Chapter 30
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What to do about Sarah
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"Where is Sarah?" The Duke asked staring at his guards with a fire in his eyes. The guards shifted uneasily before the captain stepped forward.
The Captain of the guards faced his Lord. "We were unable to obtain her, my Lord." He bowed.
The Duke's jaw was set in a hard line. "I told you not to underestimate her." He said with a certain restrained tone.
"Sire. We almost had her…but then…she simply vanished my Lord." The Captain informed.
The Duke laughed coldly. "She's a mortal, they don't just vanish!" he snapped, restraining the urge to obliterate these idiots.
The Captain bowed once more. "I only tell you what I saw, my Lord."
The Duke scowled. "I will not treat you kindly if you prove to be incompetent again." He warned before stalking away.
Lasair made his way to his private room, there was something more going on here and he needed to know what that was. "Mortals don't vanish, they also don't conjure their family in ordinary little mirrors." He thought. He wasn't a fool he knew Sarah was special. "But how special is she really?" he mused.
Reaching his room he strode to a large ornate mirror. "Show me Sarah." He ordered. The Duke's reflection faded from the mirror surface and he saw Sarah, she was in Jareth's throne room. He smiled as he watched her face his cousin defiantly; her cruel eyes bore into the Kings. Then she started to speak…. Goblin King... you...have all...power over me
Lasair's jaw dropped as Sarah hung her head and her family disappeared from the throne room. "No!!!" he screamed and crashed a flaming fist against the mirror, which shattered at his feet. "That wasn't part of my scheme." He growled, angry with himself for underestimating her, underestimating her love for her family. "She'll make a loyal bride indeed." He tried to calm himself before his whole room burst into flames.
Lasair sat and brooded contemplating the situation, his chin rested on a fist and his feet were propped up on a footstool. He had covered every possibility before depositing Sarah's family in his cousin's realm. If she did manage to get to Jareth to demand her family's release, and she traded places with them. Then he had planned to go to the council to demand her release, and he had counted on the fact that she would have accepted his proposal before she made any such attempt. That part went well, better than he had hoped, not only did he have her acceptance, but also he had it in writing.
The Duke had not however, calculated the possibility of Sarah giving Jareth power over her again. This changed everything; it would have been difficult enough to sway the council to his favor if she had willingly exchanged herself for her family, not to mention that Jareth was his senior. Now it would be futile, and he knew the 'idiots' that comprised the council would take an eternity to make any sort of decision.
On the other hand, his cousin was doing a beautiful job insuring Sarah's hatred. There was no possible way Jareth could reverse that sort of damage in the measly time he had left. He knew his cousin's pride; he'd only dig himself deeper.
While Lasair was sure that Sarah would never love Jareth, he knew that her feelings for him would falter if she thought that he had done nothing to attempt her rescue. The Duke smiled, it was simple really. "I shall not bother with the council, I shall bid my time, I will confront Jareth myself. Sarah will be assured of my dying devotion to her, and when I fail to win her back, she shall love me all the more for my broken heart for my loss of her. She shall loathe him all the more." He laughed. "In the end I shall still have her. I only have to wait now." He smiled again, thinking of how Sarah would make Jareth suffer all on her own.
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The Cottage
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Midge cried tears of happiness when her boys appeared back home. She squeezed and kissed them all. "What of Sarah?" Midge asked concerned.
Robert hung his head, shameful. "She gave herself for our freedom." His voice was stressed, he felt like an awful father. "I should be protecting her, it shouldn't be the other way around!" he was angry.
Gavin felt similar feelings he should be the hero. How humiliating to be rescued by a girl? "I'll go back, I'll get her out of there somehow." He said determined.
Midge frowned at her son. "Don't be foolish Gavin! The King wanted Sarah in the first place, he wont give her up easily."
"Well we can't just stay here and live our little lives! Gods only knows what he will do to her." Gavin argued.
Didymus and Ludo had been silently listening to the family banter. "Brother, I think we should return now, and keep watch on our fair maiden." Didymus was wise to his King's reasoning for wanting Sarah, but he did not want to release this information to her family.
Ludo shook his head in response. They sneaked out without the family noticing.
"We were treated fairly decently" Robert argued. "I don't believe he will harm her." He tried to convince himself of this for his own sanity. "Now tell me, what has passed since we've been away?"
Midge and Lily took turns explaining to them all that Sarah and Hoggle had told them. Gavin had a permanent scowl after hearing that Sarah was to be engaged to the Duke, and the Goblin King's relation no less. Robert rubbed his neck. "My Sarah engaged?" he had not expected that so soon. "We should go to this Duke for help." Robert stated. Midge held her tongue, she did not trust this Duke yet they had no other option. He was the only one of influence who had any claim on Sarah.
