Disclaimer: I own nothing from "Labyrinth", but any corny jokes and puns
appearing in this little fic are all my fault.
Author's Note: Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed for your interest and encouragement. I can't tell you how much your comments and insights mean to me. Squeezy Stan, hopefully you'll notice a few positive changes to Chapter 2 thanks to your sharp eyes. Scattered Logic, I'm still pleasantly reeling from your kind words. Angeldevotee, thank heaven you are around (sorry! Pun intended!). To all others who have reviewed either on ff.net or on the Yahoo group, peaches and a giant hug! Your reviews and helpful comments keep me going and hearing from you is a treat!
Chapter 22
Sarah supposed Toby's visit hadn't been going that badly. Her brother had been staying with them for three days and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Jareth had been attentive to him, but had given no indication that Toby's visit was any more that just that. In fact, he seemed to go out of his way to make certain Sarah would hear him say things like "when you visit us again during your holidays" and "perhaps we can take a trip into dragon country next year" so that she would know for certain that he planned to take her brother back Aboveground as he had promised.
Even though Sarah was starting to believe that her husband did not plan to keep her brother captive, she still could not bear the thought of Jareth touching her. Their recent conflicts had left her too raw and untrusting to stomach intimacy with him. The first night they spent back in the Underground, he had tried to make love to her and she had fought him with all of her strength. He had seemed surprised at first, then angry, but in the end he had let her go.
Jareth knew that Sarah was upset with him, but had been shocked at the force of her resistance when he had tried to touch her. The evening they arrived back at the castle, he had been watching her as she brushed her hair at her vanity and was overcome by how delicate and desirable she looked in the candlelight. He had stepped behind her, lifting the brush from her hand as he took her into his arms and started kissing her neck. Feeling her writhe against him, he had claimed her lips with his own before she could speak. It wasn't until he had lifted her out of the chair and settled her beneath him on the bed that he realized she was struggling against him in earnest. Jareth had never forced himself on a woman and harming Sarah was unthinkable. Even so, he was furious. Sarah was HIS - his wife and his queen. Never before had he tolerated this kind of defiance from any of his minions - let alone from someone in his own court.
Sarah might refuse to allow him to make love to her, but he had insisted that they continue to share a bedroom. He simply could not afford to have any of his servants or courtiers spreading gossip that the king's own wife flaunted his authority. That first night had been quite a battle. Even after he had released her from his embrace, she had argued with him about sleeping in the same bed. Sarah hadn't relented until he had once again removed the door from their chambers, sealed off the balcony and windows and roared at her that if she would not willingly sleep next to him where she belonged he would gag her and chain her to the bedposts. Sullenly she complied; but on the following nights when he reached for her, she would roll away and if he tried to take her into his arms, she would struggle with him until he let her go.
Toby, thankfully, appeared to be oblivious to the conflict between them. Jareth noticed that Sarah seemed very careful not to involve Toby in any of their arguments or disputes. She would even allow Jareth to hold her in his arms, stroke her hair, and drop light kisses on her face or shoulders - as long as Toby or someone else was present. Grasping at any opening he could find, Jareth shamelessly took advantage of Sarah's reticence to make anyone else aware of the rift between them. He was so "attentive" to his wife in public settings that the court had actually started to gossip about how madly in love their sovereign was with his queen. As gossip went, he supposed such a story was acceptable as long as no one doubted Sarah's loyalty and obedience to him.
Sarah wanted to crawl through her own skin anytime Jareth was nearby. She was grateful that she could spend time with Toby at all, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy her brother's visit when Jareth hounded her every step. Any time she turned around, he was always taking her into his arms, pressing his lips to her hand, or stroking his fingers through her silky locks. She wore her hair in a severe bun one day just so that he would have one less part of her to grab onto until she realized that putting her hair up only gave him better access to her neck and shoulders. After the "nibbling" incident, she decided that having him play with her hair and weave little braids into it was far better than a neck- full of unsolicited love bites. As frustrated as she felt, she was still determined to keep her problems with Jareth a private matter. She had learned enough about her husband during their brief marriage to know that allowing their problems to become public in any way would only make the situation more desperate. She was determined to protect herself, but forcing his hand in a public arena was not the way to go about it.
Jareth's younger brother Damien had been watching the couple with the same amusement as the rest of the court and so he was shocked, when after three days back in the Underground, Jareth called him into his private study and told him that he needed some advice about Sarah.
Damien relaxed back into his chair with a slightly bemused smirk on his face as he waited for his brother to fill him in. Jareth had never had any trouble garnering attention from the female sex. In fact, he had often had to enlist Damien's help to pry some young woman or other off of his arm or (in one notable instance) to remove a particularly bold lady from his private chambers. There were hundreds of fairy princesses who would have been only too happy to fill the shoes of high queen during the day and warm Jareth's bed at night, so Damien couldn't imagine why his older brother would need advice about his own wife. He regarded the unhappy look on Jareth's face with a mixture of humor and concern. He and Jareth had always argued and played pranks on one another, but no two brothers had ever been closer. If Jareth was troubled, then whatever was amiss was very serious indeed.
After a moment of watching his brother brood, Damien lost patience. "Well?" he inquired, laughter tingeing his voice.
Jareth glowered at him. He hated going to his brother for help because it meant admitting that Damien might actually have more skill at something that he did. It was true that Jareth was a master of seduction, but Damien possessed a light-hearted charm that he did not. The responsibility of kingship rested entirely on Jareth's shoulders and even when he was working his wiles on a woman, he could never quite do so "lightly". He could only hope that his brother might find a way of easing the tension between Sarah and himself that he had yet to think of.
"Damien, it appears that I may need.your assistance," Jareth ground out through clenched teeth.
"Oh?" asked Damien, brows quirking. "And how may I be of 'assistance'?"
A long pause ensued, but Damien waited patiently. Jareth had asked for his help. Now he need only wait for the story.
"My queen and I have been having our .differences. You have always seemed to have a way with womenfolk - making them laugh and such."
Damien's eyes widened when he saw the look of naked pain on Jareth's face. He had never seen his brother in such a state - and most certainly not over a woman. He nodded, waiting for the king to continue.
"I.I can't seem to .find a way to resolve things. I thought you might have a few ideas."
Damien remained silent for a long moment, his face darkening at Jareth's serious expression. "Brother, I suspect this is a little worse than you're letting on."
Jareth made no reply, but the suddenly cold look in his eyes was enough to let Damien know that he'd hit home.
"You have my vow as your brother that I will do everything in my power to help you resolve the 'situation'. However, I believe it's best for you to start at the beginning. I won't be able to help you if I don't have all the information."
With a deep sigh, Jareth began.
An hour later, Damien was leaning forward in his chair, goggle-eyed as the king's tale came to a close. "Oh gods," he breathed, "that's a little bit more of a 'situation' than I had anticipated."
Jareth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Even thinking about his conflict with Sarah was enough to give him an incredible headache. He finally had her as his wife and he'd still managed to bungle things to the point where she wouldn't even allow him to touch her.
Damien continued, "Since she was the one to defeat your labyrinth I was wondering how on earth you managed to get her back to the Underground! You say she wished HERSELF away this time?"
"Of course! How else could I have brought her here?" Jareth snapped impatiently.
"Yes.but then you say that she tried to climb off the balcony her first night here. Why would she do that if she had wished herself to you in the first place?"
Jareth reddened a bit. So maybe he had conveniently forgotten to mention that Sarah's transportation to the Underground had involved rope.
"Jareth, she did WANT to come back with you, didn't she?"
