The bread was stale; Sarah knew that if she bit down hard enough it would have broken teeth. The water or "water" was brown, obviously, the underground had not been introduced to plumbing or sanitation. Sarah thought putting the dull silver goblet back on the platter. Her stomach growled at her; it needed and wanted real, hot, steamy, melting food.
"I hope your bed was comfortable enough for you." the Goblin King stared at the young girl through the decaying bars.
"What the hell did you do to her?"
"Who?"
Sarah kicked over the platter of food, "Kathy! You moron, you did something to her! I want to know what it was."
"What makes you think I would hurt a brown hair on her head?" he smirked.
"Tell what me have you done!"
He walked through the bars, "My dear Sarah, I simply went to your so called home and helped out Kathy."
"If you hurt her I swear I'll…"
"You will what Sarah? Hurt me?" he laughed at her. Jareth circled her, standing behind her he spoke into her soft ear, "You are living in my castle now and you will soon learn your place in my kingdom."
Sarah tried to hold back her laugh, but could not. She laughed in his face, "You really think that I am going to do what you tell me? I am not a part of your precious kingdom. So leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?"
He whipped her around, grabbing her chin forcibly, "YOU willdo whatI say, Sarah, and like it or not you are never leaving my castle. Therefore, you are to have a position in my household no matter what that may be." He cocked a light eyebrow and grinned showing his razor sharp teeth.
Sarah opened her mouth to say something and Jareth roughly let go of her face enabling her to say the words.
Holding her jaw, she was now able to speak, "If I am to have a role in this kingdom then what is it? Being the prisoner?"
"I'm not going to be that kind to you, Sarah. You are to be the goblin's maid."
Sarah felt her mouth drop to the floor.
"Later on perhaps you can be promoted to be my maid, but you will have to be very good." he patted her head like an obedient little puppy, "I don't want a sloppy maid taking care of my royal clothing."
She backed away from him, "I would never take care of you or your dumb goblins. I would rather watch you and your gang of idiots take a nose dive into eternal the bog of stench."
His laugh crackled as his form a crystal; with just simple twist, he had clothing in his hand. The Goblin King threw the pile of garments at Sarah.
"What is this?" she picked through the cloth.
"It's a present."
Sarah just stood there bewilder, then she heard footsteps coming down the dimly lit hallway.
"I am here my lord. Where is the girl?" Angie wiped her nose one her grubby sleeve.
"Take Sarah once she has put on her uniform; to go clean the throne room, kitchen, and perhaps if she has time my loft. However not my bedroom, she is not worthy of being in my chambers."
Sarah threw the pile of clothing back at him but he disappeared; the garments missed completely. "ERG! I am not clean up his shit. He can get his royal ass down there and do it himself. Besides how am I to wear those clothes? They will not fit me!"
"Yes they will," she picked up the uniform and handed it to the girl, "that outfit is for the bigger goblin maids here in the castle. There'sno way it won't fit ya; be shocked if it didn't"
Sarah was led to a washroom, where is changed into the uniform the Goblin King had provide her with. Puke, was the only word that came to her mind as she stared at herself in the mirror. The dress was a dark gray color, with a white apron. It did fit as Angie has said, however the larger goblin house cleaners must have been short, very short. The cheerleaders at Sarah's high school wore longer shirks.
Still staring at herself in the mirror, Sarah wondered how she was ever going to get out of this.
Angie stuck her green scaly head in, "Come deary, I'll show ya to the throne room."
The throne room was covered floor to ceiling with dirty and drunken goblins. Clothes, old bones, and chicken feathers were every where. Moreover, it smelled worse than it looked. It had an old wet dog smell to it; musty and thick. I would rather take on Dr.Tollin's office any day. One of the intoxicated goblins, hanging from the wall, leaned over and burped in her face giving a tooth less grin.
Angie handed Sarah a pail and mop, "Start with picking up the trash, then do the floors."
The kitchen goblin walked over to some sleeping goblin guards and kicked them to out of Sarah's work area.
When all the goblins were out the young girl began. Her hair was beginning to stick to her neck; she tied it up into a quick messy bun. Recently her hair had become wavier, her once bone straight hair was starting to curl just like her mother's did.
It took her three hours, being attacked by two chickens, to get the garbage off the floor and by lunchtime, the floor was mopped. Sarah collapsed on the steps of the throne and rubbed her lower back.
"Oh good ya finished!" Angie placed a tray like from that morning in front of her. "Now, after ya done eatin' you can begin with the kitchen."
"Thank you."
The chubby goblin was looking around, "Ya have done a great job."
"Angie, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course deary."
"Well, the ballroom…when do I clean that room?"
"What ballroom?"
"The ballroom, you know where people dance. Last time I was here I danced in it with…" Sarah mumbled.
"I'm sorry to disappoint ya deary, but there is no ballroom."
"That can't be true. I will have to ask him about it."
