Prized Possession

Chapter 21: Tempest's Secret It was early the next morning that Jareth sat on his throne, a shiny crystal orb held before his dual colored eyes. Within the fragile bauble two girls slept peacefully, curled up next to each other in a sea of twisted blankets. A smile formed on his pale face as he considered that it might not be much longer before Sarah might lay such in his bed. The defiant girl continued to antagonize him, however despite her attempts to confuse him, he could plainly see that the two girls, peacefully sleeping in the depths of the crystal, were companions...sworn friends and nothing more. Being the curious Fae that he was, he had continually checked on them during the course of the night and nothing of a romantic nature had passed between them. Not that he doubted for one moment that the raven-haired girl already had some manor of feelings for him. He would just have to be patient. It was only a matter of time, for even her friend could clearly see that there was something between them. Sarah was the first to wake, and begrudgingly she roused her friend. Their preparation for the day was reminiscent of their morning routine as roommates, but there was something solemn in it, as Sarah wouldn't be able to do this again for nearly a whole year. It seemed like no time before the Goblin King appeared in Sarah's chamber and announced that it was time for Kayla to return home. Humoring Sarah's protests that she needed to be sure that Kayla was returned safely, the Goblin King transported all three of them back to Sarah's dorm room. Sarah held it together, up until the last moment where she embraced her roommate and best friend to say goodbye. Kayla hugged Sarah tightly and whispered in her ear to be strong and that everything would work out for the best. Sarah was close to tears but Kayla artfully made her laugh by whispering, "And when you come home you'd better have my ten bucks." Sarah, laughing through her tears pulled back and protested, "Nuh-uh, not happening." The Goblin King stood by silently as the two friends said their good-byes. Sarah was sure to compose herself before she turned to face him. Sarah noticed Kayla's sly wink as Jareth pulled her close for the transportation spell. Sarah shook her head as she disappeared with Jareth, wondering what might change by the end of the year. For Sarah, time would progress normally, but Jareth's spell ensured that when she returned aboveground, it would be as if no time had passed. She wondered if Kayla would remember their day spent in the underground, or if it would be as if none of it had ever happened. She would ask Jareth about this eventually, but for now she needed to forget about home, for it would only make her miss it all the more. For the next several days Sarah honored her daily vigil of tending to Jareth's mount. One afternoon she meticulously cleaned his stall as usual, and as she went out to fill his water bucket from the well she noticed the stallion seemed more impatient than usual. For he had already heard her approach and he stood pawing at the gate to his pasture. As Sarah pulled up the bucket she called, "Easy boy, I'll bring you in soon enough, just let me get your supper ready." As if in direct response to her words Tempest trumpeted and with a snort he continued to mercilessly paw the ground. Sarah smiled, he seemed so intelligent at times, like he truly understood whatever she said. She sighed, and supposed that in his own way he had just told her to hurry up. As she lugged the water bucket into the stables she did not notice the snowy owl that dove from the nearby gnarled tree. The white bird landed gracefully on the paddock fence. A moment later the stallion turned to regard this strange visitor. Intelligent crystalline blue eyes met the wide brown eyes of the snowy barn owl. The owl blinked unaffectedly as the stallion sniffed the air near him. Tempest nickered softly as he recognized his master, even in his altered form. Sarah dumped Tempest's grain into his trough and made sure that his hay manger was full. She still wanted to groom him, but she decided there was no harm in letting him eat first. She could just curl up on the nearby hay bails and read from her book. She loved afternoons like this. It was sunny, but not too warm. As she headed outside the gentle breeze ruffled her skirts and the wind was like a welcome cool caress on her face. The owl took off as it heard the girl's approach, choosing to watch from a distance from atop the same gnarled tree. He sat in silent vigil as the girl, led the stallion from the paddock, whispering soft lulling promises of the supper that was about to come. The owl kept his watch as the girl left the stallion to his meal and lounged atop the hay bails to read. Still he watched, when the alicorn, having finished his meal poked his head out of his stall and snorted as if to get the girl's attention. Sarah put aside her book and offered him a lump of sugar before she brought him out of his stall to groom him. Several goblin grooms were there in attendance but they sat off to the side, playing with marbles on the dirt floor, as the girl was more than capable of grooming the mount by herself. However they remained close by, just in case the girl needed them to fetch something. Sarah didn't mind their company. They were generally quiet, for goblins, and they were always nothing but polite and obedient towards her. Sarah guessed that these were among the most reliable and well trained of Jareth's subjects. It wasn't a surprise really, judging from the way the Goblin King seemed to prize the stallion. She doubted he would ever let anyone but the most capable grooms care for him. She paused mid stroke, letting the curry comb rest on Tempest's flank as she thought, "...but he let me care for him." She swallowed at the implications of the realization. Perhaps he did trust her after all. She pushed the thought from her mind as she resumed her grooming. She was tired of thinking about Jareth. She had done enough of that over the past few days and she wanted to enjoy herself right now, not bind herself up un knots wondering about Jareth's thoughts and feelings. This was the time of day where she was quite content to forget that the Goblin King existed. As she put down the curry comb and went to work with the body brush, Tempest gave an excited nicker. Sarah looked up to see Jareth lounging casually against the doorframe. Just wonderful. Despite her annoyance at seeing him, her eyes still managed to disobediently wander over his lithe form. He was dressed rather simply today. Smoky blue breeches and a cream colored poet's shirt accented by a simple black vest. He was wearing his knee-length black field boots. In his left hand he held a riding crop, which he was presently tapping carelessly against his ankle. In his right hand he was holding a shiny red apple. He placed his crop on the nearby pile of hay as he stepped forward, absently rubbing the ripe fruit against his sleeve to polish it. His mismatched eyes settled on Sarah as he remarked, "Well Sarah...I see you've begun to groom Tempest." The stallion whinnied impatiently as Jareth approached. Sarah smoothed a hand over his long black mane to quiet him as she replied, "That's right, I started just the other day." Jareth pulled a small dagger from his belt and nonchalantly started to cut the apple in half as he remarked, "It appears that you have begun to earn his trust." Sarah nodded as she continued to run her fingers through the black silky strands of Tempest's mane. Somehow it was strangely comforting to be near the alicorn, almost making Jareth's close proximity bearable. Jareth stepped even closer and fed half the apple to Tempest. He affectionately stroked the stallion's neck before he leveled his mismatched gaze at Sarah and enquired, "Tell me, do you think you are ready enough to ride him?" Sarah ran her hand down the length of Tempest's neck on the other side, appreciating the feel of his warm smooth coat. The small action lent her strength and she returned Jareth's gaze as she countered, "I don't see why not." She didn't turn away as a slow grin crept over his expression. With haughty amusement he addressed the grooms, "Fetch the tack. Sarah would like to ride." He turned and gestured for Sarah to follow him out of the stable as the grooms started to dash about busily preparing bridles and saddles. Sarah followed Jareth into the red twilight, where he continued to cut the remaining half of the apple into two quarters. He extended a piece to Sarah in offering. She glanced at the apple in his gloved hand and warily and remarked, "Do you honestly think I'd willingly accept that from you, after the last time?" Jareth tilted his head to the side and smirked as he taunted, "Still so reluctant to trust me? Here, perhaps this will alleviate your fears." Without further ado he brought the other apple slice to his lips and bit into it. He smiled as he again held the other piece out to her. Sarah asked herself what she had to lose as she tentatively took it from him. In an attempt to persuade him that she no longer feared him she brought the fruit to her lips and her eyes held his as she bit into it. Jareth ate the last bit of his piece and as he finished he remarked, "You see, perfectly safe." Sarah merely rolled her eyes and was vaguely aware of the fact that he was taking the opportunity to look her over. She looked away as she silently munched on the rest of her apple slice. At the same time Jareth moved to hover by the stable door to check on the grooms progress. They had brought out several bridles and saddles, two of which were sidesaddles and they wanted to know which one Sarah would prefer. He chose the bridle and told them to start with that, as he would ask Sarah which saddle she would prefer. He retrieved his crop and strode over to the fence where Sarah was waiting and watching the sun set. As he neared her he enquired, "Is there any particular style in which you prefer to ride?" Sarah turned