** Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, Sarah, Jareth, or other recognizable characters or prior events. This story is of my making but I am making it within the world of Jim Henson's design. Please don't sue me. Thanks! **

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the confidence in this story! This has been knocking around in my mind for a while and I had to take a break from rewriting my Protector of the Small fic. My Star Wars fic has 3 chapters in Beta currently so hopefully they will be out soon!

Just so people know (this is due to a few PMs I have received since this story was published): YES it will earn it's M rating, in time. This IS a slow burn story, even with the feelings in place this is a SLOW BURN story. Also, my chapter sizes will usually range from 1500-2500 words. Sometimes more very few times less. I do apologize if that seems to be to long, but I don't like rushing information.

Anyway, to my lovely reviewers, please see below the story!


Jareth sat in his empty throne room. It was freshly cleaned and looked almost new. His throne had been polished and new cushions had been set upon it. He sat and waited. The larger crystal in front of him showed the time in the realm Above, and it was nearing the time for the fires to be lit. The Dance would begin once the other offerings were made. And, as usual for the last millennia, it would go all night. Jareth did not want some paltry girl willing to give herself up just because her family or tradition called for it. He wanted a woman with fire in her soul, a light to his darkness.

He wanted Sarah.

But that was never to be, so he would bide his time and wait. Eventually there would be a woman he could settle on. He would never love this woman, but he would have a queen. And that is what would matter to the Underground.

The moments ticked by as Jareth waited.


The horses stopped just shy of where people had begun to gather. Sarah was surprised at the amount of people there were; she hadn't expected the small villages she passed to have enough people to fill the hillside, yet there was.

A nudge on her leg shocked Sarah out of her thoughts and she looked down to see Murtagh holding out his hand with a devilish smile on his face. He was waiting to help her down. Why does he look so much like the Goblin King?

"So, have you thought more about joining the Dance? Because if you plan on it we will have to go and submit you to the elders."

Sarah worried her lip a little as she shifted on the horse's back and reached for Murtagh's hand. She didn't know what 'submit her' meant but she hoped it wouldn't be anything embarrassing. This dress was bad enough, especially since the cloak wouldn't fully close over her front.

She also knew that sometimes, probably often times, fairy tales and folk lore was mired in reality. That this Night King probably does exist, and that this Dance could actually be with him the King. And Sarah, having learned from before opened her mouth gently, a soft and sad smile on her face.

"No, I don't think I will." Murtagh glared for a moment, Sarah wondered why. His eyes seemed to shine, she couldn't look away. Why was he mad? What had she done?

"I'm going to ask again, Sarah," Murtagh's voice was deathly low, a near growl, and he was leaning closer to her. Kat seemed to take no notice of what was going on. In fact, no one seemed to. "Are you going to allow me to escort you to be submitted to the elders so you can Dance?"

Sarah shook her head slightly. Didn't I just say no? She couldn't look away from his eyes. What was wrong with his eyes? Forget his eyes. What is wrong with me! His eyes, they were like pools. She was drowning. Stop! He's. Not. Human. Sarah smiled a soft smile, reaching her hand out to his. She was slow, fighting herself the whole way. Stop! Once their hands touched her resistance faltered. She was lost in her own mind, trapped in a maze of her own creation. The conscious part of her was dancing, once again, with the Goblin King. She was with her King once more.

"I would love to." Sarah said through a thick haze, her voice light and breathless. "Lead on, I would love to Dance."

"Good answer." Murtagh smiled as he pulled Sarah from the back of the horse. He turned to Kat and gave her a smile. "I will be right back, my love, I must take Sarah to the elders to be submitted for the Dance."

"Yes dear." Kat smiled dreamily and reached up on her tiptoes to give Murtagh a deep kiss, he responded in kind for a moment before Sarah cleared her throat gently. "Oh! Sorry, Sarah." Kat went bright red and waited by the horses.

Murtagh led Sarah over to a tent on the opposite side of the rather large fire they were building. He ducked into the tent with Sarah and a rather elderly looking woman peered up at them from a ledger she had been writing in.

"Yes?" The woman asked, Murtagh looked at Sarah expectantly. He was waiting to see if she could find the right words. On her own or if he would have to 'help' her again.

"I wish to submit myself, wholly and willingly, to the Dance of the Night King." Sarah said, her eyes dreamy and wide.

The woman stood and walked over to Sarah. She walked around her as if to inspect the girl. Sarah stood there, the dreamy look in her eyes beginning to unsettle Murtagh.

"She won't remember this, Sea King, show yourself." The old woman looked directly at Murtagh and gave a mirthful laugh. "I am old, but not blind."

Murtagh smiled and allowed his glamour to fall away, revealing himself to the woman. His otherworldly features giving way to a wide and devilish smile.

"This one is a maiden, I won't doubt that." The woman looked Sarah over again and beckoned Murtagh to remove the cloak she was wearing. "I knew you to be Fae when I couldn't touch the cloak. Spelled so only one of your kind can remove it, how interesting."

"Call it a protection spell, mortal grandmother." Murtagh did remove the cloak for her however. "I didn't want the males around her to be able to see too much of the girl."

The woman circled her again, looking. "She is a beauty." The woman's eyes came to rest on the brooch, glinting in the light of the candles in the tent. "Now that is an interesting trinket. Did you give that to her as well, to help her in the Dance?"

"No, I did not, grandmother." Murtagh waved a hand to prove there was nothing Fae about the crest on Sarah's dress. "Human make, human origin."

"This one will do. She can join the dance." The woman tottered over to the ledger and looked back at Sarah.

"Maiden, please tell me your name."

"Sarah Williams."

"Your age?"

"20, currently."

