Skipped the Lady to the Master's Gate
Written by A Lady Grinning
Author's note: Many thanks to all who review! Keep in mind, all: this *is* an S/J fic, and that rating is there for a reason. ::hint hint:: Special thanks to Scattered Logic for offering advice on the spacing. ^,^ (Yes, I'm new to Fanfiction.net, and any advice at all regarding formatting, etc., is appreciated beyond words.) Many more thanks to MaskedMaiden, as always-my constant collaborator and right hand man! mwah
Chapter 3
Sarah was surprised, but not entirely, to find the throne room overflowing with goblins.
It had not been very difficult to find the place, as the castle itself was not as labyrinthine as one might presume it to be. The difficulty, however, lay within the fact that each section of the castle seemed to be in a world of its own, totally unaffected by whatever might be happening in any other part of the castle. This explained how Sarah did not hear the din that permeated the throne room as she approached it from a nearby corridor.
When she crossed its threshold, the sudden noise was overwhelming. Sarah jumped, wondering whether the King would approve of the mischievous creatures ransacking his throne room.
The goblins themselves were acting very normally, though they hardly noticed Sarah's presence. Fortunately, Sarah did not have to endure it for very long, as a streak of color abruptly flew into and around the room, barking unintelligible orders at the goblins. They ran snickering from the room, but not before hurling a disgruntled chicken in Sarah's direction. Sarah was able to dodge the bird, which gave a loud squawk then waddled after the goblins.
The streak had slowed to a near stop, revealing itself to be Sir Didymus on his noble steed, still barking, "Such disrespect towards a lady! Let me not see thine brazen countenances again, thou sottish ruffians! Thou shalt not be so fortunate the next time we meet!"
Sarah grinned at the sight of her friend and called, "Sir Didymus, I'm all right!"
The knight promptly hopped from Ambrosius, who wagged his tail emphatically when he heard Sarah's voice, and made a sweeping bow.
"Well met, my lady! I do apologize most earnestly for the actions of the King's . . . ," Sir Didymus sniffed and lifted his chin ever so slightly, " . . . court jesters. I don't see why he keeps them."
Sarah giggled and said, "I'm not too bothered by them."
"Well," Didymus replied shortly.
"What are you doing here, Sir Didymus?" Sarah asked.
The vulpine knight piped, "His Majesty hath generously bestowed upon me a new post by the castle gate, as I no longer have a bridge to guard. A pity, really. A thousand years of consented passage all gone to waste! Not to mention that the odor of my previous post was much more agreeable, but I cannot complain! 'Tis an honor to serve His Majesty wherever, whenever, however I may!"
Sarah bit her lip and considered; hadn't Jareth said that the Labyrinth was only a day old? Didymus was talking as if he had been guarding the bridge for years. But maybe Jareth made this world in such a way that its inhabitants would remember life that had never existed prior to their creation? Oh well. Better play along so as not to confuse him.
"But wasn't helping me solve the Labyrinth an act of treason?" Sarah asked.
Sir Didymus looked offended by the very thought. "Treason?! My dear lady! Never in my life would I ever act against the King! I simply was without a job to fulfill at the time. And my lady was in great need. To ignore this would be shameful to my title as a Knight of the Winding Court!"
Sarah beamed at his stout heart, and asked, "The Winding Court?"
"My faction, fair maiden," he proudly replied. "And if you will follow my lead, my lady, I shall take thee to where Sirs Ludo and Hoggle now reside."
Sir Didymus, atop Ambrosius, led Sarah down the long corridor adjoining that which led to Sarah's room. Their path then turned away from Sarah's room and towards two large double doors, ornately carved with designs of Celtic knots. When not lit by large panes of glass, the corridors were lit by lanterns posted on the walls containing small balls of light that bounced around in their cages, constantly changing color. Sarah noted that, while the throne room was furnished in a style that was very like the rest of the Labyrinth, this wing of the Castle was much different: its mahogany wood walls covered with tapestries and glittering stone floors provided a much less alienating environment.
Sarah was in awe of the entire spectacle and, as she followed the overly talkative Sir Didymus ("Step lightly, now!" "Ambrosius, the lady is not likely to disappear if you were to simply look forward for a change!" "This wing of the Castle was added on a mere three hundred years ago . . ."), became interested in the seemingly infinite number of closed doors they passed.
During a fleeting period of time in which Sir Didymus was taking a breath, Sarah asked, "Where do all these doors lead?"
After hemming and hawing a bit, the knight ominously replied, "My lady, 'tis a rarity when any other than servants, guests, and the King himself wander these halls. I should imagine that these rooms are very rarely used, and that my lady would find nothing of interest within them."
