You May Leave
The unexpected appearance of her in his study room caught him off guard. What was she doing here? He thought with despair. Their eyes met briefly before Scarlet turned away, feeling uneasy under his gaze.
"What brings Consort Scarlet to my study?" He asked, breaking the brief kiss he had shared with vera.
Scarlet forced a smile and turned to face Jareth. "It's not important, Your Highness. You seem busy. I'll come back later."
With that, she left. How could she have thought he was any different? All men were the same, even the devil. She would never trust anyone again. Never.
But what did she even mean by trust? Of course, she was only here to save him, nothing more. She didn't need to trust him, nor did she need his trust.
She was confused now. She needed his trust in order to fulfill her mission and return to her own world. Maybe she should tell him the truth, that she wasn't Scarlet, and she didn't belong in this world. That she had somehow stumbled into this story after leaving her ex-fiance and being attacked by something she couldn't explain.
She scolded herself internally, realizing how ridiculous she must sound. Who would believe her? Even she found it hard to believe that she was now a minor character in a story.
She was supposed to play the role of Consort Vera, as her manager had told her. But somehow, she had time traveled into Scarlet's body.
"It would have been better if it had been Vera's body. Then I wouldn't have to deal with this troublesome love story," she muttered, frustrated.
Why her? Why couldn't it have been someone else? She didn't want to witness the complicated love affairs of these characters.
She calmed down, remembering Athena's words. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself.
It was then that she realized Ilvia had been following her the whole time. She stopped and turned to see Ilvia with a pained expression on her face. Ilvia didn't realize that her lady had stopped walking and almost bumped into Scarlet in her distracted state.
She gazed upwards, letting out a long and heavy sigh, the umpteenth of its kind. Scarlet couldn't help but ask, "What is it, Ilvia?"
"Nothing, my lady."
"Do you want to go without food for three days, for keeping what is bothering you from me?" Ilvia widened her eyes in shock, receiving a rare threat from her lady.
"No, my lady."
"Then what is it?" Scarlet rolled her eyes impatiently.
Ilvia wanted to laugh at her lady's behavior, but managed to hold it in. She couldn't afford to get in trouble for such a trivial matter.
"My lady has been saying strange things since you nearly drowned," Ilvia paused and continued, "But I know my lady is strong and can overcome any challenge. You will surely regain your memory soon, it just takes time." She gave Scarlet a reassuring smile, but deep down, she felt a twinge of pain.
"Who told you-" Scarlet began, before getting cut off by Ilvia.
"I believe in you, my lady. You don't have to suffer and pretending it's not your body. You are the best." Ilvia gave a thumbs up with her pinky finger.
Scarlet smiled back at her, blinking rapidly to stop her tears from falling.
"Thank you, Ilvia. Your words give me courage." She longed for a friend like Ilvia, someone who would comfort her in times of sorrow, stand by her through tough times, and remind her that she was strong and didn't have to be sensitive about every little thing. She wanted someone who would care for her and cherish their moments together, someone she could always do the same for.
That was the kind of friend she yearned for, but Anna, her supposed friend, had betrayed her and caused her nothing but pain, leading her to this moment. Scarlet wondered if Anna was happy with the role she had played in her life, causing a bitter smile to form on her lips.
After mustering up her courage, she asked with a shaky voice, "And who told you that I can't remember anything?"
"Does my lady recall anything?" Ilvia questioned with wide, curious eyes.
"Of course, I remember everything from the beginning," Scarlet exclaimed, jumping with joy.
Ilvia scolded, chasing after her lady. "My lady, you cannot do that. A lady is not meant to behave in such a manner."
Scarlet scoffed, unable to believe that the same person who was once concerned for her was now reprimanding her.
*********
"Your Highness-" Consort Vera called, catching Jareth's attention.
He pulled her down and straightened her clothing. Even though they had not finished their foreplay, she knew she had him under her control.
She smiled, taking a seat on a nearby wooden chair with a backrest, next to Jareth.
"Your Highness, when will you choose an empress for yourself?" This was the very question that irritated Jareth. It was his decision and no one seemed to respect that. Even if he was in love with her, she had no right to interfere. Whatever choice he made was his own business.
"You may leave, Consort Vera," He said, furrowing his brow.
He was back to addressing her as "consort." Just moments ago, he had simply called her name, consumed with thoughts of his own pleasure. But as soon as he was finished with her, he reverted back to his usual self.
"Jareth- " How dare she address him by his name? He thought with annoyance.
"Call me Your Highness," He replied, his tone laced with anger, causing her to flinch.
He took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, before adding, "You may leave, Consort Vera."
She saw the blazing anger in his eyes and the intent to kill, and she knew he was not an ordinary man. There was something more to him, but it was hard for her to believe the rumors. Yet, what if they were true? She wondered as she made her way out.
*********
As soon as Scarlet reached her room, she collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Soon enough, the rain began to fall, and Ilvia, her maidservant, shut the windows to prevent the rain from entering the chamber.
Scarlet hated the rain- more specifically, she despised thunder.
If it hadn't rained that day, they wouldn't be dead, and she wouldn't be alone. Or was it just a simple rain or there was more to it that had killed them.