A/N: This chapter! This chapter is what this story is all about! I could've taken this story a completely different direction but I just desperately wanted to write this bit of interaction between Sarah and Jareth! Anyways, the song in this chapter that I've gotten Jareth to borrow is Vanessa Carlton's More Than Wanted, and is an excellent listen that I felt was very much a dark Jareth song despite having a female singer, just mentally replace it with David Bowie's singing okay. And review! I like reviews they make me work faster, and seeing as how I'm not quite finished the chapter after this a little extra boost of rah rah would be nice. ENJOY!
Chapter Eleven - A Song and a Heartbeat
Sarah couldn't help but run her fingers over the intricate bead work of the pale green dress. It was her dream dress, the grad dress that escaped her, the perfect size, and perfect fit.
"You look lovely Sarah," Sir Didymus stood next to Kaiaraki.
"Yeah, but I guess I should change back into my regular clothes," Sarah said almost pouting.
"The servants here are used to accommodating King Jareth's elaborate wardrobe, you'll not be out of place in the slightest," Kaiah assured her.
"Yeah, but somehow it feels like admitting defeat," Sarah said quietly. "Oh well, it doesn't matter, let's head down for some dinner, hmm?"
"Right this way Sarah," Kaiaraki said leading the way, Didymus taking up defensive position in the rear.
Sarah followd the goblin pair as they stepped into the hall, her many questions swirling back to the peak of her thoughts as she was once again surrounded by the black stones. "What room is this?" Sarah asked pointing to the next door.
"This is King Jareth's sleeping quarters," Kaiaraki said.
"Because that's not stalker creepy," Sarah said, and continued following.
"Well, this is the dining room," Kaiaraki said opening the wide double doors to reveal an elegant dining room where Tuffi bumbled around the table setting it with the most gorgeous yet bizarre food that Sarah had ever laid eyes on.
Sitting down with her eyes bright, Sarah realized how hungry she was, reaching for what looked like might have been roasted pork. Suddenly a light squeak caught her attention, and Sarah turned to the door where Jareth had grabbed onto the chef`s collar lifting the panicked she-goblin off the floor. "Have these recipes been prepared out of my mother's cook book?" he asked darkly. Tuffi nodded and Jareth put her down and allowed her to scamper off, before turning away from the table himself
"Jareth," Sarah called sharply standing up from her seat, watching the goblin king stop abruptly, for a moment it looked like he might turn but he didn't. "What does it matter which cook book the recipe is from?" Sarah asked.
"Human stomachs are weaker than goblin stomachs Sarah," he replied still not turning to face her, "I suspect those recipes will better satisfy you."
Sarah sat down in the seat again, letting the goblin king walk out of the room before she turned to Kaiaraki. "What's significant about it being his mother's recipes?" she asked quietly.
"Lady Amelia insisted on never becoming a goblin," Kaiaraki explained, "she remained human until her death, shortly after King Nerzel passed away and King Jareth assumed the throne."
"So then, Jareth is only a half-goblin?"
"I suspect it's the only reason the young master is even living, goblins cannot have children, King Jareth is the very first to inherit the kingdom by birthright."
"Lady Amelia," Sarah mulled over the words, "wait, Amelia Saunders?"
"Yes," Kaiaraki replied with a slight jump.
"That's the author of the Labyrinth," Sarah said, "it's one of my favourite books! But that would mean that... Jareth isn't the same Jareth from the book, is he?"
"King Nerzel wanted to name Jareth after the character from Amelia's book," Kaiaraki explained, "the events are based upon Amelia's experience with the Labyrinth, so really the Jareth from the novel is Nerzel."
Sarah leaned on the table, her brain trying to process everything it was receiving, but all of it was combining into a jumbled in her head. Food first, Sarah decided after a moment of pondering and served herself a portion of several of the dishes. "What about the black ink? Where does that come from?" Sarah asked as her brain finally wrapped around what she was hearing.
"That Jareth has had since he was little, it started showing up around his fiftieth birthday, although it was any number of colors then, he used to use it like paint. He stopped around the time his father died, he started using the black ink again only in these past three years."
"Hmm," Sarah tapped her fork against the table to try and stimulate her thoughts. "Are there any records of this sort of thing happening before?" Sarah asked.
"In the library perhaps," Kaiaraki said, "I can take you there."
"Okay, and while I'm looking at books could you map out the entire castle for me?" Sarah asked, finishing up her plate of food with newfound enthusiasm.
"Certainly," Kaiaraki nodded as Sarah stood up from the table.
As they were walking down the hall, Sarah could hear piano music, rich and intense. "Is there a piano in the library?" Sarah asked softly.
"Yes," Kaiaraki replied, confused by the sound herself.
Then the lyrics drifted past Sarah's ears, in that silky voice,
I have wandered far and wide
For something real something to die for
But I have found you and you do not see
All that is me, all that is true
And I am more than you will see
And I am more than you will need
And I am more than you will see
More than wanted
Jareth stopped playing suddenly as Sarah poked her head into the library, although he did not look up from the piano.