Sarah was doubtful of this.
They soon reached the large doors at the end of the hall, which Sarah had to push open as Didymus was too small to reach them. This action disturbed Sir Didymus, as he felt that it was "unjust" for a lady to have to open a door for herself. Sarah assured him that she didn't mind.
The doors led into the dining room, which was really a work of art, complete with a long wooden table with a stained glass covering, a tall backed, cushioned wooden chair with clawed feet at each end of it, and a back wall made entirely of glass. Upon closer inspection, after regaining her breath lost at first sight of the room, Sarah noticed two massive curtains attached to the glass wall which were drawn back in order to give whomever came across it a view of the gardens. Sarah then noticed that they could be looked at even more closely from a balcony branching from a door cut into the glass.
"That painting was painted of His Majesty not very long ago."
Sarah saw that Sir Didymus was indicating to a painting of a soaring barn owl hanging on the left-hand wall of the room. The painting was half as large as the wall it was on. Sarah thought it was beautiful, with the dark colors of the sky contrasting to the pure white of the owl. It seemed to be in constant motion, though it did not move at all. She could feel the cool wind against the back of her neck.
Outwardly, Sarah cynically asked, "Why would he have a painting of himself in his own dining room?"
Surprised, Sir Didymus asked, "Dost my lady dislike gazing at him?"
Sarah slowly shook her head. She did not at all.
The balcony outside of the glass wall had a long staircase spiraling down from it, leading directly into the garden. After Sarah followed Didymus rather slowly down the stairs (Ambrosius was afraid of heights), she immediately saw Ludo staring at a particularly vicious looking bunch of snapdragons. Sarah ran to him, calling his name. It seemed like forever since she had last seen him.
"Sarah back!" Ludo declared, and hugged his friend.
As she was smothered in the great beast's embrace, Sarah wondered what would come next; Ludo was hardly a conversational companion.
Fortunately, not to mention appropriately, Sir Didymus came to the rescue. "If I may, sweet lady? Thou shalt find Sir Hoggle tending to the flowers somewhere. I believe he has been given a job as Castle gardener."
"Ludo castle gamekeeper!" Ludo proudly announced.
"In other words," Didymus quietly said. "Sir Ludo looks after the chickens and swine that are kept by the goblins in the Castle."
"Good for you, Ludo!" Sarah cried happily.
Sarah then proceeded to look for Hoggle while Ludo, Didymus, and Ambrosius followed. The garden consisted of bushes of strange, beautiful flowers so large that it was almost like another hedge maze. After walking for a bit, Sarah cried out, "Hoggle!"
Almost immediately, there was a reply.
"Sarah? 'S'at you?"
"Hoggle!" Sarah called out gleefully, and began to run through the garden, trying to find a path that would lead her to where Hoggle's voice came from.
Ludo lumbered behind her as fast as his legs would carry him, as Didymus spurred his mount onward.
Sarah found Hoggle just around the bend, standing by a tree bearing some brightly colored pineapple-like fruits.
"Sarah!" Hoggle called out in surprise, and hugged her.
"Hoggle, it's so great to see you!"
"Sarah . . ." Hoggle slowly said. "Didn't you win?"
Sarah was taken aback; it was then that she realized how odd it was that Didymus seemed to expect that she would still be in the Labyrinth.
"His Majesty didn't inform you, Sir Hoggle?" The knight asked disbelievingly.
"The bastard!" Hoggle exclaimed upon hearing that Jareth was to blame.
Sarah smiled to herself, glad that Hoggle was as vehement as ever, and told Hoggle of the new rules passed by the King.
"So that's why Jareth moved me over here," Hoggle angrily mused.
"I don't know what to do, Hoggle!" Sarah griped.
"Well, my lady," Sir Didymus said, puffing out his chest. "If there is any way that we can assist thee--"
"The worst part," Sarah quietly said. "Of this entire thing, is that I have to do it alone."
Hoggle patted her hand. "That ain't gonna stop us from offering our help, Sarah."
"Yeah," Ludo added.
"I fer one," Hoggle said. "Am gonna go right up to Jareth as soon as he comes back, and I'm gonna--"
Sarah's memory was jogged: the King had disappeared outside of her room.
"Where is he?" Sarah said, cutting Hoggle off.
Didymus replied, "Off doing business, my lady, as His Majesty does every day."
Business, Sarah thought. Most likely contending with other people for whom he makes dreams.
Sarah sighed; it hurt her that she couldn't tell her friends the truth about their lives.
