Rites of Passage by Betty Bokor
Jareth/Sarah. When Sarah is called to save the King, her life takes a whole new course, again.
Spoilers: The movie, the book, and some of the Return series.
Disclaimer: The Labyrinth original characters belong to The Jim Henson Company and Lucasfilms Ltd. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.
A.N. And the ball is here.
Rites of Passage
Chapter 12
While the High King and his wife discussed what had happened, Keene, Ruy, and Shawn sat to talk in the King's studio.
"This is messed up," Shawn started, "but before we talk about her, let's talk about his plans. He said you'd explain what's going on."
"I'll tell you what I know," Ruy said, "because he hasn't told me everything. I don't think anyone but Jareth knows the whole plan, but, to make it short, so far, as you both know, we've slowly recovered control of all the kingdoms that had been taken over by the Unseelie. The High Court isn't happy with the casualty count, but there was no other way. We had to fight back and then we had to start taking the offensive to recover our territories. That's done. Now we're holding on to our positions. There hasn't been a new attack in three weeks. I think they were waiting to see if the plan to kill Jareth would work. Since he survived, there's no telling what could happen from now on, but what nobody knows is that, for at least two months, we've been slowly infiltrating Unseelie territory, creating a safe pathway to their capital. When the path is all the way free, Jareth is going straight to the place where Voss has his center of operations. We know it's well protected, but he's sure he can use magic to breach security."
"On his own?" Keene asked.
"Yes, on his own. We'll be with him until we reach the city limits and then, he has to keep on going alone. He says he needs to use as little magic as possible to get in because he doesn't want to alert anyone and because he'll need it later, to fight Voss."
Shawn sat back, appalled. "On his own," he repeated with irritation. "No wonder he's thinking he won't make it out of there alive. Have you seen the guy? He's three times taller than any of us and Jareth is light as a feather compared to him."
"I think he's counting on that. He probably hopes Voss will be unconcerned about him; he'll see him as no threat," Keene suggested.
"Voss doesn't know how powerful Jareth is. After all these years dealing with the magic of the Labyrinth, his power has increased beyond what anyone suspects. His is stronger than his own father's," Ruy reminded them.
"Voss is very powerful, too, and he has no scruples," Shawn warned.
"Jareth is sure that his plan for when they're face to face will work, but he doesn't want to talk about it. He believes that once Voss is defeated, the other leaders will surrender. Voss is the only thing keeping them together; their alliance is very fragile. On their own, they'll no longer be a threat."
"So, is there a back-up plan or an escape plan for when he's done? He'll be in the middle of the storm," Shawn said.
Ruy grimaced. "I think we'll have to be his escape plan. We'll have to find him and take him out. I've been thinking about it for a while and I'm sure he's not expecting to see us there. He's convinced he'll be dead or, more probably, dying, like Voss. But we'll have to wait until there's a capitulation or we may spoil his plans. Once we know he succeeded, we have to get there and extract him, in whatever condition he's in, and worry about the rest later. I think the High King will join us at that point."
"So, it'll be only the four of us," Keene asked.
"Yes," Ruy replied.
"We'll make it," Shawn tried to convince himself.
"We'll have to or he'll be gone."
"And if he makes it, what are we going to do about Sarah? I think he's so in love with her that he'd prefer to let her go before risking bringing her here and seeing her unhappy," Keene said.
"I've been watching her since this started and I'm sure she'll be fine here; she likes the goblins and all the other creatures she's befriended. Even Hoggle likes her and he doesn't like anyone," Shawn added with a smile.
"I agree," Keene nodded. "And I also think she's in love with him, too, but they're both the same, stubborn, and blind."
"Up until last week she was this ideal, what his father found in his mother, what anyone aspires to find in life," Shawn theorized, "but since they started interacting, she's become someone real. She's very intelligent, strong, independent, and also beautiful, and she doesn't back down when she has to face him. You know he likes all that."
"Maybe we can push him a little, make him a little jealous tonight…" Ruy proposed with a sly smile.
Shawn smiled, "Yeah, that could work, but, Keene and I are both married here, so, if anyone would make him jealous, it would have to be you, Ruy."
