I thought I'd go ahead and add two chapters tonight. Here it is…the introduction to the grand, long-awaited trial! Next chapter…the great trial! Let the fun and reviews begin!
Chapter Seven: You're no match for me
"Rise and shine, Sarah."
Sarah moaned and rolled over on her bed, covering her face with a pillow.
"Today's the day!" Angeletta said gently, moving the pillow away from Sarah's face and placing a warm gloved hand on Sarah's cheek.
"Must I get up?"
"If you want breakfast before the hearing, then yes," Angeletta nodded and then moved away from Sarah.
Sarah sat up and rubbed her eyes. She opened them to see Angeletta opening her wardrobe and pulling out a deep purple dress.
"I'm afraid I shall now have to explain to you what will soon take place and what your role will be in this hearing," Angeletta sighed, draping the dress over a chair. "We will go to the council building where we will be ushered into the hearing room. You aren't to speak at all for the whole time. You will remain seated next to the other witnesses, Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Figgle, for the duration of the hearing. You will be called upon, as will they, to testify against Jareth. You have the strongest testimony, since you were the one captured. That is where you must, if you find it in your heart to do so, forgive Jareth of his past faults and pardon him from his punishment. I will be in the room, as well as my father. Do you understand?"
"Yes. Who is Figgle?" Sarah asked, slipping tiredly out of her bed.
"Figgle is the creature who has evidence of your capture in the Labyrinth."
"What evidence did he manage to find?" Sarah yawned, holding up her dress and looking at it.
"He found several tiles that had red arrows on them. After much study, it was determined that the red paint had not come from anywhere in the Labyrinth, therefore, it must have been yours."
"Red paint?" Sarah asked, and then chuckled. "That was lipstick."
"After you are finished getting dressed, you are welcome to join my father and myself for breakfast. Once you walk out of your room, turn right and then keep walking until you get to the staircase. Go down the staircase, and the dining hall is the second door to your right."
"Okay. Thank you, Angeletta."
"You are welcome."
Angeletta disappeared, and Sarah hurriedly got dressed, her heart beating nervously within her as she did so. Today she would have to stand before Jareth and proclaim him innocent, and her thoughts were torn about that. She wanted to speak against him because of everything he put her through when he brought her to the Labyrinth, but at the same time, she wanted to defend him because she cared about Angeletta and didn't want to lose her friendship. It was very complicated decision.
As soon as Sarah was finished putting her hair back in a clip, she left her room and began to make her way down the corridor towards the staircase. She was deep in thought and nearly fell back from shock when a small, round object rolled past her on the floor. She followed it with her eyes, frightened realization causing her to panic when she saw that the object was a crystal orb.
The orb bounced once near the staircase and then disappeared into the shadows near the stairs. A small puff of glitter accompanied the orb's disappearance, and Sarah gathered up her skirts and began to race towards the stairs, hoping she could get onto them and race down before the inevitable happened.
She began to run, sliding to a stop as she turned her body above the stairs and made an attempt to rush down them. A gloved hand grabbing her arm and pushing her back against the wall of stone stopped her attempt.
"Well…if it isn't you. And where are you going?" A familiar, scornful voice asked.
Sarah's gaze rose from the dark brown jacket in front of her to the taut, pale face of the goblin king. She found, for a few disturbing seconds, that she couldn't speak, and worked hard to get moisture into her mouth.
"Speechless, are you?" Jareth mocked. "Thought I wouldn't speak to you because of last night?"
"Because of last night?" Sarah stammered.
"I disappointed you when I ignored you, didn't I?" Jareth asked, loosening his grip on her arms.
"What do you want? I have no child for you to hide from me again," Sarah frowned, shaking his hands off her.
"Now, why would I want anything?" Jareth asked, playing with a crystal that had magically appeared in his hand.
"You wouldn't have stopped me otherwise."
"I want you to defend me in court. The Goblin City belongs to me, and I will not have some high-strung, arrogant woman becoming the queen of my Labyrinth."
"You've no right to say such things about her!"
"Befriended my greatest enemy, Sarah? I would have thought better of you."
"First you ignore me and now you mock me!"
