In spite of everything the night went peaceful, at least for Sarah. Even the knownledge that Jareth is only few feet away from her room didn't bothered her and she slept calmly like a child. When the first sunrays awakened her in the next morning, Sarah felt so cheerful as she didn't remembered to felt for a long time. Even the sense of oncoming hard demon hunt couldn't ruin her mood.
After enjoying the comfort of bathroom, she dressed up and quietly sneaked out of the room to wander around the castle a little bit. Ten years ago she had only seen the Escher room and throne hall, not to mention the hallways she had raced through too fast to examine them well. The castle was silent with the most of its inhabitants still soundly sleeping, at least there was no sound from Jareth's chambers.
The hallways were empty and quiet, even the goblins were nowhere to be seen. Sarah turned around the corner and reached some luxurious, slightly opened door. Peeking inside she quietly gasped and without hesitate slipped into the room. The greatest library she had ever seen now revealed for her eyes - and Sarah had seen too many book storages to have a good basis for comparison. This one was like a real paradise for such book lover as she was.
Sarah respectfully approached the shelves where she found both very old and worn volumes and quite new books in golden covers. Some were named in the language of abstrusive symbols that looked like the Celtic runes only these were more extravagant than usual script of lined runes. Here and there she saw the labels in pure English. Sarah couldn't resist the temptation and pulled one of the books out of shelf to look what's written in it.
According to everything she choosed a book of poems. The girl turned the pages, sweeping her eyes over the poems written in elegant script on the ancient looking paper. Suddenly one poem caught her attention. Sarah sat on the edge of the giant armchair to read it more carefully.
Believe me If all those endearing young charms Which I gaze so fondly on today Were to change by tomorrow and fleet In my arms like faerie gifts fading away Thou wouldst still be Adored as this moment thou art Let thy loveliness fade as it will And around the dear ruin each wish of heart Would entwine itself verdantly still It is not While beauty and youth are thine own And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear The fervor and faith of a soul be known To which time will but make thee more dear No, the heart That has truly loved never forgets But as truly loves on to the close As the sunflower turns to her God when he sets The same look she turned when she rose
Sarah quickly wiped away the single tear that has sneaked into the corner of her eyes while she read this poem. The one who wrote it probably really adored the one it was meant to. She was about to close the book, when suddenly she realized she's not alone.
"It's very beautiful poem, one of my favourites." A voice with a well known British accent sounded behind her. Sarah had no need to turn her head to know who is the speaker.
"Yes, so it is." She agreed, gently touching the lines with her fingertips. "I wonder who wrote it. Whoever he is, there was a true love within his heart for it's the only thing that can give an inspiration to find so beautiful words."
Jareth made no response, only quietly sighed. Sarah glanced at him and was taken aback by the sad expression in his face. His blank look gazed somewhere in a distance. He seemed to be far away in thoughts and she decided to leave him alone. She stood up to put the book back where it was when suddenly Jareth snapped out of his daydreaming and in a heartbeat regained his usual mask of indifference.
"This poem was written by some fae king, dedicated to his beloved who couldn't or simply didn't wanted to answer his feelings. At first he hated her but the love turned out to be stronger and he couldn't stop think of her for a moment. The woman was mortal, that's why the fading beauty is mentioned in poem. The human life is short, like a blink of an eye in comparison with ours."
Sarah listened like enchanted, then came back to her senses. "What happened next?"
"Nothing." Jareth shrugged. "She returned back into her world and completely forgot about the king."
"Actually I was asking, what happened to that king." Sarah felt a little irritation toward the unknown woman who could be such a fool. However, she reminded herself, you were the same fool yourself and turned down this man who could be yours forever.
"The king went on his life as normal, still he mourned for her everytime when another year passed by since losing her." Jareth coldly replied as if this story would seem to him quite insignificant.
But Sarah could not see the resemblance with herself. She too mourned like that at every anniversary of her last meeting with Jareth. She felt curiousity to find out who was that king. The girl placed the book in shelf where she took it from, then mustered her courage up and dared to question Jareth more detalized.
"Do you know who was he? Did you knew him?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Such a conversation gets me bored." Jareth's voice took a cathegorical tone Sarah never noticed before. "If you have a wish to discuss such sickly-sweet tales with someone, go and talk to sir Didymus. I can bet he has some chivalrious knight tale to add to this romantic rubbish."
