CHAPTER 10

She put her bags in the center of the room and laid the blanket, dirty clothes and the milk bottle on top.

Jareth reappeared and he said, "Are you done already?"

She said, "I don't scatter my things around much." He nodded. He tossed a crystal and her baggage disappeared.

She said, "Let me go give Lukas my key. Come on." He followed her downstairs.

She went to the bar and stood talking to Lukas and gave him the key. Lukas said, "Ifin' yer interested, I be havin' another music night tanight. Yer more than welcome ta come listen."

Sarah asked, "Do you have singers?"

Lukas said, "No, but tha band can pick up a tune by ear. Do ya sing Sar?"

She smiled and said, "Some but tunes nobody has heard here." Jareth was jealous a bit on how people just gravitate to be around her.

Lukas said, "Tha be great! I be sure everone' be likin' ta hear new songs."

Sarah asked, "What time?"

Lukas said, "Seven."

Sarah said, "I'll try to come." He smiled and nodded.

She turned, smiled and said, "I hope you come with me, if you feel like it. I'm ready to go, your majesty." He smiled big, because she wanted his company. He tossed a crystal and they vanished.

When they reappeared, he said, "Come Sarah, let's go find some lunch while the goblins settle your room."

She turned, smiling at him and said, "Lead the way, Goblin King."

He led her to the dining room and had the goblins prepare lunch for them. They brought hot tea and wine to the table. She made a cup of hot tea and was sipping on it.

Jareth was still surprised at her demeanor. He was so sure she hated him all these years. He knew she still didn't trust him completely but he hoped to change that in time. He was so deeply attracted to her that just being in a room or in close vicinity, it felt like his skin was coming alive. He desperately wanted to touch her, but was afraid to offend her because he knew it would not end with just a mere touch. He would lose control of himself. It had been three months since she had taken a lover to his bed and that was like going through the motions for release. The maid in his castle was efficient and convenient in relieving his sexual needs but she meant nothing more to him and he made a point to tell her that.

He and Sarah had a hearty meal of roasted vegetables, pot roast and fresh bread. Sarah said, "Do you have a small chest or lock box I could use to put my gold in while I'm here?"

Jareth waved his hand and a crystal appeared. He handed it to her. He said, "Just make a pile of your gold and toss this at it and it will make the appropriate size chest for your amount of gold." She took it and thanked him.

They left the dining room and he led her to her room. He opened the door and the goblins were racing around the room, fussing about, doing little things setting up the room. When they saw the king, they bowed and left the room.

Jareth said, "Let me show you around." The room has a big fireplace with a fire burning, an armoire, windows and balcony. The furniture was in mahogany and it was all intricately carved in French Provincial and Baroque styles. The bedroom was in soft teal green and sea green colors with a huge very thick cream oriental rug covering the floors from edge to edge. No space was uncovered.

Sarah was glad to have such a big swimming tub. It had a waterfall, foliage and flowers like a small garden surrounding it on all sides. Jareth showed her how to change the temperature of the waterfall in the tub, by waving your hand over a spot and saying hot, cold or warm. He said it was always flowing in the tub and recycling, until it was used. He said it empties and self cleans after. She thought magic was so cool. Ivy climbed up on the walls and gave the bathroom a subtropical feeling along with all the rest of the plants. The fresh scent was really nice too. Everything was in white marble with gold shot through it. The fixtures were in gold. The toilet was in a curtained off corner in the room. There was a shower stall too with racks of soft green towels and washcloths. One wall was illuminated with a stained glass mural of mermaids and water lilies. It was beautiful.

Jareth said, "I hope you're comfortable here."

Sarah said, "You're kidding me right? It's a very beautiful bathroom and room, Jareth." He showed her the attached sitting room.

Jareth said, "I have noticed that you do not say my name in front of others. You referred to me as the Goblin King in front of the goblins. You know the name security of my people, don't you?"

She laughed and said, "Yes, when I got here a week ago, I trusted nothing and nobody. I introduced myself with a nickname a friend called me years ago, Sar. I did not know how deep the mistake would have been if I did use my first name. I didn't know if it only applies to the fae, doesn't apply anymore, or applies to everyone. I couldn't be sure until I found someone to set me straight."

Jareth said, "It only applies to the fae. I appreciate your care and discretion. How did you learn it anyway?"

Sarah said, "I overheard Hoggle muttering it one time during my journey through the Labyrinth. I did not realize that it was so important to not use it in front of others, until I learned it through texts I found during my education."

