"Jareth?"
"Yes, love."
"Is it time for the trial yet?"
"Very soon. The Council has ordered a recess before the trial. They wanted to give you a chance to rest for a bit. Mother is not exactly ready for this either."
"Do you think they'll find him guilty?"
"If they don't it isn't for lack of evidence. I'm certain they will find him guilty of many things today. If the trial doesn't end today, we may have to stay longer than we planned. Will you be alright with that?"
"I guess I have to be. You will stay with me the whole time, right?"
"Love, I'll have to go home for short periods of time. Just remember that I will never be that far from you. You have only to call me and I will be here instantly." He wrapped his arms around Sara and held her close for a moment. "And always remember that I love you."
"I love you too, Jareth. Is it now permitted for me to call you by name, milord? Since we are courting now?" The mischievous grin Sara gave him made Jareth laugh.
"My love, in private, you may call me anything you like. Unfortunately, I think you still have to call me by title in front of the court."
"Not really, son. The formality clause between the two of you is somewhat suspended by your courtship. As long as it has been recognized by the Council, you may call each other by name, even in the audience hall." The High King stood by the door. "Sara, dear, it is time. Just remember, no one will fault you if you turn to Jareth if you get scared. No one really likes Alamorn and they will all understand how badly he could scare a sweet girl like yourself."
"Thank you, your majesty. I will." Sara pulled back from Jareth and stood up straight. "Shall we see justice done, my love?"
"We shall." With that, Sara took Jareth's arm that he might escort her into the audience hall. The trial was about to begin.
Sara sat at the accuser's table in the audience hall with Jareth immediately behind her. The High King and Queen sat to Jareth's right since they were also witnesses to the crimes that Alamorn committed against her.
Sara felt herself tremble as they brought Alamorn in. He glared at her as he was placed at the accused's podium. Jareth saw the tremor run through her and saw her steel herself. Jareth was so proud of her. She was trying not to show anyone just how terrified she really was even though he could feel it radiate off of her in waves.
"High Council and citizens of the Underground, you are gathered here today to bear witness to the trial of Alamorn. He is charged with the attempted murder of his cousin, the Princess Sara. Is the Princess here?"
Sara stood and looked at Alamorn with a steel gaze. "I am. And I am prepared to speak."
The Council acknowledged her and continued on with the formalities that had to be observed before anyone could testify against Alamorn. She sat down and waited for her turn to speak.
"That will conclude this day of the trial. We will reconvene at 9:00 tomorrow morning to continue the testimony." Sara was exhausted. Jareth stood beside her and took her arm to lead her back to her rooms.
"Stay with me, Jareth. Please."
"My love, I can't. As much as I want to."
"Then, at least, stay in the sitting room. Just don't leave me. Please." Sara seemed so terrified that Jareth acquiesced.
He agreed to sleep in the sitting room where he could hear her if she called. He tucked her into bed that night after seeing to it that she had eaten some supper. His mother had stopped by to see how well she was holding up to the trial.
"She's holding up for now. Mother, she wouldn't let me leave the suite. She made me promise to stay here. I'm afraid that she's holding all of her fear inside through the trial and it's becoming too much for her. I don't know if she can hold up to the Council's questioning tomorrow." Looking at the door behind which his love was sleeping, he sighed. "She's so terrified that I wanted to run out and kill Alamorn when she begged me. He has already done his damage."
"You will help her heal. I know you will. She will be fine as long as you never leave her. The Labyrinth will not survive the two of you being separated again."
"Mother, if I am summoned during the trial, will you or Father stay close to her? Just until I can return to her."
"Of course, Jareth. We love the girl too. After all, we did foster her grandmother for several years." Caronara took a deep breath. "You do realize that there is a great deal of talk going around already about you and Sara, don't you?"
"What? What kind of talk?"
"Rumors abound that Sara has been your lover since the last time she was in the Labyrinth. Have you ever touched her like that?"
"No, Mother!! I would not do that to Sara. She is more precious to me than my own life. That will not happen until after our wedding night." Jareth's voice lowered as he realized that he could easily wake Sara. "The person who says such things in front of me will not only be dipped head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench but be left that way to soak for several days."
"Jareth, there is no need to be so cruel." Sara's voice came from the doorway to her bedroom.
"Sara, I thought you were asleep."
"I can't sleep. Everytime I close my eyes, I see Alamorn and the way he looked at me in the hall today."
"Sweet, don't . . ." Jareth wanted to erase that memory from her mind. She didn't deserve this. "You need to sleep, dearest. The Council will be thorough in their questions tomorrow. You will be even more exhausted tomorrow. But hopefully you will be finished. Try to sleep."
"I can't." Jareth's mother put her hand up.
"Jareth, why don't you go in and sit with her just until she falls asleep? Then, you come out here and sleep on the sofa. No one but I will ever know that you were in there with her."
"Very well, Mother. I will see you in the morning?"
"Of course." She went to Sara. "Be brave, child. Your part in all of this is almost over." As she turned to go, she whispered into Jareth's ear. "I will be the one to come to wake you in the morning. Just in case."
"Thank you." He kissed his mother on the cheek and then she was gone and Sara was practically asleep on her feet leaning against the doorframe.
Without another word, Jareth picked her up and carried her back to her bed where he tucked her in and took up his post beside her bed in a chair. Which is exactly where his mother found him the next morning.
