Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from "Labyrinth". I am amassing a
nifty little cache of collectibles though. (
Chapter 9
Jareth was disappointed when Sarah requested that her dinner be brought to her room. He was only too eager to spend every moment in the company of his fiancee, but Sarah, looking truly exhausted, had said that she just needed a little time alone if he didn't mind. Jareth did mind, but he felt sorry for her. He really had put her through quite a bit in order to win her hand in marriage. He knew that winning her heart would be another matter entirely, but once she was bound to him for all eternity, he would have the rest of their lives to prove what a loving husband he could be - if a little ruthless at times. Dirty tricks were simply the way of all Fae.
Speaking of dirty tricks, he decided to keep an extra close watch on her quarters that evening. Not that he doubted the strength of the spell he had woven around her, but one couldn't be too careful. He called up one of his crystals and watched the beautiful woman pick at her dinner, force down a few bites and then leave it untouched. Not quite untouched - she did drain her glass of wine in two gulps.
Jareth needn't have worried. Sarah had no intention of running away. If she really was going to be forced to live in the Underground forever no matter what she did, she thought she might as well do whatever it took to see her family again. She went over to her vanity to take down her hair for the night. She knew she should at least try to sleep since she imagined she would need her strength to get through her wedding the next day. How in the world had it all come to this? She had made a foolish wish when she was only fifteen and now here she was at twenty-eight, pledged in marriage to a royal, mystical Fae being - and the only person she might have cause to consider her enemy.
As she brushed her lustrous black hair, she noticed something strange about her reflection in her vanity mirror. Although the room was lit by candlelight, her skin seemed to glow with an almost silvery sheen. She stopped untangling her hair and looked closer. Yes, the little laugh-lines that she had noticed starting around her eyes over the past two or three years were completely gone. She considered twenty-eight to be plenty young, but looking at herself carefully, she had to admit that she looked even younger than she had when she arrived in the Underground. If she saw the woman reflected in her mirror on the street, she would guess her to be.twenty-one, maybe only twenty?
It's happening, she thought as she passed a hand over her silver pale skin. I wonder what it means. Jareth had told her that she would become Fae. From what he had said, she assumed the transformation would be somewhat rapid. She wondered how long - several weeks? a year? - before she would be truly Fae. Knowing that the time she would be able to spend with her family Aboveground was now limited by her very nature made her all the more determined to see them as soon and as often as she could. She would marry Jareth - whatever that would mean - and treasure the time she had left with her family. Sarah knew she would now outlive them.
With a deep sigh, Sarah brought her thoughts back to Jareth. She would be lying to say that she didn't desire him. That particular aspect of their relationship had plagued her daily ever since she had first met him thirteen years ago. But what kind of man would he prove himself to be? She was completely confused by what she had seen of him so far. She recalled all of his tricks and manipulations the first time she had been in the labyrinth; but if what Hoggle had said was true, all of that was simply a tactic to delay her. Jareth would never have let her become injured or die. Sarah was also confused by his behavior since she had returned. He had forcibly abducted her from her home and yet once she was in his palace, he had actually been somewhat gentle with her - even.sweet, she thought, remembering the cheese dogs. What was he up to THIS time?
By now, Sarah had changed into her nightgown - a scandalously sheer concoction that she figured had to be Jareth's handiwork. Oh well, it was better than nothing at all. Her own comfy flannel pajamas had mysteriously disappeared. At least he had left her his robe. She swathed herself in the oversize folds and went out on her balcony to look up at the stars. She wondered what would happen if she tried to run again. Somehow she knew that Jareth had been telling her the truth about the magic that trapped her there.
She watched her breath float on the cool night air and then felt a pair of hands close over her shoulders. She would have whirled around, but Jareth's arms held her fast. Sarah didn't fight him, but just let him hold her quietly. After a moment, she relaxed against him a little. It was chilly outside and she appreciated the warmth of his body. She actually appreciated a number of other things about his body besides warmth, but would be damned if she'd admit it.
"I wasn't going to run away again if that's what you were thinking," she said.
"I know. I merely wanted to look at the stars with my bride."
His bride. A wild image of herself as the Bride of Frankenstein flashed through her head and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Is being married to me so humorous?"
