A Necessary Deception
by Scattered Logic
Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Everyone else is mine.
Author's Note: As always, special thanks to my extraordinary beta, Sara McGee.
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Sarah went to her room to change into the protective fencing clothing known as "whites." It consisted of a reinforced padded jacket, long tight pants, and a lone glove for her weapon hand. Brennan had already assured her that face protection, in the form of a wire mesh mask, would be provided to her.
Brennan and Ethain were already in the sparring room. Brennan looked her over and smiled widely. It was apparent from the gleam in Brennan's eyes that he didn't find her appearance displeasing.
Ethain spoke up, "Sarah, would you mind if I stayed through your lesson? I admit that I'm quite curious to see you fence."
"I don't mind, but I'm afraid you may be bored," she said with a smile.
Brennan picked up a protective mask and let it dangle from his hand. His expression became serious.
"Before we begin, Sarah, I want you to understand a few things. We fence differently here. In the Underground a sword is a weapon, nothing less, and its only purpose is to kill. While Aboveworld competitions are scored on a certain number of hits to an opponent, our practice is determined by the single strike that would cause the most damage.
The second thing you need to understand is that iron is lethal to us and the steel blades contain iron. Practice swords must always have a button." Brennan said, referring to the safety cap used to blunt a sword's tip during practice.
"The button on each sword must be checked prior to sparring. There are no exceptions. And during practice, should a blade snap, you must immediately drop your sword and move back. The sharp edge could penetrate the whites and result in the death of your sparring partner. Any questions?"
Sarah took a deep breath and shook her head.
"Then, if you're ready to begin?" Brennan held the mask out to her.
Her first lesson consisted of Brennan putting her through various maneuvers, judging her skill level and commenting on her strengths and weaknesses. She saw immediately that he would be a tough but fair taskmaster. By the end of the lesson, she also knew that he was an excellent fencer.
As she finished, Ethain gave her a gallant round of applause. Smiling widely, she plucked at an imaginary skirt and curtsied. Brennan wiped down the swords while Sarah sank onto a bench beside Ethain and blotted her face with a towel.
"I'm so out of practice," she complained, then smiled. "But, at least you won't rat me out to Monsieur Mercier."
"And just who is Monsieur Mercier?" a familiar voice asked from across the room.
Ethain and Brennan exchanged a surprised glance and Sarah swiveled to look at Jareth as he walked in. He was dressed in whites also. She thought absently that while Jareth was still very attractive, she preferred him in darker shades. They accentuated all that ivory and silver-gold coloring. She suddenly realized the turn her thoughts had taken and gave herself a mental shake.
"My first fencing instructor," she said, imitating the instructor's haughty look and heavily accented voice. She shook her finger in Jareth's direction. "L'attention, Mademoiselle Williams, l'attention. You must position the blade just so." She extended an invisible sword in an exaggerated gesture. She laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Were you watching my lesson?" She asked.
"Only the last few minutes or so. Did you enjoy yourself?" Jareth stopped in front of her.
"Yes, very much." She glanced from Jareth to Brennan and Ethain. Standing, she said, "Well, I should let you begin your practice."
"Why don't you stay and watch. You might find it amusing," Jareth drawled. "After the bouts, we usually have a brandy in the library. You are welcome to join us."
She hesitated for a second. They'd agreed to be friends, remember? She chastised herself. "Okay, thanks," she said and retook her seat.
Brennan said, "Well, then, who's up first?"
Jareth was already moving toward the foils on the rack. Sarah watched as he and Brennan checked the blades and then saluted and assumed the en garde position.
In a flash, Jareth attacked. Brennan held him off with a clash of steel. Both men were evenly matched and they moved gracefully across the floor. First Brennan would be forced back by Jareth's attack then he would turn the tables, moving Jareth back inch by inch.
Sarah had never seen anything like it. World-class fencers in the Aboveworld would be considered rank amateurs compared to these men. With a subtle motion, Jareth feinted and Brennan fell into the trap, moving one way while Jareth moved another. Jareth lunged forward and scored a hit in the center of Brennan's chest.