"And don't you just enjoy my presence? Admit it, Sarah, you like me this way. What you desire is for me to be frightening and passionate, and so I am. Give me my Labyrinth," he held the crystal out to her and moved his face inches away from hers, "and you shall have all your desires…everything you want. Be warned, this is the last time I offer you your dreams. I shan't do it again."
Sarah's face was red with anger. Jareth was everything she had remembered him being, pompous, rude, and self-centered.
"You could offer me the whole world!" she snapped, stepping forward and pushing the crystal away. "You deserve to lose your Labyrinth after the way you treated me and Toby! You were going to turn him into a goblin!"
"Now Sarah, I have been generous."
"No, you haven't! Go away! You shouldn't even be here! You should be locked away in some moldy tower somewhere!"
"You dare to give me orders?" Jareth snapped, circling her. "I can see straight through you, Sarah Williams. You haven't the heart to speak against me even if you want to. I'm too powerful for you, as I always have been. Give up, little girl."
"That does it!" Sarah shouted, raising a hand to slap him. She brought it to his face and saw him disappear before her hand could contact his skin. She could hear his laughter echoing after him, and it drove her to fury.
Angeletta noticed Sarah's flushed face during breakfast, and immediately afterwards, she rushed after Sarah in one of the corridors, her flowing white dress with gold lining swirling violently about her legs as she did so.
"Sarah! Whatever is the matter?"
"I don't wish to discuss it," Sarah growled, marching towards her room.
"But the trial is in only a few minutes! Perhaps you should tell me before then so that you will be able to think clearly," Angeletta said, stopping her chase.
"I will be quite fine," Sarah frowned, turning around. "I'm just a bit nervous, that's all. Do I look all right for the trial?"
"You look very nice," Angeletta nodded, concern on her face.
"You needn't be concerned. Must we leave now?"
"I am afraid we must," Angeletta sighed.
"Let's go then," Sarah said, looping one arm through Angeletta's and walking towards the entrance of the castle with her.
In only a few moments, the door to the trial room was opened, and Angeletta led Sarah inside. Neither of them said a word as Angeletta brought Sarah to a table at the front of the large room. Already seated at the table were Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and a small, monkey-like creature that Sarah accurately guessed to be Figgle.
"Oh, must I be silent now?" Sarah asked, her face lighting up with joy as she neared her friends.
"You have five minutes before the trial begins," Angeletta smiled and then walked in front of the table where nine elegant chairs were placed.
"Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo!" Sarah exclaimed, throwing her arms first around Hoggle and then turning to Sir Didymus. "Oh, it is so good to see you again!"
She nearly cried as she hugged each friend in turn and then took her seat next to Hoggle.
"We have so much to talk about!"
"I was brave, Sarah," Hoggle said, smiling at her. "I finally spoke against Jareth."
"You were brave! Tell me…how many people are going to be here?"
"It is a great trial, my lady. I have heard rumors that there are to be two hundred in this room," Sir Didymus chirped from his place next to Hoggle.
"Sarah look nice," Ludo commented and Sarah laughed.
"Oh, it is so good to see all of you! I missed you so much!"
Ten minutes passed before the order was called for everyone to be silent, and Sarah turned her attention away from her friends to find that the room was crowded with people. Behind her sat hundreds of creatures, and before her, seated on the elegant nine chairs, were the seven members of the Fae Council, Ravis and Angeletta.
"We are now here for the trial of his majesty, King Jareth of the Labyrinth," one of the Fae called. "Jareth will now take his place."
The golden doors at the back of the room opened, and Jareth walked into the room dressed in a white shirt with intricate gold designs, open enough to reveal his medallion lying against his chest. His tights and boots were completely white, and his cloak was white with the same gold designs on it that were on his shirt. He looked absolutely stunning as he made his way to the throne prepared for him near where the council members sat.
As he walked past Sarah, he shot her a familiar look that nearly took her breath away but at the same time infuriated her. It was the smirk he had given her at the goblin dance of so long ago when she had danced with him and he had sung to her. It was the very same look that had appeared on his face as the clock struck thirteen and Sarah realized she had been tricked.
"Dressed in white to look innocent!" Hoggle murmured from Sarah's side, and her eyebrows narrowed with anger as she watched Jareth take his seat.