Chapter 7 Gilded Cage

Jareth looked at the cord in his hand and breathed a sigh of relief. Oberon had not told the girl what the cord meant, and he was in no rush to enlighten her. She had not asked while they were tied to one another so he had not been forced to give her answers he didn't want to. The cord moved across the palm of his hand and he felt pain. He looked at the cut in the ungloved hand and let out an exasperated snarl. He tossed the cord to the table, and lifted Sarah's hand roughly to inspect it as well. The cut matched his; the old fox had fixed them both. Jareth showed his hand to Sarah. "He's mixed our blood."

"That does not sound good," she lamented.

"It could go either way," The Goblin King admitted. He began to step away, but her hand gripping his coat halted him. "Can you tell me what he just said?" she requested, "I heard the words, but I didn't understand."

"Easier to show you, Sarah." Jareth hoped he still had most of his magic, as the old fox had promised. "illuminati." The room was now clearly lit, as torches came to life with merry dancing flames. What had appeared as just a sitting room was clearly far more. It resembled a luxurious medieval loft apartment filled with carved ornate rich furnishings, including a large carved bed.

Sarah turned in a slow circle. "Oh my god, he's got to be kidding!" Her eyes rested on the large carved bed in the corner. "He's not seriously thinking that you and I are going to stay in this room… together." She moved quickly away from the Fae at her side. "That I would …sleep with you! No…No way."

"Sarah," he leaned on one of the carved posts. "There are a few things I've… neglected to tell you."

The young woman looked at him and shook her head. "Oh, that can't be good. Jareth the Goblin King, admitting he's neglected to tell me something."

"Well you hadn't asked and I saw no reason to… inform you…Until now." Mismatched eyes defiantly stared at her. "You'd best hear me out, woman. Firstly," he picked up the cord. "This is a Binding cord. It's made of Fae Silver, and is very powerful. Secondly, he cut our hands, with his own athamé if I know him, and he bound us with open wounds to each other, mingling our blood. Effectively he has,"

"If you say married us, I swear I'll scream," she warned.

Jareth placed cupped hands over his ears. "Go ahead, scream."

Sarah instead collapsed as her knees gave way. "No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!" He kept cupped hands over his ears. When he saw that the threat of a scream had passed without issue, he lowered his hands. "There's more."

"Of course there is." She spat at him angrily.

He held the cord out. "When either of us holds this, we have to answer the other's queries with truth." He tossed the cord on the bed. "Do you understand?"

"It's not fair!" Sarah was shaking with fury, frustration and indignation. "Do any of you believe in fairness?"

Jareth nearly laughed in her face. "Fairness? I've told you, isn't that fair? I could have kept it to myself! I could have made you think he was going to allow me to….molest you freely. That your reputation means nothing to him."

Sarah stood up and began to pace the room like a caged animal, muttering to her self until one sentence was too loud of him to ignore. "Kidnapper of helpless little children…"

"I don't kidnap!" He interjected with fury.

"OK, you're a thief in the night!" Her voice became nearly shrill. "A common thief; who steals poor little children from their safe warm beds in the dark of the night!"

"I have never stolen a child!" He gripped her arm and pulled her close to see the fury in his eyes. "The children are freely given, as you well know, my pet." The lips thinned to a sneer.

"I never meant to give him to you and you know that! You stole him." She countered.

"I never kidnapped, stole or took Toby…" he paused and corrected himself, "Well, I did take him away from the Goblins, but that was your doing, pet. You wished him away, not I. I never came for Toby!"

"I saw you! I was there remember?" She struggled against him and ended up being shoved onto the bed.

"Selective memory, pet? Think back… do you remember your words that night?" Jareth struggled to hold her down. "Think of what you said that night, or do you need to be reminded?"

"I said I wished the Goblins would come and take Toby…" Tears formed and slid down her soft cheek. "And you know I never meant it. You knew then that I didn't mean it! But you took him anyway!"

"Do I look like a Goblin to you?" Jareth held her down with one hand, grabbed up the sliver cord in his left hand and held it in front of her face. "I never took Toby! Do you hear me woman. I never took him. I was not there for him!" "What are you talking about you were not there for him? If not for him then who?" The struggling girl screamed violently. Jareth lowered his face, until he was a breath away, still holding the cord out where she could see it. "I came to your house that night for you, Sarah Williams, and only for you." He breathed her in, her pheromones were driving him wild. "Think back, and say your right words, pet."

'Oh, someone ... save me. Take me away from this awful place.' Her mind screamed the words, followed by 'But what no one knew was this: the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with her, and givenher certain powers.' She looked at Jareth and heard him clearly.

"I came that night for you. You called, I came." He tossed the cord aside. "And what I got for my troubles was…"

"You pervert!" She struggled against him again, this time with fire. "I was fifteen!"

"Why is everyone so preoccupied with that blasted age?" Jareth laughed.

