"Princess Sara, if you will come up here to the stand, we can begin the testimony." Sara was wearing royal blue this time with silver trim and Jareth's jacket matched her gown.
Sara stepped up to the stand and the long day of questions and answers began.
The day wore on and Sara grew tired of answering the endless questions of the Council. Some of them were the same question simply reworded. Jareth could see her exhaustion. He could see her strength leaving her.
"Princess? Princess?" One of the many pages in the room stepped up to Sara and touched her shoulder.
Sara started and straightened her head. Her neck was painfully sore and her nerves were frayed. She wanted nothing more than to run from the room and hide somewhere. "Pardon me. Did I fall asleep?"
"Yes, milady. Do you feel alright?"
"I don't know." She started rubbing her stomach. It was starting to hurt. "My stomach hurts." She suddenly fell from the chair holding her stomach. "Jareth!"
Jareth stood and ran to her side. "Alamorn! Leave her alone!" He gathered Sara gently into his arms. "Leave her alone! She's done nothing to you!"
"She was born!" Alamorn shouted from the accused's podium. "That was enough!"
"I challenge you! To combat!" The audience hall went totally silent. A combat challenge hadn't happened in years. Almost centuries even. "I challenge you to combat. If I win, you leave Sara alone forever. If you win, Sara will hand over her grandfather's kingdom and you will leave her alone."
"What extent?"
"First blood." Dristeria looked up from where she knelt beside Sara. She was scared.
Jareth handed Sara to Dris. He stood to look Alamorn in the eye. "I will defeat you. Then I will have your kingdom as well."
"We will recess while the hall is set for the combat."
Jareth took Sara from Dris and carried her back to her room. He lay her on the bed, draping his jacket over her. He pushed the hair back from her face and kissed her cheek.
"Don't do this. Jareth, please."
"I have to. You will be safe. I will make sure of that." He kissed her forehead and stood back up. "Rest now, love. I'll be back soon." He turned to his sister. "Take care of her. Don't let her up until we're sure she's safe."
"Jareth, Alamorn wants her dead and he will kill you to get to her."
"I want him dead for what he's already put her through. I will not lose her to anyone again." With that, he stormed out to face Alamorn.
"The rules of combat are simple. This is to first blood only. When we call the halt, you will drop your weapons and step back from each other." Both combatants nodded and saluted the Council with their swords.
"Begin." Jareth and Alamorn circled each other slowly for several minutes. Alamorn lunged and Jareth parried. The battle commenced in earnest.
"I will win the day." Alamorn seemed pretty confident that he could beat Jareth. Jareth was secure in his reputation as the best fencer in all the Underground.
"Then do so and quit talking." Jareth just wanted this over. It took less time than anyone expected.
Jareth lunged, cutting Alamorn's arm. The blood flowed freely from Alamorn's arm. "Halt!" Jareth dropped his sword the moment the call went out. Alamorn, however, took advantage of Jareth being unarmed and stabbed Jareth in the stomach.
"Alamorn!" The Council stood as one and voiced as one their judgment. "You are guilty of all charges. The sentence is death." The next thing anyone knew, Alamorn was lying dead on the floor.
Jareth fell to the floor. Several guards stepped forward and lifted the Goblin King gently into their arms, carrying him toward the room where Sara was fighting with Dris to leave the room.
"Jareth!" Sara cried. The guards had just carried him through the door and laid him on the bed. His mother had followed and started taking care of him right away. "What happened?"
"Alamorn didn't heed the halt when Jareth drew first blood. He was instantly found guilty of all charges." Rolardin didn't want to tell Sara that her cousin was already dead and Jareth might soon be. "Someone has said that Alamorn had a sword coated with poison. There's a chance that we won't be able to save him."
Sara walked over to the High Queen who was tending her son. "Majesty, please give me the towel that was against the wound. I may be able to help." Caronara handed the towel to Sara who leaned over and kissed the man she loved on the forehead. "I shall return soon, my love."
Walking back to Rolardin, Sara had a question to ask of the High King. "Majesty, can you send me Above?"
"No, Sara!" Dris ran to her side.
"Dris, I have a friend up there who's a doctor. He may be able to help me take care of Jareth. He may have an antidote." She turned back to Jareth's father. "Can you do it?"
"Yes. I will also send my talisman with you. When you are ready to return, simply hold the talisman tightly and wish to return to Jareth. You will come back here." She kissed the High King's hand and he sent her Above to her friend.
"Davin! How are you?" Sara walked up to the young doctor and hugged him. "I need a favor," she whispered urgently into his ear.
