Jareth fumed at the Mirror, wanting to chuck it in the bog. His daughter's life was at stake, and the Southern Guardian was having so much fun teasing him. I'll show him, he thought. Oh how he wanted to ram a crystal up his phony pony-
The centaur laughed. "Goodness, you really do love your little girl. Here is my price for the advice: you must hand me over your son," he nodded at Sarah's belly, to which she instinctively wrapped her arms protectively around it.
Jareth narrowed his eyes. "No. I won't let you take him away!" He wasn't even sure why he was having this ridiculous conversation. To give him his son? No way. He'd just have to find another way to save Cassandra.
Sarah put her arm on his leg. Jareth looked at her. It was true, eyes really were windows to one's soul. Sarah's eyes were tired, but full of fire. While Jareth liked to lounge around, Sarah was ambitious and worked hard, something she forced herself to do during her youth to protect Toby and for herself as an accomplished writer before she became queen. It was also the same determination and fire that he saw in Cassandra's eyes. How lucky it was that she inherited that ambition from her mother.
"Jareth, maybe I can negotiate with him?" Jareth considered this for a minute, and let Sarah have her way. Over the years, her temper has gone back to what it was originally, less angry and defensive. It was Lisa and Karen who made her that way, and while she can still snap at times, she was much mellower than she was when they met as adults Above.
"Southern Guardian, if you'll excuse my husband and I for a moment, it would be appreciated." Sarah bowed. The centaur also bowed. "Take your time, your majesties."
Leading Jareth away, she hoped that he would go with her plan. It wasn't likely, considering his pride, but it just had to work. Jareth leaned against the wall. "What is it that you have in mind, Sarah-mine?" His eyes looked so drawn. He had looked forward to apologizing to Cassandra, and right when things were good, she was taken away from them.
"I was thinking that we offer him safe passage and direct access in the Labyrinth," Sarah told him. Jareth panicked. "Are you hearing yourself, Sarah? He could go anywhere in it freely, and could go in between the Underground and the Aboveground easily if he chose to. Not to mention the magical substances in the Labyrinth itself," he added.
Sarah knew that he was going to bring all of those points up. "Jareth, I know we haven't allowed anyone to have direct access, but think about Cassie. Also, we can restrict it so that we will know what he's doing at all times and he will need to notify us a few days in advance. He won't want to travel Above since he's a centaur and we know he hates it up there anyways. Think of it!" She said excitedly.
Jareth still didn't like the idea, but the image of Cassandra with the dagger at her throats and her tearful goodbye changed his mind. Fine. He would let that pesky horse have access to his precious Labyrinth if only it meant his daughter's safety.
He gave Sarah a single nod. "Alright, but make sure that all the restrictions are told to him. I don't like how he already has some access to some magic from our kingdom for his tricks and entertainment. At least the ambassador was worth it," he said, trying to be optimistic. Ambassadors between kingdoms weren't just representatives, the very existence of them transferred magic back and forth between kingdoms. The Southern Guardian was able to use crystals for illusions and Jareth gained some of his protection magic to fortify his own powers and the Labyrinth itself. Luckily, the ambassador that he appointed, Belle, wasn't that bad. She was as strange as her leader, but she wasn't making jokes at other's expenses all the time.
The couple went back in front of the mirror, where the Southern Guardian was filing his nails. "Well, have you made a decision? Do tell me what it is." He kept on filing his nails.
Sarah gave another bow, hoping to please him so he would accept her offer. "Southern Guardian, King Jareth and I would like to make a proposal to you." The centaur raised an eyebrow, but laughed in delight all the same. "An offer for me? This is new. Alright, let's hear it."
Sarah smiled, while Jareth looked nervous at the idea of their offer. Although, it was much better than offering his own son.
"Our proposal is for you to have direct access to the Labyrinth and safe passage, instead of taking our son."
He stopped filing his nails. "Oh? You'd offer me that?" Sarah nodded. "Well, I suppose you have restrictions in mind?" Sarah could see that he tried to look bored, but was giddy. After all, who could resist this?
"Yes, we do. We ask that we are able to watch you at all times while in the Labyrinth, and that you let us know a few days in advance before you come. If you get yourself stuck in the Bog of Eternal Stench or other places, you're on your own. And, if you harm any inhabitants, there will be consequences." She stood firmly, hoping that he'd take their offer.