to regard him and without hesitation she answered, "Huntseat." Upon seeing his puzzled expression, she reasoned that her answer probably didn't make any sense to him. He replied, "I'm afraid I am unfamiliar with that style, but we do keep a few ladies saddles on hand for visitors, perhaps you might prefer one of those?" Sarah furrowed her brow and replied, "Ladies saddles?" Jareth nodded, "Yes, women here tend to ride with their legs on one side." Without even giving her answer much thought she replied incredulously, "Side saddle?" The Goblin King nodded and she snorted, "Yeah right Jareth..." Then she froze as she saw that he was totally serious. He coolly remarked with an air of amusement, "Are you saying that you do not ride side-saddle?" Sarah swallowed as she began, "Uh...no. No, I don't." Jareth looked a little taken aback as he quipped, "How DO you ride then?" Sarah shrugged, "I already told you, huntseat." Jareth quickly tried again, "Describe it, how would you normally sit?" Sarah countered, "Astride, same way you probably do. The correct position is slightly forward." Jareth raised his brow and repeated, "Astride and forward?" Sarah explained, "Yeah, you sit forward so you are in a good position to go over fences." It was obvious that she had totally taken him by surprise. He replied evenly, "I see. I'm very curious to see this riding style." With that he suddenly turned and called into the stable, "Flak, put my saddle on Tempest." With a hurried nod the Goblin called back, "Wish to ride him first then your majesty?" Jareth shook his head and answered, "No, it's for Sarah. You'll have to shorten the stirrups." The goblin sputtered, "Bbb...but you majesty..." Jareth waved his hand and ordered, "Just do it." Sarah couldn't help feeling rather smug. This was going to certainly shock the hell out of him. She had been taking riding lessons since she was in middle school and she had grown skilled enough to compete in local competitions all through high school. Sarah had always truly loved riding and upon starting college she promptly joined the university's equestrian team. She had been instructed in both Western and Huntseat equitation, but she chose to compete in Hunter classes as jumping was one of her favorite sports. Jareth turned back to her, a slow predatory grin formed on his face as his eyes fell to her skirt. He strode forward and lifted the hem of her skirt slightly with the tip of his riding crop as he drawled, "You know...I'm very curious as to how you plan to ride in this." Sarah suddenly looked down, only now remembering her attire. She quickly stepped back away from the crop, causing her skirt to fall back down as she stammered, "Oh...I...I...forgot. I have a pair of breeches...I...I'll just go change." Jareth's grin only grew as she backed away. He watched her run up to the castle in great haste as he murmured to himself, "Well, this ought to be interesting at the very least." A few moments later, Sarah came running down the hill from the castle, just as the grooms were bringing Tempest out. She was now outfitted in her purple pageboy breeches and field boots along with a white peasant blouse. Without the long doublet the breeches revealed all the shapely contours of her thighs and buttocks. Upon seeing her, the Goblin King smirked...This was going to be very interesting indeed. The grooms lowered the stirrups for her as Jareth positioned the reins over the stallion's head. Sarah went to Tempest's left side and ran her hand along his neck and shoulder to reassure him that she was there. "Need a boost?" Jareth asked, suddenly invading her space with a sly smirk. Sarah shook her head and assured him, "I can do it myself." Jareth held the reins close to the bit just to steady Tempest as Sarah placed her foot in the nearest stirrup. He watched with interest as Sarah bounced on her grounded foot before she pulled herself up and swung her leg over the stallion's back with ease. Jareth watched the alicorn for any outward signs of a fight, but to his surprise the stallion seemed to have no objection to letting Sarah sit on his back. Sarah positioned her feet in the stirrups as she took up the reins and asked Jareth, "Do you have any last minute advice?" Jareth nodded, "If he's going to try and throw you he'll probably try as soon as I let go, but if you stay on past the first few minutes, don't pull on his mouth, if you let him have his head, he will be far more agreeable." Sarah nodded, "OK. You can let go." Jareth replied, "Are you certain?" Sarah tried to ignore the fact that her palms were sweating and her heart was beating faster. Now was the time to remain as calm as possible. She breathed deeply once, twice, and replied, "Yes...I'm ready. Let go." Jareth met her eyes and nodded, "Alright, I'll be close by, watching." Sarah continued to breathe deeply as Jareth released the reins and stepped back. Tempest snorted loudly, but he didn't bolt or buck. He merely stood still, and Sarah used the opportunity to speak calmly to him, "It's alright boy...it's only me. Let's just stand still for a minute." To both her and Jareth's amazement. Tempest did exactly as she requested. He stood still, not even attempting to raise a hoof. After a moment Sarah let out a breath of relief and ventured, "Shall we try a little walking?" Tempest nickered as if he understood, and as she inhaled to lighten her body, he started forward at a brisk walk. Sarah was careful to keep him on a loose rein as she walked him in a large circle. He was obeying beautifully so she reversed direction and continued to walk him. As Jareth watched her control the stallion effortlessly he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. The alicorn was not fighting her in the least, which meant he trusted her and accepted her as a rider, a feat no one other than himself had managed. Sarah brought Tempest to a controlled trot just as the tension left the Goblin King's frame. Knowing that Sarah was now out of danger, he could concentrate on her skills. He watched with interest as she moved along with the stallion's gait. Just as Tempest's outside front leg moved forward, so did she, her bottom rising slightly from the saddle. She was right, the style was a very forward and alert sort of riding, and he found it rather fascinating. As she changed direction her movements changed as well, her timing and her position, all carefully readjusted. Jareth had never seen a woman ride like this, and just when he was sure the sight could not get any more fascinating, she asked Tempest for a canter. It was much slower and controlled than a full out gallop and her movements were far more natural and graceful then most of the riders he had ever seen. His eyes were drawn to the rhythmic movement of her hips, which were synchronized and matched by the movements of the stallion. Never before had he seen a sight so aesthetically pleasing as Sarah riding the powerful alicorn, with it's silver horn gleaming in the afternoon sun and her raven hair flying unrestrained behind her. She exercised such control over the stallion and her own body that it was astounding. It was then, he noticed, that she was smiling. And it was not a forced or strained smile, it was genuine, a smile that could only have been born of true happiness. She brought the stallion up the field, turned him and then started galloping down the length of it. She rode hard, past Jareth and for a moment he seemed lost in the moment. The alicorn's silver hooves pounded hard on the soft ground sending bits of soil and grass flying. He noticed the deep deliberate movements of Sarah's lower body while her hands and upper body remained remarkably still. The only sound was the thundering of hooves upon the ground and the stallions panting breaths. At that moment, he was reminded why he was so drawn to her. She was so determined, all iron will and fierce beauty. How could he...how could anyone not want to possess that? Her defiance and independence was a dazzling thing, like some priceless untouchable jewel. Yet, untouchable or not, he wouldn't be content until she belonged heart, body and soul to him. As she neared the paddock fence, Jareth suddenly realized that Tempest wasn't slowing down. In a moment of panic he started forward, but then he noticed that Sarah was in fact driving the stallion onward. Surly she didn't mean to...? No she couldn't. That fence was taller than two goblins in height. The Goblin King watched in pure astonishment as Sarah leaned forward, slightly out of the saddle as Tempest took the jump. The stallion cleared the fence with nearly a foot to spare. Sarah repositioned herself as Tempest landed. She slowed him to a trot before she turned him in a wide circle and started heading back towards a purely amazed and grinning Goblin King. As they approached, a flock of scavenger birds were startled and driven out of the nearby underbrush. Sarah, having been momentarily distracted by the handsome grin on Jareth's face, didn't notice the flurry of activity until it was too late. Tempest was startled by the shrill cry of the birds and their sudden frenzied flight. In a wave of terror the alicorn shied, raising his head in alarm as he jumped to one side. Sarah's brief moment of carelessness cost her, for it was in the same instant that she lost her balance and toppled over to the right. Jareth realized the danger at precisely the same moment as Sarah, and still being a good ten yards away, there was nothing he could do to prevent her fall. Sarah gave a startled yelp right before she hit the ground like a ton of bricks. As she landed rather hard on her bottom she let out a resounding, "Ooomphh". She screwed her eyes shut against the momentary consuming pain and the biting barrage of "I told you so's" that would certainly drop from the Goblin King's lips...at any second...any moment now. Sarah kept her eyes shut tight as she waited for the unbearable pain in her ass to subside. The impact had quite effectively knocked the very air from her lungs. She wanted to scream