Jareth said, "Let's keep it that way, but Jareth is not my magical name. My magical name is the one nobody knows. It's just in private I want you to use my name Jareth." She nodded and said Ok. He left her to settle in and told her to ask a goblin wherever she would like to go and they will give her directions. She told him thank you and he left her in her room.

Sarah found her clothes already placed in the chest of drawers with lots of other clothes she did not recognize. She went into the armoire and saw her coats in front but behind them was a vast length of closet full of dresses. Sarah thought, 'Where the hell did all these clothes come from?'

She would need to ask when she saw him again. She grabbed her blue jeans, a set of underwear, a long sleeve green t-shirt, and socks from the two drawers full of her duffle bag clothing. She sat them on the bed. She untied her hair and brushed it out and went to the bathroom and filled the tub. She left Midnight in his pouch by the tub but not near enough to accidentally fall in. She stripped and got in after adding lavender oil and bubbles with the bottles in a fancy metal box next to the tub.

It was perfect and heavenly. She soaked and scrubbed the dirt from her body. When she was finished and stepped out of the tub she saw there was a soft long velvet robe hanging by the rack of towels. She felt like she was in someone else's room with their clothes in it. She got dried off and got dressed wearing her black boots from her world. She put the pouch on the bed. Midnight would be hungry soon. She didn't have to pose as a man in their world's clothing unless traveling alone. She combed out the tangles in her hair and wore it down with two hair combs to pull it back. She put her knife in her boot and her gun on her belt under her t-shirt she left untucked.

She put her coin purse in her pocket after adding some more gold coins when she located her saddle bags. She remembered the crystal she had put on top of the dresser. She emptied both saddle bags and emptied the leather bags dumping the coins into a pile in the middle of the bed. She pressed the crystal into the coins and a smaller domed lid box made of wood and fancy iron work straps appeared. It had filigree locks and hasps with a fancy little old fashioned key in the lock. It reminded her of a pirate chest. She opened it and all her gold coins were stacked inside neatly in rows going across in layers. It was the perfect size. She locked it and picked up the 47 pound box and sat it in front of the mirror on top of the dresser. She found her jewelry from her world and started going through it and made piles of sentimental, bargaining jewelry and her personal jewelry. She put the little key on a chain she had that was long, because she still wore her owl pendant. She put the key one around her neck inside her shirt. It rested the key in between her breasts. She put her personal jewelry she wears in one of the leather bags she emptied earlier with her sentimental pieces. She put on her emerald stud earrings. She looked through the bargaining jewelry for a few pieces she could sell that were gold. Midnight cried and she fed him and filled up his bottle and corked it.

She took her cloak and the pouch with Midnight underneath and had the hood down and left her room. As she was coming out of her room, a human woman about thirty years old looked at her in disdain as she passed her in the hall. Sarah wondered what bug crawled up her ass. She stopped a goblin and asked if he could help her find the main entrance to the castle.

The Goblin asked, "Who is you? You new lady."

Sarah said, "I'm Sarah. What's your name?"

He gasped and said, "You's the Sarah? The Sarah one who beats the Labyrinth?"

Sarah said, "Yes. I'm her. I would like to go shopping in Goblin City. Will you show me to the business area?"

The little goblin said, "You's famous. But you'd fae now?"

She said, "I changed when I came back." The Goblin nodded.

He said, "I be Wendle. I take you to the shops."

Sarah smiled and said, "Thank you Wendle." She walked through the castle and out the main doors. They entered the city and Wendle took her to the shops and vendors set up with tables and booths outside in the streets against the buildings. Wendle left her and ran back to the castle. People seem to be staring at her from time to time.

Sarah looked at all the things people were selling. She saw a beautiful mother of pearl owl with its wings extended in a pin with a silver large moon behind it. It was about three inches across. She asked the merchant how much he wanted for it. He said ten gold. That was very over inflated of the price so she went to walk away. The merchant said he would sell it for eight and Sarah said no thank you. By the time she bartered and got him down to five gold. She showed him her few chains. She wanted to know if he would like to buy any of them and that they were unique. She knew the links were different from anything he had seen down in the Underground. They were manufactured herringbone and Figaro and Mariner links. He was very interested. She got nine gold for the three chains. She originally said twelve.

She walked into a pastry shop and got a selection of three different kinds of pastries and they tied it with twine in a box for her. She asked the time. She had forgotten to set her watch that was clipped to her jeans and asked the store owner for the time to set it to. It was 4:34pm. She was told it would stay working for two days before it needed winding. She slipped it in her other pocket and said goodbye.

