A/N: I'm glad you guys like this story. Your kind comments give me joy and every time I read them it makes me want to update even sooner so I can please you. Thank you so much!
Meeting the King
The next few days passed without any disturbance from the recently returned king. His ankle healed quickly, due in part to the healer's advanced skills. By the second day the Goblin King returned to riding, visiting certain creatures within the Goblin City. The only interaction between Sarah and the Goblin King was in passing – a brief nod or cool glance, and sometimes a bow or gentlemanly smile.
The civilities continued until a particularly wet evening when the King had been entertaining a small group of nobles from a neighboring kingdom. After his guests had quitted the castle, the King called for Sarah and Aldara to be brought to him in the library.
"What does the King want?" Sarah asked Nessa as she came into the kitchen.
"Oh, he's in one of his 'after-dinner' moods. Says he wants you there as soon as possible," she said. "You better hurry up, his mood can change just as quickly as the weather here."
Sarah beckoned Aldara to her, straightening her dress and trying to make something of the disheveled mess of curls on her head.
"Aldara, what in the name of all that is mighty have you been doing to your hair?" Sarah asked her, trying to get a large mess of tangles out.
"I was trying to brush it, but the brush got caught and I didn't know what to do, so I just yanked it out."
Sarah rolled her eyes at the young girl's stupidity. "Next time that happens, call me and I'll help you get it out, okay?"
Aldara nodded her head, trying hard to suppress the tears that were yearning to escape her eyes.
"Oh, Aldara, don't cry. I'm not mad. Let's go see what the King wants, shall we?"
Her spirits brightening, the little girl's face broke into a smile and she sprang from the kitchen with the clumsy gracelessness of a struggling fish, racing down the corridors toward the library. Sarah turned to Nessa.
"Is there anything I should know before I see him?"
"He can be a bit domineering. Do not let his ego get to you, he may be a king, but he is still a man. He will love you, I know it," she said with a smile, kissing the young woman on the cheek. "Now, get going, he will be a bit irritated if Aldara shows up without an escort."
………………………………………………………………
She entered the library slowly, her nerves a bit shaky at the impending introduction. Although she had already, and unknowingly, met the King, Sarah was still very nervous. He was the King after all, and she the lowly governess. As Sarah entered the library, she could see the Goblin King standing next to the fireplace, Aldara beside him.
"Oh, sir, it is beautiful!" Aldara exclaimed, holding up to her body a new and lavish dress. "Thank you so much!" she cried, dropping the gown to the floor and flinging herself upon the Goblin King. As much as he did not want to, a small smile spread across his face as he patted the girl on the back.
"I am glad you like it, my doll. Now, away to your corner so that I may brood in peace," he said, letting the girl go and turning away from the fire, his eyes falling upon Sarah.
"Is this Miss Williams?" he asked as he took a step towards her.
Sarah nodded her head, her knees bending into a low curtsy. As she rose she could hear the Goblin King snicker.
"Miss Williams, please, I shall not have such civilities in my library. Please sit down," he said, gesturing to a chair beside him.
Sarah approached him slowly; she could tell he was in an unusually good mood. Then she spied the wine flask on the table beside him and realized why – he was drunk.
"Miss Williams, please sit," he said again, pushing the chair toward her. Not wanting to offend him, Sarah sat down quickly, trying to draw her chair away from his own. Jareth sat down in his, taking a long draught from the goblet beside him. He set it down and turned to Sarah.
"Miss Williams, please do not draw that chair any further away; sit down exactly where I put you – if you please, that is."
Embarrassed at having offended the King, Sarah quickly moved her chair back and looked at him, unable to say a word.
"Excuse my disregard for manners, I simply dislike them and only find them necessary in not so intimate atmospheres."
He gave her a small smile and turned his attention to Aldara, watching the young girl stroke and ogle over her new dress. He turned back to Sarah.
"I am not fond of children, Miss Williams. I have no associations with their prattle and only bear them when needed. Excuse me while I call Nessa."
Without warning a small goblin appeared out of nowhere as the King whispered something into its ear and then ordered him to leave. Not two minutes later the old Fae woman walked into the room, a smile spread across her face.
"Jareth, I see that you have called. What do you need?"
"Good evening, Nessa. I sent for you because I have forbid Aldara to talk to me about her new dress. Seeing that, Miss Williams here, will be conversing with me, the girl cannot speak to her either, which leaves you, my good woman, to attend to her compliments and babblings."
No sooner had Aldara seen Nessa than she was beckoning her to come and see her new dress. Nessa gave the small child a large smile and willingly took a seat beside her, examining the gown in all its glory. Jareth turned to Sarah, a smug grin across his face.
"Now, Miss Williams, I feel I have played the part of good host. I have made sure my guests are amused and feel it is only time to pursue my own pleasures. Miss Williams, draw your chair closer, for I cannot see you in the low light of the fire and wish to scrutinize your every detail."
