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An: And, another one. :D Loving the feed back still, guys. It is very encouraging. Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.
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Strangely Devine Chapter Nine: The Egyptian Necklace
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In all the commotion, Sarah had forgotten completely of the horrible thing Aislinn was supposedly planning for her. And Gwendolyn had not yet told her when the returned to the castle. Ilareo returned with the dark lacquered box and Jareth had tossed his circlet in carelessly. Aislinn had positioned hers among the purple velvet with meticulous attention to detail so that it looked perfect the next time she opened the box.
Sarah took a short nap before she had to dress for diner. She wasn't particularly tired but it had been a strange day. It was strange how much contempt Jareth apparently had for being a King. And yet Sarah supposed that if he had to go a day without one person bowing and addressing him as 'your highness' he would possibly go mad.
She smiled softly and drifted off to sleep. A few hours later the sun was beginning to sink behind the trees of the garden and there was a knock at the door.
Sarah sat up with start "Habble-wasit" she mumbled, looking around franticly.
A long pause in which she ran her hand through her hair and blinked rapidly ensued before there was another knock at the door. Sarah sighed and rolled off the gargantuan bed. Who ever it was, it had better be good, she thought sleepily.
"My Lady" It was another servant, he was holding a piece of parchment folded in half "Her royal Highness, the High Queen wishes for me to bring this to you" he handed the note to Sarah and with another deep bow took off down the hall to go wake someone else up.
Sarah yawned and put her hand to her mouth as she surveyed the parchment. Just then she caught sight of the wrinkled state of her dress and sighed. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to sleep on silk, the thought, fingering a long crease mark in the deep blue dress.
Opening the parchment, Sarah walked towards the larger armoire and flung it open to see what she should wear for diner. Her jaw dropped.
"Oh holy Christ" she muttered, covering her face with the parchment. She shut her eyes and opened them again. They were still there. The clothes. Oh god, where did they all come from? She blinked and reached out to touch one that was heavy wool dyed deep red and then moved on to a satin and lace number a few over. Sarah couldn't believe it. It was like someone had just dropped Vera Wang, Versache, Gucci, and Prada's spring line on her doorstep. Bloody hell---
That was when she remembered the parchment. Sarah slit the seal with her finger nail and examine the swoopy black ink.
Sarah,
Tonight you shall come to diner on the arm of the Nosferatu Prince Dacian, rather then my son. It is my hope that you will be your charming self with the prince, and perhaps tell him about Lexelit.
H.R.H
Sarah blinked at the parchment, she was unsure why a funny sinking feeling had settled in her stomach but ignored it for the moment. Well. She had a prince to charm then! Sarah went to her wardrobe and considered it for a moment. She finally decided on a black satin gown that only had one shoulder attached to the thick bodice.
Holding the dress up to her in front of the mirror, Sarah allowed the briefest of little girly fantasies, dancing with Prince Charming.
All though Dacian wasn't exactly the kind of Prince Charming name you expected. More along the lines of. Arthur, or Lancelot, or-well, there weren't really any names that just screamed Prince Charming. Perhaps, she realized, because there was no such thing as Prince Charming. That was why Disney had chosen to name him so aptly.
Gwendolyn appeared behind her. "Is that what you're wearing?" she asked dully.
Sarah set the dress down and walked over to her friend. "What's wrong?" she simpered
Gwendolyn shrugged "Nothing-"
"Yes, something is the matter. Is it about today? Because I'm fine and Jareth--- er-his majesty didn't exactly vault across the room and jump me, did he?"
Gwendolyn shook her head "That's not it" she said softly. "Look-there's something you should know"
Sarah regarded her softly. "Is it really really bad?" she asked, wincing "Because if it's really bad, can you tell me after diner because I have to sit through the whole thing with the Nosferatu prince, and I don't know if I can handle it if there's something really bad about to happen"
Gwendolyn held her gaze for a long time. "You don't want to know?"
"After diner" Sarah smiled.
She shrugged and sighed "All right" she said and then blinked "Hang on- you're to be on the arm of Prince Dacian tonight?"
"Yeah" Sarah started undoing the buttons on her dress. It was impossible to get off by one's self. She positioned herself in front of Gwen and Gwen's nimble fingers started flying down her back, undoing them with speed of one who had done this nearly every day for her adult life. "Why?"