"Done," he said instantly. Jareth let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Sarah made the exchange instead of him.
"Now, as I promised." The centaur summoned their ambassador into Jareth and Sarah's room. Belle's hair on her head was black like the horse half of her body. She had orange eyes, common for most centaurs. She'd be considered pretty if she was human shaped, but she had this infuriating haughty look on her face, much like the Southern Guardian. "Belle is the key to the princess's survival, and her happiness. Together, you two will work with her to contact Cassandra and make sure she is safe. A word of warning, you MUST listen to what she tells you to do and say for Cassandra to be alright. Is that clear?" Jareth and Sarah nodded. The centaurs have a different brand of magic, one that no one understood since they kept it to themselves. They can see things when no one else could, like the future. This was why they were often tricky to understand, since they knew what they could gain from exchanging information.
"Alright. Good luck on your daughter, and I can't wait to gather some magic peaches to make a great drink for a great ball!" And with that, the mirror turned normal.
Sarah and Jareth greeted Belle, who was quite polite. "Your majesties, if I may, I'd like a room to stay in the castle. You will need my help to care for your daughter and you must have me near so I can be ready to give you advice at a moment's notice." Jareth went ahead to set her up a room.
"Now," said the centaur. "This is how you can help her." The three of them sat at a round table in Jareth's study, anxious of what was next. "You will be like her guardian angels, if you will. You can watch her through your mediums, but only if I say you can. You will be able to send her messages now and then, but you must tell her what I say to tell her. You cannot tell the princess your identities, you have to be discreet and comforting. A literal voice in the wind. You can't tell her too much or too little, and she may pay with her life otherwise. You will need to be on call, and need to drop everything you're doing, or at least one of you needs to, so that she can do this. You may consult her for days at a time, taking turns, or even wake in the middle of the night. You will tell her to do things that you will not want to tell her, but you must! That includes fighting or marrying, if it comes to that."
"Wait," Jareth paused her. "Marrying?" He was willing to do everything but this was something he wasn't so sure about. Belle sighed. "Yes, your majesty, marriage. It's an example. Remember, her life and happiness are at stake." He sighed, but sat back in his chair. Sarah was also worried, but, as all good mothers are, she'd do anything for her princess.
Belle gave them a nod. "Let's get started. You may watch her. Let's save the princess from an evil fate."
Cassandra tried to be brave, but she was scared. She took deep breaths, and tying to not let anxiety give her a panic attack. The darkness surrounding was enough to suffocate her.
She wanted to die. How could she be so beautiful that a goddess was so angry as to marry her to a monster? She thought of her parents, especially her father. She had just made up with him, and then she was taken from him. Cassandra thought of how he would die for her, and she cried again. Why must this happen to her?
A sweet voice reached her ear, giving her comfort. It wasn't exactly a voice, but it gave thoughts in her head, or giving her feelings that wasn't her own. Having nothing to lose, she let the voice in. It reminded her of her parents, paternal and gentle. Basking in the love, it changed suddenly, telling the princess to be on her guard and to fight back with literal fire.
Suddenly, a winged creature came up. He would look like a man, except for his head. It looked like a demon, and he was all black. Only his eyes had color, a horrifying shade of lime green. It's hands had what looked to be 10 fingers on each, and with sharp claws.
Cassandra turned sheet white, terrified. The creature's mouth lifted up by a smile before he spoke with her. "So, this is what the Goddess Ina promised to me. The most beautiful creature, even compared to the gods." He flew over to Cassandra, tracing her cheek with one of his clawed fingers. He took no notice when the princess tried to move away. She gasped when he cut her cheek with his claw, tasting her blood.
"Mmm, my, you taste delicious. I wonder if other parts of your body would taste this good," he purred, his hand reaching lower, touching her abdomen. Instinctively, Cassandra crossed her legs in horror, knowing exactly what he meant. If Jareth was there, she had no doubt that her father would have anyone who commented so disrespectfully at her to be thrown in the Bog, no matter who they were, formalities be damned. She knew that her mother would probably do that same, but maybe hang them upside to torture them first.
The creature's hand went back up to her hair. "My, I can't wait to take you as my wife. After you bear me an heir, I can't decide to eat you or save you for other fun things." His hand went down her neckline, trying to get in her dress.
