I do not own any part of the Labyrinth of Jim Henson's work.

Warning: Sexual content in this chapter and darker themes!


Sarah woke feeling blissfully rested. She had slept like the dead, not a single dream had entered her mind. The bright sun was peeking through dark curtains and made her stir under the covers. She sat up, glancing around at the space and remembering where she was. Jareth was no longer in the bed, or anywhere in the room from the looks of it. She hesitantly climbed out of the bed and looked around, checking the bathroom to be sure she was alone. When it was clear he had departed sometime before she woke up, she relaxed slightly, taking this opportunity to snoop around. Sarah examined the small bits of décor and furniture but the room was essentially barren of any personal items. There were French doors that led her onto a rather large balcony that overlooked the kingdom, with a perfect view of the Labyrinth.

Sarah's breath caught as she stared out at the tall walls of the maze. It was just as large and terrifying as she'd remembered in her dreams, though darker. It looked as if it had become a barren wasteland, more so than before at least. How had she defeated something this massive? As a child no less. Sarah grinned, rather proud of her fifteen year old self for being so impressively resourceful. It was then she recalled the friends she had made, and her heart began to ache as she remembered Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Dydimus. Was she ever going to see them again? Would they remember her? Had they missed her? She would have to ask around to find them. Surely it wasn't too early to start making Queenly demands, she chuckled to herself. Returning to the room she found her purse was lying by the couch still and she grabbed it, flicking through the contents to ensure they were all still there. A bracelet her father had given her when she was eighteen and the last family photos she had of her and her parents and little Toby. Her heart ached as she flicked through them before she shoved them back in the purse and zipped it up again.

A loud knock echoed from the door of Jareth's room, making Sarah jump in surprise. She hurried over to the it and pulled it open. A tall man with the brightest brown eyes she had ever seen stood on the other side of the door wearing a very neutral and rather plain grey attire and slicked back hair, much less flamboyant than she was used to seeing Jareth dressed. His eyes locked on hers in surprise, his gaze dropping to the shirt that hung from her before snapping back up and indifference masking his features.

"I apologize, the King had asked me to stop by at this time. I did not realize he was still busy."

"Oh, well he's not here actually." Sarah studied the man with wide, curious eyes. "I'm Sarah."

She reached out a hand to shake, but he just stared at it blankly. Sarah dropped her hand awkwardly.

"He… You mean he left you in there? Alone?" The man asked.

"Um… yea, I guess."

"How long have you been in there?"

"I don't know, we got here sometime last night."

"You stayed the night in there?" The man looked utterly baffled.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Sarah asked briskly.

"Ah, yes. I apologize again. I am Caldo, one of the King's advisors. I was told I would be needed, I just assumed it was going to be for other reasons."

"Other reasons? I don't follow."

"I suppose I was sent to welcome you, my Queen." The man forced a smile and bowed his head slightly. "Would you like me to escort you to your chambers to be readied for the day? I'll ensure no one… sees you in this state," he motioned at her lack of clothing.

Sarah's jaw dropped. "I have chambers?"

Caldo blinked as if confused. "Of course, my Lady."

"It isn't going to upset anyone if the Queen isn't bunking with the King?"

"If you're asking if it is normal to have your own quarters from the King then yes, it is customary. His Majesty tends to prefer his privacy."

Sarah groaned frustration. "That would have been lovely to know. I'll be sure to thank him for failing to mention it."

Sarah stormed out of the room and began walking down the hall. "Which way?" she snapped over her shoulder.

Caldo stared for a few seconds before shaking his head with a humored smile spreading on his lips that made him look ten years younger than the tense and ridged appearance he put forward.

"Follow me."

Caldo led Sarah down several halls before they entered a massive bedroom. It was overly feminine, the entire space lacey pink and satin décor. Sarah tried to hide a grimace at the grandma-chic vibe.

"You can change the style to your liking. I don't think anyone knew exactly what your tastes were. You're a bit of a mystery to all of us." Caldo gave her a friendly smile as he watched Sarah pace around the space.

"So everyone here has heard about me?"

"Well as of a few days ago, yes. The King made it aware he was bringing home a Queen. It's not often he sets the castle in such a chaos when it does not involve his temper. I haven't seen the goblins quite so excited before." Caldo's eyebrow raised as Sarah began opening drawers and cabinets.

"Well, guess he was honest about the clothes," she muttered, closing the empty wardrobe.

"You have no clothing with you?"

"Didn't think I would need any." Sarah stood, placing her hands on her hips as she turned back toward him.

"I'll see to it you have something sent up to change into. I'm sure Jareth did not intend for you to spend the day in his shirt."

"Knowing him he'd probably love humiliating me like that. Don't make any assumptions about what you think I did in there all night. Had I known I had a room, I can promise you I would have been here instead," Sarah scowled.

Caldo shrugged. "It wouldn't be my place to make any assumptions, my Queen."

