Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.
A/N: This chapter is a little longer than the previous chapters due to my not posting on time. I hit a stumbling block and had to re-write this three times before I was satisfied with how it flowed. I hope you continue to enjoy, and we still have a little ways to go yet. :)
Awaken My Love
CHAPTER SEVEN
"He hates me, doesn't he?" Gail asked Sarah as they strolled in the gardens near the castle.
"He's a king of an entire kingdom, Gail. He's not used to having such close contact with… people."
"That's what I thought," she responded, hanging her head. "He hates me."
"He doesn't hate you," Sarah reassured her friend. "He's just easily annoyed, and you really don't owe him anything. You're not one of his subjects, you're not a part of his world… you're my friend, and he …" she paused trying to think of the right word to use. "… allows you certain …" again she paused in thought. "…privileges that he wouldn't tolerate from most anyone else."
"Why are you my friend, Sarah?" Gail asked out of the blue.
Sarah looked over at Gail taken aback. 'How does someone answer that?'
"Because you were there for me when I had no one else," she replied sincerely. "You are fun to be around," she added with an uplift to her tone. "We've laughed for hours over the stupidest shit! We share the same warped way of thinking." Sarah tapped her friend on the shoulder with the back of her hand. "Do you remember when we crank called every bar in the phone book asking for Mike Hunt?"
Gail chuckled at the fond memory. "Yea, until that one bar tender threatened to call the police because he had caller ID, or something like that."
"Besides that," Sarah stated sincerely. "You were the first person who ever invited me to a sleepover party, and you stood up for me when Heidi was being crude." She paused to look at the other girl. "You became my best friend that night."
Suddenly a bird of prey swooped down before them, changing into a man as his feet reached the ground. Sarah and Gail jumped back with startled gasps.
"Marcus!" Sarah spat in disgust.
"We meet again," he stated sinisterly, fixing his lace trimmed sleeves as he continued. "Imagine my surprise, as I roamed the skies above, and saw two mortals walking along unattended, just ripe for the plucking."
"We're not as unattended as you may think, Marcus," Sarah ground out between her clenched teeth, shifting her stance defensively. "I'd return to the skies right now, if I were you."
"Ahh, but you are not me," he said in a smooth voice. "And you are as unattended as I claim, because if you were not then the king would have already been at your side."
"Who said anything about the king?" Sarah insinuated, folding her arms with confidence, her chin raised defiantly. "Nothing is as it seems in this place, you should know that."
"Yes," he chuckled without humor, amused by her bravado. "But sometimes, it is exactly what it seems. The trick is knowing the difference."
Without warning Marcus lurched forward, and grabbed Sarah. He roughly turned her around to wrap his arm around her throat, while holding her head back with a fistful of her hair, her back flush to his chest.
"By the time he misses your presence," he threatened in a deep snarling voice. "I'll have you broken beyond the power of any healer."
"I don't think so, Marcus!" Gail shouted from off the side of his shoulder.
He turned his head to face the previously timid girl, only to find himself being clobbered in the side of his head by a sturdy branch the girl had found on the ground.
Gail hit him with enough force that he staggered sideways, loosening his grasp of Sarah. Sarah, in turn, elbowed the bastard in the ribs with everything she had. Before he could collect himself, Gail bashed him again on the other side of his head.
Sarah was able to break free from him completely and was about to call for Jareth when Marcus regained his posture, and turned baleful eyes on Gail. "So you wish to fight, do you?" he challenged, a sword magically appearing in his hand.
"Anytime, asshole!" Gail responded venomously, holding the near bat sized branch like a sword.
Before Sarah could stop her friend, Gail charged Marcus, engaging in combat. Sarah stepped back out of the way, completely shocked at the scene before her as Gail defended and counter attacked every single move Marcus made.
His sharpened sword twiddled at the stick she used, but the piece of wood was solid enough to withstand the beating, while being light enough for her to wield it adeptly. She turned it in her hands with flare and adeptness, matching Marcus' skill with sure footing and swift movements.
Marcus took an extended foot forward, he brandished his sword in a swinging motion with the intent of disarming his opponent. Gail was prepared for the aggressive attack, and spun herself bodily, holding the stick firmly in hand, she ducked down as his sword whizzed over her head. She sprung up on light feet before his swing was complete and kicked out with a guttural shout, landing her heel square in his mid-section.
Marcus staggered backwards, his breath knocked from his lungs. "We must finish this some other time, you and I," he stated winded toward Gail, touching his forehead with his blade in salute. "For now, I must fly." With a shimmering blur of motion, he became a bird of prey once more, circling once to get his bearings.
Marcus had no sooner transformed when Jareth appeared, in full armor, directly behind where Marcus had stood mere seconds before. The Goblin King was forced to step back and shield his face against the talons that struck out as Marcus flew up over Jareth's head to disappear into the sky.
"Sarah, were you harmed?" Jareth asked hurriedly, striding briskly to stand before her. He placed his hands on her shoulders with concern, checking her for any visible wounds.