Gwen bit her tongue. She didn't want to know now. Perhaps that was for the best, Sarah couldn't very well sit through dinner with a man who she-well- What any mortal would think, anyway. "Nothing" she mumbled. There was no need to be a big scene about it. She would just quietly tell her while she helped her to undress fro diner.
Sarah dressed in the new gown in record time. She managed to get Gwendolyn talking again, about the palace gossip. Sarah couldn't have cared less but it sounded like it was a source of amusement for all who lived in the castle. Gwendolyn shot through topic, one of the High Queen's maids was pregnant with no idea who the father was. The High King was so entrenched in this peace keeping that he was turning to drink. Aislinn had thrown a fit when her hairdresser accidentally used crystals instead of pearls to decorate her hair.
Gwendolyn paused here "We could do that to your hair, you know. It would look lovely"
Sarah flushed "Maybe another time, yeah? And then I'll do yours afterwards"
"I'm not letting you near my hair" Gwendolyn snorted "So what *are* you doing with yours tonight?"
"Just pin it up" Sarah shrugged "Doesn't need to be elaborate, something simple"
Despite this, Gwendolyn made it very elaborate. She continued on with the endless tirade of gossip as well. Apparently, according to all of the Servants in the Kitchen, they had seen Jareth's ex, Bella running around with Aislinn.
"Bella?" Sarah repeated "I've heard of her"
"The one the High Queen said has no poise" Gwen nodded. She laughed at Sarah's amazed look "I hear everything, luv"
"What's she doing here, then?" Sarah asked, trying to keep her tone light. She didn't care. She didn't. Really.
"Oh, I don't know. She and his majesty were incredibly close to getting married. At least that's what *she* told everyone. I think she's here for her father, the Duke of Gavelsy"
Sarah paused. Oh god. "Jacob?" she asked testily. She would not let herself become absorbed in this court gossip thing.
"That's right" Gwendolyn nodded. "How did you know?"
"Jareth-erm, his majesty pointed it out"
Gwendolyn was quiet for a long time, she just twisted the ebony hair and kept her mouth shut. Finally, she couldn't stand it much longer. "You call his majesty, Jareth?"
"No, I don't really address him at all unless I'm with you and you're all curtsying " Sarah said casually "I've never said it *to* him. Why would he mind? He calls me Sarah"
"Well, you're not High Prince or Goblin King" Gwendolyn shrugged "I suppose if he lets you it's a sign of-"
"Of what?" Sarah asked, despite herself
"Well, that he likes you. I know he likes you" she pressed and then added quietly "A lot"
Sarah pressed her lips into a thin line "Once you get used to him, he's not so bad" she shrugged "Almost bearable, I'd say he feels the same thing towards me"
"Oh" Gwen sighed "I-I wish you-" she trailed off "Well, I'm sure Bella will be entertaining tonight"
Sarah sighed at her friend's discursion. Turning her head to the side, she saw that her hair looked like Audrey Hepburn's coif when she came to the ball in 'My Fair Lady'.
"This is simple?" she asked dryly
Gwen shrugged and pulled her to her feet "I was just wasting time. Let's go" They linked arms and Gwendolyn vanished them to the sitting room.
*
"Jareth" Bella had somehow snuck up on him. Both her arms wound around his waist and she pressed her full lips to his ear.
"Hello Bella" he said in a bored voice. She pulled away and dropped into a deep curtsy, allowing him a great view of her ample cleavage. She stood up straight and in a flurry of blonde and pink she was attached to his arm again.
Jareth sighed distastefully. "Am I to assume you will be on my arm this evening?"
"Of course, darling" she breathed against his ear, her tongue flicking out of her mouth and grazing against his ear lobe.
He found it utterly un thrilling. Perhaps a few months ago had she snuck up behind him and tongued his ear like she was doing now he would have run to the nearest broom closet and had his way with her. Now was not the case. It was rather more annoying, like a fly tickling his ear. He swiped at his ear and she pulled away, giggling seductively.
Gwendolyn and Sarah appeared arm in arm. Sarah was wearing one of the loveliest dresses he'd seen on her yet. Gaeton started towards his sister but Jareth caught his advisor's arm before he got anywhere near his destination
"Gaeton, watch Bella for a moment. I need a word with Gwen" he commanded.
Gaeton gave him a defiant look that was rather amusing to Jareth. He none the less took the buxom blonde's arm and asked her how she found country life.
"Dull" she moaned.
