Chapter 29. The King's Marionette

Daisy Bookworm stayed in her hiding place, she knew her King would not want her to upset the applecart just yet. However, seeing the Trow strike the bound girl made her want to leave the cover of darkness and try on his entrails for garters. 'Sarah, stay strong.' She sent the message to the whimpering young woman. 'I know this is grueling, but our King and his forces are on their way.'

Sarah had stopped her screaming into the gag, the sight of the dead Fae Lord sickened her, but she looked down where he lay and forced herself to remember what it was he had said before Glix had struck the fatal blow. 'I see she's still alive.' He sounded disappointed. 'I would have thought she'd been in more distress by now.' Although Sarah could not say she really regretted the demise of the Fae Lord, she had not enjoyed watching him die. And his last words had filled her with uneasiness.

'I'm to negotiate the girl's release.' He moved toward the prince feeling completely at ease. 'I am to bring your demands of ransom to Jareth.'

Standing up, Glix toyed with both the Fae, and the mortal. 'What is the going price for a King's true love these days?' He moved closer to the Emissary; 'What do you think she's worth?' He was nearly beside the unsuspecting Fae.

Fagin boredly placed one hand to his chin, 'I wouldn't give you two kopecks for her.'

The girl looked bound to the chair next to the Trow Prince's makeshift throne looked down at the fallen Fae Lord. He had insulted her, had even been she was sure in some way responsible for her being here. Now he lay dead and Glix was smiling like a loon, pulled the metal blade from the deceased lifeless form and wiped the Fae blood off the blade and onto the side of his trousers.

"Don't waste your tears on this worthless insignificant slug, my dear." Glix said cheerily to Sarah. "I assure you in the total scheme of things he's of no value. He certainly would not have wasted tears on you." The Trow now moved back to take his seat beside the girl, he showed her the blade. "This blade will rid us of your beloved as well."

'My beloved?' Sarah thought to herself, a glint formed in her green eyes as they met the yellow ones now looking at her. 'You're a fool, Jareth is not as easy to kill.'

As if he could read her thoughts, Glix looked mildly amused for a moment. "Oh you don't think so?"

Sarah looked away from the Trow, down at the dead Fae and hardened her thoughts. Gone was the whimper she'd uttered upon being struck by the Trow Prince. Gone was the reactions that the quick death had brought about, gone too was any thoughts she'd had of negotiations with this fiend. There was a voice, a friendly voice, within her head and Sarah knew she was not alone, nor was she unprotected.

Daisy looked toward the human girl that was being used as bait. 'Stay strong Lady Sarah, remember you and you alone are the betrothed of the Goblin King.'

Sarah looked over at the Trow with disdain. She could wait forever now, Jareth was on his way.

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Oberon stood on the rampart of the castle watching the Goblin forces ride out. His wife came to his side, standing silently as they watched the forces go off to defend their boarder and rescue the mortal girl. The High King's knuckles were turning white with pressure from being clenched so tightly on the rampart wall. "You wish to say something wife?" He asked in a tense tenor.

"Is this charade necessary?" Tatiana asked quietly.

The High King turned to face the woman to whom he was wed, "I wish I could say it was not, unfortunately it is."

"All because the Underground Kingdoms question the boy's birthrights?" Tatiana spat out. "You are High King Oberon! Yours it the will that should be followed….."

"I placed him here, on the Goblin Throne woman! I gave him a proving ground…. It did no good…No one wanted this unruly country! Not one of the Royals wanted to be Goblin King… the boy not only became part of the Goblin Nation, but he and he alone has managed the Labyrinth, keeping it under control…. And still they question his rights." The perturbed High King voiced his annoyance with the rest of his Fae subjects. "This is the only way."

"Surely not;" she moved closer, laying a hand on his sleeve. "This folly has cost us the life of Fagin…not my favorite Fae, but a Fae no less… it has put the girl Sarah in peril…and it will cost the life of either Jareth or the Trow Prince Glix…."

"You think I am not aware?" He growled at his wife.

"I think you and the boy are fighting a losing battle!" she growled back. "Until his mother states who his father is…."

"She will never do that." Oberon leaned forward on the rampart. "I've begged her to speak the name of the father, and she refuses."

Tatiana had also begged for the name, fearful that it was her husband. "But to start a war…"

"Sometimes woman, a war is all that will cross the t's and dot the i's….." Oberon abruptly retreated from the edge of the castle wall.

The High Queen knew it was useless to beleaguer the man further. She turned and watched as the Goblin forces marched out of sight. "The Gods go with you… Jareth."

