Fooled Heart

Fooled Heart



Chapter 8: A Bath



Sarah curled into a ball on the cold stone floor of the tiny bedchamber. 'I just don't understand,' she thought, 'I didn't want this to happen. I never wanted to destory the Labyrith, I just wanted my brother back.'



Sarah did not stay in the position for long, corset tightening around her ribcage uncomfortably. She sat up straight and pulled the stray hairs around her face back with her fingers. Sarah sighed, wondering what time it was now. At least an hour had gone by as she walked with Dimonis.



Sarah looked up to find a clock mounted on her wall. 'That wasn't there before,' Sarah thought as she got up to take a closer look. The clock displayed a time of one-o-clock. 'The day is going by too fast,' she thought.



A knock sounded on her door. Sarah stared into the crystal doorknob, seeing Grezzle holding a metal tray above her head. She opened the door quickly and let the small fuzzy goblin enter.



"Thank you, Grezzle," Sarah said softly. The goblin hopped into the room and placed the tray on the small wooden table.



"Sir Dimonis wanted me to let you know you have an appointment tomorrow with the dressmaker and requests you wear loose fitting clothing for the fitting," Grezzle spoke in her gruff voice.



"Thank you, Grezzle," Sarah said again, avoiding the goblin's gaze.



"Enjoy your day, Sarah," the goblin said as she hopped out of the room, closing the carved door behind her.



Sarah ate her lunch slowly. Her lunch consisted of a bowl of brothy soup with a roll and a pitcher of peach juice. Sarah stared at her spoon, moving the liquid and a few unknown vegitables around in the bowl, occassionally sipping the broth. Her stomach told her to eat, but she really didn't have much of an appitite now.



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Jareth and Dimonis sat in the small room filled with maps and old texts. Jareth was wearing a pair of spectacles and casually looking over a large leatherbound book. Dimonis sat stiffly in his chair, staring at the map displayed on the table.



"Your Highness, if I may?" Dimonis began.



"Yes, Dimonis," Jareth said, not breaking his gaze from the book.



"What are your intentions with Sarah?" Dimonis asked after a moment.



Jareth closed the book and got up from his seat to place it back on the shelf. "She is a servant, nothing more," he stated calmly, his back turned to Dimonis as he selected another book.



"I understand," Dimonis responded. Another moment passed by as Jareth paged through the book, placed it back on the shelf, and selected another. "Will she be attending the ball tonight?" Dimonis inquired.



"If she were to find a suitable escort," Jareth said, closing this book and selecting another.



"I see," Dimonis said, staring intently at the king. A long silence passed and Dimonis shifted in his seat uncomfortable.



"Please escort her," Jareth said finally.



Dimonis smiled. "If you insist, My Lord."



Jareth turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Please ensure she does not become a nuisance, Dimonis, or I will have your head."



Dimonis chuckled. "Of course, My Lord."



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Sarah stared blankly at the clock. It was now just past four-o-clock. She had been sitting uncomfortably in bed thinking for nearly three hours. She stood up from the bed and paced the room a few times before looking at the clock again, remembering her agreement to have Toby prepared by five. She adjusted her dress and smoothed out the few wrinkles that had formed before heading out the door.



Sarah entered the hallway and walked across to the doors of Toby's bedchamber. She knocked lightly and was greeted by Toby's smiling face. "I have come to prepare you for the ball, My Lord," she said playfully as she curtsied.



Toby pulled the door open and Sarah entered his bedchambers. Sarah took notice of the wooden wardrobe now placed along one wall of the large room. The sun shone brightly through the stained glass window, giving a colorful cast to the room.



"Have you taken a bath, Toby?" Sarah asked as she ruffled the boy's hair.



"Not yet, Sarah," Toby said as he jumped onto his bed.



"Please take a bath, Toby. We have limited time," Sarah said, sighing.



"But-" Toby began.



"Now, Toby," Sarah said sternly. Toby huffed before climbing off the bed and heading through a small door along the wall that Sarah was certain was not there a moment ago.



As the door closed behind Toby, Sarah went to the wooden wardrobe and pulled the doors open to reveal a wide selection of clothing. Sarah searched through the clothing to find something suitable. 'What does a little boy wear to a ball,' she thought. Sarah settled with a crisp white shirt, black trousers, grey vest, and elegant black jacket. She was suprised at the tiny boy's version of the fancy clothing Jareth usually sported.



Sarah draped the selected clothing on Toby's bed and sat in the armchair to wait for her brother. She gazed around the room, noticing more recent additions. There was a large trunk at the foot of his bed filled with wooden toys. A small wooden track made its way around the perimeter of the room. She saw a train tucked in the corner near the bed. Sarah smiled. 'Jareth is sure spoiling the kid,' she thought.



Sarah waited for a few minutes before Toby yelled for her from within the bath. Sarah grabbed the clothing, folding it neatly and entered the room to help Toby dress. The room was similar to the room she had bathed in. It was a large room with a claw-foot tub, vanity, and long bench. There was a pair of windows along one wall, letting in a considerable amount of light. Toby stood next to the bath, wrapped in a towel. Sarah moved to towel dry his hair and help dress the young boy.