"Stop calling me that. It's Sarah."

"You'll get used to it."

"Ah, just like Jareth, aren't you? Being Queen doesn't even save me from presumptuous assholes."

Caldo folded his arms, studying her intently as though she had three heads. "I was rather excited to meet the girl who made Jareth go absolutely manic. I must say I have not been disappointed thus far."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I'm not looking to impress anyone. I'm just here trying to figure my own shit out. Do you think you could get me those clothes and maybe a coffee instead of just standing there?"

Caldo grinned, brown eyes alight with amusement. "Of course. I'll send your handmaiden in to assist you. I was already planning on escorting you to your classes today but they aren't for another two hours. I'll return for you then." He gave her another long look as if he still wasn't quite sure what to make of her before he finally turned and left.

Sarah watched him go, wondering how in the world Jareth's advisor was so calm and friendly when Jareth seemed so constantly on edge and irritated. Anyone working under Jareth surely would be in some sort of shambles as he always left her in a whirlwind state. She explored the rest of the room and the bathroom before taking a quick shower as she waited for her clothes to arrive. She'd finished just as there was a light knock on the door. Annalise opened the door, toting a thick garment with several goblins in tow behind her. She smiled brightly when she saw Sarah.

"Good morning, my Lady!" She hurriedly laid out the dress she was carrying on Sarah's bed before directing the goblins to lay out their breakfast.

"Anna!" Sarah gave the girl a big hug. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Oh please, my Lady." Annalise smiled awkwardly and pulled back from Sarah. "I'm sure you had better things to do than miss me."

Annalise took a step back then, examining Sarah's attire. "I, um, brought you a dress." She tried very hard to hide her reaction behind a pleasant smile. "I was so excited when I was assigned to be your handmaiden! To a Queen no less! How exciting." The girl was all cheer and sunshine over the fact.

"I don't think I'll be needing a servant, Annalise." Sarah filled a cup of coffee from the breakfast spread on the table.

"You may change your mind, after all you are the Queen now and there will be quite a number of things to keep you busy in your new role. I will be incredibly helpful, I promise!" The girl grinned brightly, clearly much more excited about this arrangement than Sarah was.

"So everyone knows I am officially the Queen then?"

"Oh yes, we were informed that the Queen would be arriving sometime in the night and all the castle has been in a flurry of arrangements to see to your arrival."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the King doesn't have many guests, so they've been on overdrive cleaning the halls and rooms, as well as getting the kitchens running and ensuring they have everything you could possibly want stocked up. They wanted to throw you a party in welcome but his Majesty insisted that wasn't necessary. I do believe lord Caldo is doing what he can to change the Kings mind though, so don't worry about that."

"For once, I think I agree with Jareth."

"It is so odd to hear you say his name," Annalise chuckled. "I don't think I have heard a single other person aside from Lord Caldo use it. His Majesty is incredibly private apparently. I haven't even caught a glimpse of him since I arrived."

Sarah raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on that. After breakfast Analise helped Sarah adorn the beautiful gown. It was a dark green, tight bodice gown with a black, long sleeve waist coat. She had a black corset and stockings to match under it all, and tall riding boots that fit like a glove.

"I am so sorry I didn't have anything better for you, my Lady but I am happy it fits well enough. Lord Caldo was quite upset we had not been informed you would need a wardrobe commissioned so soon."

"Oh, he didn't seem upset when I mentioned it." Annalise frowned but said nothing. "It's kind of my fault I suppose. And this is stunning, I love it!" Sarah stood in front of a long mirror, admiring the sharp neckline that pushed her breasts up quite becomingly.

"Then you're going to love the pieces they'll bring for you when they're done! Caldo has enlisted a whole room full of the kingdoms finest seamstresses already. You'll have outfits by tomorrow morning I would say."

"That seems a bit excessive."

"Not at all. They are thrilled to be at work again. Not too many women come to these halls that could afford the type of material and styles they are used to making."

"Oh no?"

"Not from what I have heard. The King rarely holds court. Though he does attend the festivities and summons of the other kingdoms around."

"I do appreciate a recluse. Creature after my own heart," Sarah found herself saying. The last thing she wanted was to be a spectacle for the Fae kingdoms and paraded around as the new Queen of the Goblin City. She was after all looking for a way out of this marriage still.

A knock came shortly after that, interrupting Annalise filling Sarah in on her time at the castle since she had been whisked away from Cruex while the girl was pinning back the large curls in her hair. Caldo stood outside, smiling brightly when Sarah answered the door.

"Are you ready, my Lady?"

"As I'll ever be, I guess." She forced a smile when he extended his arm to lead her to her first class.

Caldo chattered away with her on the long walk through the grounds, pointing out rooms and explaining what each one was used for. The palace was much larger than she'd assumed before. It took them a while before they reached the library where her first 'class' would begin. Caldo introduced her to a very stiff looking man in all black, with the kind of restraint in his features that told you he was a no bullshit kind of guy.