"I have no problem with that," he answered with a smirk. "She's beautiful."
"You'd better be careful; try not to make him too jealous; you know how short tempered he can be when someone messes with what is his," Keene reminded him.
"She's not his, yet," Ruy countered.
"Oh, she is, she most definitely is," Shawn assured.
"In any case, if he doesn't do something about it, after he's back, I'll ask her for help with something medical… I don't know what, but we can think about that later. That way, she'll be back here and maybe they'll face what they feel," Keene suggested.
"Okay. We just need to make sure he comes back home. Once we have him here, we can go ahead and figure the rest out."
Right after revealing his secret to his parents, Jareth needed to get away from them. He walked down to the gardens behind the castle and sat by the water fountain.
He did not want to think about Sarah, so his mind took him back to his war plans.
What he had learned in the last years had made it clear that to end the war, he had to get rid of Voss, the head of the Unseelie. His desire to expand his empire was the only reason the war had begun and the only one keeping it alive.
The intelligence his spies had gathered had established that he was unbeatable for three basic reasons; first, he did not ever venture into a battlefield. He believed a leader had to remain safe while his minions fought and died for his cause, which was, essentially, to gain more power over the Underground and, later, the Aboveground.
Second, he was protected by a formidable magic barrier that encircled the building where he lived and worked. The site was usually surrounded by a guard of boggles and, when Voss met with his generals to plan the next steps of the war, there was always a pair of corpulent yetuns by his door.
And third, he was such a large and strong fae that nobody had ever come close enough to him to kill him. But Jareth had found out that Voss had a rare ritual. Whenever engaged in face to face combat with an enemy, he did his best not to kill him right away; he liked to injure or disable his opponent in order to seize his weapon and give him the coup de grâce with it. It was like a double affront, to die by his hand as it brandished the trophy blade.
Jareth was certain he could go through the barrier and walk by the guards unnoticed thanks to his magic. He did not even spend time thinking about that part of his plan. The real problem would be Voss. Once inside his quarters, he would have to challenge Voss to a fight and allow him to wound him ‒perhaps he would not be able to avoid being wounded‒ and then use his considerable power to keep control of his body after his fall. It was then, when Voss would approach him to grab hold of his sword to behead him, that he would stab him straight through the heart. It had to be a powerful thrust, strong enough to bring down the Unseelie sidhe.
He just needed to hold on to life long enough and that meant longer than just after killing Voss. He had to face whoever came to his rescue and make a show of his magic that would scare anyone tempted to replace the boss. He had to prove how powerful those from the Seelie Court could be so that no one would dare attack them again. He had to be the visible face of his people, a dangerous and dominant one.
He had several ideas about how to accomplish this, but it all depended on for how long he could hide he was dying of his wounds.
Because he would be dying of his wounds… He knew that someone with the strength and power of Voss would not inflict a light injury on him; the sheer might of his hand would plunge the weapon deep enough in him to create a mortal wound, but that first strike would not be intended to kill him swiftly; the Unseelie leader would expect his opponent to be able to see him eye to eye as he delivered the final blow.
That was the main reason why the poisoning bothered him so much; it had left him weakened and tired. He needed to be in top condition to achieve his goals and this incident had forced him to delay his final confrontation for at least a month. He needed to recover as soon as possible. Thankfully, those days with Sarah had helped him immensely, mostly with the emotional side of his recovery. To forget his troubles and relax with her had been a treat; it had given him a burst of energy that he desperately needed.
And there had also been a favorable ‒unintended‒ consequence of his poisoning; he had proven to himself that he could still function and appear normal under a great deal of pain. No one had noticed that he had not really taken much of Keene's painkiller. And it had been painful… but he had hidden it fairly well and now he was more confident that he could do it when facing Voss. Only Sarah had noticed, once, at the restaurant, but she had not guessed that he had not truly taken the potion she gave him that night either.
Now, worried that he would be late for the ball, he finally rushed inside the castle. He was on his way to his room for the final touches before the celebration, when he almost collided with Sarah coming unexpectedly out of her room.
