Jareth was grinning when he opened his eyes, watching Sarah sleeping in his arms. By the Gods, she was beautiful, even more so now that she was Fae like him. The delicate upswept eyebrows, the royal color flashes on her eyelids, the glisten of her newly sparkling skin and the eiderdown softness of her chocolate brown hair. He sighed, completely happy, content and sated. Softly, he kissed her lips and tightened his hold on her. She moaned and he chuckled. She turned and collided with his morning wood as she opened her eyes, also grinning at him.
"Good morning, my king. I see that it is morning again." She laughed.
Jareth had never heard a sound that aroused him more than that sexy, throaty laugh. "Yes, my beloved, it is indeed the morning and I fully intend to put this wood to good use." He lifted her as he rolled into his back and held her hips over his straining erection. "Would you enjoy a morning ride, my Queen?" He laughed as she sunk down on his hard shaft, enveloping him in the warm wetness. He marveled that she was already wet and ready for him. He groaned. It felt too good to be joined to her. He bucked his hips as his strong hands held her in place.
Sarah rode him hard and fast, reaching between them to rub her clit herself. The explosive orgasm that action helped create made her scream her release. Moments later there was a pounding in the door.
"Majesty! Your majesty? Are you in danger?" The goblin guard struck the door with heavy fists. Jareth groaned as the guard pounded on the heavy doors.
"Be gone from my doors!" He yelled, annoyance dripping from each word. The pounding ceased immediately and Jareth sighed. "I will need to either inform the guards that they need to get used to our shouts and screams or else ward the room for sound. It is very distracting to have them attempting to break into our chambers to rescue one or both of us from ourselves." They both laughed loudly. "So, my lovely lady, I need to go and run my kingdom." He rolled out of bed and walked to the bathing chamber.
Sarah sat in the big bed and puzzled over her change of status. She wasn't a servant any longer, so she was confused as to what that made her now, besides Jareth's fiancée. She flopped back among the pillows and pulled the fur up and over her head. She curled herself up into a ball, her head peeking out from the fur as she watched with fascination as Jareth chose and put on his clothing. He looked supremely pleased, grinning as he brushed his mane of blond hair. He turned and winked at her and then came to the bed, pulling her up into his arms. She squeaked a weak protest and sighed as he kissed her deeply. "Come to our private dining room for lunch, my love. I have petitions to hear this morning. I'll count the seconds until I see you again, Precious." And in the swirl of his cloak, he was gone.
Now, alone in the luxuriously appointed bedchamber, Sarah sat staring at the fire. She was shaken from her silent contemplation by soft knocking at the door. The two pixies from yesterday flitted into the room. "We are here to help you bathe and dress, highness." They curtsied and busied themselves in the room, laying out a gorgeous gown of ivory silk. They readied the bath and helped Sarah into the fragrant water. She luxuriated in its warmth as the pixies bathed her in silence. She was then towel dried and set on a stool as her hair was curled and pin up. They helped her with her undergarments, which now included a corset and she stepped into the gown. The pixies curtsied again as Sarah shook her head in wonder at their odd behavior.
Sarah moved quietly down the corridor, away from Jareth's bedchamber. She puzzled at the odd treatment she was receiving from all the servants. They bowed and curtsied, keeping their eyes downcast and murmuring, 'majesty' or 'highness' as she passed by. What is going on here? Did Jareth tell them she was his fiancée? Did that explain the regally deferential treatment she was receiving. She endured it all until she saw Loildee, who curtsied deeply, smiled up at her and spoke. "Good morning, my Queen. Did you sleep well?"
"What did you say? My Queen? Oh hell no! Loildee what is going on here?' She scowled at the funny little goblin.
Loildee grinned up at her. "Why are you surprised? You accepted King Jareth's proposal, did you not?" She didn't need Sarah to answer as the truth was apparent. Sarah was full Fae now and truly the most beautiful queen the Goblin kingdom has ever had!
Sarah snapped. "Yes, I accepted his proposal and I am his fiancée but why should everyone treat me as if I were already his queen?"
Loildee frowned. This was not going to go well. "Well, your highness, the king would have performed the bonding ceremony last night after you accepted his suit, making you our new queen. The whole kingdom is celebrating."
