A Ring in the Hand
Summary: Sarah left a contribution, a ring. Unknowingly our heroine invoked an ancient rite and is now bound to the Underground and the Labyrinth's King. And then the Summer King finds out.
Rating: T (implication of sex in public... sort of... I err on the side of caution)
Disclaimer: I neither own, nor claim to own, The Labyrinth and all it's characters. I lay claim to future OC's that may or may not show up. But that is all.
**See below for Author's notes
With a sharp crack he landed in the middle of the marble floor, a blossom of ice spreading outwards from his booted feet. The marble creaked and split with the force of his magic. An arrow was strung on his bow, but he held the weapon pointing at the ground. His intent was not to cause war, but he would not be unprepared.
Creatures shrieked and scattered from his frigid presence.
The Summer King remained undaunted. He rose from his living throne to greet Jareth and moved to face him, the sharp white smile in his tanned face remained fixed.
"Welcome Brother!" He greeted, arms out wide as if waiting for a hug. His golden robes shimmered and his eyes gleamed in warmth. A wave of heat spread outwards from him and circled around the King of Goblins in the midst of the Court. It was a subtle rebuke or a mild challenge at the audacity of the Winter King's entrance.
"Summer." Jareth frowned and inclined his head fractionally. He radiated displeasure.
The Summer King 'tsked' and lowered his arms. "I shall be spared your wintry touch then." He said jovially. His court chittered and laughed in response.
Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Why did you request my presence so urgently?"
Summer paused. His expression remained gleeful, but a dark shade passed through him. The warmth of the evening faded as night fell with the change of Summer's mood. "Why, I simply wished to wish you congratulations on your nuptials."
Summer did not wait to see the look of terror and distress that briefly flickered through the eyes of the Goblin King. He gestured sharply. The court parted and Jareth, with a sinking feeling, turned to see what caused the sudden hum of tension and excitement.
It was difficult to see at first, coming through the darkness, but guards struggled mightily to bring forth the squirming, fighting figure of Sarah. Her hair was loose and wild, tangled curls framing a face pale and sharp in the flickering light of flames atop the marble pillars.
Her arms were held on either side by a green skinned guard. Scratches and gouges ran up and down her arms and on her face, accompanied by patterns of bruises. A strapless black gown flowed and billowed out from a tight corset. A gag muffled her cries of anger and frustration. Her vivid green eyes were full of self-righteous indignation.
Jareth was frozen in shock at her sudden presence and, even gagged and distressed, her overwhelming beauty. He recovered himself and in a moment of clarity sent his thoughts winging towards his labyrinth. She was lying somnolent and sleepy, most definitely not on guard as he had left her. The clear trace of a foreign sorcerer was all over her. But most damning of all was the absence of the shimmering black ball that held his marriage. The little black crystal that held her ring was gone.
A sorcerer had crept in, soothed the Labyrinth and stolen his possessions. Sarah was bound before him. The Underground was aware of his intent to marry her. The Summer Court was all too willing to force his hand. No, things were not going well. He had a sinking feeling that he was entirely out of control here.
However, in a moment he made up his mind. This is how they were going to play it then. The white clad king strode forward to Sarah, and tried not to feel hurt when she initially shrank back from him. He was unaware of the sternness of his face, the sharp icy brilliance of his being. The king quivered his arrow and unstrung his bow, setting it down on the marble.
It was a subtle acquiescence to the Summer King's hold over him, this time.
The Goblin King knelt in front of the mortal woman and Sarah felt a tear slip from her eyes. She'd been terrified and hopeful that the one being powerful enough to save her from the malicious intent of these creatures would show up. For the past week she'd been on display as the 'misplaced belonging of the Goblin King.' They had pinched her and scratched her. She'd eaten nothing and ignored the cloyingly sweet foods they'd offered her.
The fae had stripped her and left her in the cage of a tree. A parade of fae had streamed by looking at and taunting their latest curiosity. They chewed her hair, tasted her blood, and ran soft hands over her wounded skin.