Written by A Lady Grinning
Author's note: Many thanks to all who review! Keep in mind, all: this *is* an S/J fic, and that rating is there for a reason. ::hint hint:: Special thanks to Scattered Logic for offering advice on the spacing. ^,^ (Yes, I'm new to Fanfiction.net, and any advice at all regarding formatting, etc., is appreciated beyond words.) Many more thanks to MaskedMaiden, as always-my constant collaborator and right hand man! mwah
Chapter 3
Sarah was surprised, but not entirely, to find the throne room overflowing with goblins.
It had not been very difficult to find the place, as the castle itself was not as labyrinthine as one might presume it to be. The difficulty, however, lay within the fact that each section of the castle seemed to be in a world of its own, totally unaffected by whatever might be happening in any other part of the castle. This explained how Sarah did not hear the din that permeated the throne room as she approached it from a nearby corridor.
When she crossed its threshold, the sudden noise was overwhelming. Sarah jumped, wondering whether the King would approve of the mischievous creatures ransacking his throne room.
The goblins themselves were acting very normally, though they hardly noticed Sarah's presence. Fortunately, Sarah did not have to endure it for very long, as a streak of color abruptly flew into and around the room, barking unintelligible orders at the goblins. They ran snickering from the room, but not before hurling a disgruntled chicken in Sarah's direction. Sarah was able to dodge the bird, which gave a loud squawk then waddled after the goblins.
The streak had slowed to a near stop, revealing itself to be Sir Didymus on his noble steed, still barking, "Such disrespect towards a lady! Let me not see thine brazen countenances again, thou sottish ruffians! Thou shalt not be so fortunate the next time we meet!"
Sarah grinned at the sight of her friend and called, "Sir Didymus, I'm all right!"
The knight promptly hopped from Ambrosius, who wagged his tail emphatically when he heard Sarah's voice, and made a sweeping bow.
"Well met, my lady! I do apologize most earnestly for the actions of the King's . . . ," Sir Didymus sniffed and lifted his chin ever so slightly, " . . . court jesters. I don't see why he keeps them."
Sarah giggled and said, "I'm not too bothered by them."
"Well," Didymus replied shortly.
"What are you doing here, Sir Didymus?" Sarah asked.
The vulpine knight piped, "His Majesty hath generously bestowed upon me a new post by the castle gate, as I no longer have a bridge to guard. A pity, really. A thousand years of consented passage all gone to waste! Not to mention that the odor of my previous post was much more agreeable, but I cannot complain! 'Tis an honor to serve His Majesty wherever, whenever, however I may!"
Sarah bit her lip and considered; hadn't Jareth said that the Labyrinth was only a day old? Didymus was talking as if he had been guarding the bridge for years. But maybe Jareth made this world in such a way that its inhabitants would remember life that had never existed prior to their creation? Oh well. Better play along so as not to confuse him.
"But wasn't helping me solve the Labyrinth an act of treason?" Sarah asked.
Sir Didymus looked offended by the very thought. "Treason?! My dear lady! Never in my life would I ever act against the King! I simply was without a job to fulfill at the time. And my lady was in great need. To ignore this would be shameful to my title as a Knight of the Winding Court!"
Sarah beamed at his stout heart, and asked, "The Winding Court?"
"My faction, fair maiden," he proudly replied. "And if you will follow my lead, my lady, I shall take thee to where Sirs Ludo and Hoggle now reside."
Sir Didymus, atop Ambrosius, led Sarah down the long corridor adjoining that which led to Sarah's room. Their path then turned away from Sarah's room and towards two large double doors, ornately carved with designs of Celtic knots. When not lit by large panes of glass, the corridors were lit by lanterns posted on the walls containing small balls of light that bounced around in their cages, constantly changing color. Sarah noted that, while the throne room was furnished in a style that was very like the rest of the Labyrinth, this wing of the Castle was much different: its mahogany wood walls covered with tapestries and glittering stone floors provided a much less alienating environment.
Sarah was in awe of the entire spectacle and, as she followed the overly talkative Sir Didymus ("Step lightly, now!" "Ambrosius, the lady is not likely to disappear if you were to simply look forward for a change!" "This wing of the Castle was added on a mere three hundred years ago . . ."), became interested in the seemingly infinite number of closed doors they passed.
During a fleeting period of time in which Sir Didymus was taking a breath, Sarah asked, "Where do all these doors lead?"
After hemming and hawing a bit, the knight ominously replied, "My lady, 'tis a rarity when any other than servants, guests, and the King himself wander these halls. I should imagine that these rooms are very rarely used, and that my lady would find nothing of interest within them."
