A Tainted Land

A/N: I'm working through some errors in prior chapters. But just so everyone knows the bad guy is Davyn, not Dravyn. I'm a little crazy and apparently don't know how to pick a darn name. :-) For the remainder of this story I wanted to make sure everyone knows I'm taking creative steps away from the original movie. Especially in terms of Sarah's mother. I know she wasn't in the movie, it was just Sarah's step-mother, but I'm essentially making her REAL mother's entire back story up. Also I am super eager to get chapters of this story out- so I apologize for any typos. I read through this chapter prior to posting but I won't lie about the fact that I've had some drinks during the writing process. ;-]

Chapter 8: An Heir to a Lost Kingdom

Jareth led Maria to Sarah's room, his nerves on edge with having the Queen following him through his castle. What would happen when Davyn discovered she was missing? Certainly he would immediately know where his Queen went. He dismissed the thoughts, knowing he could do little to nothing about the issue at hand. The King stopped in front of the door to Sarah's room. He turned and looked at Maria with narrowed eyes. "If she is sleeping I do not want you waking her. She has been through a lot and she needs her rest…."

"I will not wake her King Jareth…" Maria answered quietly, the anticipation clear in her face. Her shoulders were tense and she looked ready to spring for the door. Jareth made a face at her before turning back to the door. His gloved fingers reached for the door handle, pushing the door open and holding it for Maria to enter. The woman quickly entered the room and went toward the bed. Sarah was sleeping soundly, her dark hair hiding her face from view. "My babe…" Maria whispered as she stood beside the bed, gazing down at Sarah's still form.

As if she felt the new presence in the room, Sarah stirred, her eyes fluttering open. "Jareth?" She mumbled sleepily as she turned her head to look at the form standing beside her. When her vision cleared she gasped. "M-Mom?" She asked softly. Maria sat down on the edge of the bed, but the quick movement made Sarah jump. "You can't be my mother…" Sarah said plainly, sitting up in the bed. She noticed Jareth out of the corner of her eye. He was watching from the bedroom door, his hands behind his back. "My mother was human and she's dead…" Sarah stated as a fact.

Maria smiled. "Sarah…I know this is difficult for you to handle right now…" The woman's emerald eyes mirrored Sarah's. She reached out and touched her daughter's hand. Sarah wanted to move her hand away but she forced herself to remain still. "Many many years ago I was not the Queen of Dorcha…I was the Queen of Laoch..A kingdom filled with heroes…" She smiled fondly thinking about it. "It was a small kingdom…but oh so beautiful. My King was my one true love…" Maria frowned. "Until the Kingdom of Dorcha invaded…King Davyn put a sword through my King's heart….And then took me away…" Maria paused, looking down at her hand over Sarah's. "My Kingdom fell to Dorcha…fell to the darkness. The heroes attempted to save our lands…but they failed. They live no longer and my once strong walls have crumbled beneath the relentless attacks of Davyn's monsters…" She sighed. "After living as his stolen Queen for so long I escaped…Much like I did this evening to see you…" Maria gave Sarah's hand a light squeeze. "I escaped to the Aboveground…to the human world…" She smiled fondly at the memories.

"I met your father…a wonderful human man….and spent several years aboveground…Which in Underground time is very little…I was lucky enough to find love a second time." Maria paused, looking up at Sarah. "When I discovered I was pregnant I knew my time was coming to an end. I was so happy the day you were born…but I knew I had to make you safe…" She shook her head. "If Davyn knew of your existence he would kill you…" she whispered sadly. "I made a plan to return to the Underground….I spent as much time with you as I could…but then I had to break your heart and your father's heart. I left under a fake death.." She shook her head, "Believe me I did not wish to do so, Sarah…I loved you and your father so much…" Maria's voice cracked and she held Sarah's hand tightly.

"I returned to Davyn and he merely punished me for being gone…He knew nothing of your existence and I made sure that he never did…I would watch you grow up from afar….I never gave Davyn the heir that he so desperately wanted….and he eventually stopped trying…I thought everything was finally going to be okay. Until you appeared in his throne room that day.." She looked both irritated and sad.

Jareth walked across the room to stand at the end of Sarah's bed with a small frown, "I am interested in what caused your miraculous return to the Underground, Precious….do tell how such an event came to be…"

Sarah looked at Jareth with a less than happy expression written across her face. "Well…" She paused and looked at her mother, then her hands. "I was making food for Toby…" She glanced at Jareth when she said the boy's name. The King didn't even flinch. "And he started complaining about not wanting to do his homework…and started crying about his gremlin toys…" She frowned, irritation growing in her tired voice. "And I said I wish the….and I honestly think I was going to say goblins….but I said gremlins…I asked the gremlins to take ME away.." She shook her head, pulling her hands up and grasping the sides of her face. "I'm such an idiot…" She grumbled. "I should have known better….but I was so angry…and then he had to be chanting about stupid gremlins!" She snapped angrily.

The outburst immediately sent a wave of nausea and exhaustion over Sarah. She groaned softy and leaned back into her pillows again. Maria grabbed her hand and cooed softly, "Relax, my dear…Shh…" She helped Sarah settle back down and pulled the covers comfortably around her body. "Everything is okay now…" Maria lied. "Rest now and everything will be better when you wake…"

Sarah didn't need to be told, she immediately fell back into a deep slumber. Maria turned to look at Jareth. "Let us talk, King Jareth…" She whispered.

Jareth just wanted to go to sleep but instead he was seated across from Maria at a table in his study. "Should you not be returning to Dorcha about now, Queen Maria?" he asked softly.

"My real name was once Melianna…." She said thoughtfully. "But I could not use such a pure and beautiful name in such a dark and terrible place…" She shook her head and looked up at Jareth. "Other than me…Sarah is the only descent of the Kingdom of Laoch…Everyone else is gone…You have to protect her…because one day she can claim the throne and take back what is hers by blood…"

"You have ignored my question…." Jareth stated.

"I know I must return soon, King Jareth…I am merely making sure you are aware of the issue at hand….Davyn will not give up until he has claimed Sarah as his own…He wants an heir and Sarah is his chance to both claim an heir and ruin you…"

"Ruin me?" Jareth's brow rose in question as he regarding the Queen across from him.

"It is not hard to see how much you care for the defeater of your Labyrinth, King Jareth…The fact that you came to Dorcha to claim her alone made Davyn giddy with excitement…He finally has something to hold over your head…" Maria stated.

"I will protect Sarah if it is the last thing I do, Queen Maria…" Jareth hissed. "I do not care for weakness…and I shall not let Davyn believe I have one…"

"Very well, King Jareth…Please give my daughter everything she needs to recover…and please…I beg of you…Protect the last of my Kingdom…." Maria stood from her seat and bowed her head to Jareth before disappearing.

Jareth leaned back in his chair. "Well things just got a bit more complicated…" He groaned quietly and disappeared to his room where he would get much needed rest.

A/N: Please let me know what you think. I must call out Honoria Granger..Thank you so much for always being my most wonderful critic. :-)