Chapter Twelve: The Castle Beyond the Goblin City
"Sarah, it doesn't mean you're giving up the girl." Jareth said forcefully, watching the confusion on Sarah's face.
"How do I know you're not tricking me?" Sarah asked. She closed her eyes tightly—she had never thought making it through the Labyrinth would come down to how much trust she could place in the Goblin King. The last time had been much more predictable, although one would never guess.
"Just come with me, Sarah." Jareth grabbed her arm.
Sarah whimpered softly when she realized she was now in the castle. He didn't give me a choice! She turned to him, preparing to declare his move unfair, but his finger in front of her lips stopped her.
"I am not keeping the girl."
"Then you wouldn't have taken her away in the first place! If you didn't want her, why did you take her?"
"Sarah, I took her because you wished for me to I do so!" Jareth moved away from her and went to his throne. "I thought you had matured since we met last, but you're still taking for granted everything I have done for you!" He covered his face with his hands, trying to calm himself. He hated the way she made him feel—vulnerable, often defensive. In truth though, he really had hoped she had grown up since the last time she wrecked havoc on his emotions. He could understand that maybe she had been a little young for his offers before, but this time she was an adult. She was old enough to see what he could do for her, what he could give her. More importantly, she was old enough to know what she wanted. It's going to be a tense three hours if what she wants is not me.
Sarah stood dumbly beside his throne, unsure of what to do. He was right. She knew he was right, but she was afraid to admit it. You don't admit things like that to your enemies, no matter what sorts of feelings you are hiding.
Finally, Sarah sat down. There was nothing she could say to him, and her ankles hurt. They'll hurt just as much sitting down, she thought, but ignored it. Movement was necessary to bring him out of his thoughts.
"I can send her back Aboveground now." Jareth said, minutes later. Sarah looked over at him, shocked.
"You're really letting her go?"
"You don't trust me," he commented, standing and heading towards the hallway Sarah remembered going down once, alone, because that's the way it's done.
Sarah followed after him, slowly, stepping lightly in an attempt to not hurt her ankles any further. You're treating it like a sprain—it's just big chunks of missing flesh!
Jareth stopped at the fourth door down the hallway. Sarah assumed the door was locked, but Jareth simply opened it.
Lydia's eyes snapped away from the window when the door opened again. The Goblin King entered, and Sarah followed. They both stood awkwardly in front of the door. Nobody said anything. Jareth appeared to be waiting for Lydia to do so, and Lydia had no idea who she should be speaking to, once she figured out what to say. Finally, with a small sigh, Sarah plopped onto the floor.
"She made it!" Lydia declared, glancing at Sarah. She looked pale, tired, and her jeans were rolled up to her calves, exposing some horrific looking wounds. Lydia inwardly winced.
"You get to go home now, Lydia." Sarah said. She sounded annoyed. At me, I guess. Lydia felt her smile fade.
"Are you coming with me?"
"No. Sarah has things to do here." Jareth maintained his usual calm exterior only by looking away from Sarah.
"Oh."
Sarah looked up. She glanced at Jareth, raising her eyebrows questioningly. Lydia was gone. And she didn't have to go through any rooms with upside-down staircases?
He walked out of the room. She followed, saying nothing, but wondering what returning home would be like for the girl. I should've said something to her.
"Where are we going?" Sarah asked as they walked through the Goblin City.
The glances they received from the Goblins confirmed Sarah's thoughts—this was not an everyday occurrence. Some Goblins stared questioningly, some ran into their houses, some pointed and whispered with others, but Sarah noticed only two who didn't stop what they were doing. One was a female Goblin who was tossing food to chickens, and the other was a baby playing with a dirty, homemade rattle.
"Do they grow up?" Sarah asked, stepping beside the king. He had ignored her previous question, but this one had nothing to do with either of them, and maybe that made a difference.
"Time is slower in the Underground, but they grow up." He responded. He hadn't even looked at her.
She paused for a moment to fall behind him. He apparently wasn't in the mood for talking.