Jareth strode over to Gwendolyn and took both her hands in his. "Gwen, I love you. Please don't be angry with me anymore." he said, and started kissing her palms, knuckles, fingers, wrists, everywhere until she started giggling.
"You see," he nodded to Sarah "She does love me"
"Yes your highness" Gwendolyn rolled her eyes. "Is that all you want?"
"No" Jareth said dully. He glanced over his shoulder and then looked back to his mousy friend. "Bella is back. There's no way I could convince you to pretend to be my fiancée for just this evening?"
"No" Gwendolyn grinned "You deserve and evening with her"
"No one deserves that" He said icily, and turned to Sarah, his mismatched eyes dancing "I'm afraid you'll have to eat with the commoners at the lower tables tonight" he told her.
Sarah laughed and covered her mouth. "No, I won't actually"
Jareth raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms "Oh? Please enlighten me"
"Your mother wants her to be on Prince Dacian's arm tonight" Gwendolyn sighed in a bored voice. "Wants Sarah to charm the pants off the guy, obviously"
Jareth wasn't listening though. He was staring at Sarah intently in a way that unnerved her greatly. "Dacian?" he repeated, his voice was cold demanding. His face was no longer twinkling, but that controlled mask.
"Er-yeah?"
His gaze travelled over her pale exposed throat and chest. He turned to Gwendolyn "Gwen, does the fact that Sarah is human, and Dacian a Nosferatu escape you?"
Gwendolyn paled quickly "Oh no, oh I didn't" she put her hands to her mouth in horror "Did your *mother* realize this?"
"What?" Sarah asked, utterly confused "What is going on?"
"I don't know" Jareth said scathingly he grabbed Sarah's elbow and pulled her to him but she fought him off.
"No, tell me what it is first!" she demanded.
His eyes glinted angrily "You will come with me" he said quietly and deadly
Sarah mimicked his tone "You will tell me why-"
Jareth grabbed her hands and jerked her forward into his arms. "This isn't a discussion" he told her, his arms wrapping around her like a cold vice. They vanished from the sitting room and were suddenly in a room of the castle Sarah had not been to. The bed was an unmade tangle of while satin bed sheets and many fluffy pillows, deep red velvet curtains hung around the bed and the windows like in Sarah's own room. The furniture was done tastefully in much the same way as her room as well. Over the fireplace was a large portrait of Jareth's family, all dressed in various shades of white, blue, and grey.
"Where-" she started
"My chambers" he said coldly as he let go of her and strode across the room to a large mahogany desk
Well, from what she had imagined about being in his chambers, it hadn't included him leaving her standing in the middle of the room empty handed.
"Fuck" He said loudly slamming every drawer in the desk and then going to the chest of drawers next to it. Sarah watched in a slightly awed manner as he pulled out about a dozen white poets shirts and threw them on the floor before continuing on to the next drawer.
"What are you looking for?" she asked calmly.
Jareth whirled around to look at her, he was breathing quickly and looked furious. "Necklace" he said in an offhand way and went to his armoire. After shifting around in there for a long time he finally made an exasperated sound and pulled out with a large black lacquered box in his hands, much like the one his circlet was kept in.
Sarah came and stood beside him "What is it?" she asked
He glanced at her and then opened the box, turning it so she could see.
If Sarah had found the circlet beautiful she was defiantly finding this piece of jewellery well--- basically fucking amazing. She told him so and he laughed dryly, running a hand through his hair and fluffing it up a bit more.
The necklace was huge. It looked like it would cover all of her throat and a good portion of her chest in platinum, diamonds, and sapphires. They glittered in the light from the fireplace and after a long moment Jareth pulled it out of the box. It clinked in his hands and he sighed, as if remembering something and placed it back in the box carefully.
Sarah watched with wide eyes as he removed each of his gloves in a painfully slow fashion, revealed ten perfectly long white fingers that looked like they knew what they were doing as the picked the necklace up again.
She gave a shuddering breath as he brushed his fingers over her neck, his fingers cool against her warm skin. He dropped it around her neck and it thudded against her breastbone with an audible sound. Jareth then began doing up the little fastenings at the nape of her neck. She could feel him breathing in and out against her bare skin and tried to repress another shudder.
"There" he whispered against her ear. Placing both of his hands on her shoulders he turned her to a mirror mounted in the armoire. Sarah gapped, the necklace was gigantic, and it captured light from around the room and lit her face up with it.