"Yes, love."
"Is it time for the trial yet?"
"Very soon. The Council has ordered a recess before the trial. They wanted to give you a chance to rest for a bit. Mother is not exactly ready for this either."
"Do you think they'll find him guilty?"
"If they don't it isn't for lack of evidence. I'm certain they will find him guilty of many things today. If the trial doesn't end today, we may have to stay longer than we planned. Will you be alright with that?"
"I guess I have to be. You will stay with me the whole time, right?"
"Love, I'll have to go home for short periods of time. Just remember that I will never be that far from you. You have only to call me and I will be here instantly." He wrapped his arms around Sara and held her close for a moment. "And always remember that I love you."
"I love you too, Jareth. Is it now permitted for me to call you by name, milord? Since we are courting now?" The mischievous grin Sara gave him made Jareth laugh.
"My love, in private, you may call me anything you like. Unfortunately, I think you still have to call me by title in front of the court."
"Not really, son. The formality clause between the two of you is somewhat suspended by your courtship. As long as it has been recognized by the Council, you may call each other by name, even in the audience hall." The High King stood by the door. "Sara, dear, it is time. Just remember, no one will fault you if you turn to Jareth if you get scared. No one really likes Alamorn and they will all understand how badly he could scare a sweet girl like yourself."
"Thank you, your majesty. I will." Sara pulled back from Jareth and stood up straight. "Shall we see justice done, my love?"
"We shall." With that, Sara took Jareth's arm that he might escort her into the audience hall. The trial was about to begin.
Sara sat at the accuser's table in the audience hall with Jareth immediately behind her. The High King and Queen sat to Jareth's right since they were also witnesses to the crimes that Alamorn committed against her.
Sara felt herself tremble as they brought Alamorn in. He glared at her as he was placed at the accused's podium. Jareth saw the tremor run through her and saw her steel herself. Jareth was so proud of her. She was trying not to show anyone just how terrified she really was even though he could feel it radiate off of her in waves.
"High Council and citizens of the Underground, you are gathered here today to bear witness to the trial of Alamorn. He is charged with the attempted murder of his cousin, the Princess Sara. Is the Princess here?"
Sara stood and looked at Alamorn with a steel gaze. "I am. And I am prepared to speak."
The Council acknowledged her and continued on with the formalities that had to be observed before anyone could testify against Alamorn. She sat down and waited for her turn to speak.
"That will conclude this day of the trial. We will reconvene at 9:00 tomorrow morning to continue the testimony." Sara was exhausted. Jareth stood beside her and took her arm to lead her back to her rooms.
"Stay with me, Jareth. Please."
"My love, I can't. As much as I want to."
"Then, at least, stay in the sitting room. Just don't leave me. Please." Sara seemed so terrified that Jareth acquiesced.
He agreed to sleep in the sitting room where he could hear her if she called. He tucked her into bed that night after seeing to it that she had eaten some supper. His mother had stopped by to see how well she was holding up to the trial.
"She's holding up for now. Mother, she wouldn't let me leave the suite. She made me promise to stay here. I'm afraid that she's holding all of her fear inside through the trial and it's becoming too much for her. I don't know if she can hold up to the Council's questioning tomorrow." Looking at the door behind which his love was sleeping, he sighed. "She's so terrified that I wanted to run out and kill Alamorn when she begged me. He has already done his damage."
"You will help her heal. I know you will. She will be fine as long as you never leave her. The Labyrinth will not survive the two of you being separated again."
"Mother, if I am summoned during the trial, will you or Father stay close to her? Just until I can return to her."
"Of course, Jareth. We love the girl too. After all, we did foster her grandmother for several years." Caronara took a deep breath. "You do realize that there is a great deal of talk going around already about you and Sara, don't you?"
"What? What kind of talk?"
"Rumors abound that Sara has been your lover since the last time she was in the Labyrinth. Have you ever touched her like that?"
"No, Mother!! I would not do that to Sara. She is more precious to me than my own life. That will not happen until after our wedding night." Jareth's voice lowered as he realized that he could easily wake Sara. "The person who says such things in front of me will not only be dipped head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench but be left that way to soak for several days."
"Jareth, there is no need to be so cruel." Sara's voice came from the doorway to her bedroom.
"Sara, I thought you were asleep."
"I can't sleep. Everytime I close my eyes, I see Alamorn and the way he looked at me in the hall today."
"Sweet, don't . . ." Jareth wanted to erase that memory from her mind. She didn't deserve this. "You need to sleep, dearest. The Council will be thorough in their questions tomorrow. You will be even more exhausted tomorrow. But hopefully you will be finished. Try to sleep."
"I can't." Jareth's mother put her hand up.
"Jareth, why don't you go in and sit with her just until she falls asleep? Then, you come out here and sleep on the sofa. No one but I will ever know that you were in there with her."
"Very well, Mother. I will see you in the morning?"
"Of course." She went to Sara. "Be brave, child. Your part in all of this is almost over." As she turned to go, she whispered into Jareth's ear. "I will be the one to come to wake you in the morning. Just in case."
"Thank you." He kissed his mother on the cheek and then she was gone and Sara was practically asleep on her feet leaning against the doorframe.
Without another word, Jareth picked her up and carried her back to her bed where he tucked her in and took up his post beside her bed in a chair. Which is exactly where his mother found him the next morning.