"Jareth, we're not married - yet - and.it's just so, so weird. Seeing as you kidnapped me yesterday, I think it's only natural that I'd be a little surprised to be engaged to you today."
"Indeed," he murmured, taking a lock of Sarah's silken hair in his gloved hand and running it between his fingers.
Suddenly his nearness was uncomfortable for Sarah and she moved away to stand over in the corner of the balcony railing.
Jareth smiled. "And yet I have every confidence in you as my queen. You really did very well this afternoon."
He stalked her with his eyes and sauntered to the center of the balcony, placing himself between Sarah and the door.
"Thank you," Sarah said weakly. The fact that her easy exit had now been cut off did not escape her notice. She cursed herself for being an idiot.
Jareth did not miss the hunted look in her eyes as he slowly drew nearer. Well, she would belong to him soon enough. She would have to get used to having him in very close proximity.
"I think that in addition to learning to rule together, you and I have a lot to learn about each other," he said gently, trying not to startle her. She was beginning to look like she might bolt.
Sarah was not certain at all that she liked where this was going. She had hoped for a reprieve from Jareth's attentions - at least for tonight. How she would handle him after they were married was a bridge she would jump from when she reached it. She pressed herself against the railing as he advanced upon her.
"Of course. We should really get our rest," Sarah babbled, grasping at straws. "Tomorrow will be such a big day for both of us. I don't even know everything I'm supposed to do yet and.and.well, we'll have the rest of our lives to get better acquainted after the wedding." Her eyes darted from side to side, looking for an escape.
Jareth crossed swiftly to Sarah and gripped the railing on either side of her, effectively caging her with his arms.
"Are you afraid of me?"
His mocking tone galled Sarah.
"Of course not!"
She wasn't afraid. She was desperately terrified.
"Good," he smiled down at her with a devilish grin. He didn't touch her, but his lean, muscled body was so close to hers that Sarah could feel his body heat from under his clothes. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she raised her chin defiantly and met his gaze head on. Sarah had known Jareth expected her to share his bed like any man would expect of a wife, but she'd pushed that little detail to the back of her mind. She had no idea what kind of cruelties she would endure at the hands of her soon-to-be husband once he had bound her to him forever, but she'd be damned before she would let him know how much he really did frighten her.
Jareth's lips hovered only a hair's breadth above her own. He said nothing, but Sarah knew his intent as soon as she saw his eyes closing. In a flash, he claimed her lips with his in a searing kiss, his fingers twining in her hair to hold her still. She brought her hands up to push him away, but he quickly swept her wrists to his chest and held them with one hand while his other arm circled around her to draw her intimately against him.
Her eyes widened at the shock of feeling the full length of his arousal pressed against her. Sarah tried to resist, but instead found her traitorous body molding itself to Jareth in the most disturbing of ways. Against her will, she felt her own eyes closing and her mouth opening to his probing tongue. She knew she should fight him. Her pride demanded she fight. But for that one moment, Sarah didn't care. Never before had she known what it was to truly respond to a man with her own desire. Heat swept through her body and a helpless moan of surrender escaped her lips as she crushed her mouth against his.
For a moment the world simply stopped.
Jareth hadn't known what he was expecting, but certainly not this. His own reaction to Sarah's response took them both by surprise. With a growl, Jareth swept her up into his arms and carried her inside. He set her on her feet and with one deft motion, slipped the fur-lined robe from Sarah's shoulders. The nightgown underneath was impossibly sheer and clung to her every curve. It was everything Jareth could do not to rip the delicate material from her body as her thrusting breasts strained against the front of the gown. He didn't think he had ever seen anything more breathtaking than the woman who stood before him.
Sarah's eyes grew huge at the look on Jareth's face. She sensed the iron self-control he was using to hold himself in check. In check from doing what? she wondered and backed away a step, suddenly very aware that she was standing practically naked in front of the Goblin King. She felt like her soul was a battleground, desire and mistrust raging in heated combat. Sarah knew she would have to submit to Jareth after they were married, but she didn't feel ready to face him tonight.
