After the initial shock of Jareth�s sadness, whether real or imagined, wore off, Sarah resumed her stare at the scribe. It was hard not to flinch or cry as they told both Jareth and his small team of advisors what had taken place while Sarah had lived with Damien. Somehow, knowing that she had her two best friends in the world, as well as a powerful king and his younger sister, at her side made her feel as though she might be able to handle all of this.
They spoke for several minutes each before they were excused and permitted to return to their seats. Jareth, then, relayed to his advisors the events of the previous evening, when he had found Sarah bloodied and bruised in her bed. Then, of the subsequent things Damien had done to her in his presence. His voice was cold, professional. If she had been searching for a deeper feeling, she would not find it here.
As Jareth sat after his speech, he sat again in his throne. �I call, now, Ms. Sarah Williams herself.� A quick reassuring look spread across his face before it went back to a cold mask.
Slowly, Sarah rose to her feet. Her hands were trembling. Suddenly, she felt very ill. �Jar�your majesty, I don�t think I can do this.�
Jareth smiled kindly at her. If this had been any other situation, she would have laughed. Years ago she never would have thought it possible that the cruel and cold Goblin King was now sitting just above her, speaking in her favor and smiling kindly at her. If someone had told her this, she would have thought him or her mad.
Strangely, these thoughts gave her strength. She would laugh again. If not about this strange role that the Goblin King had taken, then she would laugh about something else. What mattered was that she survived. Not only this, but she had four wonderful friends to back her up, no matter what she chose to do.
As Jareth opened his mouth as if to speak, Sarah began, �I met Damien when I was nineteen years old. He was my first real relationship, my first real romance. Everything was so wonderful with him. Two years ago, when I graduated from college, I moved in with him. That�s when my real troubles started. At first it was only the little things. He wanted me to wait before I got a job. I protested and he accused me of wanting an excuse to leave the house so I could cheat on him. I�I was afraid I�d lose him, so I did what he wanted,� Sarah�s voice started to falter. �It wasn�t long before he convinced me not to get one at all. He used to tell me that a woman shouldn�t work unless she had to, and he made more than enough money for the both of us. So I started to take care of making dinner, doing dishes and laundry, and all of those things that women are supposed to do. Whenever something went wrong, whenever something was a little less than perfect, he started to yell at me. If I went somewhere and he didn�t know about it, then he�d accuse me of cheating when I got home�� her voice trailed off as she looked at Damien, who was openly glaring at her. �H-he,� she stammered. She couldn�t do this. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn�t get away from him. Nothing could change that. He always told her that she�d always be with him and no matter where she went he would find her. How could things be different now?
The fear that she had barely managed to quell started to rise again. Her hands began to tremble. Then she felt a hand come to rest on her forearm so very gently. Surprised, she turned to find that that hand belonged to Lily. The young-looking Fae woman had an encouraging smile on her face. Sarah could feel her strength. It renewed her hope, which fought against the fear that had been reborn in her heart.
�He hit me,� Sarah whispered. Jareth and Lily were the only ones who could hear her, and they even had to strain. �It would be just a slap at first, but I guess that wasn�t punishment enough for what he thought I�d do, or for the little things I�d done wrong. He�d always accuse me, but I swear I�d never done any of those things. I didn�t sleep with the neighbor, or anyone else for that matter. He�� she sniffled loudly, �he is and was the only man that�s ever even had the opportunity to touch me. No matter what he accused me of, no matter how many times he beat me, I never would�ve cheated on him.�
She paused. Her eyes rested on anything and everything that wasn�t Damien when she spoke. She could feel the panic rise in her. �And when he punished me for being stupid and making mistakes, I guess I did deserve it. I shouldn�t have under cooked his meat, or missed the speck of food on his wine glass��
Jareth stood up abruptly and looked down at Sarah. �This court shall take a short recess. The prisoner will remain here, guarded. The rest of us,� Jareth looked at both Tessa and Katelin to let them know that they were included in this, �the rest of us shall go to my parlor for some tea and a break from all of this. In a half an hour, we shall return.�
Jareth descended the stairs to where Sarah sat. He looked rather upset. The young woman�s first instinct was to shy away from him in fear of being hit. But he didn�t hit her. Instead, he helped her to her feet and led her from the room. Every one of his actions was kind and gentle, though there was rage burning in his eyes. Lily, Tessa and Katelin followed not far behind the pair.
It did not take long for the group to reach Jareth�s private parlor. With one hand grasped firmly on Sarah�s, he motioned for the others to enter. �We shall be in momentarily,� he said. �The servants should have already set out the tea. Lily, I trust you shall take care of our guests.�
�Of course,� his younger sister said as she led the way into the parlor. With her hand on the knob, the door clicked shut behind her.
