Chapter Twelve

Despite outwitting Jareth he still insisted that Sarah sleep in his chambers to keep up the appearance that they were married. Each night when they retired Sarah would try to slip from beneath the covers of their shared bed and over to a chaise lounge tucked away in the corner of Jareth's behemoth chambers. But no matter how long she waited, no matter how deeply asleep she thought Jareth was he always woke up ad managed to hook an arm around her keeping her in place. Her trickery had doubly backfired. Not only was she forced to share a bed with Jareth but she now found her days were no longer her own. At least cleaning latrines she was left by herself, now she found herself permanently attached to Jareth's side. Forced to sit on council meetings which were ridiculously long and tedious. Sarah had always imagined Jareth sitting in his throne room in the castle, impatiently observing goblins and making snide remarks. She was surprised to find him holding daily council meetings and monthly audiences. Every meal was taken with him and each meal he would try to trick her in to sharing a drink with him.

"Jareth if I have to stop drinking I will." Sarah shot at him as he took a casual drink from a goblet before offering it to her.

"Sarah we are already acting as if our marriage is real. Why not accept your destiny?" Sarah picked up a jug and poured her own drink with a pointed expression. She didn't want to admit to him that one of the reasons she didn't want to marry him was because she was frightened. At the moment she only had to sleep in the same bed as Jareth, she was frightened of what would come once they were married.

"This keeps you on your toes," she said instead smiling teasingly. "You always get what you want Jareth. Like a spoil child you snap your fingers and demand to have something and have it now. But I'm not something you can demand. You don't get to snap your fingers and have me now. You wait, until I decide – and even then I'm not yours. I am my own person. I'm not a possession." Jareth sat back in his chair and crossed his gloved hands over his chest staring at her intently. "What?"

"You are quite beautiful when you make speeches," he replied mockingly. Blushing Sarah turned back to her meal. "We should continue your lessons. I have been irresponsible neglecting them."

"You said I would not come in to my powers until after we were married though."

"And you will not, but the Fae and goblins think we are married so I should look as if I am teaching you to use them. It would not do you harm to master the few abilities that you have now." Sarah could hardly argue against that and so nodded. "We will start tomorrow; I can forgo a council meeting for one day. They are rather tiresome," he smiled and Sarah bit back a sigh of relief not wanting to reveal how the meetings bored her to tears. Rising to his feet Jareth kissed her cheek.

Long after Jareth had fallen asleep Sarah was still wide awake. Soundlessly she slipped from beneath the sheets and perched herself on the window ledge enjoying the cool air against her face. How long would she keep this charade up? She was growing to accept that the Labyrinth was her home, that she was to be the Goblin Queen although the title still made her shiver. It's hardly the stuff of fairy tales, she thought biting back a laugh. How many girls dreamed of been queens or princesses to creatures as disgusting as goblins? She was growing fond of several, although she saw the cruel streak in some which unnerved her. Had they learnt that from Jareth? She turned to look at him, shocked to see him thrashing beneath the silk sheets.

"Jareth?" She stood up and hurried to his side, worried that he was having some sort of seizure. "Jareth!"

"Love me, fear me…" Sarah stepped back suddenly feeling as if she was intruding. Jareth's eyes snapped open and she quickly looked away. "Sarah?" Slowly she looked up from the floor, meeting his eyes. She was surprised to see a sheen of sweat over his handsome features, his hair slick and the front of his nightshirt damp. She moved to pour him a drink but stopped herself, would it count as sharing if she poured him one but didn't drink? She tried to think back to if she had ever poured him a drink or served him food but couldn't. Better safe than sorry, she told herself instead damping a cloth in the jug and brushing it over his face gently. Neither spoke, but as Sarah set the cloth down Jareth took a hold of her hands.

"I never realised you dreamt about…that…" She trailed off feeling numb; he had nightmares too? Wasn't the whole thing his fault?

"I almost lost you," Jareth's voice was hoarse and she winced. "You won, as you rightly pointed out. I could not win your heart; I had to win you through trickery and deceit." You haven't won me at all, but she kept the thought to herself. Now was not the time for rubbing his loss in his face. Besides hadn't they both technically lost that night? "Sarah…" She looked down at their entwined fingers, hers pale against the black leather of his gloves. Even in bed he kept them on. "There should be no boundaries between a king and his queen." The words from her dream rang through her mind as she gently pulled off Jareth's gloves. She entwined their fingers once more, savouring the touch of his bare fingertips against hers. His palms were cold, the pads of his fingers surprisingly calloused. She had always imagined Jareth with smooth hands, with no mark of hard work. He pulled her close, sitting up now. As their eyes met once more she saw a look in his eyes that she had never seen before. There was a slight vulnerability to them, but not much. His arrogance was trickling back through, a smile tugging at his lips as if he had known all along this was how they would end up. Her body slid forwards, tentatively closing the gap between them, her fingers still laced with his own. She closed her eyes as she felt his breath graze her cheek, her lips seeking out his. "There should be no boundaries between a king and his queen."