She shook her head no with a dumbfounded expression on her face, staring bewilderedly behind him at Gail.
Jareth frowned slightly at Sarah's odd behavior, then turned his gaze to the other girl. She was inspecting her arm with a deep frown etched on her usually smoothed features. "Gail, are you injured?" Jareth asked with mild concern.
"That bastard ripped my blouse!" she exclaimed heatedly, touching at the small tear on her long sleeve, the branch still hanging idly in her other hand.
Jareth looked more intently at the stick, noticed all the cut marks in it, then rose his gaze back to Gail's face. "What have you done?" he asked with pure curiosity.
He had been alerted to Marcus's presence as soon as he had landed in the gardens. However, it had been a brief few minutes before he was informed that Sarah and her friend were last seen heading towards the gardens.
"I'll tell you what she did!" Sarah exclaimed, finally snapping out of her shocked state. "She challenged him to a duel with a fucking stick!" She rounded on Gail as fearful anger boiled up within her. "Are you fucking nuts!" Sarah exclaimed into her friends face. "And where the hell did you learn to fight like that?" Sarah gestured dramatically with hands and arms in emphasis to her words. "He could have killed you, Gail! He had a real, fucking sharp sword, and he wanted to seriously hurt you!"
"Yea, well," Gail responded unflustered, still fiddling with the tear in her sleeve. "My daddy made me take defensive weapons classes since I was five so he'd have someone to spar with." She looked up at Sarah for the first time since Marcus had showed up, and handed her the branch.
"He stopped sword fighting with me when I started kicking his ass." Gail turned to walk away, then paused to look back briefly. "I also have championship medals from tournaments I've won." She shrugged nonchalantly, and started walking away again. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go see if I can fix this. I really like this blouse."
Jareth and Sarah watched Gail disappear around the bend of hedges towards the castle.
"She actually held off an attack by Marcus?" Jareth asked, his tone somewhere between disbelief and impressed.
"Yea," Sarah breathed, then looked at the stick in her hand. "He could have killed her, Jareth," she added softly with concern.
He took the stick from Sarah and examined it closely. "I'd say he tried and failed," he remarked, tossing the branch into the bushes before meeting Sarah's emotional gaze. "I'll make certain to show her my armory. If you'll allow it, of course. Perhaps having a sword by her side will assist with her timidness."
Sarah nodded agreeably as they began to walk back to the castle. "I still can't believe it," she murmured more to herself, shaking her head. "She was amazing, though!" Sarah glanced over at Jareth, her expression lit animatedly as she mimicked Gail's movements with her arms. "She spun that stick this way, then like that, and up like this, and down and over! It was awesome!" Then her expression became more thoughtful. "Well, except that he was trying to kill her."
"You're friends are truly full of surprises," Jareth remarked thoughtfully. "I am grateful that I decided to allow you to keep them with you."
"Heidi," Sarah voiced with sudden panic, stopping to place a hand on Jareth's arm. "Do you think he knows she's here too? He told us that he just happen to see us when he was flying by, but…"
"He will suspect her being here, Sarah, and he'll also know where to search for her." Jareth stepped closer and put his arm around Sarah reassuringly. "But he'll have to get through the magic of the High Counsel to get to her, so fear not on her behalf."
Sarah nodded, being reassured by Jareth's words, and leaned in closer to walk next to him with his arm over her shoulders. "I still can't believe what Gail did," she repeated, again, as he led her to head back to the castle. "Who would've thought she'd be able to fight like that? I mean, she's usually so shy and…"
High pitched screaming suddenly broke the quiet from within the castle, followed by the uproarious cackling of excited goblins.
"You were saying?" Jareth quipped with amusement.
With an exasperated sigh, Sarah quickened her pace, Jareth easily falling in step beside her as they hurried into the castle.
"Perhaps I'll only allow her to carry a short sword," Jareth mused aloud. "I wouldn't want her to hurt my goblins."
"Nooo!" They heard Gail's high pitched wail from within the castle as they approached the entrance hall. "Get away from me! Leave me alone!"
"Perhaps a dagger would suffice," Jareth added, second guessing himself for even thinking about arming the easily frightened girl.
XxXxX
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Sarah asked Gail, standing by the door of her chambers. Jareth requested for Sarah to meet with him before dinner so he could explain a few things to her, and answer her questions regarding her return to his kingdom.
They had changed into slightly more acceptable dinner attire, not having much to chose from in the collection of woman's clothing Jareth had available in the castle. He had assured her that most of the garments had been stolen by his goblins, though Sarah wasn't sure if she believed him or not.
"I'll be fine," Gail replied, her chin tilting upwards with false bravado. "Just tell me the directions again?"
"You go down the stairs to the right," Sarah explained, pointing for emphasis. "You keep left at the first corridor, then go right down the next corridor, and the dinning hall is on the right."
"Right, left, right, right," Gail reiterated. "Got it," she finalized with a smile.
"Are you sure you don't want me to wait? I'm sure it won't matter if you're there while he explains things."