Something inside Sarah snapped at this revelation. "I'll kill him, that's what I'll do! I never agreed to being made queen. I agreed to marry him but…" She didn't finish the statement as she stomped towards the throne room, throwing the door open with so much force, due to her newly acquired Fae strength that it trembled on its hinges. The door slammed loudly against the wall, causing all present at court, the king included, to gasp and stare at a raging queen. "Jareth! What in the hell did you do?"
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Jareth leapt to his feet and rushed over to Sarah. Somehow he had upset her and since she hadn't been Fae for even eight hours, her reactions were still very mortal in nature. All he knew was he needed to usher her out of the throne room and into his office to find out what was amiss and then restore harmony in their still very young union. He gently but firmly grabbed her at her right elbow and moved her quickly into the corridor and through the mahogany door of his office. He closed the door, leaning against it as he quickly threw a newly conjured crystal on the wall, protecting the office from intrusions and blocking sound from escaping. He watched as she stood in the center of the room, anger flaring in her eyes and murderous thoughts clearly on her mind. "Sarah, my heart, what is the matter?" He reached a hand out to her and was shocked when she struck him hard.
"You!" She huffed, breathing heavily, attempting to control her raging emotions. "You tricked me! You made me queen without asking me if I wanted to be queen!" She moved towards him and since he had nowhere to retreat to, she was soon toe to toe with her husband. "You asked me to marry you and then just married us in some Fae ceremony. You bastard!" She turned and walked forcefully to his desk and sat on his chair, daring him to deny it.
Jareth swallowed hard. He really made a hash of this. He thought she understood. Hadn't he told her? Yes, he told her she was joining with him, now and forever. What else could she have thought? He told her he loved her. Why was she so angry. "Sarah, I did tell you. I asked you to be my wife and queen. I asked you if you were sure you wanted to be joined with me, now and forever. You said yes last night, did you not?" He looked at her, feeling vulnerable and hurt.
"Yes, I did. But I thought we were engaged, just engaged! You didn't tell me you were going to marry us with some magic Fae spell. You tricked me!" She stood and moved toward the door. She wanted to get away from him. As angry as she was, she also felt uncontrollably drawn to him; she wanted to kiss him and more. "Let me out of here!"
"Precious, please. I love you. It is my fault but…" he tried to pull her into his arms but she slapped his face.
"No!" She shrieked. Don't touch me. You have no right. I'm leaving right now. I don't want to see you." She pushed him aside and almost ripped the door from its frame as she stormed out the door and disappeared down the corridor.
Jareth sank to his knees, his hand holding his stinging cheek. At that moment, he knew real misery, true heartache. It felt like his chest might implode from the intense pain that radiated from deep inside him. He grabbed the edge of the desk and pulled himself off the floor. He relied upon centuries of training to compose his face into a neutral mask of indifference as he entered the throne room and dismissed the gathering. Once the room had cleared, he walked with heavy steps, and a heavier heart, to his study. He picked up a bottle of scotch and a crystal glass and sunk into the chair in front of the fireplace. He poured two fingers worth of the amber liquid and drained it in a single gulp. It burned his throat as he forced it past the lump that wouldn't allow itself to be swallowed. He poured another drink and decided at that moment to get drunk. Not just drunk, but completely bombed. He didn't want to remember the look she gave him as her hand slapped his face; the anger and cruel hatred he saw in her jade green eyes. He needed to obliterate that memory.
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Sarah was stalking down the corridors of the castle, heading towards the little room in which she had spent her first nights in the castle. She moved past the double doors to the king's suite and saw the doors were open and there were servants cleaning it and changing the bedding. She stopped eight feet from those huge doors and stared at a bare wall. The door to her small chamber was gone! She had nowhere to sleep but the king's bedchamber! She slowly stepped back toward that room and peered into the room. Standing in the center of the newly cleaned room was none other than Loildee. She looked sad, like something horrible had happened. "Loildee, is something wrong? Is Jareth alright?"
Loildee shot her a vicious glare. "Why? Do you truly care if he is well or not, my queen." The last two words were dripping with contempt.
Sarah stepped back and grasped at her throat, unshed tears stinging her eyes. "Yes." She whispered too softly.
