Prized Possession

Disclaimer: The labyrinth characters do not belong to me, this piece of fiction is written purely for fun, not profit. This story is rated NC-17 for later chapters. Prized Possession By: Jester Chapter 1: The Wronged Monarch The immense throne room was deathly quiet. At first glance one might assume that the room was empty, as the wall sconces and candelabras had been extinguished many hours ago. The only source of illumination was the silvery moonlight that streamed in through the solitary window. The revelry of scores of inebriated goblins had long since ceased and there was not a slobbering laugh or malicious snicker to be heard. The room however, was not empty. If one waited long enough for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, they might make out a lone figure seated at the far end of the deserted room perched on a solitary throne, with its crescent shaped back fashioned from wood and adorned with rich fabric. In truth, it was a very lucky thing that not another soul was present in that room, for the lone figure was the Goblin King, and at the moment he was brooding over his situation. Jareth, King of the Goblins slumped lazily in his seat. He rested his troubled chin on his fist as he restlessly tapped the end of a riding crop against his booted foot. His pallid face wore a tormented expression and his mismatched eyes seemed to stare through the dark void that was his throne room. It happened six years ago. It was ancient history, yet he still avoided retiring to his chambers until he was completely exhausted, so that he wouldn't be bothered with dreams of what could have been. The cause of his turmoil, as ridiculous as it would seem, was a mortal human girl that had been little more than a child the night she turned his world upside down. In order to understand his predicament, one would have to know a few things about this melancholy sovereign. For one, he alone had absolute rule over his kingdom, which over the years had caused him to become rather spoilt and very used to getting his own way. Secondly, as keeper of the labyrinth and wielder of a very formidable magic, he considered himself invincible when it came to contests of will and intellect, so one could imagine that he would be a very sore loser, especially when it was a young mortal that had bested him at a game of his own design. Jareth had had plenty of time to stew in his defeat, and now he had come to several conclusions as to how he had been beaten. His first mistake was that he had underestimated Sarah Williams. Where countless other mortals would have happily accepted their dreams for the small price of losing an annoying sibling, Sarah had been adamant about getting her baby brother back, even if it meant sacrificing her own dreams to do so. The second, and perhaps more serious mistake on his part, was that he allowed the girl to get to him. It wasn't completely surprising, considering that the girl was quite lovely, even in her extreme youth. Then there was her tenacity and refusal to be swayed, which only made her all the more appealing. What disturbed Jareth above everything else, was that he completely blew it during their final confrontation. He was certain he would have won if it hadn't been for one thing; he didn't want to let the girl go, and that had been his undoing. It was only at the end, after it was too late, that he realized that he had done the unthinkable, and had actually become infatuated with the mortal. Her indifference and rejection was a fatal blow to his pride, had eaten away at him for the past six years. As she started to recite the magic words, he had tried to tell her that it didn't have to end that way, but he hadn't given his suit enough thought, and of course, after his trickery with the peach that made her forget everything (almost), she naturally assumed that everything he said was simply another attempt to stall her. Thus, she said the words, despite his pleas for her to stop. It never even occurred to her that the offer might be legitimate. Apparently she didn't care enough to question his motives. He should have sent the babe back sooner, maybe then she would have listened, maybe then she would have understood. She cruelly finished the incantation, thus banishing him from her. Not only had she wounded his pride by besting him, but she had simultaneously cast him into a state of misery. His loneliness, which until then had gone unrecognized in a state of ignorant bliss, was now consuming him. There was only one solution to the debacle he now found himself in, and the plan had already started to form within the storm of his turbulent thoughts. He would get her back. He would have his revenge, and in the end she would belong to him. He would lure her back to the underground, since he could not just barge back into her world without cause. And when he did, she would get what was coming to her. You reap what you sow. She would learn what it felt like to be rejected and humiliated, and only when she begged for mercy, having tasted the bitterness of ultimate defeat, would he be able to bring himself to forgive her. The bitter monarch produced a crystal, balancing it on his gloved fingertips. What he saw made his mouth twist into a sinister grin. It looked like his scheme was about to be set into motion even sooner than he thought. Chapter 2: A Slip of the Tongue Sarah Williams filled her hands with the icy water from the faucet and rinsed her sun-bronzed face. She looked up to meet her own bright hazel green eyes in the small dorm bathroom mirror that hung on the blue tiled wall just over the tiny sink. Her silky dark hair hung past her shoulders, still damp on the ends. She was wearing a faded gray tank top that had the word "Hartford" embossed in dark gray block letters across her chest. Her makeshift pajamas also consisted of navy blue mesh soccer shorts. Her long legs were tan and she had stopped bothering with slippers a long time ago. As she applied her whitening toothpaste to her toothbrush, she heard her roommate's melodious voice coming from the adjacent bedroom they shared, "Hey Sarah can I borrow one of your books?" Without a second thought Sarah replied, "Sure, just grab one off my book shelf." Kayla's blue eyes scanned the shelf of paperbacks when one book in particular caught her eye. It was a small, red leather-bound book, and the flash of the gleaming gold letters captured her attention. The title was simply stated in bold letters. The Labyrinth. No author, and no fancy images were printed upon the cover. There was a momentary silence as Sarah began brushing her teeth, then the familiar voice asked, "What's this Labyrinth book about?" Sarah's motions ceased instantly. She froze, trying to ignore the cold dread that crept up her spine. It was ridiculous, the whole thing had happened almost six years ago. If it even happened. Despite the Underground's seeming realness, she often wondered if it had all been some elaborate dream concocted by her overactive imagination. She had to let go of her suspicions and stop living in the past. Sarah took a shaky breath and replied, "Nothing...just an old fairy tale..." Kayla responded, "A fairy tale? Cool. Mind if I read it for a bit before I go to bed?" Sarah tried to suppress the jitters that were plaguing her insides as she spit into the sink. She wiped her mouth and face with her towel and walked into their room determined to not let what was most likely a vivid fantasy control her life. "Suit yourself...just do me a favor and DON'T read it out loud." Never hurts to be prudent, she mused to herself. Kayla flipped through the book, noticing to her dismay there were no pictures on the inside either, "Why not?" Sarah grabbed her latest copy of Cosmopolitan and flopped down on her own bed and replied rather testily, "Because I'm tired of hearing that stupid story, that's why." Kayla shook her head and mused, "You're in a mood lately...What are you on the rag or something?" Sarah turned on her side, opening the issue to the agony column, "No, I'm just stressed over these stupid midterms." Kayla sighed, "Yeah, tell me about it. I'm not even going to bother studying for Organic Chem. I'm gonna fail anyway, so why waste a perfectly good weekend studying?" Sarah didn't say anything and just nodded. Kayla shook her head without even glancing at Sarah, "I don't know why you read that trash. They just keep rehashing the same articles over and over...How to drive a man crazy...How to turn him on...Male sex secrets...same shit, different issue." Sarah ignored her criticism and murmured absently, "I like reading the agony columns. People are such freaks, makes me feel...normal." Kayla just shook her head and began reading the small red leather bound book. Less than a half hour later Sarah was half asleep as Kayla was engrossed in the young heroine's first encounter with the Goblin King. Kayla didn't even take her eyes off the book as she mused aloud. "Sar, this book's not bad. Sort of funny though, the way they describe the princess, she sounds sort of like you." Sarah nodded in her slumber and murmured something unintelligible. Kayla read on, and after a few minutes she gave a low whistle and giggled, "Hey, the Goblin king sounds mighty fine." Sarah stirred at the comment and sleepily demanded, "What?" Kayla laughed, "The goblin king...he sounds hot." Sarah was suddenly fully awake, but she wasn't alert or fast enough to stop what came next. Kayla turned her head towards Sarah and said jokingly, "Mmmmm...I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away right now." It was as if Kayla had spoken the words in slow motion, but there was absolutely nothing Sarah could do to stop them. Immediately the lights in the room blinked out and Sarah heard the ominous low rumbling of thunder nearby. In a sheer moment of panic Sarah tried to scramble to her feet and get to Kayla. In her haste, she tripped over Kayla's free weights and went sprawling onto the floor with a resounding, "Owwww...ommpf!" Sarah's body screamed in pain and protest as she forced herself on her hands and knees. As she brushed the dark strands of hair out of her face, lightening flashed illuminating Kayla's now empty bed. Sarah felt her strength leave her, and it was replaced by cold raw fear. Her eyes had already glazed over with stinging tears as she frantically searched Kayla's side of the room through the darkness. Her voice broke as she forced the word out in a choked whisper past her trembling lips, "...Kayla?" Sarah suddenly felt the distinct sensation of being watched as all the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention. Sarah clung to false hope as she turned her eyes slightly to her right praying she would see Kayla's bare feet complete with her silver painted toenails. Instead her eyes fell on a pair of black leather boots braced shoulder's width apart. Her mind reeled in panic protesting the sight before her very eyes, "No! no no no no no, this isn't happening!" But it was. Chapter 3: Object of Dreams and Nightmares Sarah frantically rose onto her knees, sitting back on her heels as her eyes trailed slowly and reluctantly up his imposing frame. The black leather boots went to his knees. Upward her eyes drifted, over dark gray breeches that left little to the imagination. Her gaze darted higher still, over a mahogany leather waistcoat, cinched low, exposing a pristine white poet's shirt. His shirt was slightly open at the throat, revealing the amulet that hung in place against his alabaster chest. His arms were crossed menacingly, his hands covered by black leather gauntlets. It was the termination of her gaze's journey that was the most agonizing. His mouth was fixed in the very arrogant smirk that had tormented her dreams, and his cold mismatched eyes hadn't changed at all...they were the very same ones that had haunted her for the past six years. He was exactly as she remembered him. The same wild unruly platinum hair, that same haughty expression, however as familiar as he was, his realness, his proximity, his magic scent like winter air just before it snows, seemed twice as devastating now that she was no longer a child, because she knew that this time, there was no chance that her imagination had simply run away with her. And just as Sarah was thinking that the situation could not get any more precarious, his voice cut through the darkness. The sultry sound of it caressed her ears, as he drawled, "Hello Sarah." Sarah closed her eyes against the surge of dread caused by the sound of his voice and swallowed, searching herself for even the smallest bit of strength as she struggled to regain her composure. Slowly she opened her eyes, fixing them on the object of all her dreams and nightmares, and demanded in the firmest voice she could manage, "Where's Kayla?" The Goblin King grinned at her as he came out of his casually arrogant stance to stalk closer. Sarah swiftly got to her feet, choosing to ignore the pain that shot through her knees from her earlier fall. His smile was clearly predatory as he replied, "Really Sarah, I would have thought you'd have learned by now." Sarah winced at his words, "She's in the castle isn't she?" Jareth looked over the mortal standing before him and it didn't escape her attention that his eyes lingered on her chest before dropping to her exposed legs. His eyes made their way back up to her face as he remarked, "How very astute of you." Sarah clenched her fists together as she raggedly breathed in a voice that broke, "Is she to become a goblin?" Jareth lowered his head in contemplation, as he began to walk around her in a circle. His eyes were fixed on her as he smirked, "No. Your friend is an adult, capable of making her own decisions, and I do not transform adults into goblins." Sarah held her breath as she demanded, "What will become of her then?" Jareth seemed to consider her question and quipped, "To be honest I haven't quite decided..." His eyes held hers as he added, "...but I can promise you that it won't be pleasant. What shall I do with your precious...Kayla, was it?" Stinging tears blurred her vision as she begged, "Please...let her go. She didn't mean what she said!" Jareth tilted his head to the side in a mock gesture of regret as he replied, "I can't do that Sarah. She wished herself away to me...she spoke the words, it doesn't matter if she meant them or not. What's said is said. Your friend is not some helpless child..." His gaze drifted over her form again as he added, "and neither are you." Sarah wasn't even listening at this point, all her thought was bent on finding a way to make Jareth bring Kayla back. And there was only one way that she knew of. The labyrinth. Sarah raised her chin and tried to sound determined as she replied, "Alright...I'll play your game. I did it before, I'll do it again." Jareth held up his gloved hand, "Ah determined and brave Sarah...I'm afraid things have changed this time. Your friend wished herself away. You cannot save her by solving the labyrinth. In fact, this has nothing to do with you. I suggest that you forget her." Sarah could do nothing to stop the stream of hot tears that flowed freely down her cheeks. This was all her fault. If she hadn't let Kayla read that book. Hell, she should have burned the damn thing the day she got back from the underground, but something prevented her from doing so. No, this DID have something to do with her, she was sure of it. Jareth was bitter that she had bested him. He had to be. Somehow, someway, this had been orchestrated by him, she would stake her life on it. He wanted something. The fact that he was here now was proof of that. Sarah blinked and resolved to do whatever it took to get Kayla back safely. She took a deep breath and countered, "She is my best friend. I can't forget her. So tell me...if not the labyrinth, then what must I do to get her back?" Jareth considered her question and pulled a crystal out of thin air, "You could take this. Then you will have no trouble forgetting your friend." A slight smile graced his face as he added silkily, "...and you'll have your dreams." Sarah turned her face away as if the very sight of the orb repulsed her, "Not a chance. I turned down your gift before and I have no problem doing it again. I want Kayla back, safe and sound. Now...What. Must. I. Do?" The crystal burst into thin air as he disappeared with it. He reappeared directly behind her and brought his mouth close to her ear as he chided, "Such formality. You really do like to get right down to business. Well, seeing that I am feeling generous, and once upon a time you proved to be a worthy opponent, perhaps we could bend the rules a bit and negotiate." Sarah shuddered as his warm breath drifted across the side of her neck. With him standing so close she couldn't think clearly. Fighting the urge to shiver she quickly took a step away from him and stammered "Fine...we negotiate...but I have to know that she's alright." Jareth's eyes locked with hers as he slid into her view again, "Very well." Suddenly Sarah and Jareth were standing in the throne room of the castle beyond the Goblin City. Sarah glanced about frantically and saw that Kayla was kneeling in the center of the room in the indented center of the stone floor. Her wrists were secured together behind her back with crude rope and goblins of all shapes and sizes were swarming all around her. Kayla looked up to see Sarah on the other side of the room and her voice rang out in panic, "Sar, What's going on? What are these things?" Sarah wiped at her eyes and tried to run to her friend, but a strong hand caught her by the arm and held her back. Sarah tried to make her voice sound calm as she yelled back, "It's alright Kayla. I'm going to get you out of here. They're just goblins. Stay still and they won't hurt you." Jareth pulled Sarah back and impatiently began, "There you've seen her...Now..." He waved his hand and all activity in the room ceased as all the inhabitants of the room disappeared. Only herself and Jareth remained, "Let's get down to negotiations shall we?" Sarah glanced about in confusion, "Where'd she go?" Jareth was growing annoyed, "She's in the oubliette...I assure you she's perfectly safe." Sarah was still confused as she added, "And the goblins?" Sarah looked up to find that Jareth lounging on his throne. "They are a distraction when it comes to negotiations, so I've sent them elsewhere. Now, let's discuss how you can get your friend back." Chapter 4: Negotiations Sarah crossed her arms over her chest as she suddenly became aware of her lack of appropriate attire. She was still dressed in her scant makeshift pajamas. This place gave her the creeps and she wanted this over with as quickly as possible, "Fine...just tell me, what must I do?" Jareth pursed his lips as he absently tapped his crop against his thigh and began, "The way I see it is...Your friend belongs to me. You want her released. If I am to release what's rightfully mine, I must be offered something in return." The whole situation was already making Sarah very uncomfortable and very nervous. What does he want? She really had no idea, and the endless possibilities left her blood running cold. She swallowed, her throat felt terribly dry. There was only one way to find out. Apprehensively she asked, "Well, what could I offer you, that you would want?" He turned his attention away from the crop that he was tapping against his leg as his eyes locked with hers. She felt his gaze take in her form, seemingly scrutinizing her body. Sarah's mind reeled under the implications. She dared not even think about the endless possibilities of what he might request. When he looked back up his eyes were dark with some unspoken emotion. Against her will, she felt herself start to tremble. He thought a moment before he began, "You realize that upon my whim, countless horrors await you friend...and this time no magic words are going to save her. I will have possession over her for eternity." Sarah knees nearly buckled at this and she cried rather desperately, "What must I do?" Jareth appraised her state of distress. Her fear was real enough. His usual haughty yet amused mask gave way to an expression that was very serious and very cold as he suggested, "You could take her place. If you were to give yourself over to me, I could send Kayla home." Sarah struggled to not faint or bolt, for at that moment she wasn't sure which she was more likely to do. He stood up as she sunk to her knees in despair, standing was now too great an effort. He gazed down upon her as he continued, "I might even make it rather easy on you." Sarah looked up at the Goblin King standing before her and was truly afraid as she realized that no matter what he demanded of her, she would have to agree. She had to because she cared for Kayla with all her heart. Kayla had done what her father, her mother, her step mother, even Toby never could...she had understood Sarah completely, and loved her unconditionally as only a best friend could. Sarah swallowed her tears and looked up at Jareth. Fate