AN: Well this is the longest bloody story I've ever written. =)
Hooded Crow: Thanks you *so* much for pointing out about my little
mix up... I did truly mean Drevlyn. Devalt would be from another
story. Let's just say having more than ten stories going on at
once is not a real good idea. ;) It should be all fixed now... LOL
Glad you all thought Draculo was creepy, despite his cheesy name
(yes I know its cheesy but sue me, I couldn't think of anything
better). The reviews have been heartening, wonderful, and kind of
scary. I usually don't feel quite to pressured to write *good*
stuff! hehe This chapter is pretty much a short filler. The Judgment
Session starts in twenty most definitely and Kimi gets to see who I
write her out to be (had to admire her guts).
I don't own em.
******************Sacrifices: Chapter Nineteen****************
The King of the Phoenixes glided down the stairs and, as one, the
gathered species of the assembled beings slowed and stopped, their
masked faces turned upwards to golden light and the coming of their
Lord.
"What, who is that?" Sarah breathed, awed despite herself. The
strange, commanding man, was, was beautiful, blindingly beautiful in a
white medieval styled tuxedo. His skin was pale, almost opaque, and
he gleamed, no glowed with, with fire. You could see it, feel the
breath of heat that came from flames that were locked, barely
restrained, inside the lithe, confident form. His hair didn't even
try for restraint. Flames soared to life from his scalp and burned
upwards, nearly a foot tall, pale, white fire. Fire that seared
instead of simply burning.
It was the eyes that impressed Sarah most though. She found them from
across the immense room, found them and stared unabashedly. Jareth's
eyes were, were human, strange, but human. Melani and Drevlyn's eyes
were odd as well but she had little trouble reading the emotions in
them.
Staring into the man's eyes were like looking into jewels of purest
sapphire. They were large, vivid, a startling azure blue that stood
out against his smooth, white skin. He had no pupils. They were like
a cloudless summer day, wide, inviting, a sky framed by flames.
"That is Cadreth, King of the Phoenixes, Lord of the Sidhe Court."
Sarah tore her gaze away long enough to glance back and see Jareth's
slight curl of a smile.
"Phoenix..." The curl widened and Sarah swallowed with the sudden
realization of her precarious position in the Goblin King's arms. She
stiffened and his damn smile grew as her hair, oblivious to the
discomfort that had come when shock had worn off and her tears had
been chased away, danced up his muscular arms and touched his own gold
locks, fine sable against baby blonde. She bit her bottom lip and
continued bravely enough.
"Lord of the Court?" The smile faded.
Jareth sighed as his intense gaze left her questioning face and
flickered back to the King. Cadreth had reached the bottom of his
stairs. Mismatched gaze met bejeweled gaze for a moment and Jareth
inclined his head in silent recognition.
Of all the rulers in all of the Underground he respected few more than
the Phoenix King. Jareth did not always agree with, or support him,
but his respect never dimmed. Jareth held more magic then any other
being in the Court, Cadreth held the most power. He was strong enough
to claim the title Lord of the Court.
Was powerful enough to walk down from his balcony unaccompanied by a
Queen.
Was Jareth's only match, and only an equal here, at the Sidhe Court.
Where politics were a form of war all their own. In reality Jareth was
King, superior, of all. He answered Sarah's question, arms
unconsciously tightening around her as he watched Cadreth's descent
and subsequent progress.
"Yes Sarah, Lord of the Court. He rules here, presides over us all
while we are under this roof. He is in charge of the Judgment
Session." She went deathly still in his arms. The Goblin King
glanced down at her and quickly looked away. She was pale, frightened
for all to see.
The crowd of masked beings parted before the Phoenix King's sure, even
strides. Cadreth was unmasked, he had no use for Balls.
The Phoenix King stopped in front of them both, the errant Goblin King
and curious immortal human. Jareth disentangled himself from his hold
on Sarah and stepped forward and slightly in front of his servant, in
front of his subject. Cadreth's grave blue eyes danced
disconcertingly before the Lord of the Court bowed shallowly. Jareth
returned the gesture, neither granting nor denying the man before him
any more respect then that granted to him, the Goblin King.
Jareth's own grotesque mask fell from his angular face and disappeared
with a sleight of hand aided by magic as he straightened stiffly. The
King of the Phoenixes smiled and it was dazzling. Few women, even
Queens, had been able to resist that kind of perfection, of beauty.
But Sarah was not a Queen. And she had always been a mother before a
woman.
Sometimes fear was not necessarily a bad thing.
Sarah stood behind him, away from Cadreth's mesmerizing presence.
Phoenixes were not Vampires but they were hypnotic just the same.
