Dealing with Goblins
Disclaimer: All Publicly Recognizable Characters, Settings, Ideas, etc. are the property of Jim Henson and Co. The Original Characters and Plot are the Property of the Author. The Author is in no way Associated with the Owners, Creators, or Producers of Jim Henson and Co. No Copyright Infringement is intended.
Chapter 07
Sarah trudged towards her room to bathe before dinner. Her knees and hands were caked with mud; there was so much planting to do at the start of spring. She looked at her hands where blisters now rested.
"Argh, even with gloves I still got blisters and mud all over my hands. And Hoggle was so bossy. 'You need to dig deeper be sure to pull out even the tiniest weeds. Make sure you plant the right colours there'," she muttered in her friend's gravelly voice. "And then he double checked everything." She smiled at the memory. "Still, it's good he tries to get everything perfect, though I still think he's trying to pay me back for stealing his jewels and holding them ransom."
Sarah began to disrobe as soon as she closed her bedroom door, her muddy clothes forming a trail to her bathroom.
"Hmmm, I might consider moving to the Underground just for the bathroom. Too bad I have to hurry to dinner though."
When she exited the washroom, she noticed that something had been placed on her bed, her face reddened when she saw what it was.
'He wants me to wear a French maid outfit! That's not a skirt, it's a belt! Oh God, lacy black underwear...'
She picked up the unmentionables.
'Wow, this is really nice...gah! Bad thought! I'm supposed to be indignant. I should tell him-... argh, I agreed to wear whatever he wants. He's probably expecting me to fight...'
She sighed and looked at the collection of clothing once more, her face getting redder and redder as it took in the garter belt and high heels. There was also a crystal next to the note.
Precious, you will wear this or I will magic you into nothing but a leash and collar. Either way, I will be the only one to see you thus attired. When you have changed, you need only take hold of the crystal and you will be transported to the dinning room where you will serve me dinner. Behave and I'll return the favour.
P.S. You have until 6:30 sharp to finish dressing and take the crystal otherwise I'll come and get you personally in whatever attire you happen to be wearing. And removing anything that I haven't approved of.
P.P.S. I would appreciate defiance in this matter, Precious.
'Why, that no-good, lousy glitter-infused, prancing, tight pants-wearing fairy!' thought Sarah, slamming the note onto the bed. She glanced at the clock. '6:24! I swear I had more time! Jareth probably reordered time! I need to hurry!'
Jareth did appear just as the clock struck 6:30 and Sarah was sitting on her bed having just finished putting on her shoes. She looked up at him, trying to stop the blush on her face that was rising from the lascivious pout he was giving her.
'Glitter, tights, high-heeled boots, and now a pout. These things are not supposed to be sexy or regal on a man. How does he do that, and why do I get the feeling Sarah Williams is on the menu?'
"Sarah, you followed my instructions perfectly..." he sighed and his shoulder slouched in disappointment.
"I agreed to, didn't I?"
"So you did. Take my hand, Precious."
Sarah did and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself and the king standing next to a small table with two chairs.
"Pull out a chair for me. The table has already been set since you are unfamiliar with etiquette. There's a trolley next to the door that holds the food for the evening."
Sarah nodded and pulled out one of the chairs. Jareth sat and she pushed it in before walking towards the door, grateful she had played dress-up in heels a few times. Even still, the shoes she had been given were difficult, and she nearly tripped twice on her way to the trolley. She could hear Jareth snicker each time.
Once she pushed the trolley over to the table, she removed the lid of the tray to find two plates of steak. She placed one in front of Jareth then the silverware before placing the remaining plate in the space opposite him and sitting down.
"Thank you, Precious," said Jareth, before tucking into his meal.
When he looked up from the food, he saw that Sarah had stopped eating and was hugging her chest, hiding the exposed cleavage.
"Something wrong, Precious?"
"I...el...er-"
The Goblin King chuckled. "I'm sorry, Precious, could you repeat that? A bit louder?"
"I feel like a stripper."
Jareth stopped smiling.
"Apologies, Sarah."
He stood, somewhat annoyed with himself for forgetting that her experience with males was so limited. She spent weekends playing princess in the park, instead of spending time with girls her own age, much less boys her own age and of course, an innocent like her would be uncomfortable in such clothing. He formed a crystal in his hand and walked towards her. She stared at him warily as he weaved the sphere across his hand. He stood over her and let it fall gently onto her head.
When Sarah looked down, she saw that she was now wearing a simple light green dress that fitted her like a second skin. It fell off her shoulders and still showed a bit more cleavage then she was comfortable with, but she no longer felt like a stripper.
