Having left Jareth's study soon after he did, Sarah found herself wandering through the castle in an effort to retrace her steps to the room where Rose lay sleeping. She felt a bit pissed off as well as overwhelmed with information she'd just received. Sarah felt like there were mind games being played on her and she hated it, the feeling of being in a trap she couldn't see was unnerving and aggravating all at the same time. She ran over her conversation with Jareth again.
"that is how the game is played," he'd said.
What game, she wondered. She had an inkling of what the prize was. She thought of the way he had looked at her when he'd declared his intention to sweep her off her feet. As much as she hated to admit it, there had been some appeal in his attraction to her…perhaps because it seemed to be the one thing he didn't dance around telling her. It was all too much to process and thinking over it so much was giving her a headache.
She came across a window and stopped to look through it. Below her she could see the Goblin City and marvelled at the view that also revealed the extensive labyrinth that surrounded the castle. She'd never seen it from this perspective before and she found herself awed by the size. The stone expanded lazily for a moment before several passageways turned and switched in a move that reminded Sarah of her old dog rolling over in his sleep. She smiled crookedly at the mental image. She had to admit that not all of her memories of her journey through the Labyrinth were bad ones and she did have a certain soft spot for this world that had at one time so entranced her. But… she had a life Above. Her family and friends were there, she was at the end of her post secondary education which meant that she'd soon be starting her own career. With a sigh she moved away from the window and resumed her search for the room in which Rose slept.
Eventually she managed to find her way back and gave a polite nod to Grover as she walked past to sit in a chair beside Rose's bed. Something unusual had happened to Rose, of this Sarah was sure, and she was going to find out exactly what that something was. She smiled sadly at her friend's sleeping form and reached out to squeeze her hand.
"I really hope you get better soon, Rose. I miss my best friend."
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Jareth listened carefully while the mayor of the Goblin City explained the variety of problems caused by the Sphinx.
"It's not that she's entirely harmful milord, it's that she just wanders in wherever she pleases and refuses to let anyone past without solving her riddles. The east side is terrified of her, the north and west are irritated by her and the south does nothing but send me endless complaints! Her antics were almost endearing when she was little but that outlook on her changed after she ate a couple of the lower Goblins today when they couldn't answer her riddles."
Jareth scowled at the mayor.
"And you, Hornswaggle, did not think to notify me, before now, that a Sphinx had taken up residence in the City?"
The mayor looked down sheepishly.
"Well, sire, as I have explained she was a bit of a loveable mascot before the whole eating goblins business."
Jareth glared fiercely at the mayor.
"You are simply lucky she made the lower goblins her prey rather than one of the less resilient groups. Who did she eat and where are they now?"
"T-t-t-twit, Fink and Dimp, your majesty. They've been hiding in a closet since Buttercup coughed them up." Hornswaggle stuttered.
Jareth regarded him with a look of disbelief.
"Buttercup?" the word fell from the King's lips dripping in distain.
Hornswaggle nodded.
"It's what the Sphinx was named when she first arrived, sire."
Jareth shook his head and repressed the urge to sigh.
"See to it that they are looked after. I will find a more appropriate home for…Buttercup …and Hornswaggle, should this serious error in judgement be repeated in any other matter, I'll toss you into the Bog of Stench faster than you can blink." Jareth smiled a sinister smile and Hornswaggle gulped audibly before nodding quickly and waddling off to attend to Twit, Fink and Dimp.
Jareth shook his head and began planning where in the Labyrinth he could put the Sphinx, Buttercup. He let his mind wander from the oddly named creature and thought of his conversation with Sarah. He had enjoyed their verbal dance but he had to admit that the summons had come at a perfect time. To give Sarah too many answers to her many questions right now was a dangerous thing. She was no doubt angry at having little choice but to remain where she was. He knew as well as she did that she wasn't about to do anything that could endanger Rose and that included angering him. He smirked to himself. He loved it when Sarah was angry, a guilty pleasure of his.
Since her journey through the Labyrinth, Jareth had been more than aware of Sarah's appointed position as his betrothed. The Labyrinth was not fully sentient, but it could be pushy in it's own way if it so desired and it was very adamant in pointing out to him that Sarah was to return Underground and soon. The insistence from his own rather belligerent piece of architecture, combined with his own desire for Sarah, made the years of her absence indescribably irksome. Jareth was not by nature a particularly patient man, he was very adapt at acting patient when it suited him but really he hated it. It was this impatience, he believed, which had led him to so blindly orchestrate Sarah's return to the Underground. His lack of careful and particular planning in this situation now posed a great problem. He needed to get Sarah to understand why she was Underground, have her accept their engagement and hopefully win her heart in the process. At the same time, he needed to explain her friend's role in the entire situation and provide that same friend with a loophole large enough she could escape his cousin's claim on her. A claim that Jareth himself had given Carlisle permission to pursue. It was a lot to accomplish and he cursed himself for the careless planning that had landed him in this situation.
