Chapter 34

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Servants and Curses

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Sarah moaned in frustration. "What is he doing?" she lamented watching Gavin try to make his way through the Labyrinth on her horse.

Things were finally starting to get interesting yet Jareth was aware he was only pushing Sarah from him further. He watched her silently for a moment as she stared angrily at the orb. Apparently she was annoyed with the boy, which only made things more amusing for himself. The truth was Jareth did not know how to act around Sarah, she made him feel such conflicting emotions. He desired her so badly, he needed her love desperately yet he did not know how to express himself to her. The last time he had tried, she had rejected him he could not bare that rejection again. His time was so short, he should be making the most of it, enjoying what he had left while he had it. Instead he vented his frustration on everyone around him and Sarah was a particularly easy target.

"Shall we fetch your white knight or shall we see how long it takes him? Hmm? Maybe he'll just fall into an oubliette and we can forget about him." Jareth asked Sarah, pushing his thoughts aside.

Sarah glared at Jareth. "Just send him home." she snapped.

Jareth circled her. "I could...but I don't see how it would benefit me." he pondered aloud. "This is his second offense, my subjects would wonder if I was getting soft if I didn't punish him." he said wickedly.

Before Sarah could respond she found herself and the Goblin King inside the Labyrinth. Gavin started at first when he saw the King and Sarah appear before him. "Let her go." Gavin cried bravely as he leapt from Seafoam. Sarah could only stare at Gavin and wonder what the heck he was doing.

Jareth put out his hand in warning, Gavin stopped remembering what had happened last time. "Take me instead! Only a coward imprisons a Lady." Gavin spat, deciding to use his words instead of his hands against the King.

Jareth pulled back his hand, tilting his head back slightly he laughed mirthfully. Sarah stood silent for the time being trying to figure which male she was more angry at, she wanted to knock both their heads in. "And, what exactly." Jareth drawled. "made you think that I would want you over her?" he smirked, moving behind Sarah and placing his hands on her shoulders possessively.

"Don't touch me!" Sarah tried to pull herself away but Jareth caught hold of her arm in an iron grip. "Just go home Gavin, this doesn't involve you." she spoke harshly to Gavin.

Jareth laughed once more and let go of Sarah's arm which sent her falling forward into Gavin's arms. Gavin held onto Sarah protectively for a moment but as soon as she regained her balance she pulled herself free from him. "I'm not going home without you." he glared at her, wondering what her problem was.

Jareth watched amused. "I'm afraid that won't be happening." his face was stoic. "What a pity." Jareth stood and watched the two, contemplating his options. Sarah and Gavin watched and waited. They both knew that they couldn't 'outrun' the Goblin King.

"By all means I should throw you in an oubliette." he smiled cruelly. "However, you did bring back my horse..."

"That's my horse!" Sarah exclaimed. "How dare he try to lay claim to my horse!" "The Duke gave her to me!"

"The Duke." he spat the name. "stole her from me." he tried to pat Seafoam's muzzle but the horse snorted and pulled back and trotted herself behind Sarah. Jareth glared angrily at the stupid horse. "Now, I must punish you but I must also reward you." he turned his attention back on the two.

Before anyone could protest, they were all back in the throne room. "What did you do with MY Horse?" Sarah ground out. Jareth rolled his eyes, "My Horse is in the Stables where she belongs." her said icily. "Now Shut up, I'm tired of listening to you." Sarah was about to tell the Goblin King a thing or two but she found that he had taken her ability to speak.

The goblins roared in laughter at their King's pranks. "SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU!" he silenced them. "Finally." he sighed as the noise in the room died away. Gavin stood his ground, he may not have been successful in his mission but at least he could say he tried, that he wasn't a coward.

"I could use a man around here." Jareth started. Gavin looked at the King suspiciously, he hadn't been expecting him to say something like that. "goblin's aside, there's far too much estrogen between my two strong willed girls." he smirked at Sarah who was glaring indignantly at him. "As I've said before, I am generous.You will stay here and work for me." Gavin's face paled. "You'll run errands and do my paperwork." Jareth said simply.