and cry in frustration. She had done perfectly, up until the last second, and it was only due to her lack of attention to her surroundings, that she had fallen. She had been caught off guard and the result was a nasty spill. She cursed herself for being too damn cocky and overzealous. She couldn't believe her shitty luck. As soon as Jareth saw the alicorn spook, he knew Sarah was going to fall. She had been doing so splendidly that the lingering chance of peril did not even occur to him until it was too late. What did occur to him came as a bit of a surprise. It was not smug satisfaction at her failure to stay on that he felt, rather the urgent worry that she might be hurt. The horrible feeling was unpleasant, seeming to twist his very insides. He did not much like it...in fact he hated it. Before he realized what he was doing, he had started forward, running to the place where Sarah had landed in the dirt. Sarah sat up and opened her eyes just as the Goblin King reached her. She fought to steady her breathing as she steeled herself for what would no doubt be a chastising and smug lecture from his highness. She expected no less than for him to rub this in her face in the most degrading fashion. But what he actually did was something she did not expect. The King of the Goblins rushed to her side, crouching down, and for the second she took in his approach she saw grave concern evident on his face. He was all business as his eyes darted over her in their cursory inspection for any obvious injury. To his relief she was sitting upright, alert and breathing. Sarah detected a note of worry in his voice as he stiffly demanded, "Are you hurt?" That was a good question. Sarah winced slightly as she moved to stand. Her bottom was smarting, but the initial pain had subsided somewhat. Nothing seemed to be broken, and her arms, legs, back and head were perfectly fine. It was just her ass that was, for the moment, a little worse for wear. Standing and brushing off the dirt, she replied rather abruptly, "I'm fine." She looked around in haste, spotting the stallion, who was contentedly munching grass a few feet away. As she turned her back on Jareth she expected the gloating to begin, but it never happened. Jareth was uncharacteristically quiet as he followed her over to Tempest. She fetched him by the reins, throwing them over his head as she positioned herself to mount up. Jareth stood at the stallion's side with his hands placed imperiously on his hips as he barked, "What are you doing?" Sarah retorted, "What does it look like? I'm getting back on." Jareth gave her a disapproving look as he prodded, "Are you sure you're all right?" Sarah swung herself into the saddle, careful not to wince as her bottom made contact. She leveled a defiant look at Jareth and replied, "I'm fine." From up in the saddle with that determined look on her face, she suddenly seemed a lot less fragile. The Goblin King cocked his head to one side and quipped, "You never admit defeat, do you?" Sarah looked down at him, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, as she admitted, "No. That was nothing. In the ten years I've been riding I've had much worse spills than that." Jareth regarded her, a trace of amusement evident in his expression as he remarked, "I don't doubt it...But you have nothing more to prove." Sarah arched her eyebrow suspiciously as she replied, "Oh, don't I?" The Goblin King shook his head and admitted, "No. You fell...that much is true, but you weren't thrown. I think it's rather obvious that Tempest has accepted you as his rider." Sarah regarded him with surprise as she taunted, "Is this your way of actually admitting you were wrong?" Jareth smirked, for he couldn't resist as he quickly replied, "The stallion spooked, it's that simple. If he didn't want you on his back, you wouldn't be sitting there right now. I can assure you of that. As for my being wrong, I'll say this...I admit I underestimated you, but I was not wrong, for it is entirely true that up until today not a single person besides myself has been able to ride that alicorn." Sarah was unable to prevent herself from grinning widely as she walked Tempest away from him and around the edge of the paddock. When she finally finished her ride she dismounted and walked Tempest to cool him down. While she was cooling him out, a goblin herald came to notify Jareth that there were several messages that had just come to the castle that required the King's immediate attention. Jareth would have preferred to hang about and badger Sarah for a while longer but he also took his responsibilities rather seriously. So without further ceremony he bid Sarah a good afternoon and left her in possession of his mount. As Sarah stood in the center of the stables, un-tacking Tempest, she had the strangest feeling, as if someone were poking around in her very thoughts. As if on instinct she glanced about warily, but not a soul lingered. The goblin grooms had all left for the Goblin city already, to take their evening meal. She craned her neck, her eyes searching even the darkest shadows of the stable, but ultimately all they met were the wide blue eyes of the stallion. Sarah shook her head as if to clear it of the peculiar feeling before she muttered, "I must be losing it..." Suddenly a wise laughing voice sounded in her head, "I wouldn't necessarily say that." Sarah whirled around, but still there was no one in the barn but the alicorn. As she turned back around, the stallion's gaze seemed to regard her quizzically. She stared at the animal in startled surprise, and feeling more than a little silly, she addressed him, "Are...Are you talking to me?" The voice answered in her head, and it even sounded appropriately equine, "Well, talking may not be the right word...but sure as my coat is black we are communicating." Sarah was aghast as she stammered, "How long have you...I mean how come you've waited till now..." The stallion bowed his head and finished, "To speak up?" Sarah nodded and continued to stare at the alicorn as if she could not believe what was taking place. The stallion looked her in the eye and continued, "Well, we've only just begun to get acquainted. I had to find out for myself whether you were trustworthy." Sarah swallowed and replied cautiously, "And am I...trustworthy?" Tempest nickered softly and replied, "Wouldn't have taken that jump for you if I didn't think so." Sarah was reminded of her spill and ventured, "Well, if you trust me, then why did you let me fall?" Tempest lowered his head in shame as he replied, "Oh, sorry bout that. I wasn't really paying much attention, and those birds nearly gave me a heart attack, I hate those birds you know...always flitting around my head and stealing my grain. I didn't mean for that to happen to you lass, I hope you're not angry." Sarah replied, "Oh no, I'm not angry. I was...just a little embarrassed..." Tempest laughed, "Nuthin' to worry your head over, no one but the King ever rides me, so you need not be concerned with impressing the likes of myself." Sarah smiled, "That's not what I meant. I was talking about the King. No doubt he got quite a kick out of my little spill..." Sarah suddenly stopped herself as she realized that she had better watch what she said, the last thing she needed was for Tempest to be relaying information to Jareth. She bit her lip as she remembered the feeling like someone had been rifling around in her thoughts. "Um...I was wondering...I can hear you in my head...are you able to..." Tempest finished, "Read your thoughts?" Sarah nodded as the stallion explained, "To an extent. For example, I can sense what troubles that pretty little head of yours. But I can also extract any thoughts you want to send to me...which means the two of us, in essence, can carry out entire conversations without making a sound. Go on, try it. Ask me something in your head?" Sarah thought a moment and mentally asked, "Do you communicate with Jareth this way?" Tempest nickered softly and replied, "By the underground no. Jareth is Fae, making his head much more impervious than yours, however if I really wanted to, I could establish basic communication with him." Sarah replied, "Do you?" Tempest answered, "No, I've never connected with Jareth this way, I thought about it, but it's really not necessary. We have an understanding that does not require words, and that's fine with me. He isn't aware of my ability to communicate and I wish to keep it that way..." Tempest chuckled and it sounded rather like a whinny as he went on, "...as he does have a fondness for hearing himself talk. No, I think I'll leave the pleasure of conversing with his majesty to you and his goblins. I have enough problems dealing with these dreaded black flies and those confounded birds." Sarah laughed aloud and sighed, "I think we are going to get along beautifully." Tempest snorted and huffed, "I take it his majesty gets under your skin then..." Sarah mused, "You have no idea." Tempest replied fondly, "Oh, but I do...I can sense how much he clouds your thoughts. You'd have everyone believe that he only annoys you, but I can sense the truth in your mind. You long for him don't you? His presence unnerves you, yet you are drawn to him all the same." Sarah's expression suddenly went cold and gravely serious, "How...how can you know that?" Tempest gently offered, "I told you. I can sense your thoughts...your feelings. I don't understand. You long for his attention, but then you dread receiving it. If to be with him is what you want...then why do you try to avoid him?" Sarah sighed. She really had no idea where to begin so she just replied as honestly as possible, "I don't know...I guess that aside from fearing what might happen, I don't know what he really feels. How can I not fight my feelings, when he's supposed to be my enemy." Tempest softly replied, "Your enemy? I don't know anything about that. If you ask me, I'd say that he fancies you. He indulges you, gives you food, shelter, lets you care for me, and when you fell he ran to