She leaned back into his hands, not really thinking about the movement and he ran them down her arms. Sarah felt her heart beat even faster as she watched this in the mirror.
"Jareth" she mumbled, meeting his eyes "Why?"
He squeezed her wrists "Do you know what a Nosferatu is?"
"Yes--- well, no sort of" she admitted
"Okay" he breathed against her shoulder and then vanished them back to the sitting room.
Gwendolyn's eyes went substantially large. "What is *that*?" she asked
Jareth sneered and looked at the necklace wearily "My Grandmother's grandmother had an affair with some Egyptian king and he gave it to her. She gave it to me for All Hallows Eve a while back." He rolled his eyes "Honestly, what am I going to do with it?"
"Put it on a beautiful girl?" Gaeton suggested, showing up at Jareth's elbow with Bella in tow.
Bella seemed so transfixed by the necklace it looked like she was about ready to grab it off Sarah's neck. Sarah moved behind Jareth reflexively and he grinned crookedly at her.
"Did his majesty give that to you?" Bella asked, her blue eyes wide. Sarah reckoned she looked like a curvier, breastier version of Aislinn. She also decided now was as good a time as any to try out Gwendolyn's theory.
"Yes, you did Jareth, didn't you?" she smiled up at him and he stared back with the usual insolent smugness. Everyone but the Goblin King himself did a double take at hearing Sarah call him 'Jareth in public, in front of all these people.
"I did." He gave her an entry to smug look that let her know he was about to embarrass her again. "Gaeton's right, you know, Sarah. Beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl"
A sixth member joined their group. "And what a beautiful girl she is"
Sarah turned around at the heavily accented voice and came face to face with a pale man with a thin face and a mop of black shaggy hair. Oh, and he was certainly very handsome. Deep set black eyes glittered knowingly at her and she flushed and curtseyed, muttering "Your highness".
A delayed moment later all the other save Jareth followed suit. He nodded to them and then looked at Jareth. "Your hospitality is great, you really know how to make someone feel at home"
Jareth nodded his head curtly. He didn't care much for Nosferatu. Especially not this one who was looking Sarah up and down like a starved wolf. Sarah was blushing under all the attention, possibly the worst thing to do, easier for Dacian to smell her blood. Her delicate human blood.
And it would seem that he had already noticed because he was now looking at Jareth wearily. "Your friend is charming" he drawled.
"Mmm, not my friend I'm afraid" Jareth shrugged "Lady Gwendolyn's"
"My apologies" said Dacian, bowing deeply as if he'd caused some great offence. He offered his arm to Sarah. "My Lady?"
With one last look over at Jareth and Gwen, Sarah took the proffered arm and let her self glide with the Nosferatu prince into the ballroom.
Damn it. She did know what a Nosferatu was, it was on the tip of her tongue what human myth they corresponded with. She just couldn't remember.
*
"Ugh, vile creatures, Vampires are" Bella shuddered and pulled closer to Jareth. "Don't you agree, your majesty"
He admitted that for once, he did.
"Good thinking with the necklace" Gwendolyn moaned aggrieved, looking "I should have covered her neck or something"
"Why, you don't think the prince would do something to her?" Bella's eyes were a light with excitement and possible scandal "Do you?"
"No" the three chorused a bit too loudly.
It was obvious there would be no talking with Bella around so Jareth led her off to diner to leave Gaeton and Gwendolyn in piece.
"What was the Queen thinking?" moaned Gwen. "She could get Sarah killed! I thought she *liked* Sarah"
Gaeton clicked his tongue "I think we're missing something here"
"You're bloody well right!" Gwen shrieked, attracting stares. Her twin quieted her. "You know what Aislinn told me in the carriage today? That horrible beast. Do you know what she wants to have happen to Sarah?"
"No" Gaeton admitted,
Gwendolyn looked on the brink of tears "She said they were going to give Sarah to the Nosferatu as a wife. Gaeton, that means Sarah would become a Vampire. They'd kill her"
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AN : Ooo. Bit of a cliffy. Here's the thing, I'll be out of town for a few days but I'll try to get as much up from now till then. And just as a side note, plot twists and foreshadowing are running amok here. *does crazy foreshadowing dance*
Thanks:
Skye Haerrington : Well, now you know a bit about what's going on. But it will get worse! I laughed at her scolding Jareth as well, *Sighs* I'm glad you like her, original characters are hard to do sometimes. Emerald Skye: Different eh? How so?
*blink* is that is?
