Chapter 11: The Treaty
"I need to take this to the King" Jessie said as the knights tromped through the Labyrinth. Aulus was beside her.
"I can't believe it only took you an hour to get that" Aulus said. Jessie smirked and gripped the treaty tighter.
"You wouldn't believe what I had to do" Jessie said. The group fell into single file as they squeezed the horses through a narrow part of Siccare Path. When they were able to ride in pairs, Aulus moved beside her.
"What was the agreement?" Aulus asked. Jessie's breath caught in her throat for a split second before she answered.
"He wants an aqueduct" Jessie replied.
"An aqueduct?" Aulus said in disbelief. "Through a desert?"
"His people need water" Jessie said.
"Yes, I understand that" Aulus said. "I just thought that they had their own means of getting it."
"He could have asked for a lot more, Aulus" Jessie said. Aulus looked over at her and noticed that a single metal stud was missing from her leather armor.
"How many lamp posts are there in Goblin City?" Aulus asked.
"What?" Jessie asked.
"How many lamp posts are there in Goblin City?" Aulus repeated. Jessie shrugged.
"There's sixty-four, why?" Jessie asked.
"How many bricks are in the small wall around the castle?" Aulus asked.
"What is this? Twenty questions?" Jessie asked.
"Answer it" Aulus said. In his golden armor, Aulus looked like he stepped out of a Renaissance painting of the Greek god Hermes, even in the night.
"There are forty-thousand three-hundred fifty-seven bricks" Jessie replied. "What is this about, Aulus?"
"What happened when you went with King Al-Shaidan?" Aulus asked.
"Nothing" Jessie said sharply.
"You're missing a stud in your armor" Aulus said. "Since you just displayed your fine knack for details, you must know about it."
"And?" Jessie pressed.
"I know you, Jess" Aulus said. "You're a stickler for keeping your things in the best condition. If something rips, you sew it. If something breaks, you fix it."
"Fine" Jessie said. "If you must know, I…fell. I tripped over the rug and I fell against a chair."
"Liar" Aulus said. Jessie glared at Aulus.
"I need to get this to our King" Jessie said raising the treaty. Before Aulus could say anything, Jessie gave Aftiel a small kick and was racing down Siccare Path towards the castle.
Jareth and Robin heard the protests coming from the goblins before they ever saw the castle's intruder. They were both having drinks in the castle's one and only bar, which was reserved for the king and guests. The two men looked up as the door knob started to twist. From the other side of the door, a sound of surprise and the sound of someone hitting the floor were heard.
Robin waved his left hand and the door opened. Jessie was lying on the floor with a dozen goblins holding her down.
"Let her up" Jareth said. The goblins all let go and Jessie stood up.
"Lady, next time I'll have your toe knuckles" One of the smaller goblins said as he retreated down the hallway. Jessie rolled her eyes and stepped into the bar, shutting the door behind her.
"I have great news" Jessie said with a smile.
"Yes? And, what is that?" Jareth asked. He sipped his wine and waited. Jessie raised the partially squashed treaty towards him.
"I have made peace with King Al-Shaidan of the Desert" Jessie said. Jareth took the treaty and opened it. "He even agreed to help with the dwarves."
"This is very…" Jareth murmured as he quickly read the short treaty. "Very…" He almost finished reading it. "Bad! What is this?"
"What is what?" Jessie asked her expression dropping.
"This!" Jareth said pointing to a sentence near the very end. It read: 'King Al-Shaidan will have the right to court the bearer of this treaty, Sir Jessie Cardemus, until the treaty is nullified.' Jessie gasped.
"Have you been flirting with the Djinn, darling?" Robin asked with a smirk. Jessie's eyes widened and her mouth was open.
"I-I agreed to it" Jessie said trying to cover up her startled expression. Jareth fisted one hand around the treaty and shattered his wine glass in the other. The king's reaction made Jessie gasp and step back.
"I do not agree to this" Jareth said.
"Jareth" Robin said lightly. "Calm down. Surely this can be worked out."
"Were you the diplomat?" Jareth asked Jessie. Jessie nodded. She tried to watch him, but the smell of blood coming from the hand that had shattered the wine glass seemed overwhelming. Jareth pulled out the one large shard of glass from his hand with his teeth.
Robin raised a lip in disgust and took a drink of his wine. He couldn't see the look in Jareth's eyes. It was a look of anger, jealousy, and disbelief. Jessie had never seen Jareth look this angry.
"I'm sorry" Jessie said kneeling before Jareth. "It was the only way."
"Was it?" Jareth asked. He stood up and picked Jessie up off the floor by her collar with his bloody hand. "Was it really the only way?"