The struggle stopped, Sarah looked at him, amazed by his lack of common sense when a thought came to her. "You really don't know, do you?" She looked at him, seeing him anew. "Why; you're not much older than I am really." Suddenly she was even more uncomfortable. "Let me up, please."

Jareth shook his head, "I've got you almost where I want you, and I don't think I should loose that advantage." He breathed her in again. "You may speak if you wish to." He lowered his face into her neck, and began to kiss her from ear to shoulder seeking the place he'd marked. "Speak, if you must."

"Jareth, stop, this is important." She moaned, her own body betraying her as she arch to his touch. "Please, stop."

"I'm busy." His mouth now rested in the hollow of her throat. He breathed in the perfume and moaned. "Very busy." He teased sensually. His right at her shoulder, his left at her waist.

Sarah turned her head, seeing the cord just inches away from her fingers. She slid her hand over to it, as she gasped from the assault on her senses. Panting she pulled it like a lasso round the neck of the Fae. "How old are you?" She demanded breathlessly.

The Goblin King took a moment's pause. "How would you like the years converted?" He slid his tongue in the sweet hallow that he was concentrating on. Her hands pushed him back. He rose up on elbows over her. "Really pet, this not what I desire to be doing." She glared at him and he sighed, "Do you want it in centuries?"

"I'm eighteen… if you were... Mortal… how old would you be?"

His eyes moved round as he gave it thought, "I'd be in my late twenties or perhaps early thirties, maybe a bit less, perhaps more. Why?" He began to lower him self again but was again halted. "Now what?"

"Do you romance all the little girls who call you?" Her question said more than she wished.

"No, Sarah." He groaned. "You are the first and the last." Again he lowered his lips to he neck, "May I now continue?" Sarah arched as he found a tender pressure point. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Are you planning on…" she could not think of a word.

"Ravishing you? Oh yes, most defiantly!" He toyed with her.

"I hardly know you!" She croaked out.

Jareth looked at her, "I'm trying to get to know you better, and you're not co-operating." He slowed his advancing. "And you do know me. You dream of me, you call my name in your sleep… you say such lovely wicked things to me when you think no one is listening, like when you bathe." His long fingers stroked her skin. "You know me, Sarah. You've always known me." He smiled, reaching up he took hold of the cord, placed it gently over her throat, "Now, Sarah." He lingered over her name as he knew no one else could. "Admit you enjoy my attentions, admit you want me."

Closing her eyes she could not stop the words, even as she tried. "Of course I enjoy your attentions, how could I not want you?" Adding as an after thought. "But then you are the only man in the world who pays any attention to me these days." Her eyes shot open. "Why is that?"

Sighing he sat up, took the cord and wrapped it round his own neck smiling wickedly. "Because I've worked for the last three years to keep the hounds at bay. Starting with that twit Jason and followed by the rest who came sniffing round you." Taking the cord off Jareth looked at her, waiting for the anger and words. He kept the cord in his hand.

Sitting up, she looked at him, "We are some kind of dysfunctional Romeo and Juliet, we are." She looked at the cord in his hand. "Why did you save me that night, when Jason and the others… I mean..."

"I told you then, your kisses belong to me." His eyes glowed like coals, "Everything about you belongs to me…" He thought back to the night of that hay ride, and seeing those young ruffians dragging his Sarah to the woods, and holding her…It had driven him beyond endurance to see that Jason place his hands on her face, and prepare to force her kiss from her. He'd attacked in bird form without thinking, or caring. "Long before you wished Toby away, before you called out to me to rescue you...I'd seen you. Not in a crystal, but in a park."

"The park I use to play act in?" She asked feeling soul naked and voilated.

Jareth looked at her, seeing the woman she was now, and the girl she use to be. "There, in that beautiful park, all alone, with but a dog and a book for company. Play acting a story that you wanted so much to come to life. Day after day I would come there, and you'd be playing…always alone. I came to yearn for the time of day that you'd be in the park. I'd linger in the trees until I'd see you, then I'd head for the obelisk where you'd perform your final scenes… In time you began to accept the appearance of the owl… you even began to speak to him, instead of that dog…what's his name? Oh yes…Merlin." His eyes raked over her, like a possession. "I watched, and came to know you. Your scent, your voice… your …soul… You were always alone. Putting yourself into books and stories…finding magic. In a world that was trying to kill magic you were finding it… nurturing it. Magic you wanted, and magic wanted you, magic I could give…I knew it would only be a matter of time until you called…so I waited. And you didn't disappoint me, you called asking that someone rescue you, and take you away." His eyes mesmerized, like kaleidoscopes. "From that moment on, you were mine. What is mine is mine, and I don't like other's playing with my things. When that Jason tried to force from you the kiss that you were meant to give to me, I took action."

