So here we have chapter 15 took me over 8 hours to write this so I hope you like it.
Chapter 15
Sarah's P.O.V
Sarah tossed and turned in the large ornate bed all through the night. She had found it hard to get to sleep, fears of what the day to come would have in store for her kept her wide awake for hours and when she did finally fall into an uneasy sleep her dreams were plagued with nightmarish images, she dreamt that Jareth would break his word and hurt her friends, she dreamt that she would never see her Father or Toby ever again and she dreamt that she be trapped with the Goblin king for the rest of her life with no escape.
Sarah bolted upright from her troubled sleep with a small cry upon her lips. She stared wide eyed around the room. With a small groan she dropped her head into her heads.
"Why couldn't it have all been a bad dream?" She muttered to herself.
"Lady sad?" A small voice murmured.
Sarah jumped with fright, tearing her hands away from her face to see where the voice had come from. There, sitting on the end of her bed who hadn't been there seconds before was Meep. The small Goblin still wore his saucepan hat and had Sarah's fake diamond necklace round his neck.
"Oh hey Meep, how'd you get in here, I thought I'd locked the door?" She had taken the precaution of locking the door after Greta had left, she didn't want any unwelcome visitors in the night. Although a locked door was hardly likely to stop Jareth from paying her a midnight visit, he could just magically appear in her room, perhaps his goblins had a similar power.
"Meep can appear anywhere in castle so long as king ain't spelled it." Meep chirped up.
"Spelled it?" Sarah asked? Meep nodded.
"King use magic on rooms he don't want Goblins popping into like King's study and King's bed-chamber and dungeon." at this last part Meep looked sheepishly up at her.
"Meep is sorry lady got in trouble, Meep should not have taken lady to dungeon." The little Goblin hung is head. Sarah reached over and patted the Goblin softly.
"Don't be sad Meep it wasn't your fault. I asked you to take me there remember."
"King very angry at Meep. King wouldn't kick Meep around the Throne room with the other Goblins." Meep said sadly. Sarah was puzzled by this.
"You like being kicked around the throne room?" she asked dubiously. Meep nodded vigorously.
"We likes to see how high and far we go. It's goblins second best game after chicken tossing!" Meep answered excitedly. Sarah shook her head Goblins were funny but odd little creatures and not for the first time she wonder what their strange fascination with chicken was.
"How did he find out that you helped me anyway?" she asked
"Bumble and Twitty told King."
"Were those the two fighting over the chicken?" Sarah asked, Meep nodded.
"Bumble and Twitty didn't want to stay in bog so they told king Meep helped Lady."
"Why the dirty little little sneaks." Sarah muttered.
"King now order all Goblins to watch Lady when Lady leaves her room." Meep whispered leaning in close to Sarah as if he thought they might be overhead.
"He's having you spy on me?" Sarah asked dismayed, how can I meet up with Alanna if I'm being watched?
"King says that we're not to let lady know that we is watching." Sarah gave Meep a questioning look.
"But Meep you just told me that the Goblins have to spy on me." Meep suddenly looked horror struck.
"Oh no! Bad Meep, bad Meep. King will bog Meep! No King will do worse than bog!" Meep wailed pulling his sauce pan over his face causing his cries to have a slight echo.
"Shh, it's ok Meep Shhhh, I promise Jareth won't find out." Sarah said trying to hush the small Goblin. Meep looked up from sobbing into his saucepan.
"Lady Promise? Lady won't tell King?" He asked hiccuping. Sarah smiled and shook her head.
"I won't if you won't."
Meep smiled back at her showing his uneven teeth.
A clicking noise from the door caused the two on the bed to turn. The door swung open and in bustled Greta holding an empty basket under one arm and hastily putting a key into the pocket of her dress. Behind her two more Goblins (who Sarah assumed were female due to their long tangled hair and their clothes) one carrying a bundle of sheets the other a tray.
