Ch. 6 Playing Games
Author's Note: Okay, this chapter may have to hold y'all over for a few days since the work week is starting up again. I hope you enjoy it because it was a hoot to write. LOTS of UST and a few lemony bits to tide you over.
As always, please review, they inspire me!
For a century now, Jareth had celebrated the festivals of the land with his people. As King, it was his sacred duty to lead the festivals, yet as much as he felt the land beating within him during these times, he also felt called to join his people in the cities and towns for their evening festivities. There was something primal and freeing in doing so. For their part, his subjects accepted him freely when he chose to join them, treating him with respect, but treating him not as 'King' but as one of them – a Goblyn.
Given what he knew of her hedgewitch status, Jareth suspected that Charlotte would have experienced the Aboveground versions of the fire festivals; but he knew that they paled to the way his subjects celebrated. The sensation of her clinging to him as the mists enclosed them, he smiled. 'Requiring her to stay for the length of the festival gives me more time,' he thought, feeling the thrum of heat sliding through his blood once more at the strange thought. 'More time? Where did that come from?' he wondered in the next instant, even as his arm tightened around the woman currently held tight to his chest.
The mists eased a bit, slowly unwinding from around them, until the world revealed itself, leaving them standing in an alley way near the city center of the Goblin City. Feeling Charlotte shiver against his chest, giving a faint moan, Jareth glanced down.
"Take slow breaths. It helps with the disorienting effects," the Goblin King murmured gently, his hand gently caressing her back as Charlotte settled and finally relaxed.
"Whew…yeah…what a way to travel," she chuckled, stepping back from him a bit and smiling at him, her green eyes glowing faintly in the dim moonlight. "But I can see why you like it. It's quick."
Smirking, Jareth nodded and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his gloved fingers barely touching her neck, but obviously enough to make her tremble. "It has its uses." He took her hand in his, tucking it in the crook of his arm, "Come, a drink will settle you further."
"Oh…wait!" she gasped, stopping and shaking her head. "Jerra won't know where I am. I don't want her to be worried that you've thrown me in a dungeon or something."
The Goblin King's eyes glinted darkly as he leaned toward her, his lips barely touching her cheek a soft growl teasing against her ear, "And what's to say you wouldn't enjoy being in my dungeon, hmmm?"
Sarah felt her cheeks burn hot enough she was sure they were glowing. Within her, her libido gave a decidedly piggish squeal and fainted at the mere possibility of just what the Goblin King was referring to. In contrast, her inner-self steeled a bit, giving a sultry purr of its own. 'So that's the game he wants to play. Let the games begin!' she thought.
Turning her head so that her lips were a hairsbreadth from his, Sarah felt a low purring laugh rumble echo in her throat, "Oh Your Majesty, I never said that I wouldn't enjoy such an… adventure," she purred softly under hooded eyelids. "But it would never do to worry Jerra and let her think you would hurt me…without my consent."
Jareth felt his heart race and his desire burn at the brunette's words. He was no novice when it came to the pleasures of the flesh and how to seduce women into his bed. Flirting was second nature in many ways. Fae women of rank would never dare tease him back. For all of the inherent sensuality of his race, the women were raised to pretend to be virtuous and untried, even when they had been bedding half the males of the court. However Goblyn women were different, they would meet his teasing, taunt for taunt, or even initiate such intimate flirting. Seeing the darkening of her emerald eyes as she purred such words to him, Jareth once more felt the disquieting and unexpected surety that this woman was more than she seemed – she dressed willingly like a Goblyn courtier and she even acted like a Goblyn woman would.
Whether she realized it or not, she was Goblyn. He was sure of it.
"I assure you, my dear…if you consented to such an adventure, you would find nothing but pleasure at my hands," he purred in reply, then leaned back, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed. She might be bold and return his taunts like a Goblyn woman would, but she was still delightfully flustered by the exchange – which was an alluring combination. Turning his wrist, a shimmering crystal glowed in his hand. "Alesander…attend," he said, his tone changing subtly, becoming authoritative and brusque.
Sarah nibbled her lip as she watched Alesander's image appear within the crystal, relieved to see Jerra sitting next to him.
"Yes, Sire?"
"Dismiss the court at your leisure. I have gone to fulfill my duties in other parts of the kingdom."
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Alesander, turning his head to look at Jerra as she spoke quietly to him. "Um…Your Majesty, there is some question as to the whereabouts of Lady Charlotte. She has not been seen since you left with her and Lady Jerra is concerned for her."
Leaning toward the crystal, Sarah looked at the Goblin King, "Can they hear me?"
"They can now," he chuckled, watching her with amusement.
"I'm here, Jerra. And I'm fine," she said, biting back a laugh at the shocked look from Alesander's wife. To his credit, Alesander didn't seem the slightest bit phased by the news, while Jerra smirked knowingly.
Spinning the crystal back toward himself, the Goblin King smiled. "Indeed, Lady Charlotte is in my company. She found the courtiers festival feast to be rather dull, so I offered to bring her along on my rounds through the kingdom this evening. I will see that she is returned safely to her rooms when the royal progression is completed."
Jerra gave Sarah a filthy grin through the crystal and waved her hand dismissively, "No hurry. In fact, keep her out all night if you want. Heaven knows she needs a good…."
