A King's Curse
A/N: Alright, chapter ten. Everything is moving forward. I'll tell you though, it was rough writing them next four chapters, they occur during the movie, but I wanted to quote as little as possible. I'm going to say it now, the Henson Company had no idea what Jareth was thinking through any of the movie. That's what I think anyway, he was less than thought through antagonist/romantic interest, but damn isn't it a wicked combination.
Anyway, unless I say otherwise chapter fourteen will be the last chapter, because that is where I switch perspectives and move onto a sequel.
Ah, I love why questions, except when why questions is just someone saying 'why?' to everything you say.
Anywhotie, review meat sacks, and you'll get more writing, because if this gets as little love as chapter nine than I'm going to put up a moody rant, and you don't wnat a moody rant do you? REVIEW!!
Chapter Ten - Waiting
Papers. Why were there so many papers? Most of them he didn't even need to do anything with, they just sat around taking up room. Jareth didn't want to deal with so many papers. However he needed to stay distracted. The tower only made him think, and there wasn't even a wind today, and the rowdy goblin party he could hear outside was no help.
He was waiting.
The Goblins had created a dirty limerick in reference to their king's choice in victims. If they were truly desperate for victims they would run off to find their own. However it would probably end up being the subject of the dirty limerick, Sarah.
His mind couldn't leave the thoughts of her. Her silken hair, her gentle face, her dream inducing scent, her soft skin against his.
Sarah. That single word pounded through his brain over and over. Her room, her clothes, her books, her toys, the soft coo of her voice. Sarah. Her nose, her freckles, her eyes, and her soft supple lips. She was still so young by even human standards, vivacious, alive, and tender...
Vigorously, he shook his head, he'd condemned a boy for having lustful thoughts about Sarah, and all the while his mind teetered dangerously close to the same thing.
He should never have touched her, never let himself know how soft her skin was, how delicate her form, how invigorating her scent. He should have had more restraint, and not run his fingers through her hair or felt her heartbeat against himself. Jareth bit his own lip and cursed himself, both for going so far and for not going farther.
Despite his best efforts, he couldn't forget anything. Not a word, not a picture escaped his mind. He had always been good at making himself forget; siphoning off his emotions to some dark place in the back of his mind...
He flopped awkwardly, he wanted a distraction, he would normally be able to provide one himself, and he'd be able to think far enough past his own emotions to tease some of his subjects. Yet despite the fact that they partied just in the next room him he was stuck in his own mind.
Still waiting.
Through it all, the thoughts, the feelings, he felt disturbingly less...
The door to the study opened and closed in a fury sending a great number of the papers flying around the room in a near deadly rampage. There was a good reason however, the cat goblin who cared for the study was panting heavily against the door. There appeared to be some sort of pudding on her face.
Jareth moved his head from behind the stack of papers to make his presence known. "Your highness," she gasped and hurriedly began wiping the substance from her slick black fur. "What? May I ask, what are you doing here?"
"Paperwork I believe is the term," Jareth said absently and signed a twelve year old prisoner release form, that goblin should have learned his lesson if he hadn't gotten himself beheaded or anything.
"I don't suppose you'd have the time," she said timidly and stepped forward with the latest additions to the stacks.
"What have you got for me?"
"Complaint sheets, there's been a large red beast terrorizing the garden maze, but local patrols are on it. The firey gang has moved to the outer side of the forest bridge. Aside from that's it mostly the usual. There is also a knighting sheet her, for a Didymus, he lost an eye in the battle of Florn."
"Nasty creature that Florn, excrement in all the tunnels."
"Quite, Your Highness. The soon to be knight and his steed Ambrosias are set for retirement in the bog of eternal stench."
"Well I don't think anyone would envy him," Jareth leaned down and signed the paper that the cat goblin held up for him.
"Reportedly he chose the location himself. There is also a short confirmation letter on the completion of the cleaner machine for clearing the tunnels of the filth left by Florn."
"Why children wish away their pets is beyond me, but you're a good lot."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Jareth smiled, the animal goblins had such etiquette. The cat had not even licked her paws to remove the pudding but had pulled out a handkerchief. "If you don't mind my asking, Your Highness, what has brought on your sudden interest in paperwork?"
"Curiosity killed the cat," Jareth said coldly, he didn't want to think about it, not when he'd finally gotten it out of his head.
"We must not look at goblin men; we must not eat their fruits," the cat goblin quoted sneakily. Jareth fought back a sigh, it was an awful saying, from a despicable poem. Then the cat goblin's paw rested gently on Jareth shirt. "I'm sure it'll work out, you're a good king."
Jareth turned towards her shocked. Hurriedly she took her paw away and scampered for the door. "Well, back to the anarchy I suppose."
"What's your name?" Jareth asked.
She froze, "Kaiaraki, young master."
Jareth twitched, "Young master, what notions are you under?"
