AN: Thank you very much to all those who reviewed! As I said, reviews make me more happy and creative so that I could write and update more!
Thank you also to my lovely beta The Mighty Jagrafess for guiding and checking my story..
Please read and review! This chapter doesn't contain any naughty stuff (awwww) but it contains the background needed to establish the story..
On a side note: I've been feeling a little low recently because of this guy.. Let's just say that I fell in love with him but things didn't turn out the way I expected to be.. so now I don't know, I think I'm still pining or waiting for him.. I know I shouldn't do that but I can't help it.. He already hurt me by choosing his ex-girlfriend over me so I know that I need to give him up but I can't.. =(
Oh well, here is my only disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth and David Bowie.. only Narahn..
Chapter 10 – The Morning After
Rays of light seeped into Sarah's bedroom and fell directly into her eyes. With a groan, she turned over to avoid the brightness intruding through her eyelids. Just this small movement of her body seemed to exert a huge toll on her strength. She felt like her body was trapped under a ton of cement bricks.
"Damn" she muttered while raising her body to a sitting position. Several purple and green bruises lined her arms and legs most particularly in her inner thighs where much of the pressure was exerted. She could trace the familiar patterns of fingers being pressed tightly in several parts of her body that she knew it was because of their activity last night. She felt sore all over and her butt cheeks still stung from the slaps Jareth had given her. Now she remembered what Dr. Cruz told her about leukemia.
"Ms. Williams, in addition to the fatigue, nausea and weariness that you may feel because of leukemia I would suggest for you to take things easy and relax. Please don't do anything heavy or engage in acts that may cause bodily harm. In your present condition it is much more likely for you to develop bruises easily than before. Some may appear just because you accidentally bumped into something or some may just appear without any physical contact at all. Just have a hot compress ready for the bruises and it will fade in time."
"Okay Sarah, you just need to haul yourself to the bathroom for a good long soak in hot water." Gathering up her strength, she tried to move one of her legs to the side of the bed. "Shit!" A sting of pain shot up through her from the attempt. Inhale, exhale Sarah.. You can do this.
There was a subtle knock on her door and then it opened, Ezrah then came shuffling inside. "Miss Sarah! You're late!"
Laying back on her bed and attempting not to move an inch she replied "Late for what?
"You're summoned by the King, Miss Sarah, he needs you to finish something in the gardens with the dwarf.."
"I don't know if I could Ezrah, I can hardly move my arms and legs much less my whole body."
The little goblin took a footstool and placed it on the side of her bed so she could climb up. She went to Sarah's side and carefully examined her arms. "Oh no, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Miss Sarah! What happened?"
Blushing furiously knowing that she couldn't just tell the goblin what transpired between her and Jareth she just explained, "It's nothing Ezrah, it will heal soon enough. I just need to soak in a hot bath but I can't even move an inch to the bathroom. Could you help me?"
"I – I'll fetch the healer for you Miss Sarah!" exclaimed Ezrah and she jumped suddenly off her bed and dashed to the hallway.
"W-wait!" she shouted, however her effort was futile since Ezrah had already dashed outside and disappeared. Her more pressing concern right now was, what would Jareth's reaction be when he found out of her condition?
Several moments and countless explanations or alibis that she could come up with later, Ezrah arrived with an elf. As soon as he arrived, he closed the door behind him and glided towards her. He wore a long robe that bore a strange resemblance to the costume of the character, Merlin in the King Arthur series. He sported a long beard and his eyes held a certain gleam of kindness and compassion.
"Miss Sarah? This is Lord Narahn. He is one of the healers in the castle." introduced Ezrah.
"You're the Lady Sarah, the one who bested the Labyrinth, correct?" Narahn interjected. He immediately hovered over her and placed his hand on hers and a small trickle of heat emanated from the contact.
"Y-yes sir.."
"You're sick."
"Yes.."
Narahn scrunched up his face and gestured to the goblin, "Ezrah, seek His Majesty and tell him that I am tending to the Lady. Tell him she won't make it to her duties today." On receiving the order, Ezrah bowed to the healer and exited the room.
"Please don't tell the King, Lord Narahn.. Please.." she mumbled.
"You're dying before you came here, is it not? Tell me child, why are you so afraid to let the King know?
"I wanted to spend my last days here, with him, and yet I do not want his pity."
"Still so defiant, I see.." Narahn replied. He was brushing his hands over her arms gently and while he did so, the bruises seem to lighten. After healing the discoloration on her arms and shoulders, he ventured into her abdomen on which he stilled.
"Is there something wrong?" she inquired. The elf's features seemed to turn grave upon venturing over her abdomen.
"You don't have to tell me child. But there is an internal bleeding on this area that I know happens naturally for women.." Narahn stated. He proceeded to her legs and finally on her back. "Now, could you get up?"
Slowly flexing her muscles, Sarah attempted to move her right leg to the edge of the bed. Feeling no pain, she made a move to sit up and slowly stand to face Narahn. "Thank you.."