"Jerra!" hissed Sarah, glaring at her friend through the crystal, while the Goblin King gave her a wicked grin. In the next instant the image in the crystal seemed to bob in a way that gave Sarah a disorienting wave of vertigo, as Alesander apparently carried the crystal away from his wife and Jerra.
"Sire… are you really taking the Lady Charlotte with you for your…. 'rounds'," Alesander asked in hushed tones. "You are aware, of course, that such a thing is most inappropriate for a Fae woman. She may be a changeling, but she is clearly High Fae in lineage."
Eyeing the woman next to him who was eyeing him with suspicion, the Goblin King chuckled, "She may look High Fae, but I assure you, she is Goblyn through and through. She'll handle the 'royal progression' better than you would, my friend. Of that I am sure."
Resigned, Alesander nodded. "If you are sure, Sire. But it is most irregular. The court will talk."
The Goblin King shrugged and winked at Charlotte, as she pursed her lips and glared questioningly at him. "Let them. It will give them something useful to do for a change," he laughed, then returned his attention to the crystal. "Oh…and before you rest for the day, find out from Cheryse where she obtained the Goblyn dress for Lady Charlotte. I want you to ensure that a full wardrobe of Goblyn wear is provided for her…should she wish to use it."
"As you wish, Sire," Alesander replied, his image fading from the crystal just before it popped.
"Now then, about that drink," Jareth chuckled, tucking his companion's hand back in the crook of his arm and leading her from the alleyway, quietly amused by the suspicious look on her face.
Sarah arched an eyebrow and studied his expression. There was something she wasn't being told. She was sure of it. "Come on…out with it, Your Majesty. Just what is so 'inappropriate' about your royal duties tonight that would make it unsuitable for a proper woman to accompany you? What do you do? Visit strip clubs or something? Dress in drag and dance the hula?"
The purring tenor of the Goblin King's laugh slid down her spine like liquid velvet to pool wetly between her thighs, leaving her biting back a wanton moan at the sound.
"Gods and Goddesses forbid!" he groaned with laughter, shaking his head and shutting his eyes as if to rid himself of an unwanted mental image. "The last thing I want to see is a dwarven stripper. And you…you'd be scared for life from that!" Looking down at her, his pale eyes glinted wickedly as he purred, "Of course if you wanted to divest yourself of your clothing in such a manner, I might change my mind about the idea of a strip show."
Fighting the rising heat in her cheeks, Sarah tossed her head and gave him a nudge with her shoulder. "I'm sure that one such as you would have a host of willing volunteers to wriggle naked for your pleasure."
"True. I do have that effect on women," he laughed, enjoying the flush in her cheeks combined with the flash of righteous indignation in her green eyes. "Tell me, pet…do I have that effect upon you."
Sarah pulled her hand from his and stepped from the alley into the city market area, bustling with stalls and revelers. Laughing, Jareth reached out and grabbed her shoulder, tugging her back into the shadows of the alley.
"Síocháin, Lady Charlotte," he murmured softly, his gloved fingers gently curling under her chin and tilting her face toward him.
"I don't speak…whatever that is," Sarah huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. 'Damn him. He's an ass….' She grumbled to herself, then sighed inwardly. 'So why do I want him to kiss me again.'
"It means Pax…Peace, my dear," he answered, his thumb gently stroking her chin as he looked at her.
Ignoring the feeling of his caress, Sarah swallowed the heavy lump in her throat. "Okay…so we've established that your 'royal progression' doesn't involve strippers. Do you dress in drag and dance the hula or something?" Surprisingly, her terse words were greeted with an amused rumbling chuckle from the Goblin King, right before his lips brushed her forehead, sending a jolt of pleasure racing down her spine.
"Would it please you to see me like that, my dear?"
For a split second Sarah actually considered it, her mind supplying an image of Jareth dressed in the fluffy meringue dress from her peach-dream. The overall effect was so ridiculous she started to snicker, before dissolving in a riot of giggles. "Oh…Gods…You'd…look…ridiculous…" she gasped, holding her sides and staggering against the wall while she giggled.
Bemused, the Goblin King pinned her against the wall, with one hand on either side of her shoulders. "Hmm… I like it when you laugh like that, although I'd love to know what mental image set you off in such a gale of giggles, my dear," he chuckled, tilting his head owlishly while watching her giggle.
"No drag," she said, looking up at him, her face flushed with the laughter and her eyes glowing brightly. "Swear to me that I will never have to see you in drag. I don't think I could handle it," she giggled again, until she had to wipe tears from her eyes at the mere thought. Her libido, helpfully supplied another image of Jareth dressed head to toe in black, with his eyes ringed with heavy black eyeliner. The visual was striking and made Sarah's core give a lusty throb. A quiet moan slipped past her parted lips as her knees wobbled from the mere thought of him dressed like that.
Hearing what could only be classed as a desirous moan, Jareth's lips curled in a lascivious smirk. "Do tell, Lady Charlotte, just what thought elicited that decidedly delightful sound…and how do I get you to do it again?" he purred, his pale eyes shifting until they were deep navy.
"Um…no drag," Sarah murmured, looking up at him with dark, hungry eyes of her own. "But, I wouldn't object to a bit of guyliner. And…black…you…you'd look good in all black."