The king remained silent for a moment. He kept his tone even as he said, "I don't think Sarah fully understood the consequences of her wish. However, what's said is said and she is now MINE." The fire in his eyes challenged Damien to say otherwise.
Damien was appalled. It was true that Jareth had seemed ridiculously lovelorn after Sarah had escaped the Underground, but he had had no idea that his brother had been so desperate to get her back. If Sarah had made the wish, the king had every right to keep her if he wanted to do so, but Damien was still shocked at the idea that his brother would actually kidnap an ADULT into their world. No wonder there was so much tension between he and Sarah!
"But she did marry you willingly enough?" Damien asked, still troubled by Jareth's apparent lack of scruples.
"I very generously offered her marriage so that she could continue to see her family and take part in their lives," the king replied coolly.
Ah.
"But you love her?" Damien pressed.
Jareth was looking truly dangerous, but Damien refused to be cowed. He gazed back at the king, eyes demanding the truth.
"Jareth, if you do not love the lady with all of your soul, why are tormenting yourself over her? Why not release her to her family Aboveground?"
"NEVER!" the king thundered. His face had gone white with rage and the look in his eyes was frightening even to his brother. "Never suggest such a thing to me again! Sarah is my WIFE. Sarah is my QUEEN and," his voice lowered to a sibilant hiss "no one shall EVER take her from my side."
"And you love her," Damien finished the thought that Jareth refused to speak.
The proud line of Jareth's shoulders broke - but only for a second. He regained his composure and looked Damien full in the face, his expression an unreadable mask.
So it was true.
Damien, who was not a complete idiot, decided not to press it. The two men sat in silence for a few moments while Damien mulled over everything Jareth had told him. If Jareth had kidnapped Sarah to make her his queen, it certainly went a long way in explaining why she would resent any kind of submission to him - and his brother was one who expected obedience from all of his subjects. But Sarah had also defeated the labyrinth. The fact that she had accomplished such a feat and conquered the heart of the labyrinth's king SHOULD be a good thing for all involved. Except that Damien couldn't quite explain away the pit in his stomach when he thought of the botched job his brother had made of it. If the Labyrinth had chosen Sarah to rule and Jareth's actions were driving her away, then the situation was grave indeed. He remembered all too well the horrors that had invaded the Underground before Jareth had taken the throne.
Damien chose his words carefully. "Brother and king, you have asked me for my advice and I will help you as best I can."
Jareth's brows shot up at the formal address.
"I believe that the rift between you and your queen could be even more dangerous than you think."
Dangerous? Jareth was surprised. Sarah inflamed his desire, fascinated him and frustrated him at every turn, but he failed to see how their current animosity could be in any way dangerous. "Explain yourself," he sad in clipped tones.
"I think you've noticed the unusual level of power Sarah holds for one who was formerly mortal."
That would be an understatement. Sarah's power was so immense as to rival his own, but Jareth wasn't certain Damien knew that and wasn't about to share the information with him if he didn't.
"Your labyrinth obeys you and yet it is also has a level of its own sentience. If you remember the hours we spent slaving over our history courses, then you can recall the myth about the Conqueror of the Labyrinth."
"Of course," said Jareth testily. Until Sarah, no one had ever defeated his labyrinth. A myth was a myth.
"I suggest to you, Jareth, that the myth we studied was no myth at all, but rather a prophecy. You love her. You refuse to say it and yet you do. The legend stated that the conqueror of the labyrinth would be 'taken unto the Bosom of the Labyrinth, Chosen as its Own to Rule in Love'."
Jareth snorted. What rot.
"Brother, I believe the labyrinth has chosen its Own and even if you will not speak the words, I do not doubt your feelings for her."
The king's eyes narrowed. Perhaps he had discounted Damien's idea too quickly. If Sarah had indeed been chosen" by the labyrinth that would certainly explain the immense levels of power she seemed to possess - especially if she had been chosen to rule, well, to "rule in love" if he listened to some sodding poem. Rule in LOVE?
"And how do you see our situation as being dangerous?" queried Jareth, forcing his mind back to the point.
"If the two halves of power governing the labyrinth do not rule in love, then the strength of the labyrinth will weaken, setting your entire kingdom at risk. According to the legend, when the 'Chosen Rule in Love, no Shadow may Invade the Shining Borders of Their Kingdom' but a "Rift of the Heart Rends the Strength of the Wall'."
Jareth frowned. He wasn't certain he could believe everything Damien was saying, plus the poetry of that legend was positively painful. That said, he wished for nothing more than to see his Sarah smiling at him again.
"And so what exactly are you suggesting I do?"
Damien's gaze became calculating. He knew his brother would not like what he had to say. "Show her that she has no need to fear you. Treat her as your equal. Teach her about her powers. And Jareth, -"
The king raised an eyebrow.
"Tell her how you feel."
- - - - - - -
Jareth found Sarah some hours later sitting with Toby in the solar. Toby was playing a game with two goblins and a fairy while Sarah was curled up with a book, brow furrowed in concentration. He watched her set the book on her lap and then trace a few signs in the air with her hands as she muttered under her breath. At the last second she pointed her finger at the fairy as it whizzed past. What had once been a fairy fell to the floor looking like something that was half-goose and half-rat. The goblins were completely entranced with the new creature and instantly took to chasing it around the room while the recently created gooserat made pitiful attempts to fly off. Sarah cursed to herself while Toby burst out laughing. It was everything Jareth could do not to laugh himself, but he was afraid of what his wife might try to turn him into.
Still oblivious to his presence, Sarah shook out her skirts and made a dive for the gooserat. She missed and landed in a tumble on the floor. She picked herself up, still cursing roundly over Toby's merriment and made another grab for the thing as it flopped by. Once again, her hands closed on nothing but a few feathers. She was headed for another forceful meeting with the flagstones when she felt a pair of strong arms close around her before she could hit the ground. She gasped and looked up into an amused pair of mis-matched eyes. With a grin, Jareth set her lightly on her feet. She immediately tried to move away, but his arms didn't budge. Refusing to struggle with her husband in front of Toby, Sarah gave an irritated sigh and snapped, "Well at least help me catch the dratted thing!"
Without moving his arms enough for her to wriggle away, Jareth flicked his hand and the gooserat froze in mid-leap as if time had stopped for it and it alone. "Your wish is my command," he chuckled, finally giving in to his amusement.
The king's laughter was infectious and Toby once again burst into giggles as the goblins fell on the floor in a riot of hoots and howls. Sarah stood rigidly within the circle of Jareth's arms, growing more irate by the second. In one fierce tug, she wrenched herself out of his grip and stalked over to where her book had fallen. She scanned the table of contents and then impatiently thumbed through the pages until she found what she was looking for. With a glare at the frozen gooserat, she waved her hands in the air again and was rewarded with a giant splat. Resting on her slipper in somewhat gooey glory was an enormous.pound cake.
Jareth made a valiant effort to look politely concerned but one look at Toby, who by now was rolling on the floor with the goblins, and he was lost. Sarah bit her lip as she looked at her ruined slipper. She didn't dare move her foot and risk bringing the fairy back in chunks.
Jareth caught the drift of her concern and stepped in. "You're right - don't move!" he said between gasps of laughter. "Here-" he reached over her and flipped to a page in the book. "This one is more effective for transforming hybrid creatures."
"But now I'm working with inanimate material. Do I need to start with what I have now - the mess sitting on my foot - or should I structure my spell off of what I had in front of me in the first place - a flying fairy?
