I have so many ideas milling over in this one! I'm making it a three shot, maybe more if I have to, and I would love to hear more suggestions!
I don't own the Labyrinth~
Greedily, she traced her fingers over the mirror, delighting in how the glass surface betrays her eyes into thinking she's in a spring meadow while the room she is in is dark because even in the Underground the stars can't light everything. But she grimaced and winced, a pang of hunger gnawing at her stomach a bit like a serpent chews it's tail in ire, perhaps skipping midday meal and supper was an ill choice, but she didn't want to disturb the kitchen staff at this hour. She sighed, and glanced back at the room, and decided it was more fortuitous to dispel the illusion, and the meadow changed back into a dull reflection of the bedroom.
From the bed, Jareth moaned quietly, "Sarah, love," his voice was thick with sleep, "come back to bed," and his fingers twitched weakly. She gave a fond smile and stepped across the flagstone floor to the bed, her feet cold as they occasionally touched the stone where the rugs didn't cover. The bed was covered in swaths of linen and cotton due to the increasingly hot summer days, and Sarah had little trouble with her achy joints when she climbed on top of the thick bed-pad.
She gently pecked his pointed ear, and murmured, "Back," and carefully settled herself among the many sheets that were haphazardly splayed over the bed, cautious not to shift the ones that covered her sleeping lover. But, instead of leaving her to her side, Jareth's arm reached out, and tucked her securely into his side, sighing when her back touched his warm chest. She loved these moments, where all was still in the world, and she was free to dream with Jareth without madness.
.o.O.o.
"Jareth," she whispered worriedly, her pallor was suddenly ashen and grey where it had been tinged green before, but he was pointedly looking away. "Jareth," she repeated, tugging on his sleeve once, and his head snapped to look over at her, "Please excuse me, I need to leave urgently," she pleaded quietly, but he felt the need to punish her for her imprudence.
"Sarah," he replied archly, "Surely you can withstand a few more minutes of my company? Gods know that you shy away from me the rest of the day." He leaned over his plate to swallow a potato, but her eyes followed him, her plate untouched.
But decorum made her stay there, watching as he ate each piece from his full plate, and then finally, when he reached to finish the last of his mead, he spat out, "Leave, wench, if I so offend you."
With that, she muttered, "I'm sorry Milord, excuse me," and she ducked behind the tapestry that hid a door to the nearby corridor. He snorted angrily, and looked arrogantly over the beautiful court before him, all of them knowing better then to comment on Lady Sarah's abrupt departure, though one or two women of her household did exchange worried glances.
Jareth sighed, and looked over the crowd again, his irritated face hiding an inner weariness and fiddled with the ring under his glove. It was a rather foolish token of affection when they had first gotten married, rings meant little to the fae, they didn't exchange them in bonding, but she found it pleasing to the eye, and he couldn't deny her when she insisted he wear it.
Ah, yes, Sarah.
That was a well of... well... shit.
Bitterness, and bad decisions, those were first and foremost in his mind, irrationality on his part too,
But weakness had killed the love of his mother and father; perhaps, this could all be settled in time. And gods know he has plenty of it with Sarah.
"Sarah," he breathed, idly brushing the mark on his wrist, it was a frightening, sickly, yellow, and he felt powerless to do anything.
But he is as he is, was, and shall be.
He fisted his napkin, and threw it down on the table, standing up as he did. The court swirled as all the women bowed low and the men inclined their heads. He curtly inclined his head, and left for his private library.
.o.O.o.
"Jareth," she moaned, "Please, stay a while, Jareth," and Octina shook her head ruefully, wiping the sweat off her brow, and Sarah opened one eye weakly.
"Sarah," she whispered, "You've miscarried again," and Sarah's brow crumpled as the second eye opened to weep with the other, "It's a little after midday now, lunch will be served within the hour, do you feel well enough?" to go pretend, was said silently. But Sarah's silent tear tracks were enough to tell the handmaiden she was in no condition to eat in front of people, much less her husband, and despite the way Sarah's eyes hardened to sit up, she wordlessly pushed her back down into the bed. Octina frowned even more as she saw the stains spreading even more on the bed sheets, no matter, it was probably better that it all left her now, rather than staying inside and becoming infected, she would have the sheets sent to the trusted maidens, they wouldn't spread news of this through the castle as some of the younger girls were prone to. "Sarah," she said carefully, "when did the pains begin? It's very important you tell me," she searched her face intently.
"I had trouble sleeping," she whispered, her eyes distant, "but I had an ache as I dressed, and I felt pain when I sat down for breakfast."
"Thank you Sarah," Octina said softly, "now, you rest, I'll help you wash when you're ready… okay Sarah?" but Sarah's eyes were closed already as exhaustion took her again. Octina sighed, and smoothed out the covers once more, she cast a small warming charm, hopefully she wouldn't develop a fever while alone, with that, she securely locked the door to the queen's private chambers and left to go to luncheon.
.o.O.o.
Jareth sat at the head table alone, not all the courtiers came to lunch, many took it in their rooms, in private halls, or at a different time, but he was always joined by Sarah, or rather, Sarah always sat there, smiling and chatting with the other courtiers. But today, he sat alone, silently beginning to seethe, but he sat with a plain face. A few nobles stepped up to inquire as to where Lady Sarah was, but her handmaiden always seemed to appear and quip she was resting and feeling a little ill. Luncheon was served for a full two hours, allowing some to come in early and for others to arrive late. But Jareth stayed for most of the two hours, and still Sarah did not appear.
Jareth was about to sulk away, as the last stragglers were still eating, when a familiar face sat next to him.
"Jareth," the smirking face purred, "how fare thee, my liege?"
"Oh shut up, Titus," he snapped back, breaking the serene mask his face was in, and a few of the last people sitting exchanged worried looks and listened intently, hoping to hear some gossip only to turn away as they realized it was only Titus.
"Oh Jareth, I would almost think you didn't like me," the smirk dropped, but the teasing tone remained, and the dark haired fae pulled up a plate and began to take from the dishes set on the table. Jareth scowled at his most trusted adviser, as Titus swiftly cut up some sweet meats and elegantly tasted some, "I think they stock your table a bit better then they do mine, though I suppose they do know you like elderberry and put it in many of your dishes, are they even in season yet?"
"Mmmm," Jareth hummed, "not yet, these are preserves from last harvest, there won't be more until the next month or so." He grimaced at his cousin, before sighing a bit, and reaching for a bit more of the sweet meats that he was digging into, he was a bit more hungry he supposed, having as much magic as he did needed quite a bit of energy.
Titus shot him an irritated glance, still cutting up more of the food, "I talked to a kitchen maid and she said your stores were all empty."
Jareth rolled his eyes, and took a small bit of the food, "Sleeping with kitchen maids won't get you any of the King's private store of elderberry, Titus."
Titus wrinkled his nose, "You hate using that title, that must be the only time I know that you use it with excess, with your stupid elderberries."
They sat in companionable silence, Jareth still irritated, and Titus contemplative as he finished up his plate of meats and potatoes. "So," Titus began, scooping up the last dredges of meats and such on his fork, "where would Sarah happen to be today? I do love to see her face."
Jareth dropped his fork and glowered at Titus, "Her nurse says she's ill, and that she's resting now."
Titus pursed his lips, "She looked mighty peaky this morning as well, a few little birdies told me that she was rather ill when she left morning meal," Titus arched a thin black eyebrow, "but, of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Jareth gave an equally arched look, "She began the meal saying she was ill, but left at the end."
"Well," Titus began, voice calm and lilting, "the birdies tell me quite a bit, are you sure it was illness that took Lady Sarah from morning meal?"
"Are you suggesting it's not her health that puts her away?" Jareth snapped, "That there are other things that would restrain her to her chambers?" His lips pressed into a thinner line.
Titus merely glared at him, "I'm not saying anything, but you should tend to her, it's worrisome to see her in that state." Acid leaked into his tone, as did worry, and his eyes widened as Jareth stood up abruptly, a loud crack waking a sleeper or two in the emptied hall, his hand reached to snatch his cousin's cuff, but the storming fae had already gotten out of his grasp.
He stood up worriedly, Jareth had taken it wrong, all wrong and now-
He began to run after the seething King, who used his knowledge of the castle to sneak through hidden corridors, leaving Titus to sprint the long way to Sarah's chambers. Passing through the courtyard, a hastily waved sign made a loyal guard pull and release an arrow into the ivy trellis adjacent to Sarah's window, giving a low, warning, thud to the inhabitants within.
Octina began to curse, and she rashly stood up, bumping into the bed and waking the delirious Sarah, who began to cry out and moan feverishly. Octina tried to quiet her, but she quickly left the room, and threw the heavy lock behind her, a shuddering, wooden, groan indicating that it was securely locked, and she hid the key within her hood. She again smoothed her full skirts, and composed herself, when a livid Jareth appeared, on the edge of baring his teeth and growling at the woman.
His eyes blazed angrily, "My Lord," she said softly, when he was half way down the hall, "Lady Sarah is grievously ill."
He gave a horrible glare, eyes that were on the verge of blazing stared at her, and she was suddenly much, much, more afraid.
"My-" she stuttered, "my Lord, you, please- don't-"
"Give. me. the. key. woman." he enunciated each word as though they were death curses, and held his hand out to go to the room where loud moans and cries were escaping.
But she shook her head, defiantly protective to her beloved queen, "Nay, Lady Sarah-" Titus had caught up by then, huffing and eyes wildly worried as they shifted between the handmaiden and the King.
"Come every hell of the netherworld, Give me the Key Woman!" he shouted, "I will not sit outside while some man makes my wife his own!"
There was a loud crack, as her hand met his cheek, and she snarled, "How dare you!" her eyes were livid, and where she had been afraid, she was filled with scorching determination, the red imprint of her hand only served to heighten her sense of power.
He glowered, and stepped past her, but instead of being met with solid doors, with a short incantation, as Master of the Palace, the doors unlocked themselves, and swung open, revealing the fevered Sarah on the floor, panting and crying out as her temperature soared.
He was taken aback, instead of being met with a pair of shameful lovers, sweet Sarah was sprawled out, moaning and weeping in a delirium.
I won't lie, I really love Titus. He's such a sweet, intelligent, creature, even if he doesn't always show it. I had originally written him a very large part in "Only a Dream"... but I think I've moved on from that *laughs nervously and hopes no one remembers it* So, this is just the snippet I wanted to include where I introduce him.
Behind the desk sat a fae man, and she was struck by the resemblance between him and Jareth. They had the same build, lean yet muscular, and the same strong jaw, and their eyes both blazed with cunning, though this man's were kindly to her. Where Jareth's hair was fair and untamed, his was black, slightly curled, and cropped short, his eyes were two colors of gray, one a light dawn and his brother a dark stormy gray, and his whole demeanor seemed less commanding. His skin was more tinged peach then Jareth's was, just as pale but less white.
He stood up, with a kind smile; she noticed his lips were fuller too, as she stood a meter or so in front of the desk.
I would love to hear more advice, and I love reviews! 3 3
Chapter three will be coming out soon! [Reviews make it come faster!]