A/N I do not own Labyrinth and write for fun. Please enjoy and excuse the grammar
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The gentle knocking on the bed chamber door woke Sarah from her slumber. As her eyes adjusted to the bright light of day she stretched her aching muscles. After the nightmare last night which she remembered with crystal clarity she had fallen asleep amidst the blankets on the floor. Now on waking her body was complaining about the less than satisfactory sleeping conditions it had endured. The whole point of not climbing back into the bed had been to stay awake, the nightmare had unsettled and upset her and she had sat there for a long time afterwards scared to even close her eyes. Thankfully though the horrific images had stayed at bay.
Another knock sounded and a female voice could be heard calling to her. Sarah rose out of the entangled blankets and bid the person to enter. The door slowly opened and two women entered the room. The folder of the two looked quite stern, both were simply dressed with their hair braided and pinned back. They curtsied before her and Sarah noticed draped over the arms of the younger one of them a blue dress.
"My Lady, King Garrett has instructed us to assist you with dressing for the ball this evening. My name is Ellen and this is Lola" Ellen spoke with authority
Sarah watched as the girl named Lola hung up the dress she carried. Sarahs eyes widened as she took in the exquisite gown. The skirt was full but not puffy and the bodice seemed to be decorated with gems in the same colour as the dress. Surely they had hours until she needed to dress for the ball.
"Is it not a little early" Sarah enquired
"No my lady it is eleven already, in fact we are behind schedule. The coach will be here at five and you need to eat, bath and dress before then. We also need to do your hair and make-up. Lola please run the bath for Lady Sarah while she eats".
Sarah watched the younger girl head into the bath room before deciding that it was best not to argue, she took a seat at the small table and began to eat some of the fruit that had been placed out for her. As she ate she the scent of vanilla drifted into the room from the adjoining bathroom. Sarah ate quietly while watching Ellen gathering pieces of jewellery and laying them out on the vanity. Shortly after Lola appeared reappeared to inform them the bath was now ready. Ellen quickly ushered Sarah into the bath before leaving her to bath in private.
As she sank into the warm water Sarah let out a sigh of satisfaction. The warmth of the water seeped into her aching body helping all the muscles relax and easing the tension. She washed her hair and leaned back just letting her mind wonder. In a few hours' time she would be at the High Castle and escorting Jareth into the ball and to his intended bride. At the thought of Melandra Sarah felt her heart tighten in her chest and a wave of jealousy hit her. She had not seen jareth since he kissed her but she could not get him out of her mind. A lone tear travelled down her cheek as she considered her role in the night's proceedings. The sound of Ellen calling to her broke her from her daydream state and she quickly exited the warmth of the tub.
On re-entering the bed chamber Sarah was seated at the vanity and Lola began to dry and style her hair. Sarah watched as the girl worked with expert ease curling and pinning her hair so that it cascaded down one side and over her shoulder.
"My Lady is this ok" Lola asked
"Yes thankyou it looks lovely. You are quite talented"
Lola blushed slightly before thanking Sarah for her kind words. She saw Ellen glare at the girl through the mirror before turning back to whatever task she was doing. Lola then brought forth a large case, as she opened it Sarah could hardly believe how much it held. There seemed to be every possible cosmetic inside. As Lola began to work on her makeup, the older women excused herself while she went to check on the other maids her where apparently assisting Sky and Star. Sarah figured that Ellen must be some sort of chief housekeeper. Finding the silence of the room slightly uncomfortable Sarah tried to draw Lola into conversation. This turned out to be a lot easier than she had anticipated as once the girl actually started talking it was difficult to stop her.
Sarah listened as Lola told her all about herself and her life in the castle. She chatted about a certain stable hand she was seeing and about other romantic liaisons between certain members of the royal house. All this would be useful for Sarah once she reached High Castle no doubt. Sarah let the girl ramble on only half listening until something she said caught her attention and sent a shiver through her body.
"and they say the Goblin King created the tree for her in the Labyrinth. My friend said it is quite stunning and"
"What did you just say about a tree" Sarah asked interrupting the girl
"Well a friend of mine is engaged to one of the groomers at the Goblin Kings castle. He said that this tree of crystal just seemed to appear out of nowhere one night. It is decorated with silver fruit and stands in his majesty's Labyrinth. Some say he created it for his new bride while others say he was surprised by its sudden appearance. Weird thing about is that it has a peach embedded in the centre"
Sarah held her breath, the tree the girl described was the same one she had created in her dream not so long ago, the exact same one she had seen Jareth sat below in her recent nightmare. But how, how could it be there. Lola continued to ramble on as she worked not noticing Sarah's unease.
"He must love her after all although nobody has ever seen any true affection from him towards her, she is usually draped all over him though. Yet if he didn't feel anything why would he bother changing his throne room and the tree and"
"Will you stop your gossiping tongue girl and get on with the job" Ellen's voice was sharp and cutting
Lola lowered her head apologising to the older women before finishing off Sarahs makeup. Once completed Lola was dismissed and Ellen began the task of getting Sarah into her dress. As the final piece of jewellery, Sarah opened the little box and retrieved the bracelet placing it around her wrist.
"That is a beautiful piece my Lady and compliments your dress beautifully" Ellen said
As Sarah glanced at the bracelet she noticed that the once silver bracelet now had small blue stones on it which were identical in colour to her dress.
"I see it also has the Goblin Kings seal on it as befits your states as the Labyrinth champion"
At first Sarah did not realise what Ellen was referring to until she noticed that the clasp held the image of an owl. Sarah realised that the owl was something she had seen jareth transform into and that the gift she had thought was from Garrett must have been from Jareth. A sudden feeling of warmth ran through her and a smile spread across her face.
