A Complicated Romance

Chapter One

-Jareth-

From the top of the tallest tower in the castle of Goblin, the king watched his kingdom. It had passed 15 years in the mortal world, from the day Sarah defeated the Labyrinth. So many things had changed in the strange human world. Each time he visited there, Jareth found new things, which actually rarely impressed him.
"Men have always wanted to create their own magic" Jareth thought with a smirk. "Too bad that many things remain the same or even worse among them"
Jareth thought about all the new children he gathered in recent years. So many. It seemed they were more and more. At least once a week someone wanted a child to disappear. Young girls got pregnant by mistake and tried everything to get rid of the children. Even for a goblin that was impressive. And Jareth was not a goblin. It was a Fae. An elf. The elves ruled above all other inferior species of magical creatures. The goblins were probably the worst. Blockheads, unable to think really, except some rare exceptions. Of course other species of creatures lived among the goblins. But there was nothing beyond.
Sometimes Jareth missed the society of the elves, the endless dances, philosophers and intelligent conversations. Too bad he had not given the value in due course. When he was young he hated the protocol, the endless rules, to obey all older than himself. Like all young people, he now realize, had been a revolt against everything and everyone. Done great follies, even for an elf. His reward had been to govern between a species as inferior as the goblins. In the beginning was very hard. But human children grew, and so soon Jareth found himself with a company a little better. It was just unfortunate that the goblins did not like a lot of "mixed", neither humans nor elves. Because any human who spend much time in the kingdom became that. A mixture of races.
Thus, humans lived in a city of their own , which they had built over time. Many worked in the castle, as private domestic servants of Jareth. And Jareth often visited their city, for a little chat with someone able to answer with intelligence. Everyone considered him a sort of father there. It had been he who had raised them when nobody wanted to. When no one claimed them.
"Except for her." Jareth reflected, thinking of Sarah. She had claimed her brother. Strange fact that in the beginning it had been fun. That little brat really thought he could cope. Here's an unexpected challenge that he accepted willingly to break the monotony of his long existence. And it was fun. But in a moment he realized that it was no longer a game, at least for him. Sarah's stubbornness, her courage to face him, how had managed to meet friends in a place so inhospitable, all this fascinated him. And after dancing with her, he realized he wanted her to stay there with him at any price. He was willing to give her everything she wanted. Everything. But all she wanted was to go home with her brother. Therefore, with the broken heart, he left her to go.
Sometimes he watched Sarah. Now she was 30, a solid career as an actress, a family of her own. She still maintained contacts with his old comrades of the Labyrinth, but it was a rare thing. Had also become a very beautiful woman. Its beauty dawns slowly.
Jareth decided to descend the tower. Was already dusk, and this was the time that he liked to go wandering between worlds, transformed into an owl. To observe.

Miriam Part

The breakfast was done, the clothes hanging out, the floor swept and washed, all before seven in the morning. As he liked. Fast, efficient and above all, silent. Now there were seven and a half and it was time to wake up her husband for him to work in the office.
She had passed his shirt three times. It was almost impossible to have any wrinkle. The trousers had also been passed and scored. The shoes were so bright you could see your reflection on it. Everything seemed perfect.
Miriam took the tray of the breakfast and took it to his room. She and Jaime have not slept together in the same room a long time. He said that Miriam wasn't capable of being his wife in bed. So it was not worth sharing the same bed. This he said. Miriam doesn't remember anymore how it was to sleep with him, how it felt. In fact, she remembered very little of the early days of her marriage with Jaime. Of course there had been good times. She simply could not remember. Everything that happened since had overshadowed those times.

"Good morning, love. It's time to get to work. "- She murmured with a smile, something forced. Jaime said that a good wife always had to smile at her husband.

He growled a few words and turned to the other side. Miriam had expected this. Jaime had returned home only early morning, after a night out with friends. It was normal to be tired now. But if not she didn't awake him now, she knew what would happen next. And she would prefer to avoid that.

"Jaime, you really need to get up love. Otherwise you'll end up late for work. "
"Shut up fool, let me sleep." - He muttered.
"How was that we got to this point?" - Miriam thought, as she bent to shake him a little.
She barely touched him, she felt his hands on her neck to squeeze her throat with such force that she could hardly breathe.
"I told you I want to sleep, bitch. Now go do your homework and let me sleep, you understand? "

With dizziness, Miriam nodded and he dropped her. She took the opportunity to escape to her room and curled up on top of her bed. She knew what was coming next. She thought about leaving; go shopping at the supermarket, anything that could avoid a confrontation that morning. But she knew that if he did not wake up now, it hardly would wake up so early, and much less well-disposed.
Miriam felt tired of the "phases" of him. He meddle upon her the sins of everyone. At first, nothing had been. But one day, the complaints began. Then came the humiliation, the screams. From then until he starts' beating her was a short step. For a while he even apologized after he hurt, he said he did not want it to happen. Now he didn't care anymore. Why? She was only one employed full time there. After marriage, Jaime had managed to convince her to quit her job. He had said he wanted children, and so it was best that she just stopped working. Said so many things, Jaime. All lies. The children had never arrived. And thankfully, she said. That was no life for an adult. How would have been for an innocent child? More than that, Miriam was afraid to hate any child that Jaime could have given her.

"Miriam!" - The cry was heard throughout the house. She prepared for the worst. "Your daughter a useless bitch. Where are you? Why do not you wake me? Why is this coffee so cold? "