Remember to REVIEW
An: And, another one. :D Loving the feed back still, guys. It is very encouraging. Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth.
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Strangely Devine Chapter Nine: The Egyptian Necklace
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In all the commotion, Sarah had forgotten completely of the horrible thing Aislinn was supposedly planning for her. And Gwendolyn had not yet told her when the returned to the castle. Ilareo returned with the dark lacquered box and Jareth had tossed his circlet in carelessly. Aislinn had positioned hers among the purple velvet with meticulous attention to detail so that it looked perfect the next time she opened the box.
Sarah took a short nap before she had to dress for diner. She wasn't particularly tired but it had been a strange day. It was strange how much contempt Jareth apparently had for being a King. And yet Sarah supposed that if he had to go a day without one person bowing and addressing him as 'your highness' he would possibly go mad.
She smiled softly and drifted off to sleep. A few hours later the sun was beginning to sink behind the trees of the garden and there was a knock at the door.
Sarah sat up with start "Habble-wasit" she mumbled, looking around franticly.
A long pause in which she ran her hand through her hair and blinked rapidly ensued before there was another knock at the door. Sarah sighed and rolled off the gargantuan bed. Who ever it was, it had better be good, she thought sleepily.
"My Lady" It was another servant, he was holding a piece of parchment folded in half "Her royal Highness, the High Queen wishes for me to bring this to you" he handed the note to Sarah and with another deep bow took off down the hall to go wake someone else up.
Sarah yawned and put her hand to her mouth as she surveyed the parchment. Just then she caught sight of the wrinkled state of her dress and sighed. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to sleep on silk, the thought, fingering a long crease mark in the deep blue dress.
Opening the parchment, Sarah walked towards the larger armoire and flung it open to see what she should wear for diner. Her jaw dropped.
"Oh holy Christ" she muttered, covering her face with the parchment. She shut her eyes and opened them again. They were still there. The clothes. Oh god, where did they all come from? She blinked and reached out to touch one that was heavy wool dyed deep red and then moved on to a satin and lace number a few over. Sarah couldn't believe it. It was like someone had just dropped Vera Wang, Versache, Gucci, and Prada's spring line on her doorstep. Bloody hell---
That was when she remembered the parchment. Sarah slit the seal with her finger nail and examine the swoopy black ink.
Sarah,
Tonight you shall come to diner on the arm of the Nosferatu Prince Dacian, rather then my son. It is my hope that you will be your charming self with the prince, and perhaps tell him about Lexelit.
H.R.H
Sarah blinked at the parchment, she was unsure why a funny sinking feeling had settled in her stomach but ignored it for the moment. Well. She had a prince to charm then! Sarah went to her wardrobe and considered it for a moment. She finally decided on a black satin gown that only had one shoulder attached to the thick bodice.
Holding the dress up to her in front of the mirror, Sarah allowed the briefest of little girly fantasies, dancing with Prince Charming.
All though Dacian wasn't exactly the kind of Prince Charming name you expected. More along the lines of. Arthur, or Lancelot, or-well, there weren't really any names that just screamed Prince Charming. Perhaps, she realized, because there was no such thing as Prince Charming. That was why Disney had chosen to name him so aptly.
Gwendolyn appeared behind her. "Is that what you're wearing?" she asked dully.
Sarah set the dress down and walked over to her friend. "What's wrong?" she simpered
Gwendolyn shrugged "Nothing-"
"Yes, something is the matter. Is it about today? Because I'm fine and Jareth--- er-his majesty didn't exactly vault across the room and jump me, did he?"
Gwendolyn shook her head "That's not it" she said softly. "Look-there's something you should know"
Sarah regarded her softly. "Is it really really bad?" she asked, wincing "Because if it's really bad, can you tell me after diner because I have to sit through the whole thing with the Nosferatu prince, and I don't know if I can handle it if there's something really bad about to happen"
Gwendolyn held her gaze for a long time. "You don't want to know?"
"After diner" Sarah smiled.
She shrugged and sighed "All right" she said and then blinked "Hang on- you're to be on the arm of Prince Dacian tonight?"
"Yeah" Sarah started undoing the buttons on her dress. It was impossible to get off by one's self. She positioned herself in front of Gwen and Gwen's nimble fingers started flying down her back, undoing them with speed of one who had done this nearly every day for her adult life. "Why?"