They went through the gates to the Goblin City, and along the path around the outside wall, avoiding the dump. Or Sarah had always thought of it to be a dump—it was what it appeared to be. It could've been anything though, in the Labyrinth. Certainly it was a home to the Junk Lady, and magical enough to show Sarah her own bedroom.
Sarah continued to dwell on memories of her past as Jareth led the way along the wall. They reached the corner and went around.
Set about fifty feet back was another wall. This one was iron, not stone. Behind it was a forest. The King's Forest, Sarah thought excitedly.
When they reached the gate, it opened. Sarah noted no latches or handles.
Sarah stepped in after Jareth, looking around. The forest was beautiful.
It was not dark. Sunlight brighter than what had shone outside on the Goblin City filtered down through the trees, lighting vividly colored plants. There were flowers here, more beautiful than the ones Sarah had wasted so long staring at. She wasn't afraid of these—they were different. There were roses, tulips, lilies, dahlias, irises, coneflowers, gladiolus, dianthus, and so many more that Sarah couldn't name.
The trees were tall, some exotic looking, but not overpowering. Their leaves were brilliant shades of green; some reflected the sunlight, but others it passed through.
Sarah had paused to take in the sight and had to run to catch up with Jareth. It startled her that he could create such a place while also making Oubliettes and the Cleaners and turning babies into Goblins. Maybe he has to do those things…
They walked silently until they reached a stream bank—the one from Jareth's dream.
"Lay down, Sarah." Jareth had suspected it would not be easy to make her comply with his wishes. To his surprise, she immediately obeyed.
I'll see where this goes, she thought.
Jareth paused before kneeling down near her feet. She looked at him, but her expression was blank. He couldn't fathom what she was thinking, or what had brought about the sudden change. Twenty minutes ago, she would not have lain down without question.
He gently kissed the raw flesh of her ankles as she had done to his hand in his dream. All the while, she watched him with the same blank expression. He began to grow frustrated at her lack of a response, but managed to keep from showing it. To lose his temper with her now that she was passive would have been a mistake.
He took her hand and lay down beside her. There were no stars—they stared at the trees and the clouds, seeing neither. Jareth waited patiently for her to say something—something about her ankles magically healing, something about her feelings—something about the weather would've been acceptable. She stayed quiet, but he noticed her expression changing to shock for a moment, and then to something else. Having only the use of his peripheral vision, he couldn't discern exactly what the look was.
"Why did you do that?" The question startled him. They had been there for more than an hour by then—the sky was darkening and soon they would be looking at the stars. She hadn't said a single word or moved a single inch.
"You were injured in my Labyrinth."
"Do you do that for everyone who gets hurt?" She still hadn't turned to look at him.
"Not hardly." He had waited for this for years. He hadn't known she would be back, of course. In fact, he had doubted he would ever see her outside of a crystal again. But she was back now, older and possibly more receptive, and he had the perfect opportunity to repeat his offers to her.
"Why me, then?" She still hadn't moved.
"Sarah," he began. He lost his nerve.
She finally turned to him. "Are you going to ask me to love you and do what you say and fear you?" It sounded almost sarcastic, but he wasn't quite sure.
"Love me, fear me, do as I say," Jareth mumbled in response. She was making him feel so helpless again.
"Is that what you wanted to say?"
"Yes."
"Maybe if you meant it," Sarah said, looking upwards again.
"What are we doing here?" Sarah asked.
Jareth hadn't spoken to her since their short exchange in the King's Forest. He had stood, offered a hand to help her up, and left the forest. They walked back to the castle and down more hallways than Sarah bothered to count. She had been surprised at where they ended up—she hadn't speculated on where it was located, besides her dreams, but she never would have thought it was in the castle.
The ballroom looked different when empty. Sarah preferred it that way.
There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel….
It was like she remembered. His voice, but his mouth didn't move to form the lyrics.
"I'm not wearing a dress," she pointed out as he moved closer—but it didn't matter.
