** Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, Sarah, Jareth, or other recognizable characters or prior events. This story is of my making but I am making it within the world of Jim Henson's design. Please don't sue me. Thanks! **
"I have chosen." Jareth said, his voice calling upon the deep magic of his realm to be carried through both the Night Kingdom and the world Above. The Dance was over; he had chosen his Bride.
Jareth looked longingly at Sarah whose eyes widened in surprise at her current position. He leaned forward and pressed a single, chaste, kiss to her lips. Barely pulling back, just enough to break the contact, he whispered to her.
"See you soon, love." Sarah opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off as she was transported back to the mortal realm Above.
Jareth smiled to himself in a smug way. He was still going to castrate his brother for this- Murtagh had to have known what he was doing in enchanting poor Sarah into Dancing. But that castration could wait until later, and Jareth had decided he would do so with mercy.
After all, thanks to the enchantment, he now had the power Sarah took from him back. And Jareth could almost feel it buzzing in his body- he felt whole for the first time in six mortal years.
"I have chosen." The words reverberated through the hillside, emanating from the wind that howled through the valleys in between. The music suddenly stopped, the voices ceased their signing, and even the fires seemed to die down but not go out completely.
The Maidens who had been dancing began to shake their heads almost drowsily, as if they had come out of a long sleep. A few of them even wiped their eyes in hopes of grounding themselves to the Above once again- although none of them truly understood just what had happened and just where they had been. They believed but even belief had its limits.
Sarah, however, stood there in complete shock. She said nothing, she didn't move nor attempt to do so. Trying to move she actually found that she couldn't move. Something, or someone, had rooted her to the spot on which she had stood.
"A Bride has been chosen!" The elder called out into the night. It echoed across the hills and valleys and was met with cheers in the distance. "The Night King comes!"
As if on cue the fire roared to life and grew well beyond the size it had ever been when made by mortal hands. The heat from the flames seemed to consume all who stood close, yet Sarah remained untouched by the growing flames.
Out of the fire rode a large black horse, bearing his Master to the mortal realms. Cadeyrn was proud as he galloped out of the fire and onto the hilltop. The people gathered all gasped in awe and fell to their feet. The Night King had ridden among them, a feat that had not been seen in generations. He rode with pride, sitting tall on his horse from Below. He was the picture of grace and perfection.
The elder stood, waiting, by the girl who was rooted to the ground. The fact that she was told her all she needed to know at the moment. Tradition stated that only a willing Bride would be able to move, to run to her King, upon his appearance in the Above. However, Sarah remained where she was and the elder woman had even seen her trying to move and failing. Something wasn't right, and the elder was going to get to the bottom of this before handing this woman over to the Night King- it didn't matter how long her or her ancestors had prayed and given offerings to him.
"My Lord, you do so honor our Beltane with your presence." The elder gave a bow to Jareth as he cantered his horse through the people. "We are truly in awe of your magnificent splendor."
"As you give me honor in your devotion, Divone." Jareth said with a small head bow of his own. He wouldn't bow completely to a mortal- but the circumstances called for some measure of returned gratitude. "Your family has always served the Night Kingdom well, and I thank you for finding my Bride on this Beltane."
"You are gracious to award my ancestors with praise, your highness." Divone squared herself up and stepped a little closer to Sarah, her eyes now keen on the terrified looking woman. She didn't know why Sarah seemed terrified but she wanted to know why the girl couldn't move. "Sarah, why have you not run to your King? Embrace him, for he is yours now as you are his."
Sarah whipped her head to Divone, her eyes as wide as saucers and sparkling full of tears that threatened to fall with every shaky breath. I'm going to fail. I can't move! Sarah willed herself to move, wished for it with all of her might; yet she couldn't. The crowd gasped at the implications for all true believers knew the story of the rooted Bride, destined to be alone and spurned by all lovers as she had once spurned her King. The legend always laid blame on the Bride, as it was only possible to be rooted if the woman hadn't been truly willing in her heart.
"It seems, my King, that your Bride is unable to come to you." Divone called out into the darkness. "We all know the legend, the tradition, of the Rooted Bride. She must now be tested, judged for her worth and her heart. You will need a witness, my Lord, as tradition dictates. Should she fail this woman will be cast out, as is proper, to never again Dance around the Beltane fires."
"Murtagh, come forth from the shadows!" Jareth yelled out into the darkness of the hills, yet his voice created no echo that a mortal could hear. The command had been for a Fae so only a Fae would hear the echoes of the power left behind.
Stepping from the crowd and into the light of the fire Murtagh came with all of the glory of the Fae Royalty that he was. Beside him, her eyes alight with an enchantment, stood Kat in full Fae court regalia. Murtagh was putting on a grand show for the mortals, Jareth knew, but at the same time he was also trying to show his older brother that he wasn't to be trifled with when this was over. Jareth was disinclined to agree and still planned to challenge his brother once they returned Below.
"Will you be my witness to the judgement of this mortal woman whom I have chosen to be my Bride?" Jareth asked in a quiet tone, his voice deep and deathly sounding. Jareth knew that whatever was rooting Sarah was Murtagh's fault, the enchantment she had been under had negated the ancient magic of the Dance. Murtagh had broken the rules.