Jareth grinned, impressed. His wife had a point. "Once a creature or object has been through multiple transmutations you're often stuck working with the residual properties from each phase of existence." He flipped a few pages further in. "Given everything this pound cake has been through, this spell will probably be better than my original suggestion. I think you ended up with a pound cake because you were already casting on a magically transmuted hybrid form. That always makes things trickier. "
Sarah read over the spell, creased her brow again and started impatiently motioning with her hands only to have Jareth catch them in his own in mid- wave.
"No! You'd have ended up with a lobster! Here, you have to be very gentle with this one since it's a delicate spell - like so." He placed her hands lightly on top of his own and moved them through the air in slow, smooth arcs. She couldn't help but shiver as she felt her own magic joined to Jareth's. He held her hands more tightly for the final gesture since the spell ended with a sharp jabbing motion toward the pound cake.
With a poof, Sarah found herself staring into the eyes of an irate fairy that tossed her a dirty look and then flew off in lopsided circles muttering about the parentage of rude and sloppy spell-casters. Sarah sighed and turned away from Jareth, but he refused to let go of her hands.
"Now, now, don't be so discouraged, love. You're doing better than I did when I first started out," he said, pulling her to him in a comforting hug.
"I know," replied Sarah, voice muffled against his chest. "Damien told me."
"Told you what?" the king asked smoothly, tightening his hold on his wife.
"Well, there was the bunny rabbit incident." Sarah began. "He said watching you eat carrots was perfectly adorable." She let out a little giggle.
Jareth supposed he should find his brother and kill him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it with Sarah smiling up at him like that.
Sarah was smiling.
Smiling at HIM.
"Would you like a magic lesson this afternoon? It might offer our dear Toby here some light entertainment," he asked, happy to press any advantage to spend time in her company.
Sarah was about to refuse and pull away from him when she thought better of it. She had been struggling for hours to get even so much as a gooserat out of that stupid transmutation spell. Plus she had been fantasizing about turning her husband into a gerbil ever since he had cornered her behind the flower arrangement at breakfast and very warmly bid her "good morning". She'd had to wait until he came up for air before she could shove her crumpet in his mouth and escape.
As Sarah beamed up at him and nodded her assent, Jareth felt his heart melt into a delightfully oozy mess. He made a mental note to teach her spells that would require his close proximity so that he could help her "guide" her magic.
"Since I was already working with a transmutation spell, I'd like to keep focused on the same kind of magic today - repetition always helps me learn things," Sarah said, casting Jareth her sweetest and most innocently imploring look.
He didn't have a chance.
"Certainly!" Jareth agreed with enthusiasm. "Let's start with inanimate material and then move on to something living. When you transformed the fairy into.well, whatever that was, you were actually teaching yourself magic at a more advanced level than if you had started with - say - a teapot. Hmm.what would be simple to work with?" Jareth wondered, looking around the room for anything handy.
Sarah was somewhat disappointed when Jareth selected a paperweight for her first formal lesson in transmutation, but was careful not to show it. She supposed that starting out with a living being wasn't her best option anyway. She might be highly annoyed with her husband but she didn't want to KILL him or cause him permanent damage. Who knew what would happen if she turned him into something awful and there was no one more experienced with magic around to help? Sarah had every intention of satisfying her need for revenge, but not until she thought she could do so safely.
Both king and queen were so involved in their magic lesson, that the afternoon seemed to pass in a blink. Toby, fascinated with his sister's new abilities, had watched in amazement as she transformed the paperweight again and again. When she finally moved on to a terrified goblin, he clapped his hands in delight as she changed it into a pink poodle and then back again - well, mostly back again. The poor goblin ran around with a fluffy pink tail for several sessions in and out of poodle-dom before Sarah mastered the return transformation. It wasn't until the shadows were stretching across the floor and the light in the room had taken on the rose- gold tinge of sunset that Jareth felt his stomach rumble and suggested that they take a break. Before they could leave, they were interrupted by a voice from the doorway.
"Your Highness, I am most impressed with your progress."
Both Jareth and Sarah looked up in surprise as Damien emerged from the shadows.
Sarah blushed furiously at the realization that Damien might have witnessed the poodle debacle, but the expression on his face was one of open admiration instead of laughter. He strode toward her and bowed over her hand, nodding to Jareth.
"Your Highness-" he started, but Sarah interrupted him.
"No, please! Just call me Sarah!"
Damien looked at Jareth who nodded slightly and then faced his sister-in- law with a grin.
"Alright then, 'Sarah' - at least among family. I was going to ask you if you wanted to try your transmutation magic on a human - well, at least a Fae."
Sarah's smile was like the sun bursting into the room. "Are you volunteering?" she asked mischievously.
"Actually," Damien replied with a smirk, " I thought I would supervise."
Jareth did not like the direction things were going one bit. "That's very helpful of you, Damien, but I believe it's best if my wife sticks to goblins for the time being."
"But darling," Sarah cooed, giving Jareth her very best puppy dog eyes, "thanks to your help, I've come so far today! One more spell?" She finished her plea with a sweet, hopeful smile tugging the corners of her mouth.
Jareth shuddered looking at those eyes.
Sarah wasn't worried a bit. She had used the same look on her parents every time she had wanted to borrow the car as a teenager and it had never failed. Not once.
Knowing deep in his gut that he would regret this decision for the rest of his living days, Jareth nodded. It was with a sense of inescapable dread that he stepped in front of his wife and held out his arms in a gesture of mock surrender. "Do your worst. However-" he cut in before she and Damien could begin, "in exchange, I will ask one favor of you."
Sarah's face clouded briefly with worry. She hadn't thought about Jareth asking her for something in return for letting her practice her magic on him.
"I will select our after-dinner activities this evening and I must have your promise that you will accompany me."
Sarah balked. She wouldn't put it past her husband at all to demand that she accompany him straight to their bed. The hours they had spent together in the afternoon had been friendlier than any they had shared for some time, but she couldn't bear the thought of giving herself to him. The idea of submitting to Jareth now that she knew everything it meant was sickening to her.
"Sheesh, Sarah. He's not going to ask you for anything that bad! Stop being a wuss," piped up Toby from the corner, eager for another magical display.
Sarah felt a knot settle in the middle of her stomach, but nodded anyway. It wouldn't do to involve Toby in her problems with Jareth. She was terrified of what might happen if her brother were to become concerned for her and say something to their parents or, even worse - if Jareth would find some excuse not to return Toby Aboveground.
But if she turned Jareth into something harmless.
No one had said anything about her returning him to his natural form right away.
Ignoring Jareth's look of triumph, she gave Damien her most charming smile and took his extended hand. She felt his magic join to her own, but noticed that she didn't feel the same pleasurable tingle when their powers merged as she had with Jareth. Damien met her smile with a devilish grin and murmured into her ear, "He really will make a lovely rabbit."
Sarah's eyes lit with their own wicked light as she pouted, "But Damien, a bunny is so boring."
Damien was nearly bowled over by the force of the magic he felt streak from Sarah as she wove the spell under his guidance. Jareth had mentioned that his new queen had exceptional power for a former mortal. Jareth had NOT mentioned that Sarah's power was more than a match for her king. Damien lifted Sarah's hands in his and joined his voice to her chant. He had no idea what Sara was about to turn his brother into, but he was practically bouncing with glee to find out.
In a flash, Sarah felt energy rip through her body and out of her hands. She reeled it in, just long enough to fling it at Jareth with a clear image in mind. In front of her eyes, his form seemed to dwindle into a cloud and then shrink down to ankle-level. The tiny cloud seemed to roil around for a few seconds until the motion slowed and it re-formed itself into a soft, golden, fluffy creature with long-ish ears and mismatched eyes.