The mysterious voice came back, telling Cassandra to fight. The princess didn't even hesitate. She burned all the ropes binding her and engulfed herself in flames, burning the creature's hand. "Argh!" He exclaimed, trying to hit Cassandra. "You are my promised wife! I will not let you fight me!" He lashed at her, and she snapped her fingers, throwing fireballs at his face.
To her horror, when she struck a head down, another simply grew back. Since she hit him twice, there were now 3 heads, all terrifying. In her fright, her fire surrounding her went out. The creature lunched at her again, pinning her down. "You will NOT disobey me again, woman!" He began to reach under her skirt, and the voice told her to fire at his chest. She concentrated again, blowing a breath of fire at his chest, something she had never been able to do before.
The demon screeched, clawing at his chest before dying. Cassandra gathered her courage to go near the creature that had assaulted her, and when she was sure he was dead, she pushed him off the cliff. From not getting enough sleep last night, and from fighting a demon, she was exhausted. She fell backwards, landing on the cold, hard ground, fast asleep.
Sarah concentrated as hard as she could to send messages to Cassandra, Jareth holding her hand as he always did. When the monster tried to take advantage of her, Jareth's grip almost crushed her hand, but to her surprise, he actually remained quiet. Thankfully, their daughter was smart enough to listen to them and not just go with that disgusting creature.
After Cassandra's collapse, Sarah screamed, worried that the fight hurt Cassandra. Belle shushed her. "It's alright, my queen. She is just tired. I'm going to need both you and King Jareth to transport her to a location where she will be safe and taken care of." The monarchs nodded.
A light wind came, picking up the sleeping princess. It cradled her much like her parents did when she was little. Still asleep, the journey took a few hours before she landed in front of a beautiful palace.
Cassandra woke, seeing the palace, confused. Was she dead? Was this heaven? She was utterly confused. She recalled the events that took place the day before, and said a quiet thank you to the Voice, a guardian angel that helped her deftest the monster.
The Voice came back, telling her to go inside and to just accept what was happening to her, that she was safe. She knew that she should be more careful and critical, but, seeing as she had nothing else to do or anything to lose, she walked up the marble steps.
The palace was spectacular on the outside. Beautiful flowers of every color graced the gardens, the rich colors adorned its walls. The inside was even more beautiful. The main hall ceiling was dark blue with little stars, giving the illusion of an open night sky. Some rooms showed sunsets, some winter nights and so many other seasons. The furniture was laced with silver and gold, with pearls for knobs to open and close.
Cassandra reached what she thought looked like a ball room. The walls were white with see through cloths covering it to look elegant. Small lights hovered around and a flower shaped chandelier was set in the ceiling. The whole place was breath taking, to say the least.
The princess felt the hairs on her neck stand up, sensing a presence in the room. Even so, she did not feel fear or worry. Turning around, she saw a handsome man dressed a green robe, with a large smile on his face. Looking into his eyes, she could see it sparkling for her.
"Troy!" She ran into his arms. The two embraced, as if they had known each other for years. Troy stroked her hair, not quite believing that she was really there, letting him hold her.
Cassandra remembered her father's words of warning, and pulled back. She narrowed her eyes, and put her hands on her hips, looking just like the Goblin Queen when she wanted to intimidate someone. It was uncanny how well she imitated Sarah in this regard.
"Troy, I want answers," she demanded. The young man backed up a little, thrown off by the sudden disdain in her eyes when she had just embraced him a moment ago. He sighed, and shook his head. "Cassandra, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you everything. I will do my best to answer all that I can, I promise." He tried to reach for her hand but failed. The princess was still glaring at him, and her hair burst into flames, making him jump. She only did that when she wanted to be particularly frightening, something she was most definitely achieving right then.
"Listen, pretty boy," she demanded with power. "My parents almost died, some weird goddess came, and I just had to defeat a monster. Who are you and why am I here? Did you have anything to do with me being sent away from my family? Why did you run away from me the moment you knew who my parents were?"
Troy held his hands up, trying to not appear threatening to her. "Look, I did not. I did hear about the goddess, but I did not take you here to my palace. I was going to, believe me, but it seemed that a guardian angel was watching over you. As for the night of the High King's coronation, I was sent to see who was there. I didn't mean to run into you, but I was intrigued and I knew that if I did not meet with you right then, I probably wouldn't be able to find you again. Please," he begged her. "I never had the chance to really be able to be on my own, to meet young women, especially one like you."