Jareth advanced on Sarah and for a moment, she was frozen to the spot. In a flash she bolted toward the only exit - Jareth's bedroom. She almost made it. He dove toward her and caught her easily, one muscled arm looping around her waist and lifting her off her feet. Desperate, she squirmed against him, which only seemed to inflame his desire more as he carried her writhing body to the bed. He tossed her onto the covers in a tangle of sable hair and sheer silk. Not even knowing which way was up, Sarah lunged for the side of the bed only to feel rough arms close around her and yank her back. Jareth quickly pinned her down with his weight as his hands locked around her wrists, holding her helpless against the pillows.
"Jareth, please! NO!" Her emerald eyes were swimming with unshed tears as she strained against him. God she wanted him, but not like this. She didn't want to be a possession that he could use and abuse at his will and she hated herself for desiring him all the same. Tomorrow she would say her vows and submit to him - tomorrow. But she needed this one night alone. Plus Jareth's sensual lips were hovering seductively over hers and she didn't think she could hold out for long.
Jareth could barely restrain himself as he looked down at the beautiful woman struggling in his grasp, her luscious form pressed up tightly against him. Her flushed skin and eyes now bright with tears made her all the more desirable. He cursed himself under his breath as his mouth sought the delicate curve of her throat.
"Please." Sarah breathed, still fighting as she felt her own need for him weaken her resolve. The sweet touch of his lips caressing her neck was almost more than she could bear. She arched against him, hanging on to her last thread of sanity. "No." her last protest was no more than a whisper.
"Sarah," Jareth stopped, his breath ragged in her ear. "Oh god, Sarah," he groaned hoarsely, burying his face in her hair.
After a moment, he released her hands. He slipped his arms around her waist and moved to the side so that she was no longer pinned beneath him. To his surprise, she didn't wrench herself away from him. Instead she lay very still in the circle of his arms.
"Sarah! Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" Jareth asked, concern washing over his features.
"No, no. I'm okay," Sarah replied softly.
The two of them were silent for a long moment.
"Sarah.I.I'm sorry I frightened you. I would never force you." Jareth couldn't remember the last time he had ever apologized to anyone. Sarah remained silent and after waiting to see if she would say something, he continued, "I know it is important to you to allay your family's worries as soon as possible. You should know that I will be unable to allow you to visit them until our marriage is complete - in every way." Jareth was unsure of what kind of ground he was standing on. He could tell that he'd frightened Sarah badly, but remembering her passionate response to his kiss, he suspected that she didn't find him entirely repulsive.
"Jareth, one minute I'm standing in my apartment in New York, thinking over the next night of performances of the production I've put together; the next minute, you show up and kidnap me, I find out I'm going to have to stay in the Underground, I'm turning fae AND that I'm going to be a Goblin Queen and your WIFE into the bargain if I ever want to see a scrap of what I've always known as home again!!" Sarah's temper had crossed her threshold of control and her voice was rising. "After all of that, I don't think a night alone so I can rest is too damn much to ask. You're getting what you want - revenge and power over me. All I've asked from you is the favor of a few hours to myself so I don't go completely insane."
By now she had flung herself from Jareth's embrace and started to pace. She saw the lust ignite in his eyes as she stood up in the sheer gown and angrily grabbed his robe from the floor where he had tossed it. "Yes, I will be your wife. Yes, we will consummate our marriage and you can do whatever you damn well please THEN. But tonight I am still very much my own woman and I am telling you to get the hell OUT!" With that she stomped over to Jareth's bedroom door and opened it in clear indication that she expected him to leave.
Jareth's nostrils flared and his face went white. No one had ever spoken to him like that in his entire life. No one. He was king and expected obedience and respect from his subjects - even his queen. His tone was deadly quiet as he fixed Sarah with his gaze.
"Very well," he said lightly. "If a few hours alone is what you would like, I'm only too happy to grant your wish."
With a flick of his fingers, Jareth spun a crystal from the air and tossed it toward Sarah. The crystal rolled in a circle around her where she stood and then the floor suddenly fell from beneath her feet. He watched her whoosh downward, her startled cry lost in the tumble of the collapsing floor. Instantly the floor sealed up again as if Sarah had never been there. A night spent in an oubliette should teach that chit proper respect toward her sovereign. Jareth stalked out of the room and slammed the door.