He was the loveliest corgi Sarah had ever seen.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Damien make a few gestures with his hands. She felt a bolt of magic fly from his fingers and looked up at him inquiringly. "Did I do something wrong with the spell?" "Not at all," Damien replied casually. "I just thought a little binding spell might add to the quality of your evening."
Sarah stared at him confused.
"My magic isn't as strong as his, so I won't be able to hold him long - probably not much past dinner, but I thought you might enjoy having a pet here. Jareth mentioned to me that your family once had a dog Aboveground."
Sarah's answering smile was beatific.
"Oooo!" she cooed, rushing to sweep the little golden dog into her arms. "Aren't YOU a sweetie!! Yes, you ARE!"
The little bundle of fur nestled against her looked unsure as to whether it should nip her or wag its tail.
Damien grinned broadly at the sight of Sarah cuddling her new pet. The poor girl had suffered enough at his brother's hands. It was high time that she experienced some enjoyment in her own palace. He knew there would be hell to pay for it, but he would be certain to direct Jareth's wrath toward himself and away from Sarah when the time came.
Jareth, meanwhile, felt quite certain that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite make his brain think clearly. He was being smooshed up against a lovely pair of bosoms. A part of him only noticed said bosoms as being warm and comfy, yet another part had an intense interest in their gentle curve and seeming sensitivity. He stared up at the owner of the bosoms, confused. He couldn't quite.shake.whatever this was that had come over him. He tried again and failed.
Damien could feel Jareth probing against his magic and decided to make the most of the situation while he could. "Shall we be off to dinner then?" he suggested jovially and received enthusiastic agreements from both Sarah and Toby.
Sarah paused. "And what will we feed Butterball? I doubt he'll want the same thing he usually eats."
Butterball. Delightful. Damien was liking this woman his brother had married more and more.
"Oh, I'm certain we can convince the palace chefs to throw him an extra bone or two," Damien smirked.
Sarah almost felt bad. But not quite.
The three of them strolled off to the dining room, Sarah still carrying the Underground's cutest corgi in her arms. When they reached the dinner table, Sarah looked about, wondering what etiquette demanded she do with her pet during a meal. She had seen other nobles place their beloved pets either on their laps or on little cushions next to their chairs. Butterball/Jareth started to wriggle in her arms and she struggled to keep him from leaping away.
"Here, this should help." With a graceful wave of Damien's fingers, a small collar and leash appeared around the corgi's neck. "Tie him to the table leg so he'll stay put. You can feed him scraps from your plate."
Sarah raised her eyebrows aghast. The idea of taking Damien's suggestion made her outrageously happy, but she was terrified of the possible consequences when Jareth finally came out of it.
"Don't worry a bit. I'll deal my brother when it becomes necessary. Meanwhile, enjoy. I imagine that your sudden relocation to the Underground has been difficult and traumatic for you. I'd like to demonstrate that we're not ALL a bunch of domineering, sodden prigs without a sense of humor down here."
Sarah looked shocked and then shot Damien a warning glance, inclining her head very slightly toward Toby. Damien nodded in acknowledgement, but was pleased to see that Sarah was having a difficult time stifling her giggles.
Dinner passed quite amiably between the three of them. Sarah was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed her brother-in-law's company. The last thing she had ever expected to find was another person in the Underground who might be sympathetic to her plight. She didn't discuss any aspect of her conflict with her husband, but suspected that Damien knew far more than he was letting on. She noticed that he went out of his way to ask her about the foods, books and activities she enjoyed and then suggest Underground equivalents or ways that she could explore her interests in her new home. He stressed that he wanted her to be happy in her role as queen and that she had only to ask if she had any questions or needed any further lessons in magic.
Butterball/Jareth seemed oblivious to their conversation. He was far too busy playing with Toby and nosing around the intricacies of Sarah's full skirts. Every now and then one of the company at the table would throw him a juicy bone or a thick piece of fat and he would forget everything for a while, completely swept away in the delight of eating.
Sarah watched the little dog struggle valiantly with an oversize T-bone and felt her heart melt. He was just so CUTE. If only her husband could be this lovable all the time. She had sorely missed her old sheepdog Merlin when he had finally passed away. Having a dog around lent an air of "rightness" to her surroundings that hadn't been there since she had moved out of her parents' house. She sighed deeply and untied him from the table, lifting him back into her arms.
Jareth's brain still felt packed in cotton. He knew he should be angry at the beautiful creature who was holding him, but he couldn't quite remember why. She fed him. That alone was the basis for lifelong loyalty and devotion, right?
"Why don't the three of us play a game? I have a few sets of cards stashed away in the back study," Damien said, holding out one arm for Sarah and another for Toby.
"Sure!" Toby agreed enthusiastically, grabbing Damien's outstretched hand.
Sarah shivered lightly. "Mmm - I'm actually getting chilly. I'll change into something warmer and join you in a minute. Don't let Toby cut the cards!" she called over her shoulder as she made her way to the suite of rooms she shared with Jareth.
She had completely forgotten about the little dog cradled against her until she reached the double doors that led to their chambers.
Damn, damn, damn. Would that spell hold Butterball/Jareth long enough for her to change and then drag him back to Damien before she ended up face to face with an irate Goblin King? She almost turned around right there, but then decided against it. She had walked all the way to their chambers and it would only take her a moment to change clothes. She could RUN all the way to Damien and Toby if necessary.
She gave Butterball a brief scratch behind the ears and then slipped into the next room to change. When she emerged, she was pleased to see that her new pet was still waiting patiently for her outside the door right where she had left him. It was with a sigh of relief that she picked up the little corgi and headed into the shadowy hallway to join her brother and Damien. She absently stroked the dog's ears and then stopped, coming to a full halt in the middle of the corridor.
The collar was gone.
She could have sworn that Butterball had been wearing a collar when she had slipped inside her dressing room to change her gown.
She looked into the corgi's mis-matched eyes intently, but saw nothing in them except the expression of innocent confusion that had been there all night. With a sigh, she put him down, wondering if he had somehow managed to tear the thing off. That leash had come in awfully handy at dinner and she wanted the same advantage while she played cards with Damien and Toby.
She was just turning back toward the bedroom to make absolutely certain that the collar wasn't lying shredded on the floor somewhere, when she felt an arm snake around her waist and a gloved hand close over her mouth.
"Off to play a game are you?" his voiced hissed into her ear. "And I thought you had promised the balance of your evening to me."
Sarah tried to reply, but couldn't since Jareth was still holding his hand firmly over her mouth.
"According to your promise, I believe I will be guiding your activities for the rest of the night."
Sarah had never been so terrified in her entire life. With an enormous force of will, she kept herself from struggling and forced herself to nod in agreement. Physically fighting Jareth would do her no good. She would need to wait for an opportunity to strike back with magic.
"Don't bother." Jareth sneered, as if reading her thoughts. "You'll only exhaust yourself. I may have granted you protection against my own magic, but there's nothing to stop me from blocking yours should you be foolish enough to try and use it against me."
It was everything Sarah could do not to collapse in panic. She tried to turn herself in Jareth's arms so that she could face him, but he held her fast.
"Oh no, love," his breath caressed her ear, "I won't risk them hearing you. Now hold still."
She felt the transportation spell take effect with a familiar sensation of warmth and weightlessness. When they arrived at their destination, Jareth murmured, "Remember, we are quite alone. No one to hear you. And nowhere to run." Slowly, he eased his hold on her and she opened her eyes.
All the color drained from her face as she saw the horror surrounding her on three sides.