Sarah was doubtful of this.
They soon reached the large doors at the end of the hall, which Sarah had to push open as Didymus was too small to reach them. This action disturbed Sir Didymus, as he felt that it was "unjust" for a lady to have to open a door for herself. Sarah assured him that she didn't mind.
The doors led into the dining room, which was really a work of art, complete with a long wooden table with a stained glass covering, a tall backed, cushioned wooden chair with clawed feet at each end of it, and a back wall made entirely of glass. Upon closer inspection, after regaining her breath lost at first sight of the room, Sarah noticed two massive curtains attached to the glass wall which were drawn back in order to give whomever came across it a view of the gardens. Sarah then noticed that they could be looked at even more closely from a balcony branching from a door cut into the glass.
"That painting was painted of His Majesty not very long ago."
Sarah saw that Sir Didymus was indicating to a painting of a soaring barn owl hanging on the left-hand wall of the room. The painting was half as large as the wall it was on. Sarah thought it was beautiful, with the dark colors of the sky contrasting to the pure white of the owl. It seemed to be in constant motion, though it did not move at all. She could feel the cool wind against the back of her neck.
Outwardly, Sarah cynically asked, "Why would he have a painting of himself in his own dining room?"
Surprised, Sir Didymus asked, "Dost my lady dislike gazing at him?"
Sarah slowly shook her head. She did not at all.
The balcony outside of the glass wall had a long staircase spiraling down from it, leading directly into the garden. After Sarah followed Didymus rather slowly down the stairs (Ambrosius was afraid of heights), she immediately saw Ludo staring at a particularly vicious looking bunch of snapdragons. Sarah ran to him, calling his name. It seemed like forever since she had last seen him.
"Sarah back!" Ludo declared, and hugged his friend.
As she was smothered in the great beast's embrace, Sarah wondered what would come next; Ludo was hardly a conversational companion.
Fortunately, not to mention appropriately, Sir Didymus came to the rescue. "If I may, sweet lady? Thou shalt find Sir Hoggle tending to the flowers somewhere. I believe he has been given a job as Castle gardener."
"Ludo castle gamekeeper!" Ludo proudly announced.
"In other words," Didymus quietly said. "Sir Ludo looks after the chickens and swine that are kept by the goblins in the Castle."
"Good for you, Ludo!" Sarah cried happily.
Sarah then proceeded to look for Hoggle while Ludo, Didymus, and Ambrosius followed. The garden consisted of bushes of strange, beautiful flowers so large that it was almost like another hedge maze. After walking for a bit, Sarah cried out, "Hoggle!"
Almost immediately, there was a reply.
"Sarah? 'S'at you?"
"Hoggle!" Sarah called out gleefully, and began to run through the garden, trying to find a path that would lead her to where Hoggle's voice came from.
Ludo lumbered behind her as fast as his legs would carry him, as Didymus spurred his mount onward.
Sarah found Hoggle just around the bend, standing by a tree bearing some brightly colored pineapple-like fruits.
"Sarah!" Hoggle called out in surprise, and hugged her.
"Hoggle, it's so great to see you!"
"Sarah . . ." Hoggle slowly said. "Didn't you win?"
Sarah was taken aback; it was then that she realized how odd it was that Didymus seemed to expect that she would still be in the Labyrinth.
"His Majesty didn't inform you, Sir Hoggle?" The knight asked disbelievingly.
"The bastard!" Hoggle exclaimed upon hearing that Jareth was to blame.
Sarah smiled to herself, glad that Hoggle was as vehement as ever, and told Hoggle of the new rules passed by the King.
"So that's why Jareth moved me over here," Hoggle angrily mused.
"I don't know what to do, Hoggle!" Sarah griped.
"Well, my lady," Sir Didymus said, puffing out his chest. "If there is any way that we can assist thee--"
"The worst part," Sarah quietly said. "Of this entire thing, is that I have to do it alone."
Hoggle patted her hand. "That ain't gonna stop us from offering our help, Sarah."
"Yeah," Ludo added.
"I fer one," Hoggle said. "Am gonna go right up to Jareth as soon as he comes back, and I'm gonna--"
Sarah's memory was jogged: the King had disappeared outside of her room.
"Where is he?" Sarah said, cutting Hoggle off.
Didymus replied, "Off doing business, my lady, as His Majesty does every day."
Business, Sarah thought. Most likely contending with other people for whom he makes dreams.
Sarah sighed; it hurt her that she couldn't tell her friends the truth about their lives.