Chapter 6. Countin' flowers on the wall
Restlessness was his excuse, which was the reason he had given for his ill temper. Jareth found he needed to transform and take to wing. He could not stay in the castle, and he could not tell his bride that he had to go to the mortal realm to check on a child. Even if he was telling himself it was to check on the boy he heart knew the truth.
The weather was getting colder in the mortal realm, and the trees were now bare of leaves. The sun had gone down, as he came to land in the tree outside the girl's room. Her lights were on and he could clearly see her sitting on the bed with the boy. She had given him the figurine telling him it would protect him. The owl eyes could see it was a likeness of himself, and he was assaulted with a myriad of feelings. On one hand he was touched that the girl would tell the boy that the Goblin King would protect him. On the other he was furious that she would utter his name.
The girl had her arm about the boy and began to tell him a story, part of her story. She told him of the doors and the ruse guards, and of how the girl had fallen into a pit and was guided down by the shaft of hands into a deep dark oubliette. Jareth sitting on the branch listened, nearly as attentively as the boy who's mouth was open in wonder and excitement as his sister told him the tale. He reflected on the part of the story she had not been privy too. She had not know that he was watching her in one of his crystal orbs. He had sent Hoggle to her, when by all rights he could have left her in the cell until her time was up. He had left others; he had done worse as well.
"What is an… ouble…ouble…" Toby struggled with the word.
"Oubliette, darling," Sarah made him watch her mouth form the word, and repeat it after her. "An oubliette is a kind of dungeon, where the prisoner is dropped down from above, very hard to escape from, in fact nearly impossible without help. The word comes from the French…and it means to forget. You put people in an oubliette to forget them." He voice sounded sad and she hugged the boy closer. "It's dark and cold and lonely."
Toby looked at the statue of the Goblin King in his hands. "But He saved you?"
Sarah kissed the child's head and ruffled his fine blond hair, so like that of the King. "Yes, he saved me. He sent a dwarf to show me the way out of the oubliette." She looked up at the ceiling. "He sent Hoggle…." She said more to herself. "He could have left me in there and he sent Hoggle…" The story ended, Sarah looked at her brother. "Toby go put the King in your room where it won't bother your mother…you have to keep things neat and orderly." As the boy left her bedroom, she stayed on the bed looking blankly at the ceiling. "You sent Hoggle… you could have just left me to rot…. But you sent Hoggle… I wonder if you knew that he was not the coward he thought he was… How many games were you playing, Goblin King?" She murmured to herself.
The owl frowned; the girl was too perceptive in this reflective state.
Sarah moved off the bed, pacing her floor, and thinking. She shivered, and looked around pensively. "Are you watching me still, I wonder?" Then she shook it off. "No, you lost interest in me the moment I said those fateful words…" She looked wretched as she accepted that he was gone from her. "I just hope you haven't abandoned Toby as well." She moved to the window, opened it wide and looked up to the sky. "OH Goblin King, wherever you may be…protect this child of mine for me."
Jareth sat in the tree, hidden yet not completely from the sight of the girl. He hear the plea, and was touched that she would again beg him to protect the child that had been the crux of the conflict between them. He watched as she pulled her head back inside her room and shut the window. Not once had she asked him for herself. She was putting the needs of the boy with beautiful eyes ahead of herself. Jareth could hear the taunts that came from the walls, hidden Goblins who delighted in tormenting her. Yet not once had she called out to him to remove these her tormenters. Instead she suffered in silence, making a penance for something she could not voice. He left the tree near the girls' window, moving to the one near the boy's room. The boy had placed the statue on the dresser, lying on his bed he was looking up at it in wonder and admiration. He was humming as he lay on the bed. The owl form didn't allow him to smile, yet he knew he was smiling. The boy was humming the lullaby he'd made up for him. He took flight, and returned to the Goblin lands.
When he was once more in man form he strolled to where the doors and guards of the Ruse stood. Leaning on the frame he looked at the sleeping guards, and mused that they were hardly much of an obstacle for a resourceful mind. He would credit the girl with that much; she had a very resourceful mind. He didn't bother to wake the sleeping guard but passed by and came to rest in a maze of stone walls. He leaned against one as he sat down on a set of stone stairs. He looked up, the castle stood proud in the distance, beckoning. "So you wish me to protect your brother from harm, do you Sarah? Well my girl, I'll do that… because I'm fond of the child and he had no real part of say in our… conflict." Jareth mused aloud. "I shall happily take up the mantle of protector for Toby." His face hardened, and his teeth ground together. "But not for you, my girl… not for you… I vow here and now, no matter how hard you plead with me, I shall turn a deaf ear to your supplications. So beware my dark haired vixen, beware the wrath of the Goblin King."
