King of Dreams, Owner of None
by Bunniko
AN: Sorry for the long wait. My beta reader's life got really hectic, so . . . this is the unbetaed version. Will replace with the beta-d version when she gets a chance. But I felt I was probably going to lose my few readers if I didn't put something up, heh. I love those of you who review, and if you don't review, well, thanks for reading too! Feel free to email me at fieryfaerie@yahoo.com This one's a good bit longer, so I hope y'all enjoy. Another chapter with oblique references to me and my friends. So yet again, there's some stuff I own. I own: Trixie/Jeannie, Melinda, Deborah, Rikki, Solei, Kiori and other things as they appear. I do not own: Texas (bummer), England (yay!), the Labyrinth (sniffle), Jareth, Sarah, etc. To my real life friends: See if you can find yourself. Did I write you in? lol
AN 2: caught a few errors after reviewing the story in prep for next chapter, so I've fixed em
AN 3: Yup, I am this lazy hehe. Hey, do you want the next chapter or not? Anyway, just to let those that worry, my beta-reader is BACK and this chapter is now typo-free and grammatically improved. No such guarantee on the Author's notes *giggle*
Please Note: The story is set 5 years after the movie.
Chapter Twelve - A Dreamer's Wish
Bitsy was all Fae, born and bred right here in the Underground. She had no first-hand knowledge of life before the rise of the Humans, and therefore, no bias against Humans. Which was the main reason Jareth had always chosen her as lady's maid to his mistresses and was especially why he had chosen her to tend to Jeannie. Unlike several of the Fae clustered in the close- lying villages, Bitsy would be fiercely loyal to her charge. Jeannie's weakness would bring Bitsy even deeper into her corner, instead of trying to figure out how to exploit it. Not to say that the other Fae were conniving, heartless people. They aren't, but when you are driven out of your homeland, your women and children are slaughtered, your brothers and fathers marched off to war never to return, and then you are ultimately banished to a realm half dependent on the same Humans that took everything from you, it's safe to say you'll become a little bitter and suspicious.
Jareth knew that in the hearts and minds of many of his Fae subjects, fear of Humans and their greed was still strong. It was one of the reasons he couldn't allow his rescued children to remain Human, unless they never left his castle. His mistresses all ultimately came to resent him for what they viewed as their captivity. The only exception to that was Kiori, who, having been half-Fae, had been freer than any of his Human mistresses. Still, he had changed her form when he had rescued her from Earth, from the nightmare life she had been enduring. He had erased her memories of that miserable existence; erasing the abuse at the hands of the man she had thought her father as well as the final eradicator of the Fae.
The Fae and Humans that had managed to unite had held a last bastion in the British Isles until the coming of the Romans. The Fae community was very small, with Humans who followed their practices outnumbering them three to one. The Fae were the highest in authority and in religion, therefore they were the first cut down as the Romans sought to establish their own authority. Kiori, born to a Human mother chosen by a Fae priest as wife, was fortunate in that her father had been long gone when the Roman force decided to settle down and breed the natives out. Her mother was claimed by a Roman brute, tough but not bright. Kiori's mother convinced him that Kiori was his, though born only 5 and ½ months after their forced marriage. He was brutal everywhere, from the battlefield to the bedroom. Her mother endured the violence for only fourteen years. Then, the warrior's hate and lust turned to his daughter. Kiori only survived a year. Body beaten and battered, death had been creeping up on her. But Jareth had intervened, snatching her from the brink of death and the hell on Earth that she had somehow endured for so long.
Jareth was thinking about all of this, in a very disorganized flash, because of the conversation he was having with a shivering, drenched, defensive blonde sitting across from him in front of a fire. He had brought her in, scattering his goblins with shouts for Bitsy and a warm fire and towels. She'd regained consciousness as he'd carried her up the steps to his castle, coughing up water harshly. Then he'd let Bitsy fuss over her until his patience wore out.
"Bitsy. Leave us." Jareth's voice was calm, but very cold and Bitsy backed away quickly, murmuring something about fixing up a toddy. Jeannie's eyes were focused on the flames, her body rigid. Jareth knew instinctively that it wasn't him she was worried about. He softened his tone, leaning forward in his chair, trying to catch her eyes. "Jeannie, what happened?"
