Fooled Heart

Fooled Heart



Chapter 9: A Ball



Sarah sat stiffly at the table in Jareth's bedchambers, attempting to hold back her tears. She felt terrible. 'He hates me,' she thought. 'I knew he disliked me . . .but he hates me. And he should. I could be responsible for the extinction of his race. It is unforgivable.'



Sarah clenched her fists tightly, carving crescent moons into her palm with her nails. 'I should have never came,' she thought, eyes pooling. She blinked, letting the tears run down her face. Sarah quickly wiped them away and continued her internal struggle. 'But I can't forget about Toby,' she continued in her head. 'And I can't just leave him here. Who knows what would become of him?' Another pair of tears slid down her face.



Jareth finished dressing and walked back into his bedchambers. He looked at Sarah, who was quickly wiping the tears from her face. "Sarah," he began, "You're stronger than that." He moved closer to her and leaned in closely. A smile played at his lips. "Or have you broken, Sarah? Only two days in and you want to go home? Is that it?"



She moved her hand to slap him, but he caught her wrist and threw her to the floor. He raised his hand back, She moved her hands to cover her face, shrinking away from him.



Jareth's eyes softened. Sarah was sobbing now, shrinking into the corner of the room with her arms protecting her face. He stopped, letting his arm fall to his side. Jareth slumped down into the chair Sarah had just been sitting in. There was a long silence save for Sarah's sniffles.



"My boots," he said softly as he pointed to the end of his bed.



Sarah sniffled lightly and slowly stood, still allowing the tears to run down her face. She walked across the room and retrieved his boots. Sarah sat in front of him and he slid his feet into the dark leather. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and started lacing them quickly, occasionally wiping her cheek on her shoulder and letting out small sniffles.



Sarah had nearly finished lacing the second boot as Jareth gently lifted her chin to look at him. She pulled away and resumed lacing. He pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his vest and tilted her chin up to him again and began wiping the tears away. Her gaze moved up to his, but she quickly looked away. He released her chin and she finished lacing his boots. Jareth handed her the handkerchief. She wiped her own face and gently blew her nose into it.



"I'll have this washed," she choked out and folded it neatly, keeping it in the palm of her hand. "Do you have any more need of me this evening?" she said quietly as she stood.



Jareth reached for her other hand and pulled her close to him. He held her there for a moment, intertwining his finger with hers and wrapping his arm around her waist. He breathed in deeply and exhaled. Sarah pulled away as she felt his hot breath on her neck.



Sarah looked to the floor and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Do you have any more need of me this evening?" she repeated.



Jareth looked at her for a moment before crossing one leg over the other. "You may leave," he said, disappointment evident in his voice. He dismissed her with a wave to the door.



Sarah left quickly with her head high. She could not bring herself to look at him, but his eyes followed her out the door.



Sarah closed the doors of Jareth's bedchambers and turned, running into Dimonis. "Excuse me," she said, almost inaudibly. Dimonis stepped back and bowed to her.



"I am sorry, my lady," he said. Sarah began moving toward her door. "Sarah," Dimonis began, "I came to see you, but you were not in your room." Dimonis gave a look to the doors of Jareth's chambers and back to her. Sarah turned around and looked up at him, eyes red and face streaked with tears.



He grabbed her empty hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. "I am sorry, my lady. His Majesty can be cruel at times." Sarah looked to the floor again and slowly pulled her hand back. "I would like to escort you to the ball this evening, if you would care to go," he said softly as he looked at the girl before him.



Sarah nodded softly. Dimonis smiled at her and spoke again, "Please wear the emerald dress. I think it would suit you nicely. I will come for you shortly. I have matters to discuss with His Highness."



Sarah nodded and shuffled into her room. She shut the door, turned around, and gazed into the crystal knob. She entered again into the bathing room and struggled out of her black dress. Sarah grabbed a wash cloth from the tower of bath linens and washed her face with the cool water, removing any trace of tears. She dipped the cloth in the water again and pressed the cloth against her eyes, relieved by the coolness.



Sarah squeezed the water from the cloth and draped it over the edge of the water basin. She then moved back to the bench and tugged the emerald dress over her head. She buttoned the buttons she could reach, but found the same dilemma as before. She walked back through the door of the bathing room and found a multicolored goblin gathering laundry in her bedchamber.