The bout ended and both men removed their masks while Ethain and Sarah applauded.
"That was absolutely incredible!" she exclaimed.
Brennan smiled at her and then looked over at Jareth. "You never feint. Never," he said suspiciously.
"And you should never be so certain of your opponent," Jareth grinned. He looked sideways at Ethain. "On your feet, Ethain, you're next."
"Oh no, I'm not," Ethain said, shaking his head. "It's been a long day and I want a brandy." He waved a hand dismissively. "Kill Brennan again if you like."
Ethain turned to Sarah and said in a teasing voice, "Fair comrade in arms, may I escort you to the library? I have it on very good authority that the King keeps a store of his best brandy hidden there. If we're careful, we can slip in and have a drink before the tyrant discovers us."
Sarah laughed a little uneasily and glanced at Jareth. She was pleased to see that he was smiling, taking the good-natured teasing in stride.
"I'd like to change first," she said, gesturing toward her whites. "I'll meet you all there."
"Not me, I'm afraid," Brennan said. "I'm having a surprise inspection of the goblin troops tonight. Keeps them on their toes. Well, those of them who have toes." He winked at Sarah.
She laughed and wished him goodnight.
As soon as Sarah had left the room, Brennan turned to Jareth with a sly grin. "I'm surprised to see you here tonight, Jareth. Did Vivienne kick you out of her bed?"
"Vivienne and I have parted company." Jareth said, his tone flat. When he said no more, his two friends exchanged a puzzled glance.
Ethain frowned for a moment and then gave Jareth a speculative look.
"So, Brennan," Jareth said, determinedly ignoring Ethain, "how was Sarah's first lesson?"
"Distracting. She's very beautiful." Brennan grinned and made vague sketching motions in the air with his hands. "I never knew that whites could seem so appealing. It's enough to shatter a man's concentration."
"I was referring to her skills," Jareth's voice took on a menacing edge.
Brennan shot Jareth a startled look. Jareth had never had a problem bantering about the attributes of the fairer sex before now.
Brennan shrugged, "Sarah's quick and precise. She has a good head for tactics and that will serve her well. Competing has given her the tendency to go for the easiest strike rather than the most effective, but I'll train her out of her bad habits."
Jareth nodded, satisfied. Brennan gathered his things and left, complaining that he'd be up all night inspecting troops, and Jareth and Ethain made their way to the library.
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While Jareth and Ethain waited for Sarah, Ethain poured their drinks.
"I'd like to speak to you before Sarah arrives. I realize this is none of my concern, but you've been seeing Vivienne for some time, far longer than most of your liaisons. It seems very curious that you would end your affair so soon after Sarah's arrival," Ethain commented as he sat in a chair across from Jareth.
"You assume a great deal. Perhaps Vivienne is the one who ended our relationship," Jareth said, taking a slow sip of brandy.
"Nonsense. That woman has her sights set on the High Queen's crown. She wouldn't have ended her relationship with you for any reason short of public humiliation."
Jareth sighed. "You've never liked Vivienne. Why is that?"
"She's far too much like Marcan for my tastes. He is a troublemaker who's jealous of you and everything you have. He's just too cowardly to do anything about it directly. In my opinion, your family has always been far too lenient with him. So, now that you've make an effort to change the subject, shall we return to the matter of Sarah?" Ethain asked.
"What of her?" Jareth asked coolly.
"Two days ago you were determined to keep her at arm's length. Now you seem very friendly. What has changed?"
"It's difficult to play the villain for someone who doesn't choose to see you that way any longer," Jareth said slowly and then gave a small smile. "We've agreed to be friends."
"Do you intend to court her?" Ethain said bluntly.
Jareth gave him an amused glance. "Are you asking if my intentions are honorable? I didn't realize that you were her father."
Before Ethain could continue, the library door opened and Sarah came in wearing jeans and a pullover.
