DISCLAIMER: It isn't mine. Never has been, never will be.
(Thank you, Flickerphile, for the unexpected encouragement! It was very much appreciated.)
Chapter 6
Through the swirling black mist of her peaceful oblivion, Sarah became aware of a cool, disembodied voice beckoning to her as a firm hand tapped insistently upon her cheek.
"Sarah, please. You really must wake up now," the voice said.
With a concentrated effort, Sarah managed to get one eye open a small sliver. The blurry outline of a person swam before her, shadowed by the angle of the dim light that did little to illuminate their surroundings.
After a moment or two, both eyes opened and struggled to adjust. Sarah pulled her head back slowly and her sight came steadily into focus. What she saw confused her and set her heart pounding inside the confines of her chest.
It was him. The Goblin King. He was holding her in his arms, supporting her, his right hand now tenderly caressing her face.
Was she dreaming?
It certainly didn't feel like a dream, given how tired and sore she felt.
A slow glance around her told Sarah that they were in her old bedroom, the one Toby had been using since he had outgrown the crib in their parents' room, which had since become her own.
A tall, dark-haired man stood off to the side, watching with the air of someone who was trying hard to be inconspicuous.
Suddenly, the events of the evening came rushing back and Sarah gasped, sending a sharp pain through her swollen throat.
Alarmed, she made an attempt to free herself from the Goblin King's hold but her strength was no match for his and she quickly gave up the futile effort as her aching body screamed out in protest.
"Easy, Sarah. I mean you no harm," Jareth said, carefully assisting her so that she could sit up on her own. He easily observed the signs of pain that passed over her blood-streaked face, heard the raspy quality in her voice, and he once again had to reign in his anger and concern. Before she could anticipate what he was about, he ran his hand over the slender column of her bruised throat. A warm, tingling sensation spread through her flesh and the pain eased considerably. He then reached for her legs, but she yanked them from his grasp, tucking them under her ruined skirt.
"I only wish to help. I can take away the remainder of your discomfort, if you'd allow it."
Not entirely sure she could trust him, Sarah remained still, staring at the face she remembered all too well. He looked the same, if maybe a little more haggard than he had before. His chiseled face showed lines of fatigue, but it was still as hauntingly beautiful as it had been two years earlier.
"Why are you here? What have you done with Toby?" she demanded in a rush, in no small part to distract herself from her own wayward thoughts. Why on earth was she admiring his fair features and the cut of his tight black attire? Her little brother had vanished. That should be foremost in her mind.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah noticed the dark-haired man bristle at her offensive, demanding tone, and he took a slight step in her direction.
"Stand down, Bram," Jareth commanded sternly. Turning his patient gaze back to Sarah, he reached for her hand before he spoke, wrapping his own around it in a beseeching manner. She wanted to shake free of the contact, but for some reason she felt oddly comforted by his touch. "Sarah... I swear to you that I had nothing to do with your brother's abduction. I am here because I sensed the danger and came to protect you." His hypnotic eyes held hers for a moment, and she knew he was telling her the truth, though she wasn't sure why she believed him.
"Then who is responsible?" She asked him, pulling her hand from his. She had to remain focused, a task that proved increasingly difficult with him so near. His presence, so vital, so... sensuous, was decidedly overwhelming.
In an instant, Jareth was on his feet, pulling her into a standing position, his arms steadying her until she could balance her weight without loosing her footing.
"Young Toby was taken by a small group of Unseelie radicals. That is all I can tell you right now," he replied cryptically.
"Why? Why Toby?"
"Your brother was insurance, I believe. They needed a hostage and you managed to elude capture."
"Just get him back," she bid him forcefully, her attention not entirely focused on what he had said, her overly-stimulated brain too muddled to sort through Fae politics just then.
Jareth regarded her intensely, seeing a golden opportunity present itself and weighing his options for how he could best use it to his advantage. Setting his self-serving plan in motion, he affected a dramatic sigh.
"I'm afraid it isn't that easy, Sarah. I would like to be of assistance, but I cannot."
Sarah felt as though her stomach had dropped to her bare feet. "What? Why not?"
"To pursue your brother's abductors would be a very perilous endeavor. It could very well lead to all-out war. As King of the Goblin Realm and High Prince of the Underground, I must consider the safety and well-being of my kingdom. I am not at liberty to rush into a hasty attack without considering all of the ramifications."
"What ramifications?"
"Well," he drawled, moving to stand in front of her, knowing that the close proximity would rattle her even further. He didn't want her to forget for one second how attracted she found herself to his charms."It is my duty to rule my kingdom with the welfare of my subjects in mind. It wouldn't be fair to risk my soldiers or myself for a cause that does not concern us. If something untoward should happen to me, the whole of the Underground could be thrown into total chaos. And since I have no queen or rightful heir, the repercussions of my demise would be far-reaching, indeed."
Outrage poured through Sarah, making her grow bold. "Why, you heartless bastard!" she fumed, rising up in a fit of dudgeon, her face now a mere inch or so from his. "Is this some sort of payback because I didn't let you win?"
Jareth watched the passion building within her. Gods, but she was magnificent! Her luminous green eyes were filled with fire, her porcelain cheeks flushed with her anger.
