** 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! **


"I, Sarah Williams, do so agree to be judged on this Beltane in front of witnesses both Fae and mortal." Sarah replied strongly. She wasn't sure where the words came from but somehow they had come. Somehow she had known that those were the right words.

I should be surprised this woman found the words of tradition- not that any affirmation wouldn't have worked. Why, then, am I not? Divone thought to herself as she nodded her head to Sarah after the girl gave the affirmation of judgement.

"Then, Sarah Williams, you shall be judged before your King. You must prove your worth to the Night King and then, wholly and completely, give yourself to him. If you cannot you will be forever tainted as a Rooted Bride. This means, according to the ancient magic, that you will be forever spurned by lovers and unable to fill the hole in your heart- just as you will have left a hole in the heart of the Night King." Divone began, her voice solemn and soft; barely audible outside of the circle of Fae and mortal. She turned to where Jareth and Murtagh were sitting, her eyes seeking the approval to begin. "With your approval, my Lords, may we begin the Judgement?"

"You may begin, elder Divone." Jareth gave the woman a small nod and produced a crystal, he juggled it for a moment before he held it up and blew on it. "As for the test of worth, I can be assistance of that. Sarah, if you will, please touch this crystal with the wound you were given to bleed for the dance. The magic will need your blood."

Sarah held out her hand that had been previously cut by Divone. The wound had healed but Divone produced a small dagger and reopened the small incision, Sarah's blood shined in a morbid way in the firelight. Divone gripped Sarah's wrist when the girl flinched. The crystal floated almost like a fully solid bubble to rest in Sarah's hand. The blood touched the crystal and suddenly it seemed to burn hot in Sarah's palm. She almost dropped it in surprise, but the crystal then floated half the space between where the girl stood and Jareth sat to become larger. The glow was bright but it hurt no one's eyes, even in the dark.

Sarah was standing atop a staircase in the room of impossibilities, she called out to Toby beneath her. Resolve showed on her face as the realization of just what was to be required of her flowed over her features. She was going to have to jump to Toby.

With a look at Jareth, Sarah leaped into the air in hopes of reaching Toby in time to break the wish she had made in haste and anger. Toby was innocent, she had realized this. Toby was a baby, her baby brother, and did not deserve whatever plans the Goblin King had for him.

Her descent was slowed, however, and Toby disappeared along with most of the room. Pieces of the wall floated around her as she looked around in great surprise. Jareth stepped forward from the shadows, he stalked towards the girl with a soft malice in his eyes.

The memory seemed to speed up, skipping the bits that didn't matter or that were deemed private. At least Jareth was willing to spare Sarah some embarrassment through this whole ordeal. The girl had already been through enough, and would have to be through more before this Judgement was over.

The Sarah in the crystal stared at the white clothed Jareth in a challenge as she backed him away from her with her words.

'Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the city! For my will is as strong as yours, and my-!" Sarah was interrupted by the Goblin King.

'Stop! Wait…' Jareth held out the crystal in his gloved hand. 'Look what I'm offering you, your dreams.'

'My Kingdom as great…' Her eyes widened as she realized that she couldn't remember the next line. 'Kingdom as great… damn! I can never remember that line…'

'I ask for so little.' Jareth pleaded, his eyes softened of the malice that had been in them. 'Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.'

Sarah looked up in triumph as Jareth moved closer to her, his eyes seeking the strength he could see in them. Jareth thought he had won.

'You have no power over me.' Sarah said, repeating it again with more resolve. 'You have no power over me!'

The final words emanated from the crystal and echoed through the hill, the mortals all were aghast at the sight. Sarah had denied the Night King; she had taken her power back! How, then, had she even come to be a Dancer? It shouldn't have been possible!

"That is proof enough of her worth, Divone. This woman not only beat my Labyrinth but she also took any power I had over her when she did." Jareth said as the crystal came back to him. He thought about keeping it as it had Sarah's blood trapped inside of it now and blood was needed for the bonding between him and is Queen to be complete. He decided against keeping it and shattered the crystal in his hands, the magic blowing away with the wind. When she gave for the bond he wanted her to give fully willingly- he wanted her surrender to the bond.

"That proves she has worth, yes. But how then was she able to Dance? A Dancer would have to willingly surrender their power to you. This is why we burn their blood in the fires. They wouldn't burn if you didn't have the power to pull them to you. How was this accomplished without breaking the ancient rules?" Divone spoke with full authority. The hills seemed to accept her authority as a soft song wafted through the valleys below.

"You can always ask her, being Rooted will now allow her to lie." Murtagh spoke. His words were charming and believable, for all he was actually lying himself. The Root would stop outright lies- things that would never be true- but it would allow Sarah to lie enough to pass the trial. He just had to hope Sarah was willing to lie in front of so many people.

Divone turned her eyes to Murtagh for a moment and narrowed them. She had not forgotten his enchantment on the girl and was beginning to suspect that this was the Sea King's doing, and that poor Sarah had nothing to do with the whole situation beyond being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She turned to Jareth and smiled a soft but commanding smile.

"My King, King of the Night and Protector of Dreams, Lord of the Labyrinth; is this true?" She asked succinctly. "Will this woman be able to lie whilst rooted?"

Jareth shook his head, twisting the rules to suit himself best. "It is true; she will be unable to lie. The ancient magic will not allow her to speak untruths during the Trial."

Divone turned to Sarah. She regarded the woman, the tears in her eyes and the sadness in her face. There was obviously something she wanted to say but wasn't saying. Perhaps something she couldn't say. Divone was unsure which one- but it was obviously one of them.

