Nine

1

Two more days passed. Before breakfast one morning Jareth attended to some letters that had recently arrived. Only half aware of their contents, his mind was thinking on how he could improve Sarah's training. It had been a long year since he had called upon the good knight Sir Didymus, a man of skill and talent. He wondered at her delight in seeing her old friend again. Ignoring the opened letter he called for a servant and ordered that word be sent round to the bridge in the bog asking for Sir Dydimus. "His presence is requested," he instructed. "Tell him that his lady has returned."

With a satisfied smile he looked at the writing before him: it was from the Wimberly's. His smile tightened. The Seven Graces help him- they were still pressing for elf servants!

2

Pensively Sarah sat at the table. She found her self in the small dinning room waiting for Jareth. After a restless night she realized that she was bothered by what Meep and Violet had told her about the Wimberly's and Jareth. A marriage of business seemed so out of his character. A marriage without love seemed stupid. She also realized how foolish it was of her to care who the Goblin King entertained when he so obviously didn't carry a torch for her any more. Still how could he be happy in such a situation?

He came in silent and agitated. He dropped several letters on the table as he mumbled a good morning. The food was served. She glanced at the letters: one was from the Wimberly's. "Do you love her?" she suddenly asked. Part of her was mortified that the words had come out.

He sat roughly in the chair. "I beg your pardon?"

"Miss Wimberly- do you love her?"

He reached for the butter. "I find her company agreeable."

"Because of her land?"

He looked questioningly at her.

"Do you find her company agreeable on account of her land?" When he didn't say anything she continued, "The servants have been talking about a drought and how the Wimberly's can help."

He turned his attention back to his plate. "It doesn't concern you Sarah. Don't worry about it."

"But I care about what happens."

"Stop trying to make a play for the throne," he snapped harshly. "I get enough of that from court women." He drank from his coffee cup.

Sarah sat there for a moment unable to respond. "I ran and knew your Labyrinth. I care about what happens to it." She stood up from the table and left the room.

At practice that day they were silent with one another- he commanded, she complied. He grew agitated with her when she didn't perform a move correctly. In response she would purposefully take her time taking a stance or giving an answer. By day's end the two of them were barely using three words to communicate. Alone in her own quarters Sarah was glad to find her cycle beginning. At least she wasn't carrying her attacker's child.

More rumors spread through the castle about the changes pending on Miss Wimberly's position. No one seemed to particularly like her. The general census labeled her as a nuisance and hardly Goblin Queen material. As Sarah readied to go down for another practice session Meep came in dramatically waving her arms. "That's it!" exclaimed the goblin. "I'm done for! Fare thee well Miss Sarah." She took her hand.

"Why Meep whatever are you talking about?"

"Have you not heard? At this up coming party, at this stupid ball Miss Wimberly means to have the lot of us turned out and replace us with elves!"

"What?"

"We'll be turned into the Elf City! I won't wait around for that. The Might Urisk protect me!"

Sarah took the goblin by the shoulders. "Calm your self Meep. How do you know this?"

Meep looked sheepish. "King's letters. I read them. A few anyway. I'm going to gather my chickens and be gone towards one of the royal cities."

"Be still Meep. Tell me true why does the king entertain the Wimberly's?"

"He needs their land Miss Sarah like I all ready told you."

"Yes, but why? What's wrong with the land here in the Labyrinth?"

"Five years ago the land began to dry up. The voices not say why."

"Voices?" she asked.

Meep nodded. "The voices of the Labyrinth, they not tell king why the land is no good."

So there was the root of the problem- he needed the Wimberly's land because the Labyrinth was drying up. She wondered to her self though whether or not the Labyrinth had ever said that Miss Wimberly was the answer. "Meep do not pack up yet. I will talk with the king." She straightened up and headed for the door.

"All right miss, I will. You know we like you!" she called after her as she left.

In the recreational room Jareth waited impatiently. Next to him stood Sir Didymus, his finest attire on and his whiskers brushed to a smooth perfection. He sensed the king's distress. Smiling to him self, he remembered a time five years ago when his demeanor had been similar. 'Some things never change,' he thought. When Sarah arrived she greeted the little fox warmly with a hug. "My lady, you look marvelous!" he praised her. "Now let me see what the king has taught you. A little hand to hand demonstration if you please. Jareth- to the mat!" he ordered.

Reluctantly the two stood on the mat. As they selected their small practice sticks, quietly Sarah bit out, "What is he- a peace offering?"

He scoffed. "Peace is something that will only be once you're out of the castle."

Didymus ordered them to begin. The two began to circle each other.

"Yes that's right," said Sarah. "Clear me and the goblins out- leave plenty of room for your blushing bride."

He lunged, she deflected. "At least she has something to blush about," he quipped.

Angered she lunged and knocked him hard on his left side.

"Excellent strike my lady!" complimented Didymus. "Jareth watch your foot work."