"Grezzle," she spoke excitedly. Grezzle turned to her and looked at the sad girl. She motioned for Sarah to turn around. Grezzle moved the chair to stand on and made quick work of the fabric covered buttons at Sarah's back.



"Going to the ball, are we?" Grezzle asked roughly. Sarah nodded. Grezzle made a sound, gathered up the laundry, and briskly left the room.





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Jareth still sat stiffly in the chair in his bedchambers, staring at the floor. Dimonis knocked lightly and peeked his head into the room. Jareth motioned for him to come in. Dimonis walked into the room, softly closing the door behind him.



"She is upset," Dimonis stated quietly. Jareth grunted. Dimonis moved in closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She is only a girl, My Lord. Perhaps you should go easy on her."



Jareth's head shot up and anger poured from his eyes. "Only a girl? Only a girl? She may have destroyed us, Dimonis! Only a girl, ha!"



Dimonis took his hand away and tucked both of his hands behind his back. He looked sadly at his old friend. "I understand your anger, my friend, but we must make the best of the situation. Hurting her further is not going to make any difference in the events that have already happened."



Dimonis sat at the other end of the table, looking intently at the Goblin King. "Dimonis," Jareth finally spoke, "Do you think I was right to bring her back?"



"Yes, my friend. She is destined to do great things," Dimonis responded. Jareth turned and gave Dimonis a weak smile. He waved, gesturing toward the door. Dimonis stood, bowed, and left.





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No sooner than Grezzle left, a knock sounded on Sarah's door. She looked into the clear glass and saw Dimonis standing tall with hands tucked behind his back. Sarah opened the door and Dimonis offered his arm to her. Sarah smiled weakly and hooked her arm in his while closing the door to her chambers. They walked in silence, glancing at eachother every so often.



As they reached the lower level, Dimonis finally spoke. "That color does look excellent on you, my lady." Sarah blushed and pulled loose strand of hair out of her eyes with her free hand.



Bright lights lead them to a magnificent room, the room Sarah had seen before in the dream Jareth had given her on her first trip to the Underground. Her breath tightened, but Dimonis rubbed the back of her hand with his and gave her a reassuring smile. As they walked closer to the room, Sarah noticed a wide array of people already gathered.



The pair walked through the large double doors leading into the ballroom and two tiny trumpets sounded. "Sir Dimonis, advisor to King Jareth and Lady Sarah of the Labyrinth," a tiny goblin suited in armor announced. Sarah gave a questioning look to her companion. He smiled warmly at her.



Dimonis lead her to the other side of the room and a trail of eyes followed. A small tap was placed on Sarah's shoulder. She broke her link with Dimonis and turned.



"Lady Sarah," a young woman exclaimed, "So nice of you to join us. We were waiting for Jareth to bring you back for the longest time!" Sarah gave the young woman a questioning look. The woman was quite beautiful; she had long dark hair reaching to her ankles and wore a powder blue dress that perfectly matched her amazing eyes. Sarah made the connection. She curtsied to the woman and smiled.



"My lady, please meet my sister, Lady Dina," Dimonis introduced. Dina smiled wide and kissed Sarah on the cheek.



"That dress looks far lovelier on you," Dina said happily.



"Thank you," Sarah said, looking down at herself. "Thank you so much for your kindness."



"It is no worry, Lady Sarah. It is the least I could do," Dina said as Dimonis pulled Sarah away. Sarah waved to the young woman, smiling warmly.



"Sarah," Dimonis said as he pulled her away from the crowd, "I was hoping that you would not be introduced in that manner in front of the courts. I am deeply sorry. Please understand that there are many here who already dislike you. Dina has fallen for you without even meeting you, but there are some here that would stop at nothing to hurt you. Please be careful." Dimonis grabbed her hand and squeezed.



The tiny trumpets tooted once more, this time in a long melody. "King Jareth, King of the Goblins and Heir to the High Throne and Prince Toby, Heir to the Goblin Throne," the armored goblins announced. Many attendees turned and applauded. Sarah turned to look at the pair. Jareth had his arm around the boy's shoulder and a cold look on his face. Toby smiled wide and waved.



"Would you like some fresh air, Lady Sarah?" Dimonis asked, squeezing her hand again.