could certainly be cruel. Jareth saw that he had her attention and he elaborated, "If you agree to pledge your life to me for one year, I will release her. But you will be held to your promise...and you'd belong to me completely during your stay. This means that you'll be bound to obey me and you must accept me as your sovereign and remain here, under my rule." Sarah's mind seemed to being going in a billion directions at once. One year, versus eternity, that part didn't sound too unfair, but it was the belonging to and obeying Jareth part that scared her out of her wits, but still what could she do? She decided she had to at least milk as much information out of him as she could before she agreed to any of his terms. She had to at least be sure what she was getting herself into. She swallowed and asked in a wavering voice, "What exactly do you mean I'll be bound to obey you?" Jareth smirked and raised his brow, he knew she'd demand more of an explanation, "What I mean is that the powers of the underground will bind you to me, so it will be impossible for you leave or escape and if you refuse to obey my command, our agreement is null and void...The powers of the labyrinth will reverse our deal...you go back home and Kayla stays under my control forever." Sarah visibly paled at the news, Jareth couldn't help but smile as he added, "It's only one year Sarah. If you simply remain here with me, and do as you are told, you will be free to return home after the year is up, and as I am feeling particularly generous, I give you my word that I shall reorder time, so it would be as if no time had passed at all aboveground while you were here." Sarah considered his proposal and quickly countered, "How do I know that you'll hold up your end of the bargain? What guarantee do I have that you'd send me home at all?" Jareth pursed his lips for a moment before he replied, "A deal is a deal Sarah. If we agree, then the conditions are set and the rules must be obeyed...that is how things work here...I expect you should understand that as well as anyone." Sarah eyed him suspiciously and he added, "Think Sarah. Can you honestly say that I ever went back on my word?" Sarah thought for a moment and found to her dismay that he was right. He may have been a crafty opponent, but he had never actually lied to her. Sarah lowered her head, what could she do? It was only one year of her life and no matter how miserable Jareth made her life while she was here, she'd still be free to leave in the end. In truth it was a small price to pay to save her best friend from an eternity of imprisionment. Sarah clenched her jaw in defeat. Jareth saw her internal struggle and smiled, knowing that he had already won. Sarah looked up into his face, she could find no evidence that he wasn't being truthful, but this was the Goblin king, and she trusted him about as far as she could throw him, which wasn't very far. Still what choice did she have? Sarah shuddered at the thought of allowing him control over her, but she was trapped. There was no other way. She met his eyes and replied so that he could just barely hear her, "Fine. Done." The rich sound of his laughter was more than she could stomach. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that he wouldn't prove to be villain that she dreaded he could be. After he'd had a good laugh, he drawled, "Ah Sarah, I always knew you could be reasonable." Jareth then produced a crystal and held it out to show her. Kayla was sleeping peacefully in her own bed. Sarah eyed him suspiciously and said, "How do I know that's not just some illusion?" The crystal burst and Jareth held out a gloved hand, "If you insist on being such a skeptic, then here, see with your own eyes." Sarah tentatively placed her hand in his. He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his other hand about her waist pulling her against him as they disappeared. She barely had time to let out a startled cry before they reappeared in her dorm room. Just as he promised, Kayla was there sleeping peacefully on her bed. Jareth still held Sarah about the waist as he whispered, "Satisfied?" Sarah nodded, afraid to speak for fear that she'd break down again. It broke her heart to know that this was the last time she'd see Kayla for a whole year, not to mention her family. Jareth was almost moved by the misery that was reflected in her pretty face...almost. He lowered his mouth closer to Sarah's ear and softly whispered, "Then it's back to my kingdom we go then." Sarah took one last longing look at her friend as she and Jareth started to fade. She clung to the Goblin King out of fear and weakness as she breathed, "Goodbye Kayla, I'll see you in a year." With that Sarah's world dissolved into darkness. Chapter 5: Harsh Reality. When Sarah came to she was lying on her side. The first thing she realized was that Jareth was no longer holding her. Next, she realized that her surroundings smelled musty and she was laying in something prickly. Her eyes snapped open and she struggled to get up. It was a dank dim place, lit only by scarce candlelight. She glanced around and found herself in a small cell complete with rusty bars to keep her in. The filthy floor was covered in straw, which was not pleasant on her bare feet. To her relief she discovered that she was at least alone in the cell, but she still had no idea where she was. She noticed a tiny slit window high in the stone of the wall. If she stood on her tip-toes she could just barely see out. I looked to be the goblin city. She concluded that she had to be somewhere in the bowels of the castle, the dungeons, no doubt. How fitting. She certainly wasn't expecting her time here to be a party, in fact she was fairly certain that Jareth planned on making the next year of her life as miserable as possible. Considering the alternatives, being alone in a dungeon cell wasn't the worst thing that could happen to her. She could have woken up in Jareth's bed. She shook her head banishing the thought as quickly as it came, but with it other possibilities occurred to her. What was to stop the Goblin king from dragging her into his bed, if he so chose, even if just to demonstrate his power over her. She knew he was a rat, but would he sink that low? In truth she knew almost nothing about him, perhaps that was what intimidated her most...that as her adversary he remained a mystery. Though it was intimidating, she couldn't deny that it held a certain amount of allure as well. From day one Jareth had both excited and terrified her. Although she'd never admit it to his face, he did seem to embody all that she found enticing, physically at least...but he was so cold. Terrifyingly manipulative and confident, and she assumed that he was most likely possessive as well. There was no doubt in her mind that Jareth harbored much resentment towards her for besting his labyrinth. In fact, she was pretty sure this whole situation was some plot of revenge that he had concocted. She supposed she couldn't really expect otherwise from him, but it didn't exactly please her that she would be stuck in this drafty rat-trap for a year just because the almighty Goblin King was a sore loser. Sarah dusted herself off and as she did she was reminded that she was wearing what she normally wore to bed. She felt a chill seep into her bones, as the dungeon was drafty and damp. She rubbed her arms with her hands as she hugged herself for warmth. She stepped close to the bars, peering out to see the rest of the dungeon. She noticed many other cells, but they were all empty. The place was lit by sconces on the walls except for the corner to the left of her cell. And that's when she saw him. Jareth stood in the corner just on the other side of the bars on the edge of her cell. He was leaning against the wall with one foot propped up against the wall behind him. His arms were crossed over his chest and a predatory smile graced his lips as he watched her startled reaction from the shadows. She had nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed him. She covered her mouth as she caught her breath, "You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that...you nearly gave me a heart attack." He merely smiled as he pushed off the wall and strode up to the bars. Sarah dropped her eyes to the filthy floor as she thought that he must be just bursting with joy to see her locked in this tiny cell, freezing, and barely clothed. Jareth grasped the bar with one hand as he rested his chin on a cross bar. He looked down at her and asked, "So what do you think of your new home?" Sarah felt the urge to cry again but why give the pompous ass the satisfaction? She finally shrugged and replied, "I guess this is about what I had expected...still...I suppose it could be much worse." Jareth smiled, seemly satisfied with her answer, "I'm glad you think so. But I assure you...these accommodations are only temporary." Sarah scowled, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Jareth smirked as he overtly let his eyes wander over her body, "I'm not sure, but you'll be able to make up your own mind soon enough." With that he turned away from her to leave. With a surge of anger Sarah spat, "Well try not to make it too long, It's damn freezing down here." Jareth stopped at her caustic remark just long enough to glance over his shoulder at her and reply, "Yes, so I've noticed." Before Sarah could fire another comment back, Jareth simply walked away. And with a snap of his fingers a blanket appeared about a very shaken and angry girl's shoulders. Sarah had no idea how long she had been sleeping when the two goblin guards appeared at the door of her cell. The large ring of oversized keys clanked loudly and the rusty hinges of the door groaned, jolting the sleeping girl into awareness. The larger of the two goblins was dressed in full body armor and he none too gently prodded her with the blunt end of his spear as he announced, "On your feet there girly, his majesty wants a word with you." Sarah groggily managed to climb to her hands and knees before she slowly got up and stretched. Her back and shoulders ached from sleeping on such an uncomfortable surface and her knees were sore from her previous fall in her dorm room. At least Jareth had provided her with a blanket so that she wouldn't freeze but she guessed that had only been so that she wouldn't die of pneumonia. "Can't annoy someone when they are dead", she thought begrudgingly. Once she was standing, the guards quickly grabbed her hands and tied her wrists together behind her back with crude rope. Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the short stocky goblins and demanded in an annoyed tone, "Is that really necessary?" The goblin just grunted irritably and gave her a hard shove, her cue to start walking. The goblins led her down a dark and narrow stone passage and then dragged her up a huge spiraling stone staircase. Just when Sarah was sure she would collapse from exhaustion, they shoved her out into a wide hall with vast high ceilings. To her left she recognized the large ornately carved oak doors. She was fairly certain she was about to be brought into the throne room. Her captors pushed her forward and one of them tapped on the door with the butt of his spear. The doors swung open and Sarah was forced inside. Sarah struggled slightly as the goblins grasped her upper arms tightly and forced her forward. Sarah's limp hair hung in her flushed face as the goblins brought her before their king. Scores of goblins were running about, engaged in all sorts of disturbing displays of mischief. Directly in front of her in the middle of it all, sat Jareth on his throne, like the calm in the middle of a storm. As they neared him, the goblins tightened their grip, forcing her closer to the throne. Sarah twisted her shoulders violently and snapped, "I'm going, I'm going...Get your filthy little hands off me!" During the commotion Sarah had also managed to flash an angry glare at the Goblin King. Jareth couldn't help but be amused by her show of defiance. So the hot-tempered side of her personality had prevailed over all these years. The goblins lost their grip on her but only for a moment as more goblin guards quickly rushed forth to help subdue her. Many pairs of rough little hands forced her to her knees as she heard a goblin voice hiss, "On yer knees before his majesty, if yer know whats good for ya." Sarah continued to try and shrug them off but the sheer number of them overpowered her, and she was finally forced to kneel before Jareth. Jareth rose, noticing that Sarah's face was flushed and she was breathing heavily as a result of her struggles. Her expression was fierce and he had to admit that she was rather beautiful when she was angry. As Jareth stood at his full height the goblins fell silent as he stated, "Leave us." A burly goblin stammered in protest, "B...But your majesty..." Jareth grew irritated, and barked, "Out, all of you! Now!" Terrified goblins flew in all directions and in less than a second the room was empty. For a moment Jareth said nothing as he regarded the girl who was now kneeling before him. Sarah was tempted to rise out of sheer disrespect, but her knees hurt, and her neck and shoulders were also sore, so she decided it was wiser to conserve her energy and stay put. She silently stared at his boots. They were by far much less intimidating than his face. After a moment of silence she grew uneasy. Why wasn't he getting on with it? Then an idea struck Sarah. He enjoyed making her uncomfortable, and he was biding his time so he could watch her squirm. That would be just like him to draw out her uncomfortable misery for as long as possible before he would reveal whatever miserable plan he had in store for her. The thought of such nerve infuriated her. Well she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that she was intimidated. Bravely, she glanced up at him. She would have loved nothing more than to smack that arrogant smirk right off his face. Finally, no longer able to endure his silence and scrutiny, she spat, "I realize that I beat you last time, but come on! Are the ropes really necessary?" Chapter 6: The First Display of Devotion In truth, the coarse ropes were rather tight and they had begun to chafe the delicate skin of her wrists. Sarah risked another glance at him, only to find that the bastard had the nerve to look amused. He ginned wolfishly at her and drawled, "I might remove your restraints...IF you show me that you intend to respect my authority." Sarah felt her eyes widen at his audacity, in spite of herself. She shook her head and hissed, "And exactly what gesture of respect am I expected to exhibit?" Jareth seemed to ponder the matter a moment before his mouth curved into a triumphant smirk. He slowly lowered himself onto his throne and drawled, "Come here." Sarah tried to ignore the panicked voice in her head that warned for her to stay put. Endless possibilities of what he would demand of her flooded her mind. It took all of her nerve to make her knees move as she shuffled closer to him. Jareth seemed pleased that she had chosen to obey. He let his eyes roam over her body as she knelt before him, her worried eyes cast to the floor. He took in the sight of her firm breasts. It was obvious that the girl wore nothing underneath the scant top. He dropped his eyes to her bared legs noticing for the second time that her thighs were well toned. His appraisal did not go unnoticed by Sarah and she struggled not to let her trepidation show. Instead, she met his intense gaze with a fierce one of her own. Jareth smirked arrogantly and his voice dripped with confidence as he ordered, "Now...kiss my boots." Sarah's expression changed from angry to dumb-founded in an instant. Her eyes widened as she protested, "Excuse me? You can't be serious?!" Jareth leaned forward slightly, grinning viciously as he replied, "Oh, I assure you, I am quite serious." Still she made no move to obey so he added, "Do you wish for me to remove your restraints or not?" Sarah sighed and the sound held a tone of disgust. Jareth warned, "Surly, such a task is trivial compared to an eternity of enslavement for your precious friend." Sarah narrowed her eyes and snapped, "Fine!" She quickly ducked her head down, her lips just barely grazing the top of his left boot as she kneeled back up again. Jareth was enjoying the petty torment far too much to let her get off that easy. He chided condescendingly, "Ah - Uh..." Sarah sighed and shot him a very annoyed look as he grinned and insisted, "Sarah, that is a pathetic show of devotion. Now d performing any task I deem fit o it again, like you MEAN it." Her shoulders were really beginning to ache so she chose to humor him, even though he was a royal pain in the ass, so long as it would get her damn hands free. Without another word of protest or sigh of annoyance, she lowered her head, more reverently this time, as she firmly pressed her lips to the leather of one boot before bowing to the other also gracing it with a tender kiss. As Jareth watched her something burned in eyes as his breath caught in his throat. He had no idea that so subtle of an act of submission would affect him so. He just barely managed to regain his composure, slipping back on that cold mask of indifference as she rose back up to a kneeling position. He immediately noticed that her cheeks were hot with either embarrassment or anger. Jareth rose from his throne, pulling a tiny dagger from his belt as he cut the ropes from her wrists. Sarah quickly rubbed her wrists and rolled her shoulders in relief as he resumed his position on the throne. He indicated a chair that had materialized behind her, "You may sit." Sarah was tempted to stay on the floor just to piss him off but her desire to sit comfortably won that dispute. Once she was seated, Jareth began, "I have decided that while you are in my castle you will act as my personal assistant. You duties will include acting as my personal scribe as well as attending my personal needs." Sarah felt the blood drain from her face at the mention of personal needs. What the hell did that mean? To her that sounded like it could be anything from doing his laundry and preparing his food to bathing him. She pushed the that idea right out of head as she stammered, "Your...personal needs?" Jareth smiled coldly, "Yes. Running errands, tending to my clothing, arranging meals, serving as my escort when it is required of you...in a nutshell performing any task that I ask you to do." The words any task echoed in her mind, and it took a great deal of effort to keep her state of alarm hidden. Jareth didn't seem to notice that she was barely listening as he continued, "I'll have the goblins take you to your quarters, so that you may rest and bathe if you wish, then you may join me for dinner and we'll get started with your training." Sarah's head perked up when she heard "rest and bathe" but she cringed at the thought of sharing a meal with him...and training? He made it sound as if she was his new pet, and that irked her something awful. Interrupting him, she jeered, "And what if I don't feel like eating with you?" Jareth considered her bold query and replied, "Well, you can take your supper in the bog then." Sarah dropped her eyes. On second thought having dinner with him didn't sound so bad. She felt him staring at her so she reluctantly raised her head, "No...I'll pass. I...I'll come to dinner." Jareth smiled victoriously before she chanced a stolen glance at him and quietly protested, "...but I have nothing to wear. These are the clothes I sleep in. I...I'm not even wearing shoes." Jareth overtly looked her up and down, grinning as he mused, "Yes, I'm aware of that." Sarah narrowed her eyes at him and remarked coldly, "Oh I see...you find it funny. Well I'm not laughing. It's drafty in here, and my feet are freezing." His mismatched eyes met hers as he flatly stated, "I will have some appropriate attire brought to your room." Chapter 7: Settling In Jareth snapped his fingers and a small goblin rushed into the room. The tiny creature bowed low at the King's feet as he ordered, "Crag, escort Sarah to her room." The little goblin puffed his chest out with importance before he bowed again and replied, "Right away, your majesty." Sarah got up as the goblin gestured for her to follow him. Once they had left, Jareth went to see about clothes for Sarah and the dinner that would be prepared. As Sarah followed Crag out into the great hall she began to breathe easier. Just facing the Goblin King again was difficult enough, having to speak with him and answer to him was exhausting. The whole situation made her extremely nervous and kept her on edge. He just exuded the sort of casual confidence that left her feeling weak and exposed. What arrogance to make her kiss his boots, and how pathetic was she, that she had actually done it? Her face flushed for a moment as the adrenaline rush from her encounter with him finally started to subside. He absolutely infuriated her, but strangely enough he fascinated her