A/N: Greetings everyone! And Happy Easter!
Ohhh man, I'm getting excited for these last few chapters. Hope you guys are too! I'm feeling that need to complete things and finish this story up, so it's come at the perfect time. So for the last chapter and this one I had a hard time with Jareth. At first I thought he seemed too affectionate or our of character in the fluffy parts, but I had to remember that he could be quite the romantic too (as seen in the lovely masquerade dream). I don't know. Hope he doesn't seem odd or out of character too much! I've gone back and forth a lot and ended up with things the way they are. He can be cruel, harsh, or full of mischief but we also saw how he could be romantic and thoughtful. I mean, think of the words in the songs. Okay, I've convinced myself! Hahaha...
Hehe. Read on my friends! Read on...
Jill: Thank you so much! Yeah, only a few left, but it's got to end sometime :). And I am sorry, but this will likely be the only Labyrinth fic I write :/. I almost always just have one story in me for one fandom (except Lord of the Rings) so I can't promise anything.
Thanks to my reviewers who make me day simply by responding to the story as it goes: XXPay4XtraShippingsXX, She with the hazel eyez, The Queen of Water, PheonixBreaker90, hisangel18, ButterflyOnTheWall, Kaytori, willowrain, Honoria Granger, Dark Angel Millenia, Marcelisabeth Sinclaire, letsnottalk, Jill, Metal1loves, Kinzichi, Person3162012, and a few Guests.
Chapter Twenty-Four: As the Pain Sweeps Through
...
...
Sarah awoke to a remarkably pleasant position the following morning.
Her eyes cleared after a few moments once she regained consciousness from the dregs of sleep. The fire had died out, soft sunlight poured into the study, and the cold draft was gone. The first thing that struck her was the fact she was still on the couch in the study instead of in her bed, but immediately her whole attention zeroed in on the greater fact that she was curled up against something rather warm, solid, and alive.
Her green eyes travelled from a pair of black boots beside her bare feet, up the legs, to the torso she was half sprawled across, and stopped there. It was difficult to tell if he was awake or if he'd noticed her newly aware state. She closed her eyes again, listening to the heartbeat that thrummed steadily by her ear and decided she'd never heard such a soothing, peaceful sound. Her small fingers clutched at his shirt as she relaxed back into him because she certainly didn't have any wish to leave.
"Going back to sleep, are we?"
Her eyes popped open, and she slowly looked up through dark eyelashes at the face hovering not far above her own. It was a face she planned to memorise as well as the one that stared back at her in the mirror every day. Those pale eyes regarded her with amusement that glittered in their depths alongside something deeper.
"I don't hear you complaining," she said with a tweak of her mouth. "You've probably been planning something like this the whole time." The smile that fought its way to the surface finally burst through, so she laid her head back down over his heart.
His noise of scoffing rumbled in his chest. "Then I have finally succeeded. But my plans always succeed." He lowered his head a little closer to her. "Would you like to know what my other plan is?"
Her heart picked up speed, but she pretended nonchalance. "Mm. Considering you've already put a ring on me," she said as she admired the crystalline jewellery wrapped around her finger, "I'd say you can't have that many left. Speaking of that. Uh…are we…you know…"
He waited.
"What exactly does this ring mean?" she asked quietly as she lifted it up to the light. "Is it different here than back in my world?"
His elegant fingers brushed across her palm and gently held up her hand. "Here it is a sign of my intention for I intend to make you my Queen. We have promised eternity to each other, and this ring is bound on your finger just as our words have bound us together."
A lump formed in her throat as her heart nearly burst from the adoration there that burned deep like a searing coal. He stated such things so simply but with finality and confidence that made it like a proclamation to the Underground every time. He did not waver in his conviction. She hoped that she too would never waver as the years turned to forever…
"A promise," she murmured. "Now that's a promise I can keep." Would they be planning a wedding? She wondered what sort of ceremony was required here and if it was at all similar to the customs of her home.
Her light mood darkened a bit when the thought of plans caused her mind to wander to what he'd mentioned the day before about discussing what they were to do about Fiachna. As if sensing her shift in mood, he sighed and tightened his hold on her. The hand not holding her twisted a crystal into being, and he began rolling it around his fingers as he often did in habit. Sarah watched for a few minutes as they fell into silence.
She finally sat up to look at him. "How do you do that?"
"Do what, my dear?"
Her focus fizzled a little at the intensity of his gaze. "The…the way you juggle those crystals of yours."
"You just turn it like this." He demonstrated with practised ease, but there was a hint of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. "And like this."
She rolled her eyes. "That's so helpful. Show me how."
