Ch.7) A Fae Woman's Faux Pas
Jareth and Venetia sat silently in the viewing room. Currently they were watching Sarah slipping into the deep sleep that the enchanted mists had put her in. She was sitting in a corner, her back against the wall. When she finally lost consciousness, her head gently slumped against the stone wall, and her body looked relaxed. A look of relief spread over Jareth's features when he saw the girl resting at last.
Venetia, on the other hand, looked about ready to have a fit. She was tired of being ignored and was especially angry that her replacement was this mortal. She was finally beginning to comprehend how much trouble Sarah was going to cause her in achieving her goals. She would not tolerate this. Calming her anger, she decided to try a new tactic.
"Shall we leave this dreadful room, Jareth?" She purred.
Jareth looked at her skeptically, but stood up; he tried to suppress his smile, he had an idea. He yelled for one of the guards, and a tall lanky goblin came into view. Venetia shuddered; she hated the grotesque creatures.
"Keep an eye on Sarah. If she wakes up or anything happens, alert me immediately."
The goblin nodded his head and ran over to one of the comfortable chairs; he was only too happy to do as ordered in such a luxurious place. Jareth held out his arm for Venetia, and she took it gratefully. Gracing him with a flirtatious smile, his only response was a frown; her company was beginning to try his patience.
Jareth gripped Venetia's arm tightly and transported them to the great hall. Venetia definitely noticed his intention of implying she should leave, but actually looked a little annoyed at the gesture. She had decided that she was not going to leave the castle as long as that mortal was running the labyrinth. She wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet. She quickly thought up a way to occupy Jareth's time, and turned towards him with an innocent smile.
"Would you take a turn about the garden with me?" She asked charmingly.
She received no response, but he gave her a curt nod and pulled her towards the great oak door. They stepped out onto a graveled walk and followed the winding paths to the glorious castle gardens. Exotic flowers bloomed in brilliant colors, and fairies hovered over the pathways. Multiple fountains were scattered around the castle grounds, and magnificent marble statues lined the paths.
There were many secluded spots amongst the vegetation, and it was Venetia's intention to drag Jareth to one and take the situation into her own hands. He remained silent for a good duration of the walk and Venetia was more than happy to fill in both sides of conversation. As they strolled leisurely around the garden, she chatted idly. The King ignored her, simply nodding his head every now and then.
When they finally did arrive at a small gazebo that was set a bit off the path, Venetia took a seat, content with the arrangement. Jareth remained standing however, not wanting to get too comfortable. If he knew anything about Venetia, he knew she would be overstaying her welcome. He didn't want her anywhere near Sarah, which worried him because there were only eight hours left until Sarah would lose the game.
"Jareth, do come and sit beside me…" Venetia said seductively.
He didn't seem to catch the tone in her voice and sat down beside her. She looked upon him hungrily, but Jareth was oblivious to her determination. Venetia had offered herself to him before, but it was an offer he would never think of accepting while Sarah was still a conquest. Venetia was one of the most beautiful faes of the Seelie court, but Sarah had a fire in her eyes that could not be matched. Those fiery green eyes had bewitched him.
When Jareth wasn't looking, Venetia slipped her hand into a hidden pocket of her skirts, and fished out an emerald green amulet. She knew Jareth wanted her; he just needed a little… persuading. She whispered a few words to the amulet, and it began to glow. She carefully placed it back into her pocket, and shifted her body closer to Jareth.
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Sarah slept a dreamless sleep. The enchantment made her feel relaxed, as if she had no cares in the world. This is why when Sarah woke from her slumber it took her more than a couple minutes to clear her mind from its hazy state. She felt groggy, and incredibly tired. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to focus better on her surroundings. When she realized she was not in her room or any familiar place, she started forward violently. Her memories of the previous hours were eluding her. She stood up in hopes that somehow it would help her remember. She looked down at her dress.
'This isn't right…' She thought. 'I should be in my bed at home. We went home after the party.'
