A/N: So, so sorry this has taken so long to get up. RL is a bitch right now, end of the semester crap and all that. Anywho, I know this chapter goes over quite a bit of time rather quickly, but it was how it wanted to be written.
Sarah was reading in the garden, and listening to Epona playing a lap harp, as she tried to clear her mind of worry about what the High Court was doing. It was the middle of the afternoon and High Court had begun directly after the midday meal was finished.
Her body tingled with the memories of what Jareth's mouth had done to it in the early morning hours, causing her to shiver despite the warm spring day.
She looked up suddenly as she felt a tingle of awareness pass through her body: she was being watched. Standing not far behind her were two soldiers wearing the crest of the High King. Sarah stood, as regal and graceful as any of the other princesses in the Underground.
"A claim has been made by King Loki," one of the soldiers told her, his voice serious and soft at the same time. "And a challenge has been issued by High Prince Jareth."
"You are to come with us, Princess Sarah," the second soldier said, his voice equally soft.
Sarah nodded once, and dismissed her maids before walking the few feet to stand before the soldiers. Less than a moment later they disappeared from view. The trio reappeared in the center of the court room that held the High Court. Sarah had to swallow the gasp that threatened to escape when she took in the grand thrones that encompassed the interior of the court room.
"Princess Sarah, daughter of the Elvin Queen," High King Wotan said, drawing attention to himself and away from the half-Fae in the center of the room, "A claim of ownership has been made by King Loki, regarding your person. In response to this claim the High Prince Jareth has issued a challenge."
His High Queen took over the narrative, "Your things will be moved to King Loki's rooms and for the next week you will be under his rule." Her voice was cold, but Sarah could see the hint of remorse that clouded her eyes. "Bound by your mother's words to obey. At the end of this year's session of High Court, tests will be issued to the claimer and the challenger. Whomever is the first to complete their challenge will be your master henceforth."
"You are bound by your mother's words to obey," Freya repeated the High Queen's words.
Sarah met Jareth's eyes for a brief second before she was transported to a new set of rooms. There were four doors connecting the sitting room she was in to other parts of the palace. When she tried them, only the three leading to the bathroom, dressing room, and an ordinate bedroom would open. She was positive the fourth led to the corridor.
Tears came to her eyes as she collapsed in a heap on the floor. She was a prisoner.
---
Sarah was not allowed to leave her rooms for the rest of the day. It seemed to her that Loki was paranoid that she'd find a way to circumvent the spells binding her to him and see Jareth. As she thought about the Goblin King her heart constricted: she missed him terribly, even if she'd seen him just the day before. The idea of going the whole week without him was killing her.
Her head rose purposefully from where it lay on the arm of the settee she was draped over. At least for this week she could have a little fun during her subjection to Loki. Frigg had told her that she was in Loki's rooms … briefly Sarah wondered if Loki was fond of hot, florescent pink and florescent green. She grinned mischievously as she figuratively rolled up her sleeves and set about grasping at her magic to redecorate the rooms. If she had to be miserable, then so did he!
---
Saga listened quietly as Naamah ranted about how she was a bad mother and how much Sarah must hate her. The seer knew that nothing she could say would change how Naamah felt, as irrational as it was. Only Sarah could help mend the broken relationship she had with her mother.
It had been six days of hell since Loki had claimed Sarah as his own, and every day his mood seemed to worsen. Whatever it was that Sarah was doing to him, Saga was pleased to see that it was working. Of course, he'd never revoke his claim willingly on Sarah - that would be admitting defeat … but he was becoming a monster to be around. His own servants were beginning to dread approaching him.
Matters were not helped at all by the fact that he still refused to let Sarah step one foot outside his chambers. She was effectively caged in both literally and figuratively.
Saga rose from the rocking chair she sat in. The pair was putting children down for their nap in the servant's nursery. She put the now sleeping babe into his crib and motioned for Naamah to follow her out of the room.
The Elvin Queen did as instructed and soon the duo was walking out of the palace and into the courtyard that held the Pool of Sight. Naamah had half a mind to question why Saga had not just transported them, but found that the walk had done her too much good to question the motives of her childhood friend.
The High Seer held out her hand for Naamah's, "The Pool will help ease at least some of your lingering doubts about Sarah."
Naamah took the offered hand and stepped into the warm waters with Saga by her side.
Her senses were assaulted with images of Sarah growing up. She only realized now how sad Sarah had been as a child. The only relief the girl had found was through magic and make believe. Jerome Williams had indulged their child as much as a mortal father could. He gave her everything she asked for (within reason), and now Naamah could see how much that had hurt her daughter. Her father could give her everything except her mother.
So Jerome had remarried, this time to a mortal woman named Susan Applegate. Suddenly Sarah was no longer the center of her father's world, but one of two women he loved dearly. For a girl who had grown up eleven years without anyone else to fight with over her father's affections, this was a dangerous time for Jerome to remarry.
Naamah felt her heart break again over the pain her child had gone through. More images assaulted her mind of Sarah becoming a big sister at the age of fourteen; Sarah running the Labyrinth less than a month before her sixteenth birthday; and then, the images stopped on one scene that had played out between Sarah and Jareth a week before:
The couple sat on the balcony that looked out over the peach orchard, Sarah's head resting gently over Jareth's heart as they spoke in hushed tones. His arms kept her body close to his to keep the night chill at bay.
"I think I understand why she left me Aboveground, but does that mean I have to like it?" Sarah asked him in a soft voice.