Jareth gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable, Precious. Never hesitate to tell me if I ever do so again."
He took his seat again and continued to eat. The meal continued in silence. Jareth finished first and, intertwining his fingers, rested his chin on his hands and stared at Sarah, a smile on his lips.
Sarah shifted awkwardly in her seat and tried to hurry through the meal.
"Be sure to save room for dessert, Precious one," suggested Jareth.
The stare he was giving her made her wonder if she was on the menu once more. She swallowed, sat back, and gave her plate a small push, signalling that she was done.
Jareth gestured to the trolly. "Clean up and join me on the couch."
Jareth chuckled when Sarah, twenty minutes later, still hadn't finished placing the dishes on the trolly.
"Are you avoiding me, Sarah?"
"No," squeaked the teen.
"You have ten seconds to finish before I carry you over to the couch. And once I have you in my arms, you won't be leaving them anytime soon."
There was a clatter of dishes, and five seconds later Sarah was sitting as far from Jareth on the couch as she could.
"My, how quickly you move when given the right incentive," whispered the Goblin King.
He waved his hand at the coffee table next to them and a platter of fruit appeared. Peaches, strawberries, grapes, and raspberries, all looking succulent. There was also a small knife next to the platter.
Jareth leaned back. "Now, Precious, be so kind as to serve me."
He opened his mouth slightly and Sarah realised he wanted her to feed him.
She rolled her eyes. 'Little cliché, but alright, not a big deal.'
"Any preferences to start with?"
"A peach, or raspberry."
Sarah sighed and, standing, took one of the small red fruits to give to Jareth. She contemplated dropping it down into his mouth but thought better of it realising that he would choke a bit, survive, and likely charge her with attempted regicide and put her in his dungeons where he would do horrible things to her.
'Or just very adult things. Does little Princess wanna be a Queen yet?' chimed in her inner voice.
'Quiet you!' hissed Sarah.
'Just grab the knife, threaten him a bit, then apologize and tell him you need to be punished.'
'I just had to read that romance novel last month. Never again. And shut up,' thought Sarah as she placed the fruit in Jareth's mouth, brushing his lips with it lightly so he'd he aware of its location.
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work as the king's lips closed around the tips of her fingers. Sarah froze at the contact as the feeling of cool, gentle lighting tingled through her fingers, her hand, and up her arm.
'That was just a light brush of his lips! Imagine what a kiss-'
'Quiet!'
Sarah swallowed, and went for the knife. She attempted to cut a slice of peach. Two minutes later, she had managed to make a very wobbly cut in the fruit.
Jareth was barely suppressing laughter at her shaking hand and flushed face. He knew if he laughed, however, she'd become angry and likely storm off and he wouldn't have the heart to force her to stay. Not when it would give him an excuse to punish her later.
'Then why aren't you laughing?' asked his inner voice.
'Because when she's angry, or frightened, her defences are up. I like her flustered.'
Finally, Sarah had a very ugly and slightly bruised slice of peach. She brushed the tip against Jareth's lip, and the monarch bit off a piece. Sarah sighed, and moved half the remainder into his mouth. Jareth's tongue slid out and brushed the tip of her finger before his lips closed around the fruit.
Sarah resigned herself to a long night.
And it was long for the young teen. Jareth's lips and tongue constantly brushed against her fingertips, sending small jolts of magic through her. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breath and mentally quoting Lady Macbeth, something about asking demons to unsex her and ordering out a spot of blood helped quell the feeling the king before her brought out. Two peaches, a handful of raspberries and grapes, and several strawberries later, the Goblin King sat up and stretched.
"That was delightful, Precious. Now, if you will sit down and lie back, I will happily return the favour."
"But- but I'm the slave."
"True," he told her, standing up. Sarah barely refrained from stepping back as the king loomed over her. "But it pleases me to serve you."
"No thanks. I'm full- from dinner."
The Goblin King raised a brow and eyed her sceptically, but made no further comment. Instead, he raised his hand and conjured a crystal which he handed to her.
"State which room you wish to find and as long as you are allowed there, this crystal will guide you. Simply place it on the ground. You can explore the castle to your heart's content."
Sarah reached for the gift. "Thank you, your Majesty," she said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Don't stay up too late, Sarah. You've an early start tomorrow."
Sarah nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Jareth!" she shouted over her shoulder as she darted out of the room, excited to be exploring an ancient castle.