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Adrianna had wandered into the throne room; Jareth was seated in the throne going over some parchment with Gandar. It was still early in the day and yet Goblins were lying about in drunken state at one end of the circular room. The Princess looked at the creatures and hatched her plan. She moved into the hall, and with the use of magic formed little baby doll outfits out of the air. She had a stack of them, brightly colored and with little accessories as well. Armed with the collection of doll clothes she skipped blithely into room and plopped herself down in the circular pit that was below the throne. She spread the doll clothes out and grabbed one hapless Goblin as it passed her by. It was too surprised to struggle against the Princess' manhandling of it.
Jareth looked up over the parchment for a moment, then went back to speaking quietly to Gandar. When he looked back up, a dazed Goblin stood in the pit now dressed in a chartreuse fluffy puffy cotton candy confection doll dress. On his head was a wide brimmed picture hat, his Goblin feet were shoved into green doll shoes. The Goblin looked down at the doll clothes and shrieked. "Sire! Save me."
Gandar who'd been giving all his attention to the Kingdom's issues turned to look over at the shrieking Goblin. Seeing the nightmare dressed in chartreuse he dropped his parchment scrolls and gasped. "Dear Gods what is that?"
Adrianna beamed a sweet smile at the King and his Chancellor. "Isn't he just the prettiest thing you ever saw?" The Goblin moaned and tried to take off the picture hat but had his hands slapped away by the Princess. "You have to be dressed right for the tea party." She told the offended Goblin in a breathy baby voice. Before he could protest that he didn't like tea, she had grabbed hold of another Goblin and was dressing him in fuchsia crape, and a boa.
Gandar was picking up the abandoned parchments and was muttering something that could not be made out.
Jareth leaned back in the throne and watched, amazed for a moment as his bride transformed the impish Goblin into a nightmare even he would find hard to forget. He had known she was young, had even commented to his grandfather that she was young, but this…Her childlike behavior was alarming. "Princess." He said calmly. "What are you doing?"
She looked up at him with a grin on her face and her eyes dancing with merriment. "Playing dress up… we're going to have a tea party." She went back to her task of transforming the Goblins whom she had rounded up and was now holding captive in the pit.
Other Goblins had made haste to keep out of the reach of the Princess.
Jareth closed his eyes tight. "Princess… those are Goblins…"
"I know." She said absurdly.
"Princess, they are not dolls." Gandar exclaimed.
Adrianna giggled. "They are better than dolls…they are alive!" She shoved the second Goblins feet into red shoes with curled toes and bells. "Don't they look pretty?"
"Sire, save me!!!" cried the second Goblin wailing as he looked at the crape dress he'd been forced into. "Look what she's done to me…"
Gandar looked at the King, expecting him to explode or rage or at least order the girl to cease. Instead the King was sitting on the throne looking down at the pit with a amused grin. Gandar was worried the King had lost his mind.
"Princess," The King said calmly. "Goblins don't like tea."
Adrianna looked up at him, like a mischievous child with an impish grim. "These will learn to."
"Sire!" Gandar protested.
Jareth watched as a third Goblin fell victim to the Princess' desire to play dress up with living dolls. "Gandar, what's the next business on my schedule?" he looked at his Chancellor. The man looked toward the pit, grimaced and turned back to the King, handing him the next parchment that needed his attention.
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Sarah returned to her dorm, and found all her assignments awaiting her. A few friends in class had gathered notes and information for her during her absence. She spent the hours before bed getting caught up, knowing there were tests coming before the Thanksgiving break. She looked around her dorm room, missing the little boy who right now was likely craving a bedtime story right about now. She knew for a fact that he was not likely to get one out of his mother. Karen hated fairy stories, with a passion. 'Typical evil stepmother.' Sarah thought to herself as she packed away the last of the makeup papers.
The two other girls who Sarah roomed with were out at the student union cutting up with other friends. Although Sarah had been invited along, she felt too somber and didn't want to bring their moods down. From the little refrigerator in the room she removed a can of soda and contemplated the days ahead. She knew for a fact that Karen was going to freak when she learned that Sarah was not only going to continue her studies unhampered, but was moving out of the family home as well. The only draw back was it would mean less time with Toby. She vowed to spend every moment of the Thanksgiving break with the boy.
