A/N: Sorry for the delay, but life has been crazy at the moment. The holidays are a lot of fun, but there are always a million things to do. This is the first half of the tournament. As I started writing, I realized it needed to be divided into two chapters. I can't believe I've reached 300 reviews! You reviewers are fantastic! Special shout-outs go to Kiruya, D ark-Assassin92, RachCar, rowen, scbeauty2525, DarkJasmine, kitsunkruruoshii, seniastardust, childishmistake, Full-Empty-Spirit, sandy162, craftyjoe, I'Like'Cheetos, TheraSerenity, CeliaEquus, LittleMargarita, gamesofmakebelieve, wedimagineer, gunitatsuhiko, Silverfurred, notwritten, Jareth Lover 16, RubyDracoGirl, hazlgrnLizzy, jensulli11, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, scifigeek10, and Her Royal Goddess for their awesome reviews of the last chapter. Remember – reviews make me happy and happy people update faster.
Disclaimer: I'd love to own Labyrinth, but I don't.
Sarah awoke early the next morning with a feeling of butterflies floating about in her stomach. She was more than a little nervous about the tournament that would be starting in a few hours. If something went wrong, she could regret the outcome for the rest of her life. Now that she was becoming Fae, it could end up being quite a long time. She turned to see Allie still fast asleep. How she wished she could be that relaxed.
Shaking her head, she quickly got ready for the day at hand. She chose a light muslin gown in a pretty jade color that perfectly matched her eyes. She curled her hair and let it flow loose over her shoulders. As she was finishing up, Allie started to awaken. Sarah turned to her with a smirk.
"Morning sleepy head," she teased.
"This is quite the change," Allie replied, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "I'm usually the one teasing you for oversleeping. Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I don't know," Sarah said smiling. "I guess you just looked too peaceful for me to disturb. Hurry up and get dressed and we can go find some breakfast."
"How can you eat at a time like this?" Allie asked.
"Sheer will. If I don't eat now, I may not eat again the rest of the day," Sarah explained.
Allie laughed and made her way into the bathroom. While she got ready, Sarah began to think through the plans she had made in her head. Everything was set up for each of the suitors' events. Only Fagan was privy to the details of each. Sarah had asked to be kept in the dark. She would be more apt to worry if she knew anything. Fagan had assured her that everything would go like clockwork. Only he knew what she had planned for the final event. After finding out her plans, he had to admire her ingenuity. Only the correct suitor would be the one to win Lady Sarah's points.
After Allie had gotten dressed, the two girls walked to the kitchen for breakfast. The halls were deserted as all the servants were preparing for the tournament. As they approached, Sarah and Allie could hear the sounds of male laughter coming from behind the closed doors. They looked at each other in puzzlement, but shrugged and opened the door. Sitting at the kitchen table were Fagan and Jareth. Sarah's goblin friends were eating, what looked like, pancakes next to the fire.
"Good morning," Sarah said, walking into the room. Then she couldn't help herself. The goblin in her begged for her to cause some mischief this morning. "How're my favorite boys?"
Jareth and Fagan beamed, standing as the two beautiful women entered the kitchen. The Goblin King preened at the compliment. Sarah began to approach Jareth and he held out his arms for her. She brushed past him and gave hugs to each of the goblins. The look on the faces of the two Fae males was priceless and she had to laugh. It was too much fun to tease them, but she knew better than to take her teasing any further.
"And how're my favorite men?" she asked grinning. The goblins went back to their pancakes as she approached their annoyed King.
"Just peachy," Jareth grumbled.
Sarah took pity on him and gave his cheek a kiss. His look of irritation melted away and he embraced her. She smelled sweet and good. He longed to be covered in her scent and carry it with him throughout his day. They stood with their foreheads touching for a few moments. It was the sound of Fagan clearing his throat to pull them apart.
"We should be going," Fagan said, looking pointedly at his brother.
"Give us just a moment," Sarah requested.
"Sarah," Fagan warned. "Technically, he's not supposed to be anywhere around you until the tournament begins."
"Actually, you father said he wasn't allowed to take me on any excursions," Sarah reminded him. "I don't think that talking in the kitchen counts as an excursion."
"Lady Sarah!" he exclaimed, smirking. "You're going to make a great Fae. Still, I'm the one who will hear it from my father should he find you two in here."
I know," Sarah replied. "Just a minute, then you can drag him away."
"One minute," Fagan conceded. Sarah nodded and watched him lead Allie out of the kitchen.
"Good morning precious," Jareth said smiling. "Now can I give you a proper greeting?" At her blushing smile, he bent his head and captured her lips with his own. It was short, but very sweet and gentle.
