Disclaimer: Hmmm…. I'm running out of jackash things to say.
Chapter 8: Impatient King
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They stared at each other for a while. Two hot heads and only one table.
After the initial shock and the true reason Sarah returned to the Labyrinth revealed, Jareth got quickly annoyed at her focus not being on himself.
"Where are they?"
"Fine."
"Not what I asked." Sarah sat with a fear that was only clouded by the outrage she felt at being whisked away once again by him and separated from her friends.
They sat in a cold heat. Sarah didn't recognize the room that they were in. It looked like a small study. She could hear the chatter and ruckus of his goblins from the other side of the castle.
He looked good. Infuriatingly good, while she most likely didn't.
For some reason he liked to change his clothing for every new situation while she most likely looked like a dirty, smudge faced rat. Right now he sat splendidly across from her in a rouge velvet jacket that buttoned on the side and dark grey pants with an even darker grey pair of boots.
It was hard to believe that her shirt had once been white. And her jacket couldn't be referred to as 'blue' jean anymore. Damned black dirt.
"What is this, Jareth? What are we doing?"
"Sitting, talking, longing… all of the above perhaps."
"Shut up. What are we doing? Where are my friends?" His nostrils flared at being told to shut up, but then she watched as he seemed to consider how to respond.
His fingers toiled a long strand of white hair, an almost female trait that she had never seen a man do, but looked almost natural coming from him.
Slowly he answered her.
"You know…." Then he stopped and seemed to consider her again.
"Know what, Jareth? Spit it out." Sarah urged impatiently.
He nodded and stuck out his bottom lip in a thoughtful manner. "You know Agnes? My subject living in the trash heap just outside the city? I believe you met her yesterday…" He added impassively.
The hell? "Umm? So?"
"Well, I don't think she'd be so keen on you competing for her title as the junk lady. Would you like to take a bath?"
"What the hell?! Jareth!"
"So you don't want to then? You like looking like this?" He looked at her sideways. "Smelling like this?"
"I don't smell!"
"Like roses. Lets get you into a bath. MAID!" He hollered.
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Apparently none of his goblins had a name. Or if they did, Jareth didn't care or remember. It was rather amusing watching him issue orders.
"You get the bath ready. You find her fresh smelling soaps. You find her clean towels and I mean clean or you'll be cleaned by the cleaners YOU UNDERSTAND ME? No, not you! You! Get to work! The rest of you get out of my way."
Then he would proceed to kick whichever one was closest to his boot for emphasis. And man, did they make air.
Sarah caved into his suggestion for one reason: To think over her future argument with Jareth (basically the best way to dupe him) and to feel more human and less like a compost pile.
Which, incidentally is two reasons, but that's not really the issue.
The bath was cruddy and rude, but very large. It was cut out of the floor and looked big enough to do at least a few tiny laps around it.
She knew this, because she tried.
It took her 60 seconds to make one and a half laps.
Sarah grinned for a moment considering what it would be like if she had one like it at home.
She would totally throw bath-parties.
Well, no she wouldn't.
That's a little lesbian. But she could…
The goblins left her all kinds of fancy soaps too, all pretty in antique looking bottles. She plucked a green one and pulled out the dark wooden plug with a pop.
It smelled rich, like old ladies perfume.
Casting it aside and picking another in a red bottle which smelled like wine of all things she eventually choose one with orangey glass that smelled like peach.
She had already poured it on her washcloth and was fully lathered when she remembered the rule about the Labyrinth and peaches.
"Crap!"
It was all over her. "'nnneeeeeeh'…" She whined absurdly as she spastically washed off her body. And then cringed at the suds that floated away innocently.
"Sarah- exactly how long do you plan to stay in there? We have much to discuss."
The sound had made her freeze like being caught in a spotlight. It was Jareth's unhappy monotone coming from behind a curtain not six feet away from
her…very…naked…body.
"DON'TYOUDARECOMEINHERE!" Covering herself she crashed down into the water all the way up to her chin. She made a big wave and water crashed over the edge.