"I'm sorry," she said with a smile as she backed up. "I haven't seen anyone since your mother left and I didn't know what to do. She helped me get ready and then had to go get ready herself, so…"
He was stunned by her beauty. "She probably didn't need to do much to help you," he complimented her. "You look extraordinarily beautiful, though I shouldn't be surprised; you've always been a striking woman."
She blushed. It had been a while since she had heard something so nice. "You're too kind, but thank you. And, if we're taking compliments, I have to say that I'm impressed by how much your people care about you. You must be a great king."
"I'm a childless king; Sarah. I don't know who'll take care of them when I die. That's not good at all."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. The pain in his voice told her he had been taking stock of his life and that he was unhappy with the result. What else could she say? She looked around, "So, what should I do?"
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Wait for me here and I'll take you to the ballroom."
She nodded and he hurried to his room.
When Lady Anwen saw Jareth enter the ballroom with Sarah on his arm, she felt proud of him. It was a bold move for the King to come in with a woman who was not a fae, but, since she was one of the two honorees of the night, it would be easier to explain. Except that she knew better. Jareth had never, ever, entered a ballroom with a woman by his side. He always did it on his own, as a show of his independence and proof that, no matter who was sharing his bed with him those days, he had not chosen anyone to be his queen yet. In his mother's eyes, this changed everything, and if the gods permitted her son to survive the end of the war, the Queen was going to make sure the one he had chosen had the place she deserved in his life. Besides, with all Jareth had done for the Seelie in the last years, nobody, not even the members of the High Court, would dare defy him.
Defiance. That was a word that could define Jareth's life. Breaking his engagement to Mizumi had been an act of defiance. Building the Labyrinth. Bringing to the Underground the children and the handicapped and the elderly. Organizing an adoption system for the kids. Helping the goblins erect a new city beyond the castle. Designating a throne room just for them. And, lately, choosing an offensive strategy instead of a defensive one for the war. Not to forget, having a human soul mate…
Every step of his life was about defiance… but he did not like it when he was the one being attacked. His mother could still hear him uttering a threatening "Don't defy me…" to a frustrated High Court fae who wanted to surrender to the Unseelie before seeing more people die. She had heard the dangerous edge of his tone and understood that he meant the threat. The fae before him had understood it, too, and quickly changed his position to back him up. Jareth was not patient with those who did not grasp the significance that a defeat at the hands of the Unseelie could have. It was a relief that he was her son, on their side, because if he were not, she would have justifiably feared him. There was a little part of her that did fear him, and fear for him, because no matter how powerful he was, he was not invincible, and his stubbornness, his unbreakable determination could take him to his death.
However, right now, it only mattered that he was there with Sarah and that, after the High King's speech to honor the physicians, he had started the ball by dancing with her.
Sarah was feeling lightheaded. When Jareth had come back for her, she had been feeling a little nervous, but when she realized he had just entered the ballroom with her on his arm, she had started panicking. Every single eye in the room had looked at them and there had been an immediate rise on the level of the conversation. Thankfully the High King and Lady Anwen had come in right after them and the looks had changed their target.
She looked around as Jareth took her toward a small group of people; she was grateful that the guests were not wearing masks this time.
Among those standing close to the dais, she soon recognized Shawn and Keene; then she was introduced to their wives and to Jareth's Field Marshal, Ruy. While Jareth stepped to stand by his father's side as he gave a short speech about the depth of his gratitude for those who had saved his son's life, she observed her three new acquaintances.
The women were plainly stunning, but she was not surprised by it, since every single person in the room seemed to be highly aesthetically pleasing. Shawn's wife, Evangelina, had a halo of straight red hair that was in fierce contrast with her pale blue eyes; she was constantly smiling and she seemed to be happy and sweet. Keene's wife, Izar, was almost as tall as him, with dark brown hair and steely gray eyes; she did not smile often and she remained quiet whenever not personally addressed.
Shawn explained that both women were in charge of the wished away after the runner was done with the attempt to recover them. They took care of the children until they were given to a fae family chosen by Jareth, and of the adults until their fate was decided by him.