Chapter 9
Jareth was disappointed when Sarah requested that her dinner be brought to her room. He was only too eager to spend every moment in the company of his fiancee, but Sarah, looking truly exhausted, had said that she just needed a little time alone if he didn't mind. Jareth did mind, but he felt sorry for her. He really had put her through quite a bit in order to win her hand in marriage. He knew that winning her heart would be another matter entirely, but once she was bound to him for all eternity, he would have the rest of their lives to prove what a loving husband he could be - if a little ruthless at times. Dirty tricks were simply the way of all Fae.
Speaking of dirty tricks, he decided to keep an extra close watch on her quarters that evening. Not that he doubted the strength of the spell he had woven around her, but one couldn't be too careful. He called up one of his crystals and watched the beautiful woman pick at her dinner, force down a few bites and then leave it untouched. Not quite untouched - she did drain her glass of wine in two gulps.
Jareth needn't have worried. Sarah had no intention of running away. If she really was going to be forced to live in the Underground forever no matter what she did, she thought she might as well do whatever it took to see her family again. She went over to her vanity to take down her hair for the night. She knew she should at least try to sleep since she imagined she would need her strength to get through her wedding the next day. How in the world had it all come to this? She had made a foolish wish when she was only fifteen and now here she was at twenty-eight, pledged in marriage to a royal, mystical Fae being - and the only person she might have cause to consider her enemy.
As she brushed her lustrous black hair, she noticed something strange about her reflection in her vanity mirror. Although the room was lit by candlelight, her skin seemed to glow with an almost silvery sheen. She stopped untangling her hair and looked closer. Yes, the little laugh-lines that she had noticed starting around her eyes over the past two or three years were completely gone. She considered twenty-eight to be plenty young, but looking at herself carefully, she had to admit that she looked even younger than she had when she arrived in the Underground. If she saw the woman reflected in her mirror on the street, she would guess her to be.twenty-one, maybe only twenty?
It's happening, she thought as she passed a hand over her silver pale skin. I wonder what it means. Jareth had told her that she would become Fae. From what he had said, she assumed the transformation would be somewhat rapid. She wondered how long - several weeks? a year? - before she would be truly Fae. Knowing that the time she would be able to spend with her family Aboveground was now limited by her very nature made her all the more determined to see them as soon and as often as she could. She would marry Jareth - whatever that would mean - and treasure the time she had left with her family. Sarah knew she would now outlive them.
With a deep sigh, Sarah brought her thoughts back to Jareth. She would be lying to say that she didn't desire him. That particular aspect of their relationship had plagued her daily ever since she had first met him thirteen years ago. But what kind of man would he prove himself to be? She was completely confused by what she had seen of him so far. She recalled all of his tricks and manipulations the first time she had been in the labyrinth; but if what Hoggle had said was true, all of that was simply a tactic to delay her. Jareth would never have let her become injured or die. Sarah was also confused by his behavior since she had returned. He had forcibly abducted her from her home and yet once she was in his palace, he had actually been somewhat gentle with her - even.sweet, she thought, remembering the cheese dogs. What was he up to THIS time?
By now, Sarah had changed into her nightgown - a scandalously sheer concoction that she figured had to be Jareth's handiwork. Oh well, it was better than nothing at all. Her own comfy flannel pajamas had mysteriously disappeared. At least he had left her his robe. She swathed herself in the oversize folds and went out on her balcony to look up at the stars. She wondered what would happen if she tried to run again. Somehow she knew that Jareth had been telling her the truth about the magic that trapped her there.
She watched her breath float on the cool night air and then felt a pair of hands close over her shoulders. She would have whirled around, but Jareth's arms held her fast. Sarah didn't fight him, but just let him hold her quietly. After a moment, she relaxed against him a little. It was chilly outside and she appreciated the warmth of his body. She actually appreciated a number of other things about his body besides warmth, but would be damned if she'd admit it.
"I wasn't going to run away again if that's what you were thinking," she said.
"I know. I merely wanted to look at the stars with my bride."
His bride. A wild image of herself as the Bride of Frankenstein flashed through her head and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Is being married to me so humorous?"