Surprised, but pleased with her admission, the Goblin King briefly inclined his head, "I shall take that under advisement."
Blinking dumbly at him, Sarah realized he still hadn't answered her question. "Bloody Hell… you've gotten me distracted again and still haven't answered the question," she grumbled, shaking her head and ducking under his arms. Still muttering to herself, she stepped out of the alley way and back into the market district.
The Goblin King laughed softly and followed, until he was again walking beside her down through the market stalls. All around them merchants and customers haggled over prices in the busy market district. The air was thick with the scent of spices and foods for sale. No one seemed to notice that the King had arrived, and for his part, the Goblin King was hardly aware of anyone or anything but Lady Charlotte. He didn't understand why, but this woman affected him in a way that no other woman had in a century or more. She delighted him, both verbally and physically, until he wanted nothing more than to hear her laugh and continue to inspire her to spar with him. 'Preferably for the rest of my days,' he thought, then immediately wondered where such a thought had come from. At 546 years of age, he had never felt such things for any woman, much less one he had just met less than 24 hours ago. Once more he felt the vibration throb in his chest, the ripples of the vibration rushing outward until he was sure he felt it in every fibre of his being.
"To answer your question, Lady Charlotte, the royal progression upon this night involves me visiting various establishments to enjoy the festival with my subjects," he said, tucking her hand back into the crook of his arm and leading her down a side street away from the market.
"Establishments?" she asked, giving him a skeptical look. "What kind of establishments?"
Pausing under a sign that read 'The Crystal Sword', the Goblin King smiled and pushed the door open for her. Inside she could hear singing and the clinking of glassware, accompanied by the unmistakable smell of beer.
"Pubs?" she asked, giving him an incredulous look. "You mean your 'royal duties' involve your own private pub crawl?!"
He laughed and tilted his head, "I go to pubs, yes. But I assure you I have never drunk so much that I have had to 'crawl' anywhere."
"I don't believe this… I exchanged a formal feast for a royal pub crawl," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief, while the Goblin King pushed the door of the pub open wider.
"Well, are you coming or not?"
Sarah rolled her eyes and pushed past him into the pub, her skirts swishing against her legs and brushing sensuously against his as she moved. She couldn't believe she was doing this, although her libido was beside itself at the unprecedented opportunity to see the Goblin King drunk. "You do realize that you're buying, as I have no coin of the realm."
"We can fix that," he grinned, following her into the crowded pub. "How are you at darts?"
~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~
As it turned out, she was quite good at darts. She was also accomplished at billiards, crystal quoits, goblin dice, nine-men's morris, knucklebones and nyout.
Three hours and four pubs later, Jareth was seriously reconsidering his cleverness in inviting Lady Charlotte along on his 'royal progression'. Within the first hour and four rounds of darts she had relieved him of his purse and two pints of ale. By the next pub, he was out of funds and was paying his bets in IOUs and alcohol, glad that his status as King meant that the two of them drank for free. From there things were a bit blurry. At last count he was down 113 dariqs, 6 flagons of Goblin cider, 2 bottles of his private label apple wine, a golden sigil ring from his hand, and promise notes for a sapphire necklace and a Dwarven tiara. She had almost negotiated him into an IOU for a unicorn, until she decided that hiding that in the Above would be more trouble than she was willing to deal with.
He watched the enchanting vixen slam back another shot of Dragonkin Fire Whiskey and give him a tipsy grin, before coughing hard enough that she set a nearby goblin's hat aflame. "Wow! Next game I want a bottle of this stuff to take home with me!"
"No," the Goblin King replied, with a slight pout to his lips as he surveyed his cards. "When this hand is through I am outlawing this 'Poker' game and shall bog anyone who dares play it in my kingdom."
"Quit yer bitching, Highness," the green-eyed witch replied. "How many cards der ya want?"
Arching an eyebrow at her casual tone, Jareth felt his loins throb with the want of her. For hours now she had taunted him and teased him, meeting his every innuendo with one of her own. In short, it was the longest bout of verbal foreplay he had ever engaged in, and he was thoroughly enjoying it. Of course, he also desperately wanted to grab her and take her to his bed. He would quite happily forgo the rest of the festival activities just to have her writhing under him, with nothing between their bodies but air – and precious little of that.
"Three cards, witch," he chuckled, enjoying the rosy flush to her cheeks from the alcohol. He was vaguely amazed that despite her clearly inebriated state, she was still beating him at this blasted game – and more amazed that he hadn't stooped to cheating yet. Granted, she had made him swear an oath at the start of their so-called 'pub crawl' that he wouldn't use magic to cheat – but she had neglected to set the penalty should he break the oath.
Fighting not to frown, he surveyed the cards in his hand once more, hoping in vain that his hand had improved since the last time he looked – it hadn't. The Goblin King was quite sure that by the end of the current hand he would be shirtless; although he still didn't understand why Charlotte suddenly decided that she literally wanted the shirt off his back.
"I'm King," Jareth grumbled, ignoring the buxom barmaid who brushed wantonly against his arm as she refilled his shot glass. "I can send a goblin to the castle accountant to retrieve more dariqs and quinots. Why must you demand my shirt as payment?"
