Take me back
To
The Labyrinth
Chp 3: Lessons and proposals
I squealed as I was sent flying onto my back on the cold stone floor, my sword clattering beside me.
"Ow…" I moaned, sitting up. I glared at Jareth, who was quite happily showing off his swordsmanship. I hauled myself to my feet, picking up my sword as I went. I dropped into a stance. Jareth just grinned.
"Come and have a go, if you think you're hard enough" He said, quoting a line from my favourite book. I glared, and swung my sword at him. He effortlessly blocked my attack, pushing me back. I swung my sword in a wide arc, and this time, Jareth was too slow to stop it. It sliced his poet's shirt.
Whoops.
I looked at him, wide-eyed and biting my lower lip. He glowered at me.
"This is my favourite shirt. I'm going to have to punish you for it later, precious" He said, giving me an evil grin. I felt myself pale considerably. I knew what his idea of punishment was. Not bogging me. Not throwing me in an oubliette or the Escher room. No. His idea of punishment was practically tying me to his bed and not letting me do a damned thing while he did all he wanted to me.
Bastard.
We fought for the next 10 minutes, and I was finally getting the upper hand. With a cry of rage, I swung my sword, using my entire body strength, at Jareth. I stopped the blade just inches from his neck. He looked surprised. He threw his sword down, as did I.
"Impressive, precious. You beat me" He said, sounding surprised. He gently grabbed a hold of my wrists and pushed me up against a wall. I tried wriggling out of his grip, but failed miserably. He grinned.
"I told you, precious. I'm going to have to punish you for ruining my shirt" He said. He leaned down, his lips hovering above mine. I tried leaning up, but he pulled back slightly. I glared. Jareth just smiled, then leaned down again, but his lips never touched mine. I pouted. Jareth chuckled, then put me out of my misery by leaning down and kissing me ever so softly. I moaned as his tongue entered my mouth. His grip on my wrists loosened slightly, so once again, I tried to move my arms so I could wrap them around Jareths' neck, but Jareth forced them back onto the wall. I felt him smile mid-kiss. He then finally released them, but only so he could wrap his arms around my waist and lift me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. Our mouths never parted as he carried me out of the practice hall. He finally broke the kiss, but only so that he could see where he was going. I let my head rest in the crook of his neck. He carried me all the way to his bed chamber, gently kicking the door open. I felt one of his hands leave my back and the door closed behind us. Jareth then laid me down on the bed. He straddled me, pinning my arms up by my head.
"All mine, fair princess…" Jareth whispered. I glared up at him playfully.
"Do your worst, Goblin King" I said in mock defiance. Jareth grinned evilly down at me and I gulped. He leaned down and kissed me, but I couldn't move. Evil Faerie….
~*~*~*~*~*~
I laid in Jareths' arms nearly 3 hours (AN/: *Cough*) later.
"Damnit" I heard Jareth curse and he sat up. Covering my upper body with the duvet, I sat up also.
"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, gently cupping his chin in my hand and turning his face to meet mine.
"I almost forgot, there is a ball tonight. 'Tis my mother and fathers' marriage anniversary" Jareth said.
"How long have they been married?" I asked.
"900 years" Jareth replied as if that was completely normal. My eyes bulged and a smirk appeared on Jareths' face.
"What? We are immortal beings, after all. What did you expect, Precious?" He asked.
"How old does that make you?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"You sure you want to know?" Jareth asked. I nodded.
"768. I'd be about, oh, 45 in human years" Jareth said.
"Wow…." I said, trailing off.
"You don't mind, do you, precious?" Jareth asked.
"Nope. I always found older men so much more… attractive and mature than the boys my age. However, if my Dad knew…. Well, he'd have your guts for garters" I said. Jareth smiled.
"Well, lets not tell him, then" He said. I grinned.
"But we really must get ready for this ball, precious. I'll have some of my more…. finer subjects attend to you" He said. I moaned.