He was roused from his ponderings as a goblin ran past him screaming as the Sphinx sprang after it playfully. He sighed and with a wave of his hand, the Sphinx was frozen in mid leap. The goblin continued running in terror, oblivious that the furry menace was no longer an issue. Jareth rubbed one of his temples gently.
"So very much to do and you, my riddle-some friend, are not helping matters."
In a swirl of glitter the two were gone.
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To Sarah's great surprise, the bald neurotic healer who had introduced himself as Grover was an avid reader of Aboveground fiction. Having been somewhat bored and feeling fairly helpless as she was unable to help Rose, Sarah had begun a conversation with the healer and soon learned of his avid love for reading. The two talked of various things before the conversation eventually circled back to Rose.
"It's odd considering how often she does things that could wind up putting her in a hospital, but Rose is barely ever sick. It's really disconcerting seeing her like this." Sarah gestured to Rose.
Grover felt for both girls and nodded sympathetically. Such fragile creatures, mortals.
"You obviously care very deeply for your friend. Such camaraderie is a valuable treasure." he said, patting her hand gently.
Sarah smiled a little.
"We're ridiculously close now, it's weird to think we weren't always friends." she laughed lightly.
"Before we really knew each other, I couldn't stand Rose. I saw her around and she was in a few of my classes but I thought she was arrogant and that irritated me. She was always doing things however she wanted and making the rest of the world conform to it, I didn't like that. After a while though, we ended up hanging out in the same circle of friends and I got to know her better. She can be arrogant, but if she is it's generally because she's irritated with someone or because she genuinely believes that her way is the most beneficial to all those involved. Just part of who she is, I'm glad I got to know her better. We talked about first impressions once and it turns out she thought I was prissy and needed a reality check. I guess we kind of balance each other out."
Grover noted how much love Sarah obviously had for her friend and was touched by the sincerity. He smiled gently.
"Appearances can be deceiving. That's one of the rules of life when one resides in the Goblin Kingdom. For example…I take it you've met some of the lower goblins, yes?"
Grover looked expectantly at Sarah and she shook her head.
"I saw goblins, yes, but what do you mean lower goblins?"
Grover smiled.
"Ah, you see, there are different levels of goblins. Lower, middle and high. Lower goblins are the sort that go about scaffying off with mortal's belongings, children, and whatnot. They're not particularly articulate, nearly indestructible and not very high in intelligence level. Then there are the middle goblins, fairly articulate, wonderful workers, not nearly as tough as the lower goblins, but still fairly sturdy and fairly intelligent. Then you have the high goblins. That would be the category that I myself fall under." he smiled at her a bit ruefully. "I'll leave it up to you to decide how intelligent and articulate we are but I warn you now that we're not indestructible. More sturdy than you mortals perhaps, but not indestructible."
Sarah shook her head, stunned.
"Wow, I had no idea there were different levels."
Grover nodded.
"Oh yes, different levels, different classes and different communities."
Sarah shook her head.
"I'm really surprised. I-" she stifled a yawn.
Grover stood up immediately.
"Oh! I hadn't realized how long we'd been talking. It must be past dinnertime, you must be exhausted Lady Sarah. Would you like me to have someone show you your rooms?"
Sarah thought for a moment and then nodded slowly. Grover summoned a servant to escort her back to her rooms. Sarah paused before she left.
"Could you get a hold of me the moment Rose wakes up, though? I feel kind of bad just leaving her here."
Grover nodded.
"I'll have someone send word immediately."
She smiled and thanked him before being escorted to her rooms. It had been a long day.
Kris: It's horrendously late, my muse is dead, and real life and Rick Rolled me.
Jareth: (shakes head dissapprovingly) Excuses, excuses. You'd best get your act together scribe, I'd hate to toss you into an oubliette. Especially since you only just escaped from the cage.
Kris: (quirks her eyebrow) Oh, Please. After I force fed you fruitcake? You'd love to toss me into an oubliette. You'd love it like Garfield loves lasagna.
Jareth: (scowls) Are you insinuating that I'm like an irritating fat orange cat?
Kris: (smirks) You can be rather catty, birdbrain.
Jareth: (glares) That's it, I've been generous up until now...
Kris: (interrupts) But you can be more flamboyant? I don't think so Jareth, really, I'm not sure it's possible.
Jareth: (throws crystal at Kris which disappears her to an oubliette) Irritating witch...(glances at audience) Consider this story on Hiatus for the time being. At least until that one learns some manners. (vanishes in a poof of glitter)