Sarah could not believe her ears. "What is he up to? Why would he want Gavin here?" her mind raced.

"I can't" Gavin mumbled angrily.

"You will! or you'll spend the rest of your life in an oubliette!" Jareth snapped, losing his playful smile.

Gavin's shoulder's slumped, not in defeat but in humility. "I can't write." he admitted. Jareth's face was cold, even though he slightly felt pity for the boy.

"You shall learn then." the King announced. Priya entered the room at that moment, wondering what was going on.

"Ah, my darling." Jareth smiled at the one non goblin face in the room that was on his side, well usually on his side. "This is our new servant, Gavin." his smirk was back. "He shall take over most of the adoption procedures. You'll teach him how to read and write." Jareth dismissed them.

Priya would normally object to having to do any such thing. However she found Gavin to be a very attractive young man, the idea of spending time with him each day was appealing to her. She had barely gotten a glance at him before, when he was imprisoned. Sarah found her voice again and stomped out of the throne room after Priya and Gavin. She figured Jareth would expect her to fight after that stunt, but she wasn't going to give him want he so obviously wanted.

"Gavin! What we're you thinking?" Sarah berated him.

Gavin looked at Sarah, confused why she was so upset with him. "Would you rather have me do nothing? Someone had to act, you came for us. Should we have not done the same for you?" he criticized.

"Yes! You should have stayed home! Look what you've accomplished. Now we're both stuck here." she continued. Priya just stood and watched the two argue.

"Sarah!" his voice rose in frustration now. "Can't you understand, I had to come. I lo-"

"No!" Sarah cut him off before he could finish. "Don't say it. You don't" she scowled. "How could you be so reckless and leave your family, they need you." she scolded.

"I'm not a child Sarah, they will be fine. They're not the one's imprisoned by an evil Goblin King." he was very angry now. "Perhaps you're right, I shouldn't have wasted my time on someone so ungrateful." he scowled. "I'm beginning to think you want to be here with that King!"

Sarah was shocked and angry that he would insinuate that she was ungrateful or that she liked the Goblin King. "How Dare you!" she started.

Gavin rolled his eyes, "Get over yourself." he said before turning and stalking down the hallway. Priya shook her head at Sarah and caught up with Gavin to steer him in the right direction.

'Great everyone's against me.' she thought and slumped against the wall. She wasn't ungrateful, but it was a foolish thing that he did. Now she would have to look after him as well as herself. He should have stayed home to look after his family, what did he think he would accomplish if not even her Duke could rescue her? 'I need a friend, I need my true friends.' she thought.

Sarah made her way out of the Castle and was about to enter the Goblin City when the Goblin King appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she did not like the tone he used.

"I'm going to find my friends." she glared at him, as if she would bore a hole into his skull.

"Friends." he spat the word.

"Yes." she spat back. "People who care for one another, you wouldn't know anything about that!" Jareth's face remained unaffected.

"I don't believe you asked for my permission to leave the Castle." his eye's seemed to smile as he spoke.

Sarah balled her fists, she had enough of this. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Carefully she gained control of her emotions, she would not let him push her buttons. "May I please go see Hoggle." she ground out between gritted teeth.

"Ah that's better." he mocked, then shrugged. "I don't see why you couldn't" he smiled mischievously.

Sarah recognized the feeling right before Jareth transported her somewhere. She blinked and then was overwhelmed by an awful and familiar smell. 'He transported me to the BOG!' her mind screamed as she covered her nose.

"Sarah?" a familiar voice called to her.

"Hoggle?" she questioned as she saw her friend sitting on a throne with a disgusting looking crown atop his head. "Ugh, he's so...so.. immature!" she cried, tormented by the smell. "What's going on Hoggle."