He shook his head despite the fact that she wasn't looking at him. "Of course not," he replied. "You have every right to be upset that she left you."
"Just like you have every right to be upset that I left you all those years ago." She looked up at him, her eyes wide with remorse and unshed tears. "Like mother, like daughter, right?"
A tear escaped, trailing down her cheek wetly, causing Jareth to brush it away with his thumb. His eyes held a love that clenched at Naamah's heart. "There are many good things about your mother that you don't know about, Sarah."
"I hardly know anything about her, Jareth," she responded, her voice deflated and sad. "She's my mother and I don't even know what her favorite food is!" She chuckled harshly, "Hell, I'm in love with you and I don't even know what your favorite food is."
"Dolmas," he replied instantly. "Especially the way the Greeks prepare them."
Sarah couldn't help but smile at the image of Jareth eating a grape leaf stuffed with lamb, rice, raisins, onion, and feta cheese.
"She loves you," he said, switching abruptly back to the topic of her mother. "She loved you enough to leave you where you were safe."
Sarah looked back to the night sky, "I guess that's the problem. I keep on thinking she didn't love me enough to take me with her."
By the time the Pool went blank, Naamah's face was covered with tears. She was happy that her daughter had found love with the High Prince, but so dismayed that Sarah couldn't see how much she was loved.
---
Sarah awoke eagerly on the seventh day of her captivity. Loki had tried to bed her that first night, only to learn that her powers were equally strong as his and that when she was frightened, she turned into a finch - and hid in a niche in the wall. It appeared that while she was in her avian form, he had very little power over her.
Since that first, failed attempt, he did not try to force her into his bed again.
Today, though, today would bring with it the revelation of the tests that Loki and Jareth would perform to see who won the challenge over her ownership. She shuddered at the thought that she was nothing more than an slave now. Of course, when she thought about it, she realized that her whole life she had been a slave to one thing or another; now Sarah was a slave to a man. Either Loki or Jareth would own her from this day forward.
She prayed to whatever god that was listening that she'd be able to live out her days in the cell of her own choosing: Jareth's.
Set out for Sarah to wear to High Court that day was a flowing dress of grey, modest and alluring at the same time as it was glittering and dim. Alongside the dress was a circlet of white gold, shaped as three cords intertwined to one.
Once she was dressed, Sarah had nothing to do but wait until the transportation spell took effect and she was sent to the High Court throne room.
Her face remained impassive as the spell removed her to the presence of the High Court and she appeared in a cubicle-esk space to the right of the High King and Queen. Standing in the center of the room were Jareth and Loki.
"High Prince Jareth," his father said, "You have challenged King Loki's claim on the Princess Sarah. Your test, for which you may choose one companion to complete it with you, is to go Aboveground and bring back to us the Lorelei."
"For this task, I ask that Laga accompany me," Jareth said in a monotone voice that didn't reveal any of his emotions raging inside at the sight of Sarah in that dress. She looked like a goddess.
A moment later the Fae woman in question, with power over bodies of water, appeared next to her friend's son. "I accept the position of companion," she said in a strong, clear voice.
Wotan nodded at his long time friend in the manner required for the situation before turning to look at Loki. "King Loki, you have made a claim of ownership on the Princess Sarah. Your test, for which you may choose one companion to complete it with you, is to solve the Labyrinth and find your way out again. For this test, you will be stripped of your powers." The look that passed Loki's face was one of shock and outrage that the High Court would give him such a challenge.
His voice thick with barely contained rage, Loki said, "For this task, I ask that Prince Magni accompany me." After the son of Thor materialized and accepted the position, the four vanished, and soon after the rest of the court room emptied of its occupants, leaving Sarah alone with the High Queen.
Frigg offered her hand to Sarah and helped her step out of the square.
"What happens now?" Sarah asked her softly, her heart pounding in her ears.
"Now, we wait," Frigg answered. "Whomever completes their task first will essentially own you."
A tinge of bitterness crept into her voice as Sarah replied, "Bound by my mother's words."
Frigg wisely refrained from commenting on Sarah's words but instead transported them to her private gardens where a group of Fae women waited.
"Gna, please pull up a chair for the Princess Sarah," Frigg ordered one of her handmaidens.
The pretty Fae bowed as she scurried to obey her mistress. Sarah smiled her thanks as she sat down with the group. Her mother sat close by, with Saga, Idun, and many more princesses and queens.
Naamah gave her daughter a warm smile meant to comfort and reassure, "Everything will be fine, Sarah."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Mother," she replied, her eyebrows raised and her gaze fixed firmly on the cup of tea she held in her hands. "I've had enough of those."
"Sheppard's pie," Naamah said abruptly, causing Sarah to finally look at her, this time in confusion. "My favorite food - it's Sheppard's pie."
Sarah frowned, "How do you know about that?"
"The Pool," her mother replied. She gave her daughter an imploring look, "I know I can't give you back those years, Sarah, but I would be honored if you could find in your heart a little room for me."
Tears came to her eyes, but Sarah refused to let them fall. She nodded once but didn't trust herself to speak. Luckily she was saved having to when Freya approached and started enquiring different things from Sarah about her life Aboveground and her relationship with Jareth.
A/N: Brownie points if you can tell me how to end this damn thing. Just kidding, I already have a plan, but all your thoughts or anything that you would like to see before the end ... I'll take anything you've got.
Oh, and I'll dedicate the next chapter to you if you can share with the class what the Lorelei is.