Sarah spent the next couple of hours looking behind almost every tapestry, and poking every statue and torch to see whether they would trigger a secret passage. Eventually, she did pull a torch that caused a section of the wall to her left to rotate, revealing stairs.
Sarah smiled. 'Up or down?...Mmmm down.'
Sarah, in her excitement, darted down the stairs, holding up the crystal Jareth had given her as it emitted a soft glow.
She stopped when she heard the screams.
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Jareth stepped out of his shower and reached for a nearby towel. He had needed a cold shower after dealing with Sarah. He'd been celibate for a little over a year now, and he still had trouble controlling himself. Ever since he'd seen her, her light, he'd wanted her, and none of the courtesans that were regularly sent to him for training seemed attractive. Eventually, he'd requested they stop coming. Ah, the rumours that had caused.
He was almost grateful for Simon's attack. The example he'd made out of the prince had no doubt helped to keep Sarah safe. Though he still wanted to find a human doctor to perform that wonderful sex change operation he'd heard about and sell Simone to a brothel.
"Next time," he said to himself with a smile.
And he knew there would be a next time. He was too hated for it to be otherwise. It too would fail. But the would-be perpetrator would still be made an example of.
As Jareth thought of all the sadistic torture he could inflict upon his enemies, his mood continued to brighten. Until his door was thrown open banging, against the wall. By the time the Goblin King turned towards the entryway, he was clad in his regalia, and his expression was one that sent grown, hardened warriors running.
The redcap knelt before his sovereign. "Sire, you're needed in the dungeons."
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'I should go, but...this is Jareth's dungeon...he...has he really ordered for people to be tortured like this?'
'Oh, come now, he tortured Simon and you didn't complain,' put in her inner voice.
Sarah ignored the voice as she came to the bottom of the stairs and poked her head around the corner.
'He didn't say the dungeons were off-limits. I'm the Grand Duchess of the Goblin Kingdom. I...serve him now. I could probably find out a lot about him by seeing how he treats prisoners. Okay, I'll introduce myself to the guards. I'm not doing anything wrong, so there's no reason for me to hide. Right?' she thought as she stepped into the torch-lit hallway.
Sarah blamed her bardic powers for what happened next.
No sooner had she finished the thought, than she was shoved to the floor. Her mind processed the sound of metal on stone before she looked up at her attacker. Her eyes widened with fear.
She'd read about redcaps. A type of goblin: very fast, very strong, thick, rough skin. They wore iron boots, and their name came from the red caps they wore, which they needed to keep constantly wet with blood. If their caps ever dried, they would die.
"An intruder?" it asked in a gravelly voice. Sarah's nose crinkled. Its breath wasn't as bad as the bog, but that wasn't saying much, it was still the second worst thing she'd ever smelt.
"The new Grand Duchess of the Goblin Kingdom, actually. Kindly get off."
It gave her a toothy smile and got off her, bowing as he did so. He bent too far down, and did so quickly, never losing his grin. He was mocking her.
"My name is Sarah," she told him, trying to keep her tone friendly, holding out her hand.
"Blugeon, Miss. And the only time I take a the hand of one who is not a Goblin Army soldier is to rip it off."
His smile widened showing pointed yellow teeth.
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied coolly, retracting her hand. "I have a few questions about how prisoners are treated."
"Ooooh, do you now? What sort of questions?"
"Well-" Sarah flinched as she heard a particularly loud scream that was suddenly cut off. "What offence has to be committed in order for someone to be tortured? Surely you don't torture tax evaders."
"We do during wartime, Miss. Not paying taxes during wartime is considered equivalent to stealing food, weapons, and medical supplies from those risking their lives to protect the land. Spitting in the face of those who have fallen. We had a politician a few years ago. Spent money from the king on his house instead of updating the local library and hospital. Ten lashes a day for seven days then turned out on the streets."
"What about petty thievery?"
"A few days in the stocks, community service, or a combination of the two."
"Okay... What can you tell me about the people screaming right now?"
Blugeon shrugged. "Don't know. Screams sorta meld together after a while. Would you like a tour?" he asked sweetly.
Sarah swallowed. "Sure, since I'm here." replied Sarah her voice as steady as she could keep it.
'If I'm responsible for a large piece of land, does that mean...does the estate Jareth gave me come with one of these?'
Blugeon smiled down at her, which was quite a feat considering she was three heads taller than him.
"Follow me, milady," chuckled the redcap as he lead her down the corridor.
Sarah ground her teeth, but reminded herself she hadn't earned Blugeon's respect. Or that of any the redcaps.