She was glad it was her mother and Jeremy who had taken her back to school. Even with the uproar the Actress and Actor had created by being on campus, Sarah was happy to have their support. It made the sting of being away from Toby bearable. However now, alone and without anything, not even class work to complete, she found the walls closing in on her. Grabbing her coat she left the confines of the dorm to wander the compound that made up her college grounds. Finding herself drawn to the little park at one end of the campus she took a seat on one of the marble benches and stared into the pond. In many ways it reminded her of the park back home, in others it reminded her that it didn't have the charm of the other park. There were no white noble swans swimming here. No stone bridge that seemed to connect the world of man to the realm of the Fae. There were no obelisks pointing to the heavens, and no bell tower to tell her how late she was. Also there was little peace to be had. Sarah sat staring, thinking.
When
she returned to the room the other two girls were there and looked at
her in alarm.
"Sarah! We've had a break in!" they
announced.
Sarah could see the campus security force looking at the room. "What happened?"
"Someone opened this door, you did lock it didn't you?" Marnie asked with her wide eyed gaze. In many ways Marnie Miller reminded Sarah of a Goblin.
"Yes," Sarah looked at the guard who was shaking his head. "Was anything taken?"
"No," Paula Eldorado joined the other two girls. She was the tallest of the three and right now looked like a giant. "Nothing was taken, but the lock was forced, and broken…the door's going to have to be replaced. And they moved some papers around on the desk, left the light on, and they left the water on in the sink…really weird."
There was a sharp bang in the wall and all three girls jumped. The campus guard looked over at them and said something under his breath about the old pluming in the building was going to have to be looked at.
Sarah thought she saw a dark shape rush from one wall to the other and vanish. Under her breath she whispered. "Goblins."
Marnie looked at the guard. "How are we supposed to sleep in here, the door can't be locked."
"Put a chair against the door," He offered. "I'll be in the halls tonight and keep an extra eye on this corridor. Who has late classes tomorrow?" When Paula raised her hand, he nodded. "Stay in the room until the Janitor arrives in the morning with your new door and keys." He exited the room.
Marnie looked at the gaping door and frowned. "What could we have that anyone would want?"
Sarah shrugged and closed the door wedging the door under the useless handle. "We can worry about that later."
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Jareth watched as Adrianna moved the food on her plate about with her fork. She had not taken a real bite of anything, just played with the food. "Is the meal not to your liking, Princess?"
She dropped her fork, and leaned back in her chair, pouting. "No, it's not to my liking." She slumped. "I don't like any of the meals you've ordered. I'm not use to this kind of food." She pushed the plate away. "I miss the meals my Father would order…I miss my room… I miss … I want to go home." She wailed dissolving into tears.
Jareth sat astounded, staring at the childish behavior of his bride. He didn't relish having to tell her she could not go back to her own castle. "Princess," he kept his voice calm, the same voice he'd used with children he was taking away to calm them. "You will have to give me time to learn what foods you like. Perhaps if you spoke to the cook and housekeeping staff they could find things that were more to your liking."
She sniffed, "You mean I can order what I like for dinners?"
"Within reason," he said gently. "I mean we can't have cotton candy for dinner, it would not be healthy."
She looked at the plate of uneaten food. "I can't eat this."
"What would you like? I can ask for something else for you." He offered softly.
Pouting she leaned on the table. "Everything here tastes wrong."
Jareth pushed his own plate, only half finished away. "I could ask for your father to send one of the junior cooks from his kitchens here to prepare meals for you. Would you like that?"
She nodded, still pouting; "Yes, please." Tears still trickled down her face.
Feeling pity for the child, for he was seeing her now as a child, he moved to kneel beside her. "I know you miss your Father, and your home, little Princess." He took a linen hankie from his vest and wiped her tears. "Poor child," He mused as little eyes looked up at him in heartbroken fashion. "Why don't you run along to your rooms, I'll have cook send you some chicken broth." He stood up and back as she left the room hurriedly in tears.
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Adrianna's tears were real, but not for the reasons Jareth assumed. She collapsed into the arms of her maid Una when she reached the safety of the Queen's chambers. The faithful dedicated maid guided the girl to her bed and helped her to lie down. Una sat beside; her letting her cry softly until she was cried out.
"The King is sending up some broth, Una…" she whispered. "I couldn't eat… I used the excuse that nothing was to my liking… So far he has not caught on; get my herbal remedy ready, we can put some in the broth."
Una nodded a made ready the herbs needed to give the Princess strength. "You still acting like a fledgling?" The maid inquired.
The Princess sat up and tucked pillows up behind her. "Yes," she sighed deeply. "I detest this ruse, but it is for the King's own good."
"There'll be hell to pay if he catches on you know." The maid brought a soothing cold clothe to bathe the girls fevered brow. "Don't what you think you're gaining with this silly adolescent act."
Adrianna took the woman's hand in her own; Una had been like a second mother to her. "Time, dearest Una… I'm gaining time."
