Chapter Forty Two

Grizbine makes a move.

Sarah, now at the end of her seventh month, found it easier to allow Jareth and Willa to accompany the children into the Labyrinth. Most days she would sit in the Queen's garden and wait for them to finish the Labyrinth lesson. The quilt had been finished and she was working on other little projects. Yuri and the Domovoi had taken her baby things out of storage and set up a nursery for the baby.

Sarah was seated in the garden on the day that Grizbine came to call. One of the footmen came to her with a card. She fought the reaction of revolution and painted on a stupid smile. "Why Grizbine how nice of you to call." She greeted him warmly, all the while trying to hold her lunch down

Grizbine extended a hand to her and raise her hand to his lips. "Lady Sarah."

Sarah kept the smile on her face, "What brings you to Goblin Country?"

Grizbine looked at the garden, how he wanted to destroy it. "We've not seen much of you or my dear cousin at court. I was wondering how you were getting on."

Sarah sat back down on her bench. "As you can see, all is well." She kept her voice chipper.

"Is it?" He asked with mock concern. "One hears that the Lady Sarah misses her home and family."

"Does one?" she asked back innocently. "I wonder how these rumors get started."

Grizbine sat upon the bench nearest hers. "Truly, my dear, I am concerned for you."

"How kind of you." She nearly gagged on that one. "And you hardly know me."

His eyes went toward her breasts. "One would love to get to know you better."

"How sweet of you to say so." She saw the leer and told herself to keep up the dumb blond act. Knowing he was already staring, she leaned toward him. "I must say it's nice to have company. Oh and I so wanted to thank you for the lovely flowers you sent."

'Fool woman,' he thought. "Ah you enjoyed them, did you?"

"I love to get flowers, always have," she preened.

Grizbine moved closer. "Surely my cousin gives you flowers."

"When he thinks of it," she pouted. "He's often busy with his little goblins."

Pretending he was sympathetic, Grizbine moved even closer. "A woman should be with her family at a time like this. Don't you think, my dear?"

'What is your game?' she wondered to herself. "There is no chance of that," she pouted. "Jareth says I must stay here."

Taking her hand into his, he placed it on his heart. "I hate seeing you in distress. I could arrange for you and your children to return to your home. I can even arrange it so Jareth can not stop you or bring you back here. I have the ear of the High Queen, you know."

Sarah felt the baby react; it began to stir and kick. She stood up quickly, took both hands and placed them on her child. "Oh my, that was a good one." She said, not wanting the man to know her child detested him already.

Grizbine placed an arm over her shoulder. "Wouldn't you rather be home, your own home, with your own family surrounding you, my dear? You can tell me."

'Said the spider to the fly,' Sarah thought, finding his touch most distressing. 'Jareth, you wanted me to play dumb blond, dumb blond you get.' She turned and looked up at Grizbine, batted her lashes the way her mother had in one play. "You are so kind."

Grizbine looked down at her eyes, then lower to her cleavage. "I think of you as family," he said in a low gravely voice. "My cousin should spend less time with these stupid Goblins and more time with you. Were you mine, I would never let you out of my sight or my grip. Has anyone told you how beautiful your body is?"

Sarah panicked for a second, 'ok, Goblin King, what do I do now? I'm painting myself into a corner and this jerk is going to try something!' She thought a dirty thought to bring on a blush and swatted at the man. "Oh come now!"

Grizbine thought he was making headway. "Would you like to go home, Sarah?"

'I am home,' she thought to herself. The force of the thought struck her, somewhere in the last six months the Kingdom had become home. She looked over at Grizbine. She could not think of a thing to say.

He misunderstood her pause. Thinking she was speechless, he pulled her into an embrace. "There, there, little one. I can make it all go away. All the bad things Jareth has done."

'Oh gag me!' Sarah thought. His personal scent was rancid, and his clothes reeked of him. "Please," she whispered. "If Jareth sees you holding me, he'll be very angry." Her mind flooded with strange images and sounds.

Grizbine smiled to himself, "But you're not angry are you, my little friend?"

Sarah knew he was under the impression that his enticement spells were making her susceptible to his 'charms'. "Oh Grizbine, how could I be angry with you? Why you are everything a girl dreams of…" she wanted to gag. 'Yeah, I've got nightmares of monsters like you.' She was determined to see how far he was going to push his luck.

"Could you really send me home?"

Grizbine gave a throaty laugh. "Of course I can. Say the word and I'll send you and your darling children back to where you came from."

The baby kicked harder as the man held Sarah. "I was told I could never go back to my world." She pouted prettily.

