Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I hope none of you dehydrate over this story (winks) and I am glad that you seem to prefer ribbon over diamonds.
Sarah was seeing red when Jareth forced her into her seat. How dare he! Goblin King or no, she would teach him a lesson! Sarah was so deep into her rage, she was oblivious to what was going on around, though one thing for sure, Jareth was in his element. He took the seat next to Sarah and was laughing and grinning with his courtiers for all he was worth. The women dressed in deep reds and vermilions laughed with him and simpered coyly behind their fans. The men all drank deeply of their goblets and leered at Sarah. This woke Sarah immediately. She hated to be looked at that way, but never the less Sarah would not let them intimidate her. She stared boldly back at them.
The servers came into the room and the table was soon laden with food, delicate stuffed birds, crab legs and fish, and every kind of fruit imaginable was there. The women picked delicately at the fruit, while the men ripped into the stuffed birds. Sarah saw a stuffed swan and thought that she would vomit. After the men had their fill, they offered parts of their birds to their seat mates, feeding the laughing courtier ladies with their fingers. Sarah felt her stomach turn. As for the table discourse, Sarah found it to be as vulgar and crude as the courtiers themselves. The embarrassing subjects made Sarah's ears burn.
Jareth turned for a moment away from his talking and flirting and found that Sarah had eaten nothing. She sat in a stony silence with a revolted look on her face. "Sarah, you have eaten nothing. Is nothing to your liking?"
"I am not hungry."
"Here" Jareth said. "Try some of the Swan Sarah, I had the cooks prepare this especially for you." Jareth's tone was mocking.
"No."
"Oh come come now" Jareth said in a pleasanter voice. He took Sarah's chin in his grip and tried to pry her jaw open. Sarah tried to bite his fingers with her teeth. Jareth chuckled, and then said with a glint of malice in his mismatched eyes " Oh Sarah, I do wish you would behave." A nervous titter came from the courtiers. They were all watching the scene unfold intently. Jareth finally let go of Sarah's jaw. While he was wiping his hands on a napkin, Sarah reached for one of the silver forks that lay on the table. She aimed for Jareth's thigh, but her aim was poor and she missed, she only grazed the skin. Jareth roared and stoop up and grabbed Sarah and slapped her.
"This is getting old" Sarah thought cradling her face. She grabbed her skirts and ran from the room. It was silent for a moment, then the vulgar talk and cackling laughter returned. Jareth took his seat and glared at the door way where Sarah had exited.
"Hope she doesn't get lost" Jareth mused to himself. Shaking his head, "Such a pity."