"My Lady this is Astaire, the kingdoms historian. He'll be bringing you up to date on everything regarding the Goblin City and its hierarchy that you should know."

The man bowed sharply to her, his eyes hiding little of his disinterest in what he saw before him.

"Peachy," she forced another grin.

Annalise kept her company during the lesson, which was much more intriguing than she had expected. She learned that this was the largest kingdom in regards to land in the Underground. Additionally, Jareth was the longest standing king without having taken a Queen or producing an heir – which seemed to be a bit of a sore spot in the kingdoms history. He was one of three children, a brother and sister – Sebastian and Reagan – who currently ruled over their own kingdoms. Sebastian was the King of the Umbra Forest and Reagan was the Queen of the Crystal Lakes. They were small divisions that had once belonged to the Goblin City. In the Underground, the world continued to expand as magic grew. The land grew like a living being, expanding and developing new planes and crevices. The new land was owned by the King from whose land had birthed that new region. Apparently under Jareth's rule the Goblin City had been producing new lands at a rather accelerated rate. It was customary for the land to be divided amongst heirs, with the oldest child taking the place of the former King eventually. Since Jareth had yet to produce any children in which to divide the land or the magic, he had accumulated an abundance of both.

Sarah found herself lost in the lecture, absorbed by the intricacy of the court system here and the manner in which the Underground was ruled. The High Court was the highest power, overseeing all kings and queens of the Underground with a strict ruling. They were the court that held the rulers accountable for their actions, whether within their own walls or in the case of feuds between kingdoms. The lesson ended before Sarah was ready, even though hours had passed, but she was reassured they would be meeting every day until she knew the history like the back of her hand. Caldo returned just as her lesson ended and escorted her to the next class. This time it was with a women, who looked just as pinched and uptight as Astaire.

"My Lady Sarah, let me introduce Agathe, she is going to turn you into a proper lady of the courts." Caldo didn't attempt to sound convincing.

"Ah, that sounds painful." Annalise snickered behind Sarah and Agathe glared sharply at them both.

"Try to ease her into it, Agathe." Caldo gave them both a 'good luck' smile before leaving once more.

Sarah knew within minutes this was going to be her least favorite part of every day. The woman constantly smacked her on the back whenever Sarah slouched even slightly, and had them doing all sorts of practices on how to sit, how to walk, how to speak properly depending on the title of the individual you were interacting. Not that many of the things she said made sense to Sarah, as they didn't have kings or lords or dukes in New York.

"Don't worry, my Lady," Annalise whispered to Sarah who was staring in disgust at the drawing board where Agathe was currently outlining the appropriate ways to please the king through obedience and respect. "I've attended these types of lessons. I'll be sure to help you remember everything!"

"I think I'll need something more like a stiff drink if he thinks I'll be giving him 'obedience' and 'respect' anytime soon." Sarah scoffed.

Annalise tried to hide her surprise at Sarah's cattiness but failed miserably.

"He is a King, Lady Sarah. One known for his temper and power. I do not wish to dredge up the memory but I believe you saw what he did to the Stone City court."

"Trust me, I deserve giving him a couple hundred years of hell."

The girl shook her head, clearly worried. "I would beg you to reconsider trying to upset him. You are the Queen now, you will be expected to be his right hand. Your kingdom will look to you as their beacon of light."

Sarah chewed on her lip, unable to surmise an answer that wouldn't upset the girl. Of course she knew that. She couldn't parade her dislike of Jareth in front of his subjects, she wasn't an imbecile. To everyone in the kingdom, she would have to appear the loving wife and Queen until she knew for sure how she was getting out of the commitment. She didn't want to sabotage his ruling for her own gain, that wasn't at all her goal. If anything, she wanted to stay here, live in the Underground and have a life, just not one that involved him. She sat brewing on this the remainder of the class, still unsure what exactly she was going to do.

When Caldo came for them again Sarah was overly enthusiastic for the class to be over, Agathe giving them both a disapproving look as they hurried out of the room.

"I see you survived your first day of classes," he said as she took his arm once more.

"Barely. Being a lady of this court sounds about as dull as watching paint dry."

"It's not all bad. The Goblin City is known for its lively women. We like our women to enjoy themselves as much as our men."

"You could have fooled me with all that jabber. I mean honestly how archaic is this place? And besides, I thought Jareth didn't throw court? Why would I need to know how to behave if I'm never going to meet anyone else?"

"Jareth doesn't particularly like court, but he will throw them occasionally and will visit other kingdoms, with you now at his side now. The classes are just to help you adjust, but I assure you, the women of the Goblin City are not known for being chaste little morsels who only speak when spoken to. We're a rather rambunctious lot."

