Sorry about the wait everyone, I have been so busy recently. This chapter is quite short but I thought I'd give you something to keep you alloccupied lol. Enjoy xxx
Chapter 6
Jareth dropped himself into his favorite chair in the small sitting room. He clicked his fingers and a fire immediately started crackling merrily in thefieplace as if it had been burning for hours. He then clapped his hands together sharply twice, a few moments later an elvish man appeared at the door. He was very tall and slender with long dark hair tied up neatly with a ribbon at the back of his head, he was dressed in a similar style to Jareth, with black boots and tight trousers and a white loosely fitting shirt and a black waistcoat. He bowed as he entered the room.
"Your majesty." The elf said as he bowed.
"Ah yes Valandil, come in. I was just wishing an up date on the wedding preparations." Jareth said as he waved the elf in.
"Well the seamstresses have started on you and Sarah's outfits for the ceremony, the high priest has been informed and we are just awaiting a reply to see if he is available," Valandil said as he counted each thing off on his fingers. "We have the jewelers making the rings and the crown for Sarah, food for the feast has been ordered, the relevant people have been informed about the marriage and I have someone unearthing the kingdom flags and banners to put up in the great hall, I assume that is where the ceremony will be held."
Jareth nodded and then began rubbing his temples. "This wedding is giving me a headache." He said sighing. "As soon as Sarah and I are married balance will be retuned to the realm and everything will be as it was, well near enough." Jareth continued as he looked at Valandil who was absentmindedly dusting one of the tables in the room.
"Yes yes." Valandil said. "As soon as the marriage is consummated, the labyrinth will be happy, so to speak, it wont destroy the kingdom and everything will be grand." He continued, smiling.
Jareth looked at him for a second before he spoke. "Consummated." He said slowly and deliberately.
The elf fidgeted with his duster nervously as the king continued to stare adamantly at him. "Yes." He said quickly. "As soon as you and Sarah consummate the marriage the power will be balanced and everything will be fine." He continued, smiling uncertainly.
Jareth stood up from his chair and walked over to the fireplace, he placed one hand on the wall and bent his head down staring for a moment into the flickering flame. "I was under the impression that we just had to get married, nothing more." He said slowly.
"Well usually in marriage, it is not set in stone until the consummation." Valandil said slowly and carefully, trying hard not to sound patronizing.
"Well this is not a usual marriage." Jareth snapped as he looked up at Valandil. "I'm sorry Valandil, it isn't your fault, I don't mean to get angry with you." He said softly and then turned back to gazing into the red and orange flames.
The elf slowly walked across the room to the bookcase next to the fireplace, he picked out a very old and slightly tattered looking leather bound book which simply said Labyrinth in gold letters on the front. He placed it on the table next to the bookcase, opened it at the first page and began to read.
"When the Labyrinth was barely a small sapling for its many twisting hedges, barely a pebble for it high and mighty stone walls, before it was given the gift of magic, the wizards who bestowed the gift upon it were deep in conversation on how to make sure it was always all powerful..." Valandil read.
Jareth was now standing next to him listening intently. "Well get to the bit about the marriage then." He said.
The elf stopped reading and began skimming down the pages, looking for the correct part. "Aha." He said eventually. "If a being should ever defeat the mighty Labyrinth it would show that they are powerful indeed. The Labyrinth cannot be second best in this world so one of two things must happen lest the labyrinth will destroy itself and all those in and around it. If they be of same sex to the current ruler, there must be a dual, the Labyrinth, its power embodied in the current ruler, against the challenger. Who ever wins will rule over the kingdom. If they be of opposite sex then they must be married to the current ruler, once they are bound in body and in soul, physically and spiritually, balance will once again return, and the seeds of such a marrage will be great indeed..." He read.
Jareth thought about what he had just heard for a second. "So we have to have children aswell." He said looking slightly confused.
Valandil looked up from the book. "No no." He said. "It is just speculating what might happen. It is this bit we are interested in." He said as he pointed to the relevant part in the page. "'bound in body and in soul, physically and spiritually' this is the reference to the consummation of the marriage." Valandil closed the book and looked up at the king. "By the laws of marriage set out by this kingdom, a standard marriage must be consummated within 24 hours of the bonding ceremony for it to be legal, unless the man is called out to war which I don't really see happening." He said, his worried expression growing as the kings did.
Jareth ran a gloved hand through his mane of blond hair. "I have to make Sarah agree to sleep with me in less than four days or we will all die." He said.
Valandil nodded.
"This may be difficult, due to the fact that she hates me." Jareth said sighing. "She already thought I was going to rape her."
Valandil shook his head. "Everyone knows you would never do anything like that." He said.
"Yeah, everyone but her." Jareth said as he produced a perfectly round crystal in his hand. An image of Sarah asleep in the four poster bed appeared in it. "The weight of our world rests on her shoulders." He said as he looked at Sarah's sleeping form. "I need some rest, goodnight Valandil." He said as he headed to the door. "I expect tomorrow will be a long day." He sighed as he walked down to his own bed chambers.