Chapter 23. We find you, unworthy.
Rumors flew within the walls of the castle, carried by gossiping Elves. Within hours of the King entering his wife's bathing chamber, the tale of the erotic bath had been spread to one and all that cared to give ear. The facts were of course obscured by the embellishments that were added. By the time Lady Rosalind's maid repeated it as she'd heard; it was Sarah who had seduced both King and Princess alike in a brazen manner.
Rosalind knew court gossip could not be trusted, but she had seen Sarah leave the King's chamber dressed only in a barrowed dressing gown. She wondered how much of the tale was true.
Zoan and the Goblins were never deemed important enough by the Elves to speak to let alone pass gossip to. The Goblin Races, though the natives of the Land were never given respect by the haughty Elves who thought themselves better. The rudeness of the Elves was overlooked by the Goblins as they themselves thought of the other race as prissy. He was walking past a pair of the worst of the gossip mongers when he heard the use of Sarah's name. He paused unobserved and listened. He smirked when he heard the tale being passed. He envied the King, being entertained by the vixen and the Fae Princess. He smiled coolly and moved on.
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Shortly after midnight, the word passed though the halls that the Princess had fallen ill. By the time the story reached the lower reaches of the palace, Sarah was being accused of having poisoned the Fae in an act of desperation and jealousy to eliminate her and have the King to herself. This was the tale that was reported to Rosalind by her maid.
"Rubbish." Rosalind exhorted. "The little mortal is not that cunning!"
Her maid shrugged. "That's what's being said, mistress."
Rosalind looked at her maid with earnest eyes. "Bring to me one of the Elves you converse with regularly. I want one who is in your mind, fairly reliable."
Within the hour, the maid delivered one of the Elf maids to the King's guest. "Madam, this is Tonya, she is with the King's personal staff." Rosalind's maid made the introduction and bowed out.
Rosalind, scrutinized the Elf, and gauged her to be young among her people. She wore a mask of kindness and camaraderie. "Come here, my child." Her voice dripped like sweet nectar. "Speak with me." She patted the couch offering a seat to the servant as if they were equals. "I've such deep concerns for your King." She behaved like a long time caring friend.
"As do we, My Lady." The girl sobbed. "He's being led astray!" The little Elf girl fell upon the Fae woman's knee and wept. "Oh my lady…." Soon the girl was pouring out every bit of gossip that had been passed about Sarah.
Rosalind listened with eager ears, taking in all the feelings of hate toward Sarah the Elf Staff felt. She petted the girl and sympathized with her over the foolishness of men and their being led by their urges. All the while she was formulating a plan to be rid of the mortal once and for all.
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The first day Ona sat with Adrianna, the second day belonged to Breanna, and the third day to Sarah. Sarah had returned to her rooms as the sun rose in the sky. Zoan seeing her distraught state asked if he could help. She shook her head, and informed him of the grave illness of the Princess.
"She has always seemed so frail to us…" He said after listening. "She has masked her illness well from the eyes of those not looking for something to be amiss."
Sarah nodded. "It must have cost her a great deal of energy to put on this act."
Zoan consoled the King's woman. "She is a woman that honors her oaths."
Sarah nodded swiftly. "And I will honor mine." She assured him. "I've given my word to take time with her…I'm so glad you're here for my boys."
Zoan bowed and left her to her thoughts.
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The Elf girl frowned, not enjoying being forced to serve the mortal. She was only glad that she could report the goings on in this chamber to the Fae woman who was vowing to champion the Princess.
Tonya had told others how good and kind the Fae woman had been and how concerned about the King and Princess Lady Rosalind was… after all they were her kind…
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Jareth sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands as he thought. How could he have been so blind? He looked up as Sarah entered the Chamber, he watched as she approached and then knelt before him. One hand raised her face upward, the leather of his glove slid smoothly over her skin. "Thank you for coming to me, Sarah."
She took hold of his hand and looked into his eyes. "Is there nothing we can do?"
He shook his head. "If there were… I'd have done it."
"Could we not reorder time?" she pleaded. "Just buy her more time…." Jareth left the edge of the bed and joined Sarah where she knelt, his arms taking her in as she collapsed into tears. "I can't even be angry with her…" Sarah sobbed. "Oh Jareth, I love her so much… I don't want to loose her…"
He held her against his heart. "She loved you enough to give you to me, Sarah. She knew what she was doing, and what time it could cost her."
Clinging to him she moaned. "Adrianna is the bravest person I've ever met."
"Agreed," he sighed. He turned her face to his.
