The Goblin King stroked Sarah's dark, silky hair. The girl responded by nestling into Jareth's arms. Jareth lifted the girl's chin with his gloved fingers. Sarah's green eyes were full of desire. The look in the girl's eyes emboldened the Goblin King to lean down to kiss Sarah, though she was young. Jareth reminded himself to be tender, so as not to frighten the girl. As the Goblin King drew closer to her, Sarah closed her eyes and parted her lips...
...and gave the loudest belch the Goblin King had ever heard.
BBBRRRRAAAAAAAAAPPP!!
Jareth awoke with a start. The Goblin King was seated in his throne, his leg hanging over the throne's arm. Jareth looked down in horror at the filthy, long-haired goblin whose black locks Jareth had his fingers entangled in. What was worse, the goblin had just belched in Jareth's face !
The Goblin King threw the malodorous creature off of him in revulsion and looked around the Throne Room to see if anyone had seen what had occurred. Jareth needn't have worried. The majority of the goblins were either asleep, snoring and breaking wind, and the minority that were still awake were drunk, belching and scratching themselves.
The Goblin King attempted to rise from his throne to make his way back to his chambers. Instantly, his body rebelled. His head throbbed in pain, and his mouth felt like cotton. Jareth felt slightly sick.
" Ugh! Bloody hangovers! " Jareth thought to himself . " I'll just have to have some of the hair of the dog that bit me! "
The Goblin King slowly made his way through the torch-lit corridors to his chambers. As he passed Sarah's door, he heard what sounded to his ear like sobs.
" What the devil? " thought the Goblin King, and opened Sarah's door, entering her chambers. Sarah sat at her vanity table, her head in her arms, sobbing.
" Sarah? " said the Goblin King softly.
Sarah startled at the sound of Jareth's voice. She jumped up, obviously quite frightened, and moved to stand near the window-seat. Jareth winced in pain as he tried to focus his bloodshot eyes on the girl while sunlight streamed behind her.
" What's wrong, Sarah? "
" Please! Just leave me alone! " Sarah begged.
Jareth shielded his eyes from the sunlight and walked closer to the girl. " Really Sarah, you're going to have to stop this silly bawling of yours and accept that your home is here now ".
" You know, I used to think my home must be the most wretched place on earth! " Sarah cried. " I used to think they treated me badly at home, and that I was picked on and abused. " Sarah wiped her eyes on the sleeves of the ill-fitting lavender gown she wore. " But you, Goblin King, have convinced me I was in Heaven at home! "
" What are you raving about, girl? " Jareth asked in a peevish manner.
" Just that I'm frightened all the time, I never get to leave this room except once last night to be scared so badly I actually ...Sarah clenched her teeth and shook with rage remembering the terror she felt while the victim of the Goblin King's twisted sense of humor, and the humiliation he had caused her when Sarah wet herself under the belief she was going to be hacked to pieces and added to the Goblin Stew.
" You monster! " Sarah spat at the Goblin King.
Jareth rubbed his temple, wanting badly to go to the cool and dark of his own chambers and have a brandy to help him feel better. He was in no shape to deal with the tantrum of an angry teen-aged girl. Jareth cursed himself for bothering to check on Sarah while he was in this sorry state. While one hand rubbed his temple, the other hand made a motion to conjure a crystal. Jareth approached the red-faced and teary-eyed girl, hoping the crystal would pacify her.
" I have a gift for you, Sarah, " the Goblin King said, trying to speak in beguiling tone.
Sarah turned away. " I don't want to be shown my dreams. They' ll only show me home, and break my heart! " she told the Goblin King.
Jareth rolled his eyes. Such histrionics! " This will not show you your dreams, Sarah. It will grant you one wish. "
Sarah turned back to the Goblin King, and reached out for the shimmering orb.
" Aha! That got your attention, didn't it, Sarah? " Jareth said, drawing the crystal back just out of Sarah's reach . " However, I place one stipulation on the wish. You cannot use the wish to return to your family. "
Sarah seemed to visibly wither. " I really have nothing else I want to wish for "
" Nothing, Sarah? No jewels? No fantastical pet ? No musical instrument or rare toy you've always desired? " The Goblin King held the crystal out to her once again
Sarah took the crystal glumly. " No, I can't think of anything. Can it be saved for when I do have a wish? "
" Of course " answered Jareth, glad that it had taken so little to quiet the girl. " Now, if you' ll excuse me, Sarah ..." he said, turning on his heel and heading back out the door to escape the sunlight that was flooding into Sarah's room
Sarah walked to her vanity table and allowed the crystal to roll from her hand into a basket of ribbons. " I'm hungry. May I have something to eat? " Sarah asked.
" Hungry? " Jareth snorted, " Surely you had enough at breakfast. And you're getting quite plump, Sarah. Thank goodness your corset holds you in, or you'd be splitting the seams of your gown. "
" I haven't had breakfast, thank you very much, Your Majesty, and I am not wearing a corset! " shouted Sarah.
The Goblin King hissed in pain at Sarah's volume . " Ah, so that's why you look like a sack of grain about to burst open ! " said Jareth nastily. Hoping to end the unpleasant conversation and leave for his chambers, the Goblin King conjured a peach, and held it out to Sarah.
" Here, Sarah. The goblins are still in the throne room, drunk or sleeping off the effects of all the ale they drank the night before. We two are going to have to make due for at least a day until they recover. Here's your breakfast."
Sarah looked at the proffered peach, incredulous. " You don't really expect me to take that from you and eat it, do you? Especially after the last time? "
" I assure you, it's just a peach and just for breakfast. " When Sarah made no move to take the peach from the Goblin King, he shrugged and tossed it on her bed.
" I shall return later in the day, Sarah, and try to bring you something for a decent lunch. Don't expect much. " Jareth curled his lip, and looked Sarah up and down " At that time we'll discuss amending your wardrobe "
The Goblin King left for his own chambers, relieved Sarah had no further loud accusations or complaints regarding his treatment of her. But what the Goblin King hadn't seen when he turned his back to Sarah, leaving her to decide whether his peach would be her breakfast or no, was the glint in her eyes and the slow grin that spread over her face. Sarah's fertile mind had just conceived an idea, and it was being nurtured by her desire for revenge and escape...