Sarah laughed at that. If he was any indication of what 'rambunctious' looked like down here then he had never been to a bar on a Saturday night after the Met's won a home game. But despite his very proper mannerisms and thorough focus on educating her on the castle grounds, he was easy to chatter with and he seemed genuinely interested in being helpful to her adjustment as the new Queen.

"We'll have to finish the rest tomorrow," Caldo said after sometime.

"The rest?" Sarah asked in shock.

He smiled. "Large castle. Are you hungry?"

"Famished."

"Dinner is usually ready around this time."

"Will Jareth be at dinner?"

"I do not believe so. He tends to take his meals alone."

Sarah ignored the tug in her chest that felt a little too much like disappointment for her liking.

"Perhaps I'll use this time to pry information from you then." Sarah batted her eyes innocently and the man laughed.

"You do not have to corner me away from the King to ask me your questions, Lady Sarah. I am your servant. I am unable to deny you whatever you wish."

His tone was lighthearted, but something about his words made her grow uneasy. Of course she would push him to learn what she could about Jareth and the Labyrinth and her connection to it, find out just how true his statement was, but vow seemed almost... suggestive, and that was a mess she had no interest in.

They entered a beautiful dining hall with the largest table Sarah had ever seen. Annalise seated Sarah across from Caldo at the end of a very long table in a massive dining hall before taking the seat next to her. A horde of goblins carried out trays and trays of food and wine, eyeballing her with intense curiosity. Caldo watched them with a stern gaze and not a single one approached her other than to fill her plate, which she found odd from such exuberant creatures as she remembered them to be. It all smelled and looked heavenly though and she quickly shook away the thought in favor of enjoying the meal.

"This wine is safe for human consumption, I made sure to have something light brought in for you." Caldo poured her a glass.

"That was thoughtful, thank you. But why can't I just drink goblin wine? I am immortal you know."

"Because one glass of 'goblin' wine would be the equivalent of a full bottle, or two, on you. Immortal or not, we like our drinks potent in my kingdom."

Jareth's voice suddenly behind her made her choke on the wine going down her throat.

"If you are going to insist on creeping up on me I'm going to put a bell on you," Sarah grumbled as she gave him a sweeping side look. He was dressed in all black, his shirt sleeves rolled up and chest nearly bare as the shirt dipped low, revealing only a thick pendant hanging on his chest.

"How were your classes?"Jareth placed a and on the back of her chair and the other on the table, dominating the space around her as their eyes locked.

"Eye opening." Sarah broke the eye contact with a dismissive jut of her chin.

"Learning everything you need to know to be a suitable Queen?" He sounded like he was trying to taunt her, those sharp teeth flashing. He was clearly enjoying that he had successfully executed their deal so quickly.

"Learning enough to know I am highly under-qualified. Perhaps we should reconsider our arrangement." Sarah leaned back in her chair, taking a long gulp of wine as she met his gaze again with her own taunting grin. A sudden rush of excitement ran through her at the intensity of those eyes on her, that familiar scent intoxicating her senses. His eyes dipped to the cut of her dress across her chest and her body instantly bloomed with heat. He chuckled darkly as he moved to sit, eyes lighting with desire even as she bristled at her own response.

"How are you liking my castle?"

"It's beautiful. I particularly liked my chambers, which you failed to mention I had."

"Is that so." He gave Caldo a look and the man shrugged defensively as the king took his seat at the end of the table.

"Now that I am aware it's expected of me to keep to my private quarters I'll be sure to do just that, so as not disturb the King," Sarah responded in a tauntingly cheery tone as she took a bite of the chicken on her plate. Jareth returned his gaze to her, a glint in his eyes as the air thickened between them. Having Annalise and Caldo present was giving her a fluff of confidence she wasn't accustomed to having around him. The wine helped too.

"Caldo, I hope she wasn't too much trouble for you."

"Not at all, your majesty. She was quite enjoyable," he grinned at Sarah and she returned the smile with a wink. She had been a bartender for more than half of her existence, her passive aggressive flirting game was on pro-level and the wine was already warming her belly making her bold.

"I tend to get along well with people who haven't tried to steal babies or kill me. Shocking." The sudden density in the air was palpable. She could almost taste the magic radiating from him in a malevolent fashion as he casually reclined in his seat, eyes never leaving her.

"Still holding a grudge, precious?"

"Still using cleaners to terrify children?" Sarah shot back.

Caldo interjected before Jareth could respond to that. "Sarah tell us more about where you are from. I am so intrigued by the Aboveground history. Humans are so delightfully bored all the time it seems they make a habit of destroying their world to keep the wheels spinning. Spiteful little things aren't you all? Like little goblins yourselves."

"I suppose. There's always a new cause to fight for, or a new enemy to bomb these days it seems."

"Did you work? Women have jobs in the Aboveground if I am correct."

"Yes, I was a bartender."