"We've a guest," announced Blugeon as he lead Sarah into a small room with a desk, table and chairs. A couple of other redcaps were seated at the table playing cards.
"Dinner?" inquired one looking up.
"No, I'm not dinner. My name is Sarah."
"Dinner doesn't need a name."
"Are you down here because your hearing is going? Or is your hearing going because you're down here?"
The redcaps stared at her, blinking as they processed what she said. Then the one she had spoken to chuckled.
"She's not spineless."
"She has the king to hide behind," hissed Blugeon.
"I'm not hiding behind anyone," replied Sarah calmly.
Blugeon snorted.
"Can ye play cards?"
She looked at the cards on the table. They looked like a normal set of playing cards. She and her dad used play for jelly beans when she was little, and with her mom when Linda could be bothered. When Sarah had taken to acting to gain her mother's favour her mother had suggested playing poker to increase her acting skills. She'd never manage to duplicate emotions if she couldn't read them.
So, Sarah sat at the table, sure of herself. She'd fallen a bit out of practise, but still played with friends on occasion.
Half an hour later, she owed each redcap about seven steaks.
"Argh," moaned Sarah, plopping her face into her hands. 'Note to self: a redcap's body language is different from a human's. Or redcaps are just better poker players than high school students. One or both of the two.'
"Is the little girl upset that she lost? snickered a redcap.
"Now, now Scar," chastised Blugeon with a gravelly saccharine voice, his face contorting into a smile. "The little lady is important to our Lord, we should give her our respec-" The redcap burst out laughing.
Sarah sighed and leaned back in her chair, wondering how she could earn their respect.
Dust suddenly fell from the ceiling as the walls began to shake. The redcaps stood at attention and darted for the door, their iron boots clacking along the stone floor.
The teen followed a few steps behind, a good thing too because two of the redcaps, Scar and Blud, went flying past the door milliseconds before Sarah passed through it.
"Are you guys okay?!" shouted Sarah as she ran to where the pair lay crumpled against the wall.
"Aren't you a pretty thing?"
Sarah turned to the voice. She could see a dark-haired man covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. However, those observations came second to the fact that he only had his left arm. His right was a stub ending just above where his elbow should have been. The stub was cauterized: red and blistered. And clutched in his left hand was Blugeon's throat with the man's sharp nails digging into the redcap's thick skin, drawing blood.
"Why would Jareth have such a pretty young thing here in the dungeons?"
Sarah crouched to the floor, then sprang forward. She threw out her hand, throwing the dirt she had gathered from the floor when she had knelt. It hit the creature's face, and he dropped Blugeon, momentarily losing his balance, which was all the opening Sarah needed to force him to the floor with her tackle.
'When you're in a fight,' came the voice of Sarah's PE teacher, who had held a self-defence workshop a couple months pior, 'your best chance is to follow the advice of Admiral Jackie Fisher. Hit first, hit hard, and keep on hitting. As long as your opponent can move, he or she is still a threat. Don't stop hitting until they stop moving.'
'Are you saying we should kill them?" Angela had asked, raising her hand.
'I'm saying it's better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.'
Sarah coiled her fist back and drove it into her opponent's face.
"Gah!" yelped Sarah as she pulled her hand back and cradled it to her chest.
"Hahaha, a human? Trying to punch a vampire? Oh..." chuckled the vampire as he rolled, pinning Sarah beneath him, clutching her throat with his only hand. His legs pressed against hers. Sarah raised her left hand and brought it towards his face.
"I thought we established that you can't-" Sarah clawed at his eyes, hoping they were vulnerable. "Argh! Brat!"
He yelped, pulling back, and releasing her throat. He grabbed both her wrists, eliciting another cry of pain from Sarah as he pressed her now broken right hand against the hard floor. He snarled at her, showing his teeth. Sarah let out a giggle when she saw he was missing his fangs. He looked ridiculous without them.
He started crushing her wrists. This time, Sarah managed to stop herself from making any noise, but the pressure was building, and a few seconds later, a whimper escaped her.
"I'm going to break every bone in your bod- Gah!"
"Blugeon?" whispered Sarah, her throat raw from lack of air as she looked up at the redcap who had jumped onto the vampire's back and plunged his fingers into the creature's eyes. If Sarah wasn't so distracted by the pain in her wrists and throat, she might have been grossed out at the sight, as blood dripped from the vampire's eye sockets onto her face.
"The king will be here soon, Milady!" shouted Blugeon as the vampire reached back, grabbed the redcap's neck, and flung him down the corridor.
