Chapter 12
(Pain shall be endured)
Sarah woke to the sound of a key in the door. She watched as the door opened and Mrs. Cumber's entered the room.
"Good, you're awake." The elderly woman said, pleased. Sarah watched as she closed the door and then walked toward her before turning right. Sarah jumped seeing there was suddenly another door. The dark haired girl watched as the woman disappeared into the newly formed door. A moment later she heard the sound of water. She couldn't help but wonder when the new room had been formed.
"Alright deary, into the bath. I assume you don't need any help bathing yourself?"
"No ma'am." Sarah replied weakly.
"Good. Go on then. Ye don't have a lot of time. Hurry up and I'll help you with your dress." The dark haired girl didn't argue and quickly entered the newly formed bathroom. She was so pleased at the idea of a bath she didn't even notice the old woman smirk as she passed by.
Mrs. Cumber smirked at the way the girl was dressed. The King obviously intended to make use of the girl's body. She had assumed so much before but it was bluntly obvious seeing the girl barely covered at all.
Sarah entered the bathroom and quickly bathed in the warm water within a silver tub. It was smaller than a normal bathtub. It was rather clear it was not meant for someone to relax in it. One was to bath and get out.
The dark haired girl finished her bath and wrapped in the towel that had been provided. Walking to the sink she brushed her teeth more than once hoping to get the taste of the King out of her mouth. It didn't matter though. When she was done she could still taste him. Defeated she walked back out into the main part of the room.
Sarah walked in and gasped at seeing a beautiful mocha colored, renaissance styled dress. There was no doubt in her mind it was a dress for a true lady. "It's beautiful." She said barely above a whisper.
"That it is," Mrs. Cumbers agreed. "Come now, let's get you dressed. The woman snatched the towel off the dark haired beauty before Sarah could register a protest. The woman moved with such a quick pace Sarah was shocked. Before she knew it she was dressed.
"Now your hair. Must look presentable for court." Sarah felt the feeling of almost panic. Hadn't she been humiliated enough last night?
"Just in time." Mrs. Combers announced as there was a knock at the door. The woman walked to the door and opened it fully. Sarah immediately recognized the two men standing there. "Artair and Cannon will take you to his majesty."
Still embarrassed the woman couldn't look the two men in the eye. Slowly she walked to them keeping her eyes averted. The two guards didn't show it but they were amused the girl was still embarrassed by what their king had forced her to do.
Silently she followed the two guards down the tower steps and away from the tower. The guards led her through the castle and then ultimately out to the sentencing square.
Sarah couldn't hide the tinge of concern she felt for her friends. They were still in the stocks and she knew they were anything but comfortable. She was already afraid of what The Goblin King planned to do to them.
As she reached the area of Jareth's sentencing throne she was surprised to see a man she didn't know dressed in black pants and a silver loose flowing shirt. He had dark black hair and a short well trimmed black beard. Sarah couldn't help but wonder who he was. The way he held himself however, told her he was a man of importance.
"Lady Sarah, Majesty." Cannon said as they reached the steps to his throne.
"Come." Jareth told her with an imposing expression on his face. Sarah may have wanted to argue but she felt the warning in the air. She picked up the front of her dress and ascended the few stairs to the Goblin King's side.
"King Ormond may I present Lady Sarah, Champion of the Labyrinth." Jareth said introducing them. Looking at Sarah he added, "King Ormond is High King of the Unseelie Court." He gave her a look and she curtsied to the two men.
"You may rise." King Ormond said amused by the girl's uncertainty. "Take your place at your king's side."
Sarah saw the stool next to Jareth's chair and sat down without argument. Her dress flowed around her and she was silently thankful the dress didn't have a hooped skirt to it. Keeping silent, she looked out to see a large group of inhabitants had gathered. Sarah's heart sunk. She just knew Jareth would make a spectacle of this somehow.
The sound of a staff hit the ground three times and the crowd fell silent. "His Majesty, King Jareth."
"Citizens, there are some among you who have decided they don't need to obey me. You will remember three years ago I showed mercy and spared three traitors lives. They have betrayed me a second time in trying to take what is mine."
Sarah went to speak and a warning squeeze on the back of her arm by Talon silenced her. She looked at him and saw the almost cruel look of warning. Angrily, she held her silence.
"Today the traitors will be punished, as they should have been to begin with. It would be a pity if anyone else acquired the notion it was acceptable to show disobedience to me. Each will receive appropriate lashings before final sentencing. Captain you may begin."
Sarah watched as Talon walked out to the square facing the prisoners. "Shave the rock caller and fox creature!" He ordered.
Sarah was horrified as she watched guards begin shaving two of her friends. The dark haired girl felt pity as the beast began to look embarrassed with each shave. Ludo was big and strong but he was a gentle beast. Ludo moaned and Sarah felt tears enter her eyes.
Jareth looked over at the concerned girl pleased. She was already coming to tears and the punishment had barely started. He smiled internally. Victory over his obsession was at hand.