"I, Murtagh, King of the Sea and Lord of Lost Souls, do so agree to be your witness on this Beltane, Night King." Murtagh gave a deep bow and with a small wave of his hand dew droplets began to creep towards the fire and formed a chair reminiscent of a throne for him to sit on. "I shall witness the judging of your Bride's heart."
Jareth called forth a crystal and threw it upon the ground- and just like Murtagh's magic a throne formed for him to sit upon. He strode to it proudly, almost cockily, and sat down. Murtagh followed to his own throne and sat, pulling Kat into his embrace and putting her on his lap. The spell she was under was merely to stop her from remembering this moment- Murtagh had not advised his love of his immortality yet, and did not want this to cause her to run away.
The mortals around the fire, which now included some who had run from their own on other hills, all sat down once both Fae Royals had done so themselves. This event had not been seen in over a millennia- for even the most recent Brides had been willing. The only reason the Night King still had Dancers was that he had been unable to convince any of his chosen to remain in the Below with him, for he only had a year and a day once the handfasting was performed on Beltane after the Dance.
"We are ready, Divone. The woman shall be judged." Jareth's voice was practically dripping with regality. This was formal, in the mortal realm or not, and he would treat it as such.
This is mildly unfair, since no one seems to have thought to ask me. Sarah thought darkly to herself. It was less of an inner whine and more of an angry monologue. She narrowed her eyes at Murtagh in his throne, her thoughts dark and threatening harm to the Fae royal. I mean, mortal I may be but do I not have a choice?!
"I, Divone MacBradaigh, call forth the old traditions and ancient magic. Let us her on this Beltane judge the maiden Sarah for her worth and heart as she has returned from her Dance chosen yet Rooted." Divone held her hands into the sky and the fire roared up again, high into the night. "Sarah," Divone turned to the girl who had been staring angrily at her own feet. When Sarah looked up it was obvious she had been crying. "Face your King."
Sarah clenched her jaw and turned her head to face him, to look at Jareth. It seemed only fitting that the moment he had power over her again he humiliated her, right? She had once done the same, and she knew it. She had learned enough Fae lore to know the humiliation Jareth had suffered at the hands of a mortal defeating his Labyrinth- so this was revenge wasn't it? That's why Murtagh demanded she dance. Sarah narrowed her eyes at the two, close enough in looks to be brothers, and set her mouth in a grim line.
You have no power over me, no matter what I said. You, Goblin King, will never have power over me again. Sarah thought angrily to herself. She wasn't upset that this wasn't fair, whether or not it was or wasn't. Life was rarely fair to those who got entangled with the wrong forces, mortal or otherwise. Sarah had just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Turning her eyes to Kat she could tell even from a distance that her friend was under a spell, and her heart wept. Kat was a pawn, wasn't she? Just a pawn to get at Sarah.
"Maiden, with your eyes upon your King will you declare your willingness to be submitted to trial? To be judged, here and now in front of witnesses?" Divone asked solemnly. She hoped with all of her heart the girl chose the right words, for the wrong ones could meant death or worse.
"I, Sarah Williams, do so agree to be judged on this Beltane in front of witnesses both Fae and mortal." Sarah replied strongly. She wasn't sure where the words came from but somehow they had come. Somehow she had known that those were the right words.
Author's Note: Thank you again for the reads and reviews! They make the writing experience much more fun, though there will never be a requirement for either to have a new chapter posted. That much I can at least promise you.
New names to pronounce in this chapter are:
Divone: pronounce Dee (hard D) – v (normal V sound) – own (like the word)
Reviews:
SarahlousiseDodge: I hope that I didn't upset you with the small throwback to 'it's unfair!' Sarah here, I just wanted to tie the story to the movie we all know and show a little bit of her growing up- hence why she didn't focus on that feeling too long.
Sazzle76: Haha, a bit of a sneaky git right? I mean- if you can't be a little bit of a git then where's the fun? Thank you again for your review and I'm glad that you liked the last chapter!
LovelyAmberLight: I happen to love Powerful Jareth as well- especially given what we know of him from the movie (and the comics/book; both of which I have read). He seems like he would have more power than a crystal that can change his Labyrinth and create dreams. I'm also pulling a LOT of this story from Celtic (together), Irish (on its own), Scottish (on its own), and Nordic traditions and myths. Although I will admit that I am adding my own twist to things; won't lie about that!
FireShifter: Looks like we'll have to wait just a little bit longer to see if she will willingly accept him. I'm sorry for another cliffhanger but I am most definitely a sucker for buildup to the moment as well as the moment itself.
Honoria Granger: I thank you very much for all of your reviews on the story. And yes, I can see them. It just seems like they may not be updating immediately on either end, but no fears I am seeing them and I am very grateful for your love of the story!
Dekejis: I am glad that you love it, and I am sorry (not sorry) about having to make you wait longer for a little more action as I really couldn't justify a nearly 8,000 word chapter to put the whole trial in one go.