"Yea, I'm positive," Gail stated in a quieter tone. "He wants to be alone with you, and I've done nothing but mess that up since we've been here. You go ahead, maybe put in a good word for me," she added with some humor.
"You did that yourself this afternoon, Gail. He's really impressed by what you did."
"You would've done the same for me," Gail replied, waving it off as nothing. Only the slight blush to her cheeks indicated that she was moved by the compliment.
"You know I would," Sarah replied sincerely. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."
"I'll be there," she replied pleasantly. Gail returned Sarah's smile as her friend left to meet with Jareth.
Gail felt so at odds here. Everything freaked her out, and as hard as she tried not to let the ugly little creatures scare her, her instinct to run was just too imbedded in her. She had almost made it past them earlier, until she tripped over one lying on the floor in the dim lighting. Then all hell broke loose and they came running after her, screaming and cackling.
The strangest thing was that she had felt the most 'normal' when she was fighting Marcus. Sword fighting was something she was comfortable with, something she was familiar with, and for those brief moments she had been ecstatic to be in this strange land.
Not only that, but having the opportunity to stand up to Marcus after all he had done to Heidi had felt exhilarating. To see the minute look of shock in his eyes when she had clobbered him was simply priceless. And the small flicker of uncertainty after she had kicked him made her feel invincible.
But then she goes off screaming from little goblins, making her feel embarrassed and ashamed of herself. But, she couldn't go home without her friend, knowing that the king would be more than happy to be rid of her. Gail's eyes watered at the thought of going home alone. She knew that Sarah would stay. Sarah belonged here, she fit in, she had the king who loved her, and the land itself gifted her with ethereal powers of some sort. But deep in her heart, Gail couldn't wait for Heidi to get better so they could go home.
She went to the window to watch the sunset. It had its beauty, this place. The dropping sun filled the sky with such vibrant colors, some Gail couldn't even name, that it took her breath away. Her dad would love it here, she mused thoughtfully. He would be out there drinking ale with the goblins, making friends with other creatures, and cavorting around trying to find a dragon or some such thing.
But not Gail. She never really fantasized about all this make believe stuff, except for Peter Pan, of course. She had almost been heartbroken when Jareth told her that Peter Pan was truly a fictional character with no basis for comparison. It just wasn't fair. Her only dream, her version of a knight in shining armor, and he didn't exist outside of the imagination.
With only mild interest Gail watched as birds of some species flew around to find their nests for the night, day dreaming of the second star to the left and straight on till morning.
XxXxX
Sarah found Jareth in the throne room, slouching sideways with a riding crop in one hand, and pinching the bridge of his nose with the other.
"You look like shit," she commented, announcing her presence as she stepped up to his side.
"I'll be fine," he replied, smiling pleasantly, and lowered his hand to his knee as he looked at her.
"You say that so often," she quipped with a knowing smile. "I wonder what your basis of comparison is."
"Do you remember every word I've ever said to you?" he asked, furrowing his brows curiously.
Her cheerful expression dropped, her eyes becoming distant as she remembered exactly when he had said those words to her. "You were very impressionable at the time." Her eyes focused as her gaze met his, and she smiled slightly.
"That was my intention, you realize," he commented in a pleasant tone. His gaze shifted briefly to just behind Sarah, then back to her face.
"They're sneaking up on me, aren't they?" Sarah asked, noticing that it was suddenly quieter in the room. Jareth smirked in response. She eyed the riding crop in his hand, met his gaze, then lowered her eyes to his hand once more. "May I borrow that?"
He turned his hand palm up, holding the crop with his thumb and fore finger, allowing Sarah to take it. Once it was in her hand, she spun on her heel, brandishing the crop in front of her.
"Don't even think it!" she shouted at the horde.
At least twenty goblins gasped and froze in place at getting caught. The entire room grew quiet, the only sound was several chickens flapping around. "Get those chicken out of here!" she commanded them, curious to see if they would actually listen to her. She turned back to Jareth with a pleased smile when they began scurrying around, trying to catch the chickens.
"I can't believe they actually listened to me," she commented proudly, stepping closer to Jareth. She was about to give him the crop back when the uproarious clucking of chickens drew her attention across the room.
"What are you doing?" she exclaimed above the noise, watching as they threw a chicken out the window. She turned to Jareth for help. "Why are they throwing them out the window?"
"You told them to get them out," he replied casually with a small chuckle. "You didn't specify 'how'. That is what they came up with."
"Stop!" she yelled, and pointed the riding crop towards the horde.
All of a sudden, the goblins began to slip and fall down on what looked like ice on the stone floor under their feet. After all the chickens had been dropped and gotten away, Sarah watched as the ice simply disappeared, leaving confused goblins to sit and stare at her.
She looked at the tip of the riding crop with a confused frown. "Does this thing do magic?" she asked Jareth, turning the crop this way and that as she looked it over more closely.
"That would be your doing, my little Imp," Jareth replied with obvious amusement. "I was wondering when things would started happening around you."
