Smoke and Mirrors
By Alison Harvey
Summary: Long ago, Sarah chose her dreams over Toby, a trap she came
to regret. Now, as a member of the Masquerade Court, she plans an
elaborate revenge against the Goblin King. At stake is the crown of
the Illusion Queen, mistress of Masquerade...
Author's note: A J/S story. Many thanks to Arianne and Alorindanya,
who tear my drafts apart and turn them into coherent chapters.
Disclaimer: The characters and ideas of Labyrinth are the property
of Jim Henson.
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Chapter 4: Possibilities
Elise listened to the throaty laughter outside the door, the deep
voice that rumbled in reply, and wondered exactly what she could pay
Yasmin to stop seeing Eglan. It had been one torturous week since
Yasmin and Elise had returned from the latest temptation ball, and
Elise had regretted accepting the invitation ever since Yasmin had
begun visiting Eglan. At the very least, perhaps she could put up
enough gold for Yasmin to move to her own set of castle rooms so that
she wouldn't need to hold such ridiculous conversations within
hearing distance of her friend.
Yasmin was entitled to her dalliances, and Elise was certainly not
qualified to condemn her for her pleasure with men. Elise allowed
herself a tight smile: in her long lifetime, she had welcomed many
men to her bed, several during the time since she had met Yasmin. The
difference was that all such relationships had been of mutual
pleasure and neither woman had felt it necessary before now to
correct the other's mistakes. Sometimes a handsome Fae had moved
directly from one bed to another, with no ill feelings between the
two. Yasmin had never mentioned any particular affection to such men,
particularly when she had already moved on to her next escort. Such
attachments were necessary at times to cultivate the right sort of
favors, and both women were adept.
This, however, was different: Yasmin had met Duke Eglan at the
Labyrinth Court. She had initially mentioned a run-in with the King,
which Elise confirmed through her own sources, right down to snippets
of the conversation with Lord Marcus. Yasmin had chattered far more
loudly about Eglan, and brightly enough that Elise began to wonder
about her true motivations. She sounded besotted, an emotion that
Elise would never normally associate with the redhead.
As the next few days went on, with each day spent almost entirely in
the company of the Duke, Elise watched her friend. Outwardly, Yasmin
showed all the signs of a girl in the grip of a particularly strong
attachment that might lead to something more. When she was not in the
Duke's presence, however, that part of her personality seemed almost
entirely absent. She mentioned the wonderful rides across the Duke's
holdings, the latest dinner and the ensuing conversation, and
constantly praised Eglan's attentiveness. To Elise, however, it
sounded in her recollections like an accountant's measure, as if
Yasmin was trying to convince herself of his worthiness. It was
growing harder and harder to smile politely when Eglan was mentioned.
Elise suspected Yasmin wanted the Duke for something else, yet was
convincing herself that it was because she was genuinely attracted to
the Fae lord. When Elise tried to call her on it, mentioning that
they had always discussed their politics together, Yasmin had closed
herself off and retired to her room, feigning a headache or a
pressing need for rest. In the past few days, she had simply not come
home until early in the morning, careful not to wake her friend as
she made her way to her own bed. Before she did so, she would have
long, bubbly conversations with Eglan outside the chambers, with many
vows of visits on the next day. Elise couldn't sleep through the
noise and was forced to listen to Yasmin flirt with the man.
Tonight, Elise was determined to confront her pupil and friend and
learn the truth of her behavior. Besides that, however, it had been a
week since Yasmin had promised to tell her of her strange history
with the Goblin King. She had been patient until today, when she had
received a letter from her sister that confirmed an earlier inquiry.
She had all the information she needed, but many questions remained
unanswered. Yasmin would answer them for her tonight, Elise promised
herself.
As Yasmin quietly entered their sitting room, Elise watched her from
the chair in which she had been waiting. With a small burst of magic,
the candles flared to life. Yasmin jumped satisfactorily at
unexpectedly seeing her friend in her room.
Elise took the opportunity to pounce.
"You promised to tell me about the King," she threatened, rising
from her chair and approaching the shorter woman. "I've waited seven
days, and listened to your excuses. Tell me now." Elise accented her
words with a spell of command, nearly expending her meager talents.
She was not foolish enough to believe that she could influence her
strong-willed friend with her frail magic: rather, she sought to
convince Yasmin that there was no escaping her questions tonight.