as well. She felt a sort of nervous excitement whenever he was near, leaving her insides in knots. Every time she looked at him she couldn't help but be moved by how strangely beautiful he was, which was so distracting when he made her so angry that she had to keep her defenses up. God those eyes, she thought to herself... She shivered, wondering how on earth she was going to survive through dinner. So far, nothing completely horrendous had befallen her, aside from the humiliation of having to kiss his boots, but no harm had actually come to her, which made her even more wary. He was planning to take his revenge on her, of that she was certain, she just didn't know exactly when the nightmare that would be his wrath, would begin. Sarah followed Crag up what seemed like an endless winding staircase. She wasn't sure if he was allowed to talk to her or not, but since Jareth was nowhere in sight she thought she might as well try. "So your name is Crag?" He glanced sideways at her, "Yeah...that's right." She smiled sweetly, "I'm Sarah." He nodded his head and squawked, "I know who y'are lady. You're the girly who solved the labyrinth and beat 'is Majesty..." He suddenly looked about as if he expected to be reprimanded before he quietly added, "But we're not 'sposed to talk about that." Sarah nodded in understanding as he added in a whisper, "None of us 'sposed to talk about it. Makes King Jareth frightfully mad." Sarah looked down at the small goblin as she replied, "I bet it does. Tell me is Jar...er the King in a bad mood often?" Crag lead her along a dimly lit corridor as he replied, "Yessir, the King's been on a short fuse for a long time now. Hmmm, 'bout since you won 'is game, but ah, he's been a 'lil better since you came back..." Crag suddenly stopped as if he'd said too much. Motioning to the door in front of them he remarked, "Ahh 'ere we are. Dis is your room girly..." Sarah opened the door and peeked in. The room was lit by several wall sconces, and there was a candlestick that was left burning on the lone dresser. The room was small and austere, having only the barest necessities. There was an unadorned bed on a very plain wooden frame, and a single dresser also made of wood. There was a small wood burning fireplace and a simple dressing screen, and next to it was a small vanity. In one corner of the room there was an ancient looking claw-footed tub that had already been filled with steaming water. Behind it was a wooden stand that held a bowl and pitcher next to a small door, which Sarah guessed had to be the water closet. The room was so unpretentious that she was surprised that Jareth would even have such a room in his castle. What she found the most intriguing was the large ornately carved door on the other side of the room that seemed terribly out of place in comparison to the modest style of the rest of the room. Sarah quickly walked over to it and asked Crag, "What's in here?" Crag quickly replied, "His majesty's private chamber." The blood completely drained from Sarah's face as she nervously inquired, "What?! What does he need a door to my room for?!?" Sarah plopped herself on the bed, feeling as though she was about to have a panic attack. Crag nervously explained, "Well, you are to be his majesty's personal assistant...so you need to be nearby." Sarah held up her hand, "Nevermind...I don't want to know any more." Crag clamped his beak-like mouth shut and headed out to the hall as he mumbled, "I leave you 'ere, I'll come for you when it's eatin' time." Sarah flopped back on the bed and called, "Thanks Crag..." After he was gone she added in a whisper, "...for leading me to my doom." The mattress of her bed was crude, seemingly stuffed with feathers, but it was comfortable at least, and although the plumbing left much to be desired, things could have been a lot worse. As modest as the room was, it retained a cozy quality. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so terrible. At the very least she was getting out of her midterms. Then she reminded herself that Jareth's bedroom was connected to hers by means of a single door, which appeared to have no lock on her side. Great, just great. She paced nervously for a while, stopping every time she thought she heard something. Eventually she wore herself out and decided stressing over it wasn't going to help any, so she resolved that she would just have take up the matter with Jareth and find out exactly what he expected of her. Sarah eyed the tub, thinking that nothing would be better than a nice hot bath, and the water in the tub did look pretty hot. Sarah was torn between her desire to feel the hot cleansing water against her skin and her fear of Jareth storming in. While she would be absolutely horrified if he the aforementioned Goblin King did make an unexpected appearance, she was drawn by the promise of the hot water alleviating her sore limbs. In the end, her need to feel clean and rejuvenated won out over her fear. She dragged the dressing screen between the door to Jareth's room and her bathtub...just in case. A few moments later Sarah had discarded her clothing on the floor and was washing herself with a form of liquid soap that she had found in a small glass bottle by the tub. As she lathered the stuff on her skin she realized that it smelled like fruit...peaches actually. She shook her head and fumed, the arrogant bastard certainly did enjoy his petty torments. The tub was quite deep so she reasoned that even if his royal highness decided to show up uninvited, she wouldn't really be all that exposed. She just made quite sure to keep the surface of the water covered with foam. Meanwhile, in the throne room, Jareth gazed into a perfectly round, flawless crystal orb. As the image of Sarah reclining in her bath came into focus, a slow deliberate grin formed on the monarch's face. The lovely girl's skin was flushed from the heat of the water and her rich dark hair tumbled over her creamy shoulders. He could scarcely contain his jubilation that he finally had Sarah in his grasp. At long last revenge would be his. The best part was that he had an entire year to toy with her, and his mind was just brimming with ways to humble and humiliate her. As the crystal vanished, he had already made up his mind that he would not wait a moment longer to start tormenting her. He rose from his throne and vanished. As much as Sarah was enjoying her bath she was hesitant to linger for much longer in the water. She had no idea when Crag was planning to come back for her, and she wanted to be clothed when he arrived. And where the hell were the clothes Jareth said he would provide? Sarah brushed her hair away from her face and sunk down into the water, totally submerging herself. When she resurfaced she smoothed her drenched hair back away from her face and blinked the water out of her eyes. That's when she heard the sound of something clinking against the stone floor. She looked over the rim of the tub to see a crystal roll out from under the bed. Her eyes widened in fear as the small round object stopped at the edge of the tub. It could mean only one thing. Jareth. She frantically made an attempt to sink low in the water and cover herself as the Goblin King materialized in a dramatic shower of glitter. She gaped at him, horrified by his sudden and unwelcome appearance. She could tell by his casual stance and his satisfied smirk that he had purposefully chosen to appear at such an inopportune time. Sarah thought to herself, lotta good that dressing screen did...what the hell did he even bother giving me one for? His eyes raked over her form as a slow sinister smile spread across his face. The fact that he had the gall to stand there gawking, while looking so smug, kindled an angry flame deep within her. Her fierce green eyes challenged his as she spat, "Do you mind?!? I'm taking a bath!" His mocking grin did not fade as he countered, "Yes...so you are." Sarah was overcome with debilitating nervousness at his intrusion, but she could not appear shaken. That's what the bastard wants. Luckily she was a good actress, and she caustically replied, "So what, are you above knocking before you just barge in on someone?" He chose to ignore her remark as he draped some clothing over her bed and drawled, "I was generous enough to personally bring you some suitable attire. You could at least pretend to be grateful." Sarah watched with fury as he turned, letting his eyes stray back to the tub again. She sunk lower in the water with her arms crossed over her chest, trying to avoid his inquisitive gaze as she fired back, "Fine I'm grateful, now leave." Jareth tilted his head to the side, admiring the furious and dripping wet girl that dared speak to him in such defiance. He strode closer, his boots sounding on the stone floor. As he reached the side of the tub he bent down resting a gloved hand against the rim as he leaned over her. Sarah had never been more terrified in her life. His face hovered dangerously close to hers. She held her breath. She had no idea what he intended to do. His expression and posture oozed casual confidence as he softly replied, "I think you have much to learn Sarah. This is my castle, and as I am King, I will go where I please and do whatever I like. The sooner you accept this, the easier it will be for you." His eyes lowered to her full pink lips, they had slightly parted in startled surprise. Sarah wracked her brain for some comeback, some cruel insult, but none came, and all she could do was dumbly stare up at him in surprise, praying that he wasn't about to do what she thought he might. Very slowly, the Goblin King lowered his mouth, his lips only inches from hers. Sarah felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared up into his ethereally beautiful face. His haunting mismatched eyes locked with hers as he breathed, "For now you belong to me Sarah. You'd do well to remember that." Sarah froze at the terrible realization that some traitorous part of her was longing for him to try and kiss her. It was a sickening feeling, her body at such odds with her head. How was he so adept at making her into such a tangled mess of emotions? Nervousness, anger, fear, and elation seemed to be twisting her guts, and the resulting effect left her weak and disoriented. Jareth sensed her turmoil and then it happened. He moved his mouth ever so slowly so that his lips were poised right above hers just as his intense eyes locked with hers. To his amazement the girl did not turn away. He was so temped to grind his mouth into hers, but he was determined not to be too impulsive this time. Instead he slowly lowered his lips to hers, stopping so that there was only a hairs breadth between them. Sarah felt his warm breath drift over her lips. Her mind reeled in panic just as her body begged for the contact. All good sense and reason ordered that she turn her head in defiance, but, unable to act, she remained frozen on the spot. Sarah closed her eyes as she felt the slightest stirring of air, sure that his lips were about to press against hers. Just that brief moment of anticipation shook her to her core, a jolt of something so powerful that it had caused her heart to suddenly thunder in her ears. Frozen, she waited for it, waited until she truly wanted it. But the sensation of his lips against hers never came. It was only a hint, a whisper and a suggestion of a kiss, but with no actual physical contact. Nevertheless, it left Sarah shaken with the possibilities of what a real kiss from him could be. The feeling was torture. She was left in the limbo of disappointment and she hated herself for actually having hoped for it. How could she want to kiss someone whom she loathed so much? And then as fast as it had happened, it was over. Jareth had suddenly pulled back, his smug smile pitching her back into a fury as he sensually taunted in a voice full of wicked promise, "I shall see you at dinner Sarah." Before she could even look surprised, the Goblin King disappeared. Chapter 8: A Royal Pain Sarah's mind reeled in rebellion and confusion, What in the hell was that about? As she thought on what had just happened, the reality of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. He had come precisely when she would be the most vulnerable, just to bait her and leave her feeling very shaken and humiliated, and...longing for the kiss that was left so unfinished. Damn him. And damn her. The near kiss had been a test, she was almost sure of it. It was his way of seeing what he could get away with...and damn it, she had let him get away with it. Christ, if he had let his mouth linger so near hers for even another moment...she didn't even want to entertain the possibilities, but she had to. The sickening feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she admitted to herself that she had wanted him to kiss her...and what was worse was that she still wanted it. She lacked the courage to make the move, however she also lacked the strength to turn her face away from him. No doubt his majesty managed to see right through her, he must have, otherwise why else would he have drawn back with that triumphant smirk plastered on his face. No matter how deep down she tried to bury those unsettling feelings, he knew that some part of her desired him, even if the rest of her protested whole-heartedly. Sarah let her head fall into her hands as she realized the danger of the precarious situation in which she found herself. Sarah knew that Jareth was convinced that part of her wanted him, and being the egotistical, arrogant, cruel and manipulative bastard that he was, she could only expect that he would find a plethora of ways to torture her with this newfound jewel of information. Damn it. I am in so much trouble. He had already begun. What better way to start tormenting his self-deprivating little captive than to offer his alluring mouth in a hint of a kiss, before unexpectedly withdrawing, just to leave her pining for him. Her face burned with humiliation and anger. Well, she may have already made a dangerous error...but she'd be damned before she'd make another. She leapt out of the tub and started to dry off as she reminded herself that Jareth was cruel. He was a deceitful, conniving, heartless King and even if all his physical charms were intensified a hundred fold, she would not let herself forget that he was her nemesis. No, Jareth would not find her so weak next time. Now that she had an idea what he was up to, she planned to make the next year as unpleasant for him as possible. She would give him a run for his money. Sarah smiled at the prospect of making him so miserable that he would have no choice but to send her home early. She surveyed the clothes on the bed as she angrily muttered to herself, "Alright you jerk-off, you wanna play? I'll play your pathetic game...and I'll win." Not long after Jareth had left her stewing, Crag had come to fetch her for dinner. She held her head high as she followed him down the stone passages of the castle. Thanks to Jareth, she was now dressed in a white peasant-style blouse that exposed her shoulders and had sleeves that billowed out at the wrists. A brown leather waist cincher came just to the bottom of her bust and the hunter green full skirt moved gracefully as she walked. To Sarah, the outfit was reminiscent of something a gypsy peasant might wear, but she found the clothing flattering to her figure. Jareth may have been a manipulative and pretentious bastard, but his taste in clothing wasn't bad. She wore black leather heeled boots that stopped mid calf, also courtesy of the Goblin King. They gave her step a foreboding sound as she walked purposefully towards the dining room. Since she had been unable to blow-dry her hair, her dark locks were wavy and untamed as they fell about her shoulders. Crag had scarcely recognized the girl when he came to fetch her, she seemed dramatically taller and her face, which had previously seemed drawn and apprehensive, now seemed sharp and stern. Crag refrained from making conversation because he didn't wish to make himself a target for her scorn. Her perceptive gaze took in their surroundings but all the while her eyes seemed to be calculating. As they came to the doors of the dining room, Crag stopped and stated, "His majesty is expectin' you Sarah, so you can go right in. I'll be seein' you later." With that the small goblin high-tailed it out of there. Sarah swallowed as she reminded herself that even though Jareth was excellent at being manipulative, she could give new meaning to the word bitch. With renewed courage, and her head held high, Sarah stormed into the dining room. For a split second Sarah was distracted by the magnificence of the room. The table was immense and there were elaborate gilded candelabras by the walls that cast a magical golden glow. At one end of the table there was a gaping fireplace in the shape of a great goblin's open mouth. Jareth was leaning casually against the mantle, which resembled the upper lip of the snarling goblin face that surrounded the fireplace. When Sarah's eyes settled on that arrogant expression, she was reminded of the task at hand. Before Jareth moved to speak he casually perused the girl standing before him. The attire he had chosen certainly suited her. The hunter shade of the skirt complimented her fierce feral green eyes and the sight of her dark hair spilling over her creamy shoulders made his breath catch in his throat. The neckline of the dress was low and the corset-like waist cincher only made her lovely endowments and feminine curves all the more exaggerated and appealing. Jareth forced his eyes upward, before he became completely spellbound by the charms of her young body. His mouth formed the slightest hint of an amused smirk as he stated, "I was beginning to think I wouldn't have the pleasure of your company." He pulled out a chair for her as she replied hotly, "Oh, I wouldn't dream of missing this." He furrowed his brow in puzzlement as he replied, "So you take pleasure in joining me for dinner then?" Sarah bit her lower lip thoughtfully for a second as she appeared to consider his question before she purred in a saccharine tone, "Jareth, I take about as much pleasure in spending any amount of time with you..." She paused to hold up and contemplate a sharp serrated knife from her place setting, "As you might take on the point of this knife if I were to plunge it into..." Interupting her he tsked, "Uh-ah, careful Sarah, you are bound to behave as my subject, and threats to my person may be regarded as treason." She paused and narrowed her eyes at him, "Very well, you know what I'm getting at and how I feel about being here. However, since I would like to know exactly what it is you plan to do with me, while I'm stuck on this little vacation in hell, I felt it pertinent to come." Her jibe only made him grin wider as he remarked, "How fortunate I am that you are so curious. Well...I don't wish to keep you in suspense..." Sarah snorted rudely as he continued, "So as I was explaining earlier I plan to train you to be my personal assistant." Sarah rolled her eyes and snickered, "Don't you mean...personal slave?" Jareth was the very picture of noble innocence, as he replied, "Of course not. I have hundreds of goblin servants...what in blazes would I want another one for? No Sarah. You are capable of so much more. For one, you shall serve as my scribe. Goblins cannot read or write, and it will be a great relief to have some assistance with the documentation that must be generated in order to run this kingdom. You will also attend me personally...goblins are clumsy creatures, and are no where near competent enough for such a task." Sarah froze at the ambiguity of this but he went on, "I may on occasion also have some special requests for you. From time to time the castle has some rather distinguished visitors, usually for diplomatic and judiciary purposes, and it would be an advantage to have a page at such times instead of a bumbling horde of goblins. Then...there are the periodic balls and masquerades that as Ruler of the Goblin Kingdom, I am expected to attend, and it would make things much simpler if I had a reliable escort." Sarah crossed her arms and scoffed sarcastically at this, "So aside from being at your beck and call, I am a dating service as well...wonderful." Jareth didn't miss her bitter sarcasm as he rebuked, "If it's not to your liking, I'd be happy to send you home..." He smiled as he added, "I'm sure your friend Kayla would make a suitable replacement." Sarah winced and replied, "No of course not..." She gritted her teeth and ground out, "I'll be cooperative...I'll do what you ask." He flashed her a mock delighted smile before he replied, "Good, because there are some other tasks that goblins simply cannot do that you would be able to accomplish most easily." Without hesitation she demanded, "Like what?" Jareth replied, "Well, handling the fine flatware and crystal without smashing it to pieces for one...I can't tell you how many priceless pieces have been shattered