Jareth joined the others in the hall and took his place at Sarah's side. "What did he say?" Sarah asked.
"He's ready. He wants to see his scribe and tell the healers to start preparations." Jareth answered.
"I'll see to that," Alastair stated before going to find the scribe and healers.
"Do you really think this will work, brother?" Jaxel questioned.
"I do. Let's just hope that once the bullet is removed the healers can remove the iron before its too late." Jareth stated as he sat down to wait.
After the scribe drew up the papers requested by the King, the healers were sent in and they prepared for the procedure. Once they were ready, they called for Sarah.
"We're ready, my lady," Bardo said as he bowed before her.
"Wish me luck," Sarah told the others before heading into the High King's room with Jareth.
The healers were gathered around the King with a protective barrier visible around him. "Come, my lady, we've prepared a place for you here." One of the heals motioned to the empty place by the King's shoulder. "You'll have to cut his majesty with this blade," he explained.
"What?" Sarah's eyes grew wide. "I don't think..."
Jareth stepped forward and took the dagger. "Relax, love. I'll make the incision for you. All you need to do is reach in and remove the bullet from Father's shoulder. I'll be here with you the entire time."
"His majesty has been sedated as this will most likely cause him a great deal of pain. The bullet will be deep and you'll have to dig it out." Bardo explained.
Sarah took a deep breath and looked around. "Shouldn't I have some gloves or something, for sanitary reasons?"
The healers looked at her strangely but Jareth summoned a crystal and handed it to her. "Think of the gloves you desire and they'll appear."
A moment later blue latex gloves appeared in her hands. Sarah quickly put them on and pulled her hair back from her face. "I should have brought a hair tie."
"Allow me, Precious." Jareth pulled her hair back and secured it with a silver clip that appeared in his hand.
"Thanks." Sarah gave him a gentle smile and took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."
With a nod, Jareth stepped forward and cut a large deep gash over where the bullet entered his father's shoulder. Sarah made a face as she watched him slice open the elder King's flesh. "You can do this, love. Remove your bracelet first. "
Nodding, she took the bracelet off and handed it to Jareth for safekeeping, then she grabbed her medallion and closed her eyes. "I wish to be able to safely remove this bullet without harming the King." She opened her eyes as she felt the medallion pulse. Reaching over she dug her fingers into the open cut and started to dig in searching for the bullet.
Scrunching her nose up she tried to be gentle as she dug into the flesh. "I'm not even sure what I'm looking for."
Stepping closer, Jareth held his held out in front of her. "You're looking for an iron ball about this size." In his hand sat a crystal ball the size of a quarter.
"What?" Her eyes bugged out. "I thought I was looking for a bullet, not a freaking musket ball."
Chuckling, Jareth wrapped his arms around her. "Remember love, Father was shot centuries ago." He kissed her temple and watched her hand. "If you need me to cut deeper just say the word."
Sarah shook her head and dug deeper, now that she had a better idea of what she was searching for, she felt more confident about her job. Probing with her fingers she felt a cold hard object about the size that Jareth had indicated. "I think I found it." As her fingers wrapped around the ball, the cool metal began to feel warm against her skin. "Its warming up," Sarah told him as it began to get hot.
"Focus on the power of the Labyrinth. Create a barrier around it." Jareth instructed as he wrapped a bare hand around her wrist.
Sarah felt the warmth of the Labyrinth's magic radiating from the medallion and also from Jareth's hand. She tried to imagine a barrier around the musket ball, but the heat from it was making it hard to focus. "I don't know if I..."
"Focus, Sarah," Jareth said firmly not even allowing her to finish her statement.
Sarah flinched as the heat became painful and then suddenly the pain was gone. Looking closely as she pulled the iron ball from his shoulder, she saw a blue glow surrounding the ball. "Did I..."
"Yes, Precious, now don't stop, you've almost got it." Jareth encouraged.
Carefully she pulled the musket ball out of the King's shoulder and held it up. The ball was covered with strange systems that were carved into it. Before she could study it too closely, Jareth summoned a glass jar to his hand and forced her to drop it inside. He closed it and handed it to Bardo. "It's been removed now start the process of removing the iron from my father's bloodstream."
Sarah stared at the musket ball that was now inside the jar and sitting on the table. "I did it."
"Yes, you did, love, but the healers have a lot to do. My father isn't out of danger yet. Let's leave them to work their magic." Jareth told her as he ushered her towards the door. She removed the bloody gloves and Jareth made them vanish as they walked out into the hall where his brother, cousin, and Heidi were waiting.
"Well...?" Jaxel asked as he jumped to his feet.
"Sarah has safely removed the bullet. Now we wait and see if it was done in time to save Father. The healers are attempting to remove the iron now." Jareth informed them.