Jareth's mocking voice rang through the gloom. "Behold, love, the foundation of my kingdom."
Author's Note: Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed for your interest and encouragement. I can't tell you how much your comments and insights mean to me. Squeezy Stan, hopefully you'll notice a few positive changes to Chapter 2 thanks to your sharp eyes. Scattered Logic, I'm still pleasantly reeling from your kind words. Angeldevotee, thank heaven you are around (sorry! Pun intended!). To all others who have reviewed either on ff.net or on the Yahoo group, peaches and a giant hug! Your reviews and helpful comments keep me going and hearing from you is a treat!
Chapter 22
Sarah supposed Toby's visit hadn't been going that badly. Her brother had been staying with them for three days and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Jareth had been attentive to him, but had given no indication that Toby's visit was any more that just that. In fact, he seemed to go out of his way to make certain Sarah would hear him say things like "when you visit us again during your holidays" and "perhaps we can take a trip into dragon country next year" so that she would know for certain that he planned to take her brother back Aboveground as he had promised.
Even though Sarah was starting to believe that her husband did not plan to keep her brother captive, she still could not bear the thought of Jareth touching her. Their recent conflicts had left her too raw and untrusting to stomach intimacy with him. The first night they spent back in the Underground, he had tried to make love to her and she had fought him with all of her strength. He had seemed surprised at first, then angry, but in the end he had let her go.
Jareth knew that Sarah was upset with him, but had been shocked at the force of her resistance when he had tried to touch her. The evening they arrived back at the castle, he had been watching her as she brushed her hair at her vanity and was overcome by how delicate and desirable she looked in the candlelight. He had stepped behind her, lifting the brush from her hand as he took her into his arms and started kissing her neck. Feeling her writhe against him, he had claimed her lips with his own before she could speak. It wasn't until he had lifted her out of the chair and settled her beneath him on the bed that he realized she was struggling against him in earnest. Jareth had never forced himself on a woman and harming Sarah was unthinkable. Even so, he was furious. Sarah was HIS - his wife and his queen. Never before had he tolerated this kind of defiance from any of his minions - let alone from someone in his own court.
Sarah might refuse to allow him to make love to her, but he had insisted that they continue to share a bedroom. He simply could not afford to have any of his servants or courtiers spreading gossip that the king's own wife flaunted his authority. That first night had been quite a battle. Even after he had released her from his embrace, she had argued with him about sleeping in the same bed. Sarah hadn't relented until he had once again removed the door from their chambers, sealed off the balcony and windows and roared at her that if she would not willingly sleep next to him where she belonged he would gag her and chain her to the bedposts. Sullenly she complied; but on the following nights when he reached for her, she would roll away and if he tried to take her into his arms, she would struggle with him until he let her go.
Toby, thankfully, appeared to be oblivious to the conflict between them. Jareth noticed that Sarah seemed very careful not to involve Toby in any of their arguments or disputes. She would even allow Jareth to hold her in his arms, stroke her hair, and drop light kisses on her face or shoulders - as long as Toby or someone else was present. Grasping at any opening he could find, Jareth shamelessly took advantage of Sarah's reticence to make anyone else aware of the rift between them. He was so "attentive" to his wife in public settings that the court had actually started to gossip about how madly in love their sovereign was with his queen. As gossip went, he supposed such a story was acceptable as long as no one doubted Sarah's loyalty and obedience to him.
Sarah wanted to crawl through her own skin anytime Jareth was nearby. She was grateful that she could spend time with Toby at all, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy her brother's visit when Jareth hounded her every step. Any time she turned around, he was always taking her into his arms, pressing his lips to her hand, or stroking his fingers through her silky locks. She wore her hair in a severe bun one day just so that he would have one less part of her to grab onto until she realized that putting her hair up only gave him better access to her neck and shoulders. After the "nibbling" incident, she decided that having him play with her hair and weave little braids into it was far better than a neck- full of unsolicited love bites. As frustrated as she felt, she was still determined to keep her problems with Jareth a private matter. She had learned enough about her husband during their brief marriage to know that allowing their problems to become public in any way would only make the situation more desperate. She was determined to protect herself, but forcing his hand in a public arena was not the way to go about it.
Jareth's younger brother Damien had been watching the couple with the same amusement as the rest of the court and so he was shocked, when after three days back in the Underground, Jareth called him into his private study and told him that he needed some advice about Sarah.
Damien relaxed back into his chair with a slightly bemused smirk on his face as he waited for his brother to fill him in. Jareth had never had any trouble garnering attention from the female sex. In fact, he had often had to enlist Damien's help to pry some young woman or other off of his arm or (in one notable instance) to remove a particularly bold lady from his private chambers. There were hundreds of fairy princesses who would have been only too happy to fill the shoes of high queen during the day and warm Jareth's bed at night, so Damien couldn't imagine why his older brother would need advice about his own wife. He regarded the unhappy look on Jareth's face with a mixture of humor and concern. He and Jareth had always argued and played pranks on one another, but no two brothers had ever been closer. If Jareth was troubled, then whatever was amiss was very serious indeed.
After a moment of watching his brother brood, Damien lost patience. "Well?" he inquired, laughter tingeing his voice.
Jareth glowered at him. He hated going to his brother for help because it meant admitting that Damien might actually have more skill at something that he did. It was true that Jareth was a master of seduction, but Damien possessed a light-hearted charm that he did not. The responsibility of kingship rested entirely on Jareth's shoulders and even when he was working his wiles on a woman, he could never quite do so "lightly". He could only hope that his brother might find a way of easing the tension between Sarah and himself that he had yet to think of.
"Damien, it appears that I may need.your assistance," Jareth ground out through clenched teeth.
"Oh?" asked Damien, brows quirking. "And how may I be of 'assistance'?"
A long pause ensued, but Damien waited patiently. Jareth had asked for his help. Now he need only wait for the story.
"My queen and I have been having our .differences. You have always seemed to have a way with womenfolk - making them laugh and such."
Damien's eyes widened when he saw the look of naked pain on Jareth's face. He had never seen his brother in such a state - and most certainly not over a woman. He nodded, waiting for the king to continue.
"I.I can't seem to .find a way to resolve things. I thought you might have a few ideas."
Damien remained silent for a long moment, his face darkening at Jareth's serious expression. "Brother, I suspect this is a little worse than you're letting on."
Jareth made no reply, but the suddenly cold look in his eyes was enough to let Damien know that he'd hit home.
"You have my vow as your brother that I will do everything in my power to help you resolve the 'situation'. However, I believe it's best for you to start at the beginning. I won't be able to help you if I don't have all the information."
With a deep sigh, Jareth began.
An hour later, Damien was leaning forward in his chair, goggle-eyed as the king's tale came to a close. "Oh gods," he breathed, "that's a little bit more of a 'situation' than I had anticipated."
Jareth sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Even thinking about his conflict with Sarah was enough to give him an incredible headache. He finally had her as his wife and he'd still managed to bungle things to the point where she wouldn't even allow him to touch her.
Damien continued, "Since she was the one to defeat your labyrinth I was wondering how on earth you managed to get her back to the Underground! You say she wished HERSELF away this time?"
"Of course! How else could I have brought her here?" Jareth snapped impatiently.
"Yes.but then you say that she tried to climb off the balcony her first night here. Why would she do that if she had wished herself to you in the first place?"
Jareth reddened a bit. So maybe he had conveniently forgotten to mention that Sarah's transportation to the Underground had involved rope.
"Jareth, she did WANT to come back with you, didn't she?"