"Good morning Lady Sarah, we've brought you some breakfast and nice clean shee-." The Goblin woman broke off catching sight of Meep on Sarah's bed.
"What is you doing in here!" she cried storming over to the bed and made shooing gestures at Meep, "you is not meant to be in here you naughty Goblin. This is Lady Sarah's room not yours!"
Meep hopped away from Great's 'shooing' hands and closer to Sarah.
"Oh please don't, I don't mind him in here honestly I don't, he's my friend." Sarah pleaded wrapping her arms around Meep.
"Friends with him! Oh no no no, the king would not like it Lady." Greta tutted.
"I don't care whether the King likes it or not!" Sarah snapped.
Meep wriggled free of her arms.
"Lady mustn't go against king! Remembers? King hurt Lady's friends if she upset him!" Meep hissed
Sarah had momentarily forgotten her deal with the Goblin King, but now she remembered and prayed that Jareth wouldn't find out what she'd said.
"Meep go now, Meep no want to get Lady in trouble again." Meep whispered before darting off the bed and rushed to the door, he stopped to give her a small wave before dashing off down the corridor.
"Bye Meep!" she called after him.
"Wells now that he's gone, would Lady like to get up?" Greta asked dropping the basket onto the floor next to the bed. Sarah looked towards the window, through a gap in the curtains she could see that while she had been talking it had started to get light. Sarah pushed back the covers and got out of the oversized bed.
While Greta had been scolding Meep, the other two Goblin women had busied themselves around the room. One was by the fireplace building up a small fire, the other had disappeared into the bathroom and due to the fact that Sarah could now hear running water had obviously run the bath.
"Good, now Lady can have her Bath while we make the bed and sort out your clothes." Greta said ushering her towards the bathroom, "King said he wanted you in the Throne room by nine so we mustn't dawdle." Sarah stopped.
"Why do I need to be in the Throne room by nine?" She asked turning to the Goblin.
"King has decided what ta do with those Traitors Lady, He's making it a public announcement he is, as Queen to be you are expected to be there."
"They are not Traitors, they are my friends!" Sarah said fiercely.
"Tut tut Lady it won't do to have friends who betray their King." Greta answered shaking her head.
"They did that to help me!" Sarah cried.
"Still they broke the rules and have to pay the price."
"Do you know what Jareth has got planned?" Sarah asked nervously.
"How should I know," Greta replied shaking her head, "I'm just your maid Lady Sarah."
And with that Greta turned to the goblin by the Fireplace.
"You, start setting out Lady Sarah breakfast!" She snapped. "And you!" she said rounding on the Goblin who had just exited Sarah's bathroom, "help me strip the bed!"
As the Goblins started to busy themselves around her room, Sarah stood still pondering just what Jareth had in store for her friends, he couldn't do anything that would harm them like kill them or have them beaten but that didn't mean that what he had planned would be pleasant.
"Lady you mustn't dawdle, you don't want king to get angry?" Greta hissed hurrying her towards the Bathroom. No Sarah didn't want to cross Jareth, not today, the last thing she wanted was to give him an excuse to not free her friends.
An hour later Sarah was dressed in a beautiful light blue and silver gown and seated at her table nibbling on a slice of toast from the breakfast tray. Greta was behind her using the magic hot brush to curl Sarah's hair and urging her to eat her eggs or some of the bacon. Sarah refused; her stomach was in knots she was beginning to get very nervous for her friends. Jareth didn't play fair, for all she knew he had left himself a loophole in their contract that meant he could do something terrible to her friends. She desperately wished that she had read the contract more carefully now, Jareth loved tricking her and there was nothing the same that he hadn't done so again. She was starting to feel sick; she dropped the toast and reached for her glass. Seconds later she spat out its contents. Peach juice.
"What is it Lady?" Great asked puzzled.
"Sorry," Sarah muttered mortified that she'd just spat juice all over the table. "I don't like peaches."
