How about some more Clarissa? The plot is building bit by bit:D

Enjoy!


Sarah spent the whole day with her father. He had been moved out of the sickroom and placed in the room next to hers, making it easy to go and see him. His health was so greatly improved that he was able to walk with just the aid of a cane, and Jibber no longer had to keep a constant eye on him.

Having her friends there made the day go by much more easily than she had expected, and her father was so fond of Ludo and Sir Didymus that they became friends in just a few minutes.

But Sarah still had her moments of restlessness and got up to pace the floor once in a while. There were many lovely tapestries hanging on the walls, and some very interesting pieces of Labyrinthine history sitting on the shelves, but they only caught her attention for so long before she grew tired of looking at them. After that she had only the window to look out of.

"Hoggle?" she called the dwarf to her side, and he obeyed quickly. "Who are all of those people down there?"

"Thems are Clarissa's soldiers." he looked out the window, glad that it went all the way to the floor. He hated having to climb up on chairs to see out. "She never goes anywhere with out them."

"Why not? Are people always trying to knock her off or something?" she mentally counted the number of the troops, thought it was very excessive for picking up an imprisoned demon.

"I think she is afraid that someone might try. Have ya heard the story of her father?" he asked. She shook her head. "Well, he was murdered, assassinated actually. They never found who did it. Clarissa was very young at the time, barely an adult, and it had a bad effect on her mind. She ain't crazy, don't worry about that, but she is dreadfully afraid of sharing her father's fate."

"I would be too, I suppose. Did she take the throne right away, or was there another before her?"

"She is the eldest of two daughters, there weren't no brother, so she became queen on her father's death. I wasn't around at that time, but I understand it wasn't easy for her at first, but she has stuck to it and become a very powerful queen. Pity she is so proud!"

"Surely she has a right to be a little proud." Sarah tapped her fingers on the wall.

"Everyone does, but she goes overboard with it! Ya know how proud Jareth is?" she nodded. "Well, she makes him look like a humble person in comparison!"

Sarah frowned, hardly able to make the comparison in her mind. It seemed impossible for anyone to even rival Jareth's pride, but for Hoggle to say that he was humble when compared to Clarissa meant it had to be true. He wasn't one to downplay the Goblin King's pride without reason!

"Oh, Sarah, speakin' of Jareth, he gave me somethin' ta give ta ya." Hoggle went to the bed and pulled a box out from under the dust ruffle. Sarah hadn't seen him slip it under there when he first came in to be with her. "I think he said it was ta help ya feel a little more safe."

Sarah took it and pulled the lid off. Laying in a bed of cloth was a dirk. It's silver blade was lethally sharp and pointed, intricate Celtic knot work went from the base towards the tip, and the hilt was gold and had a reddish pink stone set at the end. She wrapped her hand around it and held it up to the light, surprised that holding it felt as if she had done so many times before.

"Are ya scared of somethin'?" he asked.

"Yes." she found a leather sheath in the bottom of the box and slid the dirk into it. She was wearing an outfit that was almost exactly like Jareth's; grey trousers, white poets shirt, black boots and vest, and there was a belt to go with it. She strapped the weapon on her right hip. "I just don't know what I'm afraid of, I can't put it into words."

"I tell ya what is scaring me." she lifted a questioning eyebrow at him in much the same manner as Jareth did. "The fact that you are dressed like him is what! Why are ya anyway?"

"I have been wearing dresses for a long time now, months it seems, and today I wanted something different. I used to wear jeans all the time, and shirts, and I guess I was just missing it a little." Sarah looked at herself in a full length mirror. She did indeed look like the female version of Jareth in the outfit, and she rather liked it. Only she hadn't put on the gloves, they were tucked into her belt. "Or perhaps it is true that the longer you live with someone the more you grow to look like them!"

Hoggle beat his palm against his forehead, hoping that it wasn't true. He couldn't stand the thought of his dearest friend looking like that blond haired king who ruled the Labyrinth!

JSJSJS

"Well, I can't say I blame you for wanting to do away with the demon yourself!" Clarissa said once Jareth had finished telling his story. "You do have proof of all you just told me?"

"Yes. I hold the chronicles that tell all you need to know, and they are signed by witnesses." Jareth said, swinging his leg, which was thrown over the armrest, back and forth. He had been sitting for most of the day now, he longed to get up and move about. "And what he did to Sarah and her father is a terrible crime as well."

