Chapter 37: Best For Everyone Concerned
There came a night of a great raging storm. It seemed to have no end to it. Thunder crashed and lightning struck. In the darkest and stillest part of the night, there came a visitor to the castle of ancient Viamere. It was Jasper, the brother of the former King, and Uncle of Jareth, the new King. he begs to have a word in private with the lovely Princess that the King is curently courting. For he knew she had come to live in the great castle ever since the death of her parents, two months ago.
"My Princess, but you are looking lovely tonight," The elderly gentlemen 's voice was soothing to her. "What is it that troubles you so on a most... glorious night, such as this?"
"It's just that... it was a night similar to this when my parents were murdered. And I do not know who the murderer is. He was never caught."
"Perhaps he may be closer than you think," She let out a shriek as he reached for her petite hand, as a bolt of lightning struck somewhere just outside. Her face contorted in fear. "Do not be afraid, my dear girl. For 'twas not I. No, I would never harm you. Surely you have learned that by now, Seraseht."
"Yes, of course," She was panting now, breathless. What did he want? Why didn't he just leave already? She loved Jareth dearly, but his Uncle was too much... There was something... inherently evil about this man. "What is it you wanted to speak to me about?"
"I know the name of your parents' murderer, and I have come to tell you who it is!" Lightning crashed again, and she could have sworn he was doing that on purpose... Timing his words just so.
"Tell me, who is it?"
"My girl, are you certain that you truly wish to know?"
"Yes, more than anything."
"And tell me, will you seek revenge upon this person should I whisper his name to you?"
She thought for a long moment. "I do not know. First you must tell me who it is."
"Very well..." Evil pewter eyes scanned her body up and down. "The murderer is..."
The next word uttered by that person would change the fate of an entire kingdom. It would change the fate of this Princess, and the man that she so dearly loved. It would down a curse upon the KIng that was as old as time itself, and could never be outdone. Not ever. All this in but a single mortal word. Jareth.
"Jareth."
"No!" She shouted, and swatted angrily at this... this intruder! How dare he ruin her perfectly blissful life! How dare he take away her love; her happiness! "That cannot be!"
"You must only think on it, Princess..." Jasper all but hissed. "Jareth, my nephew, wanted nothing more than your hand in marriage. To achieve that he must have your parents' permission to court you. Which he doth not have, and never shall he obtain. I was there the night the deed was done. These cold gray eyes witnessed such madness first hand."
"No," Tears fell onto the lovely marbled flooring of her King's extravagant castle. "It's not true. Th-that can't be!"
"Oh, but it is. As I said, he could never have you, not while your parents were in the way. But please do not look down upon him, Seraseht. I implore you, to see with eyes unclouded. Jareth only did what he did for you out of love."
"Love does not kill people! Only hate can do that!"
"When will you see?" He smiled a cold, cruel smile. "That it runs both ways, little Princess... It runs both ways."
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Sarah awoke the next mornign after having such a terrible dream! It had to have been a nightmare, but she could not remember what it was about. All she remembered were those eyes. They were like Jareth's; two different shades, one a darker gray, the other a cold steely pewter. Who was that evil man, and why would she dream such a horrid thing?!
Shrugging it off, she got to her feet. She was alone again. Jareth had already gone to get his surprise ready for her, she had no doubt. She changed into a lovely white lacey mideival dress, and did her up quickly into a neat little bun, just as she always had when playing in her park back home. Home... How she missed it. But there was no time to worry about the past now. She had a date with the Goblin King! How silly did that still sound? Would she ever get fully used to it?
"Dolling yourself up for me, I see," His silken purr came from behind her, as she continued to apply her makeup. "Can I help?"
"Sure. I will need a crown of flowers to go with my outfit. I used to wear one in the park every Saturday, you know. Do you remember the one I wore two years ago?"
"How could I forget?" With a snap of his fingers, Jareth created a perfect replica for her. She also found that her makeup was already perfected.
"That's cheating!" She complained.
"We haven't the time, for games, Sarah. We must go, or we will be late."
"Late? For what?"
When she blinked, they were no longer standing in their bedchamber, but in a wide field of various colored wildflowers. The wind swept over the little valley, and made it appear as though the flowers were waving at her. Sarah's smile grew to massive proportions, until it threatened to stretch from ear to ear. Jareth took hold of her hand, as if to remind her that he were still there with her.
"For my proposal..." The words left his lips long before either of them registered what he had just said.
"Proposal?"
He knelt before her on one knee, and handed her a small black velvet box. "Sarah, will you marry me?"
Sarah felt her face flush bright red against her will. Time stood still in the brief moments oit took her to consider the multitude of questions weighing on her mind. Finally, she answered him. "No," She shoved the box away.
"What?" He was dumbfounded, and stunned, to say the least.