Thinking she was nearly ready, he growled to her ear. "Lies, Sarah. You can go back when ever you want."

Sarah closed her eyes, 'I'm gonna hate myself in the morning.' She tilted her face up. "And what will your kindness cost me?"

Grizbine simpered. "Not more than you'd be willing to pay. Say a few hours of pleasure." He let his tongue flick in to her ear. "I'd love to teach you a few new tricks, pet."

'Jareth! I could use some help here!' She called to him, 'If you don't get your skinny Fae hinny out here now, this ape is going to try and screw me right here in the Queen's garden.'

There was a clap of thunder in the clear sky, and Sarah pulled quickly away from the man. "I forget myself." She stammered and scurried off, knowing the man did not know the secrets of the garden. She moved toward the swinging hedge and passed though. On the other side she crouched down and held her breath. She could hear Grizbine calling out to her. She felt and heard movement on her side of the hedge. Looking to her side she saw the toes of Jareth's boots.

"Skinny hinny?" he scoffed. "Indeed."

Sarah reached up a hand. "I never thought the day would come when I'd say these words, but Boy! Am I glad to see you!"

Jareth reached down and pulled her up. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting information, Sire," she brushed off her gown and settled the babe within. "Hush up, small fry!" she warned.

The king was not amused. "What kind of information?"

"That jerk just offered me a quick ride home. He said I could go back any time I've want to." Sarah fumed. "All for the price of letting him have his wicked way with me. He thinks his spells are working."

"He openly said he wanted to … have his way with you?" Jareth frowned.

"I asked what his kindness would cost me. He said, and I quote. 'Not more than you'd be willing to pay. Say a few hours of pleasure. I'd love to teach you a few new trick, pet.' Then he stuck his nasty tongue in my ear! I feel violated!" She shivered in revolution.

"He put his tongue in your ear?" Jareth was now seething. "How dare he lay a hand on you, let alone his lying tongue."

"The baby hates him. When that goon touched me, the baby put up a real fuss!"

Jareth placed a hand tenderly on Sarah's middle. "Hush, my son, your mother is safe." Mismatched eyes sought green eyes of his consort. "You're safe now, Sarah."

"Jareth, do you have any idea of what that man is really like? The things he thinks? How he hates women, and wants to use them?" She asked as his hand calmed their child.

"What do you mean?" The King's attention had been captured.

Sarah placed a hand over his. "When he pulled me into an embrace, I suddenly got all these mental images and sounds… things no one should ever see in another's mind."

Jareth drew a crystal from the air. "Where is Grizbine now?" The image of the man at the far end of the garden showed in the sphere. "Feel up to facing him in my presence?"

Sarah nodded.

"The children are with Hoggle, and he's leading them through the forest. They'll be busy for at least another hour." Jareth opened the hedge and stepped back to allow her to pass though first. "Ready?" She nodded again and he led her back to the area where Grizbine was still looking for her. "Cousin." Jareth kept his voice calm. "Sarah told me you'd come to pay us a call."

Grizbine looked at a loss for words. "One likes to keep track of the relations."

"Yes, indeed." Jareth motioned Sarah to sit. "One does."

Grizbine looked at Sarah with what he hoped was the look of sympathy. "I was just telling your consort that we have not seen much of you at court."

Jareth engaged the man in conversation for a short period of time, then said he and Sarah were needed elsewhere but suggested that Sarah see their guest to the edge of the garden. Grizbine bowed to Jareth, and Sarah walked the unwanted guest to where she knew Jareth wanted her to stop.

"Thank you for coming to call." She smiled up prettily at the man as she gave him her hand.

Grizbine bowed over the offered hand, and pulled her closer. He breathed in her ear as he let one hand skim the side of her breast. "Think of what I've said, pet. If you ever want me, you have but to call." He moved away walked through a gateway and vanished.

"It will be a cold day in hell!" Sarah said as she returned to Jareth. "That jerk just copped a feel!" She heard a snap and looked to see Jareth now holding two halves of what had been his riding crop.

Jareth looked at the two halves in his hands and growled. "I'm going to dip him in the bog, head first!" He looked at Sarah. "Are you alright?" he took her hand into his.

Sarah moved closer to the Fae man. "I'm not sure anymore."

Cautiously, Jareth pulled Sarah into his arms. "I'm sorry you had to endure his vile touch, Sarah."

For the first time in seven months, Sarah willingly wrapped her arms around him. "We can't let him have our Kingdom. We can't."

Jareth held her close, his chin resting on her head. "We won't, my Consort. We won't. He has no idea of what he is up against. We'll keep this Kingdom safe, for the Goblins, and our children."