your side. That does not sound like an enemy to me." Sarah swallowed fretfully as she admitted, "No, it does not." Tempest sensed the turmoil their conversation was causing and he gently offered, "Don't worry your pretty little head over it. You're secret is safe with me lass, and we don't have to talk about it. I'm your mount and you, my rider. You've earned my trust, now I will set about earning yours. You just keep bringing me those lumps of sugar and brushing me nicely like you do, and all will be right as rain between us." Sarah smiled, stroking tempest's neck as tears welled up in her eyes. It felt wonderful to know that she had a true friend here, a friend that she could really talk to. Sarah headed back up to the castle not long after her enlightening conversation with the alicorn. She went to her chamber to change out of the now filthy breeches. As she removed her clothing, she realized she had a rather nasty welted bruise on her buttock. She donned a clean skirt and blouse and left the room fastening her waist cincher, her intention to venture into the castle kitchen to fetch some dinner and some ice for her bruised bottom. Once she entered the kitchen she found a goblin, who was nice enough to produce a plate of game foul and potatoes for her. He offered to find her a chair so she could eat at the prep table, but she assured him that she'd rather stand, and told him that she would be eternally grateful if he could find some ice for her. She had worked up quite an appetite so she ate in haste as the goblin disappeared to fetch her ice. He returned swiftly enough and upon handing her bowl of ice he asked if he could get her anything else. Sarah shook her head and politely dismissed the helpful goblin. She did not notice that in the goblin's haste to leave the kitchens he nearly ran headlong into his King who had just appeared in the doorway. After having finished her dinner Sarah pushed her plate away and opened her napkin to fill it with chunks of ice. As she carefully raised her skirt to press the bundle of ice against her bruised buttock she was completely unaware of the Goblin King who stood silent in the doorway, a look of total amusement growing on his otherwise haughty aristocratic face. At first she hissed in discomfort at the sensation of the freezing bundle against her hot stinging skin, but she diligently held the pack in place and soon enough the stinging throbbing sensation gave way to blessed numbness. Sarah held her skirt up and out of the way as she leaned forward over the table and sighed in relief, "Ooohhhhhh...that feels soooo nice." Jareth tilted his head to the side, unable to prevent himself from admiring the view as he drawled aloud, "I don't doubt it, as that is quite a nasty bruise." Sarah yelped and jumped, nearly dropping her sack of ice as she whirled to see the Goblin King standing in the doorway wearing a positively wicked grin. She promptly dropped the hem of her skirt and tossed the bag of ice on the table as she snapped, "Jesus! You scared me! Don't you ever get tired of sneaking up on me like that?" The Goblin King merely shrugged and shook his head. He seemed to ponder her for a moment as he produced a crystal and made it dance over his fingertips. His voice was diplomatic albeit bored as he began, "You know, I could make that bothersome injury heal instantaneously, if you'd be so helpful as to just show me it once more..." Sarah leveled her gaze at him and scoffed, "I don't think so. I'm more than fine with letting it heal the old fashioned way." He tsked, "No need to be defensive, I was merely offering my help." Sarah shot him a "you're not fooling anyone" glance as she barked, "Well, I don't need any help. It's just a bruise and I know how to handle it...so thanks, but no thanks." Jareth smirked and indicated her satchel of ice as he drawled, "Then by all means, don't let me stop you." Sarah chanced a glance at him and wished she hadn't, for the heat and amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. Her stomach nearly lurched at the realization that he was actually attempting to flirt with her. She quickly looked away as she snatched her bag of ice and maneuvered it under her skirts without exposing anything higher than her lower leg. She focused on the table as she sighed, "Did you come here just to bug me, or did you actually want something?" Jareth smiled, his eyes hungrily devouring her as he admitted, "Well, I thought you might like to know, I've just received word from Lord Taibaar. It appears that he and his party will be joining us at the upcoming ball." Sarah looked up in alarm and quipped, "Let me guess, his little tart of a daughter is coming too, and I'll have to spend the night pretending to be your mute little pageboy again." Jareth smiled for a moment and replied, "No, that won't be necessary. Lady Desdemonna is not coming. I made it clear to Lord Taibaar that my admittance of his people into the Goblin City is not dependant upon my marriage to his daughter." Without thinking Sarah stammered, "It's not?" Jareth laughed at her assumption and chastised, "Of course not. I will meet with the ambassador and a few of their other leaders. If I deem them trustworthy and their wares useful, then they will be granted admittance to the city. The girl is trivial. I have no use for her, I just humored the old man to get him in the door, so to speak." Sarah raised her brow and sarcastically bit out, "Oh, how very noble of you. What consideration you must have for her feelings." Jareth gave her a disapproving look and challenged, "If I remember correctly, you weren't exactly sympathetic to Lady Desdemonna's plight that evening." Sarah's tone was scathing as she fired back, "Maybe not, but then again, I was just following orders. Lets keep in mind that it was YOU who orchestrated that whole scenario...NOT me." Jareth shook his head, realizing Sarah had yet again managed to change the subject. Slightly irritated, he remarked, "We're getting off the subject. That's not important. The point is that the Fae of the Northern Kingdom WILL be attending this ball, and as relations with them have not yet been established it is imperative that they come to respect my position and authority and view the power of this kingdom as equal to theirs." Sarah furrowed her brow and remarked, "...And how exactly is that my problem?" Jareth crossed his arms menacingly over his chest as he stepped closer and drawled, "It IS your problem, as YOU will be MY escort. I expect nothing but complete obedience." Sarah raised her brow and wondered how the hell she had gotten herself into this. Jareth, undeterred by her slack-jawed stare, went on, "Your behavior WILL be perfect, your respect and adoration totally believable..." Sarah closed her mouth with an audible snap, as she had to stop herself from having a complete and total outburst. This just kept getting better and better...and the clincher was that he was still rambling. "Lord Taibaar must believe that this kingdom rivals his own in extravagance. I will not allow his people to decipher any weaknesses. You Sarah, will be proof against that. If they believe that I am courting a human from the Above-world, the very one that solved the Labyrinth, they would have no doubts about my authority or my powers of persuasion." His eyes fell on her as he continued, now stalking slowly around her, "And they SHALL believe it. You will hang on my every word if you have to..." Hang on his every word? She was temped to hang him from a tree at the moment, but before she could protest he went on his voice becoming less threatening and more wistful, "And you will be perfect. The others, all those noblewomen, princesses and alike, will not be able to hold a candle to you." Sarah's heart seemed to leap into her throat. Was he actually complimenting her? And there was something about the look in his eyes, as he suddenly looked her over. It was haunted, haunted and hungry. He advanced closer, his voice growing softer and infinitely more seductive as he added, "I'm having a dress made for you. Something worthy of your beauty..." Sarah couldn't bear any more. She was either going to have to kill him or kiss him, and at the moment she had no idea which she was more likely to do. As he finished, he lowered his face dangerously close to hers. She was aware that she was trembling and her heart seemed to be pounding in her ears at the possibility that he was about to kiss her, and she would have been the biggest liar if she said she wasn't thinking of grabbing him by the front of his white poet's shirt and laying such a kiss on him. Fortunately, she did still have one brain cell working and it was firing its warning signal as if there were no tomorrow. The message managed to just barely get through the hazy euphoria caused by being so close to him. The voice in her head warned, "Don't you dare kiss him, or let him kiss you! Kissing leads to sex, and sex might lead to love, and if you kiss him you are totally FUCKED with a capital F!" It was as if a large bucket of ice water had just come down over her head, and in that second of painful awareness, she stopped his advance by placing her hands on his chest and pushing him back. She nearly regretted it as soon as she did it, as she was instantly aware of the warmth of him from under the soft fabric of his shirt. She was astonished to hear her own voice, and amazingly it sounded much more forceful than she would have expected, "Whoa, whoa, whoa...hang on! Are you saying that aside from being your escort, I have to act like I'm in love with you?" Jareth stepped back, quickly regaining his composure, "That is exactly what I'm saying." Sarah thought a moment and replied, "But that makes no sense. Lord Taibaar is going to be there and he already knows me as your page boy. Don't you think that might be a bit of a problem?" Jareth smirked and answered, "Not really." She stammered incredulously, "Not really? How is that NOT REALLY a problem? I haven't run into very many sexual reassignment surgeons