Sarah stood for a moment as if splashed by a cold water, then scornfully hissed and marched away, not forgetting to slam the door close behind herself with a bang.
In a hallway she stumbled across the goblin who came to seek for her to tell that the breakfast is served. In spite of fact she hadn't eat since yesterday afternoon and now her stomach angrily growled, she was too irritated to meet his majesty so soon, so she asked the goblin to tell her brothers she's not hungry and will not come.
When the goblin vanished in stairs, Sarah decided to take a fresh air. She needed a moment alone to think. After getting lost a multiple times in many hallways that was like another labyrinth itself, she finally found the door leading to the garden.
Just as she stepped outside the castle, Sarah paused in confusion and simply tried to comprehend the view before her that made her to even forget about the hunger. Her eyes never had seen anything so gorgeous. The flowers in all possible colours seemingly waved for her to come closer and take in their scent. Anywhere her look turned, weird and unseen plants twisted around in so bright green colour Sarah had never seen before. Some trees looked like those she had seen in Aboveground, but the most part was absolutely foreign to her.
Sarah made a step deeper into this miracle of nature and breathed in the intoxicatingly sweet scent that made her feel incredible peace. She slowly wandered along carefully attended paths until finally found a giant willow with branches leaning down to the ground, making a natural curtain where it was easy to hide from unwanted looks. Sarah parted the branches and crawled behind them, slumping down on ground and leaning against the tree.
Now when her eyes already got used to the magnificent sight, her empty stomach reminded her of its existance. Sarah regretted a bit her earlier, anger influenced decision to pass the breakfast, but it was too late now. She was here for a good while and everyone else already had eaten. Sarah considered the idea to try some of fruits she had seen in the garden, but then dismissed the thought as the enchanted peach came in mind. The less thing she needed was to find herself pulled into another masquarade of hallucinations.
Suddenly she heard rhythmically knocking steps against the paved path. None of her brothers wore a shoes to make such sounds so it was either Jareth or one of his parents. Sarah shrinked deeper in shadow to avoid any disturbance. Even she was certain that the branches are hiding her well from the sight, seemed that intruder is marching straight toward her. A minute later in her view came familiar pair of black boots that stopped at the willow and remained there for a while.
In next moment the branches parted and the Goblin King in person stood in front of Sarah, holding a braided basked in hand with a delicious scent coming from it and making her stomach to growl even louder than before.
"You missed the breakfast." He simply said, settled beside her on the ground and placed the basked between them, with a nod pointing at it. "I brought you something. It's not enchanted, so you can eat with no fear," he chuckled, seeing her suspicious glance.
Sarah opened the basked and eyed the sandwiches, large mug with steaming tea and fruits that Jareth had brought to her. She lounged on food without a second thought and a good while she was too busy to say a word.
While she was eating, Jareth sat in silence by her side, absently toying with his shirt laces. He could barely believe how good it felt to simply sit with her and feel her closure as if they were good friends who went in picnic in an open air. All differences of past between them seemed to be gone, there were no sharp remarks, no icy glares. There were only two of them, hiding behind willow branches into their own world, and Jareth suddenly had a wish so this moment could last forever.
When Sarah had finished, Jareth made the basket with empty dishes to vanish with a wave of his hand. In the same moment the tension between them returned. Sarah wasn't quite sure of what to do or say. Yesterday he acted coldly and scornfully, later showing a true concern for his brother, but in this morning his cool nature had showed again. However he behaved really nice at the moment and took a personal care of her to make sure she's having her breakfast. Jareth's mood and behaviour switched so often Sarah had a hard time to follow these changes.
"Why, Sarah?" Jareth suddenly spoke. "Why'd you did that?"
Sarah confused, but then realized what he's talking about. "I had no choice. I'm so sorry, but I did what I had to do."
"You had no choice?" Jareth frowned in perplexion. "Sarah, you had a choice! All you had to do was choose the right thing!"
"A choice? Yeah, sure, a choice between my dreams and my baby brother. A great choice indeed!" Sarah snapped. "Did you really expected me to let you turn him into the goblin?"
