Chapter 3
(Mine)
Jareth sat in the window of his throne room looking out at the Labyrinth. In less than an hour he would claim the mortal that had beat him and his magnificent maze.
Bring us our queen The Labyrinth pleaded as it had since the girl left.
Today I will bring her home The King replied through his mind. It was but a moment that he felt the very air hum with excitement. A small smile graced Jareth's face at the joy and approval the Labyrinth felt at the news.
Do not get to excited Sarah can be stubborn and may not be happy about this.
Lady Sarah is ours. She is yours. The maze said unconcerned. We will have what we want. Queen must learn to accept she belongs to us. We will not rescind our claim! No one may rule us at your side but the once mortal human that beat us. On this we will not be swayed.
You need not fear my friend. Whether happy or angry I will have Lady Sarah at my side for eternity. I warn you though should she try and refuse me again I will not be kind. Sarah will be your Mistress but I am the Master. The Goblin King said firmly.
Sarah must be made queen. We care not if she agrees or if you force it so long as the marriage takes place. Do what you must to make her ours.
Jareth smiled an arrogant and almost cruel smile knowing the Labyrinth and he were in agreement. Even the Labyrinth would not protect the girl from him. Pleased he sent out a silent summons for his Captain. It was time to prepare to claim his bride.
Green eyes slowly opened as the sun's rays gently awakened her. Sarah blinked a few times before looking at the clock on the nightstand by her bed. She smiled seeing it was just after 8AM. She'd have enough time to take a shower, eat breakfast, and get ready for church; for once without rushing.
She stretched her arms and sitting up in bed she yawned and then swung her legs off the side and allowed her feet to slide into her white fuzzy slippers. She slipped her pink fuzzy robe on and decided to head for the shower. The day was off to an excellent start. With any luck Toby would already be downstairs and not walk in on her again.
Sarah shook her head as she thought of the broken door lock her father still hadn't fixed. 'I should've told him the only thing I wanted for my birthday was for him to fix the lock.' She thought to herself.
Nenet paced back and forth as she waited to begin her duty of luring Sarah through the veil and into the underground.
"Feeling Impatient?"
Nenet looked over to see Ian leaning against a tree watching her pace. "If I blow this the king will have my head!"
"True," The short haired blonde fae man replied. "You'll do fine. I will stay around and if need be I'll cause her to follow after you."
"You're rather calm about this," Nenet commented. "You have seen her stubborn side. I don't think even you believe Lady Sarah will go racing into our kings arms."
"No, I do not," The Future Queen's Captain agreed. "His Majesty doesn't even believe our future queen will react well."
"What if she refuses him?" Nenet said as she began braiding her hair. "King Jareth will not react well and you know how harsh he can be. I like Lady Sarah. I do not wish to see her suffer at his hands should she anger him."
Ian watched the woman and listened to her concerns in silence. He knew she was even more unsettled than she wanted anyone to know when he saw her begin to braid her hair. The captain had noticed long ago Nenet braided her hair when she became very unsettled but had never commented on it.
"What do we do?"
"We are responsible for our lady's safety but we must not betray our king," He replied gently. Nenet opened her mouth to speak and the Fae man quickly said, "That does not mean we should not help our future Queen where we can. The King will protect her from his enemies and once she accepts her fate I believe he will be very good to her."
"If they don't kill each other first," Nenet remarked crossing her arms.
The woman sighed and looked through the trees toward the church not far away. "She loves her family Ian. Being taken away from them will hurt her deeply. Her time in the Labyrinth really changed her."
Ian watched the Fae woman with sympathy but was glad their sovereign wasn't there. The king would not be pleased by the woman's soft heartedness toward the woman he would claim. "We shall simply have to help her adjust."
Hazel eyes narrowed his direction less than pleased by his words.
"Do not misunderstand Nenet. I do not wish the girl to be hurt either but it can't be helped. Our King and the Labyrinth are united on having her. The best thing we can do is try to help her adjust to her new life. Lady Sarah will have a lot to learn and you are in the position to help her as a member of her personal guard. They may be stubborn and which one is the most stubborn may depend on the day." Nenet snickered at her captain's comment knowing how true it was.
"If they do not come together immediately then we must help them come together. Lady Sarah does not know King Jareth. She only knows her trip through the Labyrinth. The King does not fully know Sarah and he's watched her from before she ever wished her brother away. We will have to open their eyes to each other if they do not do it naturally."
The fae woman lowered her eyes at the ground feeling defeated. "You're right. What I think doesn't matter. The Labyrinth and our King will have Sarah one way or another." Slowly she looked back up at the blonde fae. "I just hope she'll forgive me for not telling her who I was in the beginning."