thanks to some careless goblin." Just then three large goblins emerged from the kitchens and began to haphazardly slam platters of food down, just barely keeping the contents from spilling all over the table and the floor. Sarah had to catch her own water goblet in the chaos. Jareth crossed his arms over his chest as he muttered, "I rest my case..." Sarah glanced down at the exquisite flatware. It appeared that he had a good point. Still she wasn't about to let her guard down, and the fact that he had mentioned that she would attend him personally made her skin crawl. Jareth offered her a platter of some sort of game bird noticing that she appeared to be considering all that he was saying. Sarah helped herself to a small portion as he stated, "No doubt you must have some questions..." Sarah glanced up at him and replied sarcastically, "Yeah, just a few." Jareth made a gesture with his hand and insisted, "By all means, ask away." Sarah swallowed a small bite of food and cautiously began, "Ok...well what exactly does attending you personally mean?" His eyes met hers and they were full of heat as he smirked and asked in an amused yet sultry manner, "What do YOU think it means?" Sarah felt as though she had been burned. She felt her cheeks grow hot as she averted her eyes from his suggestive expression. She was uncomfortable about breaching the subject, but as embarrassing as it was, she felt it imperative to make her boundaries clear. She took a deep breath and countered angrily, "If you expect that I will obediently perform favors like some trained harlot, I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken. I realize that I made an agreement with you, and I am bound to remain here and obey you...but I draw the line at being used, so if at any point you intend to bring me into your bed, you should know that it will only happen by excessive force." Jareth frowned at his plate before he glanced at her and replied solemnly, "Do you think me that much of a villain Sarah?" Sarah gave him a hard look as she replied, "To be honest I don't know how much of a villain I think you are. You are unsurpassed when it comes to antagonizing me, and I'm quite certain that ultimately it was your goal all along to get me here. I can't say that I think you have good intentions, and until you prove otherwise, you won't have so much as a shred of my trust." His feral grin widened as he admonished, "There's no need to be so formal Sarah, at least not while we are alone. You may address me by my name, however when we are in the company of my subjects or ambassadors you should address me as your majesty. " It didn't escape Sarah's attention that he had artfully changed the subject, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. Sarah raised her chin, challenging him with those sparkling green eyes of hers as she taunted, "Alright then...Jareth, would you care to elaborate then, what you do expect from a personal attendant?" His smirk was one of genuine amusement and he drawled, "You'd be expected to bring me my meals when I am too busy to take them in here. You'll also be in charge of my wardrobe. Goblins are incompetent when it comes to sewing buttons back on and things of that nature. Let's see...My boots are always in need of a good polishing, and then there is the occasional odd errand that I might send you on, when it is something of too great importance to send a goblin." Sarah nearly winced at the thought of shining his boots for him, but at least he didn't mention anything suggestive. Still, maybe he would get some sick pleasure out of ordering her around. The fact that she had bested him must have done a horrible blow to his pride, and maybe this was his way of saving face. She frowned, as she doubted it would be so simple. She boldly looked him in the eye and ventured, "Why are you doing this Jareth?" He seemed slightly caught off guard by her question as he replied, "Beg your pardon?" She added, "I mean, if this is your idea of payback...it seems a little unnecessary." Jareth furrowed his brow and remarked, "I'm not sure I follow." Sarah bit her lip and began bravely, "Look, I can accept that you're probably pretty pissed about what happened the last time I was here. But, I still don't think you understand that I HAD to do whatever was necessary to save Toby. You told me that you were being generous because you took Toby when I asked, but you know damn well that I never meant to really wish him away. You may never understand this, but there is nothing I wouldn't have given up to get Toby back...and the same goes for Kayla. If you are really out for revenge because I did what I had to do, you might as well just tell me what misery you have in store for me so we can just get it over with. I may have been a child back then and I may still be foolish, but I'm not so dumb as to not realize that you must have had some ulterior motive when Kayla wished herself away, otherwise why would I even be here? So please let's just cut to the chase...what is it that you want from me?" Jareth's face had suddenly become devoid of all emotion as he coldly replied, "You really want to know what I want? Very well, I shall tell you brave Sarah. Respect. Obedience. Gratitude. You may call it what you like...and maybe I'll always be your villian, but don't delude yourself. I gave you exactly what you wanted, an adventure from your painfully dull life...I gave you the fairy tale, and it just so happens that like all fairy tales worth telling, there has to be a villain." Sarah swallowed at the intensity of his sharp words. She hated to admit it, but he was right. As much as the adventure had tested her, and at times terrified her, she wouldn't have traded it for the world. The friendships she had forged along the way were real and in addition to winning her baby brother back she had come out of it with something additional and unexpected. The belief that she could achieve anything, and the knowledge that she didn't need to be offered a shiny crystal to be able to reach her dreams, she could do that all on her own. And anyway you look at it, whether he had been cruel or not to bring it upon her... It was a precious gift. Sarah couldn't bring herself to look him in the face, for fear that he'd see her one regret...that as wonderful as her fairy tale and her journey of self-discovery was there was one flaw. There was no charming prince to offer her true love or a happily ever after. Instead she had to face her villain, the infamous King of Goblins. He could not have been farther than a chivalrous prince, he was cruel, manipulative, and selfish. But what really killed her was the terrible secret that she had become infatuated with him anyway. Life was just not fair. Sarah stared at her plate. There could be no happy ending, not for her. Not this time. It was time to stop pretending, time to grow up and face the consequences. Nodding slightly she murmured with resolve, "Fine. Then you shall have your respect, obedience and gratitude, and then we will be even, and you will stop invading my life." Jareth stared at her dumbstruck. This couldn't be the same girl that fought her way to the castle beyond the goblin city. Was that a tinge of regret in her voice. Jareth decided that he had to be imagining it. Finally Sarah, still staring at her plate, quietly asked, "May I be excused...I'm really rather tired." Jareth rose from the table slightly unsettled as he simply replied, "Certainly...You will begin to assume your duties tomorrow." Sarah was barely aware of her surroundings as she miraculously made it back to her room. When she entered there was a candle burning by her bed and a simple white linen chemise was laid out on her bed for her to sleep in. Sarah's thoughts swirled about her head like a cyclone, but she was far too tired to dwell on them now. She still refused to trust Jareth, but his declared expectations did make a great deal of sense. Sarah wasn't a huge fan of manual labor and she was more than a little intimidated about the prospect of Jareth ordering her around, but she couldn't shake the feeling that things could have been a whole lot worse. She had always assumed that Jareth would hate her after all that had happened, but oddly enough she wasn't getting that vibe. Sure she was getting the feeling that he wanted to dominate the hell out of her, but it didn't feel like hatred. And there was something else, something he was holding back, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sarah chose to think no more on the matter as she wriggled out of her clothing and draped her new garments over a high backed wooden chair. She tugged the chemise over her head and snuggled into her bed. As she blew out the candle she was reminded that this was to be her home for the next year. As she thought of the dorm room where she was supposed to be sleeping with her best friend and the fact that her only company for the next year would be a cold manipulative king and a pack of unruly goblins, loneliness overcame her and she quietly wept in the darkness until she exhausted herself and fell deeply into sleep. Chapter 9: The Daily Grind Sarah was tossed from slumber as someone shook her shoulder. The girl buried herself further under the warm blankets and murmured, "Don't wanna go to class Kayla...lemme sleep another half hour." Jareth smiled at her reluctance to get out of bed as he lowered his mouth to her ear and drawled, "I'm not Kayla, and I'm afraid it's not a class that awaits you." Sarah's eyes snapped open. She knew that voice. Startled, she sat up and flattened herself against the headboard, carefully clutching the blankets to her chest to shield herself from his predatory gaze. She had a look of pure shock and fear on her face, as she was harshly jolted out of dreams and back into reality. Jareth smirked playfully and settled on the edge of her bed. Sarah stared at him wide eyed as she stammered, "Wha...what are you doing here?" His gaze traveled over the length of the blanket curiously, before returning to her face as he replied, "I've come to wake you. There is much to be done." Sarah took a deep breath, so this was how things were to be. Sarah regarded him as she quipped, "Well I guess you wouldn't be you, if you knocked before barging into my room." Jareth nonchalantly replied, "You'd best get used to it Sarah. I'm being lenient, as it is your first day. From now on it will be you who will report to me first thing in the morning." Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and retorted incredulously, "Oh really?" Jareth's eyes settled on hers as he replied sternly, "Yes...really. Next time a few of my goblins will see to it that you are out of bed at the appropriate time. You should be grateful that I've decided to fetch you this morning, as goblins are not very discreet nor merciful when it comes to getting one out of bed." Jareth grinned sadistically as he gripped the blankets and yanked them off of her and sneered, "Now get dressed and meet me in my chambers." Sarah swallowed anxiously as his eyes skimmed over the thin chemise. His mouth curved into the slightest hint of a devilish smile as he disappeared in a flourish of glitter. Sarah let out a deep shaky breath before got out of bed and paid the water closet a much needed visit. She had just come back into her room when there was an insistent knock at her door. Sarah shook her head and mumbled, "What now?" as she padded over to the door. She opened the heavy wooden door to see Crag and another goblin standing outside. The other goblin had an armful of folded garments and Crag was carrying a basket with some bread and fruit and what looked like a wineskin. The other goblin didn't so much as wait for Sarah to invite them in, as he rushed past her and tossed the clothes on her bed with a huff of exhaustion. Crag simply nodded, "Morning Sarah, we brought you some more clothes...oh and here's some breakfast for ya." Sarah smiled politely and replied, "Thanks Crag." She quickly noticed that there were several outfits that they had brought her, from a simple yet elegant dress, to more blouses and skirts, to what looked like a coarse jumper with a white apron and a kerchief. Crag set the basket of food on her bureau as he replied, "I'd hurry and get dressed if I were you...King's been rather impatient this morning." Sarah considered his comment and muttered under her breath, "So I've noticed..." She then looked at the goblin and asked, "Do you have any idea what he has in store for me today." Crag smiled as the other goblin was unsuccessfully stifling his raucous laughter. Finally Crag taunted in his nasal toned voice "I might have an idea...but I'm not supposed to tell ya." Sarah demanded in a disappointed tone, "Why not?" Crag gave the other goblin a sharp look as he stammered, "King's orders...but if I were you, I'd plan on getting dirty." Sarah sighed heavily as the two goblins burst into maniacal laughter just before they disappeared down the hall. Sarah decided against taking a bath if she was going to be getting filthy. Instead, she quickly freshened up using the pitcher and basin and dressed in the simple coarse tan jumper with the apron before she smoothed her hair back under the kerchief. When she was fully dressed she knocked on Jareth's door, although she was temped to just storm in, as he had done to her. Strangely, the door simply opened of its own accord and she peered into the room. His bedchamber was immense and it was rather dimly lit, and to her relief Jareth was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he had just left her a note with some instructions. The first thing she noticed was the huge four-poster bed. It was carved out of a very dark rich wood. The bed was a virtual sea of black and wine colored satin linens and throw pillows. The headboard was a magnificent work of art in itself. There were three-dimensional carvings that seamed to reach out from the very wood...figures depicting various goblin-like creatures. There was a gaping black marble fireplace and carved into the very stone of the floor was a large basin of a bath and it was teeming with steaming water. Sarah also noticed the great balcony. The heavy maroon velvet drapes were pulled back, slightly rustling in the morning breeze, so Sarah could see the labyrinth extending out for miles. Sarah let her eyes take in the splendor of his extravagant chamber. She noticed a giant gilded mirror that extended from the floor to the ceiling was positioned across from the magnificent bed. She scoffed at the sight. It didn't surprise her that he would be vain, considering the giant ego he toted around with him. Sarah took a step closer to the bed and without really thinking about it she let her fingertips drift over the silky fabric. To her surprise, Jareth suddenly materialized right behind her, his warm breath fell on her neck as he purred, "I see you've made yourself at home." Sarah jumped and she pulled her hand back as though she had been burned. She whirled to face him and her eyes flashed angrily as she snapped, "Must you sneak up on me all the time? This place is creepy enough without you stalking about like that." Jareth smiled in seeming satisfaction as he drew back away from her and took in her appearance. She was dressed for hard work. Apparently Crag had let his plans slip, at least partially. He pursed his lips and began, "I'm glad that you finally decided to show up...There are some pressing matters I need you to take care of." Sarah couldn't help but feel uneasy as her eyes drifted back to the steaming bathing basin. Her mind frantically noted, "This had better not involve him and that bath!!!!" Jareth noticed that her attention was focused on his bathtub and he remarked, "Ah so you've noticed the bath. Nice isn't it? There are heated rocks beneath that always keep the water hot and the water is constantly replenished by a magic font." Sarah shook her head as if to clear it, and forced herself to look at him, "Great...whatever. Would you mind explaining what I'm supposed to do?" Jareth smiled and replied, "Ah yes...Well it seems I have a chore for you. It's rather simple really...just a bit of manual labor." Sarah, secretly relieved that he hadn't mentioned anything about bathing, wondered what he might possibly ask of her instead. Sarcastically she remarked, "Let me guess...you want me to sweep out all the chimneys in the castle, or no wait...you want me to dredge the bog of eternal stench perhaps?" Jareth chuckled and replied, "No, as entertaining as it might be to watch you do such chores, what I have in mind isn't quite so tedious." Sarah crossed her arms and replied, "Why don't you enlighten me then." Jareth replied, "Very well, you will tidy up the throne room." Sarah remembered with horror at how messy that place was with all the goblins and live chickens running around. The word pig-sty came to mind. She shrugged and said in a voice that dripped with disdain, "Oh, is that all?" Jareth gestured for her to follow and soon she found herself standing in the entrance to the great throne room. She scanned the room with obvious displeasure. This place wasn't a pig-sty...it was much, much worse. It was definitely far more trashed than she had remembered, and she found herself gaping, "What the hell happened in here?" Jareth crossed his arms also surveying the room with distaste as he replied, "I'm afraid the Goblins were reveling in here all night." Sarah looked on in horror to see a few goblins still passed out by an empty ale barrel. There were empty pewter casks and flagons littering the floor. Ale had been spilled just about everywhere, and chicken feathers seemed to coat just about everything. Jareth shot her an irritated look as he remarked, "They tend to get a little carried away when it comes to their night-time celebrations." Sarah's brow shot up in surprise as she replied, "You're not kidding. This place is...TRASHED! It looks like a frat house after finals." She followed him into the room as he glanced about in disgust. He sighed deeply and paused to swat an apple core off the seat of his throne as he said in a voice that was a little too cool and measured, "I can no longer allow this to become a regular occurrence." Sarah continued to gawk in surprise, as she muttered absently, "No, not unless you plan on starting up an underground chapter of alcoholics anonymous." Jareth shot her a stern look as he indicated a pile of cleaning supplies in the corner, "Leave the goblins to me. I shall deal with them accordingly. Just do whatever you can to make this place resemble a functional throne room again. Now if you'll excuse me, there are few goblins that must be drop kicked into the bog." Sarah watched as he disappeared, leaving glitter raining down on the floor. Sarah sighed and eyed the glitter as she reached for the broom and sighed, "Thanks for adding to the mess Jareth." Sarah had swept half of the floor when she remembered the inebriated goblins passed out by the ale barrels. She set the broom down and approached the pile of empty ale kegs. She shook one goblin and hissed, "Hey you guys...you'd better wake up and get out of here before Jareth comes back." At the mere mention of his name the first goblin groaned and climbed to his feet, seemingly in a hurry to make himself scarce. Sarah managed to pull the other two to their feet. They seemed rather disoriented and as one of them tried to speak he pitched forward and puked on the floor right in front of her. Upon seeing what he had done, the goblin immediately cowered as though he expected Sarah to punish him. Sarah gave a deep sigh before she helped the goblin back up, "You ok?" The goblin looked a bit green as he weakly replied, "I'll be fine...ugh too much ale." Sarah nodded, "Yeah no kidding, maybe you should cool it next time...and drink a little water before you pass out." The goblin gave her a surprised but weak toothy grin as though her mercy and good advice were a rare find. She couldn't help it, she was after all, a college student, and she had done her fair share of over indulging on occasion. She asked the other goblin to point her to the kitchen as she grabbed an empty bucket. A few hours later Jareth was seated in his study. He gazed into a crystal and was pleasantly surprised that his throne room was looking cleaner than it ever had before. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the young girl on all fours, scrubbing the floor with a brush as he whispered, "Well done Sarah." Chapter 10: A Pleasant Surprise Sarah dumped the last bucket of soapy water into the floor drain and as she stood, fire coursed through her back and arms. She rolled her shoulders as she tossed the cleaning supplies into the broom closet. She turned, wincing, as she did her best to stretch out her sore limbs. Then she noticed Jareth watching her from the doorway to the throne room. Sarah said nothing as he approached apparently taking in her handiwork. When he stood a few paces from her he admitted, "Well, I must say, you've more than exceeded my expectations." Sarah was at a loss for words. She had half expected him to saunter in and point out places she'd missed, but to her surprise he did no such thing. Jareth smiled slyly at her shocked expression and he further surprised her by saying, "Come you must be hungry, join me for lunch." It wasn't a question, nor did it seem like an order. A genuine invitation for her to join him? Sarah suddenly felt as though she were on another planet. Why did he suddenly seem so civil? She followed tentatively, casting a wary glance at him. As she walked with him, he noticed the smudges of dirt on her face and arms and grinned. Even when covered in dirt, she was still be rather lovely to look at. Sarah noticed as they passed the dining room and she asked, "Where are we going?" Without so much as glancing in her direction, Jareth sanswered, "I've arranged for us to eat outside. The weather is pleasant and I thought you might enjoy some fresh air." As Sarah followed she couldn't help looking forward to it. Being outside would be a nice change. Still she couldn't shake the suspicion that he was up to something. What did he have to gain by being so accommodating? She resolved not to let herself get too comfortable with his politeness. Later in the garden... Sarah leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes reveling in the feeling of the warm sun on her face. She sighed and breathed deeply of the perfumed air. There were many familiar as well as exotic flowers blooming in the castle courtyard giving the air a sweet floral scent. When they arrived Sarah had found much to her surprise that Jareth had arranged a picnic lunch. There was a blanket already spread on the ground and a platter of sandwiches, fruit, and a cask of wine awaited them. Now why on earth would he go to all this trouble? She found it hard to believe he was just pleased that she had managed to turn the throne room into a somewhat clean and inhabitable place. And the fact that he was acting so pleasantly unnerved her, she was certain that he must have something up his sleeve. It was almost as if he was going out of his way to impress her, and the fact that he had yet to make a single smug comment left her feeling uneasy. As Sarah basked in the sun she cautiously ventured, "So, what's the big occasion?" Jareth grinned as he furrowed his brow. "Occasion? I'm not sure I follow?" Sarah didn't bother to move from her reclining position as she gestured to the picnic lunch they had eaten as she accused, "Why all this? Why are you suddenly being so civil?" Jareth's tone held a hint of amusement as he replied, "I just thought you might like to have lunch outdoors and that you might appreciate some friendly conversation." Her eyes widened and she held her hand up to shield them from the bright sunlight as she retorted, "Friendly is hardly the word that comes to mind when I think of any past conversation we've ever had." Jareth shook his head as mused, "True, but in the past we were adversaries. Things are different now Sarah. Defiance will get you nowhere, as there is no challenge this time around. There's no reason that we cannot enjoy each other's company." Sarah snorted and countered, "You aren't actually proposing that we could be friends?" The Goblin King crossed his arms as he casually leaned against the tree, his expression was one of genuine amusement, as he drawled, "Stranger things have and often do happen in a place like this, so it's not entirely impossible." Sarah looked away suddenly and snapped, "I have enough friends, I don't need another, especially one as treacherous as you." Jareth's cruel eyes settled on her as he fired back, "Really? Are you certain you want to be so quick to refuse my company? I don't see your loyal band of followers lining up to welcome you back?" Sarah narrowed her eyes at him and accused, "What did you do to them?" It only infuriated her more that he had the gall to act surprised as he replied, "Me? I've done nothing to them. I assure you they are living out their lives just as they always have." Sarah raised her chin defiantly as she spat, "You didn't punish them for helping me?" Jareth straightened as he stepped away from the tree, "No. Although I did make it clear that they'd better reconsider before trying something like that again, as what they did could have been construed as treason. Hoggle's gardening duties were increased for a short period of time, as he did disobey my orders, but Didymus and Ludo I cannot blame. They merely got swept up in the adventure of your crusade." Sarah looked at him and replied, "Do they know I'm here?" The goblin king shrugged, "It's a fair assumption that they've heard. News does tend to travel fast around here." Sarah quickly replied, "Well, can I see them?" Jareth regarded her for a moment before he replied, "That entirely depends on whether they want to see you. As I understand it, you were the one who stopped calling on them." Sarah swallowed as guilt filled the pit of her stomach. She had stopped calling them. Sarah had, to a degree, grown up, and life had a way of keeping her moving. Over the years her adventure in the labyrinth had become a increasingly distant memory, granted it was a cherished memory, but one that came with baggage. Though she wasn't entirely sure if the whole adventure had been an elaborate dream or if it had indeed been real, the fear of accidentally invoking the Goblin King had kept her from dwelling too much on the experience and was also the reason she hadn't continually tried calling on her friends. Sarah turned her face away from him, fighting the urge to tell him that he was cruel and it wasn't fair, but then again life wasn't fair, and she was just as cruel for blowing off her friends because she was the one who was afraid. To her surprise, Jareth finally added, "I shall send word to your friends, that you have returned and convey that they are free to visit you at the castle if they so wish." Sarah kept her eyes closed and merely nodded her thanks. She hoped that her friends would still want to see her after she had been unreachable for so long. At the very least she felt she owed them an apology. It wouldn't do any good to get upset, she would just have to wait and remain hopeful that they would visit her. As the sun warmed her upturned face Sarah thought fondly of her long missed friends. Jareth watched her turn her face to the sun, and he was reminded of the radiant spirit that she possessed. She had the body of a woman, but her face gave away her youth, her innocence. Her natural beauty was breathtaking, even with her dirty face and that dingy kerchief restraining her dark lustrous hair. Her glittering green eyes were the most expressive he'd ever seen, and quite intense for a human. The ferocity within those eyes was mirrored so perfectly by her spirit. He was astounded how she could be so serene, and thoughtful one moment and so passionately defiant the next. In truth he found everything about Sarah Williams utterly fascinating. Jareth quickly caught himself and glanced away. Letting himself get caught up and affected by her charms was no way to go about exacting his revenge. There had already been times when he felt his cool resolve starting to slip and his soul weakening due to her mere presence. It was easy to antagonize and intimidate her, but he couldn't keep falling back into that routine, if his plan was to work. He would have to eventually win her trust and her affection. He already sensed that she was attracted to him, or curious at the very least. Still, he was rather impulsive by nature and it was a challenge for him to remain so focused and restrained, especially when she was so tenacious and willful. He took comfort in the fact that so far everything was proceeding more or less as he had planned. He reminded himself that all he need do was elicit feelings of love in her, and when she was finally begging for mercy and for his love in return...it would be time to set things right. Sarah opened her eyes and noticed that Jareth was staring at her. To her dismay, she realized that she was holding her breath and that her heart had begun to pound a little faster. He took a sip of his wine as he observed, "You enjoy being outdoors..." Sarah nodded as she shifted a bit uncomfortably, "Yeah, I do." As she moved to sit up straight her shoulders flared in pain and she grimaced. Jareth noticed her discomfort and remarked, "You're in pain." She shook her head as if to protest, but he cut her off, "You are favoring your right shoulder." Sarah ducked her head and countered, "It's just a little sore...I probably strained it when I was washing the floor." She suddenly noticed that Jareth had stood up and before she could argue further, he had seated himself on the grass directly behind her. She stiffened at his swift intrusion, but before she could react he smoothly whispered, "I can relieve the tension...allow me" With that, his gloved hands closed over her shoulders. There hadn't been time to refuse before he touched her. The feel of his hands, even gloved made her head swim and she went rigid with fear. And then came the velvety caress of his voice at the back of her neck, "Relax...This won't hurt." It wasn't pain that Sarah feared, it was the possibility that she might enjoy his touch, and that was something she was not ready to deal with. Sarah tensed even further, locking her shoulders as she protested, "You don't have to do this...really." Jareth's mouth was dangerously close to her ear as he soothed in a whisper, "Shhh...just relax...it will only take a moment." Sarah nearly melted just at having his mouth so close to her skin. As his hands started to expertly knead her shoulders she felt the tension run off her, like water off the curve of her back. The sensation of his hands massaging her shoulders was nothing short of erotic and she felt wicked for allowing herself to yield to the pleasure of it. Jareth smirked as her neck went slack. She was no longer fighting the sensation, and she was playing right into his hands. As he continued his ministrations Sarah felt like she could just die from the exquisite feeling. This was no ordinary massage...there had to be magic involved, for simply a touch to feel so amazing, was simply not natural. Jareth held his breath, concentrating on what he was doing with his hands, trying to establish what she found most satisfying. And then it happened...She seemed to melt, leaning back against him. Her head fell back, her eyes were closed and Jareth saw her swallow, her expression was one of quiet and suppressed ecstasy. He deftly continued to massage her back allowing his hands to drop lower, his thumbs kneading the flesh around her shoulder blades. Sarah bit her lower lip as her brow knitted in response to the pleasurable sensation. Jareth wished her skin hadn't been covered by the rough fabric of her jumper and craved to touch her without his gloves. He wanted to know what her skin would feel like against his. Just thinking about was nearly enough to drive him mad, but he would endure the wait. Soon enough, she would be begging for his touch. Sarah felt Jareth's hands venture to her lower back, the pressure of his expert fingers further tormenting and delighting her at the same time. For a split second she imagined his bare hands against her exposed skin and to her absolute horror a soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips. She froze in terror, but it didn't deter him in the slightest. On the contrary, it only encouraged him to continue more forcefully, and Sarah was completely helpless to the euphoria he was causing. As his hands worked their way back up to grasp her shoulders Sarah couldn't help but notice that his skill was practiced. There was no doubt about it, he was very good with his hands. This shouldn't have been all that surprising considering the guy could juggle three crystals in one hand. It was however, a shocking surprise when Sarah realized at that moment, quite to her horror, that she was starting to feel aroused. There was no denying that there was something highly erotic and stirring about the way he was touching her. The realization shook her and she railed against it, her hands abruptly reaching back to push his hands off her shoulders as she breathlessly protested urgently, "That's enough..." Struggling to regain her composure, she looked away and swallowed, adding abruptly, "You can stop now. It's much better, thanks." Jareth could not contain his self-satisfied smirk as he replied, "My pleasure." The suggestiveness of the remark was not lost on her and there was a moment of awkward silence before she managed to compose herself and change the subject, "So what's my next arduous task?" Jareth seemed to consider her question carefully before he replied, "Well that entirely depends?" Sarah eyed him warily, and swallowed in silent dread before she replied, "On what?" Jareth put his hand to his mouth as if he was considering something and asked, "Tell me, do you like horses?" Sarah's eyes lit up with relief and delight, "Yes, how'd you know?" He smirked slightly as he cocked his head to the side admitting, "I know many things about you Sarah." Sarah crossed her arms over her chest regarding him coolly before he added, "Come with me. I think you'll rather enjoy this." Sarah said nothing, but followed Jareth out of the courtyard. He led her to the stables located behind the castle. The stables were open and airy and there were only a few stalls. As she followed him towards the back of the barn she nearly gasped at what she saw. An alicorn, blacker than the midnight sky, came galloping toward them over the rolling green hills of the pasture. The stallion came to a sliding halt as it neared the fence and trumpeted joyously upon seeing his master. Sarah stared in amazement at the breathtaking stallion. His jet-black coat shined in the afternoon sun as he tossed his head and reared. His long mane reached the slope of his shoulder and his crystal blue eyes seemed to shine with profound intelligence. The single horn was dazzling silver as were the beast's hooves. Sarah watched with genuine interest as Jareth fondly patted the stallion's neck. The excited animal responded by rubbing his head affectionately against Jareth's torso. Sarah stared wide-eyed as she asked, "Is that your horse?" Jareth pulled a sugar cube out of his pocket and offered it to the stallion before he replied, "Yes and no, He is mine, as much as he is anyone's but he is an Alicorn, not a horse. His name is Tempest." Sarah regarded the impatient stallion, who was now pawing the ground trying to get Jareth's attention. Sarah shrugged, "Well the name suits him..." Jareth mused, "Yes, well he's always been rather turbulent, that's why I chose him for my mount." Jareth smiled at the stallion and added rather matter-of-factly, "I'm the only one who can ride him." Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and retorted, "Is that so?" Jareth flashed her an arrogant smirk and drawled, "Don't believe me?" Sarah sighed and countered, "Not really." Jareth raised his brow and taunted, "I suppose you think you could stay on his back?" Sarah glanced at the horse. She had never actually rode a stallion before and had never even seen an alicorn, but she had over a decade of riding lessons under her belt, and she had managed to endure a whole show season with the worst bitch of a mare and a brat of a pony named Sassy, so she anticipated that Tempest couldn't really be all that much worse. She tore her eyes from the stallion and her challenging glare settled on Jareth as she simply stated, "Perhaps." Jareth gave the stallion another sugar cube before he looked down at her and mused, "We shall see. As much as I'd love to see you get tossed onto your lovely behind, I think you'd better work with Tempest before you try. As you can see, he is no mere horse, and although that horn may appear decorative, I assure you that if he got it into his head, he could quite easily run you through with it, and effectively trample you in the process. You are a stranger to him and Tempest does not trust strangers. If you wish to ride him, he'll have to get used to you." Jareth turned to glance at the defiant girl as he asked, "Would you like to work with him?" Sarah answered without so much as a second thought, "Yes." Jareth nodded and replied, "Very well then. You can start by cleaning his stall and feeding him". Sarah watched in a daze as Jareth showed her around the stable. After he had pointed out all the necessities he added, "The goblin grooms will see to Tempest each morning, but you may clean his stall in the evening and feed him, and once you are able to touch him you may start grooming him. Then we'll see about you riding him." Sarah could barely contain her exuberance as she grabbed the pitchfork. She had always loved horses. To be able to spend time each day with one as incredible as Tempest, well that would make her days seem a bit more bearable, and it would be a large comfort. As far as Jareth's motives, she was pretty sure that he was doing this because he didn't think she would succeed, and it was obvious that he couldn't pass up an opportunity to see her fall on her ass. Still, no matter what his motives were, she would enjoy this new task regardless. Jareth left Sarah to tend to Tempest's stall and Sarah contentedly cleaned it thoroughly before she refilled the water buckets, put some grain in his trough, and tossed some hay into the manger. When she was finished, three goblins brought the stallion in. He was not tethered. The stallion merely galloped from the pasture and into his stall when the goblins opened the gate. Sarah was sure to stay back. She watched with great interest as Tempest started devouring his grain. She had done such a thorough job and spent so much time admiring the stallion, that it was already dark when she left the stable. When she entered the great hall of the castle a goblin came to fetch her and told her that Jareth was taking his meal in the dining room and he wished to see her. Sarah strode into the dining room and Jareth barely looked up from his meal as he asked, "You've finished tending the stables?" Sarah nodded as she realized that Jareth was nearly finished with his meal. He instructed, "The goblins have saved some dinner for you. Unfortunately, I cannot stay and chat with you...I have some matters that need to be taken care of. You may take your dinner to your room or stay in here if you wish. Chances are I will be too busy to speak with you later, so I'll tell you now. The goblins will see to it that you are up at the appropriate time each morning, and as soon as you are dressed you will report to me for your daily tasks. This will begin tomorrow. Is that clear?" Sarah crossed her arms and suppressed the urge to tell him that he may be waiting a while, but instead she thought of Kayla and reminded herself that he had been partially generous by giving her a task that she enjoyed. Quietly she replied, "Crystal." She didn't miss his haughty smirk as he drawled, "Excellent...I shall see you tomorrow then Sarah." As soon as he disappeared Sarah shook her head angrily. Why was it that no one could push her buttons the way he could? Chapter 11: In the King's Chamber Sarah had taken her supper in her room and spent the evening reading quietly after a much-needed bath. She was rather exhausted from her full day and she fell asleep, book in hand, at a relatively early hour. Sarah was jarred from sleep as she felt multiple beings pounce on her bed. She opened her sleepy eyes to see four small goblins jumping on her bed and jeering some ridiculous childish rhyme. "Up, Up, and out of bed, if ye don't get up da King'll have yer head!" They proceeded to jump on the bed and annoy her until finally, not able to take any more, she leapt out of bed and stormed into the water closet. When she emerged, all but one goblin had left, and he had proceeded to start the fire in the fireplace and her bathtub was already filled with piping hot water. She regarded the small goblin and demanded in an irritated tone, "Will I be getting dirty again today?" The goblin merely looked up at her with huge round brown eyes and shook his head, "Me no think so...but you better hurry and git dressed...you gotta rouse his majesty outta bed." Sarah's eyes were wide as saucers as she demanded, "What did you just say?" The goblin looked at her innocently and replied, "You gotta git his majesty up and goin'. You are his 'tendant now." For a moment Sarah thought she was still asleep, having some bizarre nightmare. But no, the floor was cold on her bare feel and the goblin in front of her was way too real. She weakly repeated incredulously, "I have to get him up?" The goblin nodded his head of matted hair before he exploded in a fit of chortling laughter. Before Sarah could say another word, the goblin ran out of the room and took off down the hallway. Sarah swallowed as she considered her options. Jareth had made it very clear that he was expecting her first thing in the morning, so if she didn't do as she