"Your brother was safe back home the moment you jumped!" Jareth eagerly exclaimed. "The moment I made my offer he was already asleep in his crib!"
Sarah bit her tongue to prevent herself from retorting "I know". She knew too well that in truth she had no reason to fear for Toby. It was only a vain attempt to find some excuse to her action.
"Sarah, let me ask you something." Jareth spoke again, calming a bit. "If you had known that Toby is safe, would you accepted my offer?"
There was a long silence while Sarah thought about it. She had tried to find an answer on this question for a long time, but she never could. Deep in her heart she longed for Jareth, however - was that a right thing? Sarah realized that this time she can't avoid the answer he's been patiently waiting for. She deeply sighed, knowing that she must hurt them both, but the life just wasn't fair, was it? That was the one thing she had learned a long time ago.
"I'm sorry, but my actions would still be the same," she finally spoke, then jumped up in a sudden despair and turned to face the Goblin King, who still sat on ground with a similar expression in his eyes as when she spoke those words. "Oh, God, don't you see that I had no choice no matter how you would claim the different? Besides, I was only fifteen! I was merely child myself. What kind of feelings I could possibly have except for childish crush?"
"Sarah..." Jareth reached out his hand to her, but she ignored it, the words unstoppably tearing out of her.
"Don't you understand that we both are coming from completely different worlds?" She collapsed back on the ground and deeply gazed into Jareth's eyes as if trying to tell by her look what she couldn't speak in words. "We can't have any common future, because... you're not a human. Fae and human doesn't belong together. Besides, the human life, as you pointed out before, is like a flash in comparison with yours. My life lenght will last only fifty, maybe sixty years more, but maybe not even that long considering my lifestyle. Do you really want me to stay by your side to lose again so soon? What's the point of it? I knew it by then, why you still don't get it?"
Jareth silently gazed in Sarah's green eyes that flashed in anxiety. He had been ready to hear anything but such rejection. Any other reason for her previous rejection would be more or less acceptable, her youth, incapability to understand the true meaning of his offer, her fear for brother... anything, but these words destroyed the last remnants of hope that still lingered in his heart. He couldn't change what he was. If only there was a way how to became mortal, Jareth knew he would do it without hesitate to be with his Sarah, but that was beyond any magic.
Sarah clearly saw the moment when his last hope crushed, the spark burning out in his eyes. She reached to held Jareth's hand only few inches away from hers. He didn't pull away as she expected him to, but responded on her touch, entwining their fingers together.
"Jareth..." for the first time Sarah quietly whispered his name, thus breaking the power of magic which held them both apart. "Forgive me for what has been in past. I really wish that everything could be in different way, but..."
Jareth moved so fast that Sarah had no time to react. He took her in a tight embrace and pulled her close to himself, pressing his cheek against her forehead and deeply breathing in the scent of her hair. His hands gently caressed her back and shoulders until she relaxed under his touch, wrapping her hands around his neck. Jareth's lips lightly touched her temple, slowly moving lower to her neck until Sarah trembled and moaned from the sensation that took her over, feeling Jareth's hot breath against her skin.
His kisses became more feverish and demanding until Sarah couldn't logically think anymore. All reasons of why she shouldn't be here now, in the arms of the Goblin King - both different nature, the demon, her brothers - it all simply left her mind like a smoke. Sarah let her hands wander to the opening of Jareth's shirt, caressing his bare chest. At her touch a moan escaped Jareth's lips that sounded like a music to her ears. Her touch became more assured, her fingers tangling into Goblin King's blonde hair and pulling him closer. Sarah had a feeling as if her most daring dreams had suddenly came true.
Jareth pulled away from Sarah a little bit and for a moment their eyes met before their lips eagerly locked in long-awaited kiss that made the rest of world to pass into nothingness. The longing, a pain of loss that has been built for a ten years and incredible joy for each other's presence now was poured into this one kiss. The scorching touch of Jareth's lips made Sarah's consciousness to shut down completely. Nothing existed anymore, except for Jareth, his mouth that demandingly claimed her lips and his hands on her body.
She had no idea of how long had passed when they finally broke apart to get some air. Jareth pressed his forehead against hers, breathing heavily, and Sarah felt his fast heartbeats, realizing that their both hearts are beating in synchronous. She closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Jareth and wishing to remain like this forever.