Fortunately, the compunction seemed adequate.
Yasmin deflated instantly, her forehead creasing as she slumped into
a nearby chair. Squeezing her eyes shut in concentration, she lit the
fire. Elise raised an eyebrow; despite her tutoring, that particular
piece of magic was the human woman's limit. Three spells in one night
from the two of them underscored the seriousness of the situation.
"You don't need to use magic. I'll tell you," Yasmin said quietly,
pinching the bridge of her nose in an effort to stop the growing
headache caused by lighting the fire. "What, exactly, do you want to
know?"
Yasmin's quick agreement was another worrying sign, but Elise was
far too eager to prove her theory right to pay it much attention. She
had followed a pattern for nine years, untangling words, gestures and
unexpected actions with diligence and patience. If her theory held
true, the path led squarely to an infamous tale that still echoed
throughout the Courts fourteen years later: the story of the girl who
had beaten the Goblin King's Labyrinth.
"Let's start with your real name," Elise said slowly.
The fire flickered and died in the hearth.
Elise stood up and fussed with a taper for a few moments as she
relit the fire, looking carefully at her friend in the resumed glow.
Yasmin was pale and deathly still. She had shut her eyes tightly, as
if by closing out the world she could forget the last few moments.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Elise said, trying to shock Yasmin out of her
trancelike state. "You are Sarah Williams."
Elise settled beside her friend on the chair. The other woman moved
at last, clinging to Elise desperately, eyes still closed. She held
frantically to Elise, who stroked her hair tenderly. "Shhh, Sarah,"
she hushed. "How long have we been friends, my dear?" She tightened
her arms around her friend. "I know why you didn't tell me, darling
girl, but there's no need to regret. All will be well."
Sarah began to cry as Elise gently rocked her, sobbing quietly into
her friend's arms. She seemed unable to do more than allow herself to
be cosseted as she let years' worth of pent-up emotion flow. When she
finally cracked one eye open, Elise was waiting patiently, tenderly.
"I'm sorry," Sarah said hoarsely. "But you can see why I didn't want
anyone to know." She shifted so that she was hugging her friend
closely, her head resting against Elise's shoulder, her feet curled
up beneath her skirt. "I never wanted to lie to you...but I was so
afraid at the beginning..." She stopped talking, and Elise watched her
carefully, certain she was about to break down again.
Sarah took a deep breath and continued. "Do you forgive me?"
"Silly girl," Elise chided, lightly pinching Sarah's shoulder. "What
an absurd question! Here I am trying to tell you that it's fine.
Nothing has changed."
Sarah lifted her head, scooting backwards slightly until she was
looking squarely into Elise's eyes, foreheads almost touching. "Let
me explain," she said, eyes wide and earnest. "I have an idea, Elise,
and I need your help to do it."
"Is this why you've been so tense around the Goblin King lately?"
Elise questioned gently. Sarah nodded in assent.
"I've been fine for years," she said slowly, testing her words. "But
now that I'm so close..."
"Yes?" Elise queried, intrigued by the trailing statement.
Sarah seemed on the verge of completing what it was that she was
close to, but shook her head. She began again after a deep breath.
"I've been working on something for a little while now," she said.
"But now that I'm so close...I'm worried that I'll be caught. The
closer I get, the more I think it's just some elaborate trap I
haven't yet discovered." She shifted further away as something
occurred to her. "How did you find out, Elise?"
In the face of Sarah's sudden panic, Elise decided the truth was
best. "You jump at certain cues lately, particularly any mention of
the king. Your reaction to the temptation, combined with your
uneasiness around Jareth, brought to mind the old rumor of the girl
who beat the Labyrinth. I wrote my sister, who was present at your
Labyrinth ball. She replied today with a description that matched my
first memory of you."
Sarah's fear had not subsided, so Elise spoke hastily to calm her
down, pushing aside for the moment her burning curiosity. "Don't
worry--Jareth isn't searching for you. No one except for my sister
could know about my sudden interest in the long-lost Sarah and I
would have heard if anyone suspected she was present. And I also
would have heard instantly if anyone thought it was you." She
fingered Sarah's dyed hair with pride. "A redhead, indeed. Jareth was
looking for real redheads, my dear, that's what I heard. Just a
passing fancy." She grinned. "He obviously thought you one as well."
