The Tale of the Labyrinth By Eamane-Shu
Jareth sat
Danae down in her favourite chair; it was old and slightly battered, cream in
colour with roses embroidered onto it. It had a low back, and was comfortable,
while still ensuring that her back was poker straight. Jareth knelt before her
taking her hands in his.
“Danae
listen to me.” Danae looked worried. He paused, not knowing how to continue,
“Something happened. There was an unprovoked attack made on the labyrinth.”
“What?”
Gasped Danae “Where?” No attacks of this nature had occurred in the last 300
years. An attack of this nature could be construed as an act of war, disrupting
the fragile peace that had been resting between the nine kingdoms for Danae’s
entire life.
“Outside
the boarders, just where my control stops.”
“When?”
“This
morning.”
“Are there
any survivors” Jareth shook his head sadly. Roland and everyone that had
accompanied them had been slaughtered, brutally. The only good news was that
Ivanen was not part of the group, as he had left them to go and visit Hestonia
on a diplomatic mission.
“Danae, the
attack was made on Roland’s envoy.” Danae’s already porcelain skin paled. She
opened her mouth, but no words came out. She simply stared past Jareth out of
the window, a soft breeze was moving through the trees, making them sway slightly.
She moved her gaze back to him, her eyes misted over with unshed tears. “Danae,
I’m sorry, but we didn’t hear of the attack in time, he’s…”
“No” She
suddenly stopped him; the grief in her voice broke his heart. “No, Jareth. It
cannot be true.”
“Danae,
please. Let me finish.” He ran his fingers through the lock of hair and looked
at her. A single tear was rolling down her cheek.
“No, I can’t.”
The tears coming freely now.
Jareth
began to get angry, there was no easy way to break the news, but she was making
it impossible. He stood up and turned his back on her “Why are you being like
this ‘Nae?” reverting to her baby name to try and offer some comfort. When he
turned to her again she was standing next to the bookcase, staring out of the
window.
“Fine” she
spoke calmly, evenly, although tears were still streaming down her face. “Tell
me.” Jareth simply stared at her. “Tell me that I have just lost my chance of
being his wife. Tell me that he’s gone!” her voice broke into a sob, “Tell me
that he is never coming back. Tell me that I have lost him forever” she fell to
the floor weeping. Jareth moved towards her and she screamed at him “Tell me,
go on then Jareth. TELL ME!”
He stopped
in the middle of the room, pausing for a second, before walking over to the
broken girl on the floor, kneeling beside her and holding her in his arms. He
cradled her face in his hands. “Danae he’s dead” he said calmly without
emotion.
“No” she
groaned. “No it can’t be. Tell me that there’s been some mistake.” Her voice
raked with sobs as she begged “Please Jareth tell me it’s not true.” And she
wept so hard that Jareth believed that she would never stop. She went limp in
his arms, beating her hands against his chest. Soon she became still, weeping
into his chest, and he lowered her to the floor gently. Eventually the tears
stopped flowing and she was silent, she lay on the floor, not moving. Jareth
called for Camille and Sarah to come in. Sarah stood on the edge of the room
nervously, not knowing what to say. Camille immediately bundled the girl up in
her arms, cradling her gently as fresh sobs started.
“Shhhhhh my
darling”
“I cant
breath Camille, it hurts too much.” She gasped between sobs.
Camille
wiped a stray strand of hair from her face “I know darling, I know.” She sat
there murmuring comforts to Danae until she had quietened again, at which point
she led her, by the hand, upstairs to lie down.
“I’ll stay
with her Jareth; you do what you have to do.” She said ushering the distraught
girl out the room, leaving Sarah and Jareth alone.
Jareth
collapsed in a chair next to the one Danae had been previously sitting in.
Sarah walked over to him and silently slipped her hand in his, and gave it a
comforting squeeze.
“She’s
never going to forgive me you know.”
“What for?”
Sarah’s face etched with concern.
“For being
the one who had to tell her.”
“Of course
she will, none of this is your fault.”
He sat up,
and sighed, his duty was only half finished. “I have to go Sarah.”
“Go?
Where?” Sarah was surprised; she imagined Jareth would want to stay close in
case Danae needed him. He stood up, his face grave and drained of all energy.
“I have to
go to Elgard.”
Sarah
didn’t recognise the name, so Jareth cleared things up for her. “I have to
visit Roland’s parents and tell them what has happened.”
“Do you
want me to go with you?”
He shook
his head sadly “I think perhaps it would be better if I were to go alone. I
need you to stay with Danae. Roland’s death will be hard for her to bear. I
will be back within the hour.”
Her pressed
her hand to his lips and vanished.
Sarah
wandered upstairs and sat on the bench outside Danae’s chambers, shortly she
was joined by a red-eyed Camille. “Why don’t you go in and sit with her for a
while?”
Sarah
entered the room tentatively, she looked over to where Danae laid on the bed,
staring silently out the window, and her heart broke for the girl. Danae’s
normally perfectly tidy hair was tangled and matted around her head, and her
face, which was normally so serene, was red and puffy from crying.
“Hey” said
Sarah softly.
Danae
turned towards her, having just noticed her presence. “Hey” she croaked back
weakly. Sarah climbed on the bed behind Danae, and put her arms around the
princess, stroking her hair softly. They both laid there for what seemed like
hours until Danae eventually drifted off into an unrestful sleep.
Sarah stole
out of the room, careful not to wake the sleeping princess. As she closed the
door softly behind her she noticed Jareth sitting in the corridor, looking at
her anxiously.
“How is
she?” he asked hoarsely.
“She’s
sleeping now.” Sarah replied soothingly.
He stood up
slowly “You look tired” he said looking at the bags under her eyes, and pulling
her to his chest comfortingly.
Sarah felt
tears leaking out of her eyes. “It’s all so awful. Poor Danae.” Jareth clutched
Sarah to him tighter, kissing her on the forehead.
“I’ll take
care of Danae tonight, go and get some rest. It will be a difficult week, I
think, for all of us.”
Sarah, did
as she was bid, going straight to her room, and getting into bed, however it
was a long time until sleep claimed her, she lay in bed, the events of that day
running through her mind, first Jareth’s kiss, then Roland’s death. Her concern
for Danae was overwhelming; her entire world seemed to be falling apart.
If Sarah
had stayed by Danae’s room, she would have seen a lone figure sneak in there in
the dead of night. He sat in the armchair next to her bed vigilant, in case she
woke up and needed him during the night. Eventually, before dawn’s early light
he fell asleep, her hand in his.