The king remained silent for a moment. He kept his tone even as he said, "I don't think Sarah fully understood the consequences of her wish. However, what's said is said and she is now MINE." The fire in his eyes challenged Damien to say otherwise.
Damien was appalled. It was true that Jareth had seemed ridiculously lovelorn after Sarah had escaped the Underground, but he had had no idea that his brother had been so desperate to get her back. If Sarah had made the wish, the king had every right to keep her if he wanted to do so, but Damien was still shocked at the idea that his brother would actually kidnap an ADULT into their world. No wonder there was so much tension between he and Sarah!
"But she did marry you willingly enough?" Damien asked, still troubled by Jareth's apparent lack of scruples.
"I very generously offered her marriage so that she could continue to see her family and take part in their lives," the king replied coolly.
Ah.
"But you love her?" Damien pressed.
Jareth was looking truly dangerous, but Damien refused to be cowed. He gazed back at the king, eyes demanding the truth.
"Jareth, if you do not love the lady with all of your soul, why are tormenting yourself over her? Why not release her to her family Aboveground?"
"NEVER!" the king thundered. His face had gone white with rage and the look in his eyes was frightening even to his brother. "Never suggest such a thing to me again! Sarah is my WIFE. Sarah is my QUEEN and," his voice lowered to a sibilant hiss "no one shall EVER take her from my side."
"And you love her," Damien finished the thought that Jareth refused to speak.
The proud line of Jareth's shoulders broke - but only for a second. He regained his composure and looked Damien full in the face, his expression an unreadable mask.
So it was true.
Damien, who was not a complete idiot, decided not to press it. The two men sat in silence for a few moments while Damien mulled over everything Jareth had told him. If Jareth had kidnapped Sarah to make her his queen, it certainly went a long way in explaining why she would resent any kind of submission to him - and his brother was one who expected obedience from all of his subjects. But Sarah had also defeated the labyrinth. The fact that she had accomplished such a feat and conquered the heart of the labyrinth's king SHOULD be a good thing for all involved. Except that Damien couldn't quite explain away the pit in his stomach when he thought of the botched job his brother had made of it. If the Labyrinth had chosen Sarah to rule and Jareth's actions were driving her away, then the situation was grave indeed. He remembered all too well the horrors that had invaded the Underground before Jareth had taken the throne.
Damien chose his words carefully. "Brother and king, you have asked me for my advice and I will help you as best I can."
Jareth's brows shot up at the formal address.
"I believe that the rift between you and your queen could be even more dangerous than you think."
Dangerous? Jareth was surprised. Sarah inflamed his desire, fascinated him and frustrated him at every turn, but he failed to see how their current animosity could be in any way dangerous. "Explain yourself," he sad in clipped tones.
"I think you've noticed the unusual level of power Sarah holds for one who was formerly mortal."
That would be an understatement. Sarah's power was so immense as to rival his own, but Jareth wasn't certain Damien knew that and wasn't about to share the information with him if he didn't.
"Your labyrinth obeys you and yet it is also has a level of its own sentience. If you remember the hours we spent slaving over our history courses, then you can recall the myth about the Conqueror of the Labyrinth."
"Of course," said Jareth testily. Until Sarah, no one had ever defeated his labyrinth. A myth was a myth.
"I suggest to you, Jareth, that the myth we studied was no myth at all, but rather a prophecy. You love her. You refuse to say it and yet you do. The legend stated that the conqueror of the labyrinth would be 'taken unto the Bosom of the Labyrinth, Chosen as its Own to Rule in Love'."
Jareth snorted. What rot.
"Brother, I believe the labyrinth has chosen its Own and even if you will not speak the words, I do not doubt your feelings for her."
The king's eyes narrowed. Perhaps he had discounted Damien's idea too quickly. If Sarah had indeed been chosen" by the labyrinth that would certainly explain the immense levels of power she seemed to possess - especially if she had been chosen to rule, well, to "rule in love" if he listened to some sodding poem. Rule in LOVE?
"And how do you see our situation as being dangerous?" queried Jareth, forcing his mind back to the point.
"If the two halves of power governing the labyrinth do not rule in love, then the strength of the labyrinth will weaken, setting your entire kingdom at risk. According to the legend, when the 'Chosen Rule in Love, no Shadow may Invade the Shining Borders of Their Kingdom' but a "Rift of the Heart Rends the Strength of the Wall'."
Jareth frowned. He wasn't certain he could believe everything Damien was saying, plus the poetry of that legend was positively painful. That said, he wished for nothing more than to see his Sarah smiling at him again.
"And so what exactly are you suggesting I do?"
Damien's gaze became calculating. He knew his brother would not like what he had to say. "Show her that she has no need to fear you. Treat her as your equal. Teach her about her powers. And Jareth, -"
The king raised an eyebrow.
"Tell her how you feel."
- - - - - - -
Jareth found Sarah some hours later sitting with Toby in the solar. Toby was playing a game with two goblins and a fairy while Sarah was curled up with a book, brow furrowed in concentration. He watched her set the book on her lap and then trace a few signs in the air with her hands as she muttered under her breath. At the last second she pointed her finger at the fairy as it whizzed past. What had once been a fairy fell to the floor looking like something that was half-goose and half-rat. The goblins were completely entranced with the new creature and instantly took to chasing it around the room while the recently created gooserat made pitiful attempts to fly off. Sarah cursed to herself while Toby burst out laughing. It was everything Jareth could do not to laugh himself, but he was afraid of what his wife might try to turn him into.
Still oblivious to his presence, Sarah shook out her skirts and made a dive for the gooserat. She missed and landed in a tumble on the floor. She picked herself up, still cursing roundly over Toby's merriment and made another grab for the thing as it flopped by. Once again, her hands closed on nothing but a few feathers. She was headed for another forceful meeting with the flagstones when she felt a pair of strong arms close around her before she could hit the ground. She gasped and looked up into an amused pair of mis-matched eyes. With a grin, Jareth set her lightly on her feet. She immediately tried to move away, but his arms didn't budge. Refusing to struggle with her husband in front of Toby, Sarah gave an irritated sigh and snapped, "Well at least help me catch the dratted thing!"
Without moving his arms enough for her to wriggle away, Jareth flicked his hand and the gooserat froze in mid-leap as if time had stopped for it and it alone. "Your wish is my command," he chuckled, finally giving in to his amusement.
The king's laughter was infectious and Toby once again burst into giggles as the goblins fell on the floor in a riot of hoots and howls. Sarah stood rigidly within the circle of Jareth's arms, growing more irate by the second. In one fierce tug, she wrenched herself out of his grip and stalked over to where her book had fallen. She scanned the table of contents and then impatiently thumbed through the pages until she found what she was looking for. With a glare at the frozen gooserat, she waved her hands in the air again and was rewarded with a giant splat. Resting on her slipper in somewhat gooey glory was an enormous.pound cake.
Jareth made a valiant effort to look politely concerned but one look at Toby, who by now was rolling on the floor with the goblins, and he was lost. Sarah bit her lip as she looked at her ruined slipper. She didn't dare move her foot and risk bringing the fairy back in chunks.
Jareth caught the drift of her concern and stepped in. "You're right - don't move!" he said between gasps of laughter. "Here-" he reached over her and flipped to a page in the book. "This one is more effective for transforming hybrid creatures."
"But now I'm working with inanimate material. Do I need to start with what I have now - the mess sitting on my foot - or should I structure my spell off of what I had in front of me in the first place - a flying fairy?
