Sarah shook as she watched the man, her boyfriend, lean down on one knee in front of her. Her right hand immediately went to her mouth as Daniel grabbed her left and looked up at her expectantly. People were looking at them; the restaurant had grown silent. The only sound Sarah could hear was her own heartbeat and the sound of her breath easing in and out of her lungs. He pulled a small black box from his pocket and opened it to one of the most beautiful rings she'd ever set eyes on.

This was the right decision, the practical choice; the one that would shape her future from here on out. She would never have to worry about anything. She'd be taken care of, that she knew for sure, but something was missing. There was an emptiness inside her that refused to be ignored, even after she'd left the Underground and tried to move on with her life. There was a whole world waiting for her, many friends she relied on, dangers untold… but that was the thinking of a little girl. She was an adult now. And marrying the son of a senator was the adult choice to make; the practical decision to make. And so, with a deep breath, she nodded her head to Daniel with a smile she had to force.

"Yes, Daniel. I'll marry you," and it was the happiness in his eyes that broke her heart. He slipped the ring on her finger with ease and stood up. The applause around the restaurant was deafening as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She could feel the joy coming off him in waves, and it killed her.


In the Underground, Jareth, The Goblin King threw a crystal against the wall and watched it shatter into millions of tiny pieces. Enough was enough. He'd waited for her. She didn't know how much he wanted her, how much he needed her, but he always expected her to come back; even if it was only to see Hogwart. That mirror she used to contact him, the fox and the monster had long since been put away, along with the dolls and trinkets that used to adorn her room. He'd watched her grow from afar, and everyday he waited for her to call him to her. All she had to do was say his name. He could, just as easily, made a trip Aboveground and tell her everything. He wanted to rule her, he wanted to make her his. But his pride would not allow him to be the one to break first; The Goblin King gave in to no one and nothing. Not even her. She'd beaten him once, stung his pride, left him after he begged and she rejected him, and for that he swore to himself that he would wait until she called upon him again to see her face to face. However, extenuating circumstances called for a deviation from his plans. She would not be in the arms of another man. He wouldn't allow it. She was, after all, his.


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