Gwen bit her tongue. She didn't want to know now. Perhaps that was for the best, Sarah couldn't very well sit through dinner with a man who she-well- What any mortal would think, anyway. "Nothing" she mumbled. There was no need to be a big scene about it. She would just quietly tell her while she helped her to undress fro diner.
Sarah dressed in the new gown in record time. She managed to get Gwendolyn talking again, about the palace gossip. Sarah couldn't have cared less but it sounded like it was a source of amusement for all who lived in the castle. Gwendolyn shot through topic, one of the High Queen's maids was pregnant with no idea who the father was. The High King was so entrenched in this peace keeping that he was turning to drink. Aislinn had thrown a fit when her hairdresser accidentally used crystals instead of pearls to decorate her hair.
Gwendolyn paused here "We could do that to your hair, you know. It would look lovely"
Sarah flushed "Maybe another time, yeah? And then I'll do yours afterwards"
"I'm not letting you near my hair" Gwendolyn snorted "So what *are* you doing with yours tonight?"
"Just pin it up" Sarah shrugged "Doesn't need to be elaborate, something simple"
Despite this, Gwendolyn made it very elaborate. She continued on with the endless tirade of gossip as well. Apparently, according to all of the Servants in the Kitchen, they had seen Jareth's ex, Bella running around with Aislinn.
"Bella?" Sarah repeated "I've heard of her"
"The one the High Queen said has no poise" Gwen nodded. She laughed at Sarah's amazed look "I hear everything, luv"
"What's she doing here, then?" Sarah asked, trying to keep her tone light. She didn't care. She didn't. Really.
"Oh, I don't know. She and his majesty were incredibly close to getting married. At least that's what *she* told everyone. I think she's here for her father, the Duke of Gavelsy"
Sarah paused. Oh god. "Jacob?" she asked testily. She would not let herself become absorbed in this court gossip thing.
"That's right" Gwendolyn nodded. "How did you know?"
"Jareth-erm, his majesty pointed it out"
Gwendolyn was quiet for a long time, she just twisted the ebony hair and kept her mouth shut. Finally, she couldn't stand it much longer. "You call his majesty, Jareth?"
"No, I don't really address him at all unless I'm with you and you're all curtsying " Sarah said casually "I've never said it *to* him. Why would he mind? He calls me Sarah"
"Well, you're not High Prince or Goblin King" Gwendolyn shrugged "I suppose if he lets you it's a sign of-"
"Of what?" Sarah asked, despite herself
"Well, that he likes you. I know he likes you" she pressed and then added quietly "A lot"
Sarah pressed her lips into a thin line "Once you get used to him, he's not so bad" she shrugged "Almost bearable, I'd say he feels the same thing towards me"
"Oh" Gwen sighed "I-I wish you-" she trailed off "Well, I'm sure Bella will be entertaining tonight"
Sarah sighed at her friend's discursion. Turning her head to the side, she saw that her hair looked like Audrey Hepburn's coif when she came to the ball in 'My Fair Lady'.
"This is simple?" she asked dryly
Gwen shrugged and pulled her to her feet "I was just wasting time. Let's go" They linked arms and Gwendolyn vanished them to the sitting room.
*
"Jareth" Bella had somehow snuck up on him. Both her arms wound around his waist and she pressed her full lips to his ear.
"Hello Bella" he said in a bored voice. She pulled away and dropped into a deep curtsy, allowing him a great view of her ample cleavage. She stood up straight and in a flurry of blonde and pink she was attached to his arm again.
Jareth sighed distastefully. "Am I to assume you will be on my arm this evening?"
"Of course, darling" she breathed against his ear, her tongue flicking out of her mouth and grazing against his ear lobe.
He found it utterly un thrilling. Perhaps a few months ago had she snuck up behind him and tongued his ear like she was doing now he would have run to the nearest broom closet and had his way with her. Now was not the case. It was rather more annoying, like a fly tickling his ear. He swiped at his ear and she pulled away, giggling seductively.
Gwendolyn and Sarah appeared arm in arm. Sarah was wearing one of the loveliest dresses he'd seen on her yet. Gaeton started towards his sister but Jareth caught his advisor's arm before he got anywhere near his destination
"Gaeton, watch Bella for a moment. I need a word with Gwen" he commanded.
Gaeton gave him a defiant look that was rather amusing to Jareth. He none the less took the buxom blonde's arm and asked her how she found country life.
"Dull" she moaned.