Dangerous when the interest was piqued, and Cadreth was interested in
the human who had caused such drastic actions in the ever aloof and
controlled Goblin King.
Interested in the once mortal who had bested the Lord of the Court's
better.
He did not speak or threaten though. He was not as foolish as
Draculo. He wasn't as stupid. Cadreth did not attempt to ensnare the
human woman any farther. The time for that would come later.
"Jareth, King of the Goblins," the Phoenix King intoned in a rich,
rolling, light baritone that filled the huge, silent Ball Room, "I,
Cadreth, Phoenix King, Lord of the Court, do call your Judgment
Session into trial. The Ball is over. Let those not strong enough to
retain their power leave. There will be no room for pawns tonight."
The last was a dig, a subtle jibe with multiple meanings and layers.
The Court was about to find out if the almost proclaimed Goblin Queen
was a pawn or not. Jareth stood, still as a perfect alabaster statue,
until Cadreth turned his heel and bared his back to Jareth. The
Goblin King accepted the implied trust in that gesture, and knew its
implicit limits.
The Phoenix King held out one imperious hand before him. The
watching crowd backed warily away. The hand extended and contracted
in a violent fist as it twisted and turned. The air before the
Phoenix King tensed, congealed, and flared into a pool of darkness, a
gate that buzzed with power and magic which stretched nearly ten feet
by ten feet, a hole without light, waiting, expectant.
The Goblin King acknowledged the abilities that the Lord of the Court
held over him. Portals were not one of Jareth's strong points. But
then again, few could shape change as easily as he.
Jareth stepped back as Cadreth went through his portal without another
word. The crowd pulsed forward, expectant, milling, waiting, their
sneering, their laughter, their cruelty obscured by their masks.
But the masks were coming off now.
The Goblin King held his hand out to Sarah. She stared at him for a
moment, and her searching eyes were wide. Jareth forced his features
to smooth, soften, forced his frigid eyes to warm for her, to
reassure, to plead for cooperation just this once. He was her King.
Sarah took Jareth's gloved hand after a moment of hesitation. He
squeezed it once before reaching up with his free hand to untie her
mask. It fell away, leaving her looking human, vulnerable, frail.
And yet, despite her fear, Sarah was not a child, was not someone to
cower. She had faced him in his bitterest rages. She would not bow
in meek submission to the Sidhe Court.
He said nothing, only watched as she took several calming breaths, as
she visibly steeled herself, as she straightened. Waited for her to
regain her composure before guiding them forward.
Sarah Williams and the Goblin King stood before the portal that would
lead them to the Judgment Session that would decide both their
futures. Her eyes, her beautiful amber eyes sought and found his. It
was a new experience, to gain strength from the Goblin King's
presence.
It was not entirely a comfortable feeling.
Jareth's full lips twisted into a rendition of a sardonic, bitter
smile that held little amusement. "And to think, twenty years ago
you thought I was the biggest monster in the Underground, in your
world."
Sarah shuddered at the harshly whispered words but did not pull away.
Instead she let her eyes be drawn to the swirling darkness that
beckoned, a mere step away from them, a mirror that reflected nothing,
hinted at nothing.
Her hand slipped from the Goblin King's. She glanced back once, over
her shoulder, and her mind crystallized and burned the image of Jareth
standing there, framed against the splendor of the Sidhe Court's Ball
Room, surrounded by peers that would never be his equal, more
beautiful then even the honestly entrancing Phoenix King. His sharp
features and white blonde hair seemed softer in the spill of golden
light emitted from the delicate lanterns and lights that floated
lazily in the air high above them.
The contrast of his fair skin and dark, splendid clothing was less
noticeable too, muted. Sarah shivered suddenly and clutched her
scarred hand to her breast, not just unsettled by Jareth's alienness,
but by, by the idea that she was bound to such unearthly
otherworldliness. That she had given up PTA and Burger King for
this. That she had sacrificed her life so that the child she cared
for with all her wary heart wouldn't grow up thinking this place, this
utterly fantastic and inhospitable place was normal.
Sarah answered him, replied, voice soft but no less clear. "Twenty
years ago I didn't have this good of an imagination. But you were
never a monster, not to me. A villain, an obstacle, but never a
monster, god help me. Never a monster."
And then Sarah turned her back on her King; those slim, bared
shoulders square, and walked through the unknown portal by herself.
She was anything but a child, even if she still acted childishly.
Jareth stared after her for a heart beat before the twisted smile
broke and was replaced with something no less cynical but much more
genuine. The Goblin King followed his subject through the portal.
Followed the woman he had sworn not ten minutes past would be his
future Queen.
The milling crowd waited a heart beat before those worthy to
participate in the power struggle that would go on this day shed their
own masks and followed.