"Don't mind me," she said, "just looking for some reading material, Kaiaraki, you were going to make me a map…"
"I'd have to go down to the study," Kaiaraki said with a slight tremble in her voice.
"I'll be staying in the library," Sarah said, hiding her own trembling, "surely with the goblin king here I do not need you watching me."
"I suppose," Kaiaraki said looking at the king for some signal, she got none from the statue still half-goblin.
Sarah could feel her own heartbeat pounding against her chest, "Why don't you go with her Didymus? I wouldn't want Kaiah to get lonely." Hiding her terror was difficult, but taking risks was part of taking nothing for granted, which was a must when dealing with the labyrinth.
"If you say so, my lady," Didymus said with a gulp leaving the room with the cat goblin.
"What do you think you're doing?" Jareth asked, still seated at the now silent piano.
"Just doing exactly what I intended," Sarah said, drifting into a row of books, "I'm doing everything I can to stop you, I was thinking I could look up something on the black ink."
"You won't find anything," Jareth said, "there's nothing in any of these books, if there were then current circumstances might not be what they are."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, but got only silence. Poking her head out from the stack of books she looked to the piano just making sure the Goblin King still sitting there. "I liked the song you were playing, what's it called?"
"I haven't named it," he replied, still avoiding her gaze.
"You wrote it?" Sarah asked, drifting back into the book stacks.
"Yes," he replied his fingers hitting the keys again, he continued to play the elaborate tune.
Sarah wrinkled her nose, he was trying to silence her by playing wasn't he, "It sounds like the one you sang in the Escher room, did you write that one too?"
"Yes," he said and began again into the lyrics,
And as you float the flimsy surface
You should know life lies beneath it
And dont pretend you feel what I feel
For you live illusion and I'm real
The lyrics sent a tingle up Sarah's spine, she needed him to talk, not just sing, "Did you write the one you sang while we were dancing?"
"Not exactly,"
And I am more than you will see
And I am more than you will need
And I am more than you will see
More than wanted
"You like writing music?" Sarah asked, coming out from the stacks and standing by the piano, watching the goblin king's controlled and averted gaze.
"It's one of only two things that both of us agreed about," he said, "although I can't make any claims for the third of us."
"Three of you?" Sarah puzzled.
"Yes, but father locked me away," Jareth said darkly, staring at the keys, not lifting his head,
And I am more than you will see
And I am more than you will need
And I am more than you will see
More than wanted
And I know, I know
You like the way you feel when I play
I know, I know
You don't really hear what I say
And I know, I know
You are waiting for something to reign
I know, I know
You wish you could be more than you say
He never lifted his head, Sarah's face wrinkled as the fact was accentuated, frustrating her, or maybe it was the tingling lyrics that annoyed her so much, "You know, usually people want to look at the people they supposedly like when they're wearing pretty strapless dresses," Sarah said leaning on the piano top. Jareth twitched, looking up from the piano keys, and staring at Sarah, still singing,
And I am more than you will see
And I am more than you will need
And I am more than you will see
More than wanted
Sarah blushed, looking away, hearing the goblin king snicker she whirled towards him with an angry face, only to see him standing. Yet the music was still going, the piano played on its own, he still sang,
And I am more than you will see
And I am more than you will need
And I am more than you will see
More than wanted
Sarah froze, her heart thumping terrified against her chest as the goblin king walked out from behind the seat of the piano.
More than you'll love
More than you'll hate
More than you'll have
More than wanted
He stepped towards her, circling slightly, she could feel her own pulse in her entire body,
More than you'll need
More than you'll dream
More than you'll hold
More than wanted
His hands came to rest against the piano, on either side of Sarah's hips, she could no longer hide her trembling,
More than you'll crave
More than you'll cherish
More than you'll have
More than wanted
The music stopped. His lips where so close, Sarah felt dizzy from how fast her blood must have been pumping, close enough to see the goblin king gently trembling too. She could smell his breath, like wild berries, as be breathed heavily, her body tingling from the closeness. Then suddenly the goblin king pulled away, and started walking for the door.
"Jareth," she called and watched him stop at the door, "when did you first meet me?"
For a long moment he stood silent at the door, "About a year before you came to the labyrinth, you were practicing the book in the park, we were passing by and stopped to listen, you left your book behind, and we returned it."
"Was there only one of you then?"
"Two, but I could only see and hear, I had no control."
"Love at first sight?" Sarah asked sceptically.
"If there is such a thing, then I think it something that our heart knows and our brains come to realize," Jareth said. It looked like he was about to leave but he stopped again. "This is a sick world, it's painful, but it's better to put this sick world out of its misery," then Jareth disappeared down the hallway.
Sarah simply stood there overwhelmed, completely overwhelmed, running over everything in her head for answers, two of them, three of them, father locked one away. All his enigmatic answers only serving to further confuse her as she continued to tremble against the piano. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if they'd kissed…