He dropped one foot to the floor, leaned over and took hold of her arm to draw her to him. Placing her neatly on his lap, he took the riding crop from her hands. "You have the power of the elements within you, along with the gift of healing, which you have already discovered."
"The elements?" she questioned, looking at him as he slouched back in the chair under her. "You mean I can make it rain and snow and stuff?"
"In small doses, as you've just done with the puddle of ice." He pulled her down to his chest so that she lay on her side atop of him. "I can't say that I'm surprised at you combining two elements at once for your first attempt."
"But I wasn't even trying," she stated, placing her hand on the arm of the throne to push herself up. The throne instantly reacted to her touch. The creamy color magically turned ivory white, the entire structure expanded sideways, now having enough room for two to sit upon it. "What did I do?" Sarah fretted. "Why did it do that?"
"Ah, I can stretch my legs out more," he stated happily.
"Jareth," she chastised with bewilderment. "You need to tell me what's happening!"
"It's already happened, Sarah," he answered in a serious tone. He maneuvered her from his lap as he turned his body to sit forward on the chair, placing her next him on the seat. "By returning to the labyrinth you have become her ruler, her queen, and as such she has bestowed upon you the gifts of that position."
"Is that what the High King meant when he asked if I was ready?"
"Not precisely," Jareth replied dryly.
"Then, what, precisely, was he referring to?"
"He was referring to your position as 'my' queen."
"Oh," she murmured, looking down at her lap.
"I intend to give you as much time as possible. I realize that you aren't ready for…"
"No," Sarah voiced, cutting him off. She lifted her chin and steeled her gaze to meet Jareth's. "It's okay. I know you've been schooling me for when you brought me back." she smiled with a small chuckle. "Heidi often called me 'her majesty' when you weren't around, voicing what I knew was inevitable."
Her gaze shifted past Jareth distractedly. "Don't you dare!" she shouted at the goblins, rising to her feet, saving another chicken from being tossed out the window as the goblin dropped the fowl in fear. "Take them out through the door, and release them… somewhere else!"
With a sigh, she sat back down, moving Jareth's leg to the back of the throne, since he shifted sideways again. "Why do you insist on sitting like this?" she asked, frowning when he placed his other leg over her lap.
"Because I find it comfortable," he replied simply.
"Somehow, I don't think it's proper for the king and queen to sit on the throne like this," she commented, placing her hand on his knee.
"We rule a land of chaos, and a goblin city. If we say it is proper, then it will be recognized as such."
"Oh," Sarah voiced simply. She pulled her left leg up to tuck under her skirts while shifting her body slightly to one side. "Then you need to sit up just a little bit, so I can lean against you." They shifted slighted upon the throne now suitable for two, lounging together as though on a couch in the Aboveground.
"We're facing the wrong way," Sarah commented. "Now I can't see what the goblins are up to."
"Trust me, most of the time, we're better off not knowing." Jareth removed an arm from around her waist and held his hand palm up before them. A crystal appeared, showing them the other side of the throne room.
"How lazy can one be!" Sarah laughed. "Can I make those, too?"
"No," he replied close to her ear. He tossed the crystal in the air for it to pop like a soap bubble, then wrapped his arm around her once more. "I want you to be aware that becoming my queen, and your position as Lady of the Labyrinth, aren't necessarily one and the same."
"What are you saying?" she asked quietly.
"I'm saying, that I intend to give you as much time you need, just as I've promised. Though you will rule by my side, and acquire your own duties, you needn't be my queen until you are ready to assume those responsibilities."
"I already sleep in your bed, Jareth," she quipped with a small chuckle. "What difference does it make?"
"It makes a difference, Sarah," he whispered close to her ear in a sincere tone. Sarah turned her head to look over and back at him, he tilted his head to meet her gaze. "You are not ready yet." He lean over her and kissed her gently on the lips.
He resumed his former position after giving her a kiss. "Let's see how well you can manipulate the elements," he suggested in an authoritive tone. "Hold out your hand, and see what you can do."
Sarah was overwhelmed by Jareth's vow to keep his promise. She didn't understand how he could be so patient when normally he didn't possess any patience whatsoever. Brushing it aside for the moment, she put her hand out palm up and was simply amazed as a miniature blizzard appeared over the palm of her hand.
"I'm doing it!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Jareth, I made snow!"
He made some sort of agreeable sound in his throat while dipping his head to her neck. Keeping his eyes on the element in her palm, he kissed her delicate skin, noticing how the snow changed to rain. He nipped gently on her earlobe, watching as small black clouds appeared in thin air. He then flicked his tongue over the same spot, and smirked as a small zap of lightening occurred over her palm.
"Ouch!" Sarah exclaimed, shaking her hand vigorously at the tiny electrical singe.
"You must be careful, my little Imp," he told her, not hiding his amusement. "They are real elements, after all. Although you control only a small amount, they still have destructive qualities."