"That we can blame his majesty for," Ian announced and jumped suddenly hearing the churches belles. The redhead giggled and Ian glared at her mockingly; causing her to giggle more.
"Do shut up and get ready. It's time." He watched as a sad frown crossed the fae woman's round face before she transformed into a kitten. "Off with you," The captain ordered. Nenet let out a small meow and headed toward the tree line. Ian shook his head as he watched Nenet in her orange cat form. He had no doubt in her kitten form the Fae woman would be able to lure Lady Sarah away from the safety of her family and world.
Sarah walked out down the ten steps that lead up to the brick and white Presbyterian Church sanctuary calmly while she watched Toby race down the stairs and into the front grass to play with some other boys; Cheryl right behind him.
The dark haired girl smiled as she watched her little brother race around with three other boys dodging around the boys mothers.
Feeling a chill she rubbed her arms. 'I should've listened to Cheryl and brought my jacket; at least I wore a sweater,' She thought as her hands rubbed over the arms of the gold and Cream striped sweater with a V neck. The girl was also thankful she'd at least listened enough to have chosen to wear gold corduroy pants so her legs didn't freeze.
Sarah glanced away from her brother and looked over at the car. Sitting in the car sounded like a good idea to get out of the cold air. "I'll wait in the car," She called to Cheryl. The blonde woman nodded and the teenage girl quickly headed for the car.
Reaching the car the girl went to open the door when she heard a cat meow. Surprised she looked over to see an orange at white kitten near the tree line. Sarah immediately looked around for its owner but no one else was around.
'Poor thing,' Sarah thought to herself. She let go of the door handle and walked over to where the kitten was standing by a tree. "What are you doing out here?" She asked with concerned green eyes.
The girl shivered feeling the wind hit her back. "I can't leave you out here. Who knows what would happen to you." Sarah reached down to pick the kitten up but the creature quickly moved just out of its reach.
"Hold still," Sarah said as she missed the kitten again and again. "How am I supposed to pick you up if you keep moving?"
Ian watched as Nenet skillfully moved their future queen away from the parking lot and into the forest. Watching he couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for the unsuspecting girl. Sarah clearly had a kind heart as she tried to catch the small creature in hopes of taking care of it and saving it from the bitter cold that was quickly emerging.
"Wait!" Sarah called and chased after the scampering kitten. "I won't hurt you I promise!" Sarah continued to follow the kitten heading further and further into the woods. Her eyes became so focused on trying to keep up and catch the creature she did not even notice when the scenery around her began to change.
The trees she had once been around were no longer present and neither was the cold wind. It wasn't until Sarah suddenly felt hot and the kitten stopped that she realized something was different.
"That was quite a…" Sarah's eyes widened as she saw a familiar looking dirt hill before her. She stopped reaching for the kitten as her eyes fixated on the area ahead of her.
"It can't be!" Sarah said as fear began to take hold of her. Forgetting the kitten she quickly walked toward the hill. While part of her was afraid of what she'd find the other part of her had to know. She raced up the side of the hill and at the top came to a dead stop.
"No," She said barely above a whisper as her eyes focused on the sight of the Labyrinth once again. "This can't be happening. I didn't wish anyone away!"
"One does not necessarily have to wish something away to come here."
Sarah turned around and was somewhat relieved to not see Jareth. Her relief quickly faded however as her eyes fell on the armor and sword the man wore. Looking at his face her fears were confirmed. The man before her was not human.
"Who are you?"
"I am Ian, Captain of your personal guard." He watched as the once human woman quickly looked confused. "I believe you are already familiar with one of your other personal guards."
Sarah watched as he gestured to the kitten and watched as the kitten appearance faded and a face she recognized emerged.
"Nenet?" Sarah asked becoming alarmed. "What's going on?"
"You've been led home."
Sarah stiffened as she instantly recognized the voice behind her. She swallowed hard knowing it was the Goblin King. "Take me home," She said with forced calmness.
"You are home," Jareth spoke into her ear.
Sarah whirled around faster than even the king expected. "No I'm not! I don't belong here! You take me home!" The suddenly angry woman replied. "You have no."
Jareth abruptly put his hand over her mouth. "You may want to rethink that statement," The Goblin King growled. "I have all power over you as a subject of this kingdom and therefore have every right!"
Sarah tore his hand away from her mouth. "I am not your subject!"
"Wrong little girl," He replied. "You were bitten by a Labyrinth pixie and while eating the fae fruit may have saved your life it did not nullify the effects of the bite."
"How did you know….wait who cares if I was bit? That doesn't mean I'm your subject!" She said hotly crossing her arms and glaring at him.