"I'm learning," she said with a grin. "I made the entire trip, from the sparring room to my room to here, without looking at the map once."
Ethain poured her a small brandy and she took a sip. Sarah wasn't much of a drinker but even she could recognize the high quality of the liquor.
She settled into a chair across from the men and asked, "So, how did you all get to be so good at fencing?"
"Practice," Ethain said. "Centuries of practice."
Sarah's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Centuries? Just how old..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Never mind. I don't think I want to know."
Jareth looked thoroughly amused. "Surely you already knew that the lives of the Sidhe are measured in centuries rather than decades?"
"Reading about it is one thing. Having a drink with it is something else entirely," Sarah said, with a bemused smile. She sat silently for a moment, then bit her lip and leaned forward. "Okay, I can't stand it. How old are you?"
Jareth laughed. "We don't keep track of birthdays as mortals do. Suffice it to say that both Ethain and I are in our fifth century."
"Yes, well, some of us are farther along in our fifth century than others." Ethain smirked and looked pointedly at Jareth.
Sarah just shook her head, amazed. Suddenly another thought occurred to her. "If it's taken you centuries of practice to get that good with a sword, I'm never going to catch up, am I?"
An uncomfortable silence descended.
Sarah shrugged, breaking the mood. "Then I'll just have to get as good as I can."
Ethain grinned at her. "That's the spirit."
She smiled briefly. "There's something I've been wondering about. Can everyone in the Underground do magic?"
"Most creatures have some amount of magic, even if it's only a bit." Ethain said. He glanced slyly at Jareth. "Not all, however, are as flamboyant as His Majesty."
Sarah gave Ethain a questioning look.
"Oh, yes, Ethain, do continue," Jareth purred dangerously.
"The crystals," Ethain explained, undeterred. "Flashy, aren't they?"
"They're just for show?" Sarah looked at Jareth with a wide smile.
"They serve a purpose," Jareth said arrogantly. "But," he admitted in a slow drawl, "they're not absolutely necessary."
Sarah laughed quietly at his confession and glanced down, idly tracing her fingertip around the rim of her glass. She looked up at him and said softly, "Well, they have the desired effect. They're very...striking."
Jareth's eyes gleamed and he watched with satisfaction as a light blush crept over Sarah's cheeks.
"Don't encourage him, Sarah," Ethain admonished. "He's already egotistical enough as it is."
"There's a large difference between egotism and self-assurance," Jareth said with a supercilious air, but his mouth quirked in amusement.
Ethain snorted. "I rest my case."
Sarah ducked her head in an attempt to hide her smile.
Suddenly Jareth's smile faded and he rubbed his eyes wearily. "Oh gods, not now," he muttered.
"What?" Sarah asked, confused.
Jareth stood abruptly and said curtly, "It's late, Sarah. It's time for you to go to your room."
Ethain, too, looked puzzled, then his eyes widened in sudden comprehension and he tensed.
"What's wrong?" She asked, surprised.
"His Majesty is right, Sarah. You should retire." For the first time since she'd met him, Ethain's voice was harsh.
"I don't understand. Everything's fine one second and then the next you're ticked off and treating me like a four year old." Sarah's eyes narrowed and she addressed Jareth directly.
For a fleeting moment, he looked inexplicably sad and then his expression hardened and his eyes went cold.
"You wish an explanation? Then you shall have one." He waved his hand and he was suddenly dressed formally in a high-collared midnight blue cloak, intricate breastplate, leggings, gauntlets and boots. Clothing that Sarah remembered very well.
You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King.
Her throat tightened as she began to understand what was happening. She fought an inappropriate urge to laugh as she remembered those words. They were so terribly fitting at this moment.
"I have duties that shall require my attention for the next thirteen hours. Now go to bed, little girl," he said with a sneer.
Before she could reply, Jareth simply vanished.
Ethain stood and held out his hand. "Come along, Sarah. I'll escort you to your room."
She was horrified to realize that tears were stinging her eyes. She allowed Ethain to help her from her chair, but refused to even glance at him.