"You're weak as a kitten, you are!" Una fretted as she bathed the Princess' sweat away.
"I'll be fine… this bout is nearly over… and I'll have time to get stronger before the next mêlée. The stress of the wedding… and father being so ill… makes it harder to mask my condition." Slowing her breathing, and calming herself the girl began to look normal again. "The performance is working, Jareth sees me as a child…and as long as he does he'll not be trying to persuade me to intimacy. I can not see him being attracted to an youngster." Una's face let something slip, even though she turned away the moment she felt the expression come. "Una… what is that look for?"
"I hear that he likes em on the young side… or at least there was one…" Una hinted. She put fingers to her lips as she answered the tapping on the door. She returned to the Princess with the broth tray. There was also bread and cheese for the girl. "Let me doctor this with your herbs."
"Una what do you mean he likes them on the young side?" The Princess watched her maid.
Una was old; she looked like everybody's favorite aunt and often won peoples confidence without trying very hard. "It's just silly castle gossip… there may be nothing to it at all… you know how lower Fae love to gossip about their betters." She brought the doctored broth to the side of the princess' bed. "Take this napkin, there's a good girl."
"Tell me…" she held up her hand refusing the broth that would not only nourish her but aid her pains.
"Alright," Una said taking a seat beside the girl on the bed. "The story going round in the bowel of the castle are that His Majesty was madly in love with a Mortal girl… barely more than fifteen or sixteen I'm told."
"A mortal girl?" The Princess sipped from spoon. "Really? Tell me more."
"From what I was told he'd been going above to watch her, and they say he gave her a rare and wonderful gift… powers… some say…" she spooned the broth careful into the Princess' lips. "Then one day the mortal girl did the unthinkable… she wished away her own brother in a moment of unguarded speech…From there the story gets very strange, the girl begged the King to return the child…but instead he told her she had thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth and come to the castle to retrieve her baby brother or he'd be a Goblin forever." Una spoke dramticlly.
Adrianna frowned. "Jareth has never turned a child into a Goblin! You must be mistaken."
"I didn't say he would… I said he told this to the Mortal girl…" Una continued to feed the ailing girl. "I hear the girl not only beat the Labyrinth but she made friends with creatures who live here… That strange little dwarf that works on the gardens…and a great beast of the forest …and the Knight at the Bog…. Just to name a few."
"Amazing…what happened to her?" Adrianna was enjoying the story.
"Well," The maid made a sad face. "The story downstairs is she rejected the King."
"She did?" Adrianna was amazed. "A mortal rejected a Fae… not to mention a King?"
"That's what I hear." Una confessed. "They say down there that he still pines for the girl… and that he goes like a ghost to watch her still…."
Adrianna looked very sad, "Oh poor Jareth… in love with a mortal who rejects him, and married to a Fae who won't bed him…" She sipped more broth. "Did they say what the name of the girl is?"
"Sarah..something… I wasn't paying that much attention." Una finished spooning broth. "And he still goes to watch her?"
The maid began to clear the tray. "Her and the little boy… he was quite fond of the child from what I'm told…" She curtseyed to the Princess and took the tray away. " The maids say that you can still sense her scent on the stairs in the puzzle room. And if you listen closely one can hear his heart breaking still."
The Princess leaned back into her pillows. "Poor Jareth." She mused.
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Jareth stood alone in the night looking up at the stars from the terrace. He told himself that tonight he'd not leave his home. He told himself that what happened in the world of man didn't matter. After all there were Goblin Guards watching his precious boy, and keeping him safe from harm. What happened to the girl was none of his concern. He would not leave, he would but enjoy the cool air and the stars.
The wind blew gently, and an unheard voice spoke to his owl heart. He closed his eyes, fighting against the brewing storm within his being. Then he transformed and took to wing, heading toward the stars and the portal that would carry him to the old Victorian. Reaching the branch that was outside the boy's room he peered into the window to see his boy child. The tears and upset on the boy's features disturbed the King. The blond woman in the room with the boy was speaking to him in a raised voice.
"Toby," she stormed at the child. "I won't have such nonsense now that Sarah is gone! You are getting to be a big boy and you need to understand that this stuff is not real! Fairy stories are hogwash and balderdash!" She raged. The boy buried his beautiful face in his pillows and cried out his heart. The woman snapped that she was though with fairy tales, and so was he. She left the room, turning off the light and leaving him to his tears.
Jareth wondered where Sarah had gone, but the boy was in need at the moment. The window was open a little bit. With magic he raised it the rest of the way and entered to transform. He heard the boy mutter into his pillow. "Oh Goblin King where are you?"