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Linda paced in the garden; she had not watched the King depart the castle. Jeremy watched as she paced, worried that she would do herself or the child she carried some unattended harm. He noticed the Fae Goddess' approach and bowed to her. Sulis motioned him to move back as she moved closer to the fearful mother pacing like a caged cat.

"Linda, stop." Sulis commanded.

The Actress turned and looked at the Fae woman with rage barely bridled. In a voice that sounded brittle, Linda spoke to the other. "He's using my daughter as bait."

"Yes, he is." Sulis said in a deadpan tone. "And no, I don't approve, but I cannot interfere."

"This is insane." Linda lamented loudly as she returned to her pacing.

"Surly you were aware that the accord struck by your line with ours would not be easy to fulfill." Sulis stated.

The mention of the accord drew Linda's attention, her neck snapped loudly as the cartilage between bone and muscle popped loudly when her head spun to face the Fae Goddess. "Excuse me?" she was ready to deny any and all knowledge of the accord.

Sulis, amused by the instinctual reaction, smiled thoughtfully. "So who was it in your line…. A grand mother, perhaps?"

"Great grand mother," Linda let the words slip before she pressed fingers to her lips to silence them.

"Irish, no doubt;" Fae memories were long and excellent, a respectable Fae kept the memory as sharp as they could. Sulis was superior to most, and she now dug into her memory as she looked at Linda with a discerning eye. "She was not as young as Sarah, but not nearly as old as you…."

"Stop that!" Protested the Actress; "I don't think you've the right to dig this up!"

Sulis for the first time ignored a protest, something within her told her she had to go on. "I can see her, but my memory is… inadequate… You will have to fill in the blanks."

"No!" Linda rejected the quiet command. "I'll not help you, and I'll not help him!" She turned her back on the Goddess and fled.

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Sarah was not surprised when the Trow Prince shied away from her unwavering gaze. It was Glix turn to squirm, and squirm he did. Sarah looked back at Fagin and wondered just what it was Glix intended to do with the corpse.

Glix didn't like that the girl had gone from screaming in fear to suddenly so self-possessed. It unnerved him to say the least. He shouted for an aide, and when the lowly Trow presented himself, Glix began to bark orders. "Bring the scribe to me! I want to send a message to the Goblin King." He looked sideways over at the girl, grudgingly he had to admire the woman, young though she may be, that the Goblin King had announced would be his bride.

Sarah ignored the Trow Prince's stare, she focused her thoughts and her vision on the fallen Fae.

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Jareth, with the aid of a crystal had seen Sarah go from whimpering ninny to stoic. "That's my girl," he commented smugly.

Perrin gazed at the crystal as well. "She does the Goblin Nation proud." He conceded as they rode toward the boarder. "One can not help but admire your choice."

"She's not my choice…" Jareth interjected swiftly. "She is the Labyrinth's choice… I would have preferred to have never taken a bride."

His Captain shifted in his saddle, "It was not the Labyrinth that sang Fae Song to the girl in the Crystal Ballroom, Sire."

"No," Jareth admitted guiltily. "That was me."

Perrin looked ahead; "It was not the Labyrinth that sent her a… tainted peach."

A sly, wolfish smile caressed the lips of the King. "No, I don't believe it was…."

The Goblin warrior smiled broadly now. "Nor was it the Labyrinth that went day after day for months on end to a park in the middle of the Above….just to watch the child at play." He snickered, turning to his King, and his friend. "So admit it old man! You are smitten with the girl, and taking her as a bride has a plus side to it."

"Her innocents will feed more than just my passion, Perrin." Jareth said coldly. "It will give me renewed powers. Innocents can be given but once… mortals have no idea how powerful a weapon it can be… More than just a weapon…it is the greatest gift they have."

Perrin sighed, "I still think you're hot for the girl, not just her innocents."

"I do want her," Jareth admitted sadly. "For that alone you should pity her…. She is my obsession."

"You wish to be hers." Perrin leaned forward, looking at the trial they were on. "So if you want her, why are we taking the long way? Why not just materialize our forces within the Trow encampment?"

Jareth hardened his face, "I know a thing or two about Trow, he would expect me to come in that way, all flash and fire power showing…. No, it's best to make him squirm… and a royal procession is most effective torture I can think of… he knows we are coming, and can not stop us… nor can he call our to his father for help… he brought this upon himself."

"It will also serve as a warning to others," Perrin observed.

