Chapter Forty One
The Hunter and the Prey
The week after the festival a basket of exotic flowers arrived for Sarah from Grizbine. Jareth gave a snort when he looked at the basket. Sarah looked at them from across the room, not even daring to venture near.
"He thinks this reflects good taste?" she asked Jareth.
The Fae King frowned. "I'm not sure whose taste he's trying to emulate here. Remember he knows very little about Mortals and their likes and dislikes my dear."
Sarah looked at the mix of flowers. "One or two of any of the flowers in that basket is expectable… but the entire conglomeration is appalling." She shook her head again. "If that idiot knows anything about the language of flowers, he's made a mess of it."
Jareth looked at her. "You know of the language of flowers? How? It is no longer used above."
"True, it's not in common use any more, more's the pity. However some of us still know and understand the language… My mother and I spent the summer before I turned sixteen taking a course on the Language of Flowers. "
Pulling a Bird of Paradise from the basket, he handed it to her. "Magnificent woman," he declared.
Sarah looked sadly at the flower offered. "I don't trust him, Jareth! Not as far as I can see or throw him. He gave me the creeps just sitting next to me. You were wrong by the way, he did ask me to enter the ring and dance. Twice he tried to take hold of my hand and lead me to the ring. He's dangerous."
"Too true, Sarah," Jareth agreed. "I'd no idea he asked you to dance. He went against protocol, and he knew full well you as Mortal could not enter the ring without consequences." Jareth folded arms over his chest. "He thinks because Tatiana is his patroness he can take what he wants. HE wants this kingdom, wants to disgrace me, enslave my Goblins and destroy the human race."
Sarah placed a hand protectively over her belly. "And my child?"
Sadly, the man gazed at her. "He'd take great pleasure in seeing the end of our babe. He would go against the Credo and the Escheat…Our most sacred laws. He would break every law of decency."
"You know this?" She watched as he nodded. "And you let me sit beside him?"
"Sarah, you were protected by guards, even at the ring. I would never allow him near you otherwise, not after he nearly trampled our children in our own garden." His face became a schooled mask, no emotions showing. "I am King, and what I do…"
"Is for the good of the Kingdom," she finished for him. "Yes, I know, I've heard it all before. "
Jareth placed his hand over hers, resting above their child. "I swear to you, by my oath, I will never allow harm to come to you or any of your children." A smirk crossed his lips. "Except by my own hand, of course," he teased.
Sarah glared at him, "Sometimes, Jareth, I really hate you."
"The feeling is mutual." He growled.
She pushed his hand off hers. "Get away from me."
Instead of backing off he pulled her into his arms. "Like it or not, Sarah, I have no intentions of ever losing you or this kingdom. I intend to be pleasured by you for eternity, and in return, give to you the pleasure your body craves, and your mind hates so." He lowered his head to hers.
"Go to hell, Jareth," she muttered as his lips crushed hers.
"Only if you go with me, Sarah," he murmured back. "Magnificent woman," he repeated as Sarah tried to push him away. He was pleased she was still fighting his advances even after seven months in his bed.
"Get off!" she struggled.
"When I've finished," he muttered as he began to kiss her neck.
"Stop it!" she ordered.
He whispered in her ear. "Some day, you will be crying out to me not to stop."
Sarah shoved him back and he released her. "In your dreams, Goblin King." She stormed from the room.
"In your nightmares, Consort mine!" He called after her laughing.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Clovis stood over Sarah's shoulder, watching as she worked on her lettering. Sarah was learning to write in Goblin style, not just the spelling by the style of lettering. It was far more like old Latin then any other language. "Even Domovoi do not write this well." Clovis praised.
Sarah sat back. "Do all the races living here read and write Goblin?"
"No," muttered the widow. "Some know only their own language… Domovoi and Gnome and Ashray all read, write and speak Goblin. Elf, most think too good to do so. Humans not care enough to learn."
"And the trolls?" Sarah finished the last word of her assignment.
"Master Troll knows many things. Others too stupid," Clovis compared the page Sarah had done to one written years before. "Very good, Mistress!"
"I'm beginning to understand the way the Old Masters thought," Sarah said firmly. "And I understand why Jareth is so… tough on the Goblins at our court."
"You think him tough?" Clovis laughed. "Zuken was much tougher! He would crack heads to get attention!" The little Goblin woman cackled, "This King much better than all Fae Kings put together! Him at least live with us, and understand us."
"You like him, don't you?" Sarah asked.
"Like? We love King Jareth," Clovis corrected. "He sings to us! He dances with us, he lives like us. He has warrior heart! He is untamed and ferocious. How could one not love such a man?"
Sarah began to wonder that herself. "I think I've been here too long. I'm starting to see things from your prospective."
"Chatelaine is becoming Goblinkin." Clovis patted the woman on the back. "Soon you will take Goblin name."
"I've already been given a Goblin last name!" Sarah protested. "Isn't that enough?"
Clovis laughed. "No."
"Goblin kin indeed," Sarah smiled faintly.