They walked to her room in silence and she was reaching out to open her door when he touched her arm. She turned toward him slightly, but still wouldn't look at him.
"His Majesty has no choice in this, Sarah." Ethain's voice was grave. "He is bound by oath to perform his duty. He simply doesn't want you to witness it."
"I lived through it, remember? So I know exactly what's going on," Sarah said angrily. "And he didn't have to patronize me. Contrary to what he seems to think, I'm not a child."
"No, you're not." Ethain sighed and then looked at her thoughtfully.
"I'll present you a hypothetical situation. You've recently made a friend, a friend who once viewed you as an enemy. You are both still learning about each other and the friendship is very new and very fragile. Suddenly your friend is confronted with something about you that even you find repugnant, something that will surely remind your friend of old wounds that you inflicted.
"Wouldn't you be concerned that this person would no longer want your friendship? Might it not be easier to push this new friend away rather than face their rejection? Perhaps, Sarah, in our particular hypothetical situation, this new friend fails to understand that she wields a great deal more power than she knows."
Sarah's eyes flew up to meet his. Ethain looked back at her evenly, but said nothing.
"I'm not sure," Sarah said, uncertainty overwhelming her anger. "I'll have to think about it."
"Stay in your room tonight. After breakfast, feel free to go to the library or to the gardens. Just don't go to the throne room. One way or another, it will all be over soon enough." Ethain smiled at her gently, "Good night, Sarah."
He walked away down the darkened hallway and Sarah went into her room to think about the things Ethain had said to her.
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Jareth sat on his throne watching the toddler playing on a blanket at his feet. She'd needed a good bathing, but she seemed a sweet child, barely a year old. He glanced into the crystal held limply in his hand. Almost six hours into the trial and her mother hadn't even gone past the outer edges of the labyrinth. He sighed. She'd never make it, but then again, they never did.
This one had almost refused the challenge. It was only at the very last moment that she'd decided she wanted the child back. Such a young child and such a young mother, barely older than Sarah had been when he'd first encountered her.
He shook his head slowly. He didn't want to think about Sarah right now. The entire situation was difficult enough without adding that disappointment to it. But Sarah hadn't been far from his thoughts since he'd returned with the child.
They'd been having such an enjoyable evening. Sarah had seemed to relax around him, going so far as to tease with him. He'd even caught glimpses of what he was certain was interest in her eyes when she'd looked at him. He'd allowed himself to feel such hope.
And then came the summoning.
No one in the Aboveworld had invoked him in over four years and now he'd been called twice in the past few days. He'd known that the first request had been for an adult. The feel of the magic that called out to him when the words were spoken had told him as much. In fact, he'd almost ignored that summons. He had far better things to do than to respond to the caprices of mortal adults who wished themselves away. But he'd felt something slightly different in that call and, curious, he'd gone. He'd been stunned to see Sarah waiting for him.
Tonight, however, he'd known the words had been spoken for a child. He'd been obliged to respond. It was his duty to perform, no matter how much he disliked it.
The little girl began to cry, dragging him from his thoughts. He discarded the crystal and went to her. Leaning down, he picked her up, bouncing her lightly in his arms. He walked the floor, making shushing noises in an attempt to quiet her, but she seemed intent upon wailing.
She didn't seem to be hungry or in need of a change of diaper. Perhaps she was overly tired. She'd only slept intermittently since arriving in the castle. He considered placing a sleeping spell on her, but he preferred to refrain from casting spells on very young children. They could respond unpredictably to magic and he had no wish to harm the child, even inadvertently.
Wearily, he continued pacing the floor, child in his arms. In desperation, he even hummed a bit of an old lullaby for her but it didn't appease the girl, her cries only became sharper. The child's crying became so loud that it almost drowned out the sound of Sarah's quiet voice, speaking to him from the doorway.
"Give her to me."
Jareth looked up to see Sarah standing in the doorway, wearing a dark red robe cinched tightly about her slender waist.
He watched, disbelieving, as she walked in, stopping in front of him. She held out her arms and said again, "Give her to me."