Her eyes reflected the flames. "What happened?" she murmured. "What always happens. A man gets angry, and I get wary. A man yells, I jump and start checking for exits. His fist comes up, I flinch." She sighed. "When my dad hit, I couldn't run. I was tiny, too young to really understand that I didn't deserve what I was getting. When the older of my two younger brothers started hitting, I ran away. When the younger one started, I was older. He was still bigger and stronger than me, but I fought back anyway, because I thought I had a chance." A sardonic amusement entered her eyes and she turned to look at Jareth. "But how does one fight back against magic balls of fire zooming past one's head?"
Despite the shadows still in her eyes and the remaining tension in her body, Jareth allowed himself a tight smile. But inside, he couldn't imagine how children on Earth lived. How could they endure all the hate and rage that the adults took out on them? He sighed. "Jeannie, you can't go out there again."
"There's something out there, Jareth. There's a . . . a force out there."
His eyes became familiarly mocking. "A force?"
"Yes, when I looked into the water and saw myself, I screamed out in horror. A vine reached out and when I turned around, there was a woman made out of vines and . . ."
"Jeannie, the Labyrinth sensed you as a challenger and was simply trying to keep you from getting back out. It's not a place for you. It's designed to confuse."
Jeannie stared at that smug face and knew why Sarah always seemed to want to deck this guy. She frowned darkly at him, suddenly feeling patronized and belittled. Was it because she was human or female? Or both? But she decided to tackle a different subject. "Jareth, why didn't you tell me about my head?" Now it was Jareth's turn to fidget.
***
Bitsy hadn't actually gone any further than the door. She'd been there the night Jeannie had been brought in. Jareth had brought her in right away, installing her in her old position as lady's maid, even though the girl was surrounded by doctors. She busied herself with getting the young girl's room ready. Jareth, or one of the doctors, had cast aside the girl's blood- stained costume and Bitsy had gathered it up. With her own magic, she removed the blood-stains and repaired the rents, restoring the three thin gowns to new condition. As she hung it up, layered properly, she thought it a very fine gown for the young princess. She used magic to place the crown on a shelf above the gown and simply assumed it was real gold. In her mind, she was convinced this young girl was a Human princess. She knew nothing of Halloween, and even if she had, she would not have understood it.
Bitsy knew pieces of information about this mortal girl that had defeated her King. The deep loyalty she felt toward Jareth caused a deep dislike for that young woman in her heart. She had long wished for Jareth to marry, and in her foolish romantic heart, she had decided this Human princess was perfect. Both blond, both willowy, ah, the children they would have, she thought dreamily. She longed to hear the pitter-patter of little Fae feet in the castle, for laughter and love to lighten her King's heart and soul. She'd seen them interacting: Jeannie's face animated as she told him some story about her life above ground; Jareth never looking bored or mocking. She was certain romance was budding. And she was determined to do everything she could to foster it. She made certain Jeannie bathed in floral-scented water. Jeannie had confessed to her that her favorite flowers were blood-red roses and pure white calla lilies. So, Bitsy bathed her in rose-scented bubble baths and scented her hair with the faint trace of calla lily essence. She chose perfect gowns to set off the slight tan of her shoulders or the green of her eyes or the gold in her hair. She plotted ways to get the two together, like the formal dinner she had arranged. And she was not displeased that, although angry sparks had flown, Jareth had rushed after her.
But now, Bitsy frowned in annoyance, now when she should be basking in the romantic light of the fire and praising Jareth for rescuing her, the girl was being defiant and independent. And Jareth, drat him, was being downright mean, mocking her and patronizing her instead of wooing her or speaking gently. Bitsy resisted the urge to stamp her foot petulantly. Why was Jareth so darn stubborn? Worse, why was it that he was never gentle and courteous? Bitsy dismissed all the previous restraint Jareth had shown with Jeannie. All his fine civility was dashed by his haughty demeanor at the moment when, in Bitsy's eyes, a romance should be gelling.
But Bitsy was stubborn and not one to admit defeat. After all, no one had challenged Jareth for her, so he must be keeping her. And there was only one way to keep her, since she was an adult. Bitsy just had to make sure that it happened some time before she died!
***
Oblivious to Bitsy's frustrated matchmaking, Jeannie was contemplating her future. Factors she hadn't been able to see were now changing her understanding of things. For the most part, understanding Sarah. Yet, she knew clearly, that there was something going on in the Labyrinth, something going on with Sarah, that neither of them were fully aware of. "So you didn't tell me to protect me?" she finally murmured. Jareth nodded, not expecting what was coming next. Jeannie rose to her feet, her warm blanket pulled about her like a cloak. "I am not a helpless little female who needs to be protected, Jareth." she gritted out from behind clenched teeth. "I could have survived the truth and I would have preferred the truth."