"But that happened in the Aboveground. Mortals are mortals, they have nothing to do with us, what happens to them is their own affair." Jareth lowered his eyelids to mere slits. He didn't like her talking about Sarah or her father in that fashion, it made them sound lower than the lowest wretch. That and he blamed himself for what happened to Sarah and Jake, he wished he hadn't exiled Scorpius to the Aboveground. "My duty is to see that all who were harmed by Scorpius are given justice, no matter how long it takes, and the mortals will just have to take consolation in the fact that he can't hurt them anymore."

"Pure justice would be served to everyone by just going ahead and sending him to Oblivion. There is no need for a long, drawn out trial once Jareth has given you the chronicles." Rosalinda spoke up, holding her head high in a regal way.

"But I need two testimonies, both proved completely true, to forgo a trial." she glared at the lady across from her.

"Surely my own testimony against the demon, with my own chronicles, coupled with those of Jareth's, is enough." Rosalinda's voice was cold, heartless almost.

"Your testimony counts as nothing! You are the Fallen One, your word is not to be trusted!" Clarissa rose to her feet shouting, and slammed her fist on the table. Neither Jareth or Rosalinda flinched, merely stared at the queen with stony expressions.

"Why is her word not to be trusted?" Jareth formed a steeple with his fingers, seeing one way to get the queen to do away with the demon without a long trial. "She had nothing to do with the fall of the Kingdom of Mist."

"And I suppose you have proof?" sarcasm dripped from each word as Clarissa sat back down.

"There is proof, if she allows it to be used." Jareth looked over at Rosalinda. Her eyes met his, and she knew what he was going to propose, and saw that he didn't want to. "Would you consent to being examined by Truth Crystal?"

She dropped her eyes, her mouth drawn into a tight line. She wanted desperately to say no, to find another way, but she knew there was none. "Yes. I consent, but only on the terms that if it is found that I am innocent, all will be used to destroy the demon."

Clarissa's expression was unreadable, but Jareth knew he had her trapped. From the feeling in the air he sensed she was angry, and that was quite expected. It was the feeling of panic, or something very much like it, that he couldn't understand. There was no reason why she should be unless dealing with Rosalinda was really that terrible to her.

"Very well." she said at last. "She may be examined, but only under one of my own Truth Seers. They will tell the absolute truth of what they see, I promise you, there must be no reason for doubt anywhere!"

There wasn't any need for further discussion. It was late in the day, they were all tired and upset, and Clarissa was very eager to be on her way back to her kingdom. Jareth, trying to be a good diplomat, offered her dinner or some refreshment before she left, but she turned it down and went right out to her litter and waiting entourage.

"I will be expecting you at my court very soon. The examination will take place just as soon as you have prepared yourself, Rosalinda. I hope that you are innocent as you and Jareth both say you are, the consequences if you are not-"

"I am fully aware of them. Goodnight, Majesty!" Rosalinda cut her off sharply, curtsied stiffly, and went back inside the castle, her red hair flying out behind her in her haste to get away.

"Why you tolerate her I will never understand!" she said as she took his hand and stepped into her litter.

"You don't understand many things, including the fact that I don't tolerate her." Jareth closed the little door and secured it firmly. "To tolerate implies that she is a burden, and she never has been, and never will be, a burden to me. She is my friend."

"A strange one, if you want my opinion!"

"No, I don't. Goodnight, Majesty!" he walked back to the massive doors of his castle and watched as the large entourage marched its way out of Goblin City, carrying the demon with it.

Once the sound of the gates closing reached his ears he breathed a sigh of relief. The demon was gone, Clarissa was gone, and the chances were good that there would be no massive trial. For once things seemed to be going his way. But he couldn't get the feeling of uneasiness to subside.

From behind he felt Rosalinda, and turned to look at her. She was leaning against the half open door, her arms crossed lightly under her chest. There was a look of such bitterness and anger, all mixed with pain and sorrow on her face that it broke his heart. He took a few steps towards her.

"Rosalinda, please forgive me. I could see no other way-" he stopped when she held up her hand sharply.

"I know why, and I will forgive you. But not just yet, I need time to think, prepare myself." she slowly turned and walked inside, closing the door behind her with a hollow thud.

It was just starting to go into twilight. Everything was so lovely, but he didn't see it or feel it. He felt was apart from it all, isolated, and the only thing he could hear were Rosalinda's words. He was tired, but too upset with himself to sleep, so he took off his heavy sword and topcoat and tossed them to a servant, leaving him in his typical white shirt and black vest, and headed off for the gardens. Hopefully, he thought, I can lose myself there for a little while.


More angst and sorrow for Jareth and Rosalinda. Don't worry, all will be revealed in time...:'}