Chapter 15
The beautiful light of dawn fell on the face of the sleeping King. Sarah in Jareth's body had slept in the chair, Milo still curled in his lap. As Sarah opened the eyes of the body she occupied she and yawned widely. She looked down at the Goblin asleep curled so close. It made her smile.
The castle was quiet, and she looked about the room to find it was peaceful and most pleasant. Her mind raced, she had answered a summons, and she had brought a child willingly into the land of the Labyrinth. There would be no one to run the course, no one to demand the return of the child. For little Meggie, the Goblin Kingdom was sanctuary. So many of the things that Sarah had thought about the Goblin Kingdom were changing at a speed she could not keep up with. She had never given thought of what kinds of children had been; dare she say it, rescued by Jareth. Now she had to rethink her point of view on the standpoint of the Goblin King.
Milo stirred and looked up with adoring eyes at the face of the King. "Good morning, Sire."
Sarah nodded. "Yes, it is, Milo." She leaned back and looked at the view of the land as it awoke. "It's a beautiful day indeed."
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Oberon and his Queen greeted the members of the tribunal that were still at the scrying chambers. He looked at the pool, and said. "I think we can take our eyes off them long enough to eat."
Tatiana moved to the table where Seth sat in a glum mood. "Morganna will keep Jareth in line." She mused.
Emrys moved to the table and sipped a goblet of water. "The girl adapts well to the duties of the Goblin King, as if by second nature."
Oberon looked up to find Elrond coming excitedly into the chambers, a scroll in his hand. "Sire, I think we have found our missing link!" He said spectacularly.
The High King held out his hand and began to read the scroll. "Where did you find this?"
The Elf King smiled smugly. "I recalled a cache of old scrolls from the days when we were free to walk the earth. A good number of them deal with the odd relations of our kind with the human race. And of young women who were wooed into the seduction of our beds."
"Good thinking, Elrond." Commented the High King as he read on. "Yes, this explains a good many things." He tapped his chin with long elegant fingers. "Yes, Elrond, you have given your King the ammunitions he needs."
The Elf King smirked, "I thought it might."
The High Queen looked at her husband and wondered just what was in the scroll. When He rolled it up without sharing she knew it was something he wanted to use at the ceremony later that evening. She sighed and let go her curiosity.
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Sarah breakfasted and again was struck by how lonely the life of the King must be. She could even forgive him the orbs here and there that kept track of Toby and herself. She looked in the one orb and found Toby playing quietly in a room with Katie. Just looking in on the tykes gave her peace; she could only assume it did the same for Jareth.
After the meal, Sarah rose from her seat and was headed toward the stairs that would take her back to the throne room when she nearly collided with one of the elf servants.
"Begging your pardon, Sire." The Elf bowed, "Your bath is ready."
Sarah froze. "Thank you." She hesitated, wondering where the bath was located and how she could get out of taking it." The Elf didn't leave, but escorted the body of the King toward his bed chamber.
Entering the room, Sarah felt like an interloper. The room was masculine, and well appointed, tastefully decorated and comfortable. The large carved bed looked inviting and that flustered the girl in the King's body. Next to the bed was a large orb that showed a constant vision of Sarah. The voyeurism disturbed her but only for a moment. More disturbing right now was the idea of undressing and bathing in the body of someone else. There were just things Sarah didn't want to know.
The Elf watched the King move toward the bathroom slowly. "Do you require help this morning, Sire?"
"No, that will be all for now, thank you." Sarah said keeping the tone of voice light.
Once the Elf departed she sat on a settee and took a deep breath as she began to undress the King. Trying not to look, she got into the bath and wondered if Jareth had any feelings about being inside her body…and whispered a grateful thanksgiving it was not her time of the month. That was one experience she didn't wish to share no matter what the High King thought. Picking up a sponge she lathered it up and began to scrub the body.
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Emrys looked at the High King. "They have but a few hours left of the spell."
"Indeed." Oberon agreed.
"What do you think they have learned?" Vivanne asked as she took a seat on the arm of her lover's chair, dangling wet feet.
Oberon smiled. "Perhaps to appreciate who they themselves are and to appreciate each other for the unique person they are."
Vivanne sighed. "I'll wager the boy still thinks of Sarah as his…property."
"Perhaps he does." Oberon admitted. "I have to admit I sometimes think of my Queen as being a possession." He extended a hand toward the woman he was speaking of. "All men, high and low, think of their beloved as such."
The High Queen nodded, "Yes, and that in itself is one of the greatest weapons we women use."
Vivanne looked at her lover. "You think of me as a possession?"
The diplomat in the old wizard took over. "My dear Lady of the Lake, I think of you as my greatest treasure."
Placated she placed a kiss on his brow. "Well said, you old charmer."
Seth frowned, "This is not what I expected when I put the enchantment on them." He complained lightly.
Oberon looked with a long-suffering gaze at his childe. "What did you want to happen?"
The Fisher King shrugged. "I wanted them to fall on their faces. I like pointing out the frailties you know."
"My boy," the High King sighed. "In doing that, you also give them a vision of their strengths, separately and together."
"I wasn't trying to help them!" Seth protested.
"Unintentionally, you did just that…and perhaps better than my sticking them together in solitude." Oberon conceded.
Seth put his head in his hands. "Oh great."
The other members of the tribunal watched the Fisher King lament, and smiled.
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Curiosity got the better of Sarah, who ran her hands over the body she was in. It was firm, well trained and athletic. Toned muscles covered bones that were strong and well trained. She had to appreciate the man she was bonded to. He had taken care of himself over the years to keep fit. She admired his physical attributes, his quick and witty mind, and his sense of taste and style. Life with the man was going to be far from dull, and Sarah looked forward to getting to know the mind of the body she was a guest in.