"It's a nice shirt," the green-eyed witch across the table replied, snatching the bottle of Fire Whiskey from the barmaid and refilling her own shot glass since the jealous blonde ignored hers in favor of flaunting herself at the Goblin King. Giving the elvish woman a grin as sharp as troll daggers, Sarah teased the toe of her shoe up the inside of the Goblin King's calf clear to his knee, making him nearly drop his cards in surprise. "Besides, it would look far better on me than you, don't you think? Or would you rather raise the bid with kisses, Your Majesty?"
"Of course it would look good but…Wait….We can do that?" Jareth asked, his eyes widening a bit in response to that idea, while his libido gave a feral Goblyn war-whoop and suggested upping the bid to include full nudity, a bottle of Rosin oil and a whole plate of Peach Pudding – forget the spoons, he planned to lick it from her flesh. "You mean I could have been stealing kisses this whole time?!"
Hooded emerald eyes bore into his, teasing and taunting him without a word. "Win this hand and you can keep your shirt and claim a kiss…if you wish, m'Lord.".
Frowning and giving Sarah a look that would curdle milk, the buxom blonde flounced off, unnoticed by Sarah and the Goblin King. The King watched Sarah, transfixed as she flicked the tip of her tongue along the front of her teeth in a way that he had quickly decided was one of the most seductive things he'd ever seen.
"I wish to see you in my shirt and claim a kiss," he replied, teasing his own foot up under the hem of her dress to caress the inside of her calf. She rewarded him with a tipsy giggle, which made his pulse pound furiously once more. 'She will be the death of me,' he thought, shaking his head to turn his focus back to the cards in his hand.
Sarah sucked on her lower lip as she considered this new bet, unaware of how she was affecting the Goblin King until she noticed his eyes glued to her lower lip and saw the pounding of his pulse at the base of his throat. 'I bet he's as hard as steel right now,' squealed her libido, urging her to run her foot up high enough to find out. For a split moment, Sarah seriously thought about doing just that, before shaking her own head to chase the thought away. "I suppose it is only fair, considering the wishes you grant, hmmm?"
Checking her own cards, Sarah nudged three cards across the table toward the Goblin King and took two for herself. Peering at her new cards, Sarah fought to keep from crowing. The ace of spades and ace of clubs. With four aces in her hand, the chance of him beating her without breaking his oath against cheating were infinitesimal. Only one other hand could beat it, and the best that he'd had the whole game was two kings. Carefully keeping her expression neutral, but amused, she looked at the Goblin King, verdant eyes narrowing in a challenge.
"I'll see your bet and raise you – if you manage to win this hand, you'll get to see me in that shirt and nothing else, while getting your kiss."
The look on the Goblin King's face at her wager was something Sarah knew she would never forget. His crystalline eyes flew wide, then darkened until they were nearly black, while his pulse thudded visibly in his throat. Next to his empty shot glass, his gloved hand slowly tightened, then loosened once more. 'Damn…the man has some control,' she thought as she watched his breathing become heavier. He looked down at his cards, then up at her once more. For an instant she regretted her words, as the look in his eyes said quite clearly that she was only a moment away from being spirited away to his bed and ravished within an inch of her life.
"Bold words, Goblyn wench," Jareth muttered, his voice low and rough now as he fought the lust that coursed through him with every beat of his heart. For the first time since the games had begun, he regretted giving her his oath that he wouldn't cheat. "And if you win, would you collect the same from me?" he purred, giving her a teasing smirk when she blushed hotly.
"Tempting though that might be, Goblin King, that is hardly the thing a proper Fae courtier would do," she laughed, flicking her cards into a neat little pile, face-down in front of her.
"True, but a proper Fae courtier would not have raised the bet in such a manner that would open them up to being in the King's presence, wearing nothing but his shirt.," he growled softly. "But no matter, you are no Fae courtier, little witch. You are as Goblyn as I am. I'm sure of it."
Eyeing him she clucked her tongue against her teeth, making his groin tighten further at the way her lips pursed in a perfect 'O' shape.
"Well, what would you like if you win, Goblyn witch," he asked again, amused by the way she rolled her eyes and shrugged.
Sarah gazed pensively at the stack of IOUs beside her glass. She would win the hand, that was a given. But deciding what she wanted from him that was in line with what he had raised her, was daunting. Sure, her libido was demanding a naked Jareth in her bed and that was a lovely picture – but she wasn't stupid. That way lay disaster. She was sure of it. Still considering her options she nibbled her lip. Throughout their game she'd been unable to read him, not like it mattered since he consistently lost. She almost thought he was throwing each hand, but surely given the way Fae loved wagers and puzzles, he wouldn't purposely lose. In the end the question was – what could she request that was equal to his wager and would not end with her pinned under his naked body?
"If I win, I get to see you in all black and the 'guyliner'," she finally said, tilting her head as he smiled mischievously at him.
"I'm not fully sure what this 'guyliner' is, am I to assume it is something akin to facial adornment?" he asked, clearly puzzled, until she nodded. "Fine, but what of the kiss. Are you telling me you don't want one?" he purred, chuckling at the sudden catch in her breath.
"I…I didn't say that," she muttered, taking a large gulp of her mug of ale. "I'll take the kiss as well."
"Deal," he replied, snapping his fingers. A parchment IOU spelling out the terms of the unusual bet appeared on the table between them. With his eyes on hers, he rapped his gloved knuckles on the table. "I call. Let's see your hand, pet."