Almost as if on cue with her thoughts, it hit her all at once. A wave of cold dread washed over her, and she gasped for air. She had no idea how much time her "nap" had cost her, and thought with some apprehension about the time she had lost; for all she knew she only had an hour or two left. The only way to find out for sure was by calling on Jareth, and she definitely couldn't tolerate his smug attitude right now.
Looking around, she noticed with dismay that the fountain and lion were gone, but the room still had two archways. She chose the archway on the left and wandered through the connected rooms; certain she would find no exit. After a few minutes of walking, her determination returned; she could see the hedge maze section of the labyrinth ahead. It would be perhaps more confusing than the rose garden, but there were no thorns to get snagged on.
Entering the hedge maze, Sarah began to feel rather tired. She wondered how many laborious hours would fall while she was winding her way through the maze. After her little rest in the garden, she didn't have much fight left in her. She would not, however, give up. There was no way she was going to quit now; she would never admit defeat to Jareth.
As the minutes dragged on, her resolve began to decay and she started feeling very frustrated with the labyrinth. It seemed as though she were getting nowhere. Her thoughts were scattered, and her pessimism was kicking in.
'Maybe Jareth wasn't lying. Maybe I really can't win this time.'
She sighed deeply, but kept walking. She hardly cared where she was going, and didn't notice at first when she walked into the circular courtyard. When she did finally recognize where she was, the realization lifted her spirits. She was getting somewhere, and just maybe she would best him yet again.
Taking it all in with renewed courage, she saw that the castle still seemed impossibly far away. She didn't let that trouble her; the castle could be closer than it seemed. She thought of the Wise Man then, but he was not on the marble throne this time. Looking every direction, Sarah couldn't choose which way she wanted to leave from. The hedge maze was so trying at times; she wondered she had managed such patience earlier. Sarah really didn't want to continue in this section anymore, it made her feel so isolated from the real world.
That's when she noticed the circular stairs; they cut into the rough stone floor and led to the sub-chambers of the labyrinth, but the darkness seemed so intimidating. Sarah wandered close to the gaping hole in the stone and became apprehensive. She really didn't want to continue through the maze, but the darkness seemed threatening.
Thinking hard on her decision, she wondered if the tunnels would prove to be a shortcut. It wouldn't surprise her if they led straight to the castle; she was certain few people would dare to venture through them. On the other hand, there was no way she could make a torch, and she really wasn't sure if there would be light below.
She decided to check for herself and walked cautiously down each step. She gripped her dress to keep the skirts away from her feet; she couldn't afford an accident now. As she neared the end of the stairs, Sarah noticed that the light from the stairway barely lit up the yawning abyss that stretched ahead. The corridor was nearly ten feet across, and an indiscernible length.
The only thing in sight was a tiny light. It had to be at least a mile away because it was only a pinprick in the dark void. There was nothing illuminating the dark stretch ahead. Sarah wondered if she would be able to handle absolute darkness. She thought over her options again, and decided to go for it. She knew Jareth could be a jerk, but she doubted he would let her get hurt in his labyrinth, especially because it seemed he had special plans for her.
Starting forward, her apprehension grew, but she pushed forward nonetheless. She figured that the light ahead was probably a torch, and once she got to it, she could use it to light her way. She was doing OK until twenty feet into the tunnel where she really couldn't really see anything anymore. She pressed her right side against the stone wall, and made sure not to step away. It was terrifying being so closed in by darkness, and the open space to her left made her nervous. If something crept up on her down here, she would be totally unprepared. The only warning she would get was an echo.
Her still wrapped up feet were barely making a sound on the dirt floor, but occasionally, they made contact with hard objects that crackled under her padded feet. She could only assume these somethings were bones, and every time she stepped on one it made her shudder involuntarily. She constantly fought her urge to run, because she knew that if she started to run she would only freak herself out. She put her thoughts elsewhere.