Sarah moved closer to him, captivated by his soothing voice and captivating dominance that seemed to flow from his body even in the simplest of tasks. When she was better situated, Sarah had a better advantage of studying her employer. He seemed much more relaxed; a small smile hung to his lips and his mismatched eyes sparkled in the fire light. Whether that was to do with his mood or the wine, Sarah did not know, but she came to the conclusion she enjoyed this version of the Goblin King much more than the one she had met the first time he stumbled upon her.
He was beautiful, most likely due to the fact he was Fae. But there was something about him that spoke to every being, especially to Sarah's mortal soul. He had an understanding that few possessed. He was thin and tall. His hair, blonde, was a wild mess that only added to the mischievousness that was the Goblin King. His shining locks fell in unruly waves down to his shoulders. He was deathly pale, but then so were most of the Fae.
He had been staring into the fire as Sarah examined him, and in one fluid motion, his eyes were upon her.
"You examine me, Miss Williams," he said, "do you think me handsome?"
"Yes, sir," she replied, the words escaping her mouth before her mind could register what it was she was about to say.
The Goblin King gave a small smirk, his eyes shining even more. "Ah, so you think me handsome? I dare say you did not mean to say that; no woman would have admitted anything so 'taboo' in the first moments of a conversation with a stranger. Only a wife would have been so forward to her husband," he said, as he leaned closer to her, "and that conversation would have, no doubt, taken place in the bedroom," he finished, his voice low and sultry.
Sarah sat up in her chair, taking a quick glance toward Nessa and Aldara. Had the King just said that? She looked at him, only to find a smug smile across his face and small chuckles escaping his lips. He turned to her.
"Miss Williams, do not look so aghast. If I have offended you, I am sorry. I merely meant to imply that your comment would not have been one so early in a conversation. Tell me what you meant to say, seeing that you need something to take your mind off the last thing I commented upon."
Sarah looked at him.
"Your Majesty, I beg your pardon, I did not mean to be so forward. I meant to say that your features, yes, are handsome. One cannot disagree with that. Most Fae are handsome. But tastes differ when it comes to appearance and beauty is of little consequence when it comes to whether or not a person is truly handsome."
Jareth looked at her, trying to understand the woman beside him.
"Miss Williams, I dare say you have just stabbed me in the stomach with my own knife. Go on please; regale me with the faults you find in me. While I understand I am handsome, in your words I am not truly handsome and I would love to know why."
"Your majesty, please, I did not mean to offend you even more. I simply meant that I do not know you enough whether to judge your character as handsome or not. You are handsome, yes, on the outside, but as I know nothing of you, I cannot judge any further. Please forgive me if you thought I was trying to attack your character."
"Then I shall ask your opinion once again when you have had the chance to learn of my character and find out if I am truly handsome or just handsome physically."
Sarah wanted the conversation to end immediately. While she had not meant to offend the King, she could not help but think the wine had something to do with his continuance of the already uncomfortable conversation. Gazing into the fire, she noticed when the King turned his chair to face the room. Sarah looked at him, only to find him staring at her.
"Your Majesty?" she asked, confused at his forward stare.
"Miss Williams, I find myself in the need of company tonight, and seeing that the books and fireplace do not provide a means of communication, I called you and Aldara here. I dare say Aldara cannot carry an intelligent conversation with someone of my age, and Nessa there has been with my family since the dinosaurs roamed Aboveground, or at least it has seemed that long. Therefore I turn to you for companionship this evening. I had almost forgotten you until now, but now I see you a worthy companion and capable of carrying a conversation. Tell me of yourself, Miss Williams."
Sarah looked at him, her face a blank stare. Either the King was incredibly unusual or he was incredibly drunk. In all her years she had never met someone so forward. She gave him a small smile.
"Speak," he said, urging her with his eyes.
"What about, sir?"
"Whatever you like; I'm sure there is something within that small head of yours waiting to be discussed. If you can't think of anything, speak of your childhood."
Sarah sat there, silently regarding him.
"You are dumb, Miss Williams," he said, leaning in toward her to study her face. "Stubborn…and annoyed? Miss Williams, I am not demanding a conversation to rival a sage, I simply wish to know about you."
"Your Majesty, how could I possible speak of such trivial matters?"
"Miss Williams, please do not address me so formally. You may call me 'sir' and I do not find such matters 'trivial' as you put it. I wish to know about the new inhabitant of my castle. I only ask because I know the goblins have nothing to share and Mrs. Falassion's story has been told to me many times. I dare say Nessa has already regaled you with dear Aldara's beginnings. You, my dear, are the only person I know nothing about."
Sarah considered what he was saying, and with a slight sigh, she acquiesced.
