For those of you who seem to be getting a little confused, yes, I have
posted this elsewhere on the net, under a different pen-name. Sorry if I
freaked anyone out by not mentioning it!
******
Jareth strode into his throne-room, and ordered the goblins that had called him to come forward. They did so, hesitantly, because they had been acting against orders. He leant forward, his voice deceptively soft.
'Did I not specifically command that no-one was to bother her again?'
One particularly brave goblin ventured forward.
'Beggin' your pardon, your highness, but we wasn't botherin' her. More, sort of, watchin' her.'
Another offered it's opinion.
'We was guardin' her, and the little one, sir.'
Jareth looked at them, one eyebrow raised. He ran his eyes over the trembling group.
'Well -' he said, noting them tense up in anticipation, '- you did a good job.'
They relaxed, grinning at one another.
'But -'
They tensed again, cowering under his stare.
'- you did disobey a direct order, so you should expect a severe punishment.'
They huddled even closer together. Jareth rose from the throne and began pacing the room. The heads of all those assembled turned to watch him.
'Normally I would throw you all into the Bog for this blatant disobedience, but your actions had a happy conclusion. Since Emelan could strike any moment, and her target would appear to be the Lady Sarah and her son, I shall make you directly responsible for their safety. I expect each and every one of you to be prepared to die for them, just as Coti was. Is that quite clear?'
They shook in fear, but bowed and thanked him profusely. He went on,
'You will meet myself and the lady in the garden after dinner this evening. Understood?'
They all answered in the affirmative before scurrying off, their faces fixed in terrified grins. Jareth bit back a smile. He was genuinely fond of his goblins, but they were so stupid, sometimes it amazed even him. Suddenly he was overcome with fear and anger. Shaking his head, he realised that Sarah must have woken up. Grinning viciously, he willed himself to her bedside.
This ought to be interesting.
Sarah was sitting up in bed, the covers clutched tightly around her. Her hair had fallen forward, covering her pale face. Her eyes widened in fury as she realised she was naked, then shock as she remembered the events of the night before. Concerned, Jareth came closer to her, noting the bruises that covered her arms and shoulders. She glanced up at him, and frowned angrily.
'Where's my son?'
Jareth blinked, having not expected that question until after she'd shouted at him about her surroundings. Sarah had changed somewhat since their last encounter.
Of course she has, she's a mother.
'He's in the nursery, playing with some of the younger goblins, I believe.'
Sarah sighed in relief.
'I'd like to see him.'
'Like that?'
Jareth looked her up and down, making her acutely aware that she was naked but for the protective covering of the sheets. His eyes darkened momentarily with an unreadable emotion, before settling into a mocking gaze. Sarah flushed, mentally kicking herself for letting him goad her.
'Where are my clothes?' she asked, wishing to get out from under his gaze. For some reason it was making her uncomfortably hot. Jareth smiled a predatory smile.
'They were burnt shortly after you arrived last night.'
'What? Why?'
Sarah seemed more than a little distressed by that revelation.
'They were not fit for you to wear, Sarah. There are plenty of clothes in that closet over there.' He gestured toward one of the doors by the fireplace.
'Right.'
Sarah swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up, staggering a little. Without turning around, she said,
'You stay right where you are.'
Jareth, having taken a step forward to help her stand upright, stopped abruptly and looked sharply at her.
'How did you know . . ?'
Sarah smiled grimly, arranging the sheet around her.
'Women's intuition?' she offered.
She shuffled over to the closet and pulled the door open. It was filled with rows and rows of colourful dresses, in a style reminiscent of the old white gown she used to play dress-up in. Painfully aware of Jareth's presence behind her, Sarah pulled out a rich crimson velvet gown, and looped it over her arm. Turning around, she glared at her audience.
'Do you mind?'
Jareth grinned.
'Not at all, please continue.'
Again Sarah blushed, this time a combination of anger and embarrassment. She tried a second time.
