about?" Sarah asked with some trepidation, wishing Jareth were here to act as a buffer.
"We wished to meet you. We are curious. The Goblin King has bedded many females but has never taken one as mate since the human known as Nicolaa died. We want to know what you offer as Goblin Queen."
Sarah shrugged. "I don't know yet," she answered honestly. "I'm not even sure I'm cut out for this. Hell," Sarah muttered, "I'm not even sure I want to live in the Underground. You …uhmmmm…wouldn't know how to break a Faelium bond, would you?"
Labyrinth pulsed. "Yes," it replied.
"You do?" Sarah asked incredulously. How?" she demanded, breathless with excitement.
Labyrinth pulsed. "In its first year, the Faelium may be broken by the death of one of the mates."
"Not helpful," replied Sarah on a long sigh. "I don't suppose you know anything useful, do you?"
Labyrinth pulsed. "We know many useful things. Specify."
"You know, it's really difficult to have a conversation with you."
"Why?" Labyrinth pulsed.
"Well for one," began Sarah, "it's just weird talking to a ball of energy."
"Is this better, Sarah Williams?" queried Labyrinth. She turned quickly and Jareth stood before her, resplendent in full goblin king armor. A closer look showed a shimmer of blue around his form.
"No," Sarah replied harshly.
"Why not?"
"Because I associate that form with the Goblin King. You need your own separate identity," Sarah insisted.
Sarah watched as the Labyrinth tried on the forms of Hoggle, Sprog, and finally herself before she finally grew frustrated. "No," she said insistently. "Can't you just make up your own form?"
"No," replied Labyrinth, and Sarah realized that it lacked the imaginative capabilities to perform such a task.
"Why don't you pick the image of a sentient life-form that lives at least two hundred miles away from here, someone I am unlikely to ever meet in real life, and copy that form?" Sarah suggested finally, hoping that she had been specific enough.
The Labyrinth seemed to pulse as if in deep thought and then finally morphed into the image of a young Fae girl, about nine years of age, dressed as a farm girl with blonde pigtails tied with bright red bows.
"Very good," Sarah praised. "You should smile and thank someone when they give you a compliment," Sarah instructed.
Labyrinth thought for a moment and examined its memories. Sarah William was correct. Labyrinth smiled and thanked her. This could be an informative exercise, Labyrinth decided. It would keep this form for a while.
"So, how long have you known Jareth?" Sarah asked.
"We have known him since the sixth of…."
"Sorry," Sarah interrupted, "the date wouldn't mean anything to me. What event brought Jareth to your attention?" Sarah clarified.
"He ran the labyrinth. We were most impressed when he defeated Tryvek in single combat."
"Was that the old Goblin King?" Sarah asked.
"No, Tryvek was the Captain of the Elite Goblin Brigade. The Goblin King sent him to engage the runner in mortal combat. It was the final challenge. None other had ever bested Tryvek. Jareth won but sustained mortal wounds. Even so, he refused the kill and allowed Tryvek to live."
"That's brutal," Sarah exclaimed. "How could he do that to a boy?" Sarah cried indignantly as she recalled Ana telling her that Jareth had only been about thirteen at the time.
"The Goblin King wanted to know if he was willing to die for his sisters, if he was willing to kill when it was not necessary. In passing the Goblin King's test, he was deemed worthy to be the heir," said the Labyrinth dispassionately.
"That was cruel," Sarah said.
"It was effective," Labyrinth replied. "The Goblin King approaches," Labyrinth observed.
Sarah saw a white barn owl and remembered briefly the terror she had felt when she had last seen it. It morphed smoothly into the Goblin King as it dove in for a landing.
"This is new," he stated as he took in the Labyrinth's new form. "It suits you."
"It was a suggestion of Sarah Williams," replied the Labyrinth. "She seems to prefer this form."
"Yes, I see you've met the Goblin Queen," Jareth said mildly, but with a hint of iron stressing the title.
"Sarah Williams is not yet certain she is the Goblin Queen. We are not yet certain she is the Goblin Queen," Labyrinth replied calmly.
"I am certain," Jareth replied firmly.
"We will know soon," Labyrinth stated enigmatically. "It comes."
"Can it be averted?" Jareth asked with resignation, as if knowing the answer beforehand.
"No," confirmed Labyrinth. "She will be tested soon."
"What can you tell me?" Jareth asked. Sarah thought she heard a note of desperation in his voice.
"Only this," replied Labyrinth as the image of the little girl began to fade away, "Sarah Williams will learn the final lesson, the one the dwarf deprived her of. And in so learning, she will either become the Goblin Queen or the Goblin Kingdom will fall." At that, Labyrinth vanished completely, leaving Jareth and Sarah alone. Jareth looked stricken, anguish in his eyes.
"What comes?" Sarah whispered at last.
"War," came the harsh response of the Goblin King as he vanished in a shower of glitter.