"Sarah Williams, to prove that no rules were broken and that your Dance was in accordance with the ancient rules I must ask you some questions. You will be unable to lie and must completely answer the questions asked of you. To fail is to admit a break in the ancient rules. Do you understand?" Divone waited a moment for the girl to respond.

"I do not understand the ancient rules but I understand my duty to follow them." Sarah replied, still unsure where the words were coming from. They weren't hers, and yet they were. What was going on with her?

"Then under those ancient rules, harken to me and answer for all to hear!" Divone barked. "Did you take hold of the Night King's power over you?"

"Yes, I took his power over me."

"Did you, or did you not, beat his Labyrinth in accordance with the rules?"

"I won the Labyrinth through nothing more than my own cunning." Sarah replied. "I used my wits, my logic, and my friends."

"Your friends?" Divone requested, pressing the issue further. "How would you have friends in the Night Kingdom as a mortal?"

"I made them along the way. I befriended a dwarf by the name of Hoggle, a Knight of the Realm Sir Didymus, and a rock caller whose name is Ludo."

"Night King," Divone looked up at Jareth suddenly. "By right of the elder and keeper of the ancient magic I request the right to call at least one of those friends as a witness for Sarah."

"I must decline, unfortunately." Jareth replied mildly. He gave a short wave of his hand and a half shrug. "Those mentioned are my subjects but I know not where they are at all times- and even with my expansive grip on my lands I would be unable to call them before us in time for this Trial. You will have to trust the word of the Maiden." Jareth was lying through his teeth and it almost made Murtagh laugh. Jareth could easily call forth any of his subjects from any lands- his own or another Kingdom in the Below.

Divone grumbled and thought about the Night King's words. She had sworn, many years past, that she would always trust in her King and follow the ancient magic. There were rules even she couldn't ignore and this was one of them. The Night King denied her request and she was unable to ask again. Turning once more to the girl in a huff, Divone decided to ask the one question she knew would set the girl free, even if freedom came at a terrible price.

"Sarah Williams- did you give the Night King back the power that you took from him? And in so doing were you in any way forced to Dance by the Night King or another?" Divone's voice cut the night, Murtagh began to sweat in his throne. If Sarah answered this as honestly as she really could then it would come about that Murtagh himself had broken the ancient magic; and the rules regarding that were without mercy in their punishments.

"I, Sarah Williams, do hereby swear that I did in fact give the Night King back the power that I had rightfully, if forcefully, taken." Sarah began. She paused and looked from Divone to Jareth, who had begun to learn forward on the crystal throne he had created for himself. His anxiety was clear on his face and he seemed almost afraid of the next words that were to come out of Sarah's mouth for she had only answered one of the questions. "I also swear that I was under no duress and that I willingly Danced with the Night King; there was no trickery involved and my thoughts were my own." Sarah bent the truth just a little. No, she hadn't consciously signed her name or cut her hand- yet in truth she had been dancing with Jareth in her mind; in the dreams Murtagh had given her.

Jareth let out the breath that he had been holding in. Sarah had chosen him. Him. She may not have professed her love, but she had still chosen to lie for him over telling the truth and being free of his influence forever. And that, he believed, was a start.

Divone looked at the girl calculatingly. She had been told that it was impossible to lie while Rooted but at the same time she had also known many of the lore and tales of the Fae and their ability to twist the truth to suit their needs. She couldn't outright deny the truth for she had no proof. Heaving a sigh, she tried to give the girl one last shot at freedom.

"If what you say is true, Maiden, then go to your King. Give yourself to him wholly and completely and allow yourself to be joined to him in handfasting for a year and a day- wherein you will be allowed to choose whether or not you wish to remain his Bride." Divone said, gesturing in the space between Jareth and Sarah. It was about ten or fifteen steps, not much real distance at all. But if the girl could not walk that distance then it would become apparent that she wasn't willing. It was one last shot Divone could give Sarah for freedom.

Walk to your King. Sarah commanded herself as she looked at Jareth and then back at her feet. His smile faltered when she did not immediately move towards him, time seeming to slow as she thought for a moment. Is this what I really want? Do I really want to be handfast to Jareth for a year and a day? Do I love him? Sarah thought hard for a minute and worried at her bottom lip again, it was a habit she had picked up as a teen and had yet to break, though she tried. I may not love him, but I don't want him to go away. Another voice in her head, a soft and sad voice that wasn't hers, began to invade her mind. Everything I've done I've done for you… Do I love him? I move the stars for no one…

Sarah looked back at Jareth and squared her shoulders as Divone prepared to call out her unwillingness to the hills. Go to your King! Sarah stepped away from the spot to which she had been rooted, slowly and carefully. She couldn't take her eyes off of Jareth's mismatched ones, she felt entranced again yet she knew no magic was forcing her forward. It was only her.

Once she reached Jareth and his crystal throne, Sarah knelt down low. She touched her knees to the ground and knelt forward to touch his feet with her hands, though just barely.

"My King, I submit to you and accept being Chosen." The alien words came forth from her lips again as she knelt. Jareth hid a smile and reached down to touch Sarah's hair, causing the girl to look up. He placed his hand ever so gently under her chin and gave a soft half smile; Jareth then gently pulled upward on Sarah's chin so she began to stand in front of him.

"I accept you as my Bride, and do so wish to be handfast in front of the great fire this Beltane night." Jareth replied, his voice echoing through the hills and reverberating through the ground and the oceans. The ancient magic was accepting of the match.

Now the rest would be up to him.