"Precisely," Jareth looked again at the crystal in his hand. "No one takes what's mine… not Trow, not Fae… not mortal." The last two words were spoken in a low growl.

Perrin smirked; "Think of the pleasure you shall have in punishing her."

Jareth too was smirking, "I am."

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The scribe entered the Prince's tent; he was bent with age, and had long flowing white hair over skin that looked like alabaster. His eyes were heavily hooded, and kept downcast. His long brown robes gave him the appearance of a monastic. And as dramtic as his appearance was it was his voice that caught and kept Sarah's attention. It was like a hiss.

"You sent for me?" the creature hissed.

Sarah fought the urge to wretch. Instead she kept her demeanor stoic, refusing to be intimidated by Glix and his tricks.

Glix pointed to the dead Fae, "A gift and a message to Jareth."

The monistic personage in the dark robes turned his head and for the first time Sarah saw his eyes. They were not yellow like Glix, they were blood red, and he looked at Sarah before turning his head back to the dead Fae. The hiss turned into a low growl, "You've lost your mind, Trow Prince!" came the eruption that was unexpected by Glix. "This is not the mission your father set you upon! You were to guard the boarder, nothing more."

Glix, very taken aback by the reaction, flew out of the throne like barrel chair. "You dare speak to me in that manner?"

Knotted and gnarled hands came up, one pointed to the girl. "This is the girl, whom the Goblin King has announced is to be his bride have you forgotten the prophecy? When mortal flesh and Fae do join, the Trow will weep the folly reaped." The old one sniffed, "She is mortal!"

Glix snarled, "I don't follow old wives tales you old fool…. I am Glix! I am the Trow Heir!"

The old man shook his head; "Give her back now, Glix or you will be the late Trow Heir."

Sarah blinked, she'd heard that sentence before; not quiet that way, but it was there…. 'When Mortal flesh and Fae do join,' it was part of the old tale of Fern that her granny had been telling over the years. Turning her face her eyes met with the ones of the old creature.

Glix had laid hands upon the person of the scribe; he shook the elderly creature vehemently. "Just do as you are told! I will send word to the Goblin King that I have his little bride to be, and if he wants her alive he will have to come get her, not send me inferior. Any one who comes that is not the King will meet the same fate as this idiot! Now write!"

The scribe looked at the girl still. "Her King is on his way." He said knowingly. "You are a fool Trow Prince, and you will cost your father more than the men who will be slain… you will cost him the very lands you've been set here to guard."

"I will cost him nothing!" boasted the prince. "I will kill the Goblin King, and take his lands, and his woman, his wished away child..."

Sarah felt like retching at the thought of Glix touching her in any kind of intimate manner. Her stomach turned, and just when she felt she'd gag on the gathering bile, a voice spoke to her deep in her consciousness.

'Sarah, he will never touch you.' The voice assured.

'Jareth? Is that you?' she thought back to the place the voice had come from. 'If you're watching in one of those crystals…'

'Of course I'm watching,' he teased. 'You didn't think I'd let you go so easily did you?'

'Stop horsing around, and get your tight pants here and rescue me!' she sent the angry thought as she watched the scribe scribble a message.

'In due time, my dear, in due time. Just be a good girl, and play your part.' The King advised.

Sarah frowned, 'I'm not a damned puppet you know.'

'No, you are more than a puppet… you're the King's Marionette, Sarah.' The voice teased.

Glix was barking out orders, other Trow came into the tent and after placing the dead Fae in a canvas like sheet, they wrapped it up and carried it out of the tent. Glix looked at the queenly girl sitting composed and poised. His yellow eyes devoured her, trying to set fear racing in her again, and failing. "I can appreciate Jareth's admiration of you, mortal girl. You are indeed a unique creature. Rarely have I seen any female who is so…self-controlled. Perhaps I shall allow your King to live long enough to watch me take you as my mate. What a fine heir you shall give me!"

'Jareth, I really don't want that to happen.' She thought.

'Not to worry, pet… the only royal you're going to be mating with is me….' The King's voice sounded perturbed.

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Jareth looked at the crystal, then at Perrin. "We must keep this timed…."

"Daisy will keep the Lady Sarah safe, Sire." Perrin assured his King. "All will go according to your plan."

Jareth turned his attentions back to the crystal, "And my other…treasure?"

Perrin whispered. "Goblins guard all your treasures, my King."

Flicking his wrist the Goblin King looked into the crystal that now showed a sleeping child. "Sleep well my little prince…unknown and protected."