down here, so I'd say that me going from guy to girl is going to be a pretty big problem for the Northern ambassador." Jareth chuckled and drawled, "There is a simple solution Sarah. It is a masked ball. The ambassador need not even see your face. However, if by some chance he does catch a glimpse of you and notice a certain resemblance to my page boy, we simply inform him that Sargonne is your twin brother, and that I acquired the two of you when you wished yourselves away to me." Sarah shook her head and groaned, "I should have known that you'd come up with some insane plot. You do know how crazy that sounds right?" Jareth smirked and nodded, "Of course, but I haven't any doubt that we shall pull it off beautifully. As I see it, only one obstacle stands in our way." Sarah quipped, "And that is?" Jareth offered, "Your inability to dance, but that will be remedied soon enough. I shall begin to teach you tomorrow..." He smirked, eyeing her bottom as he finished, "...that is, if you aren't in too much pain." Sarah sighed wearily and assured him, "Oh, it'll be painful alright. This whole thing is going to be one big pain in the ass..." Grinning, she finished, "But if you think you can teach me, good luck, because this is going to be a much bigger pain in your ass than mine." Jareth smirked and retorted rather confidently, "I don't think so." Sarah laughed to herself and muttered, "Oh just wait 'til tomorrow and see then...you might be needing this." With that, she dropped the sack of ice onto the table. Jareth chuckled at her jest and he left the room shaking his head as he muttered, "Ah Sarah you never fail to amuse." Chapter 22: May I Have this Dance? Sarah, having gotten herself to bed rather early the night before, woke up in a rather pleasant mood. Her bottom was not nearly as painful as it had been only the day before, and the fact that she had a new friend with whom she could share her secrets, only made her outlook even brighter. It was early morning when the Goblins came to rouse her, finding that she was already awake and dressed in rather peculiar clothing. Sarah, needing a break from uncomfortable boots and waist cinchers, had dressed herself in her favorite pair of jeans and a black stretchy top, which had been among the clothes she had fetched from her dorm. Her Levis were a little worse for wear, faded with a hole starting in one knee, but they were the most comfortable pair of jeans she owned. She had tossed her boots under her bed, and nearly cried out in relief when she slipped on her old worn sneakers. Feeling rejuvenated by her old familiar clothes, she resolved that she would finish her task or reorganizing the library. It was a lovely day, and a pleasant breeze wafted through certain regions of the castle. As she entered the library, with its airy feel and open windows, she couldn't shake the feeling that something good was bound to happen on such a beautiful day. Later that same morning, Jareth happened to be strolling down the corridor on the way to his study, when he heard what sounded like, peculiar music coming from the library. His curiosity got the better of him, and he strayed from his course, taking instead, the passage to his right that led to the castle library. The large oak doors were slightly ajar and the music seemed to grow louder, the closer he ventured. Intrigued, he reached out and pushed the door open a little wider. Just as he had suspected, Sarah was inside, seemingly busying herself with the reorganization of the castle volumes. She had succeeded in removing all the books from the shelf opposite the doorway and she was now diligently dusting off the shelves with a polishing cloth. The source of the noise, as far as he could tell, was a black rectangular box that sat upon the window's edge. The strange music produced by the mysterious box was unlike anything he had ever heard before. It was rather loud, with a frenzied, almost chaotic melody that was accompanied by very aggressive drums and vocals. Sarah did not notice the curious monarch, who stood aghast in the doorway. She had been busy polishing the shelves with her back to him. Jareth simply listened for a moment, it was so unlike anything he had ever heard that he wasn't sure if he abhorred it or if he liked it. One thing was true enough, he found it fascinating. As strange as the music was to him, Sarah was apparently very familiar with it, as she mouthed the lyrics in time with the unmistakably male vocalist. Jareth folded his arms across his chest, an amused smirk growing on his face. His eyes lazily drifted over the girl who was now bobbing along and strutting carelessly to the music, happily oblivious to his intrusion. Her movements were somewhat rigid and jerky, but it didn't stop her from enthusiastically indulging in a sort of self-absorbed dance. Apparently Kayla had been right, Sarah was going to need help if she was going to be expected to dance at the ball without embarrassing herself...and him for that matter. He watched her with curiosity, covering his mouth with an elegantly gloved hand to stifle a chuckle that would have surely alerted her to his presence. Not wanting to call attention to himself just yet, he collected himself, letting his eyes drift over her form. Her shirt was some short-sleeved aboveground concoction. It was solid black and the fabric was quite elastic, as even from a distance, Jareth could see that the material was stretched tightly across her bust. She was wearing those atrocious denim trousers that Abovegrounders seemed to love so much. Jeans, he believed they were called. He had seen her in similar slacks several years before when she had solved the labyrinth. Still, as he tilted his head to the side to appraise her behind, he conceded that these were far more fetching on her, in a grossly informal sort of way. Maybe it was the way they hugged her hips, or that their tightness nicely accentuated her shapely thighs. He didn't really know, nor did he care, he just knew he liked what he saw. Her shirt ended right where her trousers, er jeans...or whatever they were...had begun, causing her mid-drift to become exposed when she stretched to reach the higher shelves of the bookcase. The outfit was accented by a narrow black leather belt with many blunted silver studs on it. Finally Jareth glanced down, noticing the worn sneakers. He shook his head, reminding himself that humans though skilled in science and technology, hadn't the first clue about tasteful attire. Still, as hopeless as the outfit was, it held a certain amount of charm on her. Oddly it suited her, as one is suited to their own skin. It was a pleasant surprise to see that finally she seemed to be somewhat at home here. That meant that he was one step closer to achieving victory. Eventually the Goblin King strode further into the room and loudly cleared his throat. Sarah glanced over her shoulder in surprise, and upon seeing the Goblin King leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, she quickly reached over and turned the volume down on her boombox to a sub-deafening level before she turned to face him. Jareth smirked as he began, "I see you've taken over my library. Just what are you doing in here?" Sarah motioned to the pile of books on the floor and explained in a slightly chastising tone, "Well, I've reordered this entire section uh...alphabetically by author's name, and now I'm just cleaning off the shelves, as they were particularly filthy." Jareth sighed and leveled his gaze at her before he arrogantly replied, "Sarah, I am responsible for a kingdom full of goblins. I am quite familiar with filth, in all of its diverse and reprehensible forms, so please...forgive me if a little dust isn't my main concern." Sarah placed one hand defiantly on her hip, swinging the dust cloth in the other as she retorted, "Well, it does concern me, since I like to read in here, so if you won't have it taken care of, then I will." Jareth grinned wolfishly and goaded, "Well, it wasn't so much the details of your cleaning I was after, as it was this racket I was curious about." He gestured to her stereo and she replied, a little less defensively, "Oh...this?" Jareth nodded and she explained, "It's just my radio. I like to listen to music while I'm working. It helps to pass the time." Jareth stalked closer letting his fingertips skim along the top of the stereo, as he replied silkily, "I see. How does it work?" Sarah shrugged, "Simple." She popped open the top and pointed to the disc inside, "It reads recorded music...on these. I have a whole collection...in here." She flipped open her CD album, which was lying next to the radio, to show Jareth the variety of discs inside. Jareth grinned and remarked, "Ah. Tell me, what manner of music is this?" as he indicated the music that began to play from the CD again. Sarah replied, "Oh, that's hard rock." Jareth considered the throaty male voice that permeated the room. The song had a certain sexual quality to it, making him slightly suspicious. Jareth slid a little closer to her and replied, "Hard rock hmm? Are you familiar with the performer of this hard rock? Is he, say a...friend of yours?" Sarah looked at him as though he couldn't be serious before she laughed, "Uh, no...I mean I am familiar with the music because they are a famous band, but I don't like know them or anything. They're just a rock band I like." Jareth seemed intrigued and he continued, "So hard rock is what you call this because..." Sarah nodded, "Because it is hard and...edgy. There is soft rock too, but I don't usually listen to that unless I'm trying to go to sleep. I have some pop. Pop pretty much encompasses everything that's popular. Oh, and I have some rap, which has a heavy base and the lyrics rhyme and are spoken very fast. I also have some electronica, or techno, it's all computer generated..." Blankly, he replied, "Computer generated?" Sarah shrugged, "Never mind, it's not really important...but if you want you can use this sometime and listen. I could show you, if you want." Jareth