Give me the child. For a moment it felt as if he were in a different time. He found his voice and snapped at her. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't think she's used to having a man hold her. Maybe I can quiet her down." Sarah's manner was calm and her hazel eyes looked at him steadily.
"I told you to stay in your room." He was furious. Did the woman constantly have to defy him?
"No, you didn't. You told me to go to bed. I did. I couldn't sleep." He saw a flash of anger in her eyes and then it was gone. "You can punish me later. Let me see if I can get her to sleep first."
The child was already holding her arms out to Sarah and so he handed her over. The girl's arms wrapped around Sarah's neck and she buried her face in Sarah's shoulder. Her cries trailed away and stopped with a hiccuping sigh.
"Why are you here?" He demanded.
"I came to see if you're okay," Sarah said quietly.
He just looked at her, his face a blank mask to hide his confusion. Surely she wasn't saying that she'd come out of concern for him?
Sarah absently rubbed the girl's back and she looked around the room. Her lips quirked and she said, "You'd think a man in your position would have put a rocking chair in here instead of a throne."
His mouth dropped open.
"What?" Sarah asked, with a quiet force. "What reaction were you expecting from me? Did you think I'd scream at you? Call you names? We agreed to be friends. Friends stick by each other when things get bad." Sarah carefully shifted the child in her arms. The girl had gone limp, asleep already.
"Is there someplace I can put her down?"
Jareth waved his hand and a crib appeared. He watched as Sarah tucked the sleeping child in, covering her with a blanket and gently smoothing the curls away from the girl's face.
"Will the person in the labyrinth make it?" Sarah asked in a whisper.
Jareth conjured a crystal and looked into it. The young woman had made little progress.
"It's doubtful," he said.
Sarah nodded sadly and turned back to him. "We need to talk."
"There's nothing to discuss," he said flatly. He sat down on his throne, lounging back casually. He purposely made no effort to provide a seat for her, leaving her standing before him. "You have willfully misinterpreted my words. I don't want you here."
"Maybe not, but I'm here now. Like I said, you can punish me later. If you won't talk to me, then just listen. I don't like what you do," she locked eyes with him. "If you enjoyed taking children, I would never feel anything for you except loathing. But I know that you don't enjoy this.
"I probably drove you crazy the first time I was here, always saying that things aren't fair. That's something I learned to accept--life isn't fair. You helped teach me that." She dropped her eyes and toyed nervously with the belt on her robe.
Clearing her throat softly, she continued, "But it doesn't mean I should stop trying to be fair. This situation isn't fair to anyone involved in it and that's just the way it is." She stole a glance up at him. "It doesn't change the fact that I'm your friend."
He gestured toward the sleeping child. "You would continue to make that claim even now?" His tone was incredulous.
"There's more to you than this. I've seen it," she said firmly.
He looked at her, his face unyielding. "But this is part of who I am. This won't be the last time that I am summoned. If I were called upon to take a child every day for the rest of my life, I would respond and I would perform my duty. Sooner or later your friendship would falter."
She put her hands on her hips. "Ethain and Brennan are still your friends."
He sighed. It was time to end this, time to drive her away completely and have done with it. Honesty should be more than adequate to accomplish his aim.
He vanished from the throne and appeared directly behind her. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Unfortunately, Sarah, I want more from you than I want from Ethain and Brennan."
Startled, she spun to face him and found him only inches from her. He leaned into her and very deliberately stroked gloved fingers over her cheek. He expected her to be frightened and move away, and so he was surprised when she stood her ground.
Sarah shook her head and said, "You keep forgetting that I'm not fifteen. You don't scare me anymore." She went up on tiptoes and lightly brushed her lips across his cheek.
She pulled back slightly and looked at him with a small self-satisfied smile. It lasted only a fraction of a second and then she saw his fierce expression. Her eyes widened as he grasped her by the waist and roughly pulled her to him. She had just enough time to gasp before his mouth came down on hers hungrily.
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