Jareth rose as well, striking his own pose of nonchalant authority. "I was trying to keep you from pain, my dear." He swept her a mocking bow, "But if you would prefer to suffer, tell Sarah to come for you now, that you might see just what awaits you in your world." He pinned her with his eyes. "Do not forget that by saving your life, I prevented Vincent's crime being discovered. How do you plan to explain your deformity, your paleness? Or would you expect me to turn back time as I did for Sarah?"
Jeannie didn't have answers, but she refused to be intimidated. "No, Jareth. I don't expect anything from you. In fact, I feel I have already allowed you to do too much. If you want me to stay within these walls, then I ask a position here of you. If not, then I will seek my own way out there." She gestured wildly. "But I will accept nothing more without earning it." And then her tongue really tripped her up. "I am, after all, stuck here."
Jareth was like a hunting dog scenting the prey. His ears pricked, his eyes hardened. "What do you mean stuck?"
Jeannie thought for a second about lying, but the warning in his eyes changed her mind. So she fell back on an old trick. Her head sunk, her body seemed to wilt, the fight appeared to go out of her. She stared at the ground, eyes misty, sank her teeth into her bottom lip for a moment. Then, raising her head, she speared him with the helplessness and despair in those green eyes. "Sarah said she won't come for me." Her voice was tiny, the words wrenched from her. As she said the words, she felt them becoming a reality that they hadn't been before she'd confessed this.
Jareth fought against the devastation he saw in her eyes, fought against the rage and disappointment growing in his breast. "Why?" he asked flatly, not even sure he cared what reasons Sarah might try to hide behind.
Jeannie shook her head. "She said she can't."
"Bitsy!" Jareth roared. The lady's maid entered nervously, having heard all of this confusing and distressing conversation. "Take Jeannie to her room and give her something to help her sleep. I will be gone for the night."
If either had wanted to reply, he gave them no choice. He was gone in a flicker of the firelight, leaving the two women staring at each other. Bitsy patted the girl's ice-cold hand. "It'll be alright, dear. You'll see." But beneath her comforting words, Bitsy felt very afraid.
***
Sarah sensed him, even before the knock on her front door awoke her from a sound sleep. She glanced at the clock and groaned. 12:30 am. Perfect. She drew her robe tight about her, as if it was some kind of protective armour as she padded down the stairs. He continued to knock, deep, thundering peals that shook her self-confidence. He was mad.
When she opened the door, facing a rain-drenched King of the Underground. She mentally corrected herself, he wasn't mad. He was furious. "Jareth?" she queried, hoping her voice sounded thick with sleep, so that he would feel embarrassed and say he would come back later.
It didn't work. "May I come in?"
Sarah, stunned that he was actually asking permission, stepped back. He gave her a slight bow, then entered. She noted that the dampness didn't enter with him. He seemed to become perfectly dry the second he left the rain. Except for his hair. "What are you doing here?"
He turned towards her, then gestured at the couch. She sighed. So much for a quick visit, she groaned mentally. "I have come to talk."
She stared up at him mutely, noting the iciness of his words, the coldness of his eyes, the rigid way he was sitting. "Jareth, it's after midnight, I was sleeping."
"You've ruined my night, why should I respect yours?" he challenged. Gesturing in his trademark vaudevillian way, he caused two mugs of steaming liquid to appear. She picked one up and sniffed it gingerly. Coffee? She eyed him speculatively. "Oh don't be childish, Sarah. It's prefectly safe. If you can call that dreadful sludge safe."
As he drank out of his own mug, Sarah shrugged and sipped her own. She found it was just the way she liked it, milk and sugar and just a hint of mint. "If you think it so awful, why are you drinking it?"
"I'm not. I'm drinking hot chocolate." She raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to withhold any further comments. Jareth seemed inclined to get to the chase, because his next words nearly caused her to drop the mug. "Why are you abandoning Jeannie?"
Sarah choked and quickly set the mug down, folding her shaking hands in her lap. "What?"
"You heard me, Sarah."
"I . . . I am not abandoning her. I just . . ."
"I find it very hard to believe that you would be afraid to return, Sarah. I would have thought you would think beating me again to be a piece of cake."
"It's just that . . ."
"And since you consider me such a monster, I would think you would want to get your friend back as soon as possible. You wanted her back that night, quite badly if I recall, if all the things you called me were correct. What has changed?"
Sarah gulped. "She's not healed yet, is she, Jareth?"