"Sure. Come on over here and we'll talk."
When they had sat down at the table, Sara pulled out the blood soaked towel. "I need you to check this blood for poison. Then, I need to know if you have or can get your hands on the antidote."
"What's going on?"
"It's a friend. He's been badly hurt and I need to know if he's been poisoned. I need to know fast."
"It'll take me about two hours. Can you give me that much time?"
"If it means saving his life, yes." Sara sat back as Davin took the towel to the lab.
"Jareth, hang on. Sara will be back soon. She's going to bring help." Caronara could only hope that her words would not ring false.
"Davin. What did you find?"
"Poison. You were right. And the antitoxin is something we happen to always have on hand. Here you go. There's enough for two injections for a person about 200 lbs. Which you may need." He kissed her forehead. "Be careful."
"I will." She grabbed the talisman. "I wish to return to Jareth." She disappeared right in front of Davin's eyes.
"I wish I knew why I even tried to catch her before." Davin walked away shaking his head.
"Your Majesty. I'm back." Sara walked up to the bed and sat on the edge. She pulled Jareth's arm out from under the blankets. Setting up the injection, she gave Jareth the shot, hoping it would work quickly. She sat down beside Jareth and held his hand.
Eight hours later, Sara was asleep in the chair beside Jareth's bed when Caronara came to check on them. Jareth was actually sleeping peacefully. His fever was gone and he seemed to be resting. The queen smiled as she placed a blanket over Sara much the same as she had for Jareth just a few days earlier.
Just as she turned to go, Jareth opened his eyes. "Mother?"
Caronara turned back to her son. "Jareth? How do you feel?"
"Better. What happened?"
"Alamorn attacked you after the Council called a halt to the combat once you drew first blood. They immediately found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to death." She came back to the bed and sat down beside him.
"He attacked me?"
"Apparently, his blade was poisoned. Sara went Above to get some help. She found something that apparently counteracted the poison."
"How did she go Above if I was unconcious?"
"Your father sent me." Jareth turned his head toward Sara to find her emerald green eyes gazing at him. "He sent me with his talisman to bring me back. I had to go. There was a friend of mine who could help and he gave me the antidote." She brushed a stray lock of wild blond hair away from his face.
"It was dangerous for you to go Above alone."
"I couldn't lose you again. I need you. I love you." There. She had said it. The three words that had haunted her for the past five years.
Sara stepped up to the stand and the long day of questions and answers began.
The day wore on and Sara grew tired of answering the endless questions of the Council. Some of them were the same question simply reworded. Jareth could see her exhaustion. He could see her strength leaving her.
"Princess? Princess?" One of the many pages in the room stepped up to Sara and touched her shoulder.
Sara started and straightened her head. Her neck was painfully sore and her nerves were frayed. She wanted nothing more than to run from the room and hide somewhere. "Pardon me. Did I fall asleep?"
"Yes, milady. Do you feel alright?"
"I don't know." She started rubbing her stomach. It was starting to hurt. "My stomach hurts." She suddenly fell from the chair holding her stomach. "Jareth!"
Jareth stood and ran to her side. "Alamorn! Leave her alone!" He gathered Sara gently into his arms. "Leave her alone! She's done nothing to you!"
"She was born!" Alamorn shouted from the accused's podium. "That was enough!"
"I challenge you! To combat!" The audience hall went totally silent. A combat challenge hadn't happened in years. Almost centuries even. "I challenge you to combat. If I win, you leave Sara alone forever. If you win, Sara will hand over her grandfather's kingdom and you will leave her alone."
"What extent?"
"First blood." Dristeria looked up from where she knelt beside Sara. She was scared.
Jareth handed Sara to Dris. He stood to look Alamorn in the eye. "I will defeat you. Then I will have your kingdom as well."
"We will recess while the hall is set for the combat."
Jareth took Sara from Dris and carried her back to her room. He lay her on the bed, draping his jacket over her. He pushed the hair back from her face and kissed her cheek.
"Don't do this. Jareth, please."
"I have to. You will be safe. I will make sure of that." He kissed her forehead and stood back up. "Rest now, love. I'll be back soon." He turned to his sister. "Take care of her. Don't let her up until we're sure she's safe."
"Jareth, Alamorn wants her dead and he will kill you to get to her."
"I want him dead for what he's already put her through. I will not lose her to anyone again." With that, he stormed out to face Alamorn.
"The rules of combat are simple. This is to first blood only. When we call the halt, you will drop your weapons and step back from each other." Both combatants nodded and saluted the Council with their swords.