"Jareth, we're not married - yet - and.it's just so, so weird. Seeing as you kidnapped me yesterday, I think it's only natural that I'd be a little surprised to be engaged to you today."
"Indeed," he murmured, taking a lock of Sarah's silken hair in his gloved hand and running it between his fingers.
Suddenly his nearness was uncomfortable for Sarah and she moved away to stand over in the corner of the balcony railing.
Jareth smiled. "And yet I have every confidence in you as my queen. You really did very well this afternoon."
He stalked her with his eyes and sauntered to the center of the balcony, placing himself between Sarah and the door.
"Thank you," Sarah said weakly. The fact that her easy exit had now been cut off did not escape her notice. She cursed herself for being an idiot.
Jareth did not miss the hunted look in her eyes as he slowly drew nearer. Well, she would belong to him soon enough. She would have to get used to having him in very close proximity.
"I think that in addition to learning to rule together, you and I have a lot to learn about each other," he said gently, trying not to startle her. She was beginning to look like she might bolt.
Sarah was not certain at all that she liked where this was going. She had hoped for a reprieve from Jareth's attentions - at least for tonight. How she would handle him after they were married was a bridge she would jump from when she reached it. She pressed herself against the railing as he advanced upon her.
"Of course. We should really get our rest," Sarah babbled, grasping at straws. "Tomorrow will be such a big day for both of us. I don't even know everything I'm supposed to do yet and.and.well, we'll have the rest of our lives to get better acquainted after the wedding." Her eyes darted from side to side, looking for an escape.
Jareth crossed swiftly to Sarah and gripped the railing on either side of her, effectively caging her with his arms.
"Are you afraid of me?"
His mocking tone galled Sarah.
"Of course not!"
She wasn't afraid. She was desperately terrified.
"Good," he smiled down at her with a devilish grin. He didn't touch her, but his lean, muscled body was so close to hers that Sarah could feel his body heat from under his clothes. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she raised her chin defiantly and met his gaze head on. Sarah had known Jareth expected her to share his bed like any man would expect of a wife, but she'd pushed that little detail to the back of her mind. She had no idea what kind of cruelties she would endure at the hands of her soon-to-be husband once he had bound her to him forever, but she'd be damned before she would let him know how much he really did frighten her.
Jareth's lips hovered only a hair's breadth above her own. He said nothing, but Sarah knew his intent as soon as she saw his eyes closing. In a flash, he claimed her lips with his in a searing kiss, his fingers twining in her hair to hold her still. She brought her hands up to push him away, but he quickly swept her wrists to his chest and held them with one hand while his other arm circled around her to draw her intimately against him.
Her eyes widened at the shock of feeling the full length of his arousal pressed against her. Sarah tried to resist, but instead found her traitorous body molding itself to Jareth in the most disturbing of ways. Against her will, she felt her own eyes closing and her mouth opening to his probing tongue. She knew she should fight him. Her pride demanded she fight. But for that one moment, Sarah didn't care. Never before had she known what it was to truly respond to a man with her own desire. Heat swept through her body and a helpless moan of surrender escaped her lips as she crushed her mouth against his.
For a moment the world simply stopped.
Jareth hadn't known what he was expecting, but certainly not this. His own reaction to Sarah's response took them both by surprise. With a growl, Jareth swept her up into his arms and carried her inside. He set her on her feet and with one deft motion, slipped the fur-lined robe from Sarah's shoulders. The nightgown underneath was impossibly sheer and clung to her every curve. It was everything Jareth could do not to rip the delicate material from her body as her thrusting breasts strained against the front of the gown. He didn't think he had ever seen anything more breathtaking than the woman who stood before him.
Sarah's eyes grew huge at the look on Jareth's face. She sensed the iron self-control he was using to hold himself in check. In check from doing what? she wondered and backed away a step, suddenly very aware that she was standing practically naked in front of the Goblin King. She felt like her soul was a battleground, desire and mistrust raging in heated combat. Sarah knew she would have to submit to Jareth after they were married, but she didn't feel ready to face him tonight.