One of the smaller Goblins rushed over to hand Sarah the goblet of water from her bedside table and the other began to mop up the mess she'd made.
"Hey don't worry I can do that." Sarah said reaching over to stop the Goblin.
"No," Greta said, "that's her job Lady and we don't have time you must be in the Throne room in fifteen minutes." She said giving Sarah's hair a final brush, "There all done." She hurried over to put the brush down on Sarah's dressing table, before rushing back over and grabbing Sarah's hand.
"You two!" Greta barked at the Goblin's who jumped with fright. "Start cleaning up here while I take Lady Sarah to the Throne room." Sarah just had time to put the Goblet of water down before Greta pulled her up and out the door.
Why is she always in a rush? Sarah thought to herself as was pulled along corridors and up and down several flights of stairs. She had to grab hold of her skirts just to make sure she didn't trip. Minutes later they arrived in the Throne room, Sarah out of breath and Greta looking pleased with herself.
"Goods we aren't late." Greta said proudly looking around the crowed Throne room.
Sarah was glad to see that Jareth wasn't there yet. Sarah looked around the room which was packed with who she assumed to be the citizens of the Labyrinth, some she recognized from her journey through the Labyrinth, there were the Goblins from the Goblin army. The people from the junk yard, sitting under the window was the wise man (fast asleep) and his bird hat, who was telling anyone who would listen how stimulating his life was, and by the door were the Goblins who had asked her the riddle for she fell into the Oubliette. Movement from above her caused her to look up.
"Hey, Hey look who it is!" A strongly accented voice cried. Hanging from the rafters was the Fire gang.
"Oh no" Sarah moaned as the furry creatures jumped down to dance around her.
"So it's true! You is back" One laughed
"Hey man didn't ya say she was gunna be Queen." A big one asked, rolling his head along his arm.
"Does her head come off this time?" another asked.
"No it doesn't!" Sarah snapped.
"You'd look cooler if ya did" one told her.
"Yeah she could chilly down with us if her head came off!" one cried.
Just them Greta pushed her way through the masses of fur.
"Get away you pesky no goods! Lady Sarah doesn't want to play with you!" Greta snapped
"Hey man it's Greta!" one of the fire gang crooned
"Hey Greta, wanna play with us?" another sang
"Does her head come off?" a small one asked.
"No it doesn't, my head stays where it's meant to!" Greta yelled over the din the fire gang was making.
"We could take it off for her man!" one shrieked. All fell about laughing.
"I is going to count to three if you aren't gone by then!" Greta left the treat open but none of them could hear her due to fact that they had started singing.
"Chilly down with the fire gang
Think small with the fire gang
Bad hep with the fire gang
When your thing gets wild"
"One" Greta said warningly
"Chilly down with the fire gang
Act tall with the fire gang
Good times, bad food
When your thing gets wild"
"Two" Greta continued.
"Chilly down, chilly down"
"Three" Greta cried swinging her left hand at the nearest one.
"Wild and crazy, really lazy, high rollin, funk-" the fire gang member was cut short as Greta fist connected with its throat sending his head flying.
"Hey what you do that for!" One of them cried.
"Yeah you can't send his head flying!" Another one yelled.
"I'll send all you head s flying if you don't leave Lady Sarah alone!" Greta threatened.
"So not cool man!" they muttered as they slunk away.
"Is you ok lady Sarah, those things mean well but are very annoying. Lady Sarah?" Sarah was staring dumbstruck at the Goblin, she had never thought the short Goblin women would have started a fist fight, and Sarah had to admit it had been quite impressive.
"I'm fine; I just didn't expect you to attack them." Greta shrugged.
"Sometimes it's the only way to make them leave. If they bother you again Lady you tell me and I'll sought them out."
Sarah only nodded, she wondered if she would be able to get Greta to punch Jareth the next time he bothered her but something told her she wouldn't.