"Listen child, I only healed those that were visible on your body. However it is imperative for you to tell me the disease that is slowly killing you inside. I may be able to heal you but I need to know what it is, I also need your trust and your permission to do it. Do you want to be cured of it?" Narahn explained. It seemed that there are a lot of things they would discuss so he gestured for them to be seated in front of the fireplace.
Sarah glanced to Narahn and found in his eyes that he could be trusted. Taking a deep breath she started to summarize her ordeal, "It all started when I was feeling somewhat nauseous and weak back in the Aboveground. I thought it was just some minor fatigue that would go away given appropriate rest and vitamins since I was rushing some stories for the paper I was working on. It progressed for days; even weeks and I slowly noticed that I was beginning to look paler than before. I finally decided to consult a doctor and after running some tests, I was diagnosed with an advanced stage of leukemia."
"I think I have heard of it before.." Narahn interrupted.
"You have? Have you cured someone with leukemia before?" Hope and expectations could be seen clearly in her eyes. Maybe the Underground could cure me after all.
"Well yes, but in your case, no."
Seeing that Sarah would interrupt, Narahn quickly followed, "But before you say anything else, allow me to explain. You already know the business of the King right?"
"He steals children."
Hmm.. This could be harder than I thought.. Narahn mused. "Listen child, I beg you for this one time to clear your thoughts of the King. Do not remember your previous encounter, I want you to hear this from a clean slate of point of view."
Sarah was confused by Narahn's request. How could she just forget about what Jareth did to her? Out of all the hardships she outnumbered and the untold dangers she faced, could she see the King in a different point of view? 'Well last night was definitely different' her mind argued. Agreeing to Narahn's request, she sighed "Okay.. I'll try.."
With a wave of his hand, two cups of tea and a plate of pastries appeared before them, "This will take a while so I suggest you eat so that you could recover more quickly."
Sarah reached for her tea and slowly sipped its contents. It felt heavenly and it seemed that the tea has some magical properties in it that restores some of her strength. She motioned for Narahn to continue.
"I think one of the biggest misconceptions you have with His Majesty is the fact that you were brought up into human culture. Humans have a very different way of things from the Fae, my dear. Fae people, besides being immortal, have a different set of rules and customs."
Narahn took a sip out of his own tea and continued, "The Underground is composed of different types of beings, of course there are the Fae like His Majesty, the Elves like me, the Dwarves like your good friend Hoggle, goblins, dragons, trolls, fairies, pixies, nymphs and lots more. Each of them has their own kingdom and their own set of rulers or royal family. However, the ranking of the royal families here mainly depends on the amount of power you could control. For example, the Fae are considered to be of higher ranking as compared to the nymphs."
'So Jareth is the most powerful being here in the Underground then..'she thought.
As if sensing her train of thought, Narahn explained further, "No, His Majesty is not the only powerful being here in the Underground."
"Then who is?" she inquired.
"His father, King Oberon, High King of the Underground. You see, despite of the Fae's supremacy here, it is similar to your world that has a constant battle between good and evil. Many centuries ago, since the Fae were regarded as higher species, there was a dispute that resulted to the separation of the group. One group thought that in order for prosperity to be brought into the land, all of the kingdoms should unite and work together in harmony, diplomacy and peace to maximize the different resources and skills the different kingdoms could offer. This group is led by King Oberon and is otherwise known as the Seelie. However, one group thought that since the Fae were placed as the supreme beings of the land, they should be the one who should be worshipped and others should be treated as slaves or filth. They are the Unseelie, who practices the dark arts and believes that the most effective way of ruling the land is through torture and fear.
"A war between the two groups broke out and since most of the other kingdoms sided with Oberon, the Seelie won the war and drove the Unseelie away to the darkest and stagnant parts of the Underground. So from then on, Oberon was elected as the High King of the Underground along with his wife Titania as its High Queen."
"Okay, now we have settled His Majesty's parents, then what has it got to do with him?" she interrupted. It's not like she wasn't curious to what Narahn was saying, but she felt a little impatient on what it has got to do with her point of view of Jareth.
Narahn laughed. He laughed so hard that it brought tears to his beady eyes. So this human girl is as impatient as His Majesty! No wonder they always clash together! What a curious case indeed! he thought. "My dear child, I just thought a proper introduction of the Underground would benefit you in the future." he added, after wiping some moisture from his eyes.
"It has everything to do with His Majesty in a way wherein he was born when the Seelie kingdom is established and revered by almost all of the beings here in the Underground." he continued. "You see, even if the Fae are being held supreme and immortal, the gods bestowed upon them the difficulty in conceiving a child. So for the High King and Queen being able to conceive it was a blessing from the gods for the continuity of the species and the stability of the kingdom."
"Surely the Fae are still capable of conceiving children right? I mean look at the High King and Queen?" she inquired.
"Hhmm.. It is possible, yes, but it is still subjected to a set of rules or conditions.."
"Conditions? Like what? Just like in the Aboveground wherein they would undergo IVF treatments?" she stated. Seeing Narahn's confused and probably curious look at what she just said, she just shook her head and added, "Never mind, please continue.."