"I'm glad you kept them at bay." Sarah spoke in a whisper, forgetting she was holding part of the cord

"Why?" Jareth knew the cord was in her hand, and wanted to hear the truth.

"Because they were not you." She dropped the cord, "You're a hard act to follow, Jareth." Her voice was icy. She held a hand up when he began to move closer. "No, not just yet…" she warned him. "Jareth… I was only fifteen."

"Again with the trivial details of this age issue. What is it with you mortals and age?" He groaned. "Oh, so what, you were fifteen… but your body and soul were already crying out for pleasure and…"

"Jareth!" Sarah was starring at him yet again. "Do you hear yourself?"

Mismatched eyes sparkled wickedly. "I'm only being honest, pet."

"Well, really!" She rolled away and slid off the bed, "Jareth, I was a kid, hell I'd never…" Blushing she hid her face.

He reclined, his back on the head board propped up by massive pillows. "I know. However for one so young, you were a master at the art of flirtations." He knit his fingers behind his head, "I didn't have to keep coming into the labyrinth to check on you, you know. I could have just let you rot there."

Sarah glared at him. "You dropped me into an oubliette!"

"Yes I did," he agreed with a broad smile. "I sent that Hogbrain fellow there to lead you back to the beginning."

"Hoggle." She corrected him softly, smiling at the mention of her friend.

"Sarah, I didn't have to allow you the …help either. But I was being…" He smiled again. "Generous."

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Oberon stood at the edge of the scrying pool, watching. His wife and the others watched also. The Fae king shook his head. "What is he doing?"

Morganna frowned, "He's baiting her."

The Fae king was becoming impatient. "Where does he think that will get him?"

Emrys covered his face with a hand. "It's like watching children in a playpen."

Vivanne laughed. "Well, that's what they are." Her hand pointed to the scrying pool. "He's still trying to one up her!"

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The word generous had an effect on Sarah. "Generous? You were never generous!" The girl roared. "You stole time from me! Upping the stakes as I recall." She was now tapping her foot furiously.

The Goblin King watched her from his position on the bed. "Well, you were almost too good…no one had ever gotten as far as you had… or had actually talked to any of the… inhabitants of the labyrinth." He moved one leg against the other in a lazy motion. "If you'd been good and stayed put in the oubliette the game would have gone a bit differently." His teeth gleamed as he gave her a wicked grin.

Sarah remembered that hole, small, dark, and … She shook the memory off, "You didn't have to take hours from me." She was still sulking after three years. "You didn't play fair, Jareth." She sniffed into her fingers fighting to hold back years of frustrated tears.

"I play to win," he growled. "I didn't have to play at all. By all rights Toby and you were both mine to do with as I wished."

The mention of her brother drew her attention. "You're not planning on going after him, are you?"

Jareth was glad he was not holding the cord. "I might. He was such a lively little fellow… Then again perhaps I should go after little Katie."

Flames replaced her eyes, "If you dare go near my little sister…"

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Oberon slapped his forehead. "Gods of the seven pillars, he's lost his mind!"

Vivanne turned to Morganna, "Is this his idea of foreplay?"

Elrond crossed his arms. "He's trying to get a little revenge."

Oberon and Tatiana both said one word at the same moment. "Jackass."

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Jareth enjoyed the direct hit. "Perhaps we can get Toby to wish her away, what do you think, pet?"

The perceived threat to her siblings brought out the protective side of her nature; she pulled off one of her slippers and threw it at him, then the other. When he had the nerve to sit there and laugh at her she flew at him with her hands extended. Just as Jareth had hoped she would. With reflexes like a cat, he gripped her wrists, dragged her back onto the bed and pinned her down.

"You'll just have to distract me, pet, so I don't go after the…'smalls'. That's what you call them, isn't it?" "You can't go after Toby! I won, he's free." She gasped as dry sobs began to rack her. She was more afraid of him going after her siblings then she was afraid for herself. "Now how can you distract me?" He let his eyes take in her heaving chest, as she fought tears. "Distract me Sarah." He urged suggestively. "Take my mind off your precious little siblings." "I don't know how," she confessed, quickly loosing control and knowing the tears were only an instant away. Jareth lowered himself, his body now pressed against hers. "Of course you do, you've always known. Let's take our flirtation to the next level, pet." He let one hand stroke her arm as the other held her hands pinned above her head. The next moment she was arching and gasping for breath. He looked at her expecting to see enlightenment, and instead he saw tears. He stopped abruptly. She was crying. "Don't cry." He ordered, only to have more tears come. 'Well, what did you expect?' a voice in his head asked, 'Is this not what you wanted? Have you not worked for three years to humiliate her? Well, here she is, humiliated.' He stared at her as if she were something alien. He drew her into his arms, rolled to his side, taking his weight off her. She buried her face in his shoulder, not able to halt her tears.

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Oberon breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods, her tears stopped his stupidity."

Emrys was doubtful. "But for how long?"

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