"Chatelaine and King mate like Goblins, me thinks," Clovis teased.
"Now you're going too far!" Sarah rose from her chair. "I'm not discussing that with you or anyone else, Clovis."
"Chatelaine blush!" The little Goblin woman danced for joy.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Jareth paced his office, "Carlin, they are going to make a move on us soon. I can feel it."
The Steward nodded in agreement. "They dare not wait until the child is born."
"Tatiana and her sister will not be party to the invasion." Jareth tapped his chin with his gloved fingers. "Sarah and the children are as ready as we can make them."
"Your Chatelaine is a force to be reckoned with," Carlin stated proudly. "She and the children know every inch of the Labyrinth by heart. It will give them safe haven, my King."
"I am so glad we didn't tell the court all we've learned during our stay here." Jareth sighed. "Our secrets will protect the Kingdom, and our family."
"Lady Sarah informed me that a name has been chosen for our Heir." Carlin watched his King pace. "Your father will indeed be pleased she wishes to name the Heir after him."
"Father will find no fault in Sarah." Jareth agreed. "In fact, had I not been drawn to her first, she's exactly the kind of human female that would attract Himself!"
Carlin nodded, "You and your father have often displayed similar tastes."
"Has my father ever had to use…persuasion to bed a wench?" Jareth asked aloud.
"Once or twice that I know of," admitted the Steward.
The Goblin King stopped pacing. "With or without the Kingdom, I would never let her go. I feed off her very soul."
"As long as you don't regret your actions, Sire." Carlin counseled. "Then not even the Chatelaine herself can oppose you."
"She is mine, and what is mine…stays mine." Jareth took the seat behind his desk. "What other business have we today?"
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Grizbine sat on his steed on the windswept hillside outside the Labyrinth. So close, yet so far. He could taste his victory. Soon he would have the Labyrinth in ruins, and the Goblins willing slaves who would wreak havoc on the mortal world. He would find pleasure in seeing that.
His eyes went toward the Castle at the center of the Labyrinth just beyond the Goblin City. How he longed to sit in the throne, to exploit the power attached to it. He had grand plans for the Kingdom. It would become a haven for those who sought a new course to the dark side of power. He would make it a haven for the Unseelie ways. Once in power, he would break away from Tatiana and her Court. He would have no further use for her. Unless, that is, his blessed Aunt would care to grace his bed. The thought of her creamy white skin displayed for his pleasure stirred him. He would use her as he had used other Fae women, and then walk away.
Grizbine considered all females, his mother and aunt included, to be fools, unsuitable for rule. Of course, he was careful not to let them know it; not yet. He still needed them to achieve his first step of conquest. Then he would relegate them to more suitable rolls… like in his bed. Maybe even both at once. The thought of his vain, haughty aunt reduced to pleading for his attentions made him laugh aloud.
Once more, he looked toward the castle, knowing she would be most likely in the garden at this time of day. One of the first things he planned on doing was having the garden torn out. Perhaps he would have her chained to the window of his bedchamber to watch. Already, he had over a thousand tortures planned for the Mortal Consort. He was sure he could come up with more in the time he had left before his forces invaded the Kingdom. What a pity Jareth would not witness the evil deeds, he mused. That would make it all the more glorious.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Jenny and Gwynn, accompanied by Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo, were having a picnic on the hillside just past the new bridge over the bog of Stench. It was far enough up wind that the smell didn't make one gag.
"Would my Lady Jenny care for some more tea?" asked Sir Didymus as he gazed at her with affection.
Jenny held her cup out to the little Knight. "Yes, please."
Ludo sat with Gwynn climbing over his massive body. "Gwwynnnnie friend," his low voice crooned.
Hoggle rolled his eyes and kept his attention on Jenny. "Now remember, you avoids the bog unless there is no other way out of a situation."
Jenny nodded. "And then if I have to take Ludo's bridge of rocks not the big bridge, right?"
Sir Didymus put his head on Jenny's shoulder. "Have I told ye the tale of thy mother's peril over that bridge and how the Ludo Bridge came about?"
"No," said Jenny, enjoying the Knight's attentions. "Tell me."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Grizbine gazed at the castle, thinking how grand the ceremony for his coronation would be. He would make sure most of the High Court were present. He'd ask his beloved aunt to do the honors of crowning him. Taking a dark vial from his tunic, he looked at the liquid with in. The juice of a certain flower, used on the High Queen once before. He would apply it to her eyes, awaken her with a lover's kiss and pretend to be seduced to her bed. Once in her bed he would plant his seed within her. Not even the High King would be brazen enough to end the pregnancy. The child he would create with his aunt would be Heir to the High King's throne once that fool, Oberon was eliminated. "Dear Aunt Tatiana. You do have your uses," he murmured as he tucked the vial back into his tunic.
He would have his mother bear the heir to the Goblin Throne. That thought pleased him intensely. The sneer he wore turned to an ugly smile.
The One who had been watching unseen appeared after he departed. "Not with my wife you don't," he scoffed. "I am High King, and will so remain."