"Good morning Jareth," Sarah replied, a little breathlessly. Her arms were still around his neck. "That wasn't why I asked you to stay behind, but you won't hear me complaining." He grinned at her. "Before your brother comes back, I'd better just get to the point. I wanted to say good luck."
"Thank you, my Lady," Jareth replied. He pulled away, cognizant of the time they had left. As he walked away, Sarah stopped him.
"Wait!" she called. "I have something for you." He turned to look at her and cocked his head to the side like he did at their first meeting. "In days of old, it was customary for a woman to send her knight into battle with a token." She pulled a jade scarf from her bodice and handed it to him. His eyes widened in surprised delight and he looked, in awe, at the scarf in his hand.
"I will wear it with pleasure, my Lady," he replied, tying it around his wrist. With a bow, he turned and left the kitchen. Allie walked into the kitchen.
"Did you tell him?" she asked.
"No," Sarah replied. She began to fix herself a plate of the leftover pancakes.
"Why not?" Allie asked, joining Sarah.
"It's not the right time," Sarah replied. The two women sat down at the table to eat their breakfast. "I don't want to put any extra pressure on him before the tournament. He's got to stay focused so he can complete each of the events above last place."
"Well then, what did you do to him?" Allie asked.
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked in reply.
"When he came through those doors, he was glowing," Allie replied. "He acted as if you had given him the keys to the Kingdom. I thought for sure that you had finally told him."
"I gave him my scarf to take into battle," Sarah said, smirking.
"You mean like damsels and knights and all that stuff?" Allie asked.
"Yup," Sarah replied, returning her attention to her breakfast.
Allie laughed and went back to her own breakfast. They spent another hour eating, talking to goblins, and planning Allie's wedding. For that hour, Sarah's life felt normal. In the three weeks that they'd been in the Underground, it had become home to her. Fantasy had become reality and that was just fine in Sarah's opinion. She and Allie cleaned up the kitchen and went to join the growing crowd to watch the tournament.
"Well?" Fagan asked. They'd been sitting in the Throne Room getting ready for the start of the tournament for almost an hour. Jareth had remained silent the entire time. He kept staring at his wrist and smiling. It was beginning to unnerve Fagan.
"Hmm?" Jareth replied, absently.
"Such eloquence, dear brother," Fagan quipped, rolling his eyes. When he realized that he still didn't have his brother's attention, he smiled wickedly. Holding his hand in a form of gun, he flicked his wrist at Jareth. A tiny lightning bolt flew from his index finger and hit the Goblin King in the back of the neck.
"Damn you Fagan!" Jareth bellowed, jumping up.
"It was the only way I could get your attention," Fagan replied, dismissing his brother's anger.
"That hurt," Jareth complained, rubbing his neck.
"What has you so far away?" Fagan asked.
"This," Jareth replied, holding out his wrist for Fagan to see. Fagan walked up to him and looked closely at the offered wrist. He took note of the jade colored scarf tied there.
"What is that?" Fagan asked.
"It's a token," Jareth replied, stroking it fondly. "Lady Sarah gave it to me to take into battle today."
"Did she?" Fagan asked, smirking. That explained his brother's distance. He had to give it to his future sister-in-law. She certainly had a flair for the dramatic. But then, so did his brother. They were perfectly matched. He just hoped that no one else found out about this tiny bit of favoritism. Knowing his brother, he'd want to tell everyone.
"Yes," Jareth replied absently.
"Jareth, my brother," Fagan said, shaking his head in amusement. "Let me be so bold as to give you a piece of advice. Don't let anyone see that you have Lady Sarah's favor. It could make things bad for the Lady."
"You're right," Jareth sighed, frowning. He pushed the scarf under his shirt and out of sight. As much as he'd like to shout it from the rooftops, it wouldn't do Sarah any good to have two very jealous Fae males on her hand.
"Let's go attend to the tournament," Fagan suggested. Jareth nodded and they left to get things started outside.
On the tournament grounds, a crowd had begun to gather. Sarah couldn't believe how many had come to see this battle between her suitors. The word had gotten out to all the Kingdoms. The Fae definitely had a love for games and a battle for the hand of a fair maiden was the height of entertainment. Still, it made her nervous. Allie led her over to the dais, where Sarah could see Fagan, Raghnall, and Catrin were already waiting for her. Raghnall and Catrin looked to be deep in discussion. Sarah took a deep breath and began to ascend the steps towards her seat.
"Hello, Your Majesties," Sarah greeted the small group, curtsying respectfully.
"Hello, Lady Sarah," Raghnall replied, indicating for her to rise. "How do you fare today?"
"I'm well, thank you," Sarah smiled. "How are you?"
"The same, thank you," he replied.
"Are you ready for this?" Catrin asked.