"I can't do any more for her. And she can not stay where she is. She is in danger there, Sarah!"
"Why?"
"I gave you the answers to why, Sarah! Everything you ever needed to know was in my gift to you, but you never looked properly. Humans don't fit in well Underground. My subjects would not take well to a loose Human adult. That she's female is her only saving grace. But for her, there are only two positions open to her. One I would not care to offer, the other she would not care to accept."
"Tell me the truth, Jareth. What future has she in the Underground?"
Jareth looked at his reflection in the window, distorted by rain. He looked very little like a King, he thought. He looked far too Human for his tastes. "She could be my mistress, my Queen or buried on the hill you tumbled down."
Sarah started. "Buried?"
"A Human adult? Alive in the Underground and not property of the King? What chances would she have? If I turned her loose to wander the Labyrinth, she'd be dead in a week. If I put her in the villages beyond, Human-fearing citizens would find one brutal way or another to rid the Underground of her. And even if she could manage to survive them, even win them over, only my protection could shield her from the magic that would attempt to infuse her."
"How is she protected then as your mistress or Queen?"
"Sarah, I am the King. The magic obeys me. It can not harm what is a part of me."
Behind the couch, a figure sneered. Kiori was enjoying this surprise visit very much. Jareth was such a fool. Not only did he still not suspect there was any rhyme or reason to the Labyrinth's recent behaviour, but he was here, doing her job for her. No longer would she need to plot out exactly how to make the bitter and suspicious Sarah feel guilty about abandoning her friend. Jareth was doing a much better and much more efficient job. Her mistress would be pleased for sure, she thought happily.
Sarah frowned. "How do you know all this? I mean, are you certain?"
Jareth's eyes grew distant. "Unfortunately, I am."
"Explain."
"I fell for a young woman a few hundred years ago. I courted her in her dreams, made her wish herself to me. I'd done that numerous times over the years, you understand. But, in the past, the women were content to stay within the castle, even after I had tired of them." Sarah snorted in irritation, but he ignored it. What was he supposed to have done? Waited for someone, her perhaps, for over a thousand years? "But she was different. She wanted marriage. I, of course, did not. She refused to become my mistress and insisted to be returned. That I could not do. So I released her to live in a forest, where she would be away from the dangers of the villagers. I sent one of my former mistresses with her to keep her company and I visited often. At first, there seemed to be no complications." He paused for a long moment, caught up in the pain-filled memories. When he spoke again, he pinned Sarah with his eyes, forcing her to look at him. "She suffered, Sarah. She suffered horribly. There was nothing I could do as the magic tore through her, changed her and ultimately killed her."
Sarah swallowed hard, stunned by the horror of what he was telling her, both with his words and with the pain in his eyes. "My God." she whispered.
"I swore that I would never let that happen again. That no woman would again enter my world without knowing what was expected of her. But there was no other choice with Jeannie. I couldn't watch her die, not when she called on me to help her. Not when she was wished away properly and there was someone above ground to fight for her."
He rose, crossing over to Sarah and kneeling before her, still holding her eyes captive. "I know you hate me, Sarah, and I suppose I deserve some of that. But do you hate her? Can you condemn her? Because this time, her death will not only be on my hands. How can you turn your back on her?"
Sarah fought against his guilt trip. "You must care for her a great deal." she managed to force out.
His gloved hand came up to touch her cheek, but she jerked away and he let it fall back, defeated. "It is you I love, Sarah. Don't be foolish and be jealous of Jeannie. Yes, I care for her. She is different from all the other girls I have met. She seems to genuinely care about everyone around her. She's learning the names of the goblins! She's told me a little of what she's been through. I want to protect her, to give her the good things in life she deserves."
Sarah forced out a bitter laugh. "The only person you love, Jareth, is yourself. You expect me to believe you care about anyone but you? That you actually want to give Jeannie a better life?"
Jareth's temper battled against the choke-hold he restrained it in. "That is what I do, Sarah. I take the unwanted, the abused, the neglected and I give them something their Human families could not."
"How can I believe that?"
Jareth knew it was time to leave, before he did something stupid again. "Read the book, Sarah. Read the damn book." He rose, his arrogant pose a far cry from the tender way he had knelt before her. He gave her one last look before he strode to the door. "If nothing else, Sarah, at least have the guts to tell Jeannie why you are damning her."
And then he was gone, the door shut firmly behind him, only one mug remaining on the coffee table. Sarah sat, stunned for a moment, trying to process everything. The next moment, she was a blur racing up the stairs, stumbling into the attic, blindly reaching for the book.
by Bunniko
AN: Sorry for the long wait. My beta reader's life got really hectic, so . . . this is the unbetaed version. Will replace with the beta-d version when she gets a chance. But I felt I was probably going to lose my few readers if I didn't put something up, heh. I love those of you who review, and if you don't review, well, thanks for reading too! Feel free to email me at fieryfaerie@yahoo.com This one's a good bit longer, so I hope y'all enjoy. Another chapter with oblique references to me and my friends. So yet again, there's some stuff I own. I own: Trixie/Jeannie, Melinda, Deborah, Rikki, Solei, Kiori and other things as they appear. I do not own: Texas (bummer), England (yay!), the Labyrinth (sniffle), Jareth, Sarah, etc. To my real life friends: See if you can find yourself. Did I write you in? lol
AN 2: caught a few errors after reviewing the story in prep for next chapter, so I've fixed em
AN 3: Yup, I am this lazy hehe. Hey, do you want the next chapter or not? Anyway, just to let those that worry, my beta-reader is BACK and this chapter is now typo-free and grammatically improved. No such guarantee on the Author's notes *giggle*
Please Note: The story is set 5 years after the movie.
Chapter Twelve - A Dreamer's Wish
Bitsy was all Fae, born and bred right here in the Underground. She had no first-hand knowledge of life before the rise of the Humans, and therefore, no bias against Humans. Which was the main reason Jareth had always chosen her as lady's maid to his mistresses and was especially why he had chosen her to tend to Jeannie. Unlike several of the Fae clustered in the close- lying villages, Bitsy would be fiercely loyal to her charge. Jeannie's weakness would bring Bitsy even deeper into her corner, instead of trying to figure out how to exploit it. Not to say that the other Fae were conniving, heartless people. They aren't, but when you are driven out of your homeland, your women and children are slaughtered, your brothers and fathers marched off to war never to return, and then you are ultimately banished to a realm half dependent on the same Humans that took everything from you, it's safe to say you'll become a little bitter and suspicious.
Jareth knew that in the hearts and minds of many of his Fae subjects, fear of Humans and their greed was still strong. It was one of the reasons he couldn't allow his rescued children to remain Human, unless they never left his castle. His mistresses all ultimately came to resent him for what they viewed as their captivity. The only exception to that was Kiori, who, having been half-Fae, had been freer than any of his Human mistresses. Still, he had changed her form when he had rescued her from Earth, from the nightmare life she had been enduring. He had erased her memories of that miserable existence; erasing the abuse at the hands of the man she had thought her father as well as the final eradicator of the Fae.
The Fae and Humans that had managed to unite had held a last bastion in the British Isles until the coming of the Romans. The Fae community was very small, with Humans who followed their practices outnumbering them three to one. The Fae were the highest in authority and in religion, therefore they were the first cut down as the Romans sought to establish their own authority. Kiori, born to a Human mother chosen by a Fae priest as wife, was fortunate in that her father had been long gone when the Roman force decided to settle down and breed the natives out. Her mother was claimed by a Roman brute, tough but not bright. Kiori's mother convinced him that Kiori was his, though born only 5 and ½ months after their forced marriage. He was brutal everywhere, from the battlefield to the bedroom. Her mother endured the violence for only fourteen years. Then, the warrior's hate and lust turned to his daughter. Kiori only survived a year. Body beaten and battered, death had been creeping up on her. But Jareth had intervened, snatching her from the brink of death and the hell on Earth that she had somehow endured for so long.
Jareth was thinking about all of this, in a very disorganized flash, because of the conversation he was having with a shivering, drenched, defensive blonde sitting across from him in front of a fire. He had brought her in, scattering his goblins with shouts for Bitsy and a warm fire and towels. She'd regained consciousness as he'd carried her up the steps to his castle, coughing up water harshly. Then he'd let Bitsy fuss over her until his patience wore out.
"Bitsy. Leave us." Jareth's voice was calm, but very cold and Bitsy backed away quickly, murmuring something about fixing up a toddy. Jeannie's eyes were focused on the flames, her body rigid. Jareth knew instinctively that it wasn't him she was worried about. He softened his tone, leaning forward in his chair, trying to catch her eyes. "Jeannie, what happened?"
Her eyes reflected the flames. "What happened?" she murmured. "What always happens. A man gets angry, and I get wary. A man yells, I jump and start checking for exits. His fist comes up, I flinch." She sighed. "When my dad hit, I couldn't run. I was tiny, too young to really understand that I didn't deserve what I was getting. When the older of my two younger brothers started hitting, I ran away. When the younger one started, I was older. He was still bigger and stronger than me, but I fought back anyway, because I thought I had a chance." A sardonic amusement entered her eyes and she turned to look at Jareth. "But how does one fight back against magic balls of fire zooming past one's head?"
Despite the shadows still in her eyes and the remaining tension in her body, Jareth allowed himself a tight smile. But inside, he couldn't imagine how children on Earth lived. How could they endure all the hate and rage that the adults took out on them? He sighed. "Jeannie, you can't go out there again."
"There's something out there, Jareth. There's a . . . a force out there."
His eyes became familiarly mocking. "A force?"
"Yes, when I looked into the water and saw myself, I screamed out in horror. A vine reached out and when I turned around, there was a woman made out of vines and . . ."
"Jeannie, the Labyrinth sensed you as a challenger and was simply trying to keep you from getting back out. It's not a place for you. It's designed to confuse."
Jeannie stared at that smug face and knew why Sarah always seemed to want to deck this guy. She frowned darkly at him, suddenly feeling patronized and belittled. Was it because she was human or female? Or both? But she decided to tackle a different subject. "Jareth, why didn't you tell me about my head?" Now it was Jareth's turn to fidget.
***
Bitsy hadn't actually gone any further than the door. She'd been there the night Jeannie had been brought in. Jareth had brought her in right away, installing her in her old position as lady's maid, even though the girl was surrounded by doctors. She busied herself with getting the young girl's room ready. Jareth, or one of the doctors, had cast aside the girl's blood- stained costume and Bitsy had gathered it up. With her own magic, she removed the blood-stains and repaired the rents, restoring the three thin gowns to new condition. As she hung it up, layered properly, she thought it a very fine gown for the young princess. She used magic to place the crown on a shelf above the gown and simply assumed it was real gold. In her mind, she was convinced this young girl was a Human princess. She knew nothing of Halloween, and even if she had, she would not have understood it.
Bitsy knew pieces of information about this mortal girl that had defeated her King. The deep loyalty she felt toward Jareth caused a deep dislike for that young woman in her heart. She had long wished for Jareth to marry, and in her foolish romantic heart, she had decided this Human princess was perfect. Both blond, both willowy, ah, the children they would have, she thought dreamily. She longed to hear the pitter-patter of little Fae feet in the castle, for laughter and love to lighten her King's heart and soul. She'd seen them interacting: Jeannie's face animated as she told him some story about her life above ground; Jareth never looking bored or mocking. She was certain romance was budding. And she was determined to do everything she could to foster it. She made certain Jeannie bathed in floral-scented water. Jeannie had confessed to her that her favorite flowers were blood-red roses and pure white calla lilies. So, Bitsy bathed her in rose-scented bubble baths and scented her hair with the faint trace of calla lily essence. She chose perfect gowns to set off the slight tan of her shoulders or the green of her eyes or the gold in her hair. She plotted ways to get the two together, like the formal dinner she had arranged. And she was not displeased that, although angry sparks had flown, Jareth had rushed after her.
But now, Bitsy frowned in annoyance, now when she should be basking in the romantic light of the fire and praising Jareth for rescuing her, the girl was being defiant and independent. And Jareth, drat him, was being downright mean, mocking her and patronizing her instead of wooing her or speaking gently. Bitsy resisted the urge to stamp her foot petulantly. Why was Jareth so darn stubborn? Worse, why was it that he was never gentle and courteous? Bitsy dismissed all the previous restraint Jareth had shown with Jeannie. All his fine civility was dashed by his haughty demeanor at the moment when, in Bitsy's eyes, a romance should be gelling.
But Bitsy was stubborn and not one to admit defeat. After all, no one had challenged Jareth for her, so he must be keeping her. And there was only one way to keep her, since she was an adult. Bitsy just had to make sure that it happened some time before she died!
***
Oblivious to Bitsy's frustrated matchmaking, Jeannie was contemplating her future. Factors she hadn't been able to see were now changing her understanding of things. For the most part, understanding Sarah. Yet, she knew clearly, that there was something going on in the Labyrinth, something going on with Sarah, that neither of them were fully aware of. "So you didn't tell me to protect me?" she finally murmured. Jareth nodded, not expecting what was coming next. Jeannie rose to her feet, her warm blanket pulled about her like a cloak. "I am not a helpless little female who needs to be protected, Jareth." she gritted out from behind clenched teeth. "I could have survived the truth and I would have preferred the truth."