"Great, now you tell me," she quipped sourly, rubbing at the red mark on her palm. "Jareth," she voiced, sounding slightly alarmed. "It went away." She held up her palm to show him. "It stopped hurting and the redness just disappeared."
"You healed yourself," he explained in a casual tone. "You're also controlling the elements with your emotions, you must learn to control them better."
"Is that what the nuzzling at my neck was for?" she asked slyly, glancing at him sideways with a grin.
"That, and I enjoy nuzzling your neck," he replied mischievously, leaning over her to kiss her fully on the lips.
A small crack of lightening was heard from somewhere on the other side of the throne room, followed by the shrieking of a goblin. Within seconds the throne room was emptied as goblins scurried out the door, taking all the chickens and pigs with them.
"I think I zapped a goblin," Sarah commented when they came up for air.
"You must learn to dissipate what you create," Jareth informed her, caressing her cheek with his. "Else we'll have hundreds of elemental storms raging throughout the kingdom."
"That kind of sounds like fun," she giggled with mirth. "Do I have to learn to dissipate them right away?"
"Perhaps tomorrow," he answered with an amused gleam in his eyes, bending down to renew their kissing.
XxXxX
The High King frowned deeply as he gazed in the water well, his queen stepped around to his side. She waved her hand over the water's surface to end her husband's gazing session.
"Don't be so glum," she told him. "They are still discovering each other. Soon they will start to disagree on things and we will have much entertainment to amuse us."
"Did you not just see them?" he asked her incredulously. "He has not instructed her of her duties, has encouraged her to create chaos, and behaving in such a manner is definitely 'not' proper!" He pushed away from the marble fixture to pace their private chambers. "We will have her serve in court and train her properly."
"Lorne," the High Queen addressed in a patient tone. "It is no different from when we first discovered one another," she reminded him. "The entire High Counsel had been enraged at our tryst in the royal gardens."
"That was different," he defended affronted. "We were alone, there was no one to see us." He frowned deeply before continuing. "Except for that brownie," he added with a snarl, turning away from his wife.
"Jareth has been alone far too long, my King," she stated softly, coming up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist. "Allow him to keep the girl with him. He will guide her when it is necessary. He is a good king despite his ornery ways." She slipped around him to press up against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck, his hands instinctually rested on her hips.
"The labyrinth is a place of chaos, Lorne. She does not follow the same proprieties as the other kingdoms. The girl must learn the rules of her own kingdom for her to be a good queen."
Lorne studied his wife contemplatively for a long moment before he nodded in consent. "I suppose that would be acceptable."
"You also need to reflect on this situation concerning Marcus," she addressed cautiously. Gaining her husband's consent with one issue did not guarantee his acceptance of her proposing her opinion for another.
The High King's entire demeanor became guarded and defensive at the mention of the outlawed fae. "His is a problem I should have addressed long ago, and mistakenly did not." He gazed down at his wife, containing his ire as he addressed her. "I suppose you have a plan for this as well?"
"I do," she smiled up at him. "If my king wishes to hear it."
"Your king is listening," he replied, slightly tilting his head back to gaze at her with interest.
XxXxX
Jareth held Sarah on his lap at the table in the dinning hall, watching over her shoulder as she manipulated little wind twisters to dance on the smooth surface. His heart leapt with every outburst of amusement she displayed, while closing his eyes as she wriggled unwittingly on his lap.
The main door burst open suddenly, gaining both their immediate attentions, to see Gail rushing into the room with skirts flying and face flushed. She whirled around the door, quickly slammed it closed, and rested her back against it with both palms flat on the surface.
"Goblins," she squeaked, her chest heaving from running.
Sarah waved her hand over the table, and watched as the several little twisters went over the sides to spin around on the floor haphazardly, then rose from Jareth's lap to seat herself at his right.
"What are those?" Gail asked, stepping away from the door to join the couple at the table.
"They're miniature twisters," Sarah told her friend proudly. "I found out that I can manipulate the elements in small doses."
"That is so cool!" Gail exclaimed, watching the little things skitter around the room. "That will come in handy when you have to clean!"
Sarah laughed as her friend sat down. "I can also make snow, ice, rain, and lightening."
"Wow," she voice with awe. "So, what are you supposed to do with it?" she asked curiously. "I mean, what's the purpose of you being able to do those things?"
Sarah turned a questioning gaze to Jareth. "Actually, that's a good question."
"One I don't have an answer for," Jareth replied with indignance, flipping his napkin to his lap as the servants entered with their meal. "If there had ever been a Lady of the Labyrinth before, I am not aware of it, nor am I aware of what her duties would be specifically."
"Well, what do you control around here?" Gail asked, thinking she might be able to help figure out the mystery.
"Everything," Jareth replied bluntly, turning his gaze to Gail pointedly.
"Oh," she voiced, slumping physically in her chair under his scrutiny. "I was only trying to help."
"No, she's right, Jareth," Sarah remarked. "There has to be certain things that you don't have control over that I would." Jareth turned his steely gaze to Sarah. "Or, maybe you don't realize how much you control because you have magic to begin with, and so you can literally do whatever you want anyway."