Jareth grinned, impressed. His wife had a point. "Once a creature or object has been through multiple transmutations you're often stuck working with the residual properties from each phase of existence." He flipped a few pages further in. "Given everything this pound cake has been through, this spell will probably be better than my original suggestion. I think you ended up with a pound cake because you were already casting on a magically transmuted hybrid form. That always makes things trickier. "
Sarah read over the spell, creased her brow again and started impatiently motioning with her hands only to have Jareth catch them in his own in mid- wave.
"No! You'd have ended up with a lobster! Here, you have to be very gentle with this one since it's a delicate spell - like so." He placed her hands lightly on top of his own and moved them through the air in slow, smooth arcs. She couldn't help but shiver as she felt her own magic joined to Jareth's. He held her hands more tightly for the final gesture since the spell ended with a sharp jabbing motion toward the pound cake.
With a poof, Sarah found herself staring into the eyes of an irate fairy that tossed her a dirty look and then flew off in lopsided circles muttering about the parentage of rude and sloppy spell-casters. Sarah sighed and turned away from Jareth, but he refused to let go of her hands.
"Now, now, don't be so discouraged, love. You're doing better than I did when I first started out," he said, pulling her to him in a comforting hug.
"I know," replied Sarah, voice muffled against his chest. "Damien told me."
"Told you what?" the king asked smoothly, tightening his hold on his wife.
"Well, there was the bunny rabbit incident." Sarah began. "He said watching you eat carrots was perfectly adorable." She let out a little giggle.
Jareth supposed he should find his brother and kill him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it with Sarah smiling up at him like that.
Sarah was smiling.
Smiling at HIM.
"Would you like a magic lesson this afternoon? It might offer our dear Toby here some light entertainment," he asked, happy to press any advantage to spend time in her company.
Sarah was about to refuse and pull away from him when she thought better of it. She had been struggling for hours to get even so much as a gooserat out of that stupid transmutation spell. Plus she had been fantasizing about turning her husband into a gerbil ever since he had cornered her behind the flower arrangement at breakfast and very warmly bid her "good morning". She'd had to wait until he came up for air before she could shove her crumpet in his mouth and escape.
As Sarah beamed up at him and nodded her assent, Jareth felt his heart melt into a delightfully oozy mess. He made a mental note to teach her spells that would require his close proximity so that he could help her "guide" her magic.
"Since I was already working with a transmutation spell, I'd like to keep focused on the same kind of magic today - repetition always helps me learn things," Sarah said, casting Jareth her sweetest and most innocently imploring look.
He didn't have a chance.
"Certainly!" Jareth agreed with enthusiasm. "Let's start with inanimate material and then move on to something living. When you transformed the fairy into.well, whatever that was, you were actually teaching yourself magic at a more advanced level than if you had started with - say - a teapot. Hmm.what would be simple to work with?" Jareth wondered, looking around the room for anything handy.
Sarah was somewhat disappointed when Jareth selected a paperweight for her first formal lesson in transmutation, but was careful not to show it. She supposed that starting out with a living being wasn't her best option anyway. She might be highly annoyed with her husband but she didn't want to KILL him or cause him permanent damage. Who knew what would happen if she turned him into something awful and there was no one more experienced with magic around to help? Sarah had every intention of satisfying her need for revenge, but not until she thought she could do so safely.
Both king and queen were so involved in their magic lesson, that the afternoon seemed to pass in a blink. Toby, fascinated with his sister's new abilities, had watched in amazement as she transformed the paperweight again and again. When she finally moved on to a terrified goblin, he clapped his hands in delight as she changed it into a pink poodle and then back again - well, mostly back again. The poor goblin ran around with a fluffy pink tail for several sessions in and out of poodle-dom before Sarah mastered the return transformation. It wasn't until the shadows were stretching across the floor and the light in the room had taken on the rose- gold tinge of sunset that Jareth felt his stomach rumble and suggested that they take a break. Before they could leave, they were interrupted by a voice from the doorway.
"Your Highness, I am most impressed with your progress."
Both Jareth and Sarah looked up in surprise as Damien emerged from the shadows.
Sarah blushed furiously at the realization that Damien might have witnessed the poodle debacle, but the expression on his face was one of open admiration instead of laughter. He strode toward her and bowed over her hand, nodding to Jareth.
"Your Highness-" he started, but Sarah interrupted him.
"No, please! Just call me Sarah!"
Damien looked at Jareth who nodded slightly and then faced his sister-in- law with a grin.
"Alright then, 'Sarah' - at least among family. I was going to ask you if you wanted to try your transmutation magic on a human - well, at least a Fae."
Sarah's smile was like the sun bursting into the room. "Are you volunteering?" she asked mischievously.
"Actually," Damien replied with a smirk, " I thought I would supervise."
Jareth did not like the direction things were going one bit. "That's very helpful of you, Damien, but I believe it's best if my wife sticks to goblins for the time being."
"But darling," Sarah cooed, giving Jareth her very best puppy dog eyes, "thanks to your help, I've come so far today! One more spell?" She finished her plea with a sweet, hopeful smile tugging the corners of her mouth.
Jareth shuddered looking at those eyes.
Sarah wasn't worried a bit. She had used the same look on her parents every time she had wanted to borrow the car as a teenager and it had never failed. Not once.
Knowing deep in his gut that he would regret this decision for the rest of his living days, Jareth nodded. It was with a sense of inescapable dread that he stepped in front of his wife and held out his arms in a gesture of mock surrender. "Do your worst. However-" he cut in before she and Damien could begin, "in exchange, I will ask one favor of you."
Sarah's face clouded briefly with worry. She hadn't thought about Jareth asking her for something in return for letting her practice her magic on him.
"I will select our after-dinner activities this evening and I must have your promise that you will accompany me."
Sarah balked. She wouldn't put it past her husband at all to demand that she accompany him straight to their bed. The hours they had spent together in the afternoon had been friendlier than any they had shared for some time, but she couldn't bear the thought of giving herself to him. The idea of submitting to Jareth now that she knew everything it meant was sickening to her.
"Sheesh, Sarah. He's not going to ask you for anything that bad! Stop being a wuss," piped up Toby from the corner, eager for another magical display.
Sarah felt a knot settle in the middle of her stomach, but nodded anyway. It wouldn't do to involve Toby in her problems with Jareth. She was terrified of what might happen if her brother were to become concerned for her and say something to their parents or, even worse - if Jareth would find some excuse not to return Toby Aboveground.
But if she turned Jareth into something harmless.
No one had said anything about her returning him to his natural form right away.
Ignoring Jareth's look of triumph, she gave Damien her most charming smile and took his extended hand. She felt his magic join to her own, but noticed that she didn't feel the same pleasurable tingle when their powers merged as she had with Jareth. Damien met her smile with a devilish grin and murmured into her ear, "He really will make a lovely rabbit."
Sarah's eyes lit with their own wicked light as she pouted, "But Damien, a bunny is so boring."
Damien was nearly bowled over by the force of the magic he felt streak from Sarah as she wove the spell under his guidance. Jareth had mentioned that his new queen had exceptional power for a former mortal. Jareth had NOT mentioned that Sarah's power was more than a match for her king. Damien lifted Sarah's hands in his and joined his voice to her chant. He had no idea what Sara was about to turn his brother into, but he was practically bouncing with glee to find out.
In a flash, Sarah felt energy rip through her body and out of her hands. She reeled it in, just long enough to fling it at Jareth with a clear image in mind. In front of her eyes, his form seemed to dwindle into a cloud and then shrink down to ankle-level. The tiny cloud seemed to roil around for a few seconds until the motion slowed and it re-formed itself into a soft, golden, fluffy creature with long-ish ears and mismatched eyes.