Jareth internally smirked. 'The girl clearly didn't learn more about the fae after being here,' He thought to himself. "The bite of a Labyrinth Pixie is fatal to humans in most cases. You are alive because of the bite of peach you ate," He informed her.
Slowly the king began to walk around the confused girl. "You see the bite you received changed your DNA as you humans call it. You're not human anymore Sarah."
"What? Of course I'm human! Look at me?!"
Jareth smiled arrogantly behind her. "You appear human but this is quickly changing. Have you not noticed changes since you left the labyrinth?"
Sarah listened but couldn't think of anything. She was sure she hadn't suddenly sprouted a tail and turned green or received goblin traits.
"Perhaps things you may have struggled with before became suddenly easy for you? Do you not suddenly feel colder easier?" He suggested. Sarah remained silent but little movements she made told him she'd experienced differences.
"Your change is the result of a creature of the Labyrinth. Normally the change would kill a human because of the high intensity of magic. It is venomous to a human. However the fruit of the labyrinth gives a humans body the needed energy and healing in order to compensate and allow the change without killing the victim. Because the pixie and the fruit you ate is from the Labyrinth you have become the subject of the ruler of the Labyrinth. As King of the Goblins, Master of the Labyrinth that makes you mine."
"No!" Sarah shouted and turned to face him accusingly. "You're a liar! You trick people! You're just trying to get revenge because I beat you!" The angry girl screamed at him.
"Silence!" Jareth snapped at the defiant girl. "I am your king and you would do well to remember it!"
"You're a liar!"
"When did I ever lie to you Sarah?! Name one time, during your run, that I lied!" Jareth challenged.
Sarah ran through the events in her head before finally coming to the conclusion that she couldn't think of a single time. "No. Please let me go. I had to beat you. I had to get Toby back. It was my fault. Please let me go home!" The dark haired girl said becoming panicked as tears streamed down her face. "You can't just take me away!"
"I can do anything I want to little girl," Jareth said smugly. The king stepped toward her invading her personal space and bringing his lips to her ear said, "You may have made it through my Labyrinth and won back your brother little girl, but you lost yourself to me; still think you're the victorious one?"
Sarah snapped and stuck out at Jareth. She only got a couple of beats onto his chest before he grabbed both her wrists forcefully. "Let me go!" The dark curly haired girl screamed as she tried to yank her hands back.
"Enough!" He growled at her. "You are mine and I will never let you go!" Sarah opened her mouth to speak but the king was quicker. "Don't bother with saying it isn't fair Sarah. I was generous and allowed you two years to mature when I could've kept you at the end of your run!" He informed her before abruptly releasing her causing her to stumble.
"I may have to stay here but I will never be yours!"
Jareth laughed a wicked laugh. "How little you understand of your situation. You beat the Labyrinth and so have become titled Nobility. As the Labyrinth's champion you have earned the title of Lady. How fortunate for me that as a lady and my subject I can and do now lay claim on you."
Fear began to surge through her at his words. Her gut told her that there was something he hadn't said yet that she wouldn't like. "Fine I'm your subject but that's it!"
Jareth smiled arrogantly at her and watched as concern began to take hold of her face. "You're my subject Sarah but that is far from all. You are and will be anything I desire." He looked down and fiddled with his right glove. "You see as a member of Nobility you are of a stature acceptable for me to wed," He said raising his eyes to her at his last word.
"No," Sarah said shaking her head and stepping back from him. Suddenly the other Fae man's words of captain and personal guard came back to her and she looked at him. "He can't can he?" She said still shaking her head no. "Tell me…"
"His majesty has selected you Lady Sarah and so as his subject you cannot deny him," Ian said calmly. The fae man glanced just past Sarah to see his king looking very triumphant. "King Jareth has claimed you my lady and so it shall be. You will marry his majesty and bare the heir of the kingdom."
"I don't want…"
"It doesn't matter what you want it only matters what I want!" Jareth growled.
"I won't marry you," The green eyed girl said in a low, firm, and defiant voice.
Jareth's eyes narrowed as his arrogance began to turn into anger. Before Sarah could move the king grabbed the back of her hair and twisting it angrily pulled her closer to him causing her to bend awkwardly and yelp in pain. "You'll marry me whether you want to or not. You have no say here little girl." The King angrily pushed her away from him and with a wave of his hand she disappeared just before she hit the ground.
"My I inquire as to where you sent my charge?" Ian inquired.
"She's in an Oubliette." With that the king vanished.
"That went better than I thought," Nenet commented. "I thought he'd end up hitting her."
"It's only their first encounter," Ian replied; though was secretly surprised himself. "Court must have gone well this morning. Or he cancelled."
They both thought for a moment and looking at each other said, in unison, "Cancelled."