A slow smile crept across Sarah's face as she began to lay out her cards. "Four Aces…sorry your 'Tightpantedness'," she chuckled, her green eyes alight with wicked glee, as she reached for the IOU. "But I look forward to seeing you as per the terms of the wager."
Still grinning, she started to pull the IOU across the table, only to be stopped by a gloved hand laying firmly over hers. Glancing up, Sarah's heart froze at the decidedly evil smirk on the Goblin King's face.
"What is it that the humans say…oh yes… Not so fast, pet," he purred, curling his tongue around his canines as he glanced down at his cards.
"But…no…you…you couldn't…." she muttered, gawking at him as heat engulfed her whole body at the thought of the wager she had accepted.
"Unless I'm greatly mistaken regarding the rules of this game, I believe a royal flush beats four aces," he chuckled, his tone dropping into a sensual growl that elicited a gasping moan from her.
One by one he lay down his cards. Snap. Ten of hearts. Snick. Jack of hearts. Snict. Queen of hearts. Snip. King of hearts.
"I believe this belongs to me, my dear," he purred, plucking the IOU from under her hand, leaving her staring at the empty spot on the table in shock.
~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~
Two pubs and a market stall later, Sarah found herself munching on the goblin equivalent of a kebab, as she and the Goblin King wandered through the night market. Despite the alcohol she had imbibed while visiting pubs with the King, she only felt the barest bit tipsy. 'Must be the identity potion,' she mused, following the king toward a stall that smelled heavily of spices and something sweet. Silently munching on her kebab, she watched him as he haggled with the merchant, something he had done at every stall they stopped at. Each time he would haggle with the merchant, initially working the price down, before offering to pay more than the initial asking price. 'It's cute,' she thought, watching him as he returned to her side, holding a paper cone filled with spicy sweet almonds.
"Here, try these. They are a delicacy shipped to the kingdom from Avalon, then coated with local spices and honey," he said, taking the kebab from her hand, then biting into it.
If someone had told Sarah when she got up that morning that by the end of the evening she would be drinking with Jareth, as well as sharing food and drink with, she would have suggested that they were certifiably insane – yet here she was.
Laughing she snatched the kebob back, "Hey…get your own, Jareth…I wasn't finished with that."
The Goblin King stopped, turning toward her in the middle of the path of merchant stalls. Surprised, Sarah glanced at him, noticing his odd expression. His pale eyes narrowed upon her, in a way that was stern and shocked.
"What…did you….just call me?" he demanded in a low, firm voice.
Gasping, Sarah dropped the kebab, her hands rushing to her mouth. "Oh shit…I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I…I forgot myself," she stammered, goosebumps racing over her flesh as a wave of fear washed over her.
"Say it again," he ordered, his eyes steely upon her face.
"No, please…I'm sorry. I swear it will never happen again," she murmured.
"Say. My. Name," he ordered again, his gloved fingers coming to rest just under her chin.
Looking up at him, Sarah felt the intensity of his gaze as a physical presence. All around her, the scent of him seemed to grow, until she was filled with it with each breath.
"Jareth," she whispered, then shut her eyes tightly, fully expecting that the next thing she would see would be the Bog of Eternal stench or worse still – a dungeon.
Nothing happened.
Slowly she cracked her eyelids and looked at the Goblin King once more. He hadn't moved, his odd expression still a mask upon his face. For a moment she thought perhaps someone had frozen time, until she saw his chest slowly rising and falling with each breath.
"Again," he murmured, an urgency in his voice that made heat pool low inside her.
"Jareth."
His lips crashed up hers, demanding and hungry, as his arm slid around her back, crushing her to his chest. Gasping into the kiss, Sarah found that she was responding with a hunger all her own. 'This is crazy… oh Gods…. I'm kissing the Goblin King…in the middle of the Goblin City…oh shit!' she thought in a panic. Her libido however was delighted. Even her more pragmatic inner-self was rather pleased with this development.
Jareth was both surprised and inordinately pleased with her reaction to the spontaneous kiss. He hadn't meant to do it, but the sound of his name on her lips drove all reason from his mind and he had to properly taste her. 'Gods she tastes divine,' he moaned inwardly, teasing his tongue along the inside of her lower lip, before thrusting it alongside her tongue in a way that made her moan and shift closer to his test. Feeling his core tighten further, wound like a spring ready to break, he gave into the kiss further, twisting his free hand into the back of her hair. With gentle but firm pressure, he tugged her head back, deepening the kiss, while drinking in the essence of her. He could feel his magic buzzing through his body, just as the kingmaking lines pulsed with their combined heartbeats.
'Get hold of yourself!' screamed his inner-self. 'You're the King! And you're practically rutting with the woman in the middle of the Goblin City!'
His Goblyn side merely snarled curses in the Ancient tongue of the Elder Goblyns and encouraged him to take her – in the city…in his bed…in the dungeon….it didn't matter where as long as he took her.
With a quiet growl, he finally broke the kiss, the two of them panting and breathless.
"I think…perhaps…it is time for me to return you…to your rooms," Jareth murmured, trying to get himself under control once more, but the close proximity of the vixen made it difficult.
Nodding, Sarah muttered, "Yes. Excellent…idea…Sire.."