Sitting on the bed, he placed a gloved hand to the child's back. "Here child, I'm here." He spoke softly knowing his magic would protect them from discovery. Toby turned eyes red with tears and nose running, sitting up he buried his face in Jareth's chest. Jareth sooth the child's fears and woes away. "Hush, my brave boy. Dry your tears…"
Toby sniffed, "Sarah said you'd protect me."
Jareth nodded, "Did she indeed?" He smiled softly. "Well, what's said is said." The Goblin King gazed down into the eyes that were mirrors of his own. "Tell me what has caused you such great pain, my boy."
"Am I? Am I your boy?" Toby asked almost desperately. "Sarah said I was…but…"
Jareth put a leather clad finger to the trembling lips of the child. "If Sarah said, it must be so." The King would have to thank Sarah for that someday. "Now tell me what is going on here."
Toby hung his head. "Daddy went to live in heaven." Jareth patted the child's back. "And Sarah went back to School and Mommy says that fairy tales are bunk…." He looked up at the King and grabbed on to him tightly. "But you're not bunk…you're real…just like Sarah said you were…"
"As real as you, and Sarah," Jareth agreed. "Your mother is distraught, having lost your father." He gently pushed the child back into the bed and tucked him up. "Sarah is at school you say?" The boy nodded, it was so clear that he missed the girl and her way with him. "Then perhaps you'll allow me to tell you tonight's story. I know one that I think you'll like…It's about a little boy who was loved by the Goblins." Toby smiled sweetly and fell asleep as Jareth told the story. When the child was deeply asleep Jareth placed a protection charm over the boy. He transformed and flew out the window, sniffing the air for the scent and followed it to where he would find the girl. He told himself he could go where ever he wanted, that following the scent meant nothing.
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Sarah lay in the bed, the flashlight in her hand was on, and she directed it to the wall where the broken door stood. She traced the outline of the door, and then the chair wedged against it. Again and again she went from wall to door to chair. Marnie sat up and growled. "Williams what the hell are you doing?"
Sarah turned her head to the girl who slept closest to the window; a shape flew past the window, white and fleeting. Sarah swallowed hard, "I'm sorry Marine… I was unable to sleep… I'm worried about Toby."
"Oh go to sleep!" the other girl ordered.
Sarah turned out the flashlight, hoping the darkness of the room would hide her from the eyes in the night. But in her head she heard a voice from a night long ago whisper to her. "Yes, Sarah go to sleep."
'Say your right words,' Came the taunt in the wall. 'Say your right words.'
The white barn owl turned and took to flight again. He'd seen enough, the boy was safe and the girl was in torment, he was satisfied.
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Moving though her day like a robot, Sarah managed to get though the first week with only one incident. Only once was she reduced to tears, in frustration. Her photography instructor came to see what she was working on and mentioned he'd been informed she'd be transferring to City in January. Sarah burst into tears just after he said he was going to miss her work.
At the end of the week Sarah called Toby to talk to him. Karen told her she didn't approve of Sarah calling the child and that she shouldn't do it again. But Toby had heard the phone and knew it was Sarah. Karen handed the phone to him but stood right there to listen to the call.
"Hello." Toby drawled.
"Toby, little man…how are you?" Sarah asked quickly fearful that Karen would ripe the phone form his hands.
"I'm ok." The boy said carefully. "How is school?"
"It's there. I miss you." She said trying to keep from tears. "Are you being good?"
"I'm trying," the boy said slowly.
"I'll be seeing you in just two weeks, kid… we'll spend the entire Thanksgiving break together." Sarah promised.
"All of thanksgiving?" he sounded excited, and then there was a frustrated gasp from the boy.
Sarah swallowed. "Toby, Toby are you there?"
"Sarah this is your stepmother." A voice filled the line. "Don't be telling Toby you will be spending the Thanksgiving break with him… We are going away to my family… I'm locking the house up…you'd best plan on staying at school." The line went dead.
"No…Karen…wait.." she collapsed to the floor sobbing.
'Say your right words.' The voice hissed.
Sarah rocked holding her sides, "My kingdom…is great… my kingdom is great…"
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The campus looked like a ghost town when the holiday arrived. Linda was in London and called to talk to Sarah. Karen had made good on her threat and she and Toby went to her family for the holiday. Sarah ate with some of the other students who were stuck on campus for the holiday, but she missed her brother. She spent as little time as she could in the room, because the voices seemed to be louder than ever taunting and tormenting her to say her right words.
Marnie and Paula were both gone for the holiday; she was alone in the room. Sitting in the darkness with the voices taunting her while she counted the flowers on the wall. There were seven thousand of them.