"Fine. Just let me find my damned clothes first…" I said, sitting up and shielding my bare upper body with the duvet as I looked around for my clothes. Where the Hell had Jareth thrown them? I stared as Jareth slipped out of the bed.
'Nice arse…' I thought to myself. Jareth turned around and smirked.
"Glad you think so, Precious" He said. I looked at him, absolutely mortified.
Crap! I completely forgot that Jareth could read minds….
He threw one of his shirts at me. I then got out of the bed after sliding it over my head. It covered enough of me. Jareth walked over to me, now wearing a pair of breeches. He wrapped me in his arms.
"I shall see you soon, precious" He said, leaning down and kissing me. He pulled away. I opened the double doors to his room, then slipped out, hoping to the Goddess above that I wouldn't bump into anyone I knew….
I made it to my room, closing the door and leaning against it, sighing happily. I then moved away from the door and slipped off Jareths' shirt. I walked into my En Suite bathroom and ran a bath. Putting plenty of bubbles into it, I slipped into it, allowing the warm water to surround me. I heard a knock on my bedroom door.
"Who is it?" I called.
"King Jareth sent us to attend to you" Came a female voice.
"Come in. I'm in the bathroom" I replied. I heard the door open, then close again. 3 women entered the bathroom, but they weren't goblins. I noticed their ears.
"You're elves?" I asked, trying not to sound rude. They were beautiful. Long, golden hair, gorgeous blue eyes and skin that was as pale as the moon itself. They had high cheek bones. Their skin also seemed to glitter. They were all dressed in pure white robes.
"Yes, my Lady" One of them said. I smiled.
"What are your names?" I asked. They looked shocked at this question.
"Uhm, I'm Silmarwen. The one on my left is Annwyn and the one on my right is Faelwen. Now, my Lady, we really must prepare you for this evenings' ball" Silmarwen said. I nodded.
They washed my hair with shampoo that looked as if it was made from mother of pearl.
"This shampoo is something that we elves use, my Lady. It softens you hair and makes it shine in the light" Faelwen said as she gently massaged the shampoo into my hair.
When that was done, they washed my body. Helping me out of the bath when they were done, they dried both me and my hair. They allowed me to pick out a dress. It was a black dress, but it had off-the-shoulder sleeves that were transparent and flared out at the end. The dress itself was long and covered in tiny diamonds.
Once my hair was dry, Annwyn styled it similarly to the way it was the night Jareth tried to seduce me in the crystal ball. My make-up was fairly simple. Sparkling white eye-shadow and pale pink lipstick. Faerie dust was lightly dusted on my cheeks like blusher. I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
I looked- I looked beautiful. I slipped a pair of black sequined flats onto my feet, then stood.
"Thank you" I said to the three Elfin women. They curtseyed. I then heard a knock on my door. I answered it. It was Jareth. He stared when he saw me, looking me up and down.
"Sarah…" He said, trailing off. I smiled. He looked gorgeous, as usual. A white poets shirt, black riding breeches, black boots, black waistcoat and a glittering black jacket. On his hands, were, of course, black leather gloves. He bowed and I curtseyed. He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips.
"My Lady" He whispered against my hand.
"My Lord" I replied. He released my hand, and held out his hand. I placed my hand on top of his, and we began to walk to the ballroom. I held my head high, as did Jareth, as we walked towards the double doors. Two Goblins opened them and we walked through them. I stopped in my tracks.
"Oh my…" I began, staring. The ballroom…. It was- It was exactly the same as the one that Jareth had trapped me in that night.
"I hope you don't mind, precious" Jareth whispered in my ear. I shook my head.
"King Jareth Le Fay, King of Goblin City, and Lady Sarah Williams, Championess of The Labyrinth" An announcer said. We walked towards the upper centre of the room, where a man and a woman sat. The man was the mirror image of Jareth, so I assumed that was his Father. The woman was on the right of him, and she was beautiful. She had fiery red hair, and her green eyes seemed to go straight through me. She too had the high cheekbones that was a common trait amongst members of the Fae. We walked to them. Jareth bowed and I curtseyed.
