Chapter 11. Lady of the Labyrinth

The road called, and she followed, more and more feeling she was not in control. When the road broke off into paths she felt drawn to a path she knew she'd not traveled before. The trees thickened, and the foliage now almost blocked out all the light from the sun. She moved deeper and deeper and heard something, something like breathing.

"Hello?" She called out, "Is someone here?"

"I am everywhere." A voice answered.

Sarah heard but also felt the voice. "Are you the labyrinth?" she asked softly.

"Some call me that." The voice had the sound of mirth and a soft chuckle. It was feminine, no doubt about it.

"I'm Sarah." She said with a smile.

"I know." The voice replied.

Sarah had no fear, not of this. There was something in the voice that didn't evoke fear. It was rich and warm and serene and enduring, it was…motherly. "You wanted me to come to you?" Seeing a shaft of golden sunlight, Sarah headed toward it instinctually.

"I did indeed," the voice filled everything in its path. When the girl stood in the shaft of light she was joined by a physical or what seemed a physical manifestation. Before her stood a woman, so regal and courtly that her beauty almost hurt to view, it spoke in the same rich voice Sarah had been hearing. "You may address me as Labyrinthia."

Sarah, stunned to silence looked at the woman for a moment before she could find her tongue. "You're a woman."

"Of course," the other nodded. "What did you expect, a male?" the other chuckled softly enjoying the confusion on the mortal girl's face.

Sarah blushed, "Actually, yes… I'm afraid I did."

The graceful creature extended an elegant hand, "Come my child, walk with me… Know me as no other can or will." Sarah placed her hand on that of the creature that was the heart and soul of the Labyrinth. "You have many questions, and perhaps we can begin our time with the answers you seek."

Sarah looked shyly up, "How old are you?" she asked swiftly, fearful of sounding stupid in her first query.

"Old," Said the woman with a broad smile. "Come now, Sarah, ask what your heart cries out."

"What's going on here and why is the King blaming me." Sarah asked.

"Ah," The woman sighed, "the answer lies within your own heart, Sarah Williams."

Sarah frowned, "You just love playing mind games don't you?" she muttered. "Alright, let me ask this. What do you want with me?" Sarah stopped walking, dropping her hand from the creature.

Eyes full of mirth, the woman laughed, "That's better." She clasped her elegant hands in front of her. "I want you to be my physical presence."

"Come again." Sarah backed up a step.

"Not since the good Queen of King Gilderstich has there been one who touched me so deeply. You, a mortal, of the realm of man… and yet you have what no Fae here, now or even before have had. You have a heart that believes." Labyrinthia spoke in eloquent words and feelings.

Sarah blinked, "Gliderstich's Queen?"

"Long ago, before the dawn of the Goblin age I was." She looked about at the tress they parted their branches and showed the past like a movie screen. "I was young and alive, but except for the native life forms, I was alone." Her voice saddened. "Tis not good to be alone."

Sarah saw the young Labyrinthia, her mazes already forming but no buildings and no castle. "You were beautiful…." Sarah breathed softly. "Like a garden of Eden."

"Thank you." The woman said proudly. She continues. "My boarders were open, and I welcomed many who sought refuge from worlds and realms that rejected them. Creatures from all walks of life came to live within my embrace. Then the Goblins came, war like and thinking themselves fierce they built homes, and the first vestiges' of the castle."

Sarah marveled at the wonder playing out before her. She was seeing the living history of the Labyrinth. "It doesn't look like that now." She said looking at the foundations of a castle of long ago.

The manifestation whispered, "Watch, daughter, and learn."

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Jareth sat in the oubliette for a long time after he'd wept. He was certain he didn't want anyone to see him so weak. Ten years and the small space still held the scent of the girl in its very walls. He sat with his back against the wall, just breathing her in. He recalled his reaction to her being in the oubliette. 'She shouldn't have gotten as far as the oubliette.' He had said to his goblins in disbelief, he'd have thought she'd have given up…like so many others had. One had suggested she'd never give up…who was that…Nigel; Griswald...no it was Gus. Gus had said she'd never give up. He had read the mortal better than the King had, and it still irked him. He had sent Hoggle to trick her, take her back to the start… She'd gotten farther than any other… "Too old to turn and too young to keep," He muttered thinking of that fateful night. He had spent far more time watching her than he had ever on any other runner. Closing his eyes he could see her still. Long dark tresses and oh so innocent eyes that drove him insane with a forbidden passion and unbridled lust, she was a beauty.

Jareth, collected and calmed, stood up and brushed the dust of ten years off his garments. He moved toward the door and the tunnels. Walking did him good, he told himself. The first face on the wall opened its mouth, but seeing the King closed it again. No false alarms would sound, not for him. Or so he thought.

"Go back!" a face warned.

Jareth raised a brow, "Are you daring to address me?" He mused.

"Soon it will be too late!" the face warned.

"Too late?" He scoffed, "Too late for what or who?" He walked on but heard as he passed.

"Oh go ahead, don't heed me, just don't come crying to me when you're facing a fate that you brought on yourself."

Jareth snicker but walked on. Something lying on the floor caught his attention. A rag doll body and a blue cloak had been left there where he'd discarded them. He bent down and retrieved the body, dangling it in the air, "Tra la la la…" He snickered as he waved the dangling dolly. It fell from his fingers as it had ten years before. Turning he looked at the place he'd leaned over the girl. "Too old to turn and too young to keep," He said again.