"No! This is not love, Jareth. You only said that because you know we have no other choice. If we don't get married, the elves will kill us both! We can't lie our way out of this one, although you certainly have done a fine job of lying our way into it!"
"Sarah, what are you saying?" His eyes, like two sparkling jewels of different hue, watered tremendously at her cruel words.
"You don't love me."
"How can you say that?"
"Because I'm sure of it. You only said that because it was the only way to keep me from being killed. And now, the only way to keep yourself from being killed is to just go through with it. Well, as for me I'd rather die!" She ran down the hill recklessly, going anywhere to get away from him.
"Sarah, please...:" A gloved hand reached out for her, but she was gone.
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Somewhere, in another time, another place entirely, a Princess sat staring out a window, gazing into the garden. Seraseht had been there for days, thinking of what she should do. King Jareth was really starting to worry about her, for she had not spoken to him in three days time. Not since his Uncle had paid them a visit. How strange...
"Seraseht, my love, are you alright?"
"I will be out in the garden."
She rose in silence, and moved to the door, where he stood. Casting him a sorrowful look, she inched past him and out the door. She ran down the hall and went into the gardens. Even the colorful flowers did nothing to cheer the poor girl up...
He went outside to join her on this night when he had planned to ask for her hand in marriage. That did not happen... He spent a few minutes searching for her in the gardens, before he came upon her. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight, standing stone still atop a large white rock that overlooked the garden pool. He froze, and watched her fall in slow motion. Jareth rushed to her aide, but he was too late. She only smiled at him as she fell. Seraseht had intended to drown herself, and she had already suceeded. The rocks that loomed dangerously just beneath the surface of the water had knocked her unconscious, and she had drowned in the shallow water as a result. The King would never forget his love's dying words to him...
"Seraseht," He pleaded with her, as he held the dying maiden in his arms. "Please don't do this! Please do not die; you cannot!"
"A shallow grave..." She had croaked as water gurgled from her pale blue lips. "A shallow grave... To seek revenge upon one with such a shallow heart..." Her matted hair clung to her face and neck, and she felt cold and clammy. Her raspy, shallow breathing had slowed gradually until finally it stopped.
He never did know why she had killed herself. But he had always suspected his Uncle had played a part in it. Jareth knew he had to do something. His heart and soul had died with her on that gloomy night. At least she had not died alone.
"My darling Seraseht, my love. I will bring you back. I promise, you will live and breathe once more! I will right this wrong..."
It was on that troubled night that he prayed to the Goblins for help.
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Jareth had been annoying Sarah for the last hour by popping annoyingly in front of her every few steps, to block her way. But try as he might, he coudl not stifle her determination to get as far away from him as possible. Finally, she collapsed into his arms, as he appeared in front of her once again.
"You're like..." She panted in between breaths. "A bad... mirage..."
"This is no desert. But you are an oasis to the illusion of my mirage." Was he in some strange way agreeing to her?
He was not out of breath or patning at all, and that only irked Sarah even more. 'Stupid Goblin King... Always has to win!' She stayed for a moment to catch her breath, before shoving him cruelly away again. She wanted no part of this idiotic charade he was trying to convince her to pull off.
"Sarah..." Uh-oh. He was using his warning tone again. "If you will not wed me, then would you at least do me the honor of attending dinner with me tonight?"
"I always eat dinner with you. Idiot."
"Yes, but this night is particularly special to me. And I would like to make sure that you will be there. Please, I ask only that you court me. We never have to get married if you are not totally satisfied, Sarah."
"Fine. I will be at dinner," She paused and thought for a moment. "But I would like another dress. This one is too plain for me to wear on our first real date together."
"Very well," 'Little minx,' He thought. 'We are not courting five minutes, and already she is making demands of me!' He released her from his grasp at last. "Is there anything else that you ask of me?"
"Yes... That you get me the hell out of these gods forsaken flowers! I have allergies, you know."
Jareth did his trademark eyebrow arch. "Allergies?"
"It's a mortal thing," She waved a dismissive hand. "Can we please leave now?"
"Yes, let's." In a puff of smoke, they were gone.
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True to his word, Jareth had given her some space for the rest of the day. He had returned around six o' clock to bring her the dress he'd had made for her, and to tell her that dinner was in one hour and she had better be ready. Sarah didn't like his demanding tone, but she settled down once he was gone. Now she sat at her newly re-designed vanity, doing her makeup skillfully. once that was done, she spent nearly ten whole minutes idly brushing her long amber hair.
The dress he had presented to her was set in a flashy vibrant red, with black trim. It almost looked like a tango or flamenco dress, and reminded her of the one Xander had forced her to wear to that awful dance! The only difference being the color, and the design was slightly offset from it's midnight blue counterpart. She sighed. Men knew nothing about dresses... Somethign felt strange to her about this dress, but she was not sure what it was.