Sobering quickly, she clasped Sarah's hands in her own. "I know
that's slim proof, but it's the best we have to go on. I swear by our
sisterhood that he will never find out because of me."
Sarah nodded slowly. "Thank you, Elise. I owe you a great debt."
Her verbal acknowledgement of her trust was a powerful contract, and
Elise nodded, pleased by her friend's generosity.
Yasmin...Sarah...would never say such a thing if she did not intend
to honor it. Gently, she shoved Sarah.
"I have many questions to ask the Sarah who beat the Labyrinth, but
I'd settle for a description of your delightfully intriguing-sounding
plans. You can catch me up on all the old Court gossip soon enough."
Tactfully, she avoided mentioning Eglan. After a revelation of such
magnitude, she felt guilty pressing Sarah for further information.
With luck, Sarah would mention him herself and spare her the trouble.
Sarah...
Elise shook her head, realizing what a trick Yasmin had played upon
them all. No one had even guessed, not even her, not until the few
peculiar events of the past year. Sarah had truly understood the
Masquerade Court not to give one hint of the deception until now. The
story had become a legend in less than a decade of mortal time,
bandied about the Courts and told from a decidedly pro-Jareth
perspective. She felt outraged on Sarah's behalf, remembering the
calculating gossip she had heard then.
"Sarah," she said, hastily stopping when she saw Sarah blink away
tears at the address. "Tell me your plans. I promise to help you in
any way that I can." Her eyes narrowed as a thought ocurred. "And I
hope, for your sake, that they involve the Goblin King."
Sarah brightened. Although her eyes were still red and her nose and
cheeks flushed and swollen, the mention of her long-planned scheme
clearly gave her new energy. "Elise, I think you'll love it. It took
me a long time and more favors than I'd like to think about, but with
Eglan's help it might be finally ready."
Elise frowned at the mention of Eglan, but let her prodigy continue.
"I intend to bring back the Illusion Queen," Sarah said, now calm.
She watched Elise closely with a tight smile that promised a nasty
surprise for Jareth.
Elise's jaw dropped open as she realized what Sarah meant. "You
brilliant, brilliant girl!" she exclaimed, her mind furiously
considering the next steps to be made. "Oh, you darling, I am so
proud of you!" She embraced the girl fiercely, a grin stretching
across her face. "Only you could pull it off in such a way to be
worthy of the Masquerade Court. And such a fitting payback..."
Sarah preened as Elise continued to gush over the idea. True, there
were flaws still evident in the plan, small holes here and there that
needed patching. Elise's devious mind would be able to find those
imperfections and correct them, Sarah hoped. Surreptitiously, she
knocked on the wood of the table.
"Elise," she said, interrupting the flow of plans streaming from her
friend. "You must tell me everything that you know about initiating
the ceremonies, all the etiquette involved. You must tell me who
judges, and how the presentations go. I must know everything you know
so I can see if I've made a mistake." She looked meaningfully at the
other woman. "Nothing has yet been committed: I can still extricate
myself if I work carefully."
Elise nodded happily; glad to be back in the partnership of easy
plans and politics that had marked their relationship since the
beginning. As she had suspected Yasmin to be Sarah for some time, the
truth was comforting rather than startling. She hadn't realized until
she had found herself utterly unsurprised by the other woman's
confession that she had thought of Yasmin as Sarah for quite some time.
"The Illusion Queen is the ruler of the Masquerade Court," she
began, but Sarah waved her off distractedly.
"Even children know that part, 'lise. What I want are specifics."
"It hasn't been fulfilled in my lifetime," Elise mused, racking her
brain for the details of what most considered a fireside legend. "The
last one became High Queen of the Underground." She smirked. "I'm
fairly sure that Jareth is related to her."
"Ironic," Sarah commented. The two shared a smug look.
"Well, he'll be the judge. I hope you planned for that.
Presentations do not have to be face-to-face, but the judge can do
whatever he likes in terms of ceremony, so long as he is not
disrespectful. It's really in the hands of the Goblin King." She gave
an apologetic look to Sarah. "I'm sorry to tell you that."
"I guessed as much," Sarah said quietly. "I've planned for that as
much as possible--Felicite is helping me with a few details, but I'm
counting on Eglan to follow through for this to work."