'I'd like a little privacy, please.'
'Very well.'
He turned his back. She could see his lips twitching with suppressed amusement. Angrily she tapped him on the shoulder, drawing back a few feet as he turned around.
'Yes?'
'I meant, could you leave the room?'
'Why?' he asked, a look of absolute astonishment on his face. 'It's my bedroom.'
All the colour left Sarah's face. She stammered,
'I beg your pardon?'
Jareth grinned, enjoying her discomfort.
'I am not in the habit of keeping guest rooms furbished in the hope that someone will wish themselves away, Sarah. When I brought you here, I had nowhere else to put you.'
'What about Cormac?'
'He slept in here with you.'
'And . . . you?'
Jareth took pity on her.
'I slept in the throne-room with the goblins. Get dressed. I'll wait in the corridor.'
He winked out of sight.
'Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better,' Sarah muttered, clambering into the dress.
It was a perfect fit; the only difficulty she had was in tying up the back. She just couldn't reach around to finish it and it was making her more and more angry. Just as she was about to give up, something grabbed the strings and did them up for her. She was about to blame Jareth when she realised he couldn't have known she was having trouble. Shaking it off as a side effect of being in the Labyrinth, Sarah searched the vanity for a hairbrush, pulling it through the tangles of the previous night. When she was ready, she took a last look in the mirror, tracing the outline of the bruises on her face.
'Here, let me fix that for you,' said a familiar voice, and Jareth's hands came up to frame her face. Sarah leapt off the seat with a yelp, and fell to the floor, the impact hurting more than she had expected. She must've been hurt more than she had realised last night. Jareth looked down at her mockingly and pulled her to her feet.
'Don't you ever use the door?' she hissed as he raised his hands to her face again.
'What for?' he asked, running his fingers over her bruises. Sarah felt a tingling along her skin that quickly faded.
'It would make me feel more comfortable,' she muttered, as he turned her around to face the mirror. She gasped. All the bruises were gone, and her peachy complexion had returned with a vengeance. Jareth allowed himself to feel smug when she turned back to him and said, breathlessly, her eyes wide with awe,
'Thank you.'
He nodded and extended a hand in her direction. She looked at it warily.
'You wanted to see your son, didn't you?'
A fond smile flitted across her face as she nodded and took his hand. Suppressing the rush of jealousy he felt, Jareth willed them to the nursery, where she and the little boy squealed with delight at seeing each other again.
Why can't she look at me with a smile like that? He thought resentfully, before shaking himself. Of course she's fond of the boy, he's her son. Don't be an ass, Jareth.
Sarah looked up at their host, happy now that Cormac was cradled safely in her arms. His expression was dark, almost angry, and she wondered for a moment what was wrong before reminding herself that she didn't care anyway.
'Why are we here?'
He looked down at her, his features carefully neutral.
'It's a long story. I'll tell you later, when the boy is in bed.'
Sarah frowned, but decided against commenting. Jareth's eyes were telling her that he was angry about something and she didn't fancy asking what it was. Just then, a horde of tiny goblins came screaming into the room, silencing instantly when they saw Jareth. The King smiled grimly at them, and turned to Sarah.
'If you'll excuse me, I have some things to do. You are free to do whatever you wish, though I would be honoured if you would join me for dinner.'
Sarah rose artfully, keeping Cormac still cuddled against her.
'What time would that be?'
Jareth frowned.
'Around eight this evening, I should think.'
'So when is Cormac going to eat? He's not staying up that late.' Sarah was in 'mum' mode, and even Jareth wouldn't cross a mother, especially not one with a temper like Sarah's.
'He can eat with the other little ones?' he offered, hoping that this was what she wanted.
To his infinite relief, Sarah nodded. To forestall her next question, he added,
'Rooms are being prepared for you and the child, so you will be able to put him down before you eat.'
Sarah smiled gratefully, not quite able to raise her eyes to his.
'Thank you, your majesty.'
When she looked up, he was gone.