Jareth advanced on Sarah and for a moment, she was frozen to the spot. In a flash she bolted toward the only exit - Jareth's bedroom. She almost made it. He dove toward her and caught her easily, one muscled arm looping around her waist and lifting her off her feet. Desperate, she squirmed against him, which only seemed to inflame his desire more as he carried her writhing body to the bed. He tossed her onto the covers in a tangle of sable hair and sheer silk. Not even knowing which way was up, Sarah lunged for the side of the bed only to feel rough arms close around her and yank her back. Jareth quickly pinned her down with his weight as his hands locked around her wrists, holding her helpless against the pillows.
"Jareth, please! NO!" Her emerald eyes were swimming with unshed tears as she strained against him. God she wanted him, but not like this. She didn't want to be a possession that he could use and abuse at his will and she hated herself for desiring him all the same. Tomorrow she would say her vows and submit to him - tomorrow. But she needed this one night alone. Plus Jareth's sensual lips were hovering seductively over hers and she didn't think she could hold out for long.
Jareth could barely restrain himself as he looked down at the beautiful woman struggling in his grasp, her luscious form pressed up tightly against him. Her flushed skin and eyes now bright with tears made her all the more desirable. He cursed himself under his breath as his mouth sought the delicate curve of her throat.
"Please." Sarah breathed, still fighting as she felt her own need for him weaken her resolve. The sweet touch of his lips caressing her neck was almost more than she could bear. She arched against him, hanging on to her last thread of sanity. "No." her last protest was no more than a whisper.
"Sarah," Jareth stopped, his breath ragged in her ear. "Oh god, Sarah," he groaned hoarsely, burying his face in her hair.
After a moment, he released her hands. He slipped his arms around her waist and moved to the side so that she was no longer pinned beneath him. To his surprise, she didn't wrench herself away from him. Instead she lay very still in the circle of his arms.
"Sarah! Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" Jareth asked, concern washing over his features.
"No, no. I'm okay," Sarah replied softly.
The two of them were silent for a long moment.
"Sarah.I.I'm sorry I frightened you. I would never force you." Jareth couldn't remember the last time he had ever apologized to anyone. Sarah remained silent and after waiting to see if she would say something, he continued, "I know it is important to you to allay your family's worries as soon as possible. You should know that I will be unable to allow you to visit them until our marriage is complete - in every way." Jareth was unsure of what kind of ground he was standing on. He could tell that he'd frightened Sarah badly, but remembering her passionate response to his kiss, he suspected that she didn't find him entirely repulsive.
"Jareth, one minute I'm standing in my apartment in New York, thinking over the next night of performances of the production I've put together; the next minute, you show up and kidnap me, I find out I'm going to have to stay in the Underground, I'm turning fae AND that I'm going to be a Goblin Queen and your WIFE into the bargain if I ever want to see a scrap of what I've always known as home again!!" Sarah's temper had crossed her threshold of control and her voice was rising. "After all of that, I don't think a night alone so I can rest is too damn much to ask. You're getting what you want - revenge and power over me. All I've asked from you is the favor of a few hours to myself so I don't go completely insane."
By now she had flung herself from Jareth's embrace and started to pace. She saw the lust ignite in his eyes as she stood up in the sheer gown and angrily grabbed his robe from the floor where he had tossed it. "Yes, I will be your wife. Yes, we will consummate our marriage and you can do whatever you damn well please THEN. But tonight I am still very much my own woman and I am telling you to get the hell OUT!" With that she stomped over to Jareth's bedroom door and opened it in clear indication that she expected him to leave.
Jareth's nostrils flared and his face went white. No one had ever spoken to him like that in his entire life. No one. He was king and expected obedience and respect from his subjects - even his queen. His tone was deadly quiet as he fixed Sarah with his gaze.
"Very well," he said lightly. "If a few hours alone is what you would like, I'm only too happy to grant your wish."
With a flick of his fingers, Jareth spun a crystal from the air and tossed it toward Sarah. The crystal rolled in a circle around her where she stood and then the floor suddenly fell from beneath her feet. He watched her whoosh downward, her startled cry lost in the tumble of the collapsing floor. Instantly the floor sealed up again as if Sarah had never been there. A night spent in an oubliette should teach that chit proper respect toward her sovereign. Jareth stalked out of the room and slammed the door.