Jaxel nodded. "I'll go let Mother know." He hurried off and Sarah looked at Alastair and Heidi.
"Are you alright, Lady Sarah?" Alastair questioned when he noticed she looked a bit pale.
"I think so." She stated as she sat down. "I can't believe I did it."
Jareth knelt in front of her and placed his hand on her forehead. "You're like ice, Precious."
"I feel a little lightheaded." She admitted.
Without hesitation, Jareth stood and scooped her into his arms. "I'm taking her to my room. Have a servant bring some food there."
Before Alastair or Heidi could respond, they vanished. Heidi shrugged and headed for the kitchen. "I guess Lady Sarah isn't used to seeing so much blood."
"Or the magic on that bullet did something to her," Alastair suggested.
Heidi slapped his arm, "I was trying to be positive."
Rubbing his arm, Alastair muttered a quiet "sorry," as he followed her down the hall.
In Jareth's room, the Goblin King was placing Sarah down gently on his bed. "Jareth, I think you're overdoing this a bit." She shook her head. "I just got a little lightheaded."
"Sarah, you just pulled an iron bullet covered in sigils, that has been killing one of the Underground's most powerful Fae for centuries, from my father's shoulder, forgive me if I'm not willing to take a chance that its magic wasn't completely blocked by the magic of the Labyrinth." He said as he sat by her side. "Now lay back and relax."
Sighing, Sarah laid back on the pillows and looked around the room. "So this was your bedroom as a child?" She asked as she studied the paintings on the wall. Most showed beautiful landscapes but there was a portrait of a young boy on a horse that caught her attention. "Is that you?"
Jareth looked where she was pointing and smiled. "Yes, that's right after I tamed Thunder. He was a very spirited animal. He still is."
"How old were you?"
"I believe I was 14 when that was painted," Jareth answered as he looked at the image of his younger self. "I was so foolish and naive then."
"I bet you were adorable." Sarah grinned.
"Adorable? I was a hellion. Mother was constantly scolding me for one thing or another." Jareth stated.
"Mostly for being a child from what your father told me. I can't believe he loves such a woman, even his stories of how she treated you make me dislike the woman."
Jareth leaned closer and rubbed his nose against hers. "You're so cute when you get defensive of me. Tell me, does your dislike come from the fact it was I she treated poorly or just that she treated a child that way?"
Seeing the lust in his eyes, Sarah smiled and decided to tease him a bit. "Well, no child should be treated like that, especially by their mother. I can only imagine what poor Jaxel went through. She must have been so hard on him, expecting him to be perfect."
Jareth sat back, a look of disgust on his face? "Poor Jaxel?" He stood and paced the room. "Poor Jaxel?" He shook his head. "I had to tutor that fool. He may be older but he isn't wiser. Why once he..." Jareth stopped when he heard giggling. "I walked into your trap didn't I?"
Sarah nodded as she covered her mouth to try and stop her laughs. "I couldn't resist."
Jareth returned to sitting by her side. "Well then, since you couldn't resist that, allow me to give you something else you can't resist." He kissed her softly and brushed his tongue against her lips, seeking entrance. Sarah's mouth parted and she moaned softly as his tongue caressed hers.
As Jareth wrapped his arms around her, Sarah's body went limp and she fell back on the bed, unconscious. "Sarah? Precious!" Jareth cradled her in his arms as panic set in. "Sarah, open your eyes, love."
He lifted her into his arms and quickly transported them to the hall outside his father's room. "Bardo!" Jareth screamed as he kicked open the door.
Bardo rushed to the Goblin King and looked at the woman in his arms. "What happened?"
"After removing the bullet from Father's shoulder she was cold and felt lightheaded. I took her to my room to rest and then she passed out." Jareth explained frantically.
"What was she doing when she passed out?"
"Laying down, relaxing," Jareth answered as the healer felt her forehead.
"She wasn't doing anything else?" Bardo eyed Jareth carefully. He had known the Goblin King since he was a child and knew he often left out details.
"Kissing." Jareth hissed. "She was kissing me and suddenly she went limp and passed out."
Bardo motioned for Jareth to place her on the couch and once she was placed down he checked her pulse and forced her eyes open. "Doesn't look good, highness," Bardo commented as he placed his hand on Sarah's forehead. "This is definitely caused by magic. I'll do all I can, but I'm not completely certain how she was affected or what to do for her."
"I don't care how you do it or what you have to do, just cure her!" Jareth demanded.
Bardo nodded and continued examining Sarah. There were no obvious signs of injury, she was cold to the touch, much like High King Talonas had been, and she was unconscious. "I think she's being affected by the magic from the bullet. Her symptoms are similar to your father's. But it doesn't make sense. She's human. Your father was suffering from iron poisoning."