"Yes," Sarah responded, "That would be lovely."



Dimonis led her through another pair of doors leading to the gardens. The gardens were lit with tiny floating orbs along the walkway and hidden in the shrubs.



"I thought it was beautiful during the day," Sarah said idly.



"Do you not think it is beautiful now?" Dimonis inquired.



"No, it is even more so," Sarah said, looking up at the handsome man. They continued walking for a bit, then decided to sit on a welcoming bench near a pair of large rose bushes.



"Sarah, I have something to ask of you," Dimonis started, holding the girl's hand tightly with both hands.





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Jareth peered across the room, absently looking for the raven-haired girl he had upset earlier. He smiled and nodded to the attendees who approached him in congratulations. Toby had run off with a small group of children to play in a corner and Jareth had been sitting alone in his throne.



Jareth turned as a finger lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "Lady Dina," he said, standing to give her a light bow. "Thank you for coming."



"Thank you for the invitation, Jareth. It has been so long since I have been able to attend any functions," she said, placing a hand on his arm.



"We are pleased to have you back. How are the twins?" Jareth inquired.



"They are well. They are still giving Jeffrey and I trouble, but it seems as if they have found a new friend in Prince Toby," Dina spoke, pointing at the boys playing in the corner.



"Children can be difficult at times," Jareth stated.



"I wonder how Dimonis will take to fatherhood," Lady Dina spoke, a distant look on her face.



"I don't follow you, Lady Dina," Jareth said, puzzled. 'He has never spoken of taking a wife,' Jareth thought.



"My brother has intentions to court Lady Sarah. He is going to speak with her tonight. A lady only comes along-" Lady Dina began.



"He did not express his intentions," Jareth said, interrupting her. "Have you seen them?"



Lady Dina eyed the king. "They went out to the gardens," she said quietly.



Jareth stormed out the double doors leading to the inner gardens, flying past many attendees in a fury. He ran through the gardens, led by the glowing orbs to the clearing where Dimonis and Sarah sat. His eyes widened as Dimonis grabbed Sarah's hand in his.



"Sarah, I have something to ask of you," Jareth could hear Dimonis say. "In the Underground, a lady like you is hard to come by. Sarah, you are beautiful, intelligent, and strong. A man couldn't ask for more."



Sarah's heart stopped. 'Is he asking...' she thought. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. Jareth stared at the couple angrily.



Dimonis continued. "I would be greatly honored if you would allow me to-"



"That is enough," Jareth spoke, walking nearer to the couple in the clearing. Dimonis stared at the furious Goblin King.



"Jareth-" Sarah spoke as she stood from the bench.



"Hold your tongue," Jareth hissed. He stepped closer and backhanded the confused dark-haired Dimonis.



"Jareth, what is the meaning of this?" Dimonis asked, rubbing the cheek that Jareth's hand had assaulted.



"I should ask you the same thing," Jareth spat. "You did not ask permission to court Lady Sarah, Dimonis."



"I gave me permission to esco-" Dimonis began.



"To escort her to the ball. Nothing more. She is mine, Dimonis," Jareth stated.



Sarah backed away from the two men. "I belong to no one," she said, glaring at the Goblin King.



Jareth turned to face the girl. "You are mine," he hissed, turning back toward Dimonis, "And others should learn to respect the king's property."



Dimonis sat silent, looking at the ground. "I am sorry, Your Majesty," he said softly.



Sarah was slowly inching away from the pair. She turned to run, but collided with the furious Goblin King. "I will not be returning to the party," Jareth said to Dimonis as he grabbed Sarah's shoulders, "Please entertain our guests."



"Let go of me!" Sarah shouted as she struggled to pull away from Jareth's grasp. His hold on her tightened. "I do not belong to you! Let me go!"



"You will be wise to remain quiet, girl," Jareth said as he pulled her through another set of doors.



"Let go," she spat, attempting to pull away. Jareth grabbed her tightly around the wrist and tried pulling her up the stairs. Sarah struggled and landed roughly against the stairs. Jareth picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Put me down!" Sarah demanded, "Put me down now!" Sarah battled Jareth's back with her fists.



"Quiet!" Jareth hissed. Sarah moved her mouth, but no sound came. She tried screaming, but nothing.