The two went at it again. Her forearm ached as he deflected. His rib cage throbbed where she struck.

He was stupid.

She was meddling.

"Jealous Sarah?" he teased as they locked close together. Didymus yelled out some tactical point. He gripped her wrist. "I've kissed her you know."

She twisted her body and shoved her shoulder against his chest. With the wind temporarily knocked out of him she advanced. "You egotistical, stupid, half wit!" she yelled at him. "You make me play your game, you taint my humanity with that bloody peach, and when I finally make it back to you-!" Here she paused struggling with him again. Ignoring all the rules of engagement she wacked at his hand that held his stick. "I find you entertaining a woman who doesn't even like goblins!" She wasn't sure whether it was her hormones or her rage or perhaps a combination of both, but the next thing she knew she had swept his feet out from under him, squatted down, and put a knee to his throat. Thus positioned she could easily injure him.

Jareth winced and gazed back at her. She had rendered him defenseless. Didymus ordered him to give. He lay there though waiting for her next move. Her eyes held such cruelty, a mixture of disdain and anger. With a huff she straightened up, tossed her practice stick to the ground, and stormed from the room.

Dydimus made an approving sound. Her strength was her speed; to out maneuver the king and still be considered a beginner- he smiled. He watched Jareth get to his knees all the while watching her go. "Will you go after her?" he asked.

Jareth rolled his shoulders and rubbed his neck. The fall had hurt. "I do not run after students," he replied sharply.

The little fox scoffed. "She is more than a student," he snipped before walking away.

Darn the fox and his known history with them- he was right! He went after her, removing his plastron as he walked. The door she had taken led outside to a path and then a small clearing. The air was chilly. He shivered slightly at the temperature change. She was standing just a few yards away. "Well," he began gaining her attention. "Care to explain yourself?"

"I couldn't commit," she replied flatly. "I couldn't justify the strike."

He regarded her. "You did well to stop then."

"Why did you leave me?" she then demanded facing him fully.

"What?" he asked taken aback.

"Five years ago you left me. After everything, you left me."

They were broaching on a subject that was not easy to discuss. "As I recall it, you won the game."

"You knowingly began my change and left me in the human world, you sick twisted idiot!"

"I had a kingdom to clean up."

His dodging replies were not enough. "In essence you left me all alone- do you know how much that hurts?" Her temper had risen again and she nearly yelling.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Yes, I do! You are left hallow, confused, frightened. It drives you to do things you normally wouldn't do, including running after others hoping to be whole."

"I looked for you," she then admitted. "I wanted you to come back for me."

"I couldn't. Sarah it sounds like an excuse, but believe me when I say, I had a kingdom to tend to."

"I wanted what you offered! But not before the safety of my brother!"

"You talk about your five years of adjusting to your new skin; I had five years to reverse the mayhem that our encounter caused. I am not entirely blaming you," he then added as gently as he could.

Still she glared at him. "So all of this- the drought I hear talk of, the voices from the Labyrinth, the Wimberly's- all of this is happening because I won the game?"

"It all began five years ago."

She thought about what Meep had told her up in her room, how the voices and Jareth seemed to actually communicate. "Did you ever ask the Labyrinth if it was my fault? Or did you just assume?" she then asked when he looked away from her. "You really are a sore looser." She turned away and began walking down the path.

He had tried to reason with the Labyrinth- the voices had been elusive though. Frustrated he tossed his gear to the ground. He had not spent five years trying to restore order, keep her at a safe distance, and live a calm life only to have him self painted as the bad guy. Nor was he ready to have Sarah Williams think that in those five years he never once thought about going to look in on her, to tempt fate and bring her near his home again for he had. The Seven Graces help him! Yet here he was once again going along that thin line. Striding after her, he caught up, and forced her to turn around. "You think this is the path I wanted?" he asked holding on to her arm. "Because it's not! That night watching you through your window, seeing you celebrate, I would have flown right through breaking all of the glass had I thought I would have been welcome."

"Jareth, let me go!"

"No, not this time." He took hold of her other arm. "I left you. You spent five years wandering about feeling lost, and you got hurt- for that I am sorry. By the Blessed Moon and the Seven Graces, I wish that hadn't happened! But I will not have you think that this is what I wanted."

She craned her neck and shook hair from her eyes. "Then what do you want?"

Ghads, he wanted her! He could feel her breasts pressed against him, could see her intense green eyes, could smell her hair. "I want," he paused. Relaxing his hold on her he continued, "I want what the Labyrinth wants."

She managed to shake his hands off of her. "Then talk to it."

"I give you my word, I will. Please- I do not like being angry with you- please, come inside with me. We will take refreshment with Sir Didymus."

"Wait, how soon? How soon will you talk to the Labyrinth?"

"This evening I will." He held his hand out to her. "Forgive me Sarah."

"Yes Jareth I will forgive you." She took his hand.