Jareth knelt by her side and picked up her hand, the one that had removed the bullet. "Could it be possible that some of the iron got into her system? She may be human but that bullet was enchanted with some very old and powerful magic."
"It's possible," Bardo responded as he examined Sarah's other hand. "We'll begin the extraction process at once. It there's iron in her system we'll get it out."
"Jareth," Talonas called weakly from his bed.
"Father?" Jareth hesitated to leave Sarah but after a moment went to his father's side. "Father, how are you feeling?"
"Like someone took a chunk out of my shoulder." He said jokingly before he began coughing. "Jareth take your champion home."
"What? No, father, I can't take her home. She needs to be cured." Jareth argued.
Talonas sat up, smacking away the hands of the healers that tried to make him stay flat on his back. "The Labyrinth, my boy. Take her back there. She's the Champion. It will heal her and protect her."
"Are you certain?" Jareth questioned.
"Bardo will go with you and do all he can." his father stated.
"Majesty you need me here," Bardo argued as he joined Jareth by the King's side.
"The others can see to my needs. Sarah must not die. I couldn't live with myself if she's harmed because she saved me. Take her to the Labyrinth. Let its magic save her. My father told me he was saved by the old King of the Labyrinth years before I was born. He said the King took him to the center of the Labyrinth and it healed him. I know it will do all it can to save the champion. Please Jareth. Take her home."
Jareth looked from his father to Bardo and then over at his Sarah. He knew how powerful the Labyrinth's magic was. It had healed him numerous times over the years and in its own way taught him how to heal others. "Very well." Jareth nodded. "Bardo pack your things quickly. We leave in an hour." Jareth returned to Sarah and knelt by her. "Hold on Precious." He whispered before kissing her forehead.
~*~*~*~/.../~*~*~*~
Heidi and Alaister stood outside Jareth's door with trays of food. "We could have let the servants to this," Heidi grumbled.
"I wanted to check on Lady Sarah," Alastair argued. "My cousin will be more likely to let us in the room if we have food."
Shaking her head Heidi watched Alastair knock once more. "If they are busy getting tangled in the sheets, Jareth will toss you in that horrid bog of his."
"Oh come now, Lady Sarah is feeling ill. Jareth wouldn't risk her health just to satisfy his own lust. Besides, it's my understanding that they haven't gone all the way yet." Alastair stated before knocking on the door once more. "Jareth! We've brought food for lady Sarah!"
"And just how do you come to understand that?" Heidi asked as she leaned against the door frame.
"Jareth told me they were taking things slow. Lady Sarah wishes to get to know him. She even told me herself that they weren't intimate the night I met her."
"Perhaps that was true then, but I've seen how they are with one another. There's no way they spend all their time together without having sex. I know I wouldn't." Heidi smirked.
"Yes, well you're not the Lady Sarah. There is more to a relationship than sex you know."
"Like what?"
"How about minding your own business and I won't bog you both." Jareth glared at them as he pushed passed them and entered his room.
"Cousin, how is Lady Sarah? We've brought food for her." Alastair beamed proudly.
"I'm taking her back to the Labyrinth." was all Jareth said as he walked in and grabbed his things.
Heidi and Alastair cautiously followed him inside. "Where is Sarah?" Heidi questioned.
"With the healers." Jareth sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Has something happened?" Heidi inquired as she looked around.
"Sarah is unconscious. It seems the magic on the bullet is affecting her now." Jareth said sadly.
"What about Uncle?"
"Father is recovering and the healers think they can slowly remove the iron from his blood." The Goblin King said as he stood and paced the room.
"That's wonderful." Alastair smiled.
"Yea, just great. I traded my beloved for my father!" Jareth slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a large dent.
"I'm sure Sarah will be fine." Heidi tried to assure him.
"And if she's not?" Jareth demanded. "She did this because I asked her to. She put her self at risk for my sake."
"Jareth you can't blame yourself for this," Alastair told him as he placed his hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"No? I was the one that brought her here. I was the one that asked her to try removing the bullet. I encouraged her to push through and not stop when the bullet began to get warm. I pushed her and now..." Jareth turned to the wall and slammed both fists against it before resting his head against it.
Alastair and Heidi exchanged looks and the turned to Jareth. Neither knew what to say to the Goblin King, for neither had ever seen him like this. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Heidi asked.
"Actually there is. I want you to find who is responsible for this." Jareth said as he turned to face them.
"Wait you want us to find out who shot Uncle?" Alastair's eyes bugged out.
"Yes. We have the bullet now. I want to find the one responsible for this and make them pay." Jareth summoned a crystal and tossed it at his cousin. When he caught it the glass jar with the musket ball inside appeared in his hand. "Don't come back to the castle until you have answers!" Jareth barked as he stormed down the hall.