***
Sarah knocked softly on the door, and waited, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles in her pale blue gown. The female goblins had insisted that she change for dinner, so after kissing Cormac goodnight, she had submitted to their ministrations. As she had watched them work, she had to admit they'd done a very good job. Her hair had been twisted up into an intricate knot atop her head, with delicate strands falling down to frame her face, which had been pinched, poked, and God-knows-what-ed to create a pale face with rosy cheeks. Much as she was loath to admit it, she really hoped that Jareth would like the end result.
The door was opened by a small goblin, which shuffled sideways and announced her, before exiting the room. Sarah stepped inside, not noticing Jareth for a moment. The room was so cosy, lit with candles, and from a fire that burned on the hearth. It looked more like a living room than a dining room. She had been expecting something huge, cold and austere; not like this at all.
Jareth caught his breath at the sight of her.
She is so beautiful.
Her face was upturned and shone with awe and excitement. There was something so childlike in her countenance; it was hard to believe that this was the girl who had defeated him all those years ago. He still felt guilt over the way he had treated her, but didn't know how to apologise. He had a feeling she wouldn't accept it anyway. Not his stubborn Sarah.
Not yours, you fool.
He shook himself, and rose to greet her, enjoying the way she flushed under his gaze.
As he kissed her hand, Sarah wondered briefly whether his smile was for her or his own thoughts. She dismissed the idea instantly, shocked at herself for even thinking it. She tore her eyes from his, and sat down, noting the grace with which he sat opposite.
'So,' she started, 'Why am I here?'
Jareth looked up at her, his expression unreadable. Sarah was taken aback, and added,
'Please?'
He sighed impatiently, and gestured for her to eat. As she did so, he stood and paced about.
'Your son was attacked by a powerful Fae sorceress named Emelan. She has been trying to take over the Labyrinth for millennia, because she believes that it is the portal to your world, and her inheritance.'
Sarah frowned.
'Is it?'
Jareth glanced at her, then turned away.
'Yes.'
'Both?'
He sighed and turned away.
'Yes, she is my older sister. Our father left me the crown because I was the only male heir, but Emelan felt this was unfair and has been trying to take it away ever since his death.'
'Then what did she want with Cormac?'
'I don't know. My only guess is that she thought, by hurting you, she could get to me.'
His tone warned her not to ask any questions about that. She paused, chewing thoughtfully.
'When I got upstairs, his room was full of goblins and they were fighting her. Why were they there?'
Jareth growled.
'Disobeying orders. I commanded that no one was to bother you, but they took it into their heads to protect you, and your son. That's what they were doing when you got there. When Emelan's attention was diverted -' he frowned at her reprovingly '- they called for me to take you both away.'
'What was she doing to me?'
Jareth leant over the table.
'What do you remember?'
She frowned in concentration.
'I remember being on the floor and looking into that crystal. And there was this, this fog that just clogged up my brain and . . . what was it?'
He frowned back at her.
'It is Emelan's style of magic. She destroys people from the inside. If you hadn't recalled my name, you would have been lost for all eternity, forced to face every one of your fears over and over again, wanting death and never receiving it. You almost got yourself killed!'
He slammed his fist down onto the table, causing Sarah, and the crockery, to jump. Angry that he had frightened her, Sarah jumped up from the table.
'Well, what was I supposed to do, let her turn my son into stone?'
Jareth strode over to her, standing so close as to be almost touching. He towered over her, making her feel small and insignificant . . . and lustful. She pushed that feeling out of her mind as his mis-matched eyes glared down into her green ones, his nose millimetres from hers.
'You could have called for me!'
Sarah was furious.
'Forgive me, noble sir, but I wouldn't have called for you even if I had thought of it! You're not exactly what I would call reliable!'