"Begin." Jareth and Alamorn circled each other slowly for several minutes. Alamorn lunged and Jareth parried. The battle commenced in earnest.
"I will win the day." Alamorn seemed pretty confident that he could beat Jareth. Jareth was secure in his reputation as the best fencer in all the Underground.
"Then do so and quit talking." Jareth just wanted this over. It took less time than anyone expected.
Jareth lunged, cutting Alamorn's arm. The blood flowed freely from Alamorn's arm. "Halt!" Jareth dropped his sword the moment the call went out. Alamorn, however, took advantage of Jareth being unarmed and stabbed Jareth in the stomach.
"Alamorn!" The Council stood as one and voiced as one their judgment. "You are guilty of all charges. The sentence is death." The next thing anyone knew, Alamorn was lying dead on the floor.
Jareth fell to the floor. Several guards stepped forward and lifted the Goblin King gently into their arms, carrying him toward the room where Sara was fighting with Dris to leave the room.
"Jareth!" Sara cried. The guards had just carried him through the door and laid him on the bed. His mother had followed and started taking care of him right away. "What happened?"
"Alamorn didn't heed the halt when Jareth drew first blood. He was instantly found guilty of all charges." Rolardin didn't want to tell Sara that her cousin was already dead and Jareth might soon be. "Someone has said that Alamorn had a sword coated with poison. There's a chance that we won't be able to save him."
Sara walked over to the High Queen who was tending her son. "Majesty, please give me the towel that was against the wound. I may be able to help." Caronara handed the towel to Sara who leaned over and kissed the man she loved on the forehead. "I shall return soon, my love."
Walking back to Rolardin, Sara had a question to ask of the High King. "Majesty, can you send me Above?"
"No, Sara!" Dris ran to her side.
"Dris, I have a friend up there who's a doctor. He may be able to help me take care of Jareth. He may have an antidote." She turned back to Jareth's father. "Can you do it?"
"Yes. I will also send my talisman with you. When you are ready to return, simply hold the talisman tightly and wish to return to Jareth. You will come back here." She kissed the High King's hand and he sent her Above to her friend.
"Davin! How are you?" Sara walked up to the young doctor and hugged him. "I need a favor," she whispered urgently into his ear.
"Sure. Come on over here and we'll talk."
When they had sat down at the table, Sara pulled out the blood soaked towel. "I need you to check this blood for poison. Then, I need to know if you have or can get your hands on the antidote."
"What's going on?"
"It's a friend. He's been badly hurt and I need to know if he's been poisoned. I need to know fast."
"It'll take me about two hours. Can you give me that much time?"
"If it means saving his life, yes." Sara sat back as Davin took the towel to the lab.
"Jareth, hang on. Sara will be back soon. She's going to bring help." Caronara could only hope that her words would not ring false.
"Davin. What did you find?"
"Poison. You were right. And the antitoxin is something we happen to always have on hand. Here you go. There's enough for two injections for a person about 200 lbs. Which you may need." He kissed her forehead. "Be careful."
"I will." She grabbed the talisman. "I wish to return to Jareth." She disappeared right in front of Davin's eyes.
"I wish I knew why I even tried to catch her before." Davin walked away shaking his head.
"Your Majesty. I'm back." Sara walked up to the bed and sat on the edge. She pulled Jareth's arm out from under the blankets. Setting up the injection, she gave Jareth the shot, hoping it would work quickly. She sat down beside Jareth and held his hand.
Eight hours later, Sara was asleep in the chair beside Jareth's bed when Caronara came to check on them. Jareth was actually sleeping peacefully. His fever was gone and he seemed to be resting. The queen smiled as she placed a blanket over Sara much the same as she had for Jareth just a few days earlier.
Just as she turned to go, Jareth opened his eyes. "Mother?"
Caronara turned back to her son. "Jareth? How do you feel?"
"Better. What happened?"
"Alamorn attacked you after the Council called a halt to the combat once you drew first blood. They immediately found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to death." She came back to the bed and sat down beside him.
"He attacked me?"
"Apparently, his blade was poisoned. Sara went Above to get some help. She found something that apparently counteracted the poison."
"How did she go Above if I was unconcious?"
"Your father sent me." Jareth turned his head toward Sara to find her emerald green eyes gazing at him. "He sent me with his talisman to bring me back. I had to go. There was a friend of mine who could help and he gave me the antidote." She brushed a stray lock of wild blond hair away from his face.
"It was dangerous for you to go Above alone."
"I couldn't lose you again. I need you. I love you." There. She had said it. The three words that had haunted her for the past five years.