"Mother, Father, this is Lady Sarah Williams. She is the first and only to beat my Labyrinth. She hails from The Aboveground and had lived there for 18 years. Lady Sarah, this is my Father and Mother, King Arthur Le Fay and Queen Morgana Le Fay" Jareth said. I had to restrain myself from widening my eyes. Morgana Le Fay? Wow…
"It is an honour to meet you, my Lord and Lady" I said, curtseying once again.
"You are from The Aboveground, are you, my child?" The King said. I stood straight and looked at him.
"Yes, my Lord" I replied.
"Tell me, my child. If you beat the Labyrinth, then why are you back here?" The Queen asked.
"Because, I felt that I did not belong in The Aboveground after my time in The Labyrinth, my Lady. I had trusted my closest friends, and they betrayed me. My Step Mother and my Father loved my Step Brother more than they loved me. I asked your Son for his help, and he agreed, my Lady" I replied truthfully. Jareth was beaming at me.
"Tell me, Lady Sarah. Do you love our son as a Queen would love her King?" The King asked. I looked straight at the King.
"Yes. I would do anything for your son, My Lord. I love him with all my heart, body and soul" I said. Queen Morgana smiled. She turned to Jareth.
"Why don't you and Lady Sarah have the first dance, Jareth?" She asked. Both Jareth and King Arthur looked at her in shock.
"What?" They asked in unison.
"I said, why don't you and Lady Sarah have the first dance, Jareth?" The Queen repeated. Jareth looked at me, then back at his Mother.
"Thank you, Mother. It would be an honour" He said, bowing.
"Thank you, my Lady" I said, curtseying. Jareth then lead me down the steps to the centre of the ballroom. He held one hand out to me and placed the other on the small of my back. I placed one hand on his shoulder and the other fitted perfectly into his other hand. I heard the King clap his hands, and the song changed to the one that Jareth had sung to me that night he and I danced together for the first time. We began dancing, my body following his, gliding over the floor. We danced just like we did that night. Then Jareth began to sing.
"There's such a sad love
Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel
Open and closed within your eyes
I'll place the sky within your eyes
There's such a fooled heart
Beating so fast in search of new dreams
A love that will last within your heart
I'll place the moon within your heart
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill has gone
Wasn't too much fun at all
But I'll be there for you-oo-oo
As the world falls down
Falling(As the world)
Falling down
Falling in love" He sang, looking down into my eyes.
"I'll paint you mornings of gold
I'll spin you Valentine evenings
Though we're strangers till now
We're choosing the path between the stars
I'll lay my love between the stars
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill has gone
Wasn't too much fun at all
But I'll be there for you-oo-oo
As the world falls down" Jareth continued to sing. He spun me around gently. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips.
The song finished all too soon in my opinion. We stopped dancing, and Jareth kissed me again, then pulled away. The King and Queen then joined us. King Arthur tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to face him.
"My Lord" I said, curtseying.
"May I have this dance, Lady Sarah?" He asked. I looked at Jareth, then back at the King.
"You may, my Lord" I said.
"In that case, may I have this dance, Mother?" Jareth asked.
"Yes you may, my son" Queen Morgana replied. King Arthur and I stood in position, one hand holding mine, the other on my waist. One of my hands on his shoulder, the other in his hand. Jareth and his Mother were doing the same. Music began to play. It was a waltz. We then began dancing. I followed the King.
"You really must tell the Queen and I of your time in the Labyrinth. Neither myself or the Queen has been in it" King Arthur said. I smiled.
"I shall, my Lord. Perhaps if Jareth and I ever visit. Do you and Queen Morgana reside within the walls of the Labyrinth?" I asked.
"No, we do not. We reside in the Land of the Fae. It would be excellent if you and Jareth could visit sometime" King Arthur said. I smiled.
"Then I shall talk to Jareth about it and we will send word to you arranging a visit" I said.