"I do believe I just did."
Her eyes narrowed. If he was going to tease, she would give him a taste of it herself. She pulled away and began to put distance between them, the warmth sorely missed but not for long if her guess was correct.
"Fine then. I suppose I'll just leave you to your toys and go find some breakfast or something."
A firm grip caught her arm with lightning speed. The expression he gave her made her laugh, a look tinged with exasperation that she easily recognised from many a time before, yet this one was less harsh. "There is no need for that, Sarah. First of all, these are not toys." The grimace made her struggle not to laugh even harder. "And second of all, if you ask anything of me, you can be sure I will do it. When is another matter, of course…"
"Then teach me! I want to know how you do that. It looks…mesmerising." She settled back against him, this time sitting up a bit more.
Another crystal appeared in his palm, and he handed her one of them. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, although she half-expected to feel something magical emitting from its clear surface to her skin. It felt normal.
Again he demonstrated—this time much slower—so she could see how he moved his wrist and fingers. When her first attempt failed utterly, he let out a low laugh that she quietly admired. Perhaps trying to focus and accomplish something with Jareth so close wasn't the wisest idea…not while their relationship was so new and young.
He removed the gloves he had donned again the afternoon before and placed a light touch on her wrist to guide her hand. As he told her in words, his fingers slid from her wrist to her hand until his moulded to hers. She really did attempt the ball juggling as he was explaining, yet his gentle touch was enough to make things a little hazy in her brain.
"There! That time was better," he said, aware of the effect he was having on her but still trying to do as she asked. She wasn't the only one distracted. "Try again with a bit more twist to your wrist."
Jareth dropped his hand from hers yet not without letting it softly trace its way down to her elbow. A shiver went up and down her spine. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before giving it another go. It went well at first, but then he put his hand on her waist and the crystal dropped to the floor.
It burst in a ball of light and sparks.
Sarah yelped and felt her body jerk at the startling surprise. Jareth simply laughed and shook his head.
"I thought they weren't supposed to do anything!" she exclaimed.
"I said nothing of the kind. I thought you might need a little motivation not to drop them."
Although she tried glaring at him, it disappeared when she just couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. She realised he was laughing again as well and came to a greater revelation that they had never shared laughter together. That was enough to make the scare worth it. Almost.
They persevered a little longer, but Sarah only slightly improved since she felt so much laughter and joy bubbling up in her chest ready to spill out. It was a private time between them: her trying not to drop the crystals and Jareth barely containing his amusement at her antics. It was odd for him to have such light-hearted moments not laced with some sort of bitterness or agenda, and so he etched the feelings and details firmly into his mind, even the way the hazy gold light of morning fell on Sarah's face, setting alight the colour of her eyes and the highlights of her hair.
The moment was broken when a loud knock rattled the door.
Jareth pursed his lips and reminded himself that strangling a goblin in front of Sarah might not be a good idea. He looked long at her one last time before sliding off the seat and stretching to his tall stature. "What is it?" he called with an edge to his voice.
The door creaked open and a goblin head poked in. Its beady little eyes darted between its Master and the girl. A frown creased its forehead into deep wrinkles. When Jareth raised a warning brow at the creature, it jumped and cleared its throat.
"Your Majesty, erm, there is a fox and a, uh, large thing at the castle doors asking about," he looked at Sarah, "about her. And about some, uh, dwarf or other named Higlet."
"Hoggle," Sarah muttered with a shake of her head.
"They says they want to see them, but no one could find her. What do I tell them?"
Instead of responding, Jareth looked to Sarah as if letting her answer the goblin. It did not escape her notice that he wasn't trying to speak for her, and she appreciated it.
"Well, I at least can come see them in a few minutes. You'll have to ask Jar—his Majesty about Hoggle." Would it be appropriate for her to call him by name in front of his subjects? She supposed she'd have to ask.
"No one is permitted to see that measly dwarf," said the Goblin King. At Sarah's lifted eyebrows, he added, "Except the Lady Sarah."
Lady Sarah? I much prefer him just using my name, she thought as the goblin took his answers and scuttled off down the hall, forgetting to close the door. How could I not think of that before? If I'm going to be with a king then that means that means I'll be his queen and be addressed formally like he is. Queen Sarah…How strange!
Sarah's eyes got larger and her breath caught. Ruling over a kingdom of goblins wasn't the usual manner of ruling; nevertheless, it still was a position of great authority and title in the Underground and amongst the Tuatha de Danaan. It felt like an avalanche of thoughts overwhelmed her, and yet one overwhelmed all the others in a sudden rush: how much more would the Raven Mage's ire be stirred up against them when he found out they had found happiness together? His jealousy was infamous. If he knew, he'd plan something even worse than before.