was told, she had a feeling that Jareth would not be very forgiving. He could even do something to Kayla, and she knew that it wouldn't be beyond him. It looked as though she had no choice. Sarah sighed heavily as she stripped off her chemise and stepped into the tub. She drew out her bath as long as possible as she was whole-heartedly dreading going into that room. She dressed in a full skirt, a red one this time, and a white peasant blouse similar to the one she had worn to dinner on her first evening in the castle. She donned her boots and combed out her hair. When she was finished, she paced anxiously in front of the door to Jareth's room. Just like before, the door opened slowly on its own. With her heart nearly in her throat, she crept quietly into the dark room. Upon her entry, two wall sconces blazed to life, illuminating the room just enough so that she could see. Her eyes nervously settled on the massive bed and she saw him. Sarah stealthily made her way closer to the bed as she looked upon the sleeping Goblin King. As she neared the side of the bed she could just make him out clearly in the orange firelight. The crimson and black coverlet was thrown back slightly, only covering him from the waist down. Sarah's breath caught in her throat as she saw that he appeared to be unclothed, from the waist up at least. In his quiet state of repose he was an exquisite sight. His platinum hair was wild and unruly and his fair face was serene and peaceful as he slept. Her eyes trailed over his serene aristocratic features and across his pale chest. Only his crescent shaped amulet obscured her view of his chiseled marble-like torso. He was of thin build but his chest and arms were lightly muscled, making him lithe and graceful. From where she was standing she could not make out any hair on his chest, and she wasn't about to get any closer, as approaching the goblin King even in slumber was about as reckless an act as sneaking up on a napping lion. Her eyes trailed as far as his lean abdomen where the rest of his body disappeared under the twisted sheets. Her eyes darted back up to his face as her cheeks began to feel warm and her heartbeat seemed to thrum in her ears. She held her breath for fear the subtle noise of her breathing would wake him and he would catch her admiring him. His face was so beautiful that she was almost tempted to let her fingers drift across his jaw line...almost. Sarah caught herself at that point and chastised herself for even thinking such a thing. He was the one making her life hell, after all. She resolved that she had better just wake him, and get this nightmare over with. Somehow she had the feeling that he wouldn't be very pleasant first thing in the morning. Sarah softly cleared her throat, which had suddenly gone very dry, before she whispered, "Jareth..." Nothing. She tried again, "Jareth...wake up." This time he stirred slightly before he rolled onto his side facing her. He still showed no sign of being conscious. Sarah sighed. It looked like she was going to have to be slightly more persistent. She tentatively reached out and gently shook his shoulder. The feeling of his skin under the palm of her hand sent a jolt of excitement through her and she quickly withdrew her hand as he began to stir. Suddenly his mismatched eyes were looking into hers and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she whispered dazedly, "...they...they told me to wake you." He inhaled deeply as his eyes focused on her. He glanced past her at the gothic looking timepiece on the mantle and remarked, "Yes...and I see you took your time." Sarah opened her mouth as if she were going to argue but he cut her off, "I expect that you will be more punctual next time." Sarah was about to launch a protest but he turned toward the other side of the bed and flung the covers off himself as he rose out of bed. Sarah let out a startled yelp as she quickly averted her eyes from the flash of pale skin and whipped around to face the opposite direction. Apparently he didn't wear clothing to bed and he wasn't the least bit modest about it either. Thankfully, due to the dim lighting and her quick reaction time, she hadn't really gotten en eyeful, but she was no less embarrassed. Her cheeks suddenly felt so hot that that she felt as though her face was on fire. She heard him wade into his bath and she kept her eyes fixed nervously on the door as she stammered, "I...I'll just go...wait in my room." Jareth could see the side of her face and it was deeply flushed. A slow smile spread across his face. Her reaction to his state of undress was precisely what he had expected. He found her shyness and apprehension rather charming. As she started for the door he held up his hand and ordered, "Wait...stay." He watched her freeze before he declared, "Each morning your first task will be to wake me and help me dress and until you are dismissed, you will remain and do precisely what I ask." Sarah swallowed and winced at his words. She could barely keep herself composed when he was halfway across the room and fully dressed. How on earth would she be able to keep it together while dressing him!?! Just yesterday she had started to convince herself that maybe things wouldn't be so bad. Oh how wrong she was! She stood there frozen on the spot as a heavy dread crept over her. Jareth's voice cut through the room, only adding to her distress. "Turn around Sarah." Sarah swallowed again, and her throat felt so dry. The very air felt warm and suffocating as she slowly turned to face certain doom. When she finally faced him she saw that he was already reclining in his bath. Only his head and shoulders were above the surface of the water. Sarah crossed her arms to conceal the fact that she was trembling. She sagged in relief that he was under the water as she glanced toward the ceiling and mentally thanked providence for small favors. When her eyes finally settled upon his he remarked, "That's better. Now, over on that stand there is a pitcher. Get me some water." Sarah felt her legs moving in spite of her paralyzing fear. She picked up the water glass with shaky fingers and poured him some water before she set the goblet down by his bath and moved to stand as far away as possible. While he continued to bathe, he continued to bark orders at her. He instructed her to fetch his clothes from the wardrobe and lay them out on the bed. Once she had managed that, he had her polish his boots. Sarah managed to get through the task by reminding herself that Kayla was safe. She was thankful that he kept her busy with small tasks that would require her attention, so at least she could avoid looking at him while he was in his bath. Just as she finished with the boots he asked her to fetch him a towel. She found one and set it by the bath before she moved away in haste with her eyes glued to the floor. When she heard the water slosh as he started to rise out of the bath she whirled away from him facing the door once again. She heard him leave the bath and pad to the other side of the bed where his clothes were laid out. He was only a couple of feet behind her and the knowledge that he was completely undressed was more than she could handle. She made a sudden dash for the doorhandle as she nervously stammered in a gush, "Ok then...I'll just wait in my..." He cut her off mid-sentence, "I'm not finished with you yet. You forget yourself...I haven't dismissed you. I think it would be a shame if your friend had to take your place simply because you have a hard time respecting my authority." Sarah froze, barely refraining from answering his threat with some colorful four-letter words. She exhaled through her gritted teeth and her body seemed to sag with the tension. She heard him pulling on some article of clothing just before he softly ordered, "Come here." Sarah turned slowly, careful to keep her eyes cast to the floor. To her relief she could tell that he had put his breeches on by himself as she stared at his feet. Jareth remarked, "That's better...now fetch my boots." Sarah got his boots from the foot of the bed and set them next to his feet. When she straightened she noticed that he had put on his white poet's shirt but it hung open in the front. She tried to avoid glancing at the pale flesh of his chest but she caught herself too late and when she looked up, his eyes settled knowingly on her. He merely regarded her for a moment before he gestured to the shirt-front and coolly ordered, "The buttons...fasten them." Sarah didn't trust herself to speak as she silently stepped forward. She flashed him a glare that spoke volumes before she caught the bottom of his shirt with shaky hands. She kept her eyes cast down as she slowly fastened the shirt, starting at the bottom and working her way up, doing her best to keep her hands from shaking. Jareth watched as her slender fingers carefully fastened each button. She was mindful to keep the fabric pulled away from his body in order to avoid touching him. When she got about three buttons from his throat he waved her hands away and tucked the bottom of his shirt into his breeches. Sarah was about to pull back to a safe distance when his eyes suddenly locked with hers as he pulled on his black leather gloves and commanded, "Now crouch down and help with my boots." Sarah sighed feavily as she positioned each boot in front of him. He stepped into the boots by himself, but he placed his hand on her shoulder to steady himself. Sarah's breath caught in her throat as she felt the cool leather of his gloved hand rest on her exposed shoulder. She was reminded of how he had expertly massaged her shoulders just the day before. She swiftly pushed those traitorous thoughts out of her mind as the Goblin King straightened. Sarah took a step back unable to keep from stealing a glance at him. He was every bit the imposing King that he had always been. Jareth didn't miss her appraisal and he smirked arrogantly as he demanded, "So...do I look forbidding enough?" Sarah was quick to collect herself. She crossed her arms defiantly as she rolled her eyes and snorted, "Yeah, whatever...Are we done here?" He countered, "Ah, are you so eager to start your tasks? Or is it that you fear being alone with me?" Mustering her bravado Sarah turned away from him, towards the door and scoffed, "Please. You don't frighten me." Without warning he advanced. Catching up to her, he dropped his mouth to her ear and purred, "I beg to differ..." He brushed her dark hair behind her shoulder and breathed against her skin, his lips hovering dangerously close to the side of her mouth, "I think you are terrified..." Debilitating nervous excitement coursed through her, but she resisted it and jerked her face away from him. The Goblin King drew back as he added, "Be that as it may, you'll become accustomed to my presence in time...I assure you of that." Sarah decided then and there that she had had enough of baiting the Goblin King for one day. She remained quiet and reserved as he escorted her to his study. He demonstrated how to use a quill and ink well, before he had her start copying some documents onto various pieces of parchment. Once she proved capable of fulfilling what he expected of her, he left her on her own. Sarah was content to work alone in the study. After the disaster in Jareth's chamber it was a relief to be rid of his highness for a while. It was well past mid-day when Sarah glanced up at the wall clock from the documents that littered the immense desk. She had just started to feel hopeful that maybe Jareth wouldn't bother her for the rest of the day, when he suddenly materialized in his signature shower of glitter. Sarah shot him an annoyed look before she returned her gaze to the document she was copying and muttered, "Don't you ever get tired of that entrance?" Jareth ignored her jeer and picked up a pile of documents from the desk. He glanced them over and coolly replied, "You've managed to get through more of this than I anticipated. Have you been working non-stop since I left you in here this morning?" Sarah didn't bother to look up as she replied, "Yep." Jareth set the papers back down and observed, "You haven't eaten anything?" Sarah re-dipped her quill in the ink and replied apathetically, "Nope." Jareth gestured to the document she was currently working on, "You may finish that last copy and accompany me to..." Sarah's quill stopped moving as she was reminded of his attentions the last time she had lunch with him in the garden. She cut him off and protested, "No that's Ok...I've seen the garden, thanks..." His eyes captured hers as she glanced up at him. The all knowing smile playing dangerously over his lips as he countered, "I was about to suggest that I would escort you to the dining room so that you might have a proper meal, but as you seem content to remain on your own, I shall arrange for the goblins to bring you something. When you are finished you may use the rest of your afternoon to tend to Tempest" As he started to back away from the desk he didn't miss the surprised look on her face as she looked down and replied lamely, "Oh. Ok. Thanks." The Goblin King bid her a good afternoon before he turned to leave. When he reached the doorway he glanced back over his shoulder, raising a delicately arched eyebrow as he called back, "Oh and Sarah?" She looked up from her papers, "Yeah?" His lips curled into a satisfied smirk as he replied, "You have ink on your face...right there." He tapped a gloved finger against his cheek before he gave her one last devastating grin and disappeared into thin air. Chapter 12: The Page Boy It had been three weeks since her stay in the Goblin Kingdom had begun and Sarah was beginning to adjust to the routine of attending the Goblin King. Her intimate morning sessions with him were the most trying, but she survived by keeping her eyes lowered, and by busying herself and her mind with his small chores. Strangely enough, polishing his boots actually became a blessing. It was waking him and helping him dress that caused Sarah the most anxiety. Jareth's antagonizing, yet playful banter never ceased and he only grew bolder with time. Sarah's days were mostly spent in Jareth's study where she had become quite the prodigy scribe. Jareth had even encouraged her to write up original drafts, as her handwriting was sublime, and far more legible than his. Sometimes in the afternoon Jareth would send Sarah to the castle library where she would organize the volumes and tidy the shelves. Sarah enjoyed such afternoons, as Jareth tended to leave her to her own devices, and she often found interesting books to read during the quiet evenings she spent alone in her room. The highlight of the day was always dusk, when she would go to the stables to clean Tempest's stall and feed him. She would linger as the stallion ate his dinner, sometimes reclining on a bail of hay just outside his stall as she read from one of her books. She kept herself in plain sight of the stallion, often talking in a soothing voice so that he might get used to her. Sometimes she would even read aloud from her book. Sarah was so captivated by the black stallion that she failed to notice the snowy white owl that often eves dropped and kept a watchful eye on her from the dense branches of the tree outside. The stallion had finally turned towards the sound of her voice after he had finished his grain. Sarah slowly got up and cautiously approached him. To her delight he didn't flee. He stood perfectly still, staring at her with those crystalline blue eyes. Sarah calmly extended her upturned palm and the curious alicorn sniffed her hand. Sarah reached into the pocket of her skirts and withdrew a sugar cube. She held the cube in the center of her hand offered it to the stallion. To her amazement, Tempest ate it right out of her hand without the slightest apprehension. Sarah was very content as she left the stables that night. She would try grooming Tempest within a few days and if all went well she would be riding him in no time. She was tempted to inform his highness of her progress, but she thought better of it. She decided to wait until she had the beast's complete trust before she began gloating. A few days later Sarah was once again copying documents in the study when she realized that aside from her brief morning encounters, she hadn't seen very much of the mighty Goblin King in the past several days. As much as she was glad to have a break from his incessant smug remarks, she couldn't continue to deny that she was starting to feel rather lonely. She missed goofing off with Kayla and just chatting with her other friends. She hoped that her friends from the underground would come and visit her soon, but she knew that if they didn't she'd only have herself to blame. She didn't dare take up the matter with Jareth, as she was in no mood to stomach his cruel but accurate assessment of the situation. As much as she hated to admit it, there were times when she needed to have someone to talk with, even if the only someone around was Jareth. She couldn't understand why, despite her attempts to despise him, some small part of her always seemed relieved whenever he walked into the room. Granted a much bigger part of her always felt apprehension and nervousness...and at times even rage. As the feather of the quill brushed against her cheek she reasoned that perhaps negative attention was better than no attention at all. Sarah looked up from the parchment just as Jareth strode into the study. She mentally mused, Speak of the devil...." She tensed, readying herself for the verbal skirmish that would probably ensue. As the Goblin King walked into the room, his mismatched eyes settled on the girl, noting that her fingers were stained blue from the ink. A small smirk graced his face before it gave way to his more Kingly expressionless mask. He stopped in front of the desk as he announced, "You may forget those documents for now. It seems I have a more pressing task for you." Sarah put the quill down, slightly irritated at the interruption. Just when she was really getting on a role, he had to come in and interrupt. She looked up at him and replied irritably, "Well hello to you too." She gave an exhausted sigh as she noticed he didn't look amused. Frowning back she added, "Just what is more pressing than these invitations that you yourself told me you needed finished by the end of the day?" He suppressed a smug grin as he replied, "I'll finish those later, there is something else I need you to do. Walk with me, I'll explain on the way." Sarah rolled up the parchments and set them aside as she rose from the desk and moved to follow him out of the room. She hurried to keep up with him as he walked briskly down the castle halls. He threw a sidelong glance at her before he began, "It looks as though we are about to have some distinguished guests. I've just been informed that Lord Taibaar, one of the Fae ambassadors from the North, will be joining us for dinner along with his daughter, Desdemonna." Sarah listened nonchalantly as he went on, "It appears that the Northern Fae would like to establish trade with the merchants in the goblin city, so they're sending Taibarr to establish friendly rapport." Sarah snorted as she dryly corrected, "You mean they are sending him to kiss your ass." Jareth grinned and replied, "Well that's a colorful way of putting it, but yes he intends to win my approval, so to speak." Sarah nodded. These politics weren't so tough to figure out. She then asked, "So what do you think he'll offer in exchange for their admittance into the Goblin City?" A thought suddenly struck her and she cried, "Wait...let me guess...he's going to try and pawn off his daughter on you?" She could tell by the smug look on his face that had correctly hit the bulls-eye. She couldn't suppress her look of disgust as she huffed, "Ugh, how typical." Jareth grinned seductively as he teased, "What's the matter Sarah? Would that make you jealous?" A shiver ran down her spine as she feigned disgust and sarcastically snorted, "Oh yeah...that's it. Keep dreaming Jareth." Sarah stopped, suddenly uneasy as she realized that they were at the doors to Jareth's bedchamber. She furrowed her brow and asked warily, "How exactly do I fit into this?" Jareth opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Sarah walked into the room and stood by the fireplace, trying to control the nervous dread that seemed to fill her whenever she entered his bedchambers. She watched him as he approached and stood before her, a little closer than she would like, as the great doors closed on their own. Sarah swallowed nervously as he began to explain, "I think it may be beneficial to dazzle the ambassador a bit. I think it will strengthen his impression of the kingdom if he were to see that the castle was a working court, and not a great ale hall for out of control goblins." Jareth paused and regarded her seriously for a moment before he added, "As you already know from firsthand experience, my goblin army is hardly a formidable force. The labyrinth and my own