A/N: Hooray, here's chapter ten, I think this story might be stopping at twelve chapters, but the last chapter is still in progress so it might end up as thirteen, even though that's totally cliche. Anywho this chapter is all about Sarah as she is now a prisoner in Jareth's castle, although she's not exactly locked up in a torture chamber subject to our dark king's libido. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review afterward.
Chapter Ten - Prisoner
Sarah's eyes fluttered open, and she stared up with confusion at the gauzy material that curtained the four poster bed. Slowly sitting up Sarah tried to determine whether or not she was dreaming, waking up in a strange place, surely that only happened in dreams. Squeezing the comforter slightly Sarah stood up, her eyes falling upon the peach on the nightstand and a distinct wave of déjà vu hit her. Then her eyes began searching the room, a castle shelf holding her favourite plush toys, her vanity, an old fashioned wardrobe, her eyes widened at the corner however, a proper sewing model stood tall, a sewing machine next to it, and the nearby wall was covered with hanging reels of some of the most gorgeous fabrics that Sarah had ever seen. Immediately standing and moving over to it Sarah couldn't suppress the slight squeal that tickled its way up her throat as she brushed her cheek against the velvets and silks.
"Hello miss," called a soft and gentle voice at the door, "I hope I'm not intruding."
Sarah turned and stared at the black furred cat goblin standing at the door, wearing a gorgeous old fashioned dress, including lace collar. "Is that late Victorian?" Sarah asked, dazzled, suddenly flopping onto hands and knees inches from the cat goblin's face in order to examine the dress.
Kaiaraki squeaked helplessly, "Sorry, designer's kick," Sarah apologized, sitting back onto her ankles, and allowing the cat to breathe, "you're a goblin aren't you?"
"Yes?" Sarah mentally stored the fantastic memories that were suddenly confirmed. "My name Kaiaraki," she muttered helplessly, "the king has asked me to accommodate your every need during your visit."
"Visit, how picturesque, I was under the impression that it was an imprisonment," Sarah said sarcastically.
"He wouldn't- I'm sure that-" Kaiaraki took a deep breath, "His Majesty expressly told me that you may go anywhere in the castle you wish, and I was to accompany you."
"So you're my personal guard," Sarah said peevishly.
"I don't think that His Majesty put any limits on you that he did not feel were for your personal safety," Kaiaraki rambled.
"Well Kaiah, I suppose if the Goblin King is so lenient with me, then he won't mind my going to visit my friends in the dungeon. Can you take me there?"
Kaiaraki was bewildered by the sudden nickname, but nodded and held open the door to the hall. The breath left Sarah's lungs as she left the room, suddenly assaulted with the same black marble that consumed the labyrinth. For a moment she wondered why her own room was any different before she allowed the cat goblin to lead her through the less than Escher complicated corridors of the castle.
"What happened to the Escher room?" Sarah asked as they continued down the stairs.
"It went away when the black ink reshaped the castle," Kaiaraki explained.
"Does that happen often, places disappearing and reappearing?"
"Well the Escher room appeared quite suddenly to begin with," Kaiaraki said, "but mostly things remain the same within the walls of the goblin city, although the labyrinth itself is usually in a state of constant flux."
"If it's constantly changing, how does anyone get anywhere?" Sarah asked.
"Well King Nerzel once told me that every goblin is connected to the Labyrinth, and so the Labyrinth guides us through, however the king is more than connected to the labyrinth, but Nerzel never explained that to me."
"Who's Nerzel?"
"He was the Goblin King before Jareth assumed the throne, and Jareth's father."
"There's so much about this place I don't know," Sarah sighed, suddenly feeling more aware of what little hope she had of doing anything about it.
"We're here," Kaiaraki said, fishing keys out her pocket for the basement door. It swung wide revealing a complex torture chamber, where Sarah was immediately thankful no one was in it presently. "Hopefully your friend was sent back the same cell, Hoggle right?"
"And Sir Didymus," Sarah specified.
"The fox goblin you were travelling with," Kaiaraki noted, "I remember when the king was signing his knighting paper, hopefully he's nearby."
That was when Sarah saw the two, in cells next to each other, "Hoggle, Sir Didymus," she called, kneeling down at the point where she could reach into both the cells at once.
"My Lady," Didymus cried happily, running forward to take Sarah's outstretched hand.
Hoggle however remained still, sitting against the cell wall, "So this is what dealing with you himself looks like huh?"
"Hoggle is something wrong?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know if it'll help you," Hoggle said hazily, "but you probably deserve to know anyway."
"Know what?" Sarah asked.
"Jareth is in love with you," Hoggle sounded almost bored on the back wall.
"What?" Sarah froze, trying to see whether or not Hoggle was lying again.
"He was in love with you before I even turned in a goblin," he said quietly, "I don't know how long it was until you came to the labyrinth though."