"There is little to say, sir. I was born Aboveground and had a twin brother. When we were younger, our parents had left us with a sitter and she unknowingly wished us away. She was not able to save us and when I was not adopted, I was sent to a school for unwanted girls."
"What about your brother?"
"He was adopted. I have not seen him since. Like I said before, I was sent to a school for unwanted girls. I have never visited a more terrible place. Although we were supposed to be taken care of, no one cared for our health, our well being… whether or not we would live or die. I watched my best friend die in my arms one evening. They didn't even have the decency to call for a healer." Sarah closed her eyes, remembering that fateful night. "The healer could have prolonged her life; she wouldn't have died so suddenly." A tear escaped her closed eye and slowly fell down her cheek. When she opened them again, she found the Goblin King looking at her.
"Have I struck a difficult subject, Miss Williams?"
"No, sir, you have not. It is just the injustice that was harbored toward dear Celine that makes me emotional. She was my one and only friend, sir, and I miss her very much."
"I am sorry for your loss, Miss Williams. I only hope that we can become friends."
Sarah looked at him.
"Surely it is not recommended for the King to become an acquaintance of his paid help, sir?"
"Miss Williams, I shall befriend anyone I wish to. The matter of you being paid has little to do with my relationship with you. You work for me, yes, but so do many others who I consider friends. You are not in a singular position, Miss Williams."
Sarah blushed at his words, knowing she should have realized he was offering his friendship because she was living in his castle and not because of other 'ideas'. Jareth noticed.
"You blush, Miss Williams. Pray, tell me why."
"It is nothing, sir."
"Do you fear me, Miss Williams? No, I should say you don't. You fear anything out of your comfort zone, that I can tell. I can see it in you, Miss Williams, you fear me, because I am not familiar and because I am a man. You've lived with women all your life and have not come to know the companionship of a man. You fear in the presence of a man and a brother – or father, or master, or what you will – to smile too gaily, speak too freely, or move too quickly. Take before for instance, you seemed concerned that you might have offended me with your talk of what is handsome. You offended me in no way, Miss Williams, but because you have no experience around the opposite sex, you immediately believed yourself to be in the wrong," he said, with a rather smug look on his face. "Well?" he asked, turning to her, "am I correct?"
Sarah nodded her head.
"I knew it. Then it is imperative that we become friends, Miss Williams, if not for friendship then for your 'comfort' in odd situations."
Sarah looked away from him, still shocked at how forward he was being. He might have been King, but she had only 'known' him for a few hours. Glancing at the clock on the mantle, she noticed that it was almost 9:30. Sarah stood from her seat.
"Where are you going, Miss Williams?" Jareth asked her, alarmed at how quickly she had sprung from her chair. She turned to him.
"It is past the time for bed, sir. Aldara should have left us nearly an hour ago."
She made to walk toward the child but the Goblin King pushed his arm out to stop her.
"Miss Williams, wait a minute. Aldara is not yet ready for bed. My position, with my chair to the fire, has afforded me observation of the young girl and her grandmother. Not long ago, the dear girl found a silver necklace that had been hiding in the deep pocket of her new gown, only realizing now that it opens to reveal itself into a locket; a locket that contains the pictures of her mother and father. She is showing it to Nessa now, her face is lit up with excitement and, although I am inclined to sour at the enjoyments of children, I would not want to interrupt her reverie. Nessa would not have it. And I do not want to have to deal with a sour housekeeper."
Sarah looked at the couple in the corner, noticing how Nessa's cheeks were glistening with tears and Aldara's smile spread across her face. She sat back down in her chair.
"They seem incredibly happy," she said, looking into the fire.
"This is because they are," Jareth replied, watching the pair in the corner, wondering what it would have been like if she had not married Draco, if she had married him.
She would not be dead and she would be here now.
"It seems, Miss Williams, that we have a commonality between us," he said, turning in his seat to look at her.
"And what would that be, sir?"
"We have both lost someone near and dear to us through the carelessness of others. Let us hope it never happens again," he said with a small smile.
"Yes, let it never happen again," she replied, her gaze returning to the fire in front of her. She thought over everything he had said to her. He was forward, yes. But there was truth in everything he had said. She was afraid of things that were not familiar to her, and men were one of those things. The only man she had ever known was a savage beast, a misogynist at best.
Her gaze falling upon the man beside her, she could tell he was different. He was King after all, but he was different. Glancing at the clock once more, she noticed it read 9:50. Deciding it was time for bed, she rose from her chair and turned to find Nessa cradling Aldara in her arms, the child having fallen asleep. Nessa gave Sarah a small smile, stood from her seat and exited the room. Sarah turned to the Goblin King.
"I fear, sir, that it is now time to quit you."
His gaze fell upon her. "Yes, Miss Williams, I agree. Good night."
"Good night, sir," she said and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. For some reason, she hoped that this would not be the last time she would meet with the Goblin King.
A/N: I hope you like it. You know I always love comments.