"Have you ever known the intimate touch of a man?"

"No."

"Have you ever desired the intimate touch of a man?"

"Yes."

"What man? Was he worthy of your maidenhood?"

"He was not a man; he was a king. My King."

"What King?" The elder woman asked, her eyes narrowing at Murtagh.

"She needn't answer that question, Elder. She has answered all others properly, am I not correct?" Murtagh flashed a wide ethereal smile at the woman. She glared more at him, knowing that he was hiding something behind those words and his smiles.

"True, but a Dancer must submit wholly and under no duress." The woman replied slowly. "I am merely ensuring that this woman is not in this tent against her own wishes or wills."

"She isn't; I can assure you of that." Murtagh turned to the still enraptured Sarah. "What little spell I have put on her is only taking away what inhibitions she may have had. She could not have walked into this tent had she not wished to Dance." Murtagh knew that was a lie, but this mortal would not. And what was one little lie if it meant Jareth could be happy again? The Night King needed his Queen, the Goblins needed their Champion- the Labyrinth and the world of Dreams needed both rulers.

"I'll believe ye this time, Sea King. But ask no favors of me beyond this." The woman replied as she struck Sarah's name onto the ledger of Dancers. The other Ledger, the Bride's Ledger had few names- the last one being almost two millennia ago.

"Very well." Murtagh said as he escorted Sarah out of the tent. They stood by the tents edge and time seemed to slow around them. Sarah shook her head and awoke from the daze, her eyes becoming less dreamy and more hard. "Welcome back Sarah."

"You are not human you lying piece of rat shit!" Sarah literally spat at him, hitting him square in the face. "How dare you take away my will. And I bet this dress was your idea too, otherwise how would you have a cloak to match it!"

Murtagh slowly wiped the spit off his cheek, his eyes hard and cold. "I am doing you a favor, mortal. Best remember that when the Dance is over."

"I. Don't. Want. To. Dance."

"No, you don't." Murtagh gave a wicked smile. "But you will." Sarah couldn't look away from his eyes again, he was tricking her again! She had to fight it, had to.

No! Yes. Don't fight it, Sarah. You know that you want the magic. The adventure. Why else have you clung so desperately to the Labyrinth and the magic shown to you? I am not clinging! It is a memory, nothing more! Oh, so that explains why you have never allowed another mortal man to touch you? That explains why when you touch yourself you feel unfulfilled, why you can't fathom being with a human man? I haven't found the one yet. You did. You know you did. Don't fight this, Sarah. It will lead you to your dreams. You can dance with him, forever, in your dreams. No. No. NO!

"I can't wait for the dance, Murtagh." Sarah smiled at him, her eyes back to being dreamy and clouded. "When will it begin?"

"Soon, pet. Soon. For now, though, how about you go back astride Cadeyrn? He will keep you safe until the Dance. And you will be able to see the whole festival from there." Murtagh led Sarah back to the horses. He really didn't like having to enchant her- but she had given him no choice. Her free will meant nothing compared to his brother. It was obvious she felt something for his brother but refused to act on it. Why else had she not called him in the last nearly six mortal years?

"Cadeyrn? Is that his name?" Sarah asked lightly as Murtagh loaded her back on the horse. He ensured that this time, under his direction, she sat properly side saddle. "It's a nice name.

"It means Battle King. He is a great war horse. My brother could tell you about him more- for he is not mine. I have… borrowed him." Murtagh smiled and with that left Sarah. He pat the horse on the front flank and smiled to him. "Keep watch Cadeyrn, you are carrying a Dancer."

Cadeyrn whickered. He already knew who was riding him, although she didn't feel right. She felt lost, stolen. What had his Master's brother done to his Champion? Growing restless with the thought Cadeyrn began to walk around slowly. He couldn't break whatever enchantment Murtagh had put on the girl, but, if he weaved enough of his own wild magic he could keep it held until his Master go there. There was no way that his Master would allow this, or at least not allow this to go unpunished.

He began to weave his way through the mortals. Many of them, mostly the younger adults, seemed blind to his presence. Belief or not it took a strong, unshakeable, amount of it to be able to see one of the Night Kingdom's horses; let alone the horse of the Night King himself. Cadeyrn wondered if he should somehow warn his Master of his Champion's whereabouts, but decided against it.

If she was a Dancer, he would find her.


Author's Note, part deux:

LovelyAmberLight: Thank you for being my first reviewer! I do have to agree I am very much in love with the idea of Sarah being a little smarter this time around. Not necessarily a loss of fire or spirit but just a little less naive. I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far and hope to hear from you again!

FireShifter: I am totally a sucker for big black horses too- I actually used to ride a very beautiful black stallion horse as a child. He was more wild than other horses I have had the pleasure of knowing but he had his own spirit, so I felt the need to include that memory in this story. I will be continuing, I promise!

FantasyDreamer06: Thank you for your review, I happen to love slow build as well (it's shockingly visible in a LOT of my writing). I've always kinda been a 'the climb can be more fun than the summit' type of writer and reader so the idea of a slow build and then a decent 1-3 chapter summit and then a relatively relaxing climb down more fun.

TinaLouise88: I am glad you are looking forward for more of the story. I promise that currently (around 35 handwritten chapters and unfinished) that there is PLENTY to come. Some of the chapters are being condensed and rewritten as I type them, but this is most definitely a slow burn story. Probably should go back and warn people...

Sazzle76: I laughed out loud at the Bodice Ripper comment- I hadn't even thought of it when I wrote it. I wanted to incorporate the idea of the Night King without confusing people that Jareth WAS the Night King, it was merely a different title. Hence the Beltane Bride title. I am glad to see you looking forward for more, and I endeavor to please!