The Judgment Session had begun.
Hooded Crow: Thanks you *so* much for pointing out about my little
mix up... I did truly mean Drevlyn. Devalt would be from another
story. Let's just say having more than ten stories going on at
once is not a real good idea. ;) It should be all fixed now... LOL
Glad you all thought Draculo was creepy, despite his cheesy name
(yes I know its cheesy but sue me, I couldn't think of anything
better). The reviews have been heartening, wonderful, and kind of
scary. I usually don't feel quite to pressured to write *good*
stuff! hehe This chapter is pretty much a short filler. The Judgment
Session starts in twenty most definitely and Kimi gets to see who I
write her out to be (had to admire her guts).
I don't own em.
******************Sacrifices: Chapter Nineteen****************
The King of the Phoenixes glided down the stairs and, as one, the
gathered species of the assembled beings slowed and stopped, their
masked faces turned upwards to golden light and the coming of their
Lord.
"What, who is that?" Sarah breathed, awed despite herself. The
strange, commanding man, was, was beautiful, blindingly beautiful in a
white medieval styled tuxedo. His skin was pale, almost opaque, and
he gleamed, no glowed with, with fire. You could see it, feel the
breath of heat that came from flames that were locked, barely
restrained, inside the lithe, confident form. His hair didn't even
try for restraint. Flames soared to life from his scalp and burned
upwards, nearly a foot tall, pale, white fire. Fire that seared
instead of simply burning.
It was the eyes that impressed Sarah most though. She found them from
across the immense room, found them and stared unabashedly. Jareth's
eyes were, were human, strange, but human. Melani and Drevlyn's eyes
were odd as well but she had little trouble reading the emotions in
them.
Staring into the man's eyes were like looking into jewels of purest
sapphire. They were large, vivid, a startling azure blue that stood
out against his smooth, white skin. He had no pupils. They were like
a cloudless summer day, wide, inviting, a sky framed by flames.
"That is Cadreth, King of the Phoenixes, Lord of the Sidhe Court."
Sarah tore her gaze away long enough to glance back and see Jareth's
slight curl of a smile.
"Phoenix..." The curl widened and Sarah swallowed with the sudden
realization of her precarious position in the Goblin King's arms. She
stiffened and his damn smile grew as her hair, oblivious to the
discomfort that had come when shock had worn off and her tears had
been chased away, danced up his muscular arms and touched his own gold
locks, fine sable against baby blonde. She bit her bottom lip and
continued bravely enough.
"Lord of the Court?" The smile faded.
Jareth sighed as his intense gaze left her questioning face and
flickered back to the King. Cadreth had reached the bottom of his
stairs. Mismatched gaze met bejeweled gaze for a moment and Jareth
inclined his head in silent recognition.
Of all the rulers in all of the Underground he respected few more than
the Phoenix King. Jareth did not always agree with, or support him,
but his respect never dimmed. Jareth held more magic then any other
being in the Court, Cadreth held the most power. He was strong enough
to claim the title Lord of the Court.
Was powerful enough to walk down from his balcony unaccompanied by a
Queen.
Was Jareth's only match, and only an equal here, at the Sidhe Court.
Where politics were a form of war all their own. In reality Jareth was
King, superior, of all. He answered Sarah's question, arms
unconsciously tightening around her as he watched Cadreth's descent
and subsequent progress.
"Yes Sarah, Lord of the Court. He rules here, presides over us all
while we are under this roof. He is in charge of the Judgment
Session." She went deathly still in his arms. The Goblin King
glanced down at her and quickly looked away. She was pale, frightened
for all to see.
The crowd of masked beings parted before the Phoenix King's sure, even
strides. Cadreth was unmasked, he had no use for Balls.
The Phoenix King stopped in front of them both, the errant Goblin King
and curious immortal human. Jareth disentangled himself from his hold
on Sarah and stepped forward and slightly in front of his servant, in
front of his subject. Cadreth's grave blue eyes danced
disconcertingly before the Lord of the Court bowed shallowly. Jareth
returned the gesture, neither granting nor denying the man before him
any more respect then that granted to him, the Goblin King.
Jareth's own grotesque mask fell from his angular face and disappeared
with a sleight of hand aided by magic as he straightened stiffly. The
King of the Phoenixes smiled and it was dazzling. Few women, even
Queens, had been able to resist that kind of perfection, of beauty.
But Sarah was not a Queen. And she had always been a mother before a
woman.
Sometimes fear was not necessarily a bad thing.
Sarah stood behind him, away from Cadreth's mesmerizing presence.
Phoenixes were not Vampires but they were hypnotic just the same.
Dangerous when the interest was piqued, and Cadreth was interested in
the human who had caused such drastic actions in the ever aloof and
controlled Goblin King.