But it looked phenomenal on her anyway, and she took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror before walking all the way down to the dining room. For once, she was there before Jareth, the little slime, and she settled in her usual seat.
Before long, there came a voice from behind her. "What are you doing?" A chill ran down her spine as he said the words directly into her ear.
"Waiting for you, moron."
"Get up," He pulled her chair backward, and Sarah had to cling to her seat just to keep from falling out! Before she could protest, Jareth grabbed her tiny wrists, and yanked her to her feet. As he pulled her, she realized what was so different about this one. It had more of an aboveworld influence to it, and it clung to her hips snugly. Very snugly.
"What are you doing?!" She tried to ignore the fact that she felt as if the seams connecting the two sides of her festive crimson skirt would rip and expose her completely.
"You are to sit at the head of the table tonight, my sweet. That is one of the many high honors which only I can give you, Sarah," He pulled out a chair for her at the place where usually only he sat. "Here, now you may sit."
Sarah really didn't know what to say to that. "Thank you." She managed.
They sat and ate in awkward silence until Jareth could stand it no longer. He had to try and say something, anything, to get her attention. But what? He had already chosen not to comment on her makeup. The blushing rose red she used for her lips was much too bold for his tastes and the acute and sharp blue eyeshadow only made it that much worse for his tastes. He much preferred his women in more natural tones. He simply could not bring himself to say that she looked lovely like that. But he did not want to offend her. So he found something else to talk about.
"So, how does it feel to be courting the Goblin King?"
"How does it feel to be constantly stalking and harassing a defenseless mortal?"
'Alright, if that's the way she wants to play it... We shall see!' "You look most... interesting tonight."
"What is that supposed to mean?" She shot him a look of brazen anger he had yet to see in her.
'Okay, time to change tactics!' "Nevermind, Sarah. So, have you had proper time to reconsider my... proposal?"
"Yes," Her face suddenly lit up, as she raised her gaze to meet his, and Jareth could not stop himself from doing the very same. "And I 'propose' that you go fu-" O... kay. They both knew where this conversation was going. She was about to tell him to go do something that was quite literally anatomically impossivle, and very repulsive as well.
"Stop!" he brought up a hand to her as if to shield himself from her vulgar words. "That is enough heartache for one day, Sarah. I have had enough. I have tried anything and everything in my power to win your heart. If that is not enough, I don't know what is!"
Her tone was cold, vicious, calculated, cruel. "You don't know what love is, you mean."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Jareth." She looked slowly and deliberately into his eyes, both of them now fully ignoring their food. "I will not be made a fool. I know how cruel and deceitful you can be. You are every aspect of a true villian, and I will never see you as otherwise. I will marry you, but even if I do, you will be still be the villain. I am biased, if that makes any sense? I've already fromed my opinion, and it is permanent. You used sneaky, villainous, underhanded tactics to trick me, to lure me into marrying you! That is ridiculous!" And then, as an afterthought, she added more. "And cowardly..."
She had expected many things, but surely not the reaction that she got. The Goblin King gathered himself up carefully, and strode from the room without a single word. She resisted the urge to follow him, but made herself stay for as long as she could. Unable to sit and eat her dinner alone, Sarah left too.
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"Perfect," Demona cooed into her mirror, her hot breath making little puffs on the cold black glass. "She has fallen for out trap yet again!"
"Yay!" Kaitlyn childishly clapped her hands fron behind her, where she also looked into the mirror that her sister held. "Does that mean I can go make a move on Jareth now? Now would be the perfect time!"
"No! You must wait!"
"Wait?! But why?"
"Because I am your Queen, and I know what is best for everyone concerned," The Queen flipped her dark brown hair over one shoulder of her pitch black dress. "Have you forgotten, dear sister, that I can see in my mirror the various paths that could become, should one follow certain other paths?"
"No..."
"Why then, do you insist on constantly questioning my judgement?"
"I am sorry, Demona," Kaitlyn backed off, wanting to return to her room now. "I'll do what you say. I will wait. Don't get all worked up over it, sheesh! But I know something you don't!"
"And what is that?"
She announced in a sing-song voice, while circling the throne. "I know something you don't know! I know something you don't know! I know something you d-cchhh-" She felt the icy grip of Demona's powerful magic circling tightly around her neck. It was stifling her; cutting off her air supply.
"Silence!!!" The Wolf Queen's deadly voice bommed over the now-quiet room. Alex's ears perked up beside her, and she shot him a reassuring look. "You must tell me, Kaitlyn. What is this news you bring me?"
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A/N: yay, another chapter. Please R&R. I am sory for the way Sarah treated Jareth in this chapter, but she had to for the sake of the story. Later things get better in the next chapter I promise. And yes, Jareth DOES EVENTUALLY GET LAID!!! Lol. I just thought you'd like to know that. take care,
-Kaline Reine