He tilted his head back slightly to consider what Sarah just said, then leaned forward and flicked his forefinger at her. "That, is quite possible. We will simply wait to see what the labyrinth expects from you, then decide if I've controlled it by my own magic or hers."
He sat back in his chair as a female serving goblin placed his plate before him. Sarah and Gail exchanged silent glances at his touchiness concerning his abilities, while two more female goblins served Sarah and Gail.
"Oh wow," Gail exclaimed softly, picking up her knife and fork. "This smells so good!"
"Why aren't you under the table?" Jareth questioned, looking at Gail with a curious frown.
Gail froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. "I have to eat under the table?" Gail asked timidly.
Sarah looked on curiously, ready to defend her friend.
"No, silly girl. I'm referring to the goblins mulling about serving our food, and you are still sitting in your seat."
Gail's attention darted around room, noticing the several goblins the king spoke of, then met his gaze once more. "But they are pretty. Well, their clothes are pretty, anyway. And they're not screaming and slobbery, and waving things in their hands at me." She glanced at the female that was approaching her with a goblet. "Besides, they bring food and…" The female goblin met Gail's gaze and smiled. Gail returned her smile and took the goblet from her. "…drinks," she finished saying, raising the goblet in the air before taking a sip.
"Maybe we should dress all the goblins in girl clothes," Sarah chuckled, hearing little snickers from the servants.
"I am not going through that again," Jareth remarked forcefully. "I wasn't kidding about them stealing women's clothing. My castle was beginning to look like a whore house with women's things scattered all over the place. If it weren't for my goblins you both would have naught to wear except what you came here with."
Both Sarah and Gail suddenly looked at their clothes with mild expressions of disgust.
"What?" Jareth exclaimed questioningly, glancing from one girl to the other. "The clothes given to you have been cleaned and prepared by the females. I wouldn't dare have you wear anything unacceptable," he declared, looking at Sarah specifically.
Sarah quickly turned her attention to her food, popping a morsel of meat into her mouth to avoid Jareth's growing ire. "Gail, you have to try this!" she stated with a mouthful of food, pointing to her food with her fork. "This is excellent!"
Gail followed Sarah's lead of avoiding further argument with the king and shoved a healthy forkful of food into her mouth. After a couple of chews, she nodded her head in agreement, making pleased noises in her throat.
Jareth paused over his own plate for another moment, knowing full well that they were attempting to avoid irritating him any further, with a secreted smirk he stabbed at his own food to begin eating.
"I should make you aware," he stated cordially, looking at his meat stuffed fork as he held it upright in front of his face. "That it is customary to not start eating before the king begins his meal."
Both girls froze. Gail, with the fork still in her mouth on her second helping, and Sarah with her mouth open, ready to take another bite. They looked at him simultaneously with sideways glances. Jareth smiled, completely pleased with himself, before he popped the food in his mouth.
"Then I guess it's a good thing that the Lady of the Labyrinth has her own set of rules in this kingdom," Sarah remarked challengingly.
"Don't defy me, Sarah," Jareth stated authoritively in a low voice. Sarah looked away from him, giving her attention back to her food. Sarah knew from experience that that comment bore no argument, and trying to would only piss him off further.
Low rumbles of thunder emanated from the whirlwinds dancing along the floor, though Jareth seemed to be the only one who had noticed as the girls continued their meal in silence.
XxXxX
"You wanted to see me, your Majesty?" Gail asked tentatively, hearing Sarah close the door behind her, knowing that her friend was leaving her to face the king alone.
Jareth had sent a female goblin to Sarah's chambers with the message that he wanted to speak with Gail in the dinning hall immediately. Sarah, knowing what he wanted her for, refused to tell her anything, but walked along with her to the door so the goblins wouldn't bother her.
"Yes," Jareth replied from the head of the table. "Come in here. Sit down."
Gail strode the suddenly larger than life room on nervous legs, her hands wringing in front of her. 'He's going to send me home, I just know it.' she fretted to herself as she slipped into the chair he indicated.
"Sarah hadn't explained anything to you, had she?" he asked haughtily, noticing how nervous the girl was.
"No, your Majesty," she answered, looking up at him with tear filled eyes.
Jareth looked upon the girl as she tried to not cry in his presence. 'She really is a delicate thing.' He thought. "Come, come," he voiced reasonably. "Do I still frighten you so completely as to render you to tears for naught?"
She nodded her head, lowering her gaze to her hands. "Yes," she whispered. "I… I don't want to go home, but I know you don't want me here."
"You remain here by Sarah's wishes," he informed her truthfully, inwardly admitting that he had been tempted more than once to send her home when she goes running off screaming from his goblins. "But, that isn't the reason of my summoning you."
He turned sideways in the chair at the head of the table, letting his leg hang over the arm. With the snap of his fingers, a large bundle appeared on the table before Gail. "I've noticed how you still seem uncomfortable with your attire," he remarked. "Since you are from the Aboveground, I have obtained clothing for you that I assume would be more to your liking."