The dark haired girl was surprised as the beast hair was removed to see his skin was not dark like his face but very pale. Didymus skin was not dark but not as light as Ludo's pale skin. Didymus had light brown skin. She noticed the fox was humiliated as well. Before long both her friends had been completely shaven accept for a ring of fur around their neck where their heads were in the stocks.
"Strip the dwarf and chain them all!" The red haired captain ordered.
Embarrassed for her friends the dark haired girl looked away. She couldn't bear to see them treated so horribly.
"Look at them Sarah." The Goblin King said firmly. Sarah looked at him. "You will witness their punishment. If you look away I will render them into even more pain." He warned. "Now watch what happens when someone tries to take you from me." He grasped the back of the dark haired girl's head and forced her to look at her now completely humiliated friends.
Jareth hadn't just had their arms chained he'd had their arms and legs chained wide open between sets of posts. Three sets of posts sat in a triangular pattern. Each completely unable to move. No part of them was covered from view or protected. They were completely at the king and his guard's mercy.
Sarah watched horrified as three guards approached with not just a normal whip. The whips had a jagged edge all the way down both sides of the whip. Sarah had no doubt her friends would suffer.
"Maj..."
"Begin!" The king ordered.
Instantly all three guards began whipping the chained prisoners. They screamed in agony as the whips struck their bodies. The guards were not kind. They were cruel and ruthless. They whipped without thought of where the whip would strike. They were random and allowed the whip to hit anywhere on the victim's body. Even the face or most tender areas of the body.
Tears streamed down the face of Sarah as she watched her friends being tortured. She had tried to plead with Jareth a few times only to be brushed off and told to watch. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.
"Majesty please!" She wailed on her knees before him. Slowly he looked over at the teary eyed girl. Finding hope in the fact he'd at least looked at her she said, "Please, stop this. They've suffered enough and will bear scars they can't hide. Please."
"Don't worry little girl, they won't be in pain for much longer." The Goblin King said coldly.
"They will….. what are you going to do to them?" Sarah asked becoming even more concerned. Another scream made her look back to see a huge gash across Hoggle's body. "Ple..."
"They'll be dead soon enough and their suffering will end." King Ormond said sounding bored.
"NO!" Sarah yelled horrified. She looked toward The Goblin King once more. "Don't kill them. Please! Please don't kill them. I'll agree to your earlier terms just please…"
"Those terms are gone little girl." Jareth sneered. "That was an agreement before you tried to leave. It is null and void."
"Please Jareth. What will you accept? Please?" She begged as tears continued to stream down her face.
"Marry him." Sarah looked over at the High Unseelie king. "Marry the Goblin King and their whipping will end and their lives will be spared." Sarah looked at Jareth hopeful.
"Acceptable." Jareth said.
"You won't go after my brother or family or friends either?" Sarah said. Jareth looked as if he was about to rebuke her request and she said, "I'm not stupid Jareth. If I say yes I know I'm agreeing to more than I realize. Grant me my request and I'll marry you."
"Kiss me." Jareth ordered. Sarah went to lean forward and he stopped her. "A real kiss Sarah." Defeated, the dark haired girl that had been the King's obsession kissed the King of Goblins.
"Very good," Jareth said pleased.
"My friends."
"Enough!" The king called out. Instantly the whipping stopped. The king rose to his feet and offering a hand helped Sarah to her feet. "Cannon, escort Lady Sarah to her suite." The blonde haired personal guard nodded and offered the woman a hand. Receiving a nod from Jareth, she descended the stairs and left with the guard.
Jareth smiled pleased before looking at the crowd. "Lady Sarah and I will be married in two weeks." He announced. The crowd erupted with praise at the news. Some were genuinely happy the King had caught his obsession. Some pitied Lady Sarah. Other's hoped having Sarah would make the King more pleasant.
Slowly he turned his attention to the bloody, beaten traitors. "You will recover from your injuries and work hard labor in the mines until your death! Take them away!"
The Unseelie High King couldn't stop a cruel pleased smile from gracing his handsome face. Jareth had spared their lives and ended their lashings but the traitors would die in misery.
"Congratulations Jareth. Your dark haired beauty has submitted to you." King Ormond said.
"Yes. Things are looking very good indeed." Jareth agreed. "Thank you. I had planned on making her wife once I had her pregnant, but this is even better. In two weeks I will have complete dominion over her. She will be unable to refuse me anything."
"Precisely." The Unseelie High King. "This way it will not matter how long it takes to impregnate the girl. You can force immortality on her at any time."
"That will come in handy with the approaching war. When will you be calling a war meeting?" The Goblin King inquired.
"I had thought to call everyone to my castle in a week but with your upcoming nuptials would you be opposed to hosting?"
"It would be an honor Majesty."
King Ormond smiled pleased. "In one week." Jareth gave a dignified nod and the Unseelie High King disappeared.