Once dressed, Sarah sat Toby in front of vanity and began combing through his hair with a small comb. She searched through the drawers and found a small tin of what she assumed was hair product. It was a thick fragrant creme that took to Toby's hair nicely as she spread a small amount through with her fingers. She smiled, satisfied with Toby's appearance.



"All done, champ," she said, patting the boy's shoulder. "Make sure you don't get messy before the ball, ok?"



Toby hopped off the chair. "Ok, Sarah," he said, rolling his eyes. He ran excitedly back through the door to his room to play with his train.



Sarah stayed behind, picking up towels and Toby's discarded clothing, tossing them in a bin she assumed was for laundry. She walked back into Toby's room and smiled at the boy. She looked at the clock above the table on the wall and mentally cursed. The clock read five past five.



"I've got to go now, Tobes. Stay clean," Sarah stressed as she quickly left the room. She headed down the hall and knocked loudly on the Goblin King's chamber doors.



"You're late," Jareth stated as the door swung open.



Sarah hung her head and sighed. "I am sorry," she said. "Little boys can be a handful."



Jareth ushered her in and stacked several papers and books on the wooden table along the wall. He folded his spectacles and placed them on the table as well.



"What would you like me to help with?" Sarah said finally, breaking through the silence.



"I will need asistance bathing," he stated.



Sarah blushed. 'Could he not bathe by himself?' she thought, 'Or does he want to make me feel uncomfortable? Is he trying to punish me?'



"I...ok," Sarah said quietly as she followed Jareth through a door she was sure was not there before. She would have to ask about that later. Sarah closed the door behind her and kept turned to face the door as the Goblin King undressed. She listened for some acknowledgement from him before turning around.



"Sarah," he said. She turned around and saw Jareth sitting in the large tub pointing to a pyramid of bath linens on a shelf. Sarah walked to the pyramid to take a wash cloth from the top, studying the room as she did so. It was a little more extravagant than the other bathing rooms, mainly because of the long vanity. The vanity spread across the length of the room, countertop filled with bottles and brushes in all sizes and colors. 'I guess it's not unexpected,' Sarah thought to herself.



Sarah moved to the vanity and eyed the arrangement of soaps. "The green one," Jareth said, noticing her hesitation.



"And for your hair?" she asked nervously.



"The blue bottle on the end," he responded casually.



Sarah gathered the soap and bottle in her hand and approached the tub from the Goblin King's back. He dunked his head back to wet his hair and waited for the girl. She uncorked the bottle and rubbed a small amount of the liquid through her fingers before rubbing it into his hair.



'His hair is so soft,' she thought to herself as she massaged the liquid into his scalp and through his hair. When she was finished, he tilted his head back and rinsed it in the water.



Sarah dipped the wash cloth into the bath water and used the soap to create a nice lather. Jareth lifted his hair and scrubbed his neck, careful not to look directly at him. She moved to his shoulders, scrubbing softly. When she reached his back, she noticed something unexpected: several scars littered the flesh of his back. Sarah gasped and dropped the cloth into the bathwater.



"They don't hurt, Sarah. Please continue," Jareth said calmly. Sarah picked the cloth out of the water and lathered it with the green soap again. She gently scrubbed his back slowly.



"What happened?" she asked after a moment of silence.



"I had a disagreement," Jareth answered.



Sarah stopped. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but thought better of it and continued scrubbing the king's back. He lifted his arms out and she scrubbed gently from his shoulders to elbow and down to his soft hands.



"I understand now," she said, spreading his fingers and cleaning between them as she made sure not to look at him.



"I don't follow," he stated blankly.



"Why you hate me. I understand now," she said sadly. She closed her eyes and moved the cloth back up his arm as she moved to his other side. Jareth remained silent.



"I know it doesn't mean much to you, but I am sorry," she said quietly, almost whispering. "I didn't mean to destroy the Labyrinth. I just-"



"Sarah," Jareth interrupted her, "I know."



There was a long silence. Sarah continued down his arm to his fingers. "Please turn around," he finally said. Sarah turned and Jareth grabbed the cloth from her hands. He continued washing on his own. Sarah listened to the splashes of water as he washed and rinsed. Jareth lifted himself from the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist.



He grabbed another and began drying his hair with it. He sat in the chair along the long vanity and held a comb out to her. Sarah moved toward him and took the comb. She ran it slowly through his soft hair in silence.



Several minutes passed and the tension in the room was high. Sarah continued running the comb through the man's hair, carefully removing the knots.



"That is enough," Jareth said softly, "Please wait in my chambers."



Sarah set the comb on the counter and turned to leave. Jareth caught her arm and looked up at her. "I know you didn't mean to Sarah, but what's done is done." He looked sadly at her. "I might never forgive you."



Sarah's breath caught in her chest. The Goblin King could be confusing, mean, and hurtful, but that was the most hurtful thing he could ever say to her. Sarah inhaled deeply and nodded hesitantly at him before heading through the door to his chambers.







A/N: Sorry the storyline has been so slow-moving the past couple of chapters but I hope you have enjoyed them anyways. Please let me know what you think so far!