"As ready as I can be," Sarah replied.
"We are almost ready to begin," Fagan informed them.
Raghnall escorted her to her seat, while Fagan did the same with his aunt and Allison. The crowd before her also began to take their seats. Fagan stood before the spectators and looked out over the tournament grounds. His brother and the other two suitors were kept in seclusion, away from the others. They would be brought out at his command. Fagan was more than a little nervous. He couldn't give his brother any assistance, but, if he should lose, there would be two very broken hearts in his castle. He sent a little prayer up to the Gods before waving his arms to silence the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, once the crowd had quieted. "It is my pleasure to open this tournament on this beautiful day. Before we begin, I'd like to thank His Majesty, the High King and Her Majesty, the Queen of the Nymphs, for gracing this tournament." Everyone bowed or curtsied deeply in respect. Raghnall waved his hand, indicating his approval. "With no further ado, bring out the challengers." The crowd began cheering wildly as the three suitors made their appearance.
Sarah watched as Jareth, Liam, and Gough took their places on the field. When Jareth turned to look at her, she gave a little smile and a wink. He returned her wink with a smirk and wink of his own. The exchange did not go unnoticed by Raghnall and Catrin, who gave each other a cryptic look of their own. After the applause died down, Fagan continued as Master of Ceremonies.
"Now Gentlemen," he addressed the suitors. "This tournament is to be fair. No magic is to be used to hinder or help, unless the contest specifically calls for it. There are four events, each chosen by either a suitor or the fair Lady Sarah. The man to come in last for these four events shall rescind his courting rights, effective immediately, to Lady Sarah. If we are in agreement, let the games begin."
"Aye!" shouted the three suitors in unison.
"The first event was created by King Gough of the Dwarf Kingdom," Fagan announced. "It is a test of strength. Each man must hold a weighted ball above his head, while standing on the posts before them. The first one out will earn no points. The second one out will earn 10 points. The third one out will earn 25 points. Gentlemen, take your posts."
Each of the suitors climbed atop the narrow posts imbedded into the ground. When they were settled, they were given a heavily weighted ball. The crowd stood in silence as each of the men raised it above their heads. Sarah could barely breathe and her heart began to race. Catrin reached over and took her hand, giving her support. Sarah looked at the Nymph Queen and smiled.
Twenty minutes into the contest, the first signs of fatigue were beginning to show. Gough and Jareth were sweating profusely. Liam was not only sweating, but he was starting to tremble slightly. All eyes were on him. Five minutes later, his ball began to slip in his hand. After two failed attempts to steady himself, Liam's ball fell to the ground. He cursed and jumped off of his post to watch the others continue. His face held an expression of frustration and self-loathing. Sarah felt quite sorry for him and wished she could spare him these feelings.
Another forty minutes went by and the crowd began to wonder how long the two suitors were going to last. A collective breath was being held by all the spectators. Jareth felt as if his arms were going to fall off of his body. The pain was immense and the only thing that kept him going was the thought of his fair maiden and the gift she had given him earlier. Still, he knew that he couldn't hold on much longer. His biceps were already beginning to quiver. He glanced over at Gough and realized that he was still and calm. The ball began to slip in his hands and he winced as he watched it fall in front of him. With a frown, he stepped from his post and sighed. However, at least he didn't come in last. Some points were better than none.
Gough flung his ball to the ground in triumph. He had been victorious. The crowd shot to its feet and cheered for him. Sarah sighed in disappointment. In her heart, she wished that Jareth could have beaten Gough at his own game. It was going as she planned, but she wanted Jareth to be victorious in every event. Fagan stood from his seat next to Allison and addressed the crowd.
"Congratulations to King Gough," he said. "Please change the score to reflect the outcome of this event."
The score keeper quickly changed the scoreboard as requested. It now read:
First Place - Gough: 25 pts
Second Place - Jareth: 10 pts
Third Place - Liam: 0 pts
The crowd cheered for the Dwarf King. He basked in the glory. Jareth watched on and smirked as he heard more than one person chanting his name. He may not have won this round, but it was clear that he was still a favorite among the spectators. Still, the only person whose support mattered to him was his beautiful Sarah. He vowed, when this was over, that he was going to tell her how he felt about her. He watched as she smiled at him. His heart beat a little faster at seeing her lovely face. He tipped her wink and turned to watch Fagan announce the next event.
"The next event was generated by King Jareth of the Goblin Kingdom," Fagan announced. "This time, the test will be magic. Each suitor will create a crystal containing his best spell. The crystals will be presented to a judge, who will evaluate them. He will have no knowledge of which crystal was created by which man. The suitor with the best spell will earn 25 points. The second place finisher will earn 10 points. For last place, the man will receive no points. Gentlemen, begin your incantation."