Toby tugged at his father's tunic. "Sarah will be okay Dad, she's strong." he smiled, full of hope and pride in his older sister.
Robert smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "I know, Tobe, I know."
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Goblin Castle
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"A mortal? Able to use magic?" the Healer asked incredulous.
"That's what I said you idiot." Jareth snapped. He and the Healer stood next to Sarah's bedside, Jareth glanced down at her to make sure she still slumbered.
"Are you sure?" the Healer was still disbelieving.
Jareth gritted his teeth, he hated being questioned twice. "What are you, a fool? I think I know magic when I see it!" Jareth said in dangerous tones. The Healer caught the glint in the King's eyes and questioned him no further.
The Healer, who was a tall gangly elf stared down at the sleeping Sarah in thought. "Hmmm, perhaps I should make sure she is entirely human." he mused aloud.
Jareth's eyes narrowed, the thought had passed through his mind. It would explain clear a few things up and he would feel less sore about losing to this girl, if she were more than human. "Do it." he ordered.
"Hmm, yes. I will need a small basin." the Healer said. Jareth immediately conjured one for him. "Thank you, Sire." Jareth watched as the Healer rummaged through his bag, pulling out two small bottles containing mysterious liquids, a small square of cloth and a small thin blade. The Healer lifted one of Sarah's arms and laid the basin underneath, between her elbow and wrist. Here he made a small slit and let her blood run into the bowl. Sarah did not wake or flinch in her sleep, and Jareth found himself disturbed by the image and had to avert his eyes.
The Healer chuckled. "She certainly out did herself, I'm not going to question your intentions with this girl but if you want her to live I do suggest you be gentle with her until she has regained her strength."
"And how long might that take?" Jareth questioned, irritable.
"Hmm, hard to say." The Healer wiped the small cut clean as the bleeding had slowed and he gently bandaged it. Next he pried open Sarah's mouth and swiped her saliva with the cloth. Tossing the cloth into the basin of blood, he took on of the bottles an poured in a few drops of the contents. Jareth watched as the liquid and blood seemed to boil and the cloth dissolved. Taking the last of the two bottles, the Healer carefully let only a drop fall into the bowl. The dark blood mixture turned clear, like water. The whole time the Healer was smiling, as if he took pleasure in the whole process.
Lastly, the Healer turned back to Sarah and plucked a single strand of her hair with a chuckle. "Now." he said holding the hair above the basin. "The colors of essence. Red for the mortals and blue for the fae." The Healer dropped the strand into the liquid, it bubbled and began to dissolve on impact as if it had fallen into a bowl of acid. Jareth and the Healer stared anxiously at the liquid, waiting.
The liquid began to color a bright red, Jareth snorted. "Just a mortal." he scoffed, almost disappointed.
"Wait!" the Healer said, still watching the basin. Jareth looked back to the liquid it had begun to turn a shade of deep purple. "Not quite human." The Healer smirked at the King who stared at the liquid suspiciously. "I shall take a sample to the Halls of Ancestry, perhaps there we can solve this mystery." he paused. "That is, if you wish it?" he waited for the King's response.
"What about the girl? You've done nothing to revive her." Jareth accused.
The Healer laughed again. "She will be fine, all she needs is rest."
"Then go." Jareth dismissed the Healer and turned his attentions back to Sarah.
"I shall return." the Healer emptied the contents of the basin into an empty bottle and stuck it into his bag. With a deep bow, he left the room.
She slept soundly, never stirring. Her chest labored evenly and her face looked serene. Jareth's face was a cold mask of stone as he gazed upon her, but underneath it was twisted in conflicting emotions and desires. He wanted revenge against this young fiery beauty, he wanted her to suffer, to feel the torment that was in his heart. He wanted to spill his cousin's blood for stealing what he desired most, her heart. He had been ready for her when she had arrived, ready for the fight and the test of wills, ready to make her suffer, but she had arrived exhausted and frail and instead he found himself having to wait. How he hated to wait, he had been waiting far too long already. "Time is short." he thought bitterly.
In reality he detested who he had become; a vengeful and cruel spirit filled with pride. Deep inside he knew he was a fool, he should be kissing the earth that she walked upon, begging for her forgiveness and love. Proving his love to her, proving to her that there was more to him than cruel games and mockery. Yet, dispite what it would cost him, he was unwilling to change, his pride was too great.
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Author's Note: Alright so there's the chapter. Next chapter, Lasair will confront Jareth. After that it will be mostly about Jareth and Sarah for awhile and you wont see much of the Duke or Sarah's family. Please review.