'He's going to lock me up now,' she thought, beating his back with her fists, 'He's going to lock me away. He's going to put me in that room to rot."



To Sarah's surprise, they completely passed the carved door with the crystal knob. They continued across the hall. Sarah tried to scream again, realizing now what was going to happen. She struggled, kicking and banging her fists on his back.



Jareth threw the door of his bedchamber open and kicked it shut with his foot. He continued across the room and tossed Sarah onto his bed. Jareth gave a flick of his wrist.



Sarah scrambled to move off the bed, but when she came to the edge she could go no further. There was a barrier around Jareth's bed. There was no way out. Sarah sunk toward the head of the bed and held her knees to her chest as the tears slipped down her face.



"You say I do not own you, Sarah," Jareth began, "But after tonight, everyone will know my claim on you, whether you like it or not."



Jareth removed his coat and vest and tossed it on the armchair near his bed. He kneeled on the bed and began moving toward Sarah.



"No!" she mouthed, emitting no sound. The tears were pouring now. She held her knees tightly to herself, forming a ball.



"Sarah, we can do this the easy way," he said as he approached her. "All you have to do is give yourself to me. Its not a hard thing, Sarah." He ran his hand up her leg under her skirt. Sarah kicked him away. Jareth glared at her and pounced, pinning her hands above her head and throwing her head roughly against the headboard.



Sarah's heard a crack as her head whipped back against the headboard. She tried crying out, but no sound came.



"Still think you are as powerful as me, Sarah?" Jareth whispered into her ear. He kissed her cheek, chin, and then neck, pulling her head aside with one hand as the other held her wrists.



Sarah shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. She let her body go limp. 'He's going to do this either way,' she thought. She coughed on her tears.



"Do you give up, Sarah?" Jareth whispered, "Do you acknowledge that you belong to me?"



Sarah turned her head and looked away from him. He licked the tears from her cheek. Jareth waved his hand, releasing the spell on her. Sarah stayed still, tears running down her cheek.



"Who do you belong to, Sarah?" Jareth asked, laying beside her. Sarah remained silent. Jareth kissed her neck and exposed shoulder. "Tell me, Sarah, who do you belong to?" he asked again.



Still, Sarah did not reply. Jareth ran his hand up Sarah's side and cupped her breast through the fabric.



"Please," Sarah whispered.



"I'm sorry Sarah, I can't hear you," Jareth said with a devious smile.



"Stop, please," Sarah repeated.



"And why should I stop Sarah?" Jareth hissed.



"Please," Sarah said between sobs.



"Why, Sarah?" Jareth asked again.



"Not like this!" Sarah choked out. She immediately regretted her words.



"Hmnn..." Jareth pondered, "And how should it be like, Sarah?" Jareth ran his hand back down, past her waist and let it rest on her hip. He nipped at her ear. "Are you willing, Sarah?" he whispered.



Sarah shook her head. "Please," she choked out through the tears, "Don't. Please."



"Are you willing, Sarah?" Jareth repeated. "It would be so much more enjoyable, for both of us."



Sarah shook her head again and pulled away, curling up on the edge of the bed. Jareth ran his hand down her side. "Just say it, Sarah, and you can go back to your chamber," Jareth whispered, kissing the back of her neck.



Sarah thought for a moment, curling up tighter into a ball. "I belong to you," she finally whispered. Jareth smiled wickedly and waved his hand, releasing the other spell.



Sarah quickly sat up and moved out of the bed. Jareth grabbed her wrist tightly, turning her to face him. "A kiss for your master, Sarah," he demanded. Sarah struggled to pull her hand away, but he pulled her down to him. He pressed his lips to hers softly and cupped the back of her head in his hands.



Sarah wanted to pull away. Jareth rubbed her side with one hand and ran his tongue across her lips. 'Pull away,' Sarah thought. Jareth's tongue found its way beyond her lips and danced against hers. Still, Sarah did not pull away. Sarah closed her eyes and allowed her tongue to dance with his.



Finally, Jareth broke away. He smiled at her. "Goodnight, Sarah," he said as Sarah pulled away from him. She stood and walked toward the door. "Sweet dreams," he said with a wicked smile on his face as she left his room.



AN: I hope you enjoyed! Please review!