A loud cheer caused the two turn. Strolling into the room was the Goblin King dressed in a crimson shirt, black breeches and a dark cape; needless to say he wore his customary boots. His outfit had a look of danger about which Sarah thought was quite apt since she didn't know anyone who was more dangerous than the goblin king. He had his usual smirk too as he glanced around his subjects acknowledging a couple, sharing a few words with the wise man, who promptly fell back asleep when Jareth moved on. Too much cheers and applauding Jareth kicked a few Goblins out of the open window. Sarah was horrified ,despite that fact that Meep had told her that the Goblins liked being kicked and that as the Goblins had sailed passed her she had heard them squealing with delight, she still didn't see how they could find it fun.
"I do hope they don't land on their heads." Sarah muttered to herself. "None of them can really afford to lose any more brain cells."
It was at this point that Jareth noticed her and his smirk turned into a grin.
"Why precious there you are." He said striding over to her and clasping her hands and giving her a courtly bow. A tugging on her skirt caused her to look down, Greta was mouthing at her to curtsey. With great reluctance she did and she saw Jareth's grin widen. She deeply hated having to bend to his will, but if it meant that her friends would be safe, she would do it.
"I must say you're looking lovely this morning my love, I trust you slept well?"
Sarah only nodded in response.
"Come now precious I wish to introduce to the people your soon be ruling over at my side." Jareth said pulling her by the hands over towards the Throne.
Whilst they had been talking the noise level in the room had grown to a deafening roar.
"Silence all of you! Or you'll be spending the rest of this month in the Bog of Eternal Stench!"
The room went silent in seconds, Sarah wasn't really surprised, she hadn't spent all that long in the bog but it was longer than she would have liked.
"As you all know I have called you here today to witness my punishment of the three traitors who dared defy their King. But I have also called you here to formal announce my engagement. The Lady Sarah here, whom I'm sure you all remember, has willingly agreed to be my wife and your Queen!" Jareth announced proudly. The room remained deathly quiet. Jareth sighed heavily
"Well cheer" He said exasperatedly, the whole room erupted with cheers and clapping, the Fire gang even tried to start singing again until Greta gave them a stern warning look.
"Yes, yes glorious news, I expect all of you to spread the news of mine and Sarah's love for each other.
Sarah bit back a protest; Jareth was trying to goad her so he could use her friends against her again and she would not give him that satisfaction that he wanted.
"Know onto the other matter," He motioned to a guard who stood near the Throne, "fetch the prisoners." The Guard bowed and hurried off.
Jareth turned to face her.
"Now my dear shall will be seated?" He said motioning to the Throne. It was then that Sarah noticed that since she had last been in the Throne room the Throne had been altered it was no large enough for two people to sit in, but it would a close squeeze.
Jareth lowered his lips to her ear.
"I had it altered so we could be closer. I do think a king and Queen she sit with one another don't you love, it shows their citizens that they truly enjoy each other's company." Jareth whispered with a low chuckle.
"I'm not your Queen yet Jareth!" she spat.
"Details details my love." He laughed seating himself in Throne and pulling Sarah down next to him. She had been right when she thought it would be a tight squeeze, she was pressed up closer to the Goblin king than she would have liked. What was worse was that Jareth insisted on having one arm around Sarah's waist and the other clasping one of her hands. When she protested Jareth only tutted and asked her if she really thought it was a good idea to fight with him just before her friend's trial. She Glared at him but held her tongue. Jareth smiled and settle back into his seat.
It was then that Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo were brought in. Sarah gasped, In the dungeon it had been hard to see her friends clearly in the gloom but now in the light coming through the windows and the candles she could easily see how tired and scared they looked as well been extremely dirty.
She tried to get up and go to them but Jareth's arm tightened around her waist keeping her in place.
"Sorry Precious but you're staying with me." He whispered into her ear, before turning to face his subjects and clearing his throat.
