Jareth was trying to clear his head when a goblin poked its head in threw the office door. Looking up he noticed he was one of the smaller goblins, and he was a young one. Rarely did the young goblins come to the castle.

"What is it," he ordered the goblin to speak and it shrunk back and mumbled something.

Holding back his anger he was starting to feel exhausted again from this challenge. It was more draining then her first visit and he couldn't just snap and kill his subjects because Sarah had aggravated him. More like Sarah and his siblings had exhausted him to the point that all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and forget everything. Unfortunately he was king and he had a duty to gain back control of the labyrinth which meant getting Sarah under his control. Staring down at the goblin whose half of his face was all the could be seen from the cracked door he tried to recall the goblin's name. When you address them by name they were more prone to orders.

"Dooff speak so I can hear you," he ordered and the goblin burst threw the door and dropped to his knees.

"Forgive me your majesty," he cried and fell foreword and his head slammed on to the ground. "Pinclott left the city and the girl, the door, she wandering the back city ways, can't find her, lost! We lost her!"

"Go find her and make sure she gets no where near this castle," Jareth hissed threw his gritted teeth as he put Dooff's scattered words together. "And make sure no harm comes to her."

"Yes majesty," Dooff cried before he ran out the door.

After the goblin left Jareth walked over to the window and flung back the black heavy window covering. Sitting on the ledge he looked out over the city trying to find the girl sneaking around his city. She was getting too close and if she found him and spoke those traitorous words once more he would loose control of the labyrinth. This time would be different, if he didn't win everything he cared for would be in danger. Sarah had no idea the power she possessed and it made her dangerous.

Somewhere down there was the one thing that could throw his kingdom into chaos and he was powerless against her unless she failed today. Of course her failing was only part of it. Once she was bound to his land then the real task of getting her to hand over the power of the labyrinth to him would start. The only way he knew how to do that is to bound her to himself through marriage. How he was going to get her to agree to marriage without telling her about the powers she possessed was going to be a trying task.

Goblins crashing around, tearing the city apart looking for Sarah brought him back to his current problem. Forming a crystal in his hand he watched as Sarah ducked into alleyways and hid behind barrels and crates as she mad her way to him. Time was slowly running out, and he resisted the urge to cheat her from more time once more. He could only take time from a person once and had to leave at least an hour to be fair to the challenger. Of course his ancestors had to be fair and righteous when laying the laws of the lands.

He could just hide in his castle from her, but all she had to do was get into the castle and speak her words. Once she spoke out he would loose, he would have no power over her she would go back home and he would be left alone. Making up his mind he decided there would be no grand room for her to run around this time as he headed back to the throne room. He would meet her head on and do everything in his power to make her stay.

It was a slow progression threw the city. She had made it about twenty feet from the door before goblins had swarm the city looking for her. Doing her best to avoid detection she had made it outside the castle and noticed the four guards on lizard steeds standing in front of the door. Furious she almost moved from her hiding spot to confront them head on. She only had a few precious minutes left and he had guards blocking the doors. Now what was she supposed to do, she sighed to herself as she stared at the castle. She wish she could be a video game character in the games she watched Madison play and scale the castle walls undetected and enter to face Jareth.

Then she heard a loud horn call out and the city streets got quiet. For a moment she thought she was spotted than all the goblins when into a panic as they ran into their homes and disappeared from the streets. Even the guards in front of her where gone. Sarah knew this had to be a trick, but with time quickly running out she had no other choice but to make a run for it.

Running to the doors she pushed the heavy doors opened and found the castle empty. She remembered just like it was yesterday the way down the twisting halls, Hoggle had shown her to the throne room the first time. Now here she was without her friends, and she was the prize. Slowing her steps she entered the thrown room and found Jareth just standing there waiting for her.

"No grand room to make me run around and try to dwindle down time," Sarah stated as she stood before him. He was silently staring at her. Something in his eyes made her not want to speak, but she had too. "Through danger..."

"Will you really repeat those exhausted lines a book gave you," he said as he moved closer to her. "Can you not come up with your own words to defeat me?"

"The lines worked just fine last time," she huffed and he smirked at her. Sarah knew this run threw the labyrinth was different and now she was doubting her words. Was this another trick or would the words not work again. Her mind was spinning and she had to figure out what to say. "This could be another trick, except there is no stolen child."

"Exactly Sarah all that stands before you is a life," he replied making two crystals appear next to her. "Which life would you choose? The life you gave up where you would be a queen or the lonely life you fight so hard to keep?"

"I am not alone," she stated as he head started to feel fuzzy as the crystals swirled before her. He was trying to trap her and she had to keep her mind clear if she was going to win this. "I am no queen."

"You could be queen, Sarah," he told her as he raised a hand to cup her cheek. "You can be mine queen Sarah. Stay with me, be my queen."

"I..." she felt her mouth go dry and her words where failing her.

Sarah knew she was loosing herself and she couldn't let that happened. Trying to step back Sarah found herself trapped as Jareth put his other hand on her waist and pulled her against him. Being this close was maddening and the sounds of the clock chiming the thirteenth hour snapped her to attention. Opening her mouth to speak trying to find any thought or word to defeat him. Then all chance of beating him where taken away as he crashed his lips down upon hers and kissed her.

Her body was on fire and her mind was racing as the moment she had thought of only in her guiltiest of dreams played out. She found herself responding to his kiss and then she heard something in the distance that was being muffled by the sound of her heart beating. Her mind wanted her to hear the sound over her thunderous heart and then she realized the sound was the clock.

"No," she cried as she pulled back from him and the clock went silent.

"You are now mine forever," Jareth gloated, and Sarah pounded her fists against his chest.

"You are a dirty cheat," she hissed, enraged that he stole her chance by kissing her.

"Now Sarah you made your choice when you decided to enjoy that kiss rather than speak," he told her and she smacked him. Grabbing her wrist he yanked it up and made her squeal. "Enough, you have been defeated, have a little dignity and take your defeat with grace."

"Take my defeat with grace," she hissed and yanked her wrist free. "You used tricks to defeat me! Make my friends disappear! Show me visions of the past! You've taunted and torme...nnnn..."

Jareth had tired of her rant and waved a hand to cause her to fall asleep. He easily caught her as she succumbed to his power. Picking her up bridal styled he held her close and walked down the hall to her new chambers. Carefully holding Sarah against him, he opened the door to her chamber and walked passed the sitting area and gently placed her on top of the golden sheets of her king sized bed. Looking down upon her sleeping form he left out a sigh. She was so peaceful now, but he knew once she awoke the struggle would begin once more. He had to formulate a plan to make her obey him before she learned to use the power of the labyrinth and throw his kingdom into pandemonium. For once he was at a lost.

Sorry for the delay, life happens too quick sometimes. Thank you to my reviewers Angeliquefhagerman, guest, LovelyAmberLight , CheshyreGrin, and Rachel Barlow.