He was the loveliest corgi Sarah had ever seen.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Damien make a few gestures with his hands. She felt a bolt of magic fly from his fingers and looked up at him inquiringly. "Did I do something wrong with the spell?" "Not at all," Damien replied casually. "I just thought a little binding spell might add to the quality of your evening."
Sarah stared at him confused.
"My magic isn't as strong as his, so I won't be able to hold him long - probably not much past dinner, but I thought you might enjoy having a pet here. Jareth mentioned to me that your family once had a dog Aboveground."
Sarah's answering smile was beatific.
"Oooo!" she cooed, rushing to sweep the little golden dog into her arms. "Aren't YOU a sweetie!! Yes, you ARE!"
The little bundle of fur nestled against her looked unsure as to whether it should nip her or wag its tail.
Damien grinned broadly at the sight of Sarah cuddling her new pet. The poor girl had suffered enough at his brother's hands. It was high time that she experienced some enjoyment in her own palace. He knew there would be hell to pay for it, but he would be certain to direct Jareth's wrath toward himself and away from Sarah when the time came.
Jareth, meanwhile, felt quite certain that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite make his brain think clearly. He was being smooshed up against a lovely pair of bosoms. A part of him only noticed said bosoms as being warm and comfy, yet another part had an intense interest in their gentle curve and seeming sensitivity. He stared up at the owner of the bosoms, confused. He couldn't quite.shake.whatever this was that had come over him. He tried again and failed.
Damien could feel Jareth probing against his magic and decided to make the most of the situation while he could. "Shall we be off to dinner then?" he suggested jovially and received enthusiastic agreements from both Sarah and Toby.
Sarah paused. "And what will we feed Butterball? I doubt he'll want the same thing he usually eats."
Butterball. Delightful. Damien was liking this woman his brother had married more and more.
"Oh, I'm certain we can convince the palace chefs to throw him an extra bone or two," Damien smirked.
Sarah almost felt bad. But not quite.
The three of them strolled off to the dining room, Sarah still carrying the Underground's cutest corgi in her arms. When they reached the dinner table, Sarah looked about, wondering what etiquette demanded she do with her pet during a meal. She had seen other nobles place their beloved pets either on their laps or on little cushions next to their chairs. Butterball/Jareth started to wriggle in her arms and she struggled to keep him from leaping away.
"Here, this should help." With a graceful wave of Damien's fingers, a small collar and leash appeared around the corgi's neck. "Tie him to the table leg so he'll stay put. You can feed him scraps from your plate."
Sarah raised her eyebrows aghast. The idea of taking Damien's suggestion made her outrageously happy, but she was terrified of the possible consequences when Jareth finally came out of it.
"Don't worry a bit. I'll deal my brother when it becomes necessary. Meanwhile, enjoy. I imagine that your sudden relocation to the Underground has been difficult and traumatic for you. I'd like to demonstrate that we're not ALL a bunch of domineering, sodden prigs without a sense of humor down here."
Sarah looked shocked and then shot Damien a warning glance, inclining her head very slightly toward Toby. Damien nodded in acknowledgement, but was pleased to see that Sarah was having a difficult time stifling her giggles.
Dinner passed quite amiably between the three of them. Sarah was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed her brother-in-law's company. The last thing she had ever expected to find was another person in the Underground who might be sympathetic to her plight. She didn't discuss any aspect of her conflict with her husband, but suspected that Damien knew far more than he was letting on. She noticed that he went out of his way to ask her about the foods, books and activities she enjoyed and then suggest Underground equivalents or ways that she could explore her interests in her new home. He stressed that he wanted her to be happy in her role as queen and that she had only to ask if she had any questions or needed any further lessons in magic.
Butterball/Jareth seemed oblivious to their conversation. He was far too busy playing with Toby and nosing around the intricacies of Sarah's full skirts. Every now and then one of the company at the table would throw him a juicy bone or a thick piece of fat and he would forget everything for a while, completely swept away in the delight of eating.
Sarah watched the little dog struggle valiantly with an oversize T-bone and felt her heart melt. He was just so CUTE. If only her husband could be this lovable all the time. She had sorely missed her old sheepdog Merlin when he had finally passed away. Having a dog around lent an air of "rightness" to her surroundings that hadn't been there since she had moved out of her parents' house. She sighed deeply and untied him from the table, lifting him back into her arms.
Jareth's brain still felt packed in cotton. He knew he should be angry at the beautiful creature who was holding him, but he couldn't quite remember why. She fed him. That alone was the basis for lifelong loyalty and devotion, right?
"Why don't the three of us play a game? I have a few sets of cards stashed away in the back study," Damien said, holding out one arm for Sarah and another for Toby.
"Sure!" Toby agreed enthusiastically, grabbing Damien's outstretched hand.
Sarah shivered lightly. "Mmm - I'm actually getting chilly. I'll change into something warmer and join you in a minute. Don't let Toby cut the cards!" she called over her shoulder as she made her way to the suite of rooms she shared with Jareth.
She had completely forgotten about the little dog cradled against her until she reached the double doors that led to their chambers.
Damn, damn, damn. Would that spell hold Butterball/Jareth long enough for her to change and then drag him back to Damien before she ended up face to face with an irate Goblin King? She almost turned around right there, but then decided against it. She had walked all the way to their chambers and it would only take her a moment to change clothes. She could RUN all the way to Damien and Toby if necessary.
She gave Butterball a brief scratch behind the ears and then slipped into the next room to change. When she emerged, she was pleased to see that her new pet was still waiting patiently for her outside the door right where she had left him. It was with a sigh of relief that she picked up the little corgi and headed into the shadowy hallway to join her brother and Damien. She absently stroked the dog's ears and then stopped, coming to a full halt in the middle of the corridor.
The collar was gone.
She could have sworn that Butterball had been wearing a collar when she had slipped inside her dressing room to change her gown.
She looked into the corgi's mis-matched eyes intently, but saw nothing in them except the expression of innocent confusion that had been there all night. With a sigh, she put him down, wondering if he had somehow managed to tear the thing off. That leash had come in awfully handy at dinner and she wanted the same advantage while she played cards with Damien and Toby.
She was just turning back toward the bedroom to make absolutely certain that the collar wasn't lying shredded on the floor somewhere, when she felt an arm snake around her waist and a gloved hand close over her mouth.
"Off to play a game are you?" his voiced hissed into her ear. "And I thought you had promised the balance of your evening to me."
Sarah tried to reply, but couldn't since Jareth was still holding his hand firmly over her mouth.
"According to your promise, I believe I will be guiding your activities for the rest of the night."
Sarah had never been so terrified in her entire life. With an enormous force of will, she kept herself from struggling and forced herself to nod in agreement. Physically fighting Jareth would do her no good. She would need to wait for an opportunity to strike back with magic.
"Don't bother." Jareth sneered, as if reading her thoughts. "You'll only exhaust yourself. I may have granted you protection against my own magic, but there's nothing to stop me from blocking yours should you be foolish enough to try and use it against me."
It was everything Sarah could do not to collapse in panic. She tried to turn herself in Jareth's arms so that she could face him, but he held her fast.
"Oh no, love," his breath caressed her ear, "I won't risk them hearing you. Now hold still."
She felt the transportation spell take effect with a familiar sensation of warmth and weightlessness. When they arrived at their destination, Jareth murmured, "Remember, we are quite alone. No one to hear you. And nowhere to run." Slowly, he eased his hold on her and she opened her eyes.
All the color drained from her face as she saw the horror surrounding her on three sides.
Jareth's mocking voice rang through the gloom. "Behold, love, the foundation of my kingdom."