Hoggle tossed the crown off his head and walked over to Sarah, covering his own nose. "I was jus mindin me own business when all the sudden I was transported here again." he grumbled.

"Again?" she questioned.

"It's all your fault!" he pointed a finger at her. "He told me if your kissed me, he'd make me a prince." he waved a hand. "prince of stench." he grimaced.

Sarah made a face. "Oh Hoggle, I'm so sorry." she hugged him. "It's not my fault your King is evil though." she defended herself.

Hoggle shook his head. "Let's get outta here" Sarah followed Hoggle out of the bog, he led her to a very small cottage in a barren lot of land, an area of the Labyrinth she had never visited. "This here's my house." he said pointing to the cottage. Sarah had to duck to enter the doorway.

"What a cute little place." Sarah smiled, her spirits lifted.

Hoggle shrugged. "Ain't much."

"Well I like it." she smiled. Hoggle couldn't help smiling back at her. "So what's with this area of the Labyrinth...it's so...bare?" she questioned curiously.

"I was the garden keeper, use to be a nice place. Long time before you came the first time, everything...wasted away." Hoggle looked sad thinking about it. "Only thing I can get to grow is them vines outside the Labyrinth." he muttered.

"Oh." was all Sarah could say.

"Now what's really troubling ya missy?" Hoggle asked, handing Sarah a mug of water and laid out a loaf of bread and some butter for them. Sarah found herself telling Hoggle everything that had passed since she left him in the Goblin City. She was too surprised when she started crying as well. "There there." he patted Sarah's arm. "Things will get better. You'll see, once that curse is complete, you'll be free." The words left his mouth without thinking.

"What? A Curse?" Sarah questioned between sniffles.

"Curse? Did I say curse? I don't think I said anything 'bout curses." Hoggle exclaimed nervously.

Sarah forgot her tears and became very curious and serious. "Hoggle! What curse?" she persisted.

Hoggle sighed and mumbled something about being an idiot and Jareth having his head. "I can't tell ya nuthing!" he cried.

"Why not!" Sarah cried indignantly.

"Dontcha know anything? You can't tell the details of a curse to anyone who's not involved." he tried to explain, hating himself for ever mentioning a curse in the first place.

"What about you? Are you involved then?" she asked.

"No, that's different!" he looked around nervously.

"Why's it any different? How come you can know and I can't?" She hated not knowing things.

"Because! I can't break the curse, thats why." he exclaimed.

"But I could?" her brows furrowed.

"I've said too much, it'll be my head on a platter if you go around talking about curses." he warned her. "You should go now."

"But Hoggle!" she looked at the little dwarf and how paranoid he was becoming. "I won't say anything, my lips are sealed." she promised.

"Okay..." Hoggle said still nervous. Sarah spent a good day with Hoggle and met up with Didymus and Ludo as well. Her spirits came crashing down as soon as she stepped back into the castle, it was so depressing and she felt very alone. It was then that she remembered that Priya had promised she could write her family, given the fact that Gavin was now the King's new slave she felt she should write them in haste.

Sarah had just finished her letter when Priya entered her room. "You didn't have to be so cruel to Gavin." Priya started in right away.

"It's really none of your business Priya!" Sarah returned Priya's glare.

"You could have at least thanked him." Priya continued.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Oh right. Thanks Gavin for being a complete idiot and making matters worse." the sarcasm oozed.

Priya snatched the letter from Sarah. "I can see now why Jareth loves you so, you're exactly like him!" her words stung Sarah, leaving Sarah speechless as she left the room.

"I'm not like him!" Sarah yelled bitterly, long after Priya had left. "And he doesn't Love me so!"

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Author's Note: This one took me awhile to write. Well I've got outlines done for the next four chapters. I'm making a guess that there will be around 10 more chapters before this story is finished. I will try to get a few more chapters before I leave on vacation. Thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing and special thanks to my new readers :D you're all awesome!