The Labyrinth on Bourbon Street 2

The Treasures of the Underground

"And this, my dearest," Jareth hummed, opening an enormous door and revealing a dragon's horde of treasure. "...is our keep."

"Holy hell..." I whispered with what I was sure was my last breath. "I have never seen this much of anything in my life, let alone money..." 

Jareth nuzzled my neck, his toothy smile pressing into my skin. I almost didn't notice it. The only thing I could think of was how I could pay off my student loans at least four times over with all the treasure. 

"You will be a welcome addition to my treasure collection, Lapis." Jareth put his arm around my waist. For a second, I thought he was going to shove me into the room and lock me in with the treasure as his prisoner, judging on what he was telling me. When I figured out all he was doing was flirting with me, I just smiled wearily at him and continued to look at the mountains of glittering gold. 

"Do you mind if I have a look?" I asked, coming off as way more excited than intended.

"Make yourself at home." Jareth pushed the door open a little wider, as to fit my entire enormous hoop skirt through the narrow door frame. 

I stepped on to a pile of gold coins and I almost slid down into a valley. I caught myself last minute and landed on my behind in the dorkiest and most endearing way I could pull off. I picked up a massive sapphire, one that was almost as big as my head, and the first thing to come to mind was the baby grand piano that Sebastian always wanted. There was plenty of treasure to get him six or seven, at least. And how about Allie? I could get her a whole dance studio. Hell, I'd buy the goddamn high school, gut it, and turn it into her own personal practice mansion. It would be swell.

And only upon thinking about my friends did it dawn on me that I had made a horrible, terrible mistake. 

I had betrayed them. My heart dropped into my stomach acid and I felt something worse than the regret that I had anticipated. I felt genuine, undiluted guilt.

"Pardon the interruption..." Came a scraggly voice from above the valley. I momentarily averted my attention from my remorse to see what news had arrived.

"What?!" Jareth snapped, impatiently. 

"...her majesty's chambers are ready." the voice of the little goblin page responded. "Is her majesty prepared to retire for the night?" 

Jareth picked the little creature up by the collar. "I don't know." He growled, coming nose-to-nose with him. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Begging your pardon, your excellency, but I myself am not permitted to enter the room of treasures..." he begged, his voice trailing off and shaking with anxiety. 

"Now listen here, you filthy creature." Jareth snarled. "Your insolence is coming dangerously close to landing you a severe punishment..." 

I couldn't bear to watch the little fellow be castigated unjustifiably. I wadded up the front of my skirt in my fists and started to climb up the pile of gold. As soon as I reached the top, I pulled the page out of his hands. I set him on the ground and knelt down to get to his level.

"Yes, I am about ready to retire for the night." I conceded, speaking as kindly and as gently as possible. "Thank you for preparing my royal chambers, Sir Page."

The little goblin was ecstatic. He started to jitter in his satisfaction. "You are quite welcome, your royal loveliness!" He returned with a salute. He muttered words of his fulfillment to himself as he scrambled off.

"Well, well..." Jareth purred from behind me, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Aren't you a motherly figure?"

I tried to hold back a snort, and failed. "I can assure you, that is not what that was." I retorted. Out of all his misconceptions about me, this was the only thing that I could build up the courage to flat out object. I kept my back to him so he couldn't see me rolling my eyes. 

"It could be." Jareth implied. "If you wish it." 

"Well," I started, feeling him reaching my backside. "I do not. I have never had a mother, and I do not intend to be one." 

"Your choice." Jareth concluded. "And speaking of wishes..." 

He raised his gloved hand and held a peach at my eye level. "Happy homecoming, my dearest." 

I looked back at him and forced a smile, my eyes squinting. "What is this one going to do to me?" I asked, treading lightly.

"It's a homemade spell of mine that's made to give you good dreams, if you are to be sleeping alone tonight." He explained, opening my hand and placing it down. 

"I'm gonna have to pass." I smiled with courtesy. In reality, I was a bit turned off by the drug that Madame Mique gave me a year ago. I remembered that he promised that he would never lay a hand on me without my consent, but something about his enchanted fruits didn't sit right with me. "Sounds like a lot of trouble."

"It was, but I insist." He urged, stepping in front of me and looking down to my face. Something, be it paranoia or better judgement, told me that he was deceiving me. Either way, I had learned my lesson about taking pomegranates from the underworld.

"Thank you, but no..." I stepped back, feeling excessively backed into a corner. "I would much rather make my own sweet dreams."

Jareth's face fell, as if by rejecting his present, I had offended him personally. There was an awkward silence for a few lengthy seconds and then I felt the need to excuse myself.

"Good night, your most excellency." I said with a clumsy curtsy. "I look forward to seeing you in the morning." 

"Good night, my young intended." He said, his face relaxing. He blew a kiss in my direction and smiled to himself as I almost tripped over my hoop skirt once again. Something about the phrase 'young intended' was kind of unsettling. 

I finally arrived at my chambers; it was the most beautiful place in the entire kingdom. The bed frame was made of trees that intertwined and were in full blossom, the lighting came from a candelabra of stars, and a canopy of silky, lacy spiderwebs was draped over the bed. It looked to be an anthology of all the most beautiful things produced in the kingdom.