Forever.
Suddenly Sarah realized what just had happened. She freed herself from his arms and jumped up with her eyes wide in horror. Her breath was rapid and shallow as if she was close to panic attack. What she had done?
"Sarah, what..." Jareth in confusion reached out to held her hands, but Sarah stepped back, avoiding his touch.
"I'm sorry, it's... I am so sorry..." she stuttered, making another step back and walking out of the hiding place of the willow branches. "I don't know what happened... sorry, we can't... I can't let this happen...
"Sarah, it was merely a kiss," Jareth followed her every step, trying to figure out the reason of her sudden nervousness. "We both are longing to each other, why deny it? I want to be with you and you feel the same to me, aren't you?"
"Yes, I do, and I shouldn't let this to happen!" Sarah took herself in hands and resolutely retreated a bit more. "Stop, don't come closer to me! Please!"
Seeing her plead that more sounded like an order, Jareth finally realized her moon and stopped, the pain flashing in his eyes for a moment. It didn't passed by Sarah unnoticed and her heart clenched, but it was too late now, she couldn't change her decision.
"I'm sorry, we... I made mistake! It won't happen again! Never!" Unable to bear the look in Jareth's eyes any longer, Sarah turned and for the first time in her life she fled, leaving behind everything that has left from her broken heart.
Reaching the castle, Sarah didn't stop running until she got to her room. She fell on her bed, pressed her face in pillows and let the tears flow. If Jareth didn't hated her before yet, he most certainly hated her now by all his might. The worse thing was that Sarah well knew this time she's the only one to blame. She had destroyed possibly her only chance to finally get what she dreamed about so long. And only because she was afraid of her own feelings towards this man who was no human but supernatural being instead. Sarah didn't care what would her brothers say by seeing her like this. She cried until she had no more tears and her sobs ceased.
Quiet but firm knock brought her back in reality. Sarah sighed and wiped her wet cheeks, standing up to open the door. She had to finish what she came here for - she had to beat the demon and then go back home. No one could make undone what has been already done. She had made a choice and now she had to live with it. Well, at least she had those precious memories, this one kiss to remember forever.
Sarah opened the door and saw Arthur who became anxious upon seeing sister's tear-stained face.
"Sarah, what happened? Did he..." her brother didn't finished his sentence, but it was clear that he is more than ready to slug some royal person's face.
"No, I did," Sarah sighed with fresh tears clouding her eyes.
Arthur asked no questions, closed the door after himself and settled Sarah in chair. "Look, you know you can trust me. I saw you going out in garden and he followed you soon after. What happened between you two?"
Sarah took a deep breath to calm down a little bit, then told her brother everything that had happened and what she had said. With each moment Arthur became more thoughtful. When Sarah finally went silent, he heavily sighed.
"Yeah, it's not easy with you indeed. Ten years you've been longing for this chance but now you wasted it. And, why?"
"But he's not human! All this time we have been fighting against supernatural beings and now I'm falling in love with one of them! It's not right..."
"He's not human, that's true, but he's also not one of the kind we're been hunting." Arthur interupted. "Look, it's not my business, but I'll give you advice. If you really love him, don't let such a little thing as his immortality to stand in your way. Does it really matter if he's a human or fae!"
"Jareth would never forgive me this. He was ready to give me the second chance but again, once agan I turned it down. There won't be the third time," Sarah sadly shook her head.
"His name is Jareth?" Arthur drawled in surprise. "It suits him and I'm glad you're finally not afraid to say his name out loud anymore. But about that third chance... you know what they say, all good things comes in three times. Once you told me that the Labyrinth is the place where everything is possible and nothing is what it seems."
In spite of everything Sarah couldn't supress a smile. Arthur always managed to find the right words to cheer her up when nothing else could make her feel better. She stood up and tightly hugged her brother.
"Now, now, it's gonna be okay," Arthur patted her back. "Are you ready for hunt?"
"Yeah, let's get that demon and then we'll see about Jareth," Sarah smiled, but before she could say a word more, the door swung open without any warning and Ray stormed inside, trying to get his breath.
"He's back! Oberon just felt his presence near the Labyrinth!"
Sarah looked at Arthur, then turned to Ray. "Well, it's time to hunt some demon!"