"Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up."
― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones

Diary.

He's found out I've been riding. I've gotten away with it for a whole WEEK and he finds out now. I've just come back from probably the biggest fight ever with him. I don't know how he found out but I am genuinely hurt.

Jareth brought up the whole "I love you so much but your ungrateful and don't love me back" thing once again. He just doesn't get the message does he? I was brought here against my will, trapped inside a room that is so bland I feel instantly depressed when I walk in, and forced to attend balls in too tight dresses and pointy shoes. And he expects me to instantly fall in love with his glittery behind. I wish that he would at least try. That he would actually spend time with me instead of being locked up in his study.

About my riding, he simply stated I will not be riding anymore. I lost in then. I didn't even have the strength to argue with him. I just silently nodded as the tears started. He eventually noticed and sighed.

"I will allow you to go riding, but only if I accompany you." He says forcefully.

"But I still want to ride my horse." I say defiantly, hopefully he hasn't figured out what horse I'm riding.

"As you wish." He whispers.

And he was gone. In a sea of glitter. I was left standing alone. As always, I'm alone. It seems that's all I'll ever be…

Jareths P.O.V

Why does she fight against me? She is so ungrateful!

"But maybe, you should spend some time with her, and actually get to know her…" said that voice inside his head, boy how wrong he was to think that voice was gone.

"Maybe, I should spend a little time with her…" he thought. Already he was making plans for a ride in the meadow. Maybe it was time to get the old saddle out…

Diary.

Jareth has asked me to go riding! He said he has made all the plans for my horse to be groomed and taken care of. No mention of Althalos. I am looking forward to the ride. Hopefully I'll get to see tom. Maybe Jareth has finally decided to spend some time with me? I would like too. But if he insists that I have to wear a padded safety suit, I'll have to put my foot down.

I went exploring in the castle the other day. I found the Escher room, but I didn't hang around in there long, to many bad memories. It was shattered into a million fragments, like a broken mirror. All the fragments just drifted around. I slammed the door behind me and hurried away.

I found the kitchens! I introduced myself to the chef. Ella's her name. She really is a nice lady. I think we'll be good friends later on. If there is a later on. I am quite confused as to how long I will be staying here for. Does Jareth intend to keep me here? Like, forever? I certainly hope not! The goblins are nice creatures, but a few are quite nasty, and find great delight in hiding all my things, and when I DO find them, they go on and hide something else. Sometimes I consider complaining to Jareth, but I am not sure he would listen to my ramblings, and he would most likely call me an ungrateful little child. I am an adult! Not a little child he can boss around and do what he pleases with.

Just the other day, I went and visited Jareth in his study. I was simply dying of boredom and had done almost everything in the castle that could appease my boredom. I visited the paintings of Jareths family, I do that quite often, and I do hope I could meet them one day, his mother is a beautiful woman, and his father is a stunning old man. I sat there for a while just watching them, but eventually I grew tiresome of that. I tried my hand at painting in the extensive art room the castle has, but ended up splattered in paint. I tried helping Ella with cooking, but eventually she shooed me away, saying she had no room in the kitchen for "beautiful nitwits who should never cook." So, eventually I decided to go find Jareth. Call me a fool, but sometimes you have to talk to a sane person every once in a while.

So, I started wandering down a corridor. I eventually came to a door, and simple sign was hanging on the door. It read, "Beware, for those who enter are at possible risk of being bogged." I rolled my eyes at this, it sounded SO like something Jareth would say. So, I knocked.

"Come in!" said a bored voice from inside.

"Yep, definitely Jareth." I muttered under my breath as I opened the door. I walked across the threshold and into his study. It really had a homely feel to it you know? There was a fire place crackling near the velvet red couch, and a fur comforter was placed upon it.

Nearby, Jareth had his feet up on his desk. He sat up straighter when he saw me walk in.

"Well Sarah, what a pleasant surprise!" he said gleefully.

"Yes well, I was just bored and I didn't realize you were busy, so I'll just um… leave now." I mumbled, cursing myself for thinking he wouldn't be busy.

"no no! you are a welcome distraction from all this paperwork!" he cries as he gestures to the enormous pile of papers sitting on his desk. "I would love some company right now!" he hinted.

"well, what would you like to do?" I ask him.

"How about we talk about life?" he asked. "tell me about your life sarah, your memories, moments and things you love and dislike, I really would love to know!"

So, he finally decided to get to know me? The real me. Not the fifteen year old girl who was obsessed with fairy tales and glittery goblin kings.

"Well, what have I got to lose?" I asked myself.

And so I told him. Every detail I could remember about my WHOLE life. How I broke my thumb when I was 4 years old, when I got teased in grade 3 about how I still believed in fairytales, how my mother walked out on my father and I when I was just ten, and even the happiest moments I cherish. When Toby's first word he ever spoke was Sarah, when my father and I went to the mall once, and he insisted he buy one of every lolly In JustLollies the shop, just because I broke my arm.

Jareth sat and listened to me the WHOLE time. He fondly smiled when I spoke of Toby, and would laugh at a particular funny story I had to tell. He took on a laughable face when I spoke of my first sweetheart, and I had to chuckle when he turned purple at the mention of my first kiss.

I don't know how long I talked for. But I am pretty sure that I talked all night. Eventually I started mumbling and drifting off into the land of dreams. Jareth chuckled at my sleepy expression. He transported us back to my room, and with a click of his fingers I was in my night gown. He led me to the bed and I clambered in and rolled over. I vaguely remember soft lips being pressed against my forehead, and then I drifted off into a wonderful dream that included dancing, a ballroom, and lots of masks.

Jareth P.O.V

She looked so innocent. Her brunette hair spread across the pillow in a seducing matter but still so innocent. He was in love then. He had known before then, but now he was sure he loved her more than ever. She could never know. He knew she was inexperienced with love and he didn't want to scare her away. Not now, when she was just starting to open up to him. He had to spend more time with her, only then would he be free to say, I love you Sarah.