"Come, now, Sarah. That was rather harsh. Despite your low opinion of me, I am quite above such pettiness. I was merely stating the facts." It was almost beyond his control not to grin. He wanted so much to gather her in his arms and coddle his ruffled little bird.
"So how do I rescue Toby then?" Sarah demanded, struggling against her desire to slap the indifferent expression off his haughty face.
"Yes... that is a predicament, isn't it?" he asked, his hand coming to rest on his chin as if deep in thought. "Even if, by some stroke of luck, you could rescue the lad, the fact remains that he would never be able to return here again."
"What do you mean? Why can't he return here again?"
Jareth shifted his weight, adopting a nonchalant contrapposto stance. He casually examined the fingernails of his right hand, as though he'd grown thoroughly bored with the conversation.
"You won his safe passage back to your world, Sarah. By the laws of the Underground, any mortal who ventures to the magical realms for a second time must remain there forever."
"But surely you could make an exception! He was abducted. He didn't go back willingly." Sarah was becoming dizzy, the stress and worry taking it's toll.
"I'm afraid not. The law is ancient and iron-clad. I couldn't change it if I wanted to." He looked up, a brief expression of pity crossing his smooth features.
"Is there no way to save him? Even if he can't return home, couldn't you make sure he is safe and well-cared for?" she asked, tears welling up in her emerald eyes. The thought of her brother being forced to return to the Labyrinth filled her with anguish, but it had to be better than the alternative. Sarah had learned first-hand how brutal the ones who had taken Toby could be. Somehow, she knew in her heart that the Goblin King wasn't even remotely as evil as the fae who had him now.
Jareth moved forward, circling her, apparently giving the matter some thought.
"I would help, Sarah, but I would need an appropriate offer of payment to risk so much. I'm afraid you would not be willing to pay the price I'd ask."
"And that would be...?"
With a graceful flick of his wrist, Jareth produced a small, glittering crystal, which he proceeded to roll across his fingertips.
"Really, Sarah..." he replied, disappointed. "I thought it would be obvious."
Sarah studied his smug countenance, dread filling her as she watched the crystal sphere glide over his gloved left hand. She shuddered, understanding dawning in her troubled mind.
"Fear you, love you, do as you say..." she mumbled, lost in reverie, unaware that she had spoken the words out loud.
"Yes, Precious. Precisely."
Sarah's head began to move from left to right in an unintentional gesture of denial.
"No. I can't," she breathed. "I can't."
"Then forget the baby."
Pain lashed through her as she heard those words from so long ago. She sat down on the edge of Toby's little bed, lovingly fingering the satin edging of his blanket. Never had she felt such heartbreak, not even when the goblins had taken her brother away.
"What are you asking of me?" she asked, her voice quivering.
"Just to look at what I'm offering you," he implored her, handing her the crystal.
Sarah looked into the opalescent globe that felt so heavy in her slender fingers. The picture within cleared, showing her seated upon a gilded throne. She was dressed in a resplendent gown of silver, a jeweled tiara resting upon her intricately-arranged sable tresses. Jareth stood behind her, holding a beautiful flaxen-haired child, the very image of the glorious fae king. Just below her, perched on the dais stairs, sat Toby, looking pampered and happy, playing with a hideously ugly little goblin.
"You want me to marry you?" she whispered.
"Yes. That is exactly what I want. I want you to give me my heir."
The room seemed to be closing in on her. She was finding it difficult to breathe.
Seeing her uncertainty, Jareth pressed on, desperate to gain her compliance.
"A life for a life, Sarah. Is it really so much to ask? I will save your brother and provide a safe home for the two of you. You will have everything you've ever desired. All I ask for is a child of my own; an heir to inherit my kingdom."
Sarah looked dazed. He kneeled before her, his bare hand sliding over her shoulder, trailing up her neck to rest once more on her cheek. His thumb brushed delicately over her full lower lip. He looked into her glistening eyes, his own mismatched orbs holding her gaze against her will.
"It is an honor I give you, Sarah. My regard for you is great. You are the one I have chosen above all others. Just accept my offer and everything will turn out alright. I promise you."
In the corner, Bram looked away from the unfolding scene, feeling like a voyeur. He had never seen his ruler in such an intimate situation before and it made him rather uncomfortable.
"I can never return..." she whispered, more to herself than to him.
"No, Love, you cannot. But you will be with your brother again. And you will be a queen. You were not meant to live an ordinary life in this ordinary place. You were meant for greater things."
"My parents... what about them?"
"They will have no memory of the two of you."
"Will the Unseelie go after them also?"
"It isn't likely, but I can place a protection spell over them. They will remain safe."
Sarah weighed his words carefully, although she already felt lost. His pull on her was strong. She wanted nothing more, at that moment, than to accept his offer, to return to that magical place she dreamed of so often.
Why am I ready to give in so easily? she wondered. Why did she actually feel almost eager to return? It made no sense to her, but she was past caring. All that mattered was saving her brother.
Sarah clenched the crystal in her palm and squared her narrow shoulders, resolving herself to do what she must.
"Alright. You win."
Pure, savage, unadulterated joy swept through Jareth as soon as the words left her mouth.
"What's said is said."
She was his.