"Right my Lady you are ready"
Sarah turned towards the full length mirror and gasped at the image that starred back at her. Gone was Sarah the student and before her stood Sarah the women.
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Jareth had remained in the library for a few hours after Quinlan had left. His mind raced through so many possibilities all centred around Sarah. As the sun began to rise he had headed back to his chambers to get ready for breakfast with his parents. He had a close relationship with both his mother and father. They had been quite annoyed at his choice of Kingdom at first but had been greatly supportive once they saw how well Jareth had done. The goblin city was now a flourishing part of the underground holding many trade agreements with neighbouring kingdoms. After breakfast he had retired once more to his chamber, he wanted to spend as little time wondering the castle as possible so he would not bump into melandra, who by now was no doubt being instructed by his mother on her impending role.
As he sat on the bed he made the decision to check on Sarah. He had watched her for a short while after her nightmare but had not looked in on her since. As the image in the crystal cleared to reveal Sarah rising from the tangled sheets on her chamber floor he noticed two women enter her room. His attention was immediately drawn to the item one of them held and a smirk appeared on his face as an idea formed in his mind. So much was pinned on Sarah tonight openly admitting her feelings that he would try anything to encourage her feelings. Seeing the dress meant he needed a slight wardrobe change for this evenings ball and he had just the outfit in mind.
With a quick flick of his wrist the desired item was transported from his chamber in the goblin city to his room at High Castle. Yes, this would be ideal. His mind drifted back to the last time he had worn this even though brief it held a special place in his heart he just hoped it did in Sarah's also. Maybe a few other subtle changes were needed for this evening also. His mother may not be too pleased with his interference but it was a price worth paying.
On exiting his chamber once more Jareth stopped one of the maids as she prepared the many rooms for the impending arrival of the evening guests. He whispered into her ear and even though slightly confused by his requested she nodded her agreement. Jareth continued through the corridors only to stop at the ballroom as he entered his heart dropped at finding Melandra and his mother there.
"Jareth darling how lovely of you to join us" Said his mother
Jareth walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he stepped back he felt Melandras arms circle his waist and his previous joy faded. He could feel the familiar trickle of ice as she drove her magic into him.
"Hello Jareth" she purred in her ear "have you missed me"
Noticing his mother watching them both closely and not wishing to cause a scene in front of the staff Jareth simply turned
"But of course" He replied. Like a dip in the bog he thought
"while it is lovely I need melandra this afternoon darling so go and amuse yourself somewhere else"
"Yes mother I just need a quick word with the musicians"
"Jareth, I have already organised things do not go messing up my arrangements" his mother warned
"I just have a simple request that is all"
Before his mother or Melandra could utter another word Jareth took his leave and headed to the musicians who were practising on the far side of the ballroom. He spoke quietly to the lead who smiled at him and wrote down the alteration on his sheet.
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The carriage ride over to high castle was not as long as Sarah would have liked. The scenery they passed had been truly wonderful and Star and Sky had both laughed at Sarah's look of amazement as they pulled into the courtyard.
High Castle was simply that, built on top of a large hill it seemed to float on a bed of clouds. Its walls where a pure white and glistened as though inset with tiny diamonds. On either side ran a waterfall that seemed to create a rainbow of colour as it hit the crystal clear lake below.
As Sarah exited the carriage she clutched Garrett's hand tightly as a wave of nerves hit her. She began to shake and a wave of nausea hit. Garrett smiled at her and patted her hand but it did little to ease the nerves.
Sarah ran through the instructions he had given her while they travelled. He would escort her to the holding room where she would wait with Jareth before they were announced to the waiting ballroom. They would enter together under the announcement of their relative titles. They would proceed to stand before the High King and Queen before taking to the floor and leading the first dance. After which she would return to stand before the king and Queen and Melandra would join them. It was then required that she place Jareth's hand into Melandra's thus signalling acceptance from the city of the betrothal and blessing the union.
As she walked with Garrett through the corridors the beauty of the castle was lost to her as all she could focus on was the awful feeling of dread and sadness at the task she was to perform. Within no time at all it seemed they had reached the holding room and Garrett had stopped walking.
"This is where I take my leave of you dear Sarah. I will see you on the other side and finally introduce you to my lovely wife" Garrett kissed her on the cheek and began to walk away he had only gone a couple of paces when he turned back towards Sarah "Sarah, we very rarely get a second chance in this life. I suggest you follow your heart"
Before Sarah could respond he had already set off again and entered the ballroom. With a deep breath Sarah placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. The room she entered was subtly lit and there was a couch and a couple of chairs around a low table as she glanced around her eyes found Jareth standing on the opposite side of the room watching her closely. She could feel her heart start to race in her chest and she had to remind herself to breath. As she took in his attire a small gasp escaped her lips. He wore the exact same clothes he had in her peach dream all those years ago. She realised that the dress she wore matched the colour of his jacket precisely. For a moment she was transported back to that ball where she had locked eyes with him as he had dropped the mask from his face.
"Hello Sarah" Jareth purred
He moved away from the wall and began to walk towards her. Sarah was frozen she could not talk or move and simply starred at him.
"You look absolutely stunning" he said as he stopped in front of her. He could feel her heart racing through the bond and realised that the outfit had the desired effect he was hoping for .He leaned towards her and kissed her gently on the lips before pulling back
"Breath Sarah" he whispered
Sarah shook her head and let out the breath she had been holding. How could he do this, how could he stand there in that same outfit looking exactly as he had that night and so many nights after in her dreams. This was so unfair, she hated him for putting her through this emotional torture. He placed his gloved hand under her chin and lifted her head back up so her eyes locked with his. Just as he was about to lean forward and kