That night, neither Jareth nor Dris slept at all. While Dris was taking care of Sara's wounds, Jareth was busy keeping watch. Dris watched as he winced everytime Sara moaned in her sleep. She was exhausted emotionally and weak physically.
"How is she, Dris?" Jareth asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last hour.
"She's resting. Kind of. She's got a small fever, Jareth."
The Goblin King turned to look at Sara with Dris sitting next to her. "How high?"
"Not bad for now. But it seems to be getting worse all the time. Jareth, what if she was poisoned? We have to get her to Mother. Neither of us knows the healing magiks the way she does."
"Do you really think that she may be poisoned?"
"We have to consider the chance. Jareth, you just found her again. Don't lose her this time."
"It's dangerous to transport while injured."
"I know. But given the choice between transport and Sara's possible death . . ."
She didn't need to finish that sentence. Jareth knew that Sara would be much safer at his parents' home than she was in his. At least, for now. Until he found out who was trying to kill her. He knew that if he could expose this criminal to the Court, they would see justice done. It was forbidden for one Fae to kill another in the Underground.
But Sara was only half Fae. Would that make a difference to her claim to Tarmain's kingdom? Would the Seelie Court deny her claim because of her human blood? No. They couldn't. She was the only living heir to the kingdom. They had to honor her claim as per the history of the Underground.
"Very well. Wrap her well, Dris. I will need your help in order to make this as smooth a transport as possible."
"Should I call on Father to help us as well?"
"He would be a great help. His powers are more advanced than either of us." Dris sent out a silent plea to their father to help them bring the injured girl to his home. She promised that Jareth would explain everything once they got there but right now they needed to get the girl out of Jareth's castle.
"I will help you, my children, but I do expect an explanation when you arrive."
"You have my word, Father," Jareth vowed.
"Are you ready, children?" Jareth picked up the carefully swadled form that was Sara and held her gently in his arms.
"Yes, Father. We are."
The room shimmered around them and a new one took form.
Sara was shaking in Jareth's arms as the new room became solid around them. Jareth didn't hesitate once the transport was finished. He headed straight for his mother's quarters where she was waiting with all of her medical supplies.
"Now, Jareth, what is going on? What could possibly make you risk further injury to someone you obviously care very deeply for?" Jareth's father's voice was just as booming as it had always been.
"Father, Sara is the girl that defeated my Labyrinth five years ago. She is the one that has claimed my heart." Jareth bowed his head, knowing that the next part would hurt his father greatly. "She is also the only living heir to Tarmain's kingdom. Lindarel died the day that Sara returned to me. Sara is her daughter."
"No!" The whispered voice of Jareth's mother from behind him made him spin. The Lady Caronara was leaning heavily on her daughter, being weak from having healed Sara.
"Mother, I'm afraid so. I only found out a few days ago who Sara was when I found one of Tarmain's letters to me detailing everything."
"My Lady, are you ill?" Rolardin's worried voice drew a fond glance from his wife.
"I will recover with rest, my Lord. The child was poisoned. Dristeria was wise to urge Jareth to bring her here. I have healed her. The only thing she needs now is a lot of rest." She pulled herself away from Dris and walked carefully to her son. "Is she really Lindarel's daughter?"
"Yes, Mother. I saw a picture of Linda Williams and she is the image of Lindarel." Jareth stopped talking for a moment and listened to something no one else could hear. "We will talk more later, Mother. Sara is calling me." He ran off down the hallway.
"Sara?" Jareth whispered as he entered the room where he had left his beloved in his mother's care. He crept carefully to her side as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams were obviously not pleasant because there were tear tracks on her cheeks. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair out of her face. "Beloved." He wanted to soothe her and help her to relax. She seemed so scared of something.
Suddenly, Sara's eyes flew open and the terror there made Jareth wonder what she had seen in her dreams. "Oh God, Jareth! If you hadn't come for me when I called, . . ."
He placed one finger softly across her lips. "Don't think about that now, my sweet. It didn't happen. It will never happen. I will always protect you. Never forget that." He kissed her forehead and pulled her gently into his arms. "I will always protect you."
"Stay with me, Jareth. Hold me. Make my dreams sweet. Hold me. Please."
"Your wish is my command, my love." He stroked her hair and held her close. "Just let me get these boots off."
She wouldn't let go of him even long enough to take off his boots. He smiled and with a gesture of his hand his boots were sitting beside the bed. He crawled up on the bed and sat against the headboard. The woman he loved was curled up against him in his arms. She slept peacefully there for the first time in a long time.
"Jareth, really I feel much better. Please let me get up."
"My mother says you need a great deal of rest because you were weak even before the attack. Now, back to sleep."
"I have been sleeping for days. I want to get up."
"Not until my mother says you can. No one argues with the Queen Mother." Jareth remembered the one time that he tried to and got absolutely nowhere.
"I'm glad you finally got that through your head." The chuckle that came from the doorway surprised Jareth. "I have to admit that was the most spirited arguement I had had in a long time. Even your father never argued with me like that." She entered the room and noticed that Jareth's boots were once again beside Sara's bed. "How do you feel this morning, dear?"
"My Lady, I feel fine. Please may I get out of bed?" Sara was pleading. She was really hating all this mollycoddling. She wanted to get up and explore Jareth's parents' home. She wanted to get to know these people who had raised her grandmother, Lillian. She wanted to find out what they might know about this assassin problem.
Caronara bent down and touched a hand to Sara's forehead. She smiled and nodded. "I believe it is alright if you get out of bed on the condition that the moment you feel tired, you go straight back to bed."
"I promise."
"She reminds me so much of her grandmother. She would say anything to get her way and the way she would look at me I could never refuse my beautiful Lillian."
"My Lady, will you tell me about my grandmother? I never knew her."
"I will, dear child. I will in time."
Sara got up out of bed and stretched like a cat after a nap. "I feel so wonderful. Can I walk around outside?"
"Of course, dear. Jareth can take you through the gardens. Just remember, dear girl, that our protection of you only covers the grounds of our home. Outside of the grounds, we can not hide you from those who would hurt you."
"Sara, how are you this morning?" Dris just came into Sara's room, rubbing her eyes. "You look better."
"I am. Your mother gave me permission to get out of bed today." Sara wanted to dance. In fact, she was so giddy, she started to dance. Even danced right up to Jareth and curtsied before him. "Dance with me, Jareth. As you did once before. Dance with me."
"Mother, what is going on here?" Jareth was suspicious. Sara was acting rather strangely.
"It appears to be a spell. A vengeance spell. Someone has found a way around all of our protection."
Suddenly, Sara grabbed her head and screamed, falling to the ground. Jareth caught her unconcious form just before she hit the floor. "Sara!!!" he screamed, tears pouring down the face of the once mighty Goblin King.
"How is she, Dris?" Jareth asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last hour.
"She's resting. Kind of. She's got a small fever, Jareth."
The Goblin King turned to look at Sara with Dris sitting next to her. "How high?"
"Not bad for now. But it seems to be getting worse all the time. Jareth, what if she was poisoned? We have to get her to Mother. Neither of us knows the healing magiks the way she does."
"Do you really think that she may be poisoned?"
"We have to consider the chance. Jareth, you just found her again. Don't lose her this time."
"It's dangerous to transport while injured."
"I know. But given the choice between transport and Sara's possible death . . ."
She didn't need to finish that sentence. Jareth knew that Sara would be much safer at his parents' home than she was in his. At least, for now. Until he found out who was trying to kill her. He knew that if he could expose this criminal to the Court, they would see justice done. It was forbidden for one Fae to kill another in the Underground.
But Sara was only half Fae. Would that make a difference to her claim to Tarmain's kingdom? Would the Seelie Court deny her claim because of her human blood? No. They couldn't. She was the only living heir to the kingdom. They had to honor her claim as per the history of the Underground.
"Very well. Wrap her well, Dris. I will need your help in order to make this as smooth a transport as possible."
"Should I call on Father to help us as well?"
"He would be a great help. His powers are more advanced than either of us." Dris sent out a silent plea to their father to help them bring the injured girl to his home. She promised that Jareth would explain everything once they got there but right now they needed to get the girl out of Jareth's castle.
"I will help you, my children, but I do expect an explanation when you arrive."
"You have my word, Father," Jareth vowed.
"Are you ready, children?" Jareth picked up the carefully swadled form that was Sara and held her gently in his arms.
"Yes, Father. We are."
The room shimmered around them and a new one took form.
Sara was shaking in Jareth's arms as the new room became solid around them. Jareth didn't hesitate once the transport was finished. He headed straight for his mother's quarters where she was waiting with all of her medical supplies.
"Now, Jareth, what is going on? What could possibly make you risk further injury to someone you obviously care very deeply for?" Jareth's father's voice was just as booming as it had always been.
"Father, Sara is the girl that defeated my Labyrinth five years ago. She is the one that has claimed my heart." Jareth bowed his head, knowing that the next part would hurt his father greatly. "She is also the only living heir to Tarmain's kingdom. Lindarel died the day that Sara returned to me. Sara is her daughter."
"No!" The whispered voice of Jareth's mother from behind him made him spin. The Lady Caronara was leaning heavily on her daughter, being weak from having healed Sara.
"Mother, I'm afraid so. I only found out a few days ago who Sara was when I found one of Tarmain's letters to me detailing everything."
"My Lady, are you ill?" Rolardin's worried voice drew a fond glance from his wife.
"I will recover with rest, my Lord. The child was poisoned. Dristeria was wise to urge Jareth to bring her here. I have healed her. The only thing she needs now is a lot of rest." She pulled herself away from Dris and walked carefully to her son. "Is she really Lindarel's daughter?"
"Yes, Mother. I saw a picture of Linda Williams and she is the image of Lindarel." Jareth stopped talking for a moment and listened to something no one else could hear. "We will talk more later, Mother. Sara is calling me." He ran off down the hallway.
"Sara?" Jareth whispered as he entered the room where he had left his beloved in his mother's care. He crept carefully to her side as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams were obviously not pleasant because there were tear tracks on her cheeks. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair out of her face. "Beloved." He wanted to soothe her and help her to relax. She seemed so scared of something.
Suddenly, Sara's eyes flew open and the terror there made Jareth wonder what she had seen in her dreams. "Oh God, Jareth! If you hadn't come for me when I called, . . ."
He placed one finger softly across her lips. "Don't think about that now, my sweet. It didn't happen. It will never happen. I will always protect you. Never forget that." He kissed her forehead and pulled her gently into his arms. "I will always protect you."
"Stay with me, Jareth. Hold me. Make my dreams sweet. Hold me. Please."
"Your wish is my command, my love." He stroked her hair and held her close. "Just let me get these boots off."
She wouldn't let go of him even long enough to take off his boots. He smiled and with a gesture of his hand his boots were sitting beside the bed. He crawled up on the bed and sat against the headboard. The woman he loved was curled up against him in his arms. She slept peacefully there for the first time in a long time.
"Jareth, really I feel much better. Please let me get up."
"My mother says you need a great deal of rest because you were weak even before the attack. Now, back to sleep."
"I have been sleeping for days. I want to get up."
"Not until my mother says you can. No one argues with the Queen Mother." Jareth remembered the one time that he tried to and got absolutely nowhere.
"I'm glad you finally got that through your head." The chuckle that came from the doorway surprised Jareth. "I have to admit that was the most spirited arguement I had had in a long time. Even your father never argued with me like that." She entered the room and noticed that Jareth's boots were once again beside Sara's bed. "How do you feel this morning, dear?"
"My Lady, I feel fine. Please may I get out of bed?" Sara was pleading. She was really hating all this mollycoddling. She wanted to get up and explore Jareth's parents' home. She wanted to get to know these people who had raised her grandmother, Lillian. She wanted to find out what they might know about this assassin problem.
Caronara bent down and touched a hand to Sara's forehead. She smiled and nodded. "I believe it is alright if you get out of bed on the condition that the moment you feel tired, you go straight back to bed."
"I promise."
"She reminds me so much of her grandmother. She would say anything to get her way and the way she would look at me I could never refuse my beautiful Lillian."
"My Lady, will you tell me about my grandmother? I never knew her."
"I will, dear child. I will in time."
Sara got up out of bed and stretched like a cat after a nap. "I feel so wonderful. Can I walk around outside?"
"Of course, dear. Jareth can take you through the gardens. Just remember, dear girl, that our protection of you only covers the grounds of our home. Outside of the grounds, we can not hide you from those who would hurt you."
"Sara, how are you this morning?" Dris just came into Sara's room, rubbing her eyes. "You look better."
"I am. Your mother gave me permission to get out of bed today." Sara wanted to dance. In fact, she was so giddy, she started to dance. Even danced right up to Jareth and curtsied before him. "Dance with me, Jareth. As you did once before. Dance with me."
"Mother, what is going on here?" Jareth was suspicious. Sara was acting rather strangely.
"It appears to be a spell. A vengeance spell. Someone has found a way around all of our protection."
Suddenly, Sara grabbed her head and screamed, falling to the ground. Jareth caught her unconcious form just before she hit the floor. "Sara!!!" he screamed, tears pouring down the face of the once mighty Goblin King.