"For those of you who are not aware of the crime these three have committed, they stand charged thusly. Jareth waved his hand and a small Goblin with glasses perched on the end of his long nose stepped forward and held up a scroll and began to read from it
"The Dwarf Hoogle, The Knight Sir Didymus and the Yeti Ludo are charged with high treason. They deliberately and knowingly defied his Royal Highness King Jareth and the law by aiding and abetting runner in their attempt to rescue the child that was wished away. Hoogle defied King Jareth by not returning the runner to the beginning of the Labyrinth after she had fallen into the Oubliette as well destroying Humongous. Sir Didymus gave the runner permission to cross the bridge in the Bog of Eternal Stench without consulting his Majesty first as well as defending the runner against the Goblin Armey. And Ludo helped the runner defeat the Goblin army by summoning rocks that also caused considerable damage to the Goblin City. For these crimes these Traitors are subject to whatever Punishment His Royal Highness King Jareth deems fit."
A loud clamour rose from the crowd as they shouted abuse and threw chicken eggs and vegetables at the Hoggle and the others. Sarah once again made to get up but Jareth once again stopped. She turned to look at him pleadingly.
"Stop them please! Make them stop, it isn't fair!" Sarah begged, tears coming to her eyes at the ill treatment. She had promised herself not to use that phrase again but she just couldn't help it. What was happening to her friends was completely unjust. Jareth looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes. He turned to the crowd
"Enough!" he roared, "You are distressing the Lady Sarah and that is something I will not allow."
Everyone went quiet again and some even hung their heads.
Jareth stood, making a motion for Sarah to remain where she was. He strolled towards her friends and stopped before them.
"Tell me why you defied my orders." He asked looking towards Sir Didymus.
"My Lady was in need of my assistance to rescue her brother." Sir Didymus answered his voice steady. Jareth raised his eyebrow
"Even if that meant going against your king." Sir Didymus straightened.
"It is a Knight solemn Duty to help any maiden in distress no matter the cost." He said earnestly . Jareth nodded and moved on to Ludo.
"And why did you aid Lady Sarah?" He asked. Ludo looked puzzled.
"Sawahh Friend!" He said simply.
"And what about you Higgle?"
"It's Hoggle! And I helped her cos she the only person who's ever been nice ta me. She's the first friend I ever has, and that means more to me than you Jareth! If we had the chance we'd do it again!" Both Sir Didymus and Ludo nodded in agreement.
Sarah felt her heart swell at her friends' loyalty towards her.
"So you betrayed your king for Friendship how very touching although I'm afraid after today you may regret it!" Jareth said darkly turning back and striding towards Sarah he stopped just in front of the throne and stared down at Sarah as he addressed the whole room.
"You all know what the punishment is for traitors. Death and a painful one at that. It has been a long time since we executed our last traitor and I don't believe that ever in the history of the Underground have we executed three traitors at once.
Sarah's heart filled with fear, he wouldn't break their deal would he?
"However," Jareth said turning to face the crowd "In this one incident I have chosen to be lenient. Due to Sarah's fondness for you, I have decided to spare you lives, but that does not mean you shall go unpunished. I have promised Sarah that I shall not harm and I shan't break my word. So instead I have decided on a punishment that befits your crime but doesn't cause you any harm from me of my Kingdom.
Sarah waited with baited breath as did everyone else in the room.
"I have decided to banish you to the Outlands beyond the Labyrinth from now till the end of the Underground."
Sarah didn't know anything about the Outlands but by the look of fear that filled her friends' faces and the gasp of horror that issued from the labyrinth citizens she guessed that it wasn't a nice place.
so that's chapter 15. you finally know what Jareth has planned for Sarah's friends but I'm afraid you won't get to find out anymore about the Outlands till chapter 16 which wont be till the end of August. As you probably know I don't own the song Chilly Down ( that belongs to David Bowie) But it's one of my favs so I just had to have the fire gang sing it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter to keep me updating please review :)