Jareth was watching her carefully as if reading where her mind tread. "Sarah, you should eat something before you see your friends. Afterwards, we must speak of that which has yet been avoided. You should know what I have planned for that dark creature who preys on us and how we will be rid of him. But go and enjoy the morning while you can."
As if she could with that bit of information. Jareth was extremely cunning and able to manipulate things to his will, so she expected his ideas to be final and guaranteed to ensnare their foe once and for all. It was strange to imagine that the ordeal could soon come to an end. A weight lifted from her shoulders as she looked into his eyes and saw the determination and unwavering confidence. Her Goblin King was simply going to destroy that mage. She had no doubt.
As she sent him a smile and moved to the door, he glided forward and snagged her hand. "Did you really plan on walking out that door without bidding goodbye?" he questioned with a sly spark in those mismatched orbs.
"Oh? You wanted a goodbye?" She felt emboldened by the love searing her heart with an immortal brand and the observation of the effect that she had on him. He knew of her trembling and blushes, but little did he realise how Sarah had noticed his own vulnerability.
She drew up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips that was slow and tantalising. Once she was breathless, she pulled away and gave him one last look before slipping out the door. His smug expression made her grin and run a hand through her long hair more than once as she walked down the hall.
It was going to be a long few hours before she could see him again.
It was the dark of early morning before the dawn when the sky was painted pale charcoal and the stars began to fade. In the East was only a faint lightening along the tips of the mountains, and the breeze was still bitten with cold.
A woman tugged the hood of her silver cloak closer around her face as she moved silently over the dewy grass until she came to stand like a pale statue beneath the eaves of a giant willow. Its long arms drooped to the ground with light green leaves that glistened with water and sang softly with the touch of the wind. She glanced from side to side every few moments, tapping her foot once or twice impatiently on the ground.
"Seraphina," said a deep voice from the other side of the tree, "so glad you came when I summoned."
Seraphina pressed her lips together and scowled. "I cannot be summoned, Fiachna. Do not mistake my actions. Your letter intrigued me, nothing more. Now state your business and what it is you seem to want with me."
"I suppose you are used to men letting you know precisely what they want from you," that grating voice continued. "I will do the same. Although it is not your hand in marriage or anything else you might offer to those poor souls that I desire. We made a pact, Seraphina. We came to an agreement on Midsummer's Eve which has not come to fruition."
Her scowl dissipated. She stepped around the bole of the willow to face her unwelcome visitor. The Raven Mage leaned against the rough wood with a black cloak draped over his figure and a pipe trailing smoke from within the shadows of his hood.
"That agreement fell apart as surely as our attempt did," she hissed. "It was a disgrace and a disaster."
"So that is why you hide here at a relative's home? No one knew it was you, you should know."
"I'm not hiding!" the Fay maiden insisted with fists clenched. Her nearly-white hair shimmered as she moved forward. "And I refuse to get involved with anymore of your schemes. They never work. You might as well stop trying and accept the fact that Jareth the Goblin King can never fall to your plans."
The dark figure stiffened at her words, and she felt a gleam of satisfaction spark through her. Until he cast back his hood and those flaring gold eyes burned to her soul with their ferocity. He closed the gap between them and gripped her wrist like iron.
"Do not dare speak that way to me!" he whispered with a venomous hiss. "The only reason that night didn't go the way we planned was because of the presence of so many others around. I said I needed a second hand to be able to succeed. It is still true. This time…this time there will not be anyone else to interfere. All I need is a little aid from you, Seraphina, and your revenge on that mortal and on Jareth will finally happen."
She jerked her arm out of his grasp and felt a fire of her own arise in her chest. "Watch your step, mage. I am no helpless dryad or fairy to be toyed with. The only reason I would do anything to help you would be because it accomplished what I desire. I'm sorely tempted to refuse and let you fail again and again on your own."
His features hardened. "You speak boldly, but in your heart you know that it is what you want and that it's the only way to achieve it." He lifted a hand as if to touch her face, but she recoiled and took a step back. He smirked. "So cold. That coldness is what I need. We will rip that mortal fool out of his grasp and watch him suffer. You cannot resist that opportunity…"
As much as Seraphina hated to admit it, the mage was partially correct. She could say 'no' and leave it all behind, but the temptation to indulge her sense of revenge for her wronged spirit was too great.
And in her assumption of strength, she became weak.
"Fiachna, you will tell me your design. Only then will I decide if I am willing to do my part. Then it is over. I never wish to see you again."