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Rosalind observed the King, unseen in shadows that no one was watching. The palace being in a state of turmoil worked well for her. She knew the King was having an affair with the little mortal, she could smell Jareth dripping off the girl. A scent she herself had worn in better days she thought. She didn't blame the mortal for wishing to better her status in the palace. Jareth was a feather in any cap. His skills as a lover were legendary, and no woman ever left his bed unsatisfied. However Rosalind didn't have time or patients to spend on the likes of the girl who had once rejected the King. She had plans that had to be seen to, and the illness of the Fae Princess gave her an avenue that had not previously existed.
By the sixth day of the vigil over the girl, her dire condition was most evident. And the hatred for Sarah was building to a crescendo. She had watched for days as the staff shunned the mortal. She had seen the sadness they all felt for the ailing princess, and she began to use it to her advantage. She asked gently after information on the Princess. It was seen as the gesture of one of Rank who was worthy.
Rosalind worked in silence in her bedroom. The vial contained Valerian in a highly concentrated form. But a few drops to the lips would induce a peaceful sleep, more could bring eternal sleep. The woman had long known and used the herb before this and knew just how many drops would be safe to give to the ailing Princess. She had been told by Tonya how the Princess, unaware of the objective ambition of the Mortal was asking for her to be at her side. She would have to silence the dying princess to be rid of the Mortal and win the King's affections for herself. She was sure the staff would only be too happy to see the king again with a Fae rather than a mortal.
On the morning of the second day Sarah was to be at the Princess' side, Jareth was called away from the palace. Tonya, pleased at being the one to carry the news to Rosalind, gloated that they would have no trouble secreting the girl past the stupid Goblins as the intelligent ones would be with the King.
Rosalind dressed in a long somber gown; she intended to play her part to the hilt. She watched with the members of her mob as Ona left the Princess' bedchamber after Sarah arrived. When they were sure the maid was gone they advanced on the room and entered in mass.
Sarah stood up, making to shield the Princess from harm with her own body. "What do you want?" She demanded. "What right do you have here?"
Rosalind, amused brushed her aside like she was paper. She smiled as Sarah was ceased and bound. "By the rights of a true blooded Fae." She looked down her nose at the mortal. "You are the one who has no right to be here…and from here we will expel you! We find you not worthy!" She raised a hand as Sarah's mouth opened to protest. "silentio!" The Fae ordered and was pleased to see the voice frozen in the throat of the mortal. "Take this trash out of here," she ordered the Elvin mob. "Take her away from the palace…out to the forest where she will meet her fate. If she dies her blood will not be on our hands." She pulled one of the Elvin men aside. "I hear there are some very nasty beasts in parts of the woods…." She suggested.
The mob pulled Sarah into the secret passages used by Staff and soon they were carrying her away.
Rosalind saw movement; the Princess was trying to cry out. Sitting on the bed, the woman opened the vial and placed but a few drops into the opening mouth. "I warned you, little girl….I know how to play all the games." She watched as the ailing girl fell back into the pillows. "I won't have you interring in my plans." She snapped with a hostile voice. Standing she began to cast a spell. "From here to there, and everywhere, I call upon the powers. Harkin to me and do my bidding. Keep the mortal from the eyes of King and clan…" she lowered her hands to her hips and looked at the Princess. "If I'm lucky you'll be dead before the week is out." She tossed back her head and allowed herself to laugh.
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Sarah struggled, but the ties binding her held and would not budge. She watched as the palace faded in the mist, the Elves used magic to transport her into the center of the dark woods away from the palace and away from the Labyrinth. She could not even muster the sound of a sob.
The Elvin men placed her down beside a fallen tree. One looked down at her and spit, the others laughed. She struggled and glared at them but no matter how hard she tired no sound would come from her mouth.
"What should we do with her?" One elf asked.
"Do, what do you mean do?" another replied.
"Should we untie her?" the first one asked.
"What for?" The third man asked.
"She's not hard on the eyes," one said.
"She's mortal." The third spat.
"Still the King seems to enjoy using her." The second offered.
The third man, the most vicious of the three, and the one who'd spat at her growled at the other two, "would you soil your pureness with a dalliance with a dirty mortal?" Shamed they shook their heads. "I thought not." He looked down at Sarah. "We'll leave her here, bound and unable to make a sound. The beasts of the forest can feast on her." He led the men away.
Sarah closed her eyes, thankful that the one hated her enough to prevent the other two from raping her. She listened the sounds of their voices vanished into the air. She knew they had used magic to leave her. She was alone, bound and unable to speak. The woods were clearly not part of the Goblin Kingdom, and she didn't have a clue as to where she was. But by the sounds she could hear, she wasn't alone.