Gail looked at the bulky 'package' before her, glanced towards Jareth who nodded his approval, then began to unfold the cloth wrapping. Her eyes grew wide at finding three pull-over blouses and a couple pairs of black pants.
"Oh my," she breathed, lifting each piece of clothing up to inspect more closely. "But, these wouldn't be proper for a maid in waiting to wear, would they?" she fretted, glancing over at Jareth. "I would embarrass you, or Sarah, if I wore these."
"Why do you women insist on questioning my judgment of propriety in my own kingdom?" he asked with heated exasperation, then realized that Gail wouldn't understand his ire in that regard, and continued in a softer tone. "It's not proper for a maid in waiting to be as adept with a sword as you are, either," he pointed out matter of factly. "But you alone thwarted Marcus' intentions yesterday. You saved Sarah from serious harm, and for that I am eternally grateful."
"Thank you, your Majesty," she stated, meeting his gaze so he could see how appreciative she was for his gift.
"You're not so unlike my goblins, you realize," Jareth remarked airily.
"You… you think I'm hideous looking?" Gail asked, stunned by his comment.
He quirked a brow, tilting his head back to look at her for a moment. "You misunderstood me," he clarified. "Contrary to what your head has been filled with, my goblins enjoy having fun. They adore each other just as you adore your family and friends, and they are very prone to running off to hide when they are frightened. But, just as you have proved yesterday, they also can be very vicious creatures. They will defend each other, and their king, if need be."
He swung his leg from the arm of the chair to face forward, resting his elbows on the table. "So, there," he summed up simply. "I shall consider you as one of my goblins. Fun loving and gentle, but not to be crossed wrongly."
"Oh," Gail voiced demurely, knowing that he meant it as a compliment somehow. "Thank you." She paused a few seconds before asking, "You're not going to start kicking me, are you?"
Jareth threw his head back and laughed. "Of course not, silly girl!" He stifled his mirth enough to finish this meeting and send her on her way. "I have one more thing I would bestow upon you, though I am rather concerned for the safety of my goblins. So you will only keep this gift with you while you are not within the castle."
Gail nodded dumbly in agreement, then her eyes widened with shocked surprise as a sword magically appeared in his open palms, and he held it out for her.
"I chose this from my armory," he explained in a sincere tone. "It is my first sword from when I was very young. It is light enough for someone of your stature to wield, and has enough magic in it that the blade will not break under normal circumstances."
Gail stared at it, completely overwhelmed. "I… I can't accept…"
"You 'will' accept this," Jareth commanded authoritively, then softened his tone. "You will have it with you while outside the castle, and use it wisely if need be. Marcus, as well as any other threat to Sarah may lurk nearby. You are her closest companion, Gail, and her most loyal friend. I entrust you to protect her in times of my absence."
"Thank you," she whispered, taking the sword from his palms with surprisingly steady hands. She looked at the fine detail of the hilt, and the craftsmanship of the blade with eyes of awe. Never had anyone given her anything so grand, not even the sword her dad had bought for her was as beautiful.
"I seriously hope that you understand your duties for accepting such a gift," Jareth stated suggestively, bluntly hinting towards her servitude.
Gail raised her eyes, realization coming to her as she met his gaze. "Yes, your Majesty. But, you haven't asked for anything that I wouldn't do anyway."
"Good girl," he smiled warmly at her, then relaxed his shoulders slightly. "Now, go find Sarah before she thinks I've banished you to the oubliette or some silly thing."
Gail let loose a small chuckle and slipped the sword into the sheath that had magically appeared unnoticed. She then gathered up the clothes, and quickly made her way to the door. "Uhm…" she voiced with uncertainty at the doorway, turning around to face the king.
"Follow the hall to the end," he stated with boredom, answering her unspoken question, and pointed in the direction she needed. "Turn right, then left, and then left again."
"Left, right, left, left," she muttered to herself, nodding. "Okay, got it."
XxXxX
Heidi slowly awoke to find herself in complete darkness. Fear seized her, tensing her body from head to toe. Only her eyes darted in the darkness, trying to see anything. Her hearing heightened for the slightest sound.
Her mind raced backwards to memories better forgotten. Too many times she'd found herself waking up in darkness only to be tortured and hurt by something that had sat in waiting.
The soft sound of breathing, deep and steady, came to her ears like a megaphone.
"Sarah?" she whispered tentatively, hating herself for alerting anything that would harm her, that she was awake. But she was with Sarah, and the Goblin King, surely they would never hurt her.
"My… my Majesty?" she whimpered, hot tears silently ran down her cheeks. Where was she? Why had they left her?
Suddenly the flame from a candle lit the darkness. Heidi turned her eyes toward the light and saw a man with features like King Jareth's standing near the side of the bed.
"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice laced with terror. "Where am I? Where's Sarah?"