The hallway was silent for a long moment as the Goblin King and the poor mortal stood a foot away from one another. Jareth�s eyes remained square on Sarah�s face, while hers were cast down. He was enraged while she was afraid. What the young woman did not realize was that her companion was not angry with her, but the man that had made a once proud and strong girl into this weak, terrified person before him.
Without a thought, Jareth took a step toward Sarah. Instinctively, she backed away and braced herself for the blow. And, though his arms were raised, it was not to strike her. He pulled her tense body close to his as his long fingers ran up and down the length of her neck. �What did he do to you to make you fear me so? There was a time that you would have stood strong against me if you had even the slightest thought that I�d hurt you. Instead, you cowered, when I have never lifted a finger to hurt you,� he said. He felt helpless, a reaction that he was hardly used to. The only times he had ever felt like this in the past were when he was dealing with Sarah. What was it about this woman that made him feel such a way time after time?
�The cleaners, the bog, the peach, all of your goblins attacking me. What was that, then?� she asked softly.
�None of them hurt you, did they? They only derailed you from your task. I took no pleasure in what I had to do to you, but I had to do it. The least I could do was make sure none of it harmed you in any way,� Jareth paused. �But you�re avoiding my question, dearest Sarah. He has done more to scare you than just hit you a few times,� he said. When she did not respond, he continued, �What has he done to you? Please, how can I help if you do not tell me?�
Sarah leaned her head against Jareth�s slim though muscular chest in defeat. �He swore he�d kill me if I told, but I guess he can�t follow through on that now, can he? And, still, I�m afraid that he will. I�m afraid he�ll kill everyone I love if I dare cross him,� she sighed softly and trembled slightly at the thought of what Damien had threatened to do. �He told me that if I left him again, he�d kill Toby. And he would, I just know it. Can you blame me for being terrified? My life is nothing now, thanks to him. Killing me wouldn�t have been so bad because he�d already taken away so much, but I couldn�t let him do that to Toby. God, he�s just a little boy.� Shaking violently now, Sarah buried her face in Jareth�s ceremonial best. The sobs soon followed as her hands clung to every piece of material she could hold.
What she could not see was the new rage burning in his eyes, something that Jareth was rather grateful for. He leashed his temper. It would not do well for the base of trust that he had built with Sarah over the last few days to lose his head over the threat of a man that can do neither the woman he loved nor her half brother any more damage. Jareth would see to that. �He can�t hurt you now, Sarah. Nor will he hurt you or anyone you love ever again,� Jareth gently pried her from his torso so that he could stare into her teary eyes. His gentle fingers softly wiped away the trails that the tears created down her cheeks. �I promise I�ll take care of you, because I�� Jareth couldn�t finish his sentence. His lips lowered slowly to Sarah�s and pressed against them in the most tender, most romantic kiss the young woman had ever known. It was all too easy to get lost in him, to forget about what lay ahead of her. In that moment, a rush of confusing and wonderful feelings ran rampant through her body and danced excitedly in her stomach. She could think of nothing more than to stay like this, with Jareth, until the world ended.
However, the ecstasy did not last long. The thought of what she must face and how Jareth played into that finally pierced through the fog that his kiss had created in her mind. Gently, but with some force, she pushed him away. �Jareth�I can�t��
Jareth sighed heavily. Pain slipped into his eyes, and something else that Sarah could not read. As quickly as it appeared, the emotion was masked. He seemed to be very good at doing that. �As you wish,� he said. His voice was so barren that it was nearly harsh.
Sarah bit her lip. She didn�t wish that at all. The feeling of his lips against hers was one of the most amazing things she�d ever known, but she wasn�t meant to know it. She came here to rid herself of Damien, not to fall in love with the Goblin King. No, she said to herself, it isn�t love. I�m just grateful for his help and his sudden friendship, that�s all. I couldn�t possibly love the King of the Goblins.
�Jareth,� she said softly, her eyes averted. No matter what she tried to convince herself, she knew that one look at his pained eyes, one look at the devoted love that had been there while he was comforting her, and she would collapse. �You have to understand. So much has been happening. I�I�m not strong enough for this, not yet. I�ve only just found the strength to stand up against Damien. I�m still so weak that I couldn�t even begin to do that without you and Lily, because I know I�m safe here. I don�t know why or even how I know, but I do. And I wouldn�t hurt you for all the world, not after what you�ve done for me��
Jareth just shook his head and started toward the parlor door. He paused just before his hand reached the handle. �Sarah,� he said, �dearest Sarah. You�ve already hurt me. I�ve made you an offer twice already, and twice you�ve refused. I�ll not offer it again. But if you ever change your mind,� Jareth turned and looked at the woman standing alone in the middle of the corridor, �it will be up to you.