Jareth P.O.V
I watched Sarah dancing with my Father as I danced with my Mother. Sarah was having a hard time not giggling uncontrollably. I could see it on her face. I wondered what Father was telling her.
"You truly love her, don't you Jareth?" My Mother asked. I looked down at her.
"Yes, I do, Mother" I said, feeling a warmth fill my heart, the same warmth that fills my heart every time I think of Sarah.
"She is mortal, Jareth" My Mother said. I sighed.
"I am well aware of that, Mother. But I also know that as soon as we marry, she will be bound to me and become immortal like myself" I said.
"So you fully intend to take her as your Queen?" My Mother asked. I smiled.
"I love her, Mother. I have done since the day I first laid eyes on her reciting lines from her favourite book in the park. I lost her once, I refuse to lose her again. Besides, you heard what she said. She loves me, too" I said.
The music stopped and we broke away. I bowed and my Mother curtseyed. I looked over at Sarah, then back at my Mother.
"Go on, then" She said with a smile on her face. I smiled at her, then walked over to Sarah. I took her by one of her hands. She turned to me, beaming.
"Have fun dancing with my Father?" I asked. She giggled.
"Yes. Your Father told me the most interesting stories of your childhood" She said, trying not to burst into laughter. I glared at my Father, who just grinned.
Normal P.O.V
The ball continued. The whole night I danced with Jareth. He was a fantastic dancer.
But soon, it was time for people to return to their own castles. Jareths' parents were staying with us for the night.
I laid on Jareths' bed in his arms, my head resting on his chest.
"I had fun tonight" I said, looking up at Jareth. He looked down at me.
"I'm glad you did, Precious. I think it's safe to say that you impressed my parents" He said, reaching up with one of his hands to stroke my cheek. I smiled and sighed happily.
"Jareth?" I asked.
"Yes, Precious?" He replied.
"If you and I were to get married, would it be forever? I mean, I'm human. I'm not going to live forever" I said, sitting up. Jareth sat up, too.
"Don't worry, Precious. Ever since marrying mortals became more common, they… changed a few things. As soon as a Fae marries a human, the human essentially becomes immortal and lives for as long as their spouse does, which could be for all eternity, because Fae never die unless they are killed" He said. I smiled.
"Immortality isn't so bad when you've got someone to stay by your side for all of eternity" I said. Jareth leaned forwards and pressed his lips against mine gently. He pulled away, his face still very close to mine.
"Was that a proposal, Precious?" He asked huskily. I felt a heat rise in my cheeks.
"Uhm, I…" I began, unable to continue. Jareth smiled.
"Let me make it easier for you" He whispered. He slid off the bed, taking me with him into a standing position. He turned to face me, then got down on one knee. My eyes flared.
Oh My Good Goddess.
"Sarah Williams, will you do the honours of becoming my Queen for all eternity? Will you marry me?" He asked. He conjured a gold claddagh ring. On the heart, the same symbol that I wore around my neck was carved.
"Yes. Yes I will" I said, smiling brightly.
Jareth stood and slid the ring onto the fourth finger of my right hand, the heart facing towards me, something that was an age old Irish tradition. He pulled me into his arms, leaned down and kissed me ever so softly. My heart was pounding happily in my chest. He pulled away, resting his forehead on mine.
"I love you, Sarah Williams" He whispered, his voice hoarse. I smiled.
"I love you too, Jareth Le Fay. I love you too" I whispered back.
A/N: Well, that was soppier than I expected.
*Hears a sniffling behind her. Turns to see Jareth standing behind her with tears in his eyes.
OwlAndCat: Are you crying, Jareth?
Jareth: *sniffles* Yes. That was such a beautiful chapter.
OwlAndCat: *Pulls the sobbing Jareth into her arms* Who knew the Goblin King would be such an emotional guy? It's adorable, really. *Turns to audience* Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go and calm down a rather hysterical Goblin King. Enjoy the update. Please R&R! *dissapears in a cloud of glitter*