Jareth rose as well, striking his own pose of nonchalant authority. "I was trying to keep you from pain, my dear." He swept her a mocking bow, "But if you would prefer to suffer, tell Sarah to come for you now, that you might see just what awaits you in your world." He pinned her with his eyes. "Do not forget that by saving your life, I prevented Vincent's crime being discovered. How do you plan to explain your deformity, your paleness? Or would you expect me to turn back time as I did for Sarah?"
Jeannie didn't have answers, but she refused to be intimidated. "No, Jareth. I don't expect anything from you. In fact, I feel I have already allowed you to do too much. If you want me to stay within these walls, then I ask a position here of you. If not, then I will seek my own way out there." She gestured wildly. "But I will accept nothing more without earning it." And then her tongue really tripped her up. "I am, after all, stuck here."
Jareth was like a hunting dog scenting the prey. His ears pricked, his eyes hardened. "What do you mean stuck?"
Jeannie thought for a second about lying, but the warning in his eyes changed her mind. So she fell back on an old trick. Her head sunk, her body seemed to wilt, the fight appeared to go out of her. She stared at the ground, eyes misty, sank her teeth into her bottom lip for a moment. Then, raising her head, she speared him with the helplessness and despair in those green eyes. "Sarah said she won't come for me." Her voice was tiny, the words wrenched from her. As she said the words, she felt them becoming a reality that they hadn't been before she'd confessed this.
Jareth fought against the devastation he saw in her eyes, fought against the rage and disappointment growing in his breast. "Why?" he asked flatly, not even sure he cared what reasons Sarah might try to hide behind.
Jeannie shook her head. "She said she can't."
"Bitsy!" Jareth roared. The lady's maid entered nervously, having heard all of this confusing and distressing conversation. "Take Jeannie to her room and give her something to help her sleep. I will be gone for the night."
If either had wanted to reply, he gave them no choice. He was gone in a flicker of the firelight, leaving the two women staring at each other. Bitsy patted the girl's ice-cold hand. "It'll be alright, dear. You'll see." But beneath her comforting words, Bitsy felt very afraid.
***
Sarah sensed him, even before the knock on her front door awoke her from a sound sleep. She glanced at the clock and groaned. 12:30 am. Perfect. She drew her robe tight about her, as if it was some kind of protective armour as she padded down the stairs. He continued to knock, deep, thundering peals that shook her self-confidence. He was mad.
When she opened the door, facing a rain-drenched King of the Underground. She mentally corrected herself, he wasn't mad. He was furious. "Jareth?" she queried, hoping her voice sounded thick with sleep, so that he would feel embarrassed and say he would come back later.
It didn't work. "May I come in?"
Sarah, stunned that he was actually asking permission, stepped back. He gave her a slight bow, then entered. She noted that the dampness didn't enter with him. He seemed to become perfectly dry the second he left the rain. Except for his hair. "What are you doing here?"
He turned towards her, then gestured at the couch. She sighed. So much for a quick visit, she groaned mentally. "I have come to talk."
She stared up at him mutely, noting the iciness of his words, the coldness of his eyes, the rigid way he was sitting. "Jareth, it's after midnight, I was sleeping."
"You've ruined my night, why should I respect yours?" he challenged. Gesturing in his trademark vaudevillian way, he caused two mugs of steaming liquid to appear. She picked one up and sniffed it gingerly. Coffee? She eyed him speculatively. "Oh don't be childish, Sarah. It's prefectly safe. If you can call that dreadful sludge safe."
As he drank out of his own mug, Sarah shrugged and sipped her own. She found it was just the way she liked it, milk and sugar and just a hint of mint. "If you think it so awful, why are you drinking it?"
"I'm not. I'm drinking hot chocolate." She raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to withhold any further comments. Jareth seemed inclined to get to the chase, because his next words nearly caused her to drop the mug. "Why are you abandoning Jeannie?"
Sarah choked and quickly set the mug down, folding her shaking hands in her lap. "What?"
"You heard me, Sarah."
"I . . . I am not abandoning her. I just . . ."
"I find it very hard to believe that you would be afraid to return, Sarah. I would have thought you would think beating me again to be a piece of cake."
"It's just that . . ."
"And since you consider me such a monster, I would think you would want to get your friend back as soon as possible. You wanted her back that night, quite badly if I recall, if all the things you called me were correct. What has changed?"
Sarah gulped. "She's not healed yet, is she, Jareth?"
"I can't do any more for her. And she can not stay where she is. She is in danger there, Sarah!"
