Chapter 5: A Talk With The Goblin King
"Ashley, come. I'll show you to your room." Jareth said and put his gloved hand out for me. I hesitated for a minute and put my hand in his. He winced a little, almost so that I couldn't notice, but I did. Jareth led me to the hall.
"'Bye, Ashley!" Heather said, smiling brightly as she closed her door.
"See you, Heather!" I said.
"'Bye, Jareth." Heather said.
"Good-bye, Heather. We will see you for dinner." Jareth replied.
She shut her door.
"Sorry for making you wince." I said softly.
"What made you think I winced?"
"I saw you."
"All right, I did wince. I winced because I don't think you trust me. Am I right?"
"Well . . . I honestly don't know what to think right now." I admitted.
"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to figure it out. May I ask you something?"
"You just did, did you not?"
"You have a sense of humor."
"You telling me that you watched me for fourteen years and you didn't see it?" I asked jokingly.
"You never answered my question."
"It depends on what the question is."
He stopped and looked at me.
"Fine, yes, you may ask me a question."
"Are you scared of me?" he asked looking into my eyes.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I can feel your fear when I enter the same room as you or when I touch you."
"Somewhat you do. That will go away as I get to know you more."
"You are scared of me."
"Actually, not you. Just . . . what you make me feel . . . that is what I fear. I have never felt it before."
"How do I make you feel?" he asked.
"No special way!" I said quickly, "Idiot." I muttered to myself.
"You're not an idiot."
"Yes, I am. I let that slip."
"Let what slip? You don't know what you feel for me. It's all right. You'll find out in time. And trust me . . . we have plenty of it."
I nodded. I was still angry with myself. Jareth murmered something and I looked up at him. He was closer than I realized. He had one arm outstreched on either side of me, against the wall. There was no escape.
"What did you say?" I asked breathlessly.
"May I kiss you?" he said staring into my eyes. It was like I was hipnotized. I nodded not looking away from him. Jareth's head came a tad closer to mine. Just as our lips were about to touch . . . a goblin ran in and interupted us. Jareth growled and the creature ran away. I shook my head feeling dazed. It felt like I had come out of a trance.
"W-what did you do to me?" I stammered.
"Forget about it. It's gone now." he muttered.
"Did you-did you put a spell on me?!!?" I asked dreading the answer.
"Yes."
"You . . . you . . . I'm so mad I can't think of a bad word to call you! Just show me my room before I slap you, Jareth." I said, turning my back towards him. As soon as I heard his boots clack on the floor I turned and followed him. He led me to a red door. Jareth opened it for me and I went in without a backward glance at him. He sighed and shut the door. When I heard the door shut, I turned to look at the room. I gasped in awe. it was magnificent. The room was done in red and black. The walls were red and the furniture was black. The bed had a black canopy over it and the bedclothes were a blood-red. There were six pillows. Three blood-red three black.
"Wow. This is beautiful." There was a knock at the door, I went over to answer it.
"Ashley!" I heard a female voice call.
I opened the door for my cousin, "Hey, Heather. Come on in."
"How do you like your room? Jareth and I decorated it."
"Jareth decorated it?"
"Yea. Well, sort of. He did his magic and the room was red and black. I picked out the furniture. Do you like the bed? I remember you always wanted a canopy."
"It's wonderful! Thank you."
"Come on, it's time for dinner."
"Will Jareth be there?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I have to apoligise to him. I did something I regret. I treated him like . . . a cruel, no hearted, witchy jerk."
"What? You showed him your real self?" she joked.
"Ha ha ha. Notice how hard I'm laughing." I glared at her, "Wait. Am I really like that to everyone?"
"No. You are the most gentle, loving, un-witchy person I know."
"Oh, Goddess . . . there she goes again with her insane ramblings." I muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
"Ha. Funny."
"Gotcha back."
"Come on, witch. Dinner time."
I nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. She opened my door and led me down the hall. We came to a really big blue door. Heather opened it and walked in. She stood there, waiting for me to come in. I hesitated and stepped into the room. It was huge! I noticed Jareth standing up respectfully. As Heather and I moved to the table, Jareht pulled out a chair for Heather and then one for me.
"Thank you." I said softly.
"Your welcome."
"Jareth, after we eat, may I speak with you?"
"Of course. What about?"
I hesitated, "Earlier tonight."
"Of course."
Before we could say anything else, dinner was being served. It was lamb with a weird sauce on it. It was awesome. After we ate, Heather went back to her room. That left Jareth and me alone.
"Come. We can talk in the gardens." He held out his hand. I didn't hesitate and I could see it in his eyes that he was relived.