Standing between Shawn and Keene, Ruy seemed like an interesting fae. He looked somewhat younger than Jareth ‒not too much‒ and he had dark blue eyes that constantly put Sarah on guard. His black hair was not too long, just long enough to be carefully styled to frame his virile face. And he could smirk almost as effortlessly as his king. He looked like a child always in danger of being caught in some mischief… He was undoubtedly handsome, but not half as breathtaking as Jareth was, at least in Sarah's opinion.
She soon had to stop her scrutiny because, as soon as the High King finished talking to the guests and the expressions of approval quieted down, Jareth walked towards her and stretched his arm in a clear invitation to dance.
Sarah felt she was fifteen again. Everybody was watching them as she accepted the invitation with a shaky hand… And then, they were dancing and nothing else mattered.
While they looked at each other with an intensity that could be felt by anyone close to them, Sarah's thoughts were slowly emerging from chaos. There was nothing that could compare to being in his arms. She had admired his figure the moment he had walked back for her in the hallway. The black boots, tailored breeches and jacket, the impeccably white shirt, and even the pin that held the ascot, everything seemed carefully chosen to impress. He looked radiant and nobody could have guessed that a few days prior he had almost died.
Now, she was just focusing on his face. What did she like about it? There were those mismatched eyes that made him unique and mysterious. The high cheeks, the peach thin lips, the little dip in his chin, or those incredible dimples that appeared out of nowhere when he looked the most serious… like right now…
Goodness! She definitely was a melted puddle on the floor; she knew it would happen. Just because of him, just because she had fallen for him…
She was in love with him and she could not deny it to herself. And it had not happen in the last week; she had fallen for him ten years ago, two seconds after she had seen his figure standing in the open window, in the midst of a glittery breeze, against the menacing background of the storm.
Maybe it had been his voice, that ever changing voice that had softly sung for her. Or his smirk, the one that affected her even more than his smile.
It did not matter; she loved everything about him and she was sure nobody was going to ever, ever, ever measure up to him. And now that she had had a chance to get to know him, to see him interact with her family and his, and with friends and subjects as well, she found him more attractive still.
She could see he had a dangerous side to him; she had seen a glint of fury in his eyes right before his crystal had hit her mother and Elisa; she had seen the controlled ire when he had dealt with Terry; she could imagine how a greater offense would provoke him further. Unexpectedly, she realized she feared him somehow. However, she could not fathom that he could turn his anger towards her, ever, for any reason at all.
The proof was in the fact that he had not held against her what she had done to him ten years ago. Because she had finally begun to understand that during their final encounter, that day, she had hurt him… badly. She had rejected him or whatever he was offering. She had learned to read his expressions this last week and, now, she had no doubt that what she had seen in his eyes two seconds before he had transformed into an owl and flown away from her, had been pain. Heartache. And she had caused it, but she had been completely oblivious at the time; she had only been able to think about Toby, driven by an all-consuming guilt.
Truthfully, she had carefully avoided thinking about that last confrontation since then, but, today, it had been in her mind all day long. "I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything that you want." Let me rule you… Ha! He had been ruling her life all along. He had changed how she related to those she loved, what choices she had made when looking for a boyfriend, what to expect from herself. He had taught her that she could set high goals and he had given her the confidence to achieve them.
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." What was he really offering? Her dreams? What were her dreams? What would she have seen if she had dared looking into that crystal? Probably his face. That was all she had wanted since that day… and she had never realized it until now. Now that it was late, late because he seemed determined to immolate himself to save his people.
She wished she knew his plans to try convincing him to change them and come back to her.
Why was he back in her life then if they were not destined to be together? What role was she supposed to play in his life? She had no time to become his wife or his confidant… She was just one more friend. What else could she be?
Ahhh… That was the moment when she came to a crucial realization, the moment when the idea first entered her mind. And the idea was there to stay.
What was the thing that he wanted the most in life, besides the end of the war? She could not help in the battlefront, but she could… be the mother of his child. After all, she was still at the peak of her fertility and she was unattached, healthy, and in shape. And a child would be a powerful reason for him to want to come back…
By the end of the five minute dance, her mind was made up. She had to be the one to give him a child.