Down a long narrow pathway, Sarah and Angie came to the kitchen. The goblin was the first to go through, "Come on now. It won't get clean with ya waiting on the other side." Angie waved her rough hand. Sarah let out a deep breath as she walked over the threshold.
Dishes, dishes, dishes, everywhere, and not one clean. The floor had an inch of slime on it and the ceiling had spider webs everywhere. One huge spider in the left corner greeted Sarah with its long fangs and eight shimmering eyes.
"I can't do this." Sarah tried to run out of that germ-infested kitchen. However, she ran right into a bigger pest.
Jareth looked down at Sarah, "Aw, Sarah, how are you enjoying your chores?"
A piece of cake you ass. She backed away, smoothed out her grungy dark gray dress, and walked over to the sink and got started.
"Then perhaps you would like to clean more?" he made it into a question hopping she would answer. However, the young girl stayed quiet.
He walked over with his hands behind his back, leaned over her shoulder, "Your outfit looks simply wonderful on you Sarah." his voice dripped with sarcasm.
Sarah was not fazed by his remarks, "Am I to clean the ballroom?"
"What ballroom?" he was now paying attention to the loose curls that tumbled down her ivory skin. Her hair, pulled up showed off her swan neck. The Goblin King had noticed that Sarah had grown up to be a beautiful women outside, but was still a child on inside.
The Goblin King cocked a fair eyebrow, You might be beautiful, Sarah but, I will never fall under your spell. At least not until I break you.
"You know the ballroom that we danced in, the one you tried delay in me so that I would not find Toby in time."
"There is no such thing."
"What? Yes there is I remember it with all of those strange people. And you were singing to me. Then I crashed the wall with one of chairs. I remember."
Jareth was becoming irritated, "There is no ballroom."
The young girl turned to face the powerful king, "Why are you denying it?" Sarah placed her slender finger to her lips making her look like she was in deep thought, "Could it be because that was another place where I didn't fall for your dumb tactics?"
"There never was a ballroom!" he shouted in her face.
"I just thought that…"
"Well it never happened. It just your imagination; so don't ever speak of it again." he walked out of the kitchen to leave Sarah with her duties.
She finished off the kitchen, then, led by Angie, went to the King of Goblins' loft.
Sarah pushed open the cherry wood doors, to reveal a room with leather furniture, an intricate deep red rug in the middle and a fireplace set in the back. The stone around the fireplace was black giving off the reflection of the room; Sarah could see herself from in the doorway. She stepped into the room only focusing on her reflection. The underground does hell on a girl's appearance. Trying to smooth back her wild black curls, Sarah decided it was hopeless and getting this room over with was a better idea.
It must have been after a few hours after sunset, when Sarah fluffed the last pillow. Looking at her hard work, Sarah wanted anything more than to just lie down and sleep for a hundred years. Being bold, Sarah sat one of the bigger couches and nodded off.
A leather-covered finger nudged her cheek.
The young girl frowned and tried to slap away whatever was bothering her, but was unsuccessful. Sarah was still incoherent to the world.
Jareth gave a low chuckle and proceeded to wake Sarah. "I don't like it when my maids sleep on the job."
Sarah's chocolate eyes shot open and she bolted from the couch. Facing the king, she rubbed where he had touched her. "I finished."
"I can see that." Jareth began to walk towards her.
"And now I want to know what you did to Kathy?"
"Aw, yes your dear little friend. Well…"
Aboveground….
"Good evening, I'm Anne York; Charlotte Wright is off this evening. Today a young woman, who works at Shady Meadows Mental Hospital, was raped and beaten. Kathy Murphy had finished her shift around midnight, when three men attacked her just outside of the hospital. The suspects were caught and taken into police custody. However, Police say when arriving at the scene there was another man, who had around up the attackers, was helping Ms. Murphy. The police tried to question the man, but he disappeared before ever getting the chance. Kathy Murphy was brought to Downey Hospital, she suffered blows to the head, torso and lower abdomen. She is in intensive care unit, where doctors, say if she had not been saved from her attackers, Ms. Murphy would have surely died at the scene. Will we update you more on this story; now over to Sally Burgess with the other news."
Falling to the floor, Sarah could not even look at Jareth when he finished, "Will she live?" sizeable tears dripped onto Sarah's white apron.
"I don't know I did everything I could."
"It's not fair. I should…" Sarah covered her mouth with her hand, dropping her head in shame. "Damn"
Jareth sat in one of the overstuffed leather chairs in front of Sarah; "You thought I had hurt her didn't you?"
"I… I … didn't know. I thought that… when you said that you were…" Sarah looked up making eye contact with those dual eyes, "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, Sarah. I only saved your friend not you." He pushed off the chair and walked out.
A/N: how do you all like the story? I want to hear what you think. Review and spill.
Deedlit50: I have read all of the Anita Blake series- I love it!
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