Interested in the once mortal who had bested the Lord of the Court's
better.
He did not speak or threaten though. He was not as foolish as
Draculo. He wasn't as stupid. Cadreth did not attempt to ensnare the
human woman any farther. The time for that would come later.
"Jareth, King of the Goblins," the Phoenix King intoned in a rich,
rolling, light baritone that filled the huge, silent Ball Room, "I,
Cadreth, Phoenix King, Lord of the Court, do call your Judgment
Session into trial. The Ball is over. Let those not strong enough to
retain their power leave. There will be no room for pawns tonight."
The last was a dig, a subtle jibe with multiple meanings and layers.
The Court was about to find out if the almost proclaimed Goblin Queen
was a pawn or not. Jareth stood, still as a perfect alabaster statue,
until Cadreth turned his heel and bared his back to Jareth. The
Goblin King accepted the implied trust in that gesture, and knew its
implicit limits.
The Phoenix King held out one imperious hand before him. The
watching crowd backed warily away. The hand extended and contracted
in a violent fist as it twisted and turned. The air before the
Phoenix King tensed, congealed, and flared into a pool of darkness, a
gate that buzzed with power and magic which stretched nearly ten feet
by ten feet, a hole without light, waiting, expectant.
The Goblin King acknowledged the abilities that the Lord of the Court
held over him. Portals were not one of Jareth's strong points. But
then again, few could shape change as easily as he.
Jareth stepped back as Cadreth went through his portal without another
word. The crowd pulsed forward, expectant, milling, waiting, their
sneering, their laughter, their cruelty obscured by their masks.
But the masks were coming off now.
The Goblin King held his hand out to Sarah. She stared at him for a
moment, and her searching eyes were wide. Jareth forced his features
to smooth, soften, forced his frigid eyes to warm for her, to
reassure, to plead for cooperation just this once. He was her King.
Sarah took Jareth's gloved hand after a moment of hesitation. He
squeezed it once before reaching up with his free hand to untie her
mask. It fell away, leaving her looking human, vulnerable, frail.
And yet, despite her fear, Sarah was not a child, was not someone to
cower. She had faced him in his bitterest rages. She would not bow
in meek submission to the Sidhe Court.
He said nothing, only watched as she took several calming breaths, as
she visibly steeled herself, as she straightened. Waited for her to
regain her composure before guiding them forward.
Sarah Williams and the Goblin King stood before the portal that would
lead them to the Judgment Session that would decide both their
futures. Her eyes, her beautiful amber eyes sought and found his. It
was a new experience, to gain strength from the Goblin King's
presence.
It was not entirely a comfortable feeling.
Jareth's full lips twisted into a rendition of a sardonic, bitter
smile that held little amusement. "And to think, twenty years ago
you thought I was the biggest monster in the Underground, in your
world."
Sarah shuddered at the harshly whispered words but did not pull away.
Instead she let her eyes be drawn to the swirling darkness that
beckoned, a mere step away from them, a mirror that reflected nothing,
hinted at nothing.
Her hand slipped from the Goblin King's. She glanced back once, over
her shoulder, and her mind crystallized and burned the image of Jareth
standing there, framed against the splendor of the Sidhe Court's Ball
Room, surrounded by peers that would never be his equal, more
beautiful then even the honestly entrancing Phoenix King. His sharp
features and white blonde hair seemed softer in the spill of golden
light emitted from the delicate lanterns and lights that floated
lazily in the air high above them.
The contrast of his fair skin and dark, splendid clothing was less
noticeable too, muted. Sarah shivered suddenly and clutched her
scarred hand to her breast, not just unsettled by Jareth's alienness,
but by, by the idea that she was bound to such unearthly
otherworldliness. That she had given up PTA and Burger King for
this. That she had sacrificed her life so that the child she cared
for with all her wary heart wouldn't grow up thinking this place, this
utterly fantastic and inhospitable place was normal.
Sarah answered him, replied, voice soft but no less clear. "Twenty
years ago I didn't have this good of an imagination. But you were
never a monster, not to me. A villain, an obstacle, but never a
monster, god help me. Never a monster."
And then Sarah turned her back on her King; those slim, bared
shoulders square, and walked through the unknown portal by herself.
She was anything but a child, even if she still acted childishly.
Jareth stared after her for a heart beat before the twisted smile
broke and was replaced with something no less cynical but much more
genuine. The Goblin King followed his subject through the portal.
Followed the woman he had sworn not ten minutes past would be his
future Queen.
The milling crowd waited a heart beat before those worthy to
participate in the power struggle that would go on this day shed their
own masks and followed.
The Judgment Session had begun.