"As I was saying, conceiving between the Fae are very tricky as it is governed by certain rules or conditions that were imposed by the fates. It is important to note that from where you came from, it is probable that marriage is a product between two people who are in love at one point in time."
Sarah thought about her father and her biological mother's divorce and understood what Narahn meant from the phrase 'at one point in time'. "So the Fae marry when they love one another? But it does not necessarily mean that they would have a child together?"
"For the Fae, love is an emotion that is very rare. Some Fae does not even feel love in his or her whole lifetime. They are sensual creatures and are very adept in acts that would give and receive pleasure from others. I do know for a fact that you have experienced some last night."
At the mention of what happened last night, Sarah blushed and ducked her head from Narahn's stare.
Smiling to himself, Narahn continued, "Most of the Fae engage in these sensual acts because they know that they have little consequences from these actions due to the fact that they have difficulty in conceiving. Children are considered to be the most precious treasure by the Fae and seeking it is almost an obsession."
"When a Fae woman conceives, it is a sign from the gods that their union is blessed. It is the sign or trigger for marriage."
"So it is possible that Fae marry someone whom they do not love at all?"
"Well, yes! They may be attracted to the other Fae since they had sex and conceived but other than that, love may not be in the equation for the union. However, unlike humans, the Fae take the marriage very seriously. It is a sworn statement of fidelity until death. Single and available Fae may take as many partners as they could in their lifetime but once they are married, their soul is intertwined with their husband or wife and they would not engage in any romance or sexual activity with another from then on."
Taking a sip of his now cold tea, Narahn continued, "However, there are also certain cases wherein Fae couples do get married even if they haven't conceived a child. Some of them due to the strain of loneliness being immortal and living a promiscuous life that it tends to be boring would occasionally commit their lives to another Fae. Its like finding your soul mate, your intended half and these couples would just hope against hope that they would eventually have a child together or if not live their lives with just the two of them."
"But how do the Fae continue their race? If there were no guarantee that marriage couples would conceive? Are they extinct already?"
"Haha! My dear child, they are not animals to be considered extinct!" he laughed. This girl could be tacky sometimes! he thought. "This is where the role of His Majesty comes in, children being wished away from your world are being adopted by these Fae couples to be raised as their own. The magic of the Underworld would transform them as Fae in the long run." he chuckled. "This is a way devised by King Oberon to ensure the continuation of the Fae."
"B-but, we didn't mean it! Wishing away our brother or sister or our child even!" she exclaimed as she remembered what she did to Toby.
"Sarah, not all of the humans wishing away their loved ones are like you.. Some of them wish away their children or their sibling because they couldn't care for them anymore. Some are diagnosed with a terminal illness, some are malnourished due to poverty, some are unwanted due to teenage pregnancies, the list of reasons goes on and on. Many of the wishers opt to take their dreams, while the others were not successful in completing the Labyrinth. It was only you Sarah who managed to make it." he explained.
"Now before getting impatient what this has anything to do with His Majesty and as to how to gain insight on what he is feeling, let me remind you that he is the only child born out of King Oberon and Queen Titania. He was born in a majestic palace with doting parents and full of servants ready to serve his whims. Like I said, children are precious here much more when it is a boy and the sole heir to the throne of the High King. So I guess, you could imagine the attention he received growing up."
Sarah immediately imagined a young boy, running around a majestic garden, his blond hair being whipped around by the wind. Toys or several objects are scattered along the steps while a dozen servants stood in attendance watching the boy.
A sound of a throat being cleared snapped Sarah out of her daydream, and then Narahn's voice could be heard again. "He was a spoiled little prince who has the whole kingdom in his hands. He was arrogant, full of pride and the absolute joy of his parents. You may think badly of him but he has a good head on his shoulders, he is fair to his subjects and never did he raise his hand to those under his rule. He loved his people just like how much his parents loved him. He was gentle to his servants even when he was a child, yes you could call him a little prankster but no harm was really done to the targets." a small chuckle escaped him. "As a man, he was used to things going on his way, women are practically throwing themselves at him for his taking. Mind you that these women love him because of his stature or his power, his position and as to what those women could benefit from him like being High Queen in the future. Now imagine when he was interested in one girl and she threw all of his plans askew, with the finality of declaring that he has no power over her."
Like a ray of light, Sarah finally understood what it was like being Jareth. Growing up getting used to having your own way, people loving you because of your position and not because of the real you and having one young woman defeat you at something you created. It sure did injure his pride, more so upon replaying their last confrontation scene years before making her way back here made sense to her more. He offered something to her and due to her foolishness and immaturity, she rejected it without thinking of the consequences.
"Now, let me ask you one more question Lady Sarah. Did His Majesty kiss you?"
Sarah's mind went blank. She realized that during the entire night that they spent together, not once, never, did Jareth kiss her. She doesn't know how or what to feel, hurt? Rejected? Is she really considered to be so low so as not to deserve a small kiss from him? Did she really hurt him that much?
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