"Why?"
"I gave you the answers to why, Sarah! Everything you ever needed to know was in my gift to you, but you never looked properly. Humans don't fit in well Underground. My subjects would not take well to a loose Human adult. That she's female is her only saving grace. But for her, there are only two positions open to her. One I would not care to offer, the other she would not care to accept."
"Tell me the truth, Jareth. What future has she in the Underground?"
Jareth looked at his reflection in the window, distorted by rain. He looked very little like a King, he thought. He looked far too Human for his tastes. "She could be my mistress, my Queen or buried on the hill you tumbled down."
Sarah started. "Buried?"
"A Human adult? Alive in the Underground and not property of the King? What chances would she have? If I turned her loose to wander the Labyrinth, she'd be dead in a week. If I put her in the villages beyond, Human-fearing citizens would find one brutal way or another to rid the Underground of her. And even if she could manage to survive them, even win them over, only my protection could shield her from the magic that would attempt to infuse her."
"How is she protected then as your mistress or Queen?"
"Sarah, I am the King. The magic obeys me. It can not harm what is a part of me."
Behind the couch, a figure sneered. Kiori was enjoying this surprise visit very much. Jareth was such a fool. Not only did he still not suspect there was any rhyme or reason to the Labyrinth's recent behaviour, but he was here, doing her job for her. No longer would she need to plot out exactly how to make the bitter and suspicious Sarah feel guilty about abandoning her friend. Jareth was doing a much better and much more efficient job. Her mistress would be pleased for sure, she thought happily.
Sarah frowned. "How do you know all this? I mean, are you certain?"
Jareth's eyes grew distant. "Unfortunately, I am."
"Explain."
"I fell for a young woman a few hundred years ago. I courted her in her dreams, made her wish herself to me. I'd done that numerous times over the years, you understand. But, in the past, the women were content to stay within the castle, even after I had tired of them." Sarah snorted in irritation, but he ignored it. What was he supposed to have done? Waited for someone, her perhaps, for over a thousand years? "But she was different. She wanted marriage. I, of course, did not. She refused to become my mistress and insisted to be returned. That I could not do. So I released her to live in a forest, where she would be away from the dangers of the villagers. I sent one of my former mistresses with her to keep her company and I visited often. At first, there seemed to be no complications." He paused for a long moment, caught up in the pain-filled memories. When he spoke again, he pinned Sarah with his eyes, forcing her to look at him. "She suffered, Sarah. She suffered horribly. There was nothing I could do as the magic tore through her, changed her and ultimately killed her."
Sarah swallowed hard, stunned by the horror of what he was telling her, both with his words and with the pain in his eyes. "My God." she whispered.
"I swore that I would never let that happen again. That no woman would again enter my world without knowing what was expected of her. But there was no other choice with Jeannie. I couldn't watch her die, not when she called on me to help her. Not when she was wished away properly and there was someone above ground to fight for her."
He rose, crossing over to Sarah and kneeling before her, still holding her eyes captive. "I know you hate me, Sarah, and I suppose I deserve some of that. But do you hate her? Can you condemn her? Because this time, her death will not only be on my hands. How can you turn your back on her?"
Sarah fought against his guilt trip. "You must care for her a great deal." she managed to force out.
His gloved hand came up to touch her cheek, but she jerked away and he let it fall back, defeated. "It is you I love, Sarah. Don't be foolish and be jealous of Jeannie. Yes, I care for her. She is different from all the other girls I have met. She seems to genuinely care about everyone around her. She's learning the names of the goblins! She's told me a little of what she's been through. I want to protect her, to give her the good things in life she deserves."
Sarah forced out a bitter laugh. "The only person you love, Jareth, is yourself. You expect me to believe you care about anyone but you? That you actually want to give Jeannie a better life?"
Jareth's temper battled against the choke-hold he restrained it in. "That is what I do, Sarah. I take the unwanted, the abused, the neglected and I give them something their Human families could not."
"How can I believe that?"
Jareth knew it was time to leave, before he did something stupid again. "Read the book, Sarah. Read the damn book." He rose, his arrogant pose a far cry from the tender way he had knelt before her. He gave her one last look before he strode to the door. "If nothing else, Sarah, at least have the guts to tell Jeannie why you are damning her."
And then he was gone, the door shut firmly behind him, only one mug remaining on the coffee table. Sarah sat, stunned for a moment, trying to process everything. The next moment, she was a blur racing up the stairs, stumbling into the attic, blindly reaching for the book.