Cassandra waved her hand, and set the flame out. She was still skeptical, but his explanation seemed plausible. "So, why were you there? Who sent you? And what do you mean, 'especially one like you'? Hmm?" She let hands fall to the side, her eyes determined, looking like Sarah at her last confrontation with Jareth during her run.
Relieved that she set her fire out, the young man conjured some chairs for them to sit in. "Please sit," he gestured. When Cassandra didn't move, he sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you. You've had a long day and night, and this will make it more comfortable."
After eyeing Troy for a moment, she sat down. Troy looked down at his hands, and answered her question. "I can't tell you why I was there and who sent me. Like I said, it was to see who was present at the ball. And what I mean is, where I'm from, women are quite vain, but not from any real fault of their own. Unlike the Underground, women aren't really equal. They can be powerful but are prized for their beauty above all else.
"I know you're considered the most beautiful woman Underground, and while you are, it's not what drew me to you. I watched you a bit, seeing that no one was dancing with you but the High King, who you seemed to look at as a brother, and he looked at you like a sister. I didn't understand why, and I had to know you. The goddess that you saw? She's well known in my realm. Known as the Queen of Beauty, she's jealous of you. I know, it's not your fault and it's not fair, but you must understand that she isn't rational. So long as you stay here with me, she will not know where you are and she won't hurt you. This palace is powerful, and will keep anyone safe from unwanted gods."
Cassandra took a long look at him. She wished the Guardian Angel would tell her if he was telling the truth or not, but she felt that he was. "Troy, where are you from and what is your species? You don't seem to be fey."
Troy's face looked more drawn. She wasn't going to like his answer. "I'm not fey, you're right. I cannot tell you who or what I am either. You're going to just have to accept it. You grew up in the Goblin kingdom, don't you know from your Labyrinth that you just have to accept things as they are?"
Troy didn't mean to be condescending, but that's how it sounded to Cassandra. She got up. "I'm done with this conversation. I'm hungry, and I'd like to be shown to my room. I want to be left alone." She shot at Troy. He looked sad, but she didn't let that deter her.
He pointed at a wall. "Just think of what you want, like a room or whatever. The palace will obey your commands." He got up. "I can't be with you during the day anyways. You're lucky that I am able to see you right now, but I have other business to attend to. Good day, Princess." He turned around and disappeared, leaving Cassandra to her own devices.
She shrugged. "Come on feet," she told herself, and went to explore her room.
"Why can't we see her?" Sarah shrieked. Ever since Cassandra walked inside the palace, the King and Queen of Goblins couldn't see their daughter anymore. Belle rolled her eyes. "Your majesties, we cannot see Her Highness right now. She is safe, do not worry."
"So what will happen now?" Jareth asked through clenched teeth. Neither of them had any sleep, which was certainly bad for the baby. Luckily, the goblins made sure that their sovereigns were well fed at least.
The centaur sighed. "Many things. She could be safe in there forever, or she could leave. If she has the same temperament as you both, I predict that in a few months time or so, she will leave, and you will be needed to guide her. For now, she is taken care of. I cannot see any more. If you'll excuse me, I'll be in my chambers." She got up, and left the table, leaving the two feys upset.
Sarah lost it, and sobbed. Everything was too much for her, from getting ready to Zarek's coronation, comforting her crying daughter, said daughter being taken away, and she didn't have any sleep. The child in her womb moved sadly, as if realizing that his mother was upset.
Jareth reached his strong arms over his wife. He didn't quite fully appreciate her carefulness and quick thinking when he was out fuming all the time. He felt terrible. "Love? I'm so sorry. I should've been more thoughtful. You've been wonderful. Shh."
Sarah just kept on crying, clutching his shirt. "I'm so tired but I'm so worried about Cassie. Oh Jareth." She hiccuped, feeling like someone had stabbed her heart.
Jareth picked her up, and transported her to their bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, and he kicked off his boots, joining her. Sarah felt his lips against her face, kissing her tears away. It did feel nice to have him be with her.
He would worry about Cassandra, but later. His wife needed him first. He hummed a song, to lull his wife and unborn son to sleep, all while giving Sarah a back rub. Not long after they slept, he laid his head next to hers, and slept as well.