Jareth strode over to Gwendolyn and took both her hands in his. "Gwen, I love you. Please don't be angry with me anymore." he said, and started kissing her palms, knuckles, fingers, wrists, everywhere until she started giggling.
"You see," he nodded to Sarah "She does love me"
"Yes your highness" Gwendolyn rolled her eyes. "Is that all you want?"
"No" Jareth said dully. He glanced over his shoulder and then looked back to his mousy friend. "Bella is back. There's no way I could convince you to pretend to be my fiancée for just this evening?"
"No" Gwendolyn grinned "You deserve and evening with her"
"No one deserves that" He said icily, and turned to Sarah, his mismatched eyes dancing "I'm afraid you'll have to eat with the commoners at the lower tables tonight" he told her.
Sarah laughed and covered her mouth. "No, I won't actually"
Jareth raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms "Oh? Please enlighten me"
"Your mother wants her to be on Prince Dacian's arm tonight" Gwendolyn sighed in a bored voice. "Wants Sarah to charm the pants off the guy, obviously"
Jareth wasn't listening though. He was staring at Sarah intently in a way that unnerved her greatly. "Dacian?" he repeated, his voice was cold demanding. His face was no longer twinkling, but that controlled mask.
"Er-yeah?"
His gaze travelled over her pale exposed throat and chest. He turned to Gwendolyn "Gwen, does the fact that Sarah is human, and Dacian a Nosferatu escape you?"
Gwendolyn paled quickly "Oh no, oh I didn't" she put her hands to her mouth in horror "Did your *mother* realize this?"
"What?" Sarah asked, utterly confused "What is going on?"
"I don't know" Jareth said scathingly he grabbed Sarah's elbow and pulled her to him but she fought him off.
"No, tell me what it is first!" she demanded.
His eyes glinted angrily "You will come with me" he said quietly and deadly
Sarah mimicked his tone "You will tell me why-"
Jareth grabbed her hands and jerked her forward into his arms. "This isn't a discussion" he told her, his arms wrapping around her like a cold vice. They vanished from the sitting room and were suddenly in a room of the castle Sarah had not been to. The bed was an unmade tangle of while satin bed sheets and many fluffy pillows, deep red velvet curtains hung around the bed and the windows like in Sarah's own room. The furniture was done tastefully in much the same way as her room as well. Over the fireplace was a large portrait of Jareth's family, all dressed in various shades of white, blue, and grey.
"Where-" she started
"My chambers" he said coldly as he let go of her and strode across the room to a large mahogany desk
Well, from what she had imagined about being in his chambers, it hadn't included him leaving her standing in the middle of the room empty handed.
"Fuck" He said loudly slamming every drawer in the desk and then going to the chest of drawers next to it. Sarah watched in a slightly awed manner as he pulled out about a dozen white poets shirts and threw them on the floor before continuing on to the next drawer.
"What are you looking for?" she asked calmly.
Jareth whirled around to look at her, he was breathing quickly and looked furious. "Necklace" he said in an offhand way and went to his armoire. After shifting around in there for a long time he finally made an exasperated sound and pulled out with a large black lacquered box in his hands, much like the one his circlet was kept in.
Sarah came and stood beside him "What is it?" she asked
He glanced at her and then opened the box, turning it so she could see.
If Sarah had found the circlet beautiful she was defiantly finding this piece of jewellery well--- basically fucking amazing. She told him so and he laughed dryly, running a hand through his hair and fluffing it up a bit more.
The necklace was huge. It looked like it would cover all of her throat and a good portion of her chest in platinum, diamonds, and sapphires. They glittered in the light from the fireplace and after a long moment Jareth pulled it out of the box. It clinked in his hands and he sighed, as if remembering something and placed it back in the box carefully.
Sarah watched with wide eyes as he removed each of his gloves in a painfully slow fashion, revealed ten perfectly long white fingers that looked like they knew what they were doing as the picked the necklace up again.
She gave a shuddering breath as he brushed his fingers over her neck, his fingers cool against her warm skin. He dropped it around her neck and it thudded against her breastbone with an audible sound. Jareth then began doing up the little fastenings at the nape of her neck. She could feel him breathing in and out against her bare skin and tried to repress another shudder.
"There" he whispered against her ear. Placing both of his hands on her shoulders he turned her to a mirror mounted in the armoire. Sarah gapped, the necklace was gigantic, and it captured light from around the room and lit her face up with it.