smiled winningly and replied, "I'd like that." She smiled back, for she couldn't really help it, the bastard could be charming when he wanted to. Jareth suddenly seemed to remember himself and began, "Perhaps some evening when we both have some free time, which that reminds me...I believe I owe you a dance do I not?" Sarah blushed slightly, against her will, and stammered, "Oh. Uh, yeah..." Jareth smirked and replied, "Excellent. I will have some free time this afternoon. How much time do you need to finish this?" and he gestured to the stack of books on the floor. Sarah swallowed the nervousness that crept over her at the prospect of dancing with him before she stammered, "Well, I uh, am almost finished. I just have to put the books back...say in like a half hour?" Jareth arched a delicate eyebrow and smirked, "Perfect. I'll arrange lunch for us before we begin. When you are finished, meet me in the dining room." With that the Goblin King offered her a dashing grin as he turned and strode out of the room, utterly amazed that for once their conversation hadn't turned into an argument, but then, it was still early in the day. Time seemed to fly by for Sarah in the library and the next thing she knew she was strolling down the corridor on her way to meet Jareth for lunch. When she arrived in the dining room, he was already waiting for her, and so was their lunch. Jareth made polite conversation, the popular topic being Sarah's music collection. She had a feeling that the Goblin King loved music, and his interest in her music collection only supported the idea. All too soon lunch was over and Jareth rose, seemingly eager to begin her instruction. Somehow she had a feeling that as much as she dreaded this, he was looking forward to it. With a smirk Jareth suggested, "Let's begin in the ballroom. I've seen to it that we won't be disturbed." Hesitantly, Sarah rose from the table and followed Jareth to the ballroom. The room was spacious and open, but unlike the room in Sarah's peach induced dream, there were no sparkling or opulent decorations, and instead of soft white lighting and mountains of pillows, the room was mostly wide-open space with bleak grey stone walls and dusty flagstone floors. To Sarah this room looked as though it had not seen any use in quite some time. Jareth noticed her appraisal of the room and remarked, "It may look bare and unimpressive at the moment, but I assure you, this room will be quite transformed by the eve of the ball. Still...it's the most obvious and suitable place for you to learn." Sarah was busy staring up at the immense cathedral ceiling, noticing that it was adorned with flying buttresses. She was so lost in her appraisal, that she didn't notice that Jareth had stepped closer, and was now standing directly behind her, causing her to start as he added in a silky whisper, "Now, perhaps it might be best to jump right in and see what you know..." Sarah turned, regarding him with wide eyes as a crystal appeared in the palm of his hand. He juggled it skillfully before it came to balance on the tip of his fingers. His mouth formed a teasing smirk as he added, "A little music would do nicely, don't you think?" Sarah nodded in mesmerized silence as the transparent orb began to spin of its own accord atop his fingertips. He made a subtle gesture with his other hand and the crystal floated up, hovering in mid air while its magic caused a haunting yet strangely familiar melody to fill the room. The Goblin King's gaze was set on Sarah as he stepped purposefully towards her and drawled seductively, "May I have this dance?" The sound of his voice and the sight of him coming forward to claim her as his partner caused heart to leap into her throat. For the first time that afternoon Sarah finally allowed herself to really take in his appearance. He was dressed as usual, in tight breeches, however, today they were black, and instead of the frequently present white poet's shirt he wore a crimson tunic accented by an intricately crafted dark leather doublet. Black leather gauntlets covered his hands and wrists, and as usual he was wearing shiny black field boots. He didn't look terribly formal, but he did look unmistakably Fae and was every inch the imposing Goblin King of legend, who had dominated her dreams and nightmares alike for the past several years. Sarah swallowed. The time had come, she was going to have to touch him. There was no way around that now. She seized what was left of her courage just as Jareth slipped his right hand about her waist. She tentatively placed her left hand upon his shoulder. She raised her other arm just as he caught her hand in his, his slender fingers closing around hers. Sarah exhaled breathlessly, slightly relieved at the realization that his other hand was safely clasped about her waist and was no where near her breast, but it was only a small blessing as he was still touching her, and that in itself was enough to accelerate her heart rate. She desperately tried to ignore the incapacitating nervousness that washed over her. How she hated those damned evil butterflies in her stomach. Why oh why was he the only one capable of doing this to her poor insides? If he made her any more nervous, she might have to throw up all over the floor. Sarah wrenched her mind back to the task at hand and tried to drown out everything else. He was standing so close that she found it incredibly difficult to look at his face, especially since making one false move would result in being in that dangerously vulnerable "about to kiss" position. She looked at the floor. Hell, what was she thinking? They were slow dancing, meaning they were going to be stuck in that damn position the entire time. She tried to listen as he briefly explained the steps, but all she could really hear was her own pounding heart. Finally, Jareth started to move, advancing toward her and Sarah did the logical thing and stepped back. He praised her for correctly interpreting his cue as he started to move her through the rest of the steps. She did her best to try and follow his lead but she felt intensely awkward, like she was constantly trying not to trip over her own two feet. Her instinctive response was to look down to make sure her feet were behaving, and besides, anything was less nerve wracking than looking into those extraordinary mismatched eyes of his. As he lead her through the pattern he called out the steps for her, "One...two...twirl left...twirl right..." It was a fairly fast paced dance, and she had a peculiar feeling of dŽjˆ vu, as it was similar to the way he had danced with her in her dream. They were swiftly beginning to cover a lot of ground as the pace became faster, and Sarah had to keep watching her feet to keep from tripping. At this point Jareth had noticed that Sarah's attention was increasingly focused on the ground. In one fluid movement he moved his hand from her waist, lifting her chin so that their eyes met. His dual colored eyes held hers as he silkily commanded, "Never look at the floor. Always look at me." Sarah swallowed, her mouth suddenly going dry as she was forced to keep her gaze locked on his ethereal face. For a moment she thought she saw the faintest of smiles grace his lips before he lead her into the next dizzying series of turns. Without being able to look at her feet, Sarah felt wildly out of control, and part of it was probably due to the fact that she kept getting lost in those haunting eyes that held hers captive. Her steps started to become increasingly delayed, as she had to keep reminding herself what she was supposed to be doing. Her increasing nervousness caused tension to settle throughout her frame. As her originally innocent study of his features started to turn to longing, daydreaming sort of appraisal, she fought to keep her wits about her. She was suddenly hyper-aware of the light touch of his hand on her waist and the way her hand felt in his. She had also noticed that his body was now significantly closer to hers than it had been when they had first begun. Her discipline faltered for a second as she wondered what it would feel like if she were to "accidentally" press her body against his. The resulting stab of desire jolted her and she realized with alarm the peril of the situation. With a renewed resolve to be more guarded, she concentrated on putting a little more distance between herself and Jareth. A moment later, she was so preoccupied with trying not to touch him any more than she had to, that she had managed to miss his cue. Stepping forward, when she should have stepped back, resulting in her stepping right onto Jareth's foot as she clumsily bumped into him. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks. It had been accidental, but she felt her face grow hotter at the thought that she had just been fantasizing about such a misstep Jareth halted and grunted in dismay as Sarah sprang back. Her nervousness was now not in vain, as her mortification was complete. Lamely she stammered, "Oh...Sorry..." Jareth couldn't help smirking at her discomfort as he began, "I do believe I know what the problem is." Sarah rolled her eyes and sarcastically muttered under her breath, "Yeah, I have two left feet..." Jareth ignored the remark and added, "Let's just concentrate on one thing at a time, shall we? Your biggest obstacle, as I see it, is that you are unsure of yourself." Sarah crossed her arms and scoffed sarcastically, "Oh really...what on earth gave you that idea?" Jareth disregarded the fact that her question was purely rhetorical and offered, "You are not trusting me, and it is causing a veritable plethora of complications. You keep looking at your feet. You're pre-occupied with the steps, when you should be relying on me to lead you. You need to let yourself relax, your frame is entirely rigid with tension." Sarah's discomfort quickly turned to annoyance, and she accused without really thinking, "I am rigid with tension because YOU make me tense!" The Goblin King leered back with an amused smirk, "Yes, well, lets just deal with that right now, shall we?" He circled her, casually regarding her with heat and mischief in his eyes. She had no idea what he was playing at but she held her breath as if expecting the worst. She could see the situation elevating to something relatively precarious in a short amount of time. Matching wits with him was like swimming with the sharks and at the moment she felt about as safe as an appetizing baby seal, especially with the way he was looking at her. His eyes roamed her form as he admitted, "If we are to pull this off you must learn to relax and to trust me." Sarah thought, "Fat chance." But she was curious at what he had in mind. Could she possibly learn to trust him, and more importantly, did she want to? Truly, she was getting rather tired of the way her insides knotted whenever he was around. Was there a way to relax, yet still be cautious? She couldn't help but wonder. She tried to imagine what he could possibly propose, but nothing came to mind. The Goblin king halted, looking thoughtful for a moment. His face lit up with a smug grin before he drawled in a lilting tone, "Close your eyes." Sarah gave him a wary look and demanded, "Why?" He sighed with impatience and reasserted, "Just...close your eyes." She let out a deep breath and protested, "Jareth, I don't see how closing my eyes will change anything..." Jareth released a ragged breath and countered with impatience, "Must you be so defiant in everything? For pity's sake, just close your eyes." She searched his face as she considered it. His voice became softer, tired yet gentle, as he implored her, "Sarah...humor me...just this once." Something in her yielded, for she couldn't resist, not when he spoke to her like that. She sighed, closing her eyes as she breathed, "Fine..." She heard the sound of his boots on the stone floor as he came to stand just behind her. His voice was soft as he drawled, a little condescendingly, "Now was that really so difficult?" Sarah said nothing as she held her breath and waited for him to do whatever it was he was about to do. When he spoke again, his voice came from just behind her, his breath whispering against her cheek as he coaxed, "I want you to focus solely on the music. Empty your head of all thoughts until there is only darkness." Sarah tried to do this, without much success, as he was standing so close. But his voice came again, murmuring, soft as velvet, and it lingered on her skin, "So much tension. It does nothing but restrict your body and cloud your mind. Simply let it fall away." Sarah attempted to drown out everything but the music, as she fought to keep her breath from hitching in her throat and her heart from hammering away. This time his voice was but a seductive whisper, and she didn't need to open her eyes to know that his mouth was just behind her ear. "I want to help you, but I can't...not unless you trust me. Can you do that Sarah? Can you trust me for just a little while?" Two sides battled within her for dominance. One side, preached caution, the other yearned to let go of the past. The side advocating caution warned that as an unpredictable adversary, he was not to be trusted, but the other side reminded her that though he was good at getting on her nerves, he was not the villain she once thought him. The truth was that he hadn't let any harm befall her since she returned. He could have left her to rot in the dungeons, but no, he had provided her with a comfortable room, food, and clothing. True, he was benefiting by her presence, but he had grown lenient in his expectations over the past few days. He had entrusted his alicorn to her care...and when she fell, he ran to her side. Kayla saw the good in him, maybe she should at least open her eyes to the possibility that he was starting to seem more friend than foe. She couldn't deny that she felt something and wanted to explore it, and if those feelings already existed, then wasn't the harm already done? Whatever happened from this point onward, there was no erasing the feelings she already harbored. She was intensely attracted to him, and despite her attempts to despise him, she had come to like him. His ability to infuriate her only seemed an inseparable component of his charm. Nemesis or not, she longed for him, every inch of him, from that arrogant smirk of his, along with his sultry words, right down to the blessed agony his attention caused. His soothing words, even now, only seemed to pull her further along the path of no return. Arrghh, why did he have to be soooo... just sooo?...Arrrghhhh! She had already started to fall. What was the sense in glancing back now? Breathless words tumbled in a rush from her lips, "Y...yes...I can do that." Had Sarah been looking, she would have seen him close his eyes against some emotion that seemed to bleed through his usual mask of indifference. When the Goblin King opened his eyes, a grateful smile of relief graced his fair face. It was now time to progress into the second stage of his plan. Very slowly, a pair of leather encased hands slipped over Sarah's wrists and slid down to cover the back of her own trembling hands. The simple gesture was harmless in and of itself, but the implications of even such a simple intimate gesture, no matter how innocent, from his highness, was enough to send her reeling. Slender fingers, with the promise of warmth just beneath their leather exterior, slid down, becoming interlaced with her own. Her stubborn breath hitched in her throat again, and it seemed for a good long moment, that she couldn't breathe at all. His voice came as a ragged whisper in her ear, "You're trembling. Do I frighten you so much?" Sarah was thankful that her eyes had already been closed, as she was sure she would have just closed them. She tried to answer, but her throat had gone extremely dry, she barely managed the words in a breathless rush, "N...No...I..." Jareth lowered his mouth even closer to her ear, taking the opportunity to breathe in her sweet scent. Everything about her was intoxicating and he couldn't help himself. His hands released hers and traveled slowly but steadily up her arms to close over her tense shoulders, just as he gently whispered, "Shhhh....just relax..." As his hands traveled up her arms, goose-bumps rose all over her flesh, and she experienced that peculiar trance-like sensation, which could only be likened to a giddy sort of euphoria that she sometimes felt when she had had too much to drink. Just when she thought the torture couldn't get any worse, his strong yet gentle hands began to knead the tight muscles of her shoulders. He had done this once before, and though it seemed like a distant memory, Sarah could sharply remember how incredible his hands had felt then, but this time it was heart stopping. Maybe it was because her longing was so much more acute now, or maybe it was because of the way he had just spoken to her, or perhaps it was the knowledge that he was standing so close behind her, and that all she would have to do is lean back and she would be lost. His slender fingers elegantly massaged the tension from her shoulders with such perfect pressure and precision that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out at the exquisite feeling. She was melting. She didn't have the willpower to even attempt to stop him. It was hard enough, just trying not to drool. In all her life, Sarah could not, for the life of her, think of one thing in her past that had ever felt this good, however she could think of plenty of things that might feel even better. Her cheeks flushed crimson at the thought, and she tried desperately not to think too hard on any of those things. It was increasingly difficult though with what the Goblin King's hands were already doing to her body. Suddenly Jareth diverted his attentions to include her shoulder blades and the back of her neck. Sarah couldn't help letting her neck go slack, as what he was doing was pure sensual art. She heard his throaty chuckle as he purred, "You see...I don't have to be the villain you make me out to be." He paused noticing the heat in her cheeks and the way her brow knitted in pleasure. Oh yes, she certainly did like this. If he wasn't already aroused, the sight of her then would have done it. He wondered how long it would be before she would give in. He hoped not too long, as his own self-control was beginning to falter. He had wanted her for a long time now. Mild curiosity had eventually turned into fascination, and by the time she had beaten his labyrinth fascination had become obsession, to the point that in the long days since her rampage through his world, there was little else he could think about. In fact, the only thing that seemed to keep him going was the belief that one day, she would again fall into his grasp and this time he wouldn't fail in possessing her entirely. Now that his goal was so close to becoming reality, he was growing weary with waiting. His mismatched eyes darted to her lips and then downward to her pale throat as he huskily whispered, "Do you realize how lovely you are when you blush?" Sarah screwed her eyes shut tighter as his ministrations caused wave after wave of pleasure to thrash her. She winced at the breathlessness of her own voice as she replied, "No." He leaned in closer, his lips grazing her ear as he purred, "The only thing prettier is you...when you are angry...maybe that's why I can't resist making you furious so often." The shock of his mouth on her ear, and the heat of his words drifting over her skin made her knees go weak. Without even thinking she replied thickly, "Often doesn't even cover it..." His fingers splayed out to cover her collarbone as he admitted, "Maybe so, but your willful taunts are so hard to resist...and you are so engaging when you are being obstinate." Sarah swallowed, realizing that she was only encouraging him. His hands moved over her shoulders again, carefully brushing her hair away from her neck. His mouth lowered to where her neck met her shoulder, his lips mere centimeters