Speechless, he glared down at her, his eyes intense. Sarah suddenly became aware of how close they were standing and backed up quickly. Unfortunately, this put her at a slight disadvantage, as she almost fell over her chair. He moved quickly to catch her, his arms encircling her waist. She was instantly aware of his hands on her, of the feel of his breath on her ear, of the jelly that was her body and how her spine tingled at his touch. Standing upright once more, she hastily pushed him away, keeping her eyes averted from his.
'Please don't stand so close,' she said, in a quiet pleading tone.
Jareth let go and moved away, his face puzzled.
'Why?'
'It makes me feel uncomfortable.'
Ordinarily Jareth would've been pleased with such an admission, but he knew he didn't want Sarah uncomfortable with him. They stood in silence for a while until it became unbearable. Jareth coughed, now uncomfortable himself.
'Would you care to take a walk in the gardens with me?'
Relieved, Sarah nodded, and took his hand. Once they were outside, she let go and walked in silence beside him, gazing up at the stars. Finally Jareth broke the silence.
'What did you mean?'
Sarah glanced at him.
'What?'
'About me being unreliable?'
She winced; she'd hoped he would have missed that.
Oh well, here goes.
'You can't tell me you don't know?' she said, anger edging her words. Confused, he looked down at her angry face.
What have I done now? he thought.
'I don't know what?'
Sarah sighed with frustration, and turned on him.
'About Cormac!'
Jareth looked a little like a deer caught in headlights.
'What about him?'
'He's your son!'
His eyes widened as he took in what she had just shouted into his astonished face.
'You . . . you're sure?'
Sarah's green eyes hardened to emerald, and she slapped him. Trouble was, she didn't touch him. Jareth raised his hand to his rapidly reddening cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. Sarah was horrified, and awe-struck.
Why on earth did I do that? she thought. How?
Jareth looked over her shoulder at the goblins who were advancing toward them. Gesturing at the group, he told her,
'These are to be yours and Cormac's bodyguard. They will escort you wherever you need to go.'
'Jareth, I . . .'
He looked coldly into her terrified eyes.
'Goodnight, my lady.'
He turned on his heel, too angry to will away safely, leaving her to exchanged horrified glances with the goblins.
******
Jareth strode into his throne-room, and ordered the goblins that had called him to come forward. They did so, hesitantly, because they had been acting against orders. He leant forward, his voice deceptively soft.
'Did I not specifically command that no-one was to bother her again?'
One particularly brave goblin ventured forward.
'Beggin' your pardon, your highness, but we wasn't botherin' her. More, sort of, watchin' her.'
Another offered it's opinion.
'We was guardin' her, and the little one, sir.'
Jareth looked at them, one eyebrow raised. He ran his eyes over the trembling group.
'Well -' he said, noting them tense up in anticipation, '- you did a good job.'
They relaxed, grinning at one another.
'But -'
They tensed again, cowering under his stare.
'- you did disobey a direct order, so you should expect a severe punishment.'
They huddled even closer together. Jareth rose from the throne and began pacing the room. The heads of all those assembled turned to watch him.
'Normally I would throw you all into the Bog for this blatant disobedience, but your actions had a happy conclusion. Since Emelan could strike any moment, and her target would appear to be the Lady Sarah and her son, I shall make you directly responsible for their safety. I expect each and every one of you to be prepared to die for them, just as Coti was. Is that quite clear?'
They shook in fear, but bowed and thanked him profusely. He went on,
'You will meet myself and the lady in the garden after dinner this evening. Understood?'
They all answered in the affirmative before scurrying off, their faces fixed in terrified grins. Jareth bit back a smile. He was genuinely fond of his goblins, but they were so stupid, sometimes it amazed even him. Suddenly he was overcome with fear and anger. Shaking his head, he realised that Sarah must have woken up. Grinning viciously, he willed himself to her bedside.
This ought to be interesting.
Sarah was sitting up in bed, the covers clutched tightly around her. Her hair had fallen forward, covering her pale face. Her eyes widened in fury as she realised she was naked, then shock as she remembered the events of the night before. Concerned, Jareth came closer to her, noting the bruises that covered her arms and shoulders. She glanced up at him, and frowned angrily.
'Where's my son?'
Jareth blinked, having not expected that question until after she'd shouted at him about her surroundings. Sarah had changed somewhat since their last encounter.
Of course she has, she's a mother.
'He's in the nursery, playing with some of the younger goblins, I believe.'
Sarah sighed in relief.
'I'd like to see him.'
'Like that?'
Jareth looked her up and down, making her acutely aware that she was naked but for the protective covering of the sheets. His eyes darkened momentarily with an unreadable emotion, before settling into a mocking gaze. Sarah flushed, mentally kicking herself for letting him goad her.
'Where are my clothes?' she asked, wishing to get out from under his gaze. For some reason it was making her uncomfortably hot. Jareth smiled a predatory smile.
'They were burnt shortly after you arrived last night.'
'What? Why?'
Sarah seemed more than a little distressed by that revelation.
'They were not fit for you to wear, Sarah. There are plenty of clothes in that closet over there.' He gestured toward one of the doors by the fireplace.
'Right.'
Sarah swung her legs over the side of the bed, and stood up, staggering a little. Without turning around, she said,
'You stay right where you are.'
Jareth, having taken a step forward to help her stand upright, stopped abruptly and looked sharply at her.
'How did you know . . ?'
Sarah smiled grimly, arranging the sheet around her.
'Women's intuition?' she offered.
She shuffled over to the closet and pulled the door open. It was filled with rows and rows of colourful dresses, in a style reminiscent of the old white gown she used to play dress-up in. Painfully aware of Jareth's presence behind her, Sarah pulled out a rich crimson velvet gown, and looped it over her arm. Turning around, she glared at her audience.
'Do you mind?'
Jareth grinned.
'Not at all, please continue.'
Again Sarah blushed, this time a combination of anger and embarrassment. She tried a second time.
'I'd like a little privacy, please.'
'Very well.'
He turned his back. She could see his lips twitching with suppressed amusement. Angrily she tapped him on the shoulder, drawing back a few feet as he turned around.
'Yes?'
'I meant, could you leave the room?'
'Why?' he asked, a look of absolute astonishment on his face. 'It's my bedroom.'
All the colour left Sarah's face. She stammered,
'I beg your pardon?'
Jareth grinned, enjoying her discomfort.
'I am not in the habit of keeping guest rooms furbished in the hope that someone will wish themselves away, Sarah. When I brought you here, I had nowhere else to put you.'
'What about Cormac?'
'He slept in here with you.'
'And . . . you?'
Jareth took pity on her.
'I slept in the throne-room with the goblins. Get dressed. I'll wait in the corridor.'
He winked out of sight.
'Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better,' Sarah muttered, clambering into the dress.
It was a perfect fit; the only difficulty she had was in tying up the back. She just couldn't reach around to finish it and it was making her more and more angry. Just as she was about to give up, something grabbed the strings and did them up for her. She was about to blame Jareth when she realised he couldn't have known she was having trouble. Shaking it off as a side effect of being in the Labyrinth, Sarah searched the vanity for a hairbrush, pulling it through the tangles of the previous night. When she was ready, she took a last look in the mirror, tracing the outline of the bruises on her face.
'Here, let me fix that for you,' said a familiar voice, and Jareth's hands came up to frame her face. Sarah leapt off the seat with a yelp, and fell to the floor, the impact hurting more than she had expected. She must've been hurt more than she had realised last night. Jareth looked down at her mockingly and pulled her to her feet.
'Don't you ever use the door?' she hissed as he raised his hands to her face again.
'What for?' he asked, running his fingers over her bruises. Sarah felt a tingling along her skin that quickly faded.
'It would make me feel more comfortable,' she muttered, as he turned her around to face the mirror. She gasped. All the bruises were gone, and her peachy complexion had returned with a vengeance. Jareth allowed himself to feel smug when she turned back to him and said, breathlessly, her eyes wide with awe,
'Thank you.'
He nodded and extended a hand in her direction. She looked at it warily.
'You wanted to see your son, didn't you?'
A fond smile flitted across her face as she nodded and took his hand. Suppressing the rush of jealousy he felt, Jareth willed them to the nursery, where she and the little boy squealed with delight at seeing each other again.
Why can't she look at me with a smile like that? He thought resentfully, before shaking himself. Of course she's fond of the boy, he's her son. Don't be an ass, Jareth.
Sarah looked up at their host, happy now that Cormac was cradled safely in her arms. His expression was dark, almost angry, and she wondered for a moment what was wrong before reminding herself that she didn't care anyway.
'Why are we here?'
He looked down at her, his features carefully neutral.
'It's a long story. I'll tell you later, when the boy is in bed.'
Sarah frowned, but decided against commenting. Jareth's eyes were telling her that he was angry about something and she didn't fancy asking what it was. Just then, a horde of tiny goblins came screaming into the room, silencing instantly when they saw Jareth. The King smiled grimly at them, and turned to Sarah.
'If you'll excuse me, I have some things to do. You are free to do whatever you wish, though I would be honoured if you would join me for dinner.'
Sarah rose artfully, keeping Cormac still cuddled against her.
'What time would that be?'
Jareth frowned.
'Around eight this evening, I should think.'
'So when is Cormac going to eat? He's not staying up that late.' Sarah was in 'mum' mode, and even Jareth wouldn't cross a mother, especially not one with a temper like Sarah's.
'He can eat with the other little ones?' he offered, hoping that this was what she wanted.
To his infinite relief, Sarah nodded. To forestall her next question, he added,
'Rooms are being prepared for you and the child, so you will be able to put him down before you eat.'
Sarah smiled gratefully, not quite able to raise her eyes to his.
'Thank you, your majesty.'
When she looked up, he was gone.
***
Sarah knocked softly on the door, and waited, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles in her pale blue gown. The female goblins had insisted that she change for dinner, so after kissing Cormac goodnight, she had submitted to their ministrations. As she had watched them work, she had to admit they'd done a very good job. Her hair had been twisted up into an intricate knot atop her head, with delicate strands falling down to frame her face, which had been pinched, poked, and God-knows-what-ed to create a pale face with rosy cheeks. Much as she was loath to admit it, she really hoped that Jareth would like the end result.
The door was opened by a small goblin, which shuffled sideways and announced her, before exiting the room. Sarah stepped inside, not noticing Jareth for a moment. The room was so cosy, lit with candles, and from a fire that burned on the hearth. It looked more like a living room than a dining room. She had been expecting something huge, cold and austere; not like this at all.
Jareth caught his breath at the sight of her.
She is so beautiful.
Her face was upturned and shone with awe and excitement. There was something so childlike in her countenance; it was hard to believe that this was the girl who had defeated him all those years ago. He still felt guilt over the way he had treated her, but didn't know how to apologise. He had a feeling she wouldn't accept it anyway. Not his stubborn Sarah.
Not yours, you fool.
He shook himself, and rose to greet her, enjoying the way she flushed under his gaze.
As he kissed her hand, Sarah wondered briefly whether his smile was for her or his own thoughts. She dismissed the idea instantly, shocked at herself for even thinking it. She tore her eyes from his, and sat down, noting the grace with which he sat opposite.
'So,' she started, 'Why am I here?'
Jareth looked up at her, his expression unreadable. Sarah was taken aback, and added,
'Please?'
He sighed impatiently, and gestured for her to eat. As she did so, he stood and paced about.
'Your son was attacked by a powerful Fae sorceress named Emelan. She has been trying to take over the Labyrinth for millennia, because she believes that it is the portal to your world, and her inheritance.'
Sarah frowned.
'Is it?'
Jareth glanced at her, then turned away.
'Yes.'
'Both?'
He sighed and turned away.