"Jareth, please" Jessie whispered in a vividly frightened tone. Jareth turned towards Robin with Jessie still off the ground.
"I need some time with my dear Sir Jessie" Jareth said.
"Good night" Robin said wide eyed. "Just…be careful."
Jareth turned and stalked out of the room with Jessie. He was acting like she weighed no more then a feather. His hand was like iron around her collar and no matter how hard she struggled it did her no good.
"Jareth" Jessie said. He didn't even look at her. He simply walked down the hall until he went into a room that was nothing but stairs and doors. The Escher Room as it was commonly called. Jareth walked down a set of stairs and across a wall until he got to the door he wanted. He opened it and Jessie found herself sitting in his sitting room, his bedroom sitting room. He dropped her unceremoniously on the floor.
"Stand up" Jareth said. Jessie stood and straightened her armor. He looked her up and down. He formed a crystal and chucked it at her. Jessie made to catch the crystal. When she did, her armor clad arm was no longer armor clad. Jessie looked down to find herself in a black satin nightgown.
In a swift movement, Jareth pulled her to him. He held her head steady as he kissed her. He pulled her into his bedroom, dropping the treaty near his desk, and he pushed her onto his bed.
"You can't just--!" Jessie yelled angrily.
"I can and I will!" Jareth bellowed. Jessie felt his actions and meaning strike her like a lion's claw. She put her hand to her stomach and looked away from the man who was undressing, only to be clad in his satin red robe. He paced before the end of the bed, watching her. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing" Jessie said softly. Jareth moved to raise her chin so she was looking up at him.
"Al-Shaidan had a prophecy didn't he?" Jareth asked.
"He might have" Jessie said pulling her chin from his hand. Jareth sat down in front of her.
"That mad man always has a prophecy" Jareth said. "What was it? You'd bring rain? Maybe you'd be willing to go on a mission for him?"
"Stop it" Jessie said. She looked him in the eyes. "He had a prophecy, but it was simple."
"Simple?" Jareth asked.
"He said that I would be back, but he said he already knew about the war" Jessie said. "He is taking our side, so that must be promising."
"Did you sleep with him?" Jareth asked narrowing his gaze. Jessie looked away. "I don't believe this." Jareth's angry look seemed to dissolve into disbelief. "Why?"
"He only demanded one hour" Jessie said. "One hour of my life and he'd do almost anything."
"I am to be courting you" Jareth said.
"I know" Jessie said. "I told him that."
"How dare he!" Jareth fumed. Jessie moved so one leg dangled off of the bed and her arms were crossed. Jareth let out a torrent of curses as his hands gripped and un-gripped the bed sheets.
"You're only courting me" Jessie said. "You do not own me." Her words made Jareth stop and look at her. He looked like she had slapped him. Jessie let her lip curl. "You're over exaggerating this whole thing. We have an upcoming war to prepare for. We shouldn't be worrying about who has slept with whom and that it was the only way to get that fucking treaty!"
The king was left speechless for a few seconds. Jessie moved so was on both knees and was leaning towards the king.
"Furthermore, I have a job to do tonight" Jessie said. "I should be preparing for this war."
She made to leave, but Jareth caught her arm.
"I'm sorry" Jareth said with his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched. It was always hard for Jareth to apologize. "I know that you will do what you need to in order to better the kingdom. I also know" Jareth said opening his eyes. "That you were expected to be gone for most of the night."
"That does not matter" Jessie said. "I was to finish what would be my normal shift when I returned."
Jareth pulled Jessie towards him and leaned his forehead against hers. He kept both hands at the base of her head.
"I want to love you" Jareth whispered.
"You want to control me" Jessie whispered back. Jareth's fingers stiffened. "You scare me sometimes, Jareth."
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave" Jareth whispered to her.
"I don't want a slave" Jessie whispered. Jareth moved forward and kissed her.
"Give me tonight" Jareth whispered. He moved his bloody hand between them. Jessie pulled his hand up and licked it free of blood. "Please."
"You must tell me that if I do this, you will not own me" Jessie said.
"I will not own you" Jareth said. He pulled away just enough to look into Jessie's eyes. "I will not own you."
Jessie nodded and moved to kiss Jareth. A flutter of wings from outside the tall windows and a squawk made Jareth pull away from Jessie with a smile. He made a gesture with his hand and the drapes fell closed.
The bird could be heard flying away. The bird flew towards the private cottages of the knights. The bird's eyes slowly changed to round orange eyes with cat-like pupils. The bird landed in front of a cottage and took its usual shape as Aulus. Black feathers turned into fiery orange hair and the black beak turned to pink lips.
Aulus stalked into his cottage cursing to himself. In the dead of night, he slammed his front door shut, sending a few small birds flying up from the trees.