from her throat as he whispered against her skin, "but then again, there's a lot more than your defiance that I can't seem to resist...so much more." His hands roughly squeezed her shoulders and Sarah liquified in response to the exquisite sensation his touch seemed to wring from her body. Sarah froze at the acute recognition of her arousal. Dear God, he's making me wet. A dark and guilty pleasure came with the feeling, making her head swim with euphoria. Why does being bad have to feel so damn good? There was something wildly erotic in his touch and even his words and tone were laced with infinite sexual innuendo. His every word and action seemed a most intricate seduction in and of itself. Somewhere in the furthest recesses of her mind a voice warned that she shouldn't be letting this happen. She knew the voice had a point, but at this particular moment in time, she quite honestly didn't give a shit. Whatever it was he was doing, felt much too good to stop. Jareth knew he had already succeeded in driving the tension from Sarah's body, but watching her yield and soften under his touch was simply driving him mad. He had to stop before he lost all restraint completely. It was a breakthrough that Sarah had placed her trust in him, even if only briefly, and she hadn't recoiled from his touch...quite the opposite in fact. He wasn't about to botch this by going too far, no matter how badly his body wanted to. Abruptly, he turned Sarah, a little roughly, to face him, his intention to resume their dance, before he did something totally rash and hot headed, like kissing her. Sarah felt herself being spun around and she opened her eyes to find herself face to face with the Goblin King. As their eyes locked, Sarah recognized the look in his eyes...for it was the same emotion that was written clearly across her own face. It was pure unadulterated and overwhelming desire, the dizzying kind that made your face flush and your chest heave with shallow breaths. Jareth had just noticed how her captivating eyes had gone nearly black due to the extreme dilation of her pupils. He recalled reading once that the human eye, which normally dilates to let in more light, often also dilates when the human sees something that it finds visually stimulating, something...that it wants. As if of their own volition, her hands slid up the front of his doublet. His first impression was that she was doing it to keep him at bay, but as he looked down at her upturned face, he saw the startled wonder written there. Tentatively, she leaned in, and he realized that she wanted the connection just as badly as he did. He reasoned that he had indulged her in everything thus far, what was the harm in granting her one kiss? He lowered his mouth to hers, halting merely a breath away from her lips and murmured, "I'm curious...What was it you were so afraid of?" With one last shuddering sigh, she breathed, "This..." and she pressed her lips against his. She was incredibly gentle, her petal-soft full lips, just brushing against his with a grace that only a chaste goddess could manage. The purity of it shook the Goblin King like nothing else ever could have. It was as if her soul was whispering to him, "Here is my heart, please be gentle..." He answered by parting his lips as he tenderly returned her kiss with the utmost care. Sarah was astonished at how gentle he was. This was not the way she had expected her villain to kiss her, it was, in fact, far sweeter than anything she could have imagined. His thin lips brushed softly but imploringly against hers, gently coaxing her not to run away. As if she could. The feelings evoked by even so simple a kiss from him rattled her to her core. Sarah had kissed several guys before and not a single time had it ever been like this...hell this kiss wasn't even in the same solar system, never mind the same ball-park. A warm tingly contented feeling washed over her and the fuzzy musing came to her, Mmmm so sweet...like cinnamon or vanilla. There was something achingly familiar in his kiss, soothing and warm, which made her little bolder. She opened her mouth slightly as her arms went about his shoulders. Jareth felt her arms tighten about his shoulders as she opened her mouth under his. That was all the encouragement he required. He wound his arms about her waist, crushing her against him as he started to kiss her with fervor. Sarah was drowning. He was now kissing her with a passion that she full well knew was restrained. The very idea that he was holding back, excited her like nothing ever had. It may have been a reckless thing to wish for, but she suddenly wanted to feel the brunt of that passion, in fact she needed it. She knew how badly she wanted him and she desperately wanted to know if what he felt could rival it. So, she did the only thing that she could think of that might produce the response she was looking for in the given situation...she artfully slipped him the tongue. Jareth felt Sarah's kiss deepen and when he felt her warm velvety tongue slip past his lips, to explore his mouth, it was as though the last shred of sanity had been torn from his mind. All that was left was raw need, a longing so desperate that for one troubled moment he couldn't contain it. Sarah heard him groan against her mouth in response to her kiss before his arms tightened about her, his kiss suddenly becoming fierce and possessive. The power of that kiss struck her like lightning, sending shockwaves through her that started to awaken her body in alarming ways. It was so intense it bordered on frightening...but the kind of fright that leaves you breathlessly exhilarated, and positively begging for more. If he could do this to her with just a kiss she was terrified to think of what making love to him might be like. She wondered if she'd even be able to handle such intense feelings. Well, the growing ache in her body told her quite forcefully that it wouldn't mind finding out. Such thoughts only led her to kiss him back feverishly, which only fed the fire that was now blazing out of control. And what a vicious circle it quickly became. Before long, she and the mighty Goblin King were shamelessly making out in the center of ballroom, totally oblivious to the world around them. Sarah wasn't sure how, but Jareth's hold on her kept tightening until she was suddenly aware that she was plastered against his lithe frame, and that's when it dawned on her just what it was that was relentlessly poking her. There was nothing like a persistent hard-on, to suddenly make you take notice and assess the reality of a situation. Unfortunately, Sarah's body was more than fine with the reality of the situation, as it had already enthusiastically responded to the discovery by flooding her nether-regions with liquid fire. Sarah wasn't stupid, she knew where this was heading. The kiss had begun innocently enough, but with all the pent up frustration between the two of them, things had escalated rather quickly with very little warning. She knew full well that if she didn't make him stop right now, the situation was bound to get out of control, and based on the way her body was responding, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop it, if it went any further. Regardless, of how hot and bothered she was, or of how incredibly hot he was, she conceded that this was happening way too fast, and she wasn't to wind up on her back in the Goblin King's bed...not today anyway. It took every ounce of will that Sarah had to make herself push him off and wrench her mouth from his. His arms were still about her and he immediately started to pull her back in for another kiss. She turned her face away to get some desperately needed air, as she stammered, completely out of breath, "We have to stop...we can't...I mean...I...shouldn't have done that..." Jareth had barely heard what she was saying. All he knew was that her hot yielding mouth was suddenly gone, her soft warm body had stepped back as she pushed him off. The sudden withdrawal of her affections was jarring and his lips and his body railed against it. Her kiss had been such heaven, and now that he had tasted it, anything less was torture. The feel of her mouth on his, her body against his, and her arms around his neck, made her passion for him real. And now it had stopped and once again nothing was certain. He absolutely hated it. He caught her by the shoulders before she could put any more distance between herself and him. His eyes caught and held hers as he sighed, trying to catch his breath as he began, "Sarah..." Before he could utter another word, a tiny goblin came stumbling in, wild eyed and very out of breath. His seemed to sag in relief at the sight of his king as he wheezed, "Y...Your Majesty...Thank the Labyrinth that I found you...thh...there's something...y...you better come see...quick...to the Goblin City..." Jareth immediately turned away from Sarah towards the offending sound. There was a definite edge of warning in his voice as he seethed, "I thought I told you that I wasn't to be disturbed this afternoon. Can't you see that I am busy in here..." The Goblin cowered slightly and stammered, "Ssssooo...soooo...sorry your highness...bb...but it's very...important..." Jareth crouched down and muttered, "By the underground it better bloody well be, Bludge, or you'll be swimming laps in the bog! Now WHAT is it?" The goblin nodded furiously and gushed, "Come...see...in the city...I will show you...the others are all afraid." Sarah wasn't sure what she should do, but she found herself following the goblin as he kept tugging at the king's sleeve to drag him along. She had no idea what this was about, but judging by the goblin's rattled state, it must have been something dreadful. Jareth, however, remained skeptical as he muttered "If someone has let loose another sack of harpies in the marketplace, I'm going to be very disappointed. I don't have the time to keep dealing with this sort of nonsense." Bludge shook his head adamantly, "No, sire...not this time...this is much, much worse."