How was it that her scent clung to the air? Closing his eyes he could almost visualize her, that sweet pouty little mouth. A mouth he'd wanted to punish with kisses, hot passionate kissed the likes of which she'd never dreamed of. He'd felt heat pour out of and off of her that moment. She was young, but perhaps not too young after all. It was all he could do not to take her into his arms and crush her to him. Defiant little witch would pick that moment to call the Labyrinth a piece of cake! Piece of cake indeed! He wanted to throttle her; ripe her clothes off and have his wicked way with her. Jareth shook himself, where the hell was all this coming from? Had he really harbored such feelings of decadent passion back then?

He turned only to find the clock hanging in the air with the hands going backward. "I didn't call for you." He said taken aback. He watched and heard his voice say to her "Let's up the stakes a little bit then." He touched his lips, he was sure he had not said them, but they hung in the air. "Uh-oh." He said aloud.

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Sarah watched as Gilderstich romanced his queen. They were so beautiful together. "Why a black swan?" She asked the mentor.

"His crest," She pointed to the coat of arms on the shield of the King. Looking closer, Sarah saw the black swan on the shield and nodded. "He was a magnificent man, in his own way…. But not nearly as talented as the King today." Her voice softened as she spoke of Jareth.

"You…love him… don't you?" Sarah asked feeling as if she were asking something impertinent and found she was slightly embarrassed by it.

The manifestation smiled softly. "Of course, don't you?"

"When he's not being an overbearing bore…" Sarah crossed her arms and then seeing she was mimicking the man groaned.

The spirit of the Labyrinth comforted the girl. "He's a man… and a Fae at that, both are challenging at best, boorish at worst."

Nodding the girl muttered, "Right on both accounts."

The manifestation placed long elegant fingers under Sarah's chin, raised and whispered. "You match him step for step, word for word, and cruelty for cruelty." Sarah blushed. "That is why you are perfect for him and for my uses."

"Your uses?" Sarah questioned. "And what would they be?"

"To bring back to life my nation, my body as it were," The answer was like quicksilver. "Already the inhabitants respond to the combined magic and pheromones."

Thinking of the cavorting of the inhabitants Sarah raised a hand, "Combined magic?"

"Yours and mine."

Sarah protested. "I'm not magic."

"Of course you are," laughed the spirit, "All that live have some magic…Are you not created in the image of your God?"

Sarah heard the words and blinked, "But that's not…." She paused. "I take it back that is magic…."

The creature held out her hands, palms up, "Join with me, and we will join with the King and King and Kingdom will once more be one… and life will again flourish."

Hesitating Sarah looked with longing at the up held hands. "Problem… According to Fae Law… the King and I can not be wed."

The eyes of the manifestation held mirth, "Fae law?" she scoffed. "What care I for Fae law?"

"Your King is a Fae…" Sarah reminded her.

"True, but he is also an outcast are most who live within my realm." She spread her arms and her gone became living scenes of different places in the Labyrinth with its countless multitudes of races living and being part of the whole. "I was long before they were a twinkle in the stars. I was long before they began to weave the fabric I wore as my gown… I am the Labyrinth, and I am my own law." She held her hands out to Sarah. "We will be our own law Sarah Williams, daughter of the Labyrinth… Not even the High King of the Fae can tell me what to do."

Clasping hands with the manifestation, Sarah felt the surge of energy and life. "Okay, but if the High King comes after me, I expect you to be on my side."

"We will be, and none will sever us." The Labyrinth spirits shimmered.

"Why me?" Sarah asked suddenly.

"Because of what no one knew," The creature said with a smile.

"What no one knew?" Sarah repeated looking away for a moment, then realized to what the heart and soul of the Kingdom was referring to. "But that's just in a story!"

"Was it?" challenged the wondrous being, "Was it?"

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Jareth had left the tunnels; Sarah still plagued his every thought. He recalled how valiant he found her, how worthy. Following the path he stood on the same spot where Sarah had paused to look for berries to feed her friends. Weary to near tears, exhausted and hungry she had forgotten the rule of not eating in the Underground. He had taken advantage of her fatigued state. He had forced Hoggle to give her that tainted peach. Looking at the path he found where she had received the orbs sent to her on the wind.

In his mind he could hear the wind carry the music of the Fae Court. He knelt on the spot and paid a silent homage to his beautiful Sarah; his enemy, his worthy adversary and foe. Her scent clung here, he found. Just as it did in other places she'd spent time. But here it was mixed with his scent, his needs, and his hopes…his dreams. Jareth looked up, his heart aching for her. Just as it had when he'd taken her wordlessly into his arms and danced with her. He had sung to her, holding her in loving arms… loving arms?

Jareth cried out, and vanished from the forest, appearing moments later in what remained of the crystal and ivory ballroom. It was a shambles, she had destroyed it. He wanted to build his fury, his anger and to block his heart. He stood among the shattered remains and was about to leave when a movement in the mirrors halted him. The reflection of a night long ago, a girl passing with hands clasped before her. Innocent and unknowing, thrust into a web of decadent pleasures and adult appetites she wandered. Passing worldly beauties that scowled at her, and scoffed at her. She didn't pay heed to the taunts for she was looking for someone.

Jareth moved closer to the mirror, those damned innocent eyes of hers. She had been too young, hardly on the brink of womanhood. Too old to be turned, too young to be kept… but that's exactly what he'd done. He'd kept her. He watched as the image was joined by his image. Their eyes, their souls and their bodies, all joined in the mirror. Jareth watched his self of ten years ago with the then child Sarah. The image shattered just as the crystal room had shattered, and he saw himself fade.

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Sarah exited the forest, as the sun began to set. She smiled at the Innkeeper and her goblin husband. "Let there be music for tonight I dance." She announced.