magic is really the only true protection that this kingdom has. Therefore, if I am to let an outsider in, It would be foolish to let him uncover the kingdom's weaknesses." Sarah's eyes widened at the implications of his words and she exclaimed, "You don't fear invasion do you!?" Jareth calmly shook his head, "No, I don't think the Northern Fae are that foolish. I think it is truly trade that they seek. You see, the kingdoms to the West and South are all on very good terms with the Goblin Kingdom and trade between these regions was established a long time ago. It is just the distant Northern Kingdom that has not yet begun to trade with the rest of us. However, I don't think it would be wise to let them think this Kingdom is any less impressive and functional than their own. As devoted as my subjects are, they would make the wrong impression, so having them in attendance of our guests would undoubtedly prove to be a disaster. No, I think, during this occasion I shall send them out into the labyrinth while our guests are present, and have you act as my page boy instead." Sarah eyed him suspiciously, "Your page boy?" Jareth raised an eyebrow, "Yes, it makes a much more powerful impression when an underground kingdom has a human youth or two on the staff, and a page boy...that would just be...the perfect amount of extravagance I'm going for." Sarah sighed, "Well that's a great idea Jareth, but there's just a couple of problems, first, I know nothing about being a page and secondly, In case you haven't noticed, I'm NOT a BOY." Jareth was hardly able to suppress his smug grin and that was really starting to worry her. Once he was finally able to control his amusement he replied, "Yes, well, they don't know that do they?" Sarah watched in horror as Jareth reached into the armoire and produced the most hideous outfit she had ever seen. Dangling in his grasp were bright purple breeches that were hardly more than tights, a royal blue doublet over a white poet's shirt and the most god-awful hat she had ever seen. The velvet monstrosity was a bright plum color and had giant floppy feathers hanging off it, also bright shade of purple and blue. Sarah took a step back, shaking her head furiously, "No." Jareth pretended to look disappointed as he reminded, "Come now Sarah, you know you have to indulge me in this." She shook her head adamantly, "No way. Jareth, I have cleaned, brought you meals, shined your boots, and copied documents until my fingers turned blue. I won't do it...this...THIS, is where I draw the line. I'm not some stupid puppet that you can just play with as you please. Forget it. Find someone else to play dress up with." Jareth simply cocked his head to the side and warned, "Sarah..." Sarah crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and shook her head adamantly, "There is no way in HELL, I'm going to wear that. No, forget it. Even if I liked the outfit, I'm not about to let you parade me around like a political pawn." Sarah sighed, feeling like she was pulling at straws but she added, "Besides, to have me pose as a pageboy?!? It's rather indecent and inappropriate, don't you think?" Jareth shook his head and the tone of his voice became more authoritative as he replied, "I think it's perfectly appropriate, and let me remind you that you are bound to obey my commands...so either you can cooperate and partake in this willingly or I can force you...and I assure you that the latter holds a far more humiliating scenario." Sarah narrowed her eyes as him in what was quite possibly her most deadly glare. In response Jareth threw up his hands and shrugged, "Very well, we'll do this the hard way, or..." His lips curved into a sinister grin as he silkily finished, "I could arrange for your friend to assist me unstead. You know...she may make an even better page-boy then you." For effect he balanced a perfect shining crystal on his fingertips and it didn't escape Sarah's attention that she could see a distorted reflection of Kayla within the sphere. Wickedly he drawled, "Shall I talk her into it? I can be very persuasive you know." Sarah was absolutely seething at this point. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as she stormed closer to him and hissed, "Don't you dare!!!" As Jareth regarded her he noticed the pent up rage apparent in her flashing green eyes. She was so incredibly enticing when she was angry. Jareth smiled smugly as he demanded, "Will you cooperate then?" Sarah could tell by the look on his face that he was not going to budge on this one. He was just way too proud of his idea. It looked as though she had no choice but to become the Goblin King's new page-boy. Damn. After Jareth had given Sarah her new attire she returned to her room with instructions that she was to prepare for the arrival as their guests. Sarah laid the hideous garments out on her bed before she wasted much time pacing and fuming over her situation. Later, without warning, Jareth materialized in her chamber and he saw to his dismay that Sarah had only just finished scrubbing the blue ink off her hands and was presently clipping her fingernails short. Sarah ignored his dramatic entrance, concentrating on drying her now clean and short finger-nailed hands. Jareth leaned against the fireplace as he watched her cross the room. As her eyes drifted over the horrendous garments that were laid out on her bed she muttered, "How do I let myself get talked into things like this?" Jareth was already growing impatient as he barked and motioned to her dressing screen, "You don't have time to analyze your predicament, they'll be arriving soon...now put them on." Sarah groaned and grabbed the purple breeches and the white poet's shirt before disappearing behind the screen leaving Jareth to make himself comfortable on her bed. It was only a matter of moments before Sarah blurted from behind the screen, "Ah Houston...we have a problem here." Jareth impatiently but undauntedly replied, "What problem?" Sarah stormed out from behind the screen, and nearly froze at the sight of him lounging on her bed. Tearing her eyes away she recovered quickly and smoothed the white shirt over her bust, which was nearly popping out of the thin button down poet's shirt, "Only this." Jareth grinned wolfishly as he leered at her, noticing that she wore nothing under the thin and oh so delightfully tight shirt. Oblivious to his appreciation of her form she harped, "What the hell did you pick this shirt for?...or did you just neglect to notice that I have BREASTS? I can't believe that you think we are going to pull this off. This shirt is...well it's obscene, is what it is." It took a lot of self-control for Jareth not to burst out laughing. She was rather dramatic and could be quite humorous at times. Jareth shook his head and replied, "You over-react Sarah, I have an idea." With that he ventured into his chamber for a moment before he reappeared with what looked like a large white linen bandage. He paused for a moment taking in the sight of her in the tight shirt for the second time. Tilting his head to the side he remarked in a sultry tone, "And just to clarify...I'd have to be blind not to notice." Sarah flushed, keeping her eyes on the bandage as she uneasily changed the subject, "What's that for?" Jareth simply indicated for her to sit in front of him on the bed. Apprehensively she sat on the edge of the bed and he ordered, "Now remove the shirt so we can wrap this tightly about your chest." Sarah had only heard as far as the remove your shirt part before she snapped, "Are you INSANE? I'm not going to just take my shirt off in front of you." In one swift motion Jareth turned her shoulders, so she faced away from him as he instructed, "Then face this way...There I can't see anything, I'll hold this end in place here..." he touched her lightly on the small of her back and finished, "...while you wrap it tightly around yourself." With a heavy sigh, Sarah angrily started fumbling with the buttons as she muttered, "Fine, but if you sneak a peak or even try to cop a feel, I will sooo sabotage this whole thing." Jareth merely smirked as Sarah finally shrugged the shirt off her shoulders. As Jareth watched the thin material slip from her creamy shoulders to reveal the flawless flesh of her un-obscured back his breath caught in his throat. Sarah swallowed nervously as goose bumps rose on her skin. The air was shockingly cool on her bared breasts and her awareness of her exposed flesh seemed frighteningly intensified. The fact that Jareth was seated directly behind her didn't help matters. Jareth gently placed the end of the bandage against the small of her back as he held out the rolled end in front of her. Sarah took it and started to wrap it tightly about her chest. Jareth felt his pulse quicken as his gaze darted over her bare skin and watched the motion of her shoulder blades as she moved to manipulate the cloth. Her fair skin was flawless, and it looked so incredibly soft and smooth. As she handed the other end back to him for another pass he couldn't help but let his gloved fingertips graze the skin of her side. How he wished he could see her face to read her reaction, and how he longed to see her breasts with his own eyes, for he knew that in reality they would only be more beautiful than anything he could imagine in his mind's eye. How desperately he wanted to remove his gloves and learn what her silky skin felt like under his fingertips. He swiftly reigned in his self control as he was suddenly painfully aware of his state of arousal. This would simply not do. He would have to be patient. His plan demanded it. As he struggled with his desire, he reminded himself that it would be only a matter of time. Sarah held her breath as she felt Jareth's gloved fingertips graze her skin. She hated the fact that even so slight a touch made her heart race. She reached back to grab the material from him and quickly wrapped it over her breasts a second time. When she handed it back to him again she made sure to hold it out far enough so that his fingers wouldn't brush up against her again. Jareth took the gauzy fabric and while securing the other end he gave it a sharp tug. Sarah winced as he stated, "In order for this to work, it must be very tight." Sarah frowned as they swiftly finished the wrapping job. Sarah nearly jumped out of her skin as Jareth slid the open poet shirt over her shoulders and breathed a little too close to her neck for comfort, "How does it feel?" Sarah hastily fumbled with the buttons and sighed, "Tight...and uncomfortable." She finished buttoning the shirt and stood facing him. He nodded his head in approval at her now seemingly flat-chested state and replied, "Now, go put on the rest." With a huff Sarah disappeared behind the screen. In a matter of minutes she re-emerged wearing the tight purple breeches and the blue doublet fastened over the poet's shirt. The doublet was just low enough to conceal the feminine curves of her waist and hips and her chest looked as flat as any man's. The white sleeves of the shirt billowed out perfectly at her wrists and the attire fit her perfectly. Jareth took in the sight and smirked, "Now for the hat. Here tie your hair back with this ribbon." Sarah threw her hair back into a tight ponytail as Jareth instructed, "Just keep your hair under the hat and our guests will be none the wiser." Sarah went into Jareth's chamber to stand in front of his full-length mirror. As she positioned the hat on her head, and stepped into her knee high black boots, Jareth sauntered into the room to take a look at his new page-boy. Sarah looked at her reflection with horror. The worst part by far, was the hat. The oversized feathers bobbed and dangled in front of her face. The damn thing was just so huge and...purple. She turned to Jareth with a look of complete disdain on her face. Jareth stood back and regarded her for a moment before an amused smile graced his face and he declared, "Yes, that will do nicely." Sarah whirled on him and ground out, "Are you kidding!?! I look like a medieval pimp...make that a very GAY medieval pimp." Jareth protested, "Nonsense! You look the perfect part of a pageboy." Sarah crossed her arms defiantly as she muttered something under her breath and then demanded, "What about my face? You don't think they'll notice that I am a GIRL?!?" Jareth shook his head and replied, "I doubt it. It is common for young pages to have delicate features." Sarah shook her head, determined to convince him that this ridiculous idea was never going to work, "And my voice...Surly you don't think they'll just overlook that too?" Jareth slowly circled her as he admitted, "Your voice IS a dead give away. That's why I'm going to tell them that you are mute. That will also negate the possibility of you blurting out something entirely inappropriate." Sarah studied her reflection as she made one last ditch effort to make him reconsider, "I don't know, something is still not right..." Chapter 13: The Power of the Potato Jareth looked her up and down before he admitted, "You're right, something is...missing. Come with me." Sarah was silently hoping that he had changed his mind as she followed him down the castle halls. When they entered the great kitchen she watched in bewilderment as he started rummaging through a store barrel. Sarah tried to see past him as she asked, "What are you looking for?" Jareth suddenly turned and held up a small potato as he smugly announced, "This." Sarah gave him a blank look as she asked, "A Potato? What the hell is THAT for?" Without another word Jareth had strode up dangerously close to her. Sarah let out a startled cry as he grabbed the waistband of her breeches and pulled it forward and dropped the potato down the front of her pants. He let the waistband go, producing a satisfying snap before he flashed her a satisfied smirk. Sarah stared at him in absolute shock. When her brain started working again, her first thought was that he obviously hadn't changed his mind. Shock was replaced by annoyance as she shook her head and snapped, "Very funny." She looked down at her make-shift "package" and added, "But I don't think so." She quickly pulled out the potato and lobbed it at him. To her dismay he caught it. Sarah leaned over the barrel and started digging through it as Jareth replied, "Just what do you think YOU are doing?" Sarah pulled out a much larger potato and shot back, "If I have to go through with this ridiculous stunt...then I want a bigger one." Jareth chuckled before he let out an exasperated sigh, "Why am I not surprised?" Sarah ignored him as she positioned the new spud in her drawers and bragged, "Now that's more like it." Jareth just shook his head as he steered her out of the kitchen remarking, "Enough of this nonsense, our guests will be arriving any minute." Sarah followed him towards the throne room as she muttered under her breath, "You're just envious because mine is bigger..." Jareth stopped dead in his tracks. Sarah swallowed hard, she hadn't meant for him to hear that. Apparently Fae had better hearing than humans. Without so much as turning to look at her he challenged, "Would you care to see for yourself just how wrong you are?" He looked over his shoulder, letting his predatory gaze settle on her as his feral smile taunted, "Perhaps you'd enjoy being proven wrong in this particular instance?" Sarah did her best not to appear as shaken as she weakly managed, "No...really, that's not necessary." He resumed his stride and Sarah followed in silence feeling that she'd had enough adrenaline rushes for one day. A little while later Sarah stood at Jareth's side in the throne room as their guests made their way through the great hall. Jareth gave the hem of Sarah's doublet a sharp tug, as he advised, "Remember...not a word." She nodded as he added, "And Sarah..." She looked up at him, "Yeah?" His mouth had the slightest hint of an amused smirk as he replied, "Mind that your potato doesn't slip. Now go open the doors for our guests." Sarah did her best to refrain from laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. As she reached for the great oak doors a surreal feeling overcame her, she simply could not believe that this was happening. She was dressed as a boy, posing as a page in the castle beyond the Goblin City and for the next year of her life she was at Jareth's mercy. She should not be laughing. Yet she nearly was. She mentally chastised herself for finding the situation amusing, after all she was quite sure that Jareth was doing this to humiliate her, his political reasons were merely icing on the cake. Sarah took a deep breath before she opened the great oak door. She bowed humbly as an older man with silver hair and shocking blue eyes entered booming, "Ah King Jareth. How wonderful to finally meet you in person." Jareth lowered his head in greeting before he welcomed the ambassador and his daughter to the castle. When Sarah finally looked up, she met the deep blue curious eyes of a striking female Fae. The girl was elegantly outfitted in a pale blue gown with a dropped waist, and Sarah couldn't help but notice that the woman's ample breasts were nearly spilling out of the bodice. To Sarah's surprise the Fae woman looked as though she was about the same age as herself. The Fae's intense blue eyes darted over the pageboy inquisitively, before she followed her father into the throne room and bowed low in front of Jareth. Jareth smirked as he realized that he would savor this chance to torment Sarah. He would watch in delight as Sarah would surely squirm in her jealousy when he lavished his affections on this unsuspecting young Fae right in front of her. Sarah quickly shut the door and resumed her position at Jareth's side just as the old man was saying, "Jareth allow me to present my daughter, Desdemonna." Jareth took the lady's hand and dramatically placed a kiss on the back of it. Sarah kept her eyes lowered, suddenly realizing the reason Jareth wanted her here. So, he would ooze all over this girl in an attempt to what? Make her jealous? Sarah fumed as she resolved that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her appearing so much as even mildly interested. Jareth's polite tone nearly made her gag as he gushed, "Ah the lovely Desdemonna." Out of his peripheral vision Jareth noticed that Sarah hadn't so much as even looked at the girl. He smirked as he decided to put his new page on the spot just a little, "Tell me, Sargonne,..." and he looked right at Sarah as he said this, "...Have you ever seen such a lovely young lady?" Sarah narrowed her eyes at Jareth before she lowered them again and shook her head slightly. Jareth quickly added, "You must excuse my page, Sargonne. He is entirely devoted, but the poor lad does not speak." Oddly, the young Fae was seemingly moved by this. She took a step towards Sarah and extended her hand. Jareth was rather surprised, as noblewomen didn't often pay much mind to pages. So, he watched with great interest as Sarah hesitantly took the young lady's offered hand and placed a shy but humble kiss on the back of it. Jareth did not miss the sly smile that formed on the young Fae's lips. "How interesting" he mused to himself, "Strange and unexpected, but interesting." As they all walked to the dining room, Desdemonna smiled sympathetically at Sarah who was trying to keep her expression neutral while she was wrestling with the urge to slug the Goblin King. It wasn't long before Jareth was sharing a meal with Lord Taibaar and his daughter, while Sarah stood obediently at her post behind Jareth, occasionally moving to refill their wine glasses. The conversation was typical and rather unexciting. Jareth conversed with the old man and occasionally threw a few compliments at the obviously bored daughter. All the while, Sarah stood by, sickened by the idea that the old goat was practically begging for Jareth to take his daughter as his wife. He shamelessly brought up her extensive dowry several times and kept pointing out her good qualities, all the while he kept reminding Jareth how much his people would benefit from establishing trade with the inhabitants of the Goblin City. Even as he was engaged in conversation, Jareth noticed Desdemonna's gaze kept straying to settle on Sarah. Sarah however, was completely oblivious to the girl's seeming fascination with her. Jareth also noticed that the girl hadn't been quite as receptive to his compliments and attention as he had expected. She seemed rather distant, as if her thoughts were entirely someplace else. By the end of the main course Jareth had noticed the increased frequency at which Desdemonna let her eyes wander over his supposed pageboy. Utterly curious, Jareth watched as the girl drained her wine glass. As expected, Sarah quickly moved to refill it. As she poured the wine, the young Fae glanced over her shoulder to regard Sarah with wide eyes. When their eyes met the young lady blushed and offered the pageboy a secretive coy smile. Sarah was rather surprised that the young lady would even notice her, while Jareth was doing his