Caldo and Annalise shared a confused look. "A bartender?"

"Yes. I was a college grad working as a rather successful editor in New York before that, but I had to ditch that dream due to being stranded Aboveground frozen as an eighteen year old. I had to fake my own death and watch my family and friends die from a distance because when you don't age in the Aboveground people get to talking. So I had to live off of fake ID's and bar scraps for years to avoid being snatched up for governmental experimenting."

The table went dead still as Sarah suppressed a goading grin over another sip of wine. She kept her eyes on her plate, the frosty bite of Jareth's gaze was nearly enough to shake her at this point and she feared she'd come tumbling off her horse if she looked up now.

"Ah, I see." Caldo continued awkwardly.

"But before all of that you must have been quite a creature in your world. I mean to have defeated the Labyrinth is no simple task. No one in my lifetime has done it aside from you. Were you some kind of royalty or warrior in your life before the Labyrinth?" Annalise asked in a cheeriness that made Sarah squirm uncomfortably. If they thought she was important than maybe Jareth really hadn't shared any information with them about her. What a letdown she was going to be.

"Oh no. Just a regular teenager with normal parents. Defeating the Labyrinth and Jareth's ego were the highlight of my life."

Sarah bit her cheek to keep from chuckling at her own jab. Maybe she shouldn't have refilled her glass of wine.

"Such a mouth on this one. Are all Aboveground women like this?" Caldo took a bite of his own dinner, grinning delightedly.

"Keep her mouth out of your thoughts." Jareth shot him a deadly look that had the man shifting in his seat.

"What were you up to today?" Sarah finally turned toward Jareth who was leaning on one hand, his leg now draped over his chair casually.

"Matters of court. Did you miss me?"

Sarah snorted very unladylike. "Hardly. What matters of court? Should I be looped in on those now that I am Queen?"

"I run the kingdom rather well without second opinions."

"Isn't that what Caldo is, though? An advisor?"

"Caldo is a trusted advisor who manages the tasks I do not have the time for. You are a defiant, selfish girl who requires full-time supervision lest my kingdom be destroyed, again."

"Well if you couldn't handle my fifteen year old self, I'm rather alarmed to see how you handle me now."

"I believe you've already tasted just how I plan to 'handle' you, precious." Jareth smiled when Sarah's cheeks flushed.

"I'm rather tired from all my lessons today. I think I'll retreat, to my room," Sarah gave him a sugary-sweet smile as she stood, refusing to let him ruffle her in front of the others.

"You're not done with classes yet."

"What?" She looked at Caldo who seemed equally confused.

"You're last lesson is with me. We'll be meeting in my room." He let his words drip with insinuation. Sarah blushed bright red again as she straightened stiffly.

"I'm rather tired. Big first day and all."

"I thought you wanted to learn more about magic?"

Sarah eyed him curiously. Behind that arrogant smirk was a brewing storm. She had definitely riled him up with her impertinence. She knew she shouldn't go, especially if he was going to be in a foul mood, but she knew she was also too curious to pass up an opportunity, if he was in fact going to teach her something. She ran a tongue over her teeth in annoyance as she stared at him.

"Perhaps Caldo should join us? I am sure he'd be helpful."

Sarah almost jumped back at the look he gave her then. Caldo too seemed to go white at her request.

"I don't think so."

If words could hurt, Jareth had mastered the art of making them sting without even so much as an insult. Sarah flinched but kept her stance.

"Fine. I guess I'll see you there then." Sarah gave a blasé waive of her hand as if dismissing his glare and grabbed her wine glass before exiting the dining hall with a mute Annalise close behind.


Sarah sat on the large couch for what seemed like hours in the dark. She was growing increasingly impatient. When she had stormed out of dinner she had assumed he would be close behind. Yet the sun had set and the room had gone dark and chilled as she sat there alone, her drink long empty. She was rolling a paperweight back and forth in her hand she'd picked up from the desk when the fire finally erupted next to her causing her to drop it clumsily. It never hit the ground though. Jareth walked up from behind her, setting the heavy weight back on his desk before turning to her.

"Took you long enough." Sarah crossed her arms, bristling.

Jareth remained unresponsive as he leaned against the desk and crossed his arms, watching her with an impassive gaze.

"Stand up." Jareth's words shot through her and she was on her feet before she realized it.

"Wha…"

"Walk to the bed." Sarah's legs started moving her toward the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" She snapped as she stopped in front of the edge of the bed.

"Put your hands on the bed."

Sarah's arms obeyed even as she struggled against the movement, trying desperately to pull herself back up. Jareth was beside her a second layer, his hand trailing down her back slowly a she remained locked in her position.

"Let me go!"

"I thought you wanted to learn about magic, darling Sarah." His voice was an octave lighter than usual. He was… excited?

"What does this have to do with me using magic?" She tugged furiously at her arms but she remained cemented in place.