'Yes, she is my older sister. Our father left me the crown because I was the only male heir, but Emelan felt this was unfair and has been trying to take it away ever since his death.'
'Then what did she want with Cormac?'
'I don't know. My only guess is that she thought, by hurting you, she could get to me.'
His tone warned her not to ask any questions about that. She paused, chewing thoughtfully.
'When I got upstairs, his room was full of goblins and they were fighting her. Why were they there?'
Jareth growled.
'Disobeying orders. I commanded that no one was to bother you, but they took it into their heads to protect you, and your son. That's what they were doing when you got there. When Emelan's attention was diverted -' he frowned at her reprovingly '- they called for me to take you both away.'
'What was she doing to me?'
Jareth leant over the table.
'What do you remember?'
She frowned in concentration.
'I remember being on the floor and looking into that crystal. And there was this, this fog that just clogged up my brain and . . . what was it?'
He frowned back at her.
'It is Emelan's style of magic. She destroys people from the inside. If you hadn't recalled my name, you would have been lost for all eternity, forced to face every one of your fears over and over again, wanting death and never receiving it. You almost got yourself killed!'
He slammed his fist down onto the table, causing Sarah, and the crockery, to jump. Angry that he had frightened her, Sarah jumped up from the table.
'Well, what was I supposed to do, let her turn my son into stone?'
Jareth strode over to her, standing so close as to be almost touching. He towered over her, making her feel small and insignificant . . . and lustful. She pushed that feeling out of her mind as his mis-matched eyes glared down into her green ones, his nose millimetres from hers.
'You could have called for me!'
Sarah was furious.
'Forgive me, noble sir, but I wouldn't have called for you even if I had thought of it! You're not exactly what I would call reliable!'
Speechless, he glared down at her, his eyes intense. Sarah suddenly became aware of how close they were standing and backed up quickly. Unfortunately, this put her at a slight disadvantage, as she almost fell over her chair. He moved quickly to catch her, his arms encircling her waist. She was instantly aware of his hands on her, of the feel of his breath on her ear, of the jelly that was her body and how her spine tingled at his touch. Standing upright once more, she hastily pushed him away, keeping her eyes averted from his.
'Please don't stand so close,' she said, in a quiet pleading tone.
Jareth let go and moved away, his face puzzled.
'Why?'
'It makes me feel uncomfortable.'
Ordinarily Jareth would've been pleased with such an admission, but he knew he didn't want Sarah uncomfortable with him. They stood in silence for a while until it became unbearable. Jareth coughed, now uncomfortable himself.
'Would you care to take a walk in the gardens with me?'
Relieved, Sarah nodded, and took his hand. Once they were outside, she let go and walked in silence beside him, gazing up at the stars. Finally Jareth broke the silence.
'What did you mean?'
Sarah glanced at him.
'What?'
'About me being unreliable?'
She winced; she'd hoped he would have missed that.
Oh well, here goes.
'You can't tell me you don't know?' she said, anger edging her words. Confused, he looked down at her angry face.
What have I done now? he thought.
'I don't know what?'
Sarah sighed with frustration, and turned on him.
'About Cormac!'
Jareth looked a little like a deer caught in headlights.
'What about him?'
'He's your son!'
His eyes widened as he took in what she had just shouted into his astonished face.
'You . . . you're sure?'
Sarah's green eyes hardened to emerald, and she slapped him. Trouble was, she didn't touch him. Jareth raised his hand to his rapidly reddening cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. Sarah was horrified, and awe-struck.
Why on earth did I do that? she thought. How?
Jareth looked over her shoulder at the goblins who were advancing toward them. Gesturing at the group, he told her,
'These are to be yours and Cormac's bodyguard. They will escort you wherever you need to go.'
'Jareth, I . . .'
He looked coldly into her terrified eyes.
'Goodnight, my lady.'
He turned on his heel, too angry to will away safely, leaving her to exchanged horrified glances with the goblins.