A slow smile that was as cold as death spread over his face. "It is a deal then. I have a way to enter the Goblin Kingdom…"
Hoggle sighed from deep in his chest and rested his head on his knees. Although he was a dwarf and was not repelled by the deep or dark places of the earth—for his race were known for their delving and quarrying in the mountains and dwellings in caves—he still felt the confines of his black prison keenly upon his mind and spirit. Every day of his captivity in the oubliette he let himself feel guilty over putting Sarah in danger, even if he hadn't been given any full explanation as to what was going on. Some deranged mage wasn't just trying to get to Jareth but to Sarah as well, for some reason.
He scratched at his chin. While he admitted he wasn't the sharpest of tools, he would bet his jewels—well, maybe not really—on the fact that something more was going on with Sarah. She was his friend. His first friend. She wasn't the child he met at the front of the labyrinth years ago, but he couldn't find any reason why she would be here willingly. And spending time with Jareth to boot! Something was unusual about all that…
Then an odd noise broke through his thoughts.
Were those voices? He hadn't heard a single sound from the other dwarf down here the entire time. Since it was a fair assumption that Jareth would question the dark dwarf Gerdol, Hoggle waved it away thinking it was probably an interrogation by the Goblin King. The low murmur stopped, and he found himself listening merely out of curiosity since he himself wanted to know if the other one of his kindred did have something up his sleeve. He stood up and for once wished he wasn't a dwarf but something much taller.
The voices began again, this time a little louder as if nearer his dark prison. This startled him. What was going on up there? In a few moments it grew distinct, and his heart withered in his chest.
"…as you asked, Great Master. What would you have Gerdol do now?"
A deep and dark voice answered him. "You've proven your usefulness. Follow me and I shall reward you by taking you from this place. Come. We must make haste to get that girl."
Hoggle scrambled at the wall and frantically tried to think of any possible way to get out of the pit. A shadow passed over the hole as Gerdol and his Master glided past. A faint creak of a door came, then the sound of gurgling death as the goblin standing guard was slain before an alarm could rise.
Hoggle clapped his hands to his face and trembled. "Poor Hoggle! What to do. Poor Sarah! Help!" He began shouting as loud as he could in hopes that someone would hear. Anyone. "Help! Trouble! Someone, trouble!"
The poor dwarf's desperate cries were heard by no one. It was already too late.
Jareth sat on his throne trying to block out the raucous by all the goblins lounging around. Some told loud stories to each other, other rolled dice as they made bets, a few danced around, and a great amount of them simply stood or sat somewhere pretending to be important as they held their spears or axes. It was like being in a large room full of ugly children with terrible manners.
He already had distraction enough from consistently reliving the past few days and the bright memories etched into them that burned his heart like a pure and enchanting fire. Oftentimes in the past he found himself bored as the days wore on and managed to make some sort of mischief to entertain, but this day was different. There was no chance to get bored when he could only think of Sarah and her acceptance of him, her love for him.
For a man who never thought there would be love in all his immortal years, it threw a light onto everything around him in a way he'd never experienced.
A couple of tall goblins got into a tussle only a few feet away from his throne, shouting and grumbling at each other before a few fists were thrown. It caused quite the tumult, and Jareth arose from his seat and wacked them with his sceptre across the head. And another time for good measure.
What was that? In the middle of all the chaos around him and distractions within his mind, something pricked at the back and tingled down his spine. He shouted for all the creatures to be silent. Suddenly the room was still with a bunch of cowering goblins scrambling to hide somewhere from their master's wrath, but he had his attention elsewhere.
It almost felt as if…
Magic.
No one else had magical abilities in this kingdom besides himself.
Sarah. He didn't know where she was since she'd gone off with her strange friends. A crystal conjured into his hand even as he rushed out of the throne room. Nothing. His entire being grew cold and hard.
Even as his legs carried him swiftly outside the castle, he tried again to see Sarah. Nothing. This time he spied on the whereabouts of her friends Ludo and Sir Didymus who she was supposed to be with. When he saw within the crystal the two creatures, his heart stopped beating and all sign of life in him left.
Ludo bent over the fallen body of the feisty fox. Whether the fox was alive still or not, it was hard to determine. Ludo seemed all right until he turned and he could see that blood ran down his arm. Around them lay devastation.
The King of the Goblins became aware of both everything and nothing all at once.
Sarah had been taken.
NOTE: Fiachna better run. End of story.
Let me know what you guys think! Excited? Upset? Happy? Wanting to rip apart Fiachna yourself?
See you all next time...