"Controlling someone's mind is not an easy skill to master, fighting it is even harder. But in order for you to begin testing your bond with magic then I need to know that you can keep your mind blocked from anyone who would wish to get into that pretty head of yours."

"Why would I be useful to anyone?"

"I know you've already pieced together your link with the Labyrinth. What you do not know is that that is a pool of power that kings would kill for, my dear. If you want me to teach you how to use it, I need to know no one else will try to use you to gain access to it."

Sarah stiffened. "How do I know you wouldn't try to do the same? Controlling me like a puppet for your own sick games."

He laid a gloved hand on the bed next to hers, a finger trailing lightly over hers as he brushed his lips against her ear.

"What use would that be, when I prefer you willing in the games we will play?"

If she could move, her knees would have surely given out at the intensity of heat that pooled between her legs from the dark promise of pleasure in his tone.

"Shall we begin?"

Sarah opened her mouth to argue again, but she realized he was right. It made sense that this would be a potential threat, and if being able to break his ability to control her was lesson number one, maybe she wouldn't feel as on edge around him.

"Fine. How do I fight it?"

"Your mind and will have to be stronger than mine." Jareth's hand traced down her back again, slower, stopping just above her rear.

"And how do I make that happen?" Sarah tried to keep her mind off of where his hand was on her.

"Your mind is like a muscle. If we were doing this in a traditional setting, you would focus on mind building practices, testing your limits every day to build your resistance until eventually you'd simply do it out of reflex."

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' at the end of that sentence?" Sarah could practically hear that dark grin growing on his face from behind her.

"But, I simply don't have time for that."

"And what does that mean for me then?"

Instead of an answer, his hand came down on her ass with a hard slap.

"What the fuck?" she snapped, her skin burning from the contact.

"I would appreciate it if in the future, you did not invite other men into our room, wife." He spanked her again.

Sarah yelped out of surprise, this slap less painful than the first.

"So you're going to mortify me, to try and push me to breaking your hold on me?"

"Among other things." His hand massaged her stinging ass now and her face flushed.

"You can't be that mad at me for inviting him to join us. I had to be sure you weren't going to try anything, clearly I was right to do so." She clenched her teeth when another slap came down on her, her ire growing even as she continued to grow aroused as he continued to massage out the sting.

"What we do in this room will never involve another being."

"So you're saying my room is free game?" Sarah couldn't help herself, a stupid grin on her face even as the next spanking came down, harder than the first three. She yelped even as a snicker left her lips. He was too easy to mess with.

"I would start focusing on trying to break free, insolent girl." Jareth's lips lingered just beside her ear as his hand continued to rub gently against her.

As delicious as toying with his apparent jealousy was, she did need to focus. The last thing she needed was this spiraling into anything other than a lesson. Sarah tried to center her thoughts on her hands, using all her energy to try and peel them off the bed. They didn't budge.

"Nothing is happening. How do I break it?"

Jareth moved away from her as she struggled against the hold.

"Your desire to be free has to be stronger than my desire to keep you held."

Sarah tried to dig deeper, searching for the string of magic to the Labyrinth she had found before, but she couldn't find it.

"Stand up." He commanded. Sarah immediately did. "Come here."

Sarah's feet turned her and began walking toward where he sat on the couch now.

"Stop." He held up a hand and she stopped several feet away. Sarah was growing increasingly irritated, trying with all her might to stop the hold he had on her.

"Take your dress off." Sarah's eyes shot daggers at him as her hands began unlacing the backing of her dress.

"Stop it," she snapped as she struggled against the command.

Jareth just smirked. "Like I said, I don't have time to teach you any other way."

Sarah was out of the dress minutes later, standing in her nickers with a vicious sneer on her face as she stood frozen.

"Now the rest," he pointed at the remaining garments. She let out an angry snort as her limbs began moving to remove the rest, even as she searched for the string of power to no avail.

"Stop." Jareth held up a hand just before she removed the corset from her chest.

"Sarah I need you to understand that I will not take advantage of you during these sessions. But I will push you in any way I think will benefit this lesson. It's not going to be easy as my Queen, let alone one who has access to the power you do. Should anyone outside of this kingdom begin to realize that who have this connection to the Labyrinth, your life and this kingdom would be in terrible danger. I need you to be able to stop me. Do you understand?"

Sarah nodded and internally sighed. She had been terrified that this was leading to that, even as she somehow didn't quite believe he'd go that far as to lure her into sex like this.

"However, should you wish to take it in that direction, you simply need to ask." Sarah scoffed at his toothy grin.

"Continue."

Sarah's hands jerked to life again and removed the corset, shoes and stockings, till she was just in her lacy panties. She moved to remove those, her shoulders squared and chin jutting defiantly.

"Stop."

Sarah's hands froze at her sides. He ran his eyes over her and the gaze brushed her like a touch, her insides going warm.