Blinking, he glanced at her curiously, wondering if she knew what she had just called him. "Come, pet, I will deliver you to your rooms," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. "And I can collect what upon your IOU."
~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~
When the world unfolded again, Sarah found herself standing in the bower room, with the Goblin King's arm still wrapped about her. Squeaking she jumped away from him, a furious blush rising to her cheeks.
"You…you shouldn't be in here," she gasped, frantically looking around the room and putting more distance between them. "This is my bedroom…er… your bedroom…no…I mean…ohhhhh! You just shouldn't be here!"
"Why? It is my castle, is it not?" he replied, his eyes sparkling with amusement at her reaction.
"Yes but… it's not proper," she stammered, backing around the side of the bed toward the balcony.
"Perhaps, but the wager you agreed to was hardly proper for a Fae female either," he chuckled, slowly stalking around the room toward her. "Of course, it would be perfectly acceptable by Goblyn standards."
"I…I…"
Stopping and leaning against the doorway of the balcony, Jareth watched her back further way, his lips twisting into a wicked smirk. "Tsk…tsk, little witch. You're not thinking of reneging on your wager are you?"
"I…um…" Sarah muttered, her eyes darting for an escape.
"Was kissing me so bad?" he asked, unfastening the clasps on his leather jacket and dropping it to the floor, where it disappeared in a haze of golden glitter.
"Well…no….of course not."
"Wasn't it your idea to take the shirt from my very back?" he enquired, his gloved fingers starting to unfasten the buckles along the side of his leather breastplate.
Gulping Sarah nodded, sure that her face was glowing so bright it could be seen through mists to the Above. "Yes…but…."
"And wasn't it you who raised the bid further?" he asked, pulling the breastplate over his head and dropping it to the floor, where it to vanished.
"But…" Sarah protested, kicking herself for the pleading tone in her voice.
"Well then," he purred, untying the laces at the neck of his silken shirt. "I think it is therefore time for you to honor your end of the agreement."
Sarah's eyes widened as she watched him expose more of his chest, the golden amulet of his royal crest glinting against the smooth expanse of flesh. 'Lick it!' demanded her libido in a banshee screech. Desperately ignoring her libido, Sarah's fists clenched at her side. As he reached for the hem of the shirt and pulled it over his head, Sarah heard herself give an unmistakably longing moan. A moment later Jareth was holding the embroidered silk shirt so that it dangled from the tip of a single gloved finger.
"Here you go…my shirt," he chuckled, the sound a gentle purr that seemed to vibrate through her mind. "Would you like me to change you into the shirt, or would you prefer to do it yourself?"
"I…I…." Sarah stammered, then snatched the shirt from his hand. "I can change myself," she snapped, clutching the shirt to her chest she raced toward the bathroom, only to squeak when the door swung shut with an unmistakeable locking sound.
"Oh no little witch. There will be no running away into Jerra's room to escape your debt," laughed the Goblin King, who flicked his wrist toward the far corner of the room. An ornate dividing screen appeared tucked into the corner. "You can change back there, where I can be assured that you will not attempt to reneg."
Horrified green eyes glared at him. "That's not fair!"
Jareth paused, experiencing another disquieting sense of seeing Sarah standing before him.
Unable to help himself, he heard his voice say, "I wonder what your basis for comparison is?"
Shaking his head, Jareth smiled quietly and nodded toward the changing screen at the back of the room. "You'd best get on with it, little witch. I've got all night and I'm quite sure you don't want anyone seeing me exiting your room come morning."
Although he was unfamiliar with modern Aboveground slang, the Goblin King was quite sure that the words she muttered as she stomped behind the screen were not complimentary to his character or heritage. He heard her grumbling and cursing quietly, and felt his blood humming at the knowledge of what he was about to see.
Sarah muttered under her breath as she unfastened the side laces of the corset and pulled it off. Dropping it on the chair with a dull thud, she began tugging at the laces along the side and front of the green gown, heedless of the way her careless jerks of the cord puckered the fabric. When it was loos, she yanked it over her head and added it to the growing pile on the chair. "Stupid bloody Fae…" she mumbled, pausing the kick her shoes off. "Can't believe I agreed to this…what the fuck was I thinking…." Reaching behind her she tried to grab the lacing cord for the underdress. "Shit… where's the cord…" she growled, feeling along her lower back, then contorting herself to see if it was at the top of the dress. Turning in a small circle, she grunted softly as she tried desperately to pinch the elusive cord between her fingers – and failed. After several minutes of struggling, she kicked the wall in frustration, then sobbed as pain shot through her foot.
"What's wrong, pet?" Jareth asked, his tone no longer teasing. "If the wager is too distressing, we can renegotiate," he added with a sigh, while his libido and inner-self howled their protest at the thought of not earning the coveted prize – and permanent mental image – of her in his shirt and nothing else.
Sniffing, she shook her head, leaning against the wall behind the screen. "No… it's not that I just….Ican'tgethisdamndressoff," she mumbled, unable to believe what she was saying to the Goblin King of all people.
She heard him move closer to the screen.
"I didn't quite catch that. Try again."
Huffing, she turned around and backed out from behind the screen, her arms wrapped over her chest. "I can't get this dress unfastened. So if you want to collect on your wager, you'll have to unfasten it," she snapped, hanging her head in defeat.