Elise looked at her sharply. "Please don't tell me that he knows."
Sarah's alarm reassured her. "Oh, no, Elise. Eglan is great fun, but
I'd never tell him. No, I merely asked him for some favors, a few
trinkets for his current lady prize."
The dispassionate tone in which she described her relationship
prompted Elise to ask the second of her urgent questions that night,
no matter how bad the timing. The need for this information was more
important than the fractured feelings that might follow.
"Sarah...why are you using Eglan?"
Sarah took her time before replying, obviously composing her answer.
"I enjoy his company, most of the time, and have enjoyed the
privileges and invitations that being his escort offers. But at the
same time, I chose him because I needed certain things I knew only
someone like him could provide." She shrugged inelegantly, draped
across the sofa. "After all, I couldn't very well ask Jareth for
them, could I?" She fluttered her eyelashes coyly at Elise, her court
personality suddenly at the forefront. It wasn't often that Sarah or
Elise allowed themselves to act the spoiled courtier when alone with
each other, but it usually never failed to amuse the observer.
Elise's lack of response eventually sunk in.
"What's wrong with it?" Sarah asked stubbornly, "Isn't this what
we've always done?"
"No," was the cold reply. "You're playing him, Sarah."
"I'm not," Sarah retorted, clearly digging in for a fight.
"You're using him, and he's not some pretty man to warm you at
night. Eglan is a powerful Duke with connections to more kings than
Jareth, and the right information to motivate them. If he realizes
that you've been using him for sponsorship, it's not going to go over
well."
"Then he won't know," was the petulant response.
Confronted with such arrogant and childish behavior, Elise lost her
temper. "Listen, Sarah Williams," she said slowly.
"You are the girl who beat the Labyrinth. When you end your
relationship with Eglan, what happens afterwards if your plan
succeeds will bring about the discovery of your identity. The moment
that Eglan discovers this he'll realize that you used him as the last
stepping-stone on your path to revenge."
She had Sarah's attention now, and used it. "Eglan's a proud man and
won't be happy. There is no way you can extricate yourself now,
succeed with your plan, and not have him as an enemy."
"What do I do, Elise?"
Elise had her friend where she wanted, but it didn't give her the
sense of satisfaction she had expected. "You end it as delicately as
you can, and watch your back. Give him what he wants and be the
pretty bauble to show to his friends and start clever conversations.
Be prepared to give him hefty concessions to soothe him when you have
that ability.
"But most of all, don't do this again. Don't tell me you've done it
before, because I know you haven't. This is different."
Sarah's look of pain was enough to stop her monologue.
"I'm sorry," Sarah whispered to her angry friend. "I was so close to
being ready...I thought it wouldn't matter. After all," she said,
straightening a bit, "he thinks he's using me." She pulled her
shoulders back haughtily, another glimmer of the hardened courtier
showing through. "In fact, he's seeing at least one other woman. I
thought it was fine because he was that type of man."
"It isn't," Elise said firmly. "But I still understand. I'd say that
I'd forgive you..."
"...but then I'd be compelled to slap you," finished Sarah. She
leaned over to hug Elise tightly for the third time that evening,
pausing as she relaxed to read the hands of the large clock on the
mantel.
"I have to meet Eglan for breakfast in a few hours," she confessed.
"Can we discuss this tomorrow night?"
"Only if you promise not to stay out late just to avoid me, Sarah,"
Elise said, giving her a menacing glare.
Abruptly, Sarah laughed, breaking the final shards of tension that
had laced their words. "This all feels so right," she explained. "You
finally call me Sarah, and that makes me feel like Sarah again. I was
Yasmin for such a long time that I started to think that I would be
her for the rest of my life. When you say my real name, I believe."
She smiled shyly, a move that would have been astonishing on Yasmin
only a few hours ago.
Elise smiled. "Goodnight, Sarah Williams. Pleasant dreams."
Sarah practically bounced into her room, leaving behind a misty-eyed
older Fae staring into the dying firelight. Eventually, her thoughts
turned from her friend to the subject of Sarah's plans.
The Goblin King will never see it coming, Elise thought with
a dark smile.
He would soon regret his past mistakes. She remembered Sarah's
long-ago fright, and shook her head. For that alone, she would see
this plan succeed.
Jareth would soon regret forgetting Sarah Williams.