Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows in a picturesc little church, casting rainbows across all surfaces, dancing across glittering jewelry, glossing styled hair and – seemingly – focusing on two figures standing at the pew, a priest before them.
Sarah was getting married.
Friends and family all sat on the decorated benches, weeping tears of joy. All except one. Toby. His tears did not flow for the joy of the occasion; he knew that his sister would never be truly happy with this man in the end. Never with this man. Toby knew that this man sparked no passion in his sister, and – twelve years old or not – he knew that he never would. He had warned his again and again, but she would not listen. She refused to call it off. She said that she was in love with him, but her brother knew that the only reason she would ever love the man she was marrying was because he was so different from the Goblin King.
Toby tried to put on an act of looking happy, but couldn't seem to quite manage it. His parents exchanged glances over his head; they believed that he was so sad because he would not get to see his sister as much anymore.
From the Castle Beyond the Goblin City Hoggle, Sir didymus, Ludo and all of Sarah's other friends from the Labyrinth saw through a viewing crystal – provided by Jareth – their friend's wedding. They all knew his reason for giving it to them; Sarah wanted them to see her get married. And he would do anything to make her happy, so he had arranged for it to be possible.
Her friends all sighed.
They all knew that she was marrying the wrong man. Even Hoggle, who was terrified of – and didn't like – the Goblin King, thought that she should be with Jareth, not this man who made her comfortable. Content. But never happy.
Of all the people in the room three were not sitting. Two of them were the bride and groom, and the third one... He hid in the shadows as his heart was torn out of his chest and methodically pulled into tiny little pieces to be dropped onto the floor. As his soul was slowly shredded with the dull claws of his broken heart.
How could he feel such joy and such pain at the same time? Joy for the happiness that he believed she had found. Pain for the fact that he could not be the source of that happiness. He hated the man standing there at the pew with her. Her highschool sweetheart. The man who had stolen her heart where Jareth could not. It should have been him standing there with Sarah, saying those vows. That man... He could never, would never, truly make her happy; he sparked no passion in her. Was that, perhaps, the reason she was willing to marry him? Because he was comfortable? The idea was frightening.
As Sarah and her chosen husband kissed, finalizing the ceremony, Jareth called on a little of his magic. Creamy lily petals rained in abundance from the ceiling. As Sarah and her husband pulled apart they noticed the dream-like rain. The man looked around, completely bewildered and Sarah gasped, smiling with delight – Jareth allowed himself a brief smile for this – looking up at the ceiling from which it was all falling. She knew of only one person who could do this. The Goblin King.
Looking down she saw him, discreetly tucked away.
She lipped a silent 'thank-you'. He nodded and faded away.
He would keep an eye on her – from a distance. Just as he had always done.
Her friends sighed sadly. This was the biggest mistake of her life.
A/N: So what did everyone think? Please let me know; this is my first OneShot.