They'd teased her, asking where her precious king was. The Summer King had visited once. And after his low, whispered words to her she'd shaken for a day straight and barely stopped crying since.
No one had said anything about being a bride. So that little bit of news was an unwelcome surprise when she was finally dragged forth and clothed in a rich gown of black.
But she was starting to get it. They were using her to get to the Goblin King. And here he was. His eyes were not meeting hers, his face was hard, and with his entire being frosted over he was the antithesis of the warm and gentle-eyed Summer King orchestrating the event.
Jareth removed his gloves and reached around her head to untie her gag.
A soft sigh echoed among the courtiers at the show. Capricious and ruled by the Summer King though they were, they knew gentleness and care when they saw it. Their fickle hearts were easily swayed.
Sarah's lips were swollen from the pressure of being gagged, and Jareth brushed a cool finger over them to ease the throbbing. His frosted hands continued over her skin to heal her multitude of scratches and bruises in a tingle of cool magic.
He steadfastly ignored the eyes full of liquid hope and relief at his presence. He pulled together her hands and lifted her to her feet. He kept both her hands in one of his while the other loosely held his unstrung bow. Jareth turned to face the Summer King, Sarah by his side.
A soft muttering rippled through the assembly at the picture they made, her pale skin and shining darkness to his glittering white presence. For just moment it seemed as if there were stars in the billowing folds of her skirt.
The red-robed sorcerer slipped up to the Summer King's side and both their faces were stern and implacable. The sorcerer spoke, "Jareth, Winter King, Goblin King, Creator of the Labyrinth, Master of the Wilds, do you acknowledge that you know the mortal beside you?"
Jareth's jaw clenched. "Of course. Which, I might point out, you would know, if you had come to ask me, instead of abducting her." He raised a cool brow, refusing to play along with their trial in a docile manner.
Sarah scowled at the proceedings. She wasn't at all cold next to his frost; in fact she was regaining her equilibrium. And her temper.
The Summer King interrupted the formality of his Sorcerer. "So you are engaged to her!" He declared while his eyes dared Jareth to refute him and break the Laws of the Underground.
Jareth tightened his grip on Sarah's hands, keeping her close, as she suddenly tensed. If she pulled away now, the Summer King would gain even more of an advantage over him.
"Yes." He bit out, right as Sarah blurted out "What? No!"
Jareth sighed. Impulsive girl! The sorcerer held up the black crystal and with a muttered spell he broke it open and walked to Sarah.
The Summer King crowed, "Oh Brother, you fool! You never told her… Can you deny that you proposed to this girl?"
Jareth clearly and agonizingly remembered his impassioned plea to her as she was leaving. He recalled the desire for her that had stormed him when she first stepped foot in his Labyrinth. "No."
Sarah tried to remove her hands, futilely. "Well I don't remember it! What kind of sexist freaks are you all?! I never said yes to any of this!" She ground her teeth. "And if that desperate plea was what you call a proposal, then you guys really need a suffragette movement…" Her eyes sparked at Jareth.
"Never said yes?" The Summer King smiled gently at her. "Well if that's the case, then no matter."
"There! See! Problems resolved." She looked pleadingly at Jareth. "Take me home now?"
"Of course, just to confirm… if you didn't say yes, then… this ring does not belong to you, does it?" The Summer King's eyes were watching Sarah like a cat watching a crippled chickadee.
Sarah looked at the ring. She blinked. The implications of the previous statement sank in. Stricken, she whirled to Jareth. "What…" She gasped out. "But I… I gave that before you asked!"
She was rewarded with a glimmer of emotion from the Goblin King, nearly indiscernible and unable to tell what it was before he shuttered himself again.
The Summer King laughed. "Oh but you, pretty mortal, don't know it works down here. His desire for you was deep enough that his great work, the Labyrinth, so bound up within him, sensed his intent as marriage. And when you gave the ring to a part of the Labyrinth, you said yes."