"The king is here now," came Jareth's clipped voice.
Sarah craned her neck to see Jareth cradling Bludgeon in his arms. He glared at the vampire who went flying into the wall.
"Victor, how did you get lose, I wonder?" asked Jareth as he knelt down to gently sit Blugeon against the wall, never taking his eyes off his opponent.
"You should have better shackles. The ones you gave me were rusty," hissed the vampire.
"Were they?" asked Jareth, casually forming three crystals and rotating them in his hand.
He tossed one at Sarah's right hand, and one to her left. Both disappeared immediately. The other landed on her chest. Jareth glanced at her briefly as it rolled and settled under her chin before disappearing. As each crystal disappeared, a warm, tingly sensation enveloped Sarah's wounds, relieving the pain. She held up her right hand. It was still red, and was already starting to bruise.
"Your broken hand will take a couple of days to heal, Sarah. Be careful not to put any weight on it," said Jareth before returning his full attention to Victor. "I shall have to have my staff look into updating the dungeons. In the meantime, I know the perfect Oubliette for you." Jareth smirked as he tossed a another crystal at the vampire's chest.
By now Sarah was standing, staring at where the Victor had been. Remembering the redcaps, she looked for them. Scar was nowhere to be seen, and Blud was crouching next to Blugeon.
"Sarah, we need to talk," whispered Jareth, suddenly standing next to her, his hand on her shoulder.
Sarah blinked, and they were standing in his chambers next to the couch in front of the fireplace where she had fed him earlier.
"Sit," commanded Jareth, not bothering to look at her.
She sat.
"You endangered my goblins, Sarah. Granted, they're a strong lot, but I won't tolerate that from anyone, least of all you. All your chores are cancelled. You will not be cleaning stables, you will not help Hedgewart in the garden. You will remain in your quarters and study bardic magic. You will not leave you rooms for any reason. Do you understand?" he asked turning to face her.
"I didn't do anything wrong!" shouted Sarah, jumping to her feet.
Jareth raised one of his wing-shaped brows.
"Truly, you did nothing? Tell me, Sarah, what were you doing in the dungeons?"
"I was curious about how you treated prisoners. You didn't say they were off limits"
"I see. You discussed such matters with my guards?"
"Yes."
"And how did that go?"
"It went fine."
"They answered your questions? And that was all?"
"We played poker."
"Did you win?"
"I owe each of them about seven steak dinners."
Jareth gave a small chuckle. "Did you enjoy their company?"
"They were fine," huffed Sarah, wondering what he was getting at.
"No complaints? None at all? They weren't rude?"
"Well, they were a little, but it's not a big deal."
"I see..." Suddenly his face was inches from hers. Sarah was startled but held her ground. "Tell me, Precious, what were you thinking about just before Victor escaped?"
"I... I was trying to think of a way to earn their respect."
"Really?" purred Jareth, his smile becoming murderous in its maliciousness. Sarah stepped back, her leg hitting the couch. She collapsed onto the piece of furniture, and Jareth placed a hand on either side of her head as he stared down at her.
"Yeah..." replied Sarah meekly.
"Well, I'd say you have it. You fought by their side, admirably. If Blugeon's attitude is any hint."
"What...what are you saying?"
"I'm saying you need better control over your magic. You're the reason Victor got loose."
Sarah opened her mouth to say something before realising she had nothing and closed it.
"After your tenure as my slave is finished," continued Jareth, "I won't have the authority to confine you to your quarters, unless you break a law. In the meantime, as I said, you will not leave your rooms, nor will you have a day off to explore the Labyrinth."
"Jareth, you can't confine me to my rooms for a whole week. That's not- I didn't do it on purpose."
"No matter," replied Jareth with a wave of his hand. "I will escort you to your rooms and you won't leave them. Nor will you receive visitors aside from myself when we dine together."
"What if I don't want your company?"
"Irrelevant," replied Jareth, standing straight and shrugging nonchalantly. "You will do as you are told. If I order you to sit and make polite conversation, you will do so."
Sarah gritted her teeth. "Look, Jareth, I know I agreed to be your slave, but you can't force me to 'make polite conversation' with you."
The Goblin King laughed. It was a deep, resonating sound that reminded Sarah of drums. He gently trailed a finger along her jaw.
"Precious, you entered into a magical contract with a Fae king. I can make you do anything so long as it doesn't negate the terms of our deal. Do you require an example of the power I currently wield over you?"
He leaned forward to whisper into her ear.
"Sarah, stop breathing."
And she did.