Sarah hadn't been down in the tunnel for long when she realized the toll the darkness was beginning to take on her. Her only comfort was the torch ahead, but it seemed far away. Still, she kept walking and tried her best not to feel too suppressed by the darkness, but rather to feel brave and adventurous as she once had. When something brushed past her, however, she couldn't help but let out a small didn't know what it was and she didn't want to find out.
She bolted and started sprinting towards the light. It felt like she was running forever, but after two minutes she had reached her safe haven. She was short of breath and panting, but felt somewhat safer. After a couple minutes catching her breath, she looked around. She couldn't see anything in the distance. It didn't matter though, because now she would have her own light.
She looked up at the torch then, a little surprised to find that it looked secured to the wall. She held her breath and reached up. Tugging on it, her fears were confirmed; it was attached to the wall.
"This is just great! I wander towards this stupid torch, only to find it's attached to the wall! I can't even keep going, there's no light ahead!" After a few minutes of angry shouting, Sarah angrily shoved at the stone wall.
Looking up at the torch once again, she decided she wasn't going to give up without a fight; she yanked on it for a good five minutes with all her fury. She needed this light! She frantically tugged on it, pulling it with all her weight. Finally it came loose and Sarah toppled to the ground. She got back up slowly; the fall had knocked the wind out of her. Taking a minute to regain composure, she dusted herself off and started down the tunnel.
The torch illuminated her way, but it also showed what the darkness had hidden: the scattered bones. She tried her best to focus on the path ahead and not speculate on what was lurking in the tunnels. Not once did she look behind her; she would hear anything headed her way before she saw it. After ten minutes of walking, Sarah found that she was coming to the end of the corridor. The torchlight spilled on the back wall; there were no turns or attached passageways. She pressed her free hand against every wall in disbelief; it was a dead end.
She was beyond angry. It was his fault somehow, she was sure of it. She kicked at the walls and cursed. The sound of her screams echoed down the corridor, but nothing changed. Eventually, she gave up and slid down to the ground. Setting her torch on the floor, she pulled her knees to her chest and cried into her arms. She was tired, hungry, and lost.
Suddenly the words of her reflection came back to her, 'If I were you, I'd just give in now.'
It almost seemed like a good idea, but she didn't know if she could live with herself knowing she had given in to him. She briefly considered her options. She could call Jareth now and end her suffering, or she could keep going and in all probability just get more lost. What did it matter anyway? She probably didn't even have enough time to win at this point. She closed her eyes and let the tears stream down her face. She actually kind of wanted Jareth there; she couldn't say why, but she still felt it. A wind eerily drifted down the stretch of hall. She could detect whispering voices, thousands of them calling out her name. She looked up but saw nothing. Picking her torch up, she got to her feet.
The scent of his magic filled the air; he was coming to her. 'Enough with the dramatics, already' she thought.
Then suddenly she knew her waiting was over; a shower of glitter descended upon her and a tall figure stood in its midst.
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Jareth had been sitting with Venetia for a few hours, but for some reason, the time was just gliding by. The conversation they shared was the most pleasant it had ever been. He was beginning to realize how much allure she really had.
He cheerfully asked her, "It's rather late in the afternoon Venetia, shall we have a little lunch?"
"Jareth! That sounds delightful!" She replied happily.
He immediately called on an elf servant and had their orders taken to the kitchen. Venetia looked pleased. When their food arrived, Jareth dug right in, but Venetia ate her food slowly. When they got to dessert, she was practically starting foreplay. She ate sensuously, and tried her best to capture Jareth's interest. It was working rather well; he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, but she kept up the act, like it was some big game. Once they had finished eating, their places were cleared, and they went back to conversing. Venetia was slowly pulling him in. The charm she had used was affecting him; she knew it was only a matter of time before she had him wrapped around her finger. She made playful conversation with him, and he was responding to her nicely for a change.
"Why do you care about that juvenile mortal anyways?" She whispered in his ear. "She rejected you, that silly creature." She brushed a hair away from his face. "I would never reject the Goblin King…"
Her words lingered. Her sweet scent wrapped around him, and he had a wicked smile on his face.