Sarah felt him move behind her, then shivered at the gentle touch of his hands on her shoulders. Bracing herself for his touch against her back as he worked the laces, she was surprised when he simply pulled her back against his chest. He didn't wrap his arms around her, merely left his hands lightly on her bare shoulders, the sensation sending goose bumps racing down her arms.
"No, my dear," he murmured gently, laying his cheek against hers. "I would rather collect this wager when you are willing and want to meet the debt."
The Goblyn in him roared indignantly, while cursing him for a weakling. But Jareth wouldn't budge. As much as he wanted to see the curve of her form barely hidden beneath the thin silk of his shirt, he did not want that boon if it was to be this distressing to her. And that knowledge confused him. Never before had he felt this way about a woman, both wanting her desperately and wanting to protect her – even if it meant protecting her from himself.
"No," she whispered, leaning back against his chest with a quiet sigh. "I made the bet and I honor my debts, Goblin King."
Silently they stood in the moonlight streaming in from the balcony, neither one moving or speaking. Within the space of two heartbeats, their breathing had synchronized, beating as one in the quiet of the room. "In case you are concerned that I might seek to compromise you, my lady Charlotte, I give you my oath, both as the Goblin King and as the Weaver of Dreams, I will not seek to take advantage of you…not tonight or any other. I will gladly accept your payment of the debt, and not one kiss more – until you willingly ask for, or initiate such a claim," Jareth whispered in her ear.
"I thought Goblyn males took that which they wanted or was owed to them," she muttered, trembling slightly at the teasing caress of his fingertips moving closer to her collarbones.
"They do, but no Goblyn male with any sense would attempt to take a Goblyn female against her will, to do so would be akin to cornering a sawtoothed flame badger in its den," he replied, turning his head to brush his lips lightly against the tender skin beneath her ear. "Do you think me so foolish as to corner you in such a manner, little witch? Have you heard such tales of me?"
After a moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head. If she was honest with herself, knowing what she did now, she couldn't see him abusing her trust in that way. "No, Sire…I haven't."
"Say my name, pet," he demanded quietly, as his fingers traced along her collarbones, eliciting a soft gasp from the Sarah.
"Jareth," she murmured, her voice trailing off until it was barely a whisper upon the midnight breeze that swirled into the room through the open balcony window.
"Am I so vile pet, that you would think so ill of me or think I would misuse you so?"
"No…Jareth….you aren't," she whispered, relaxing against his bare chest with a sigh.
Once more, silence fell between them, yet neither felt it as awkward. After several moments, Sarah pulled away from the Goblin King's chest, just enough so there was space between their bodies. "Please unfasten the dress…Jareth," she murmured.
Amazed by her strength, the Goblin King slowly began to work the lacing loose, drinking in the subtle tremor that ran through her the first time his fingers grazed the bare flesh over her spine. When the dress was loose enough that she could slip it over her head, Jareth turned on his heel and walked onto the balcony without a word, resting his hands upon the railing and fighting to control the pounding of his heart. She was so close to him. Had she been any other woman he would have already seduced her into his bed, yet here he was, standing on a balcony alone while she was nude in the bedroom – without him. 'I've gone soft,' he thought to himself. 'That is the only possible explanation.'
'Or you are falling in love with the changeling witch,' suggested his inner-self.
'Don't be daft. I can't fall in love. Sarah holds my love oath and hasn't released me,' he argued back.
The whole situation was without precedent.
Behind the screen, Sarah shimmied out of the dress, folding it over the other clothing. 'The bet was for nothing,' giggled her libido making Sarah cringe as she slipped her knickers down her legs and off, dropping them on the pile. She pulled the silk shirt from where it was draped over the top of the screen, marveling at the sleek feel of the material in her hands. The material was so thin and fine that even if she didn't know who it belonged to, she would know it was made for a King. Taking a deep breath she lifted it up and let it drop down her arms and over her head, moaning softly as the silk slid sensuously against her bare flesh. Her cheeks burned at the way her nipples immediately tightened, pressing taut against the material in a way she was sure Jareth would notice.
Carefully she rolled the sleeves up, the grasped the laces along the front of the shirt, which hung wide over her shoulders and was open to her waist, her bare flesh exposed in a deep 'vee'. Nibbling her lip, she looked down, then dropped the laces and adjusted the shirt so that her breasts were covered, but her flesh still exposed, before stepping from behind the screen and padding silently toward the balcony. She paused at the doorway of the balcony, the gossamer curtains fluttering against her legs as she steeled herself. Breathing deep, she gently pushed the curtains aside.
Hearing a soft breath behind him, Jareth turned his heart thudding wildy in his chest at the sight that greeted him. She fairly glowed in the moonlight from the balcony, the white silk taking on a silvery sheen, which complimented her lightly tanned skin. His eyes drank in the fullness of her, marveling at the way the thin material skimmed over her curves, hinting at the luscious curve of hips, up over the gentle swell of her breasts. The wide opening of the laces lay back, exposing the lovely valley between her breasts, which his libido and Goblyn sides both demanded that he run his tongue over, until he knew her taste by heart. As the midnight breeze swirled around them, he noticed the taut buds pressing insistently against the silk, the sight of which made his blood burn like lava through his veins, forcing him to fight the urge to break his oath.