She walked to a small shop and was looking around at all the gadgets this person made. Telescopes, kaleidoscopes, magnifying glasses. Stain glass sun catchers, wind chimes, ect. Sarah saw a fancy Celtic knot hand wood carved mirror. The merchant wanted after bargaining, six silver for it she paid and he wrapped it up for her. She found a shop with cloth bags for shopping. And put her items in it. Next she went to a candy store and got a mixed selection of different kinds of chocolates.

She was making her way back to the castle when a fae man stepped in her way to block her path. He said, "Hello pretty bird, where have you come from?"

She couldn't stand arrogant and/or impolite disrespectful fae or not men. She said, "Far away, please remove yourself and let me pass."

He snickered and said, "All in due time, little fae. No need to be rude. You are a tasty morsel. I think I'll take you to my room and sample your wares for an evening. I may even like to keep you for a while to lessen my sexual urges. I have a few friends who may like a taste too."

She said, "I'm not interested and you disgust me. Do you kiss your mother with that nasty mouth?" She tried to go around him.

He grabbed her arm painfully and said, "Not so fast you little tease."

She reacted by grabbing his arm, twisted it behind his back, kicked the back of his knee, took his other arm doing the same and pinned him to the ground face down in the snow and cobblestone. She was being careful of the kitten and not smacking him into this jerk.

He shouted, "See here, how dare you do this to me! I'm above your station! You will do as I say!"

Sarah said, "I will not bed you, your friends or anyone else for that matter, just because you say, or want it to be so. You are a swine and full of crap."

"I think the lady has got her point across to you, Galron. She is not and will never be interested in you. most especially because you were treating her like a whore and offering her up to your friends.", it was Jareth.

Galron shouted, "Get this woman off of me, please sire? She is beneath me."

Jareth rolled his eyes and said, "This is Lady Sarah. She is of higher station than you as Champion of the Labyrinth. Besides, she is smart enough to know to bind both your hands so you won't be able to use magic against her." Galron struggled and let out a defeated sigh.

Jareth said, "It's ok, Sarah. Let him up. He is my cousin, but he will apologize right now for his rudeness towards you. It will not be tolerated for him to talk to his betters like that, even if he doesn't know who you are." Sarah let him go and stood up brushing herself off. Galron got up and did the same.

Jareth said, "Apologize."

Galron snottily said, "She is human?"

Jareth said, "It doesn't matter she is fae now. She is titled and my guest indefinitely. You will apologize for treating her like a trollop, now!" Jareth's patience was wearing thin.

Galron knew this and said, "I apologize, Lady Sarah." Galron was humiliated and knew he was out matched with Jareth here defending her.

Sarah said, "Next time, I'll break both your wrists, if you dare try to force your sexual fantasy of sex on me again. I choose and it's my decision. I am no man's harlot." She spun on her heels and stomped off to the castle.

Jareth said, "You got lucky this time because I believe she actually would do just that and then some. She is not weak like most female fae or humans. She is unique. Bear that in mind for future use." Jareth walked away heading back to his castle and went to find Sarah. He knew she was fuming.

He knocked on her chamber door and she opened it and left it open. She went and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. She had her bag sitting next to her. Jareth sat on the other end of the couch and said, "Are you ok, Sarah?"

Sarah was staring into the fire and said, "Not really. Is that the attitude that I'm going to deal with for as long as I am in the Underground? Do all fae want to wipe their boots on humans and fae they think are lower class than them?"

He said, "Perhaps some, but not everyone. The problem stems from the separation from your human world and the class system here. The fae were basically forced out of your world and it caused resentment from then to now. It started out benevolent on our behalf and ended up in hate and fear. It's hard to change minds when it's been instilled inside for 5,000 years. The fae in lower classes are usually eager to have sex with the higher classes of fae in the chance of elevating their status."

Sarah said, "I get that. What bothers me is that he acted like he was entitled to use my body for anything he could dream up. I've seen men like that before and I will kill him if he tries to touch me ever again. I am giving you fair warning, whether he is your family member or not. Do the human females and lower classes of fae in your kingdom really let themselves be used like that?"

Jareth said uncomfortably, "I guess with humans some of them are enamored with us, as well as, some are intimidated by us. With fae many are free with sexuality, but he was completely out of line. I think he was confused by your human clothing on a fae woman."

Sarah asked, "Do they use magic against them?"

Jareth said hesitantly,"Perhaps, they would manipulate. I suppose it could happen. Nobody has brought it up that they have been treated like that. Sarah, I swear I would never do that to you."