"Shhh," he soothed, remaining exactly where he stood for now. "You are safe. You're in the healing chambers of the High Counsel, and my name is Seph," he answered in a calming masculine voice, bowing his head slightly to her. "I've been entrusted to watch over you."
"By… by who?" she asked, not convinced he meant her no harm.
He stepped closer to the side of her bed, tossing a wave of black unruly hair from his face. His silvery eyes seemed to glow in the candlelight as he looked upon her with concern.
"By the Lady of the Labyrinth, and the High King himself."
"Sarah," she breathed. "Where's Sarah?" she asked, moving to sit up.
"No, no, no… don't do that," he urged hurriedly, gently placing a restraining hand on her shoulder for her to lay back and rest. "The healer, Amelia, had taken great pains to heal all your wounds and scars. You really must rest."
He removed his hand and stepped back as soon as she relaxed back down to the mattress. "The Goblin King and Lady of the Labyrinth returned to the Goblin City. They'll be summoned when they can come back for you," Seph informed her.
"What do you mean, come back for me?" her fear returning. "Am I a prisoner? What have I done? Why can't I…"
"Shhh, " he soothed with his hand palm up in surrender. "Calm down. You're not in trouble, nor a captive. Though you've held me entranced for the past three days," he added, roguishly grinning at her.
"Three days?" she asked with wide eyes. She let her gaze fall to the side, trying to compose herself. She was in a hospital, or whatever they called it here. And she was supposedly healed of all her bodily injuries.
Raising her arm, she studied her wrist intently, tentatively flexing it this way then that. She stared at it mesmerized at having no pain whatsoever in it. It didn't even make that clicky noise from the pins when she moved her wrist a certain way.
She pulled the sleeve of the gown she wore up to her elbow, and stared in amazement at finding all the scars from being abused gone. She ran her fingertips up and down her skin. She was amazed, delighted, and astounded at how soft and smooth her skin was again.
Her gaze shifted to the man beside her bed, holding the candle close enough for her to see him clearly. She saw a look of helplessness in his eyes as he looked down at her.
"Were you here with me the whole time?" she asked him, lowering her arm to her stomach.
"Someone had to protect you." He shrugged nonchalantly with a grin. "Besides, I just happen to have nothing better to do at the moment."
Heidi smiled and felt a warmth creep into her cheeks, a feeling she hadn't had in a very long time. He made her blush with a simple grin, and Heidi liked that very much.
She raised suddenly shy eyes up to look at him. He was roguishly handsome with shoulder length jet black hair, the shorter lengths at his forehead tumbled over his silvery eyes, making him toss his head to get it out of his face. The longer strands looked uneven, like he had given himself a quick haircut without using scissors, but that only seemed to enhance his ruggedness.
He was tall, but averagely so, with a lean muscled body that he proudly showed off in a loose shirt with a wide open neck and puffy sleeves. His black trousers were impatiently tucked into scuffed black boots that had definitely seen better days, and the sword by his hip made Heidi draw in a sharp intake of breath as a fiery heat consumed her insides.
"You look like a pirate," she voiced simply, taking him in fully for a second time. She'd always been fascinated with pirates, at least until her step-father, then Marcus, came along. Then, her fanciful dreams had stopped altogether.
He grinned smartly and bowed before her with exaggeration. "In many ways, I am," he stated proudly. "And I am at your service, my Lady."
"Would you teach me how to use your sword?" she asked, noting the finely crafted hilt by his hip.
Gail had always wanted to show her how to play with the stupid things, but for some reason the thought of this man showing her how to brandish the weapon, with his arms securely around her and her back to his chest, simply took her breath away.
Seph's grin broadened until it consumed his face, his eyes danced mischievously. "With pleasure, my Lady," he replied with silky suggestion in his tone. "I would teach you anything you desire."
Heidi realized the innuendo behind her question and blushed again. "I think I would like that very much," she stated boldly, with a suggestive grin of her own.
"But for now, my sea temptress, you must rest," Seph stated in a gentle tone, pretending to fix the folds of her blanket by her waist.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked, her fear suddenly returning full force. The thought of being alone in the dark put an all consuming dread into her soul.
Seph's heart constricted at seeing the fear that clearly shown in her blue eyes. "The High King himself shall not remove me from your side, my Lady," he vowed to her solemnly.
It took a moment for the sincerity of his words to sink in, then she smiled in relief. "Blow out your candle, sir," she stated with a shy grin. "Before you see me blush once more, you rogue."
He smiled at her words, and leaned his face very close to the flame, holding her eye contact the whole while, then gently blew out the flame. "Rest, my Lady. I shall be but a breath away."
Heidi rolled to her side with a giddiness running rampant throughout her being. She settled herself comfortably with a grin on her face that was almost painful. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she closed her eyes to rest, knowing without a doubt that this man would protect her.
For the first time in years, Heidi was able to dream pleasantly of a dashing pirate, with black hair and silvery eyes, who whisked her away on his ship, as they sailed the high seas with clear waters, and the wind at their backs.