There was a loud crash from outside the door, hurriedly Jareth headed out to cease the anarchy. Kaiaraki sighed with relief, as he left, then looked with a fond glance at the picture in her hands.
"What's going on!?" Jareth demanded.
"Pictures!" one of the goblins shouted happily and threw the many sheets of paper into the air. The other goblins were making very loud attempts to catch these pictures, crashing into each other. There was a lot of breaking things. Jareth didn't keep anything important in the throne room for just this reason. Frustrated he reached out and snatched one of the falling pictures.
"What is-" Jareth froze and looked at the picture. Why? Why were his subjects so mind boggling stupid. Jareth nearly shook as he looked at the picture of Sarah holding Toby. It even had their names written in one corner, clearly photocopied with a cheap machine. How? How could his subjects, so blissfully unaware, do this sort of thing to him?
He needed to see her... He couldn't just sit around waiting for news of her anymore. "I'm going out," he tossed the picture in the air. "All this had better be gone by the time I get back."
Shadow magic was a useful tool; it turned the conspicuous into the inconspicuous. Jareth had it working almost perpetually while he wandered the human world. It was one the few skills that nearly all goblins excelled in, even if they still hid under bed sheets and in closets.
Sarah however was an exceptional human being. When Jareth teleported himself into her living room where she talked with her step mother he was steeped in shadow magic. Sarah whirled to stare at his oddly missing presence, until Irene cut in.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you Sarah."
"It's nothing you haven't said before," Sarah groaned, Jareth had escaped her radar again, barely.
"Sarah, your father and I have a reservation for seven, and a show afterwards. Try to be home by six."
"It's not fair. I'm just going to the park, you're lecturing me like I'm going to stay there until noon tomorrow."
Robert walked in holding a cartridge for their printer. "Have either of you been using the copier for anything?"
"You were late last week." Irene said. "No Robert."
"By five minutes, you just wanted me home before you even got ready to go."
"Sarah this isn't," Irene stopped as she heard Toby's crying from upstairs. Robert however touched Irene's shoulder and headed upstairs.
"Doesn't he ever shut up?" Sarah asked.
"Sarah, your brother has an ear infection; it's very painful and confusing for him."
"And I nearly have a heart attack because teachers can't communicate the difference between 'at' and 'in'," Sarah said dramatically. "I'm taking Merlin for his walk."
"Sarah, don't you dare walk away from me. You are babysitting Toby tonight."
"I shouldn't have to!" Sarah yelled as she was at the door. "It's not fair," the door was slammed behind her.
Jareth sighed from the shadows. Sarah grew more distant from her family. He knew from experience that this was dangerous. Brokenness was an emotional hazard at the best of times.
Nerzel never understood how to be a father. It wasn't as extreme, but Sarah was living through the same form of rejection. Jareth had watched her practically storm out the door with her dress and tiara and Merlin following at her heels.
Then with a bit of magic the window flung open and Jareth made his escape from the room in his owl form.
Wind beneath his wings, he soared to his favourite perch in their tree. Sarah pulled the dress over her shirt and jeans.
"The Goblin City," Sarah gasped, once again she was Evelyn. She lifted her hand to push past the invisible gates of the goblin city. The dialog in this chapter was thin, as the princess's companions waned while protecting her until she would face the Goblin King alone.
This was also a very active chapter; Jareth flew over to a post to get a better view of where she had mentally placed the Goblin King's tower.
Thunder struck in the distance, Jareth's focus was broken. Looking up at the sky, he could practically smell the rain that was about to come pouring down. His feathers would be soaked, and he would have to make the jump home on solid ground.
"You have no power over me," Sarah looked up the line, with more thunder.
However perhaps seeing Sarah in a wet shirt would be worth it- no. Jareth shook his owl head in frustration of his own desires and took off.
Avoiding temptation might be the best thing. The human world dissolved and his own comfortably secluded labyrinth would take its place. He'd just sit around and wait for news. Sit around and hope his goblins would think up a good enough distraction to keep his mind off of her.
With long, commanding strides he entered the throne room to discover the sopping wet wads of paper that were sticking to the walls and floor and ceiling as the other goblins dodged. The culprit was a goblin with a straw and a stack of Sarah's pictures.
Jareth lifted the goblin up, "Clean it!"
The goblin nearly fainted from the word. 'Clean' was practically a swear to most goblins. Jareth half tossed the goblin away to get to work as he flopped onto his throne with a sigh.
There had to be something he could do, something to ease Sarah's uncomfortable home life. He'd always wanted a sibling; he didn't understand how children could wish theirs away, so he took them in. Sarah was not him; she didn't want a baby brother to steal away more of her father's affections. He'd seen it before; it was the kind of emotional build up that lead sibling to be wished away.
The door to the back room slammed, the goblin trudged to his throne and bowed. He had a large almost bovine nose, and small eyes, he wore a large horned helmet. And in his arms was a screaming infant.
Jareth felt the color, what little there was, drain from his face, "Toby."