"Kneel."

Sarah immediately dropped to her knees with a painful thud. He stood then, going to his bar table and pouring a drink. Sarah twitched as she struggled with the bonds. How was it possible she didn't hate this more than he was enjoying it? Probably because you've been celibate for to long and he's a gorgeous, wicked Fae King who you fantasized about as a teen, she reminded herself. Sarah groaned internally. If this was how she was supposed to learn she was guaranteed to fail at this rate.

He continued to stare at her silently from across the room, a heated look growing in his eyes that had her heart racing. When he finished his drink he left the room, entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind him. Sarah's brows furrowed as she continued to struggle, her body growing sore from all the tension. The shower turned on from the bathroom and she realized he was intending to just leave her there while he was apparently getting ready for bed.

"Fucking asshole," she rumbled.

After several long minutes, the shower turned off and he re-entered the room, wearing similar pajamas to the ones he'd worn at her apartment, his hair slicked back. He came back to stand in front of her and stared down at her. Her eyes flitted up to glare back at him.

"Tired?"

"Not at all," Sarah gritted through her teeth.

"What a pity." He crouched down then till he was eye level with her. "Because you're going to have to either break out of this hold, or beg me to release you, if you want to go to bed."

Sarah had expected as much. "In your dreams."

He chuckled. "As you wish." He cupped her cheek and leaned in, pressing a long kiss on her before abruptly standing and walking off to his bed. Her lips were left tingling from the contact. The dynamic of him being fully dressed and composed and her being practically naked and trapped was giving her all sorts of dirty thoughts. She wanted to slap herself for it.

The fire went out and the room went quiet as he slipped into bed leaving her there kneeling on the floor. Sarah set her jaw defiantly. She would break this. She didn't need him to release her. That string to her magical pool was somewhere in her mind, she just needed to find it.


Sarah realized several hours later she had gravely overestimated her abilities. Her whole body was shaking from cold and exhaustion. Her knees burned under the continued weight of holding her in place against the hard floor. Her eyes could hardly stay open, but the burning in her muscles kept her from finding any rest. She had contemplated calling out for Jareth to release her, just to make the aching end. But her stupid pride kept getting in the way and she would feel that resentment rise up in her the second his name almost left her lips. She refused to satisfy him by giving in.

Sarah hadn't realized she had dozed off some time later when a touch jerked her awake. Jareth was crouched in front of her again, his bare hand brushing her cheek, the light of the moon illuminating his skin in a breathtaking way.

"You're not going to win this tonight," his tone was somehow soothing to her aching mind. The headache had begun sometime before she'd given up trying to find the string to the Labyrinth's magic.

"I'm not going to 'beg' you," she spit out, her voice hoarse from the physical excursion.

"Then perhaps a deal?"

"What do you want?" Sarah's eyes fluttered closed again, the exhaustion overcoming her again.

"How about a bath?"

Sara's eyes shot open. "With you?"

"Obviously."

Sarah snorted. "I don't…"

"We will be having a lesson again in less than twenty-four hours. Do you really want to stay like this until then?"

Sarah sighed. She knew she needed to concede but the bitter taste of it made her mouth feel sour.

"Fine."

Jareth pulled her into him then. "Relax," he whispered in her ear.

Sarah's whole body went limp upon being released from his hold, the blood rushing to her feet that she hadn't even realized had gone numb. She groaned at the sudden discomfort that ran through her whole body. Jareth pulled her into his arms, lifting her from the ground and carrying her to the bathroom. The room was already lit up, a bath already run.

"Always so confident you'll win, aren't you?" She was too tired to sound irritated by it.

He chuckled as he set her in the warm water gingerly. Sarah's hands clasped the side of the bed as she was eased into the water, her entire body feeling like jello. Her eyes fixated in the water spout trying to keep herself from passing out under the immediate sense of relief and warmth. Jareth had stripped and stepped into the tub behind her silently. When his hands tugged her back into him she tensed, her hands tightening on the tub sides. He immediately stopped, but his hands roamed over her arms and shoulders, massaging down the tender muscles before moving to her back. Sarah's head rested on her knees and her eyes fell closed, his hands sending warms shivers of relief through her bones.

"Am I really going to be so powerful that this torture is necessary? Just how strong is the Labyrinth?"

"It's a different kind of magic. It's not like what I use. Fae magic is in everything down here, even the air. What the Labyrinth houses is an entity of its own. No one has ever mastered it before."

"It didn't seem so bad. I managed it alright."

"You were not within a close proximity to it. Nor have you even remotely tapped into it yet. Even babes can use glamour."

Sarah ignored the insult. "What would be happen if I did tap further into it?"

Jareth didn't respond, his hands continuing to massage at her. But Sarah wasn't done talking. She wanted to know exactly what she was getting herself into.