"Ashley, come. I'll show you to your room." Jareth said and put his gloved hand out for me. I hesitated for a minute and put my hand in his. He winced a little, almost so that I couldn't notice, but I did. Jareth led me to the hall.
"'Bye, Ashley!" Heather said, smiling brightly as she closed her door.
"See you, Heather!" I said.
"'Bye, Jareth." Heather said.
"Good-bye, Heather. We will see you for dinner." Jareth replied.
She shut her door.
"Sorry for making you wince." I said softly.
"What made you think I winced?"
"I saw you."
"All right, I did wince. I winced because I don't think you trust me. Am I right?"
"Well . . . I honestly don't know what to think right now." I admitted.
"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to figure it out. May I ask you something?"
"You just did, did you not?"
"You have a sense of humor."
"You telling me that you watched me for fourteen years and you didn't see it?" I asked jokingly.
"You never answered my question."
"It depends on what the question is."
He stopped and looked at me.
"Fine, yes, you may ask me a question."
"Are you scared of me?" he asked looking into my eyes.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I can feel your fear when I enter the same room as you or when I touch you."
"Somewhat you do. That will go away as I get to know you more."
"You are scared of me."
"Actually, not you. Just . . . what you make me feel . . . that is what I fear. I have never felt it before."
"How do I make you feel?" he asked.
"No special way!" I said quickly, "Idiot." I muttered to myself.
"You're not an idiot."
"Yes, I am. I let that slip."
"Let what slip? You don't know what you feel for me. It's all right. You'll find out in time. And trust me . . . we have plenty of it."
I nodded. I was still angry with myself. Jareth murmered something and I looked up at him. He was closer than I realized. He had one arm outstreched on either side of me, against the wall. There was no escape.
"What did you say?" I asked breathlessly.
"May I kiss you?" he said staring into my eyes. It was like I was hipnotized. I nodded not looking away from him. Jareth's head came a tad closer to mine. Just as our lips were about to touch . . . a goblin ran in and interupted us. Jareth growled and the creature ran away. I shook my head feeling dazed. It felt like I had come out of a trance.
"W-what did you do to me?" I stammered.
"Forget about it. It's gone now." he muttered.
"Did you-did you put a spell on me?!!?" I asked dreading the answer.
"Yes."
"You . . . you . . . I'm so mad I can't think of a bad word to call you! Just show me my room before I slap you, Jareth." I said, turning my back towards him. As soon as I heard his boots clack on the floor I turned and followed him. He led me to a red door. Jareth opened it for me and I went in without a backward glance at him. He sighed and shut the door. When I heard the door shut, I turned to look at the room. I gasped in awe. it was magnificent. The room was done in red and black. The walls were red and the furniture was black. The bed had a black canopy over it and the bedclothes were a blood-red. There were six pillows. Three blood-red three black.
"Wow. This is beautiful." There was a knock at the door, I went over to answer it.
"Ashley!" I heard a female voice call.
I opened the door for my cousin, "Hey, Heather. Come on in."
"How do you like your room? Jareth and I decorated it."
"Jareth decorated it?"
"Yea. Well, sort of. He did his magic and the room was red and black. I picked out the furniture. Do you like the bed? I remember you always wanted a canopy."
"It's wonderful! Thank you."
"Come on, it's time for dinner."
"Will Jareth be there?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I have to apoligise to him. I did something I regret. I treated him like . . . a cruel, no hearted, witchy jerk."
"What? You showed him your real self?" she joked.
"Ha ha ha. Notice how hard I'm laughing." I glared at her, "Wait. Am I really like that to everyone?"
"No. You are the most gentle, loving, un-witchy person I know."
"Oh, Goddess . . . there she goes again with her insane ramblings." I muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
"Ha. Funny."
"Gotcha back."
"Come on, witch. Dinner time."
I nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. She opened my door and led me down the hall. We came to a really big blue door. Heather opened it and walked in. She stood there, waiting for me to come in. I hesitated and stepped into the room. It was huge! I noticed Jareth standing up respectfully. As Heather and I moved to the table, Jareht pulled out a chair for Heather and then one for me.
"Thank you." I said softly.
"Your welcome."
"Jareth, after we eat, may I speak with you?"
"Of course. What about?"
I hesitated, "Earlier tonight."
"Of course."
Before we could say anything else, dinner was being served. It was lamb with a weird sauce on it. It was awesome. After we ate, Heather went back to her room. That left Jareth and me alone.
"Come. We can talk in the gardens." He held out his hand. I didn't hesitate and I could see it in his eyes that he was relived.