Each of them began to create beautiful crystals. They caught the sun and the light refracted into a rainbow of colors. Sarah watched on anxiously. All three crystals looked the same to her. How was the judge going to be able to make a decision? Jareth continued to stare at his crystal with a focus and dedication she had never seen before in him. She desperately hoped that he would be able to create something spectacular.
All of the crystals were collected and given to the judge, an elderly Fae who looked wise and powerful. He took the first one in his hand and looked into it intently. Rolling it on his arms, he tested the power of the spell. When he had gotten the full extent of the spell, he took the next and began the same test on it. Finally, he did the same to the third crystal. When he was finished, he took one of the crystals from the three and held it before him.
"This crystal contains a fair spell, but it has been outshone by the others," he pronounced. "I deem this to be the third place finisher."
"To which of the three men does this belong?" Fagan asked.
The judge threw it up in the air and it floated towards the three suitors. It remained suspended over all three of them until it finally landed in the hand of Gough. Throwing it to the ground, he swore and strode off to lick his wounds. The crystal disappeared, leaving no trace. Sarah watched and sighed in relief. That meant that Jareth was still in the running. She watched as the wise Fae took a second crystal and held it in his left hand.
"This crystal contains a good spell, though it is not the best," he stated. "It is the second place winner." Before the question could be asked, he took the last crystal in his right hand. "This is the superior crystal by far. It belongs to the winner of the contest."
The judge let both crystals fly towards the suitors. The crowd sat at the edge of their seats, waiting for them to settle in the hands of their creator. Jareth grinned happily as the first place crystal fell into his hand. Liam's face was one of disappointment as he learned that he had failed yet another event. He looked forward to his event, as he was sure to win. With that newfound hope, he flicked his wrist and his crystal turned into a beautiful crystalline rose. Another wave of his hand transported the gift to its recipient. Sarah stared at the thing of beauty and smiled happily. He bowed to her and stood next to Gough.
Jareth was not one to be outmatched where Sarah was concerned. He threw the globe into the air and music began to play. His clothes had been transformed into black breeches tucked into black knee-high boots, a grey ruffled shirt, and grey gloves. A dark blue jacket with diamante on the shoulders completed the look. Sarah looked down to see that she was wearing the same white sugar-spun dress as she had in the crystal dream. She had to laugh at the shear poofiness of it all. In an instant, she was transported to the Goblin King's side. He bowed to her and she returned a curtsy of her own. She giggled as he swept her into the same graceful waltz as he had in her dream. When the song was over, she was returned to her seat on the dais. Catrin giggled and Raghnall smirked at the blush on Sarah's cheeks.
After his dance, Jareth strolled over to the other suitors. Both of them were shooting daggers at him with their eyes. It was apparent that Sarah quite enjoyed her waltz. Gough was now wishing that he hadn't wasted his crystal. He was the only suitor that had nothing to present to the fair maiden. Liam, for his part, was trying not to kill his cousin. He should never have given a gift to Sarah before Jareth. It only made it that much easier for the Goblin King to show him up again.
"Congratulations to King Jareth," Fagan announced. "Thank you for the entertainment." The crowd laughed and Jareth bowed to them. "Please change the score to reflect the outcome of this event."
The score keeper quickly changed the scoreboard once again. It now read:
First Place - Jareth: 35 pts
Second Place - Gough: 25 pts
Third Place - Liam: 10 pts
Sarah began to worry. If the score continued to stay like this, Liam would be the one ending his courtship with her on this day. That meant more time with Gough as a suitor. She didn't think she could stomach more of his advances. Looking at the conceited man, she truly hoped that Liam could do well at his own game. If not, she didn't know what she would do. The only thing she knew for certain was that she couldn't continue courting Gough, no matter what happened.
"We will now take a break to give our competitors time to rest," Fagan told the spectators. "We have prepared refreshments for everyone. Please partake in them and enjoy this break. This tournament shall reconvene in one hour."
The crowd began to disperse as everyone headed over to the refreshment tent. Sarah stood and spent a short time talking to Catrin and Raghnall. Fagan and Allie had left to get some time alone together before the tournament resumed. Raghnall excused himself to go speak with another royal. Sarah and Catrin began to step down from the dais. A young girl came up to her with a dark stain spreading down the front of her dress. After Tirion explained that she had spilled her drink, Catrin introduced Sarah to her youngest daughter. She then excused herself to help her daughter into a new dress.
As Sarah was beginning her journey to the refreshment tent, a hand reached out and grabbed her. She screeched as she was pulled under the dais. The hand then clamped itself over her lips. An arm wrapped around her waist and tightened. She struggled against it, but there was no use. She was trapped!