The Goblin King took a deep breath before speaking, his voice low and hoarse with need. "You look…. Like a goddess," he murmured, unable to believe that this creature was willingly standing there, nude save for his shirt. In all his years, he had never seen anything so beautiful or erotic.
"Really?" she muttered, twisting her hands into the silk at her sides.
If she were a Fae female, the question would have been a transparent plea for him to compliment her beauty. Tilting his head slightly, Jareth saw that the question was not meant to manipulate him into giving her praise, but was a genuine plea for reassurance. Puzzled by the self-doubt he saw in her eyes, he smiled warmly. "Really, my dear. You as simply…stunning."
Relaxing a bit, she gave him a shy smile. "Sorry, but I don't make a habit of doing this sort of thing."
The Goblin King nodded, taking a step closer to her. When she didn't step away from him, he took another step forward and smiled. "Somehow, I believe you, Charlotte," he chuckled, picking up one of the laces and teasing the tip of the aglet along her collarbone, pleased at the blush which flooded her cheeks and the way she trembled. "That said, I admit that I am surprised, my dear. I rather expected you to pull the lacing tight to cover yourself fully."
Her green eyes flashed to his face, narrowing slightly as she gave him a sly grin. "While you didn't say that I couldn't lace the shirt closed, you also didn't say that I could. It would be foolish of me to give you any reason to cry foul…Goblin King," she purred, her entire demeanor returning to the easy teasing he had enjoyed earlier in the evening.
"See…you're using Goblyn logic," he laughed, moving closer until he was standing right before her, the heat from his chest burning against the bare flesh of her own chest, despite the small space between them. "You are Goblyn, little witch."
Sarah tilted her head up, meeting the heady intensity of his gaze with one of her own. She had come this far playing his game, she wasn't about to back down now. Since he claimed that she was a Goblyn, there was no choice but to act like one.
Reaching up, she slide her hands through the feathery wisps of hair at the side of his head, taking two gentle, but firm handfuls of hair and pulling his head physically toward her. She captured his lips with her own, in a show of courage she never thought she was capable of displaying. The Goblin King growled into the kiss wrapping one arm around her and pulling her tight to his chest, while his other hand cupped the back of her head. Sarah gasped at the way the hard plane of his chest teased against her nipples through the silk, making them tingle at the sensation.
As the kiss deepened, Sarah felt a subtle electric sensation radiating from Jareth's chest to hers, making her pulse race in time with his, until she found herself backing toward the bed and pulling him with her, her hands still entwined in his hair. Feeling her legs bump the back the bed, she paused, her mind screaming a warning that her libido and body were blithely in favor of ignoring.
Then Jareth stopped and stepped away, his gloved hands holding her at an arms length from his body.
"Wha…what?" she gasped, her heart beating hard from the hunger in the kiss.
"The debt has been paid, pet," Jareth murmured, fighting his own internal struggle against the desire to throw her onto the bed, rip the shirt from her body and taste every inch of her. The woman was under his skin and it was getting harder to control his baser instincts.
"But…"
"No," he said more firmly, the din in his mind as his libido and Goblyn sides roared their disapproval. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, and the tell-tale shimmer of tears along the ebony eyelashes, he pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms warmly around her. "Shush, Precious, you've done nothing wrong," he murmured, kissing her forehead tenderly.
"Then why did you….stop," she mumbled, her lips caressing the hollow of his throat in a way that threatened to break his resolve.
"Because one of us needs to keep their head," he sighed, stepping back a bit and giving her a quiet smile. "Believe me, I would like nothing more than to spend the night showing you the types of pleasure that a mortal man could never show you, but… I gave my oath that I would not abuse your trust in me. I will honor it." His gloved thumb lightly caressed her swollen lower lip as he shook his head, a hint of regret in his eyes. "Yes…it is very much time that I retire to my own chambers, before we do something that you may regret come morning."
Turning he moved swiftly toward the balcony, his body seeming to ripple in the moonlight as he prepared to change.
"But Jareth…what about your shirt," she called softly, rushing to follow him to the balcony, her eyes widening at the sight of the down feathers starting to appear down his spine.
"It's yours now," he chuckled, giving her a darkly lustful look as he hopped upon the balcony railing, balancing precariously. "You were right, it looks far better on you, little witch." With his parting words still ringing in the air around her, Jareth fell from the balcony. Giving a small squeak of shock, she grabbed the railing and peered over in time to see his body shudder and twist. In the space of a heartbeat, he had changed from the lithe, seductive Goblin King, to a creamy barn owl, it's wings spread wide to ride the air currents that swirled around the castle. The owl screeched triumphantly, then soared into the night, leaving Sarah standing alone on the balcony in the moonlight.
"I was right…nothing about this was a good idea," she muttered to herself as she turned and walked back into the bedroom.
'The kissing…the kissing was good,' protested her libido, letting the memory of his kisses throb needily in her belly.
"Okay…so…he's a good kisser. But it ends here. Playing this sort of game with the Goblin King is too damn dangerous. You know what they say about playing with fire," she muttered, tucking herself up in the plush bed and snuggling down under the covers.
'Yeah…but what a way to burn….'
As always, please review...they inspire me to write faster.