Sarah gaped. "But... if it's about intent…"
"Don't be mistaken. It's about his intent. A woman's compliance is implicit in her gift of a ring!" The Summer King crowed, his body vibrating with barely suppressed glee at her confusion.
"Brother. You have made your point. Stop tormenting her with petty words."
"But of course." He conceded with an elegant gesture to the two. "I will get to the point. You have been a century without her. Such a joyous union should not have to wait any longer. We are prepared for a wedding!"
The Summer King clapped his hands and once more was a genial host as the hall was transformed into a glimmering garden with a sumptuous banquet laid out. Sarah gulped, for in the shadows of the living throne a bed draped in gold and canopied in sheer linen was lit up with (again, literally) fairy lights.
Her mind hearkened back to medieval rites of marriage where proof of the bride's virginity and consummation was given. This was barbaric. And embarrassing. And highly cracked out. This was just plain wrong. She had been kidnapped for goodness sake! She was ramrod straight and refused to look at Jareth. Then something sank in.
"A century?" She queried in shock.
Jareth responded quietly, meeting her eyes boldly. "Time passes differently here Sarah."
The Summer King interrupted. "But it does. Pass that is. And every year that goes by with this unfulfilled oath, there is a leak of magic from our realm to yours."
Jareth's eyes sharpened on him.
"Oh yes, that is how we discovered her. Your little glamour over the betrothal was noticeable, and traceable." His voice hardened, "And unacceptable. It brought to question whether you had the good of our realm in your best interests.
"Of course, our suspicions could easily be allayed by your marriage." His eyes sharpened on Sarah who was, understandably, fuming at the turn of events. "But to refuse the hospitality of our wedding feast… Well, I hear you have a lovely younger brother, Sarah…" He left the threat hanging.
"We accept." Jareth intoned before Sarah could rage at the Summer King. Any kind of peace was sounding good about now, especially with Sarah now thrust into the middle of the Summer King's war games. Anything that would allow him to leave this charade of civility.
Sarah flinched but kept her mouth shut. Her lips tightened as a wave of ancient magic swept over her at her betrothed's acceptance. Stupid sexist, chauvinistic society. Once again, her outright agreement was not needed.
The dark haired girl sighed inwardly though. She relaxed her hands in Jareth's. Though she'd spent the last 8 years living a life wholly without fantasy, it hadn't stopped her from knowing that the Underground existed. And it hadn't stopped her from thinking about the villainous king she'd met last time around.
Of course, she'd met an even more villainous king this time around. Her sympathies definitely lay with Jareth.
She was twenty-three, single, and now had suspicions about how voluntary her state of singleness had been. If she'd been betrothed since she left, no wonder the boys and men of Above had held no appeal.
But when it came down to it, Toby's continued well being was too important. And, she slanted a look at her Goblin King, she was definitely attracted to him. It would have to be enough. Her stomach fluttered uncontrollably.
**AN: See? MUCH longer than any other chapter before it. And to think, there are still two more to go! Anyways, I dearly hope that further exploration of my Summer King and his Court hasn't ruined them. Often I find that the appeal of something is in the tantalizingly Mystery. I tried to keep that lure in here, I don't know if I did. I hope you'll tell me whether I failed or not! And, as always, I have no beta so must use my own eyes to edit and fix things. This means grammar errors, no matter how hard I try, will undoubtedly slip by me. Please point them out so that I can fix them. NOTHING hinders a story than poor grammar. On this point I am adamant.
As an aside, if you guys are interested in art, I have a Deviant Art account (it holds my sketches and photography). I've been drawing since before I've been writing and I have a couple sketches of labyrinth characters up there. Not from this story, but believe me, that is coming. Bahaha. I won't bother trying to write in a link, but if you want to explore there, you can click on "Homepage" in my profile, or search out elise451 on Deviant art.
I think that is all, it's certainly enough of me talking.