"No," Sarah said shaking her head, her cheeks warming, "you have to be mistaken, he couldn't be…"
"Yes, I think he is," Kaiaraki said softly, "I've known young master Jareth his whole life and I don't think he's ever felt as strongly for anyone than he has for you."
"My my," his silky voice echoed through the dungeons, "what kind of conversation am I accidentally eaves dropping on?"
Kaiaraki jumped, scrambling behind Sarah trembling, the fox goblin's paw coming to rest on her shoulder comfortingly. Sarah was not nearly so intimidated, stood up, hoping her blush had faded as she practically glared at the goblin king.
"I was just on my way to execute some pests," Jareth said glancing into the pair of cells.
"No," Sarah yelled, her blush suddenly paling out, her fingers wrapped around Jareth's arm as he approached Hoggle's cell.
"If you want to spare your eyes Sarah, you should leave," Jareth suggested, not looking at the young woman clinging to him, his face still.
Sarah's chest trembled as she breathed, but she shook her head, "If the most I can do for my friends is be with them in their last moments then I will."
"So be it," Jareth said darkly, turning towards Hoggle, pulling away from Sarah's grip. "Hoggle, Matt, you have lived two lives, one of them must go, you can forget your life as a goblin and return to your human life, or you can continue your goblin life, forget your human life once more and die as a goblin when the time comes." Blinking Sarah stepped back from the goblin king, a thousand questions swimming through her brain.
For a long time Hoggle was silent before he replied, "I want to be Matt." His muscles and bones began to lengthen once more, and he tiredly slumped forward, fast asleep. Jareth opened the cell and dragged the boy through a portal, not gone for more than a couple minutes before he walked through another portal, suddenly standing in front of Didymus' cell.
"I know you have no memory of your life in the human world, but the choice extends to you as well, goblin knight, this life or that life."
"I don't care what offers you make your majesty, I will honour my oath and stay with Sarah even if we are separate by all the cells and oubliettes in this kingdom," Didymus said firmly.
"Noble as always," Jareth swung the cell door open, "keep to your charge then, you may accompany Sarah's every step until your time comes."
Sarah's eyes lit up at Didymus ran from the cell into her arms. Jareth was already walking further into the prison, "Now, if you don't want to hear them screaming you should heed my suggestions this once and take your leave. I am emptying the prisons today."
For a moment Sarah looked defiantly at the goblin king before she left a pair of paws on either hand as her animalistic companions pulled her away.
"I don't understand," Sarah cried aloud, as Kaiaraki and Sir Didymus led her out from the prisons and torture room, "What good am I if I don't understand?"
"I don't know, his highness is rather unrelenting when he puts his mind to something," Kaiaraki said quietly, "I don't know what you can do."
"What is he doing?" Sarah asked turning to Kaiaraki, "What does he want? What's his goal? Maybe if I understand his motive I can understand why he's doing this."
"He," Kaiaraki took a moment to breathe, "he said he was going to destroy the labyrinth."
"And you told me that every goblin is connected to the labyrinth," Sarah reflected, "so maybe by killing off goblins is affecting the labyrinth."
"But the king's will is the driving force of the labyrinth," Didymus said, "the walls would crumble to his will, wouldn't they?"
"No, they wouldn't," Kaiaraki said, "I overheard him, the labyrinth isn't listening to him like it should."
Sarah ran her fingers through her hair, exhausted.
"This is too much strain on you my lady," Didymus protested, "rest, perhaps if you stopped thinking so hard the answers would come to you."
"Maybe you're right Sir Didymus," Sarah said softly.
"A long bath," Kaiaraki suggested, "and then dinner, I can inform the cook if you'd like anything in particular."
Sarah smiled, a little sadly, then wrapped her arms around the two goblins, "Alright, you guys win, it's too to one against."
"Perhaps, I should be the one to speak with the chef," Didymus said, "I don't think my presence would be appreciated while you're bathing." Sarah nodded.
"It's the third left down that hall," Kaiaraki pointed, "Tuffi is always in the kitchens."
Didymus nodded to Kaiaraki, and the cat goblin turned towards Sarah, and led her back to her room, running the water, while Sarah headed for the closet. "Let's see what the goblin king thinks I would wear," she swung the doors open and froze. Staring back at her was a pale green dress with intricate beadwork on a sheer layer, it was the grad dress that Sarah had wanted. She lifted it from the closet and ran her fingers over the beadwork with bright eyes.
"A lovely choice," Kaiaraki said softly, the bath is drawn and ready for you.
"Thanks Kaiah," Sarah said softly handing the dress off to the open armed cat goblin heading towards the washroom. She undressed and climbed into the warm bath her mind still alive with questions. "Does he… really love me?" she puzzled aloud.