The Darkened Queen

The Thinking Tree

Sarah was happily snuggled against her Goblin King when the first of the disturbing images reached her mind.

She stood in a throne room, one she had once ruled over as Queen, and saw the subjects, her subjects, being forced to their knees.

"I know you can hear me, my Queen, and I know that you will feel more pain over this than I shall. I grow bored of ruling over this kingdom and have a want for a few more playmates. Either return to this world or I shall kill all those whom call it home." As the voice of poison spoke within her mind, Sarah watched as those who had been forced to their knees, three in total, were completely reduced to ash.

She screamed in anger and sorrow as she felt the being whom had stolen her throne laugh at her pain. While Sarah was unable to speak in such a state, she knew that he would be able to feel her emotions, and she focused on the rage and anger she held in her heart. She focused on her murderous intent towards him.

"Ah," The being said with obvious delight. "I see that you have grown more violent, wonderful, I have been so bored." Sarah would see his head on a spike, more so she would put it there.

His laughter beat around her in delight as he felt her intentions toward him.

"Until that time, my Queen." His voice was oily, poisonous, and she was relieved when it was gone.

Sarah clung to Jareth, her arms around his waist, as she buried her face into his chest. She hated that Witch-son. He needed to die.

"My love, what is it?" Jareth questioned in alarm as he realized she was crying. No matter what life she lived, she was never a pretty crier, but he had never minded.

"Jareth, my mind is open, I need you to help me seal it. I should have thought of it sooner." Sarah had, in the past, shields and wards up to block uninvited guests from strolling around in her mind, but she had not yet put them in place in this life, she needed his aid to do so.

"Of course." Sarah delighted in the fact that he did not ask her why she wanted her mind shielded, he would after the fact, but he would seal it first and ask why later. Sarah felt the gentle pressure in her mind that alerted her to the fact that he was in her head, but she did not mind. Not this time.

"It is done." Jareth informed her and she immediately felt the difference. It was one of those things where you did not notice it until after it had happened. It felt as if a wall had been built around her head, on the inside of her skull. Before her mind had been defenseless, but now it was well hidden. To Sarah it felt like the time her shower curtain had broken and she had to shower without a cover. She had not noticed how defenseless she felt until her defense was gone. Only now it was opposite, she had not noticed how defenseless she had felt until her defense had been put up. It felt as if a load of bricks had been taken off of her back and she could breathe easier.

"Thank you." Sarah said when her mental examination of it was complete and she found it without a crack.

"Of course. May I ask why you needed it?" Needed, not wanted. So he knew that it had not been a fancy but a necessity.

"The man who screwed with my memories when I lived as Soraia has been meddling again. I do not want him to place me under a spell and turn me against you, not again." Sarah said as she began to plot how she would find the gateway between their worlds. She would not be able to leave her people defenseless, nor had she any wish to, but she still felt wary about releasing Jareth's full memories. Perhaps she was a fool, but a doubt kept telling her to be untrusting towards him, or it had been.

Sarah paused closed her eyes. She searched for the little voice that warned her against trusting him, the voice that had urged her to run from him, that had held her back from telling him everything-and found it gone.