She leaned back into his hands, not really thinking about the movement and he ran them down her arms. Sarah felt her heart beat even faster as she watched this in the mirror.
"Jareth" she mumbled, meeting his eyes "Why?"
He squeezed her wrists "Do you know what a Nosferatu is?"
"Yes--- well, no sort of" she admitted
"Okay" he breathed against her shoulder and then vanished them back to the sitting room.
Gwendolyn's eyes went substantially large. "What is *that*?" she asked
Jareth sneered and looked at the necklace wearily "My Grandmother's grandmother had an affair with some Egyptian king and he gave it to her. She gave it to me for All Hallows Eve a while back." He rolled his eyes "Honestly, what am I going to do with it?"
"Put it on a beautiful girl?" Gaeton suggested, showing up at Jareth's elbow with Bella in tow.
Bella seemed so transfixed by the necklace it looked like she was about ready to grab it off Sarah's neck. Sarah moved behind Jareth reflexively and he grinned crookedly at her.
"Did his majesty give that to you?" Bella asked, her blue eyes wide. Sarah reckoned she looked like a curvier, breastier version of Aislinn. She also decided now was as good a time as any to try out Gwendolyn's theory.
"Yes, you did Jareth, didn't you?" she smiled up at him and he stared back with the usual insolent smugness. Everyone but the Goblin King himself did a double take at hearing Sarah call him 'Jareth in public, in front of all these people.
"I did." He gave her an entry to smug look that let her know he was about to embarrass her again. "Gaeton's right, you know, Sarah. Beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl"
A sixth member joined their group. "And what a beautiful girl she is"
Sarah turned around at the heavily accented voice and came face to face with a pale man with a thin face and a mop of black shaggy hair. Oh, and he was certainly very handsome. Deep set black eyes glittered knowingly at her and she flushed and curtseyed, muttering "Your highness".
A delayed moment later all the other save Jareth followed suit. He nodded to them and then looked at Jareth. "Your hospitality is great, you really know how to make someone feel at home"
Jareth nodded his head curtly. He didn't care much for Nosferatu. Especially not this one who was looking Sarah up and down like a starved wolf. Sarah was blushing under all the attention, possibly the worst thing to do, easier for Dacian to smell her blood. Her delicate human blood.
And it would seem that he had already noticed because he was now looking at Jareth wearily. "Your friend is charming" he drawled.
"Mmm, not my friend I'm afraid" Jareth shrugged "Lady Gwendolyn's"
"My apologies" said Dacian, bowing deeply as if he'd caused some great offence. He offered his arm to Sarah. "My Lady?"
With one last look over at Jareth and Gwen, Sarah took the proffered arm and let her self glide with the Nosferatu prince into the ballroom.
Damn it. She did know what a Nosferatu was, it was on the tip of her tongue what human myth they corresponded with. She just couldn't remember.
*
"Ugh, vile creatures, Vampires are" Bella shuddered and pulled closer to Jareth. "Don't you agree, your majesty"
He admitted that for once, he did.
"Good thinking with the necklace" Gwendolyn moaned aggrieved, looking "I should have covered her neck or something"
"Why, you don't think the prince would do something to her?" Bella's eyes were a light with excitement and possible scandal "Do you?"
"No" the three chorused a bit too loudly.
It was obvious there would be no talking with Bella around so Jareth led her off to diner to leave Gaeton and Gwendolyn in piece.
"What was the Queen thinking?" moaned Gwen. "She could get Sarah killed! I thought she *liked* Sarah"
Gaeton clicked his tongue "I think we're missing something here"
"You're bloody well right!" Gwen shrieked, attracting stares. Her twin quieted her. "You know what Aislinn told me in the carriage today? That horrible beast. Do you know what she wants to have happen to Sarah?"
"No" Gaeton admitted,
Gwendolyn looked on the brink of tears "She said they were going to give Sarah to the Nosferatu as a wife. Gaeton, that means Sarah would become a Vampire. They'd kill her"
*
AN : Ooo. Bit of a cliffy. Here's the thing, I'll be out of town for a few days but I'll try to get as much up from now till then. And just as a side note, plot twists and foreshadowing are running amok here. *does crazy foreshadowing dance*
Thanks:
Skye Haerrington : Well, now you know a bit about what's going on. But it will get worse! I laughed at her scolding Jareth as well, *Sighs* I'm glad you like her, original characters are hard to do sometimes. Emerald Skye: Different eh? How so?
*blink* is that is?
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