"Why did you want to find me? Why marry me if I'm such a risk of becoming a puppet and harming you and your kingdom?"

Jareth's hands slowed. "I wanted you."

Sarah lifted her head then and turned in the water to stare back at him. "Is it because I rejected you? Is this just a game to punish me for hurting you?"

"No." Jareth's hands fell to rest on her waist under the water.

"Then why? Is it the magic? Do you want it? I don't care, you can have it. Take it from me. You can divorce me, I'll move to a city beyond the castle."

Jareth's hand moved to cup her cheek, his eyes flicking over her face with the smallest flicker of hurt. "I can't take your magic from you, Sarah."

"But that is it, isn't it?" Sarah pulled back from his touch.

Jareth watched as her eyes suddenly bloomed with hopefulness. Did she want his desire for her to be that simple? Was her disdain for him so great that she would gladly accept his interests being solely focused on obtaining her connection to the Labyrinth's magic? His temper flared. He would not have any such false hope building in her regarding his intentions.

"I have no interest in your magic, Sarah." His tone grew bitter. "As you can see, I am already quite powerful without it." He grasped her by the neck and pulled her closer to him, their faces inches from each other. "I desire something quite different from you." He brought her lips to his roughly, his temper overtaking him.

Sarah let out a pained noise before her muscles in her arms gave out on her and she collapsed on top of him. Jareth continued to ravage her mouth as he pulled her into him, their bare chests connecting and the sudden spark from the contact making her gasp.

"I had meant to push you much farther tonight. I had so many other things to try on you. But the second I saw your pretty breasts I couldn't focus on anything but how badly I wanted to throw you on my bed and ravage you. I had to take a cold shower just to keep myself from doing just that."

Jareth's mouth was roaming down her neck, then down her chest till he reached her tightly budded breast, taking it in his mouth and sucking sharply on it. Sarah moaned, her hands flying to his shoulders to steady herself. He moved to the other, licking and nipping at it till she was breathing heavily. He returned his lips to hers, kissing her desperately as if he were a man dying of thirst and she was a cool spring. His hand trailed down her stomach till it reached between her thighs, teasing her sex till she was grabbing and kissing him in return. He grasped her hips and tugged her till she fell back, catching herself on the sides of the bath. He pulled her legs up over his shoulders, spreading them with a rough jerk till she was sprawled out before him in the shallow water. There was no ease into it, she'd barely caught herself to hold her head above the water before his mouth was on her. His tongue was merciless, demanding every drop of arousal from her, licking greedily at her and driving throaty cries from her lips. Sarah had a flickering thought that dream Jareth had nothing on the real thing, before his tongue pierced her core and began thrusting inside of her, draining her of any coherent thoughts. Sarah came hard, crying out his name as he continued. When the last wave of pleasure finally passed he pulled her by the waist till she was straddling him, her wet hair draping over his chest. He kissed her firmly, his tongue tangling with hers. She could feel his arousal beneath her thighs and the desire bloomed full-force once more. Somewhere in her mind, the sensible part kicked back in. She wasn't ready to have sex though. She knew she'd be regretting this later as it was.

"Jareth," Sarah pulled back, her eyes full of conflict as they met his. Those mismatched eyes were filled with absolute desire and… something tender that she wished she hadn't seen at all.

He rested his head on her shoulder, his breathing heavy against her.

"To bed then," he finally said.

He stood, lifting her in his arms and toweling them both down. Sarah got a rather good look at him from this angle, and she wished she hadn't. He was absolutely decadent to stare at. It didn't help that she could still feel his mouth on her sex and the aching that had already returned. He was still aroused and she licked her lips hungrily, despite her exhaustion and her brain telling her to stop fucking around with him like this. Jareth carried her to the bed and went to the dresser, returning in his pajama pants and carrying a silky nightdress for her. She wondered where in the world he'd dug that up, and if he had intentionally had her new clothes brought here instead of her chambers. He pulled it over her head carefully before climbing into the bed with her.

Jareth pulled her into him, holding her tightly from behind. "Rest up. I won't be as kind tomorrow night."

"Good. The more I hate you the better."

"Hate me all you want, precious. Had you not enjoyed it so much, you would have broken free of it." He nipped at her ear leaving a sting from his sharp teeth.

Sarah stiffened. As much as she had glowered and grumbled, he was right. She'd been excited by it, free of her own free-will to tell her all the reasons she shouldn't be undressing in front of him. It had removed responsibility of her actions, and she had been aroused the whole time, even if she would never admit it to him. Though she doubt she hid it very well. She'd always been an exuberant lover in her dating life, which had been quite some time ago much to her misfortune. That had to be why she was caving to his devilish seduction games.

"I want to go to my own room," Sarah demanded even as her eyes fluttered.

"Not a chance."

Sarah grumbled, but despite the annoyance at her wishes being ignored she fell asleep almost immediately, the exhaustion to much.


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