Loildee moved forward and took Sarah's hand, roughly pulling her to the chaise in front of the fire. "Sit." She paced as she watched the newly minted queen sink down on the plush upholstery of the seat. "Forgive me, Majesty, for my less than courtly language and blunt delivery. You have egregiously injured the king and the kingdom." Sarah moved to stand and protest but Loildee pushed her back down on the chaise. "No, my Queen, you have. Do not deny it. The whole castle is buzzing about how you abandoned the king in his office. He was seen, kneeling on the floor, holding his red cheek in his palm. He has lost face among the staff and servants."
Now she felt the tears running down her cheeks and the ache in her throat turned into a sob. "I, I was angry. He tricked me. He tricked me." She fell, face down on the chaise and gave up trying to be strong and wailed in pure misery.
Loildee knew there would be no talking to her until she calmed down. "My queen, I will return later to talk to you. Try to pull yourself together and be the monarch you now are. It matters not if you wanted it. You have it." She turned and left the queen to her crying and decided to check on the king. Right now, there would be much that needed correcting or else the kingdom might fail.
She headed for his majesty's study, knowing he would have gone there, to lick his wounds. What she found when she opened the door, shocked her. Jareth was sprawled in the chair, a glass of scotch in one hand and a half empty bottle in the other. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were red rimmed and puffy. She gasped. The king has been crying! In all her years tending to him, she had not seen him cry since he was a child. "Majesty?"
Jareth straightened up a bit and gulped a remnant of his last drink down. "Yesh? Wot do you vant?" His words were heavily slurred and he almost fell out of his seat when he attempted to pure another drink.
Loildee folded her arms across her chest and grunted. "Jareth! Put that scotch down this minute!"
Jareth appeared to sober slightly, staring at her in disbelief. "You do not have my permishon to address me so intimate, er, ly." He belched inelegantly and put the bottle down.
She removed the bottle and grabbed the empty glass from his hand. "I am allowing myself to act as your nanny again, Jareth. You clearly need someone to straighten you out." She huffed and then sighed. "You have really made a mess of this. You're drunk and the new queen is crying."
He tried to stand and nearly fell, dropping back on the chair. "Sarah? I made Sarah cry?" And then he sobbed, his face in his hands, as his shoulders shook. "I'm shorry, preshus."
Loildee placed a gnarled hand on Jareth's shoulder. "Pull yourself together, my king." She watched as instead of rising to his feet and stumbling to his chamber and his wife, he curled up on the fur rug in front of the fire and passed out. "Good gods! These two will be my end!" She threw her hands into the air and decided to try again with Sarah. At least she was sober and conscious.
Loildee let herself into the Royal bedchambers and saw Sarah staring into the flames. She was silent and lost in thought, her eyes red-rimmed and her face puffy from crying. She looked up at her and tried to smile but faltered. "Is Jareth alright?" She sniffed as Loildee nodded solemnly.
"He is sleeping off an inordinate amount of scotch, your highness." She watched as Sarah winced. Clearly, she had been thinking of everything that had taken place in a mere five days, realizing that she was now the Queen Of the Goblins and Jareth's bride. And yet, she still seemed upset. "What have you decided, my Queen?"
"I wish to have my little room back." She sighed and sniffled again.
"The king removed that chamber. It is no more. You will need to stay in this room, Majesty." She smiled, hoping that by throwing them together, they would work out their issues.
"I want my own space. I do not wish to sleep in the same room with him." She looked sad yet determined.
Loildee sighed and sat down in a chair opposite her queen. "Majesty, you must restore the order to the kingdom. Jareth will not be in this chamber tonight, true enough. But," and she looked at her sternly, 'he must be allowed to stay in this chamber. He needs to save face. The kingdom must believe you are together." She patted Sarah's hand gently.
Sarah thought on it and realized that Jareth's position as monarch would be in peril if word got out that his brand new wife had kicked him out of his own bedchambers. She understood, because Jareth had said he would be expected to insure the succession. That meant a baby, an heir. "Alright, he can sleep in here, but not in our bed. He can conjure a bed for himself at night and remove it in the morning, to keep up appearances. I intend to stay celibate."
Loildee hid the grin on her face behind her hands. She knew all to well that Jareth would press his advantage with the lovely Fae woman and seduce her in no time. "Yes, my Queen. It shall be as you say." She bowed and scampered off to see to her inebriated king.