"What are you offering, Venetia?" He purred.
"Simply that you take advantage of the willing woman before you and stop wasting your time on that silly little girl." She said, repositioning herself so that she was nearly in his lap.
A low predatory growl escaped his mouth. She had baited him, and now she intended on reeling him in. When a hurried goblin approached the King, he didn't bother to move away from Venetia. He wrapped his arm possessively around her.
"Sire! The girl is awake!" Said the tall goblin, practically falling over himself. "She has been for some time, but the goblin guard fell asleep!" He expected to be reproached, but the Goblin King was busy.
"Thank you, but Sarah is not a main concern right now…" he said hinting to the goblin that it was time for him to leave.
"Yes, Sire…" The goblin said in a shaky voice, before scampering away.
"Now. Where were we?" He said, turning his attention to Venetia.
He kissed gently at her neck, and she groaned softly. She really wanted him to desire her before he betrayed that little bitch. Playing her part, she pleaded.
"Please, your Majesty, take me now!"
He smiled wickedly, thoroughly pleased with himself. Instead of doing as she asked, he decided to have a little fun. He stood up, threw her over his shoulder, and carried her through the garden. She had not expected this.
"Jareth! Put me down this instant!" She protested, kicking and screaming.
"Oh, I don't think so, Venetia…" He said, smiling mischievously. "I want everyone to know you are coming to my bed with me, and I want them to think it's against your will…"
"What?!" She said, now quite startled.
She was screaming with anger. How dare he insult her in this way! She continued her futile battle, growing even louder once they reached the castle doors. When they entered the throne room, the goblins all started to laugh and snicker. They yelled obscene things and joined in forming a merry circle around their king and his victim; singing merry songs, and dancing around.
After a few minutes of this, the king broke the ring and headed down the hall. The goblins stayed in the throne room, but it seemed as if their laughs only grew louder as Venetia and Jareth neared the King's quarters. When he got to his chambers, he opened the door, crossed the room, and threw Venetia down on his black satin bed. He turned and shut the door magically, and then whipped around to face her.
He pulled off the leather jerkin he had been wearing, and untied his white poets shirt. A small section of his white muscled chest was showing, but Venetia suddenly felt uneasy about seeing the rest. She had a feeling she was not going to enjoy this. He stepped over to his bed and he saw the fear in her eyes, but this seemed to encourage him. He kissed her hard, and slid his arms under her body, then lifted her from the bed. He walked to the other side of the room, and Venetia became confused. Suddenly she became aware that he had his hand in her skirts, and she decided not to worry too much about where he was taking her.
They were in front of his giant tub now. It was set into the ground, which made it easy for Jareth. He walked right up to the edge of the tub with Venetia in his arms, and dropped her into the water. She splashed down with a big kerplunk, and water splattered around the tiled floor. She came up gasping for breath, and looked rather weighed down by the water in her skirts.
Her hands were in fists at her sides, and she looked ready to strangle him. Makeup ran down her face, and Jareth wouldn't have been surprised if steam had come from her ears.
"HOW DARE YOU!" She screeched. "I am a woman of the Seelie Court! I could have you hanged!"
"SILENCE WOMAN!" He roared in response. "You answer to me! Do not forget your position!"
She calmed down a little, remembering her rank, but still looked daggers at him.
He began again, "Your father would SO love to hear that his only daughter offered up her virtue..." She looked shocked. "And I'm sure other members of the Court would also love to know that you have been using this." He said, holding up the emerald amulet.
She gasped in response, and cringed. She knew the punishment for using such magic. Jareth suddenly felt a summons, and knew he had to leave.
"Don't think I will forget about this insult, Venetia. If I suspect you of using anything like this again, I will take you straight to the Seelie Court myself!" He said, angrily shaking the amulet.
A smile graced his face suddenly. "By the way, you might want to change your clothes and redo your face before Sarah arrives..." He said right before he transported himself away.
Venetia screamed, and smacked the water.