damnedest to make a lasting impression, but perhaps the young lady was just inquisitive by nature. Jareth was rather surprised at what he had just witnessed. Things were not at all going the way he had planned. He had assumed that his flirtatious behavior with the young Fae would fill Sarah with jealousy, however his assumption that Desdemonna would be more than receptive to his attention was proving to be false. It looked as though the young Fae was much more interested in dallying with his "pageboy". Despite the fact that Jareth usually despised it when things didn't go his way, he was rather intrigued by the alternative result. Sarah tore her eyes away from the girl's questioning gaze just in time to notice that she had nearly overflowed her wine glass. Sarah quickly straightened the decanter and hurried back to her post risking a quick glance at Jareth to see if he had noticed her clumsiness. To her dismay, the arrogant monarch was looking right at her and she could only assume that he had seen her near spill. She winced at the thought of him chiding her later for being careless. At Jareth's subtle signal Sarah brought out their dessert and served it. As she set the plate down in front of the Desdemonna she tried to ignore another one of Jareth's flirtatious compliments meant for the young Fae. When Sarah finally served Jareth his dessert it took all her self-control to not smash the dish into his face. Lucky for her she was rather adept at concealing her emotions. There was no way she was going to give that bastard the satisfaction of knowing that she was bothered by his seeming interest in the Young Fae woman. Sarah clenched her teeth at the sheer discomfort of her situation as she started to walk back to post behind Jareth, when she heard his voice at her back, "Sargonne, why don't you sit by me here at the table, seeing that there are no more courses to be brought out." Sarah wanted nothing more than to tell him to go to hell and storm out of the room, but she knew that if she did, she would pay for it dearly later. Not to mention, that would be admitting defeat, and only further increase Jareth's already overblown ego. Instead, she silently took a seat beside Jareth, across from Desdemonna. Jareth watched as the young Fae woman seemed to be pondering the cherry covered confection in front of her. When she finally looked up again Jareth commented, "I hope we are not boring you, Lady Desdemonna, with all this talk of trade?" The young woman snapped to attention and quickly replied, "Oh no your majesty, you see it's just that my father has instructed me that I should not speak unless I am spoken to." Jareth flashed her a dazzling smile and replied in a saccharine tone, "Of course my dear." Sarah fought the impulse to make a gagging noise as her eyes bored into the table linen. She reasoned that if she could manage to keep her head down she might make it through the rest of the meal without losing it. After a few more moments of uninteresting conversation, Sarah felt as though she were being watched, and she looked up to see that Desdemonna's bright eyes were fixed on her again. Sarah glanced to her left, noting that Jareth and the old man were again engrossed in conversation. The young Fae also turned her head as if noticing the very same thing. Sarah tried to listen to the dull conversation but out of the corner of her eye she saw Desdemonna's eyes lock on her face again as she picked up a cherry by its stem. Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that the Desdemonna was trying to get her attention. Out of sheer curiosity Sarah made eye contact with the Fae and that's when it happened. Desdemonna held up the cherry and in a most deliberate manner she began to savor it seductively as her eyes locked with Sarah's. Sarah would have had to be intensely stupid to miss implications of the gesture as the girl closed her red lips over the cherry, her eyes blazing with silent invitation. To say she was stunned was an understatement, but Sarah's dumb stupor was short lived as she felt a hand come to rest on her upper thigh. For one horrified moment Sarah thought it to be Jareth's hand, but a quick glance confirmed that both his hands were placed above the table, leaving only one possibility. Sarah's eyes hesitantly met Desdemonna's as the girl flashed her a sultry suggestive smile right before her hand gave Sarah's thigh a rough squeeze. Jareth saw Sarah jump in alarm before he noticed the young Fae innocently straighten her posture. It didn't take much thought to determine what had just happened. Apparently, the girl had made some sort of advance on Sarah. Although it slightly irked him that his plan to flaunt this girls affections to kindle Sarah's jealousy had fallen apart, he couldn't help but be wildly curious about the resulting scenario. Sarah's seemingly startled reaction told him that she was uncomfortable with the situation. Perhaps there was a better way to torment Sarah. Jareth swiftly rose to his feet to detract attention from Sarah's startled reaction. He gave Sarah a pointed look before he announced, "Lord Taibaar, Perhaps you'd like to join me in my study for some brandy? We have matters that are best left to be discussed in private." The old man's eyes nervously drifted to his daughter as Jareth added, "Sargonne is capable of keeping your lovely daughter amused. Sargonne, escort the lady to the game room and wait on her." Jareth quickly lead the old man away, but he looked back at Sarah over his shoulder to catch her unspoken, but obvious look of displeasure. Desdemonna, on the other hand, could scarcely contain her elation at the prospect of being let alone with "Sargonne". Sarah quietly sighed and led the girl to the game room, as one might proceed to their own execution. Chapter 14: Kiss and Tell Sarah humbly opened the door as Desdemonna pretended to be enthralled by the extensive game room. The girl walked purposefully to a plush bench and immediately took a seat as she coaxed, "It's alright Sargonne...Come here and sit beside me." Sarah approached apprehensively and sat awkwardly beside the girl looking everywhere else but into her calculating blue eyes. Desdemonna sighed and began, "You know, father brought me here because he intends to offer me to the King in return for his consent for our people to establish trade within the Goblin city..." Sarah's eyes dropped to her lap where her hands instinctively clenched into fists. She had no idea why, but the very thought of this girl sharing a bed with Jareth made her blood boil and left her with a weak debilitating sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The girl continued, "...But, may I tell you something in absolute confidence?" Sarah nodded her head slowly as the girl continued, "I don't want to be hand-fasted to his majesty." Sarah tried desperately not to smile. Maybe some good would come of this ridiculous situation after all. Sarah listened intently as the girl added, "If I tell you something you swear you'll keep it from King Jareth?" Sarah nodded furiously as the girl giggled, "Good...I shall share my secret with you then." Sarah listened on the edge of her seat as the girl confessed, "I couldn't possibly forge a union with King Jareth you see, not now...because I am completely taken with you, Sargonne." For a second Sarah thought she must have heard the girl incorrectly. Desdemonna deciphered her shocked expression and grasping Sarah's hand she added, "Sargonne, you are positively the sweetest thing I have ever seen." She shifted closer to Sarah and breathed, "Are all humans as adorable as you?" Sarah was quite literally speechless. Her stupor cost her dearly, as at that precise moment, the young Fae pounced. In the next instant Sarah found herself trapped in the lady's embrace and without warning the girl's lips possessively claimed her own. Sarah panicked and cried, "Hrmmphhh" against the Fae's mouth as she struggled to free herself from the girl's iron embrace. Desdemonna pulled back and swiftly caught Sarah by the wrists as she cooed, "Shhh...don't be frightened...I know you think we mustn't, but it's alright, I only wish to please you, and I swear the King need never know." With that, the doors to the room slammed closed, willed by the Fae girl's magic. Sarah realized to her horror that she was quite literally trapped in the room with this girl. Sarah froze, Her body went rigid as her eyes frantically darted about, looking for some escape as the girl started to place soft enticing kisses on her neck. Had the situation been a little different (like had it been a man) Sarah might have enjoyed such affections, but this was an absolute nightmare. Jareth was sure to be furious, since he had no doubt decided that this girl would have affections for HIM. In defeat Sarah closed her eyes. Oh where was that damned Goblin King when you needed him? She silently resolved that if she made it out of this alive she would surely kill him. Desdemonna proceeded to pull Sarah back down on the plush bench and covered her face and neck with kisses. For a second Sarah was thankful that at least the girl's kisses were innocent...maybe her virtue would demand that she cease before she got carried away. Desdemonna suddenly pulled back and regarded Sarah with smoldering eyes. Sarah mused, ...or perhaps not. Suddenly the Fae whispered, "Why Sargonne, you are so tense...you're not afraid of me are you." Sarah stared at the girl wide eyed as she slowly nodded her head. The Fae laughed coyly before she breathed, "How positively charming..." Before Sarah could blink Desdemonna had captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Sarah kept her lips firmly sealed even as the girl's tongue darted out to test the seam of her lips. Sarah was horrified as the girl's hands trailed frantically over her doublet. This was not good. Sarah panicked, jumping to her feet just as the young Fae lunged. Their mouth's collided violently as the girl reached down and boldly cupped Sarah between the legs. Sarah gave a startled cry against the girl's mouth. Meanwhile the voice in her head screamed, This is it. I'm so dead. The girl was sure to suddenly realize that she'd been had. Sarah had a feeling that the girl and her father would be none too pleased at the given situation. Sarah screwed her eyes shut and waited for all hell to break loose. Any minute now. To Sarah's complete astonishment the girl withdrew her hand and pulled back as she moaned, "Ooohhh...You are already so hard..." Sarah could only stare down between herself and the girl in bewilderment as the young lady implored her, "...Please take me somewhere...I will surly die if you don't take me this instant." Sarah was thunderstruck, apparently potatoes could be very powerful things. The girl nipped at Sarah's earlobe and begged, "Please...make love to me Sargonne." And then, all of a sudden, the door flew open and Sarah looked up in surpise to see the Goblin King standing in the doorway. Never in all her life would Sarah have ever guessed she'd be so relieved to see someone, especially being since that someone was Jareth. Jareth's eyes drifted from the young Fae woman to Sarah. Their posture, as well as their surprised expressions, clearly indicated that he had just interrupted something. The stricken look on Sarah's face was positively priceless, but what affected him even more was the way she positively seemed to melt in relief when she looked up to see him standing there. He smirked knowingly. He couldn't wait to hear Sarah recount for him all that had happened. Jareth put his gracious expression back on as he politely but casually announced, "Lady Desdemonna, your father is ready to leave and he is looking for you." The young Fae's cheeks were aflame as she hurriedly replied, "Oh, why thank you your majesty..." Rushing into the hall, she turned only to cast one last longing look at the Goblin King's pageboy. The girl was reunited with her father by the castle's main entrance and in a matter of minutes they had begun their journey home while Sarah and Jareth returned to his private chambers to discuss what had transpired. Sarah stormed into Jareth's room and flung the dreadful hat onto his great bed with a huff of disgust as her tirade began, "Ugh! I cannot believe you made me go through with this...And leaving me ALONE with that girl! Why would you do such a thing!?!" Jareth stared at Sarah, noticing the smudged lipstick kiss marks that were all over her face and neck. Jareth was the picture of innocence as he replied, "Whatever do you mean? I think you made quite an impression." Sarah tore open the doublet in a fury as she stormed closer to him, shrugging it off onto the floor as she raged, "An IMPRESSION!?! You apparently have no idea of the IMPRESSION I made." Jareth flashed her an amused smile as he demanded, "I'm sure you are about to tell me. What exactly happened in there?" Sarah stared at him incredulously as she growled, "What happened?!? She attacked me...that's what happened!!!" Jareth pretended to be appalled, "No? She didn't!" Sarah annunciated each word to drive her point home, "Yeah. She. Did. After she nearly kissed my face off." Jareth simply couldn't resist toying with her, "She kissed you?" Sarah crossed her arms angrily and spat, "Yeah she laid quite a few good ones on me." Jareth raised his brow as he asked for clarification, "laid a few good ones? I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that expression." Sarah spoke slowly and clearly so he was sure to understand as she ground out, "Are you familiar with making out, or sucking face?! Well let me lay it out for you...she nearly stuck her tongue down my throat." Jareth quipped condecendingly, "She kissed you passionately then?" Sarah ignored the fact that his question had been merely rhetorical and groaned, "Arghhhh, YES! How could you leave me alone with her? Especially after her little public seduction scene with the cherries..." Jareth replied nonchalantly as he poured himself a glass of brandy, "Cherries? What are you talking about?" Sarah gave him a pointed look as she accused, "Surly, you were aware that she groped me under the table?" Jareth smirked mildly as he shrugged, "So the girl fancied you...so what? You did a great service to the kingdom and to me...and for the price of what? A kiss. I see nothing to get upset about." Sarah looked at him in astonishment, "You don't get it do you? Jareth, that girl was about two seconds from ripping my clothes off!!" Jareth shook his head, "Nonsense, you are over-reacting..." He smiled and mused, "although that would have made an interesting sight." Sarah ignored the comment and fumed, "Over reacting?!? Oh I beg to differ your HIGHNESS...she was PRIMED...and quite ready to shag me senseless!" Jareth gave her a condescending look as he took a sip of his brandy, "How do you know that?" Sarah lowered her voice to an urgent whisper and hissed, "Because she grabbed my POTATO!!!!!!!!" Jareth nearly spit out his drink as he choked, "She did?" Sarah nodded flashing him a glare that shot daggers as the Goblin King burst into genuine laughter. This only aggravated Sarah further. She caustically added, "...and just as you walked in, she was begging me to make love to her...Can you imagine?!?!" Jareth cocked his head to the side and smiled wolfishly, "Actually no...but it would be fascinating to watch you try." Sarah narrowed her eyes at him in disgust before she replied vehemently, "I'm glad that you find this so amusing, because I don't!" Jareth set his drink down on the mantle and approached her as she turned her back on him and stormed towards the door to her chamber. Jareth used his magic to appear in front of her and quickly slid in front of the door to block her escape. He found their heated banter rather exciting, and he wasn't about to let her leave, not when things had just begun to get interesting. He decided that he would push his feisty "page-boy" just a little farther. As his eyes locked with hers, Sarah backed away trying to put more distance between herself and the Goblin King. His mouth was set in a predatory smirk as he found her actions so wonderfully predictable. For every step backward she took, Jareth advanced a step. Eventually the back of her legs came in contact with something solid. She swallowed as she realized that he had successfully backed her up against the edge of the bed. In that single moment the nervous anticipation flooded her as she realized that he was standing much too close for comfort. His captivating mismatched eyes darted over her upturned face before his gaze lowered to her lips and he whispered huskily, "I do find it amusing." He lowered his face so that his mouth hovered just above hers as he breathed, "I find you exceptionally amusing..." His gaze was full of heat as he regarded her for a moment before he drawled, "...but then you've always amused me." Sarah could smell the brandy that lingered on his warm breath, and she couldn't stop herself from wondering if she would be able to taste the sweet liquor on his lips if he were to kiss her. As soon as the thought crossed her mind she gave herself a hard mental slap. In no way should she be having such traitorous and dangerous thoughts. It was with sheer excitement and panic that she realized that she might just find out, as at the same moment he seemed to ponder her lips as well. Despite the barrage of warnings going through her head, Sarah found that she couldn't look away. Her previous fury, the nervous excitement he roused in her, it was all so overwhelming. Her pulse quickened, thrumming in her ears, as adrenaline coursed through her veins, enhancing the sweet torment of her apprehension. The mingling of her passions, rage, fear, longing and wild curiosity was nothing short of a blessed sort of agony. What was it about this cruel man that captivated her? How was it that his penetrating gaze alone could wreak such havoc on her senses. She was suddenly intensely conscious of his closeness. She could practically feel the warmth of his body through her clothes as he towered over her. If he had stood any closer they would have been touching. She was also acutely aware of the very smell of him. The sweet enticing scent of the liquor on his breath mixed with something clean yet masculine that she recognized as the scent that was distinctly his. Her heightened senses, along with his sweet heady scent caused a strange euphoria that left her feeling dazed. Jareth had moved hastily, he wasn't about to let her flee, not while there was so much that could be said to give him the last word. Perhaps it was the mind dulling effects of the brandy that had caused him to act so impulsively. As he blocked the door and advanced on her, arguing with her was suddenly no longer the first thing on his mind. It didn't go unnoticed by him that she was right at the edge of his bed. He gazed into her intense hazel eyes for a sign of weakness. If he were to kiss her right now would she yield? He couldn't be sure. As he had whispered to her and lowered his lips closer to hers he noticed that her eyes had darted to his mouth and her chest was heaving in shallow startled breaths. What a tempting sight she made. Perhaps he should just try...it would be so easy to... Suddenly a loud rap sounded on the door to Jareth's room. Sarah jumped at the sound. Jareth reluctantly tore his eyes from Sarah's face and glanced at the door as demanded in an irritated tone, "Yes, what is it?" A nervous goblin on the other side of the door squeaked, "There are some visitors in the great hall your majesty." Jareth glanced at Sarah once more before he stepped back and strode towards the door. As Jareth reached for the door she heard him loudly mutter, "This better be important." Sarah used the opportunity to slip into her room. Jareth opened the door and looked down on a small kitchen goblin. The creature was still wearing his food-stained apron from preparing the earlier meal, and was quite covered in flour. The small goblin was obviously not accustomed to dealing directly with the king, as he looked up at his monarch with sheer terror. The small creature quaked in fear as he stuttered, "Your highness, three subjects have come to the castle...they...they are looking for the girl." Jareth looked down his nose at the small goblin and demanded, "They wish to see Sarah?" The goblin nodded frantically, "They were very persistent Sire, I told them that they should come back tomorrow but one of them struck me with his club and said that they weren't leaving until they spoke with either the girl or with you." Jareth quickly replied, "Who are the three?" The Goblin scratched his head as though he were thinking very hard and replied, "One was the dwarf...the gardener. There was also a large orange monster and a small but ferocious knight. I...I think he is the one who is posted in the bog." Jareth nodded knowingly and replied, "Very well, admit them into the throne room and have them wait. I'll deal with them." The goblin bowed and stammered "Ye...yes sire.", before he hurried away.