"Gracious Sarah, what do you take me for? I wouldn't do that."
"Why?"
"That sort of behavior is strictly forbidden."
"Claims the guy who makes the rules…"
"I cannot, will not, lay eyes on flesh I have not wedded!" He stated as if it was an obvious taboo.
"Really?" Sarah questioned distrustfully.
"Yes really. Now I want you get out and get ready."
"Are we going to talk about my friends?"
"No, the wedding. Get out now. I do not like waiting…"
"What wedding?"
"Our wedding."
"We don't have a wedding."
"Oh we don't?" Jareth regarded in a snarky voice. The voice of a man past the 'let's play nice' stage. "We didn't before you were so rude to me. Now you don't have a choice."
"Like hell I don't. You sonova-"
"No you don't." He interrupted her. "You entered the Labyrinth of your own free will. You surrendered yourself here -never to leave again."
Okay. After she saved Hoggle she was going to kill him.
She didn't know what to say. She should've been using this time to think not doing laps or playing with soaps. Stupid low attention span. He really had her pinned. Was there a way back to her world? Hoggle and the others seemed to have found a way if she could get them alone she could ask them how they did it.
"And my friends…?"
"Forget your damned friends and get out of the bath!"
"Why?! So you can bend me to your dirty will? The way you described it I'm safe in here."
"Sarah…"
"You said you won't come in right??"
"Of course… but-"
"Ha ha! Then I'm right! When I'm in the buff you can't come near me. You said it yourself, it's strictly forbiddennnn..." She taunted in a falsetto nasally voice.
"Sarah, don't be silly." He really hoped she wasn't going to do this to him. He didn't trust himself around her. He touched the curtain, imagining what was on the other side.
"Uh uh your highness, don't peak! I'm highly indecent right now!"
"SARAH DAMNIT! I WILL NOT PLAY THIS GAME!"
"Then don't! Easy, breezy, beautiful uncovered giiirl!" She sang as she splashed the water around her. "The most comfortable suit I own is my birthday one!"
"Sarah, Damnit, I cannot believe you can be this immature…"
"You say immature, I say brilliant. You shall not passss bwawawa!" She mocked in her deepest man voice.
"Idiot girl. I will not be made a fool of by my own gallantry! I am a king of noble blood. Do not make me go back on my vows, they are of deepest importance to me."
"Me too."
"Sarah, you will do as I say and get out of the tub and into some clothing."
"Of course, scribble off the whole marriage idea and I'll happily come out."
"No!" He exclaimed in an almost growl.
"Then no for me as well. This room shall remain unsuitable for ages under eighteen due to its graphic content."
She heard a swak and she knew he just smacked his forehead. "Ugh…"
Hey! She had officially found a good way to piss him off.
"That's it. You win. I will go against my vows as royalty to get you out of there. But you will pay for this later, you hear me? I will not forget this indignity. Nor will it be ever taken lightly. As your first punishment you will wed me tonight. I'm coming in."
There was a pause. And then the curtain came swinging back so aggressively it was partly ripped.
He stood there. The candlelight shone around his hair in almost a halo. His eyes widened at the sight of her.
She was…
She was…
He was speechless. He'd just given up his vows. One's he made centuries ago, before he'd even come to rule over the Labyrinth in a matter of minutes and-
She was…
Was…
dressed.
"Your goblins left me this little white nightgown before they left. It was rather thoughtful, really."
"Sarah."
"Mmmhmm?"
"I just broke part of an oath that granted me my leadership… and you…you…" He couldn't seem to say it.
"I…?"
"Wouldn't even let me see you naked?" He looked like he wanted to cry. "All those years…I was so faithful…"
And he was crying, at least on the inside.
"The world is cruel to you, Jareth." Sarah stated calmly.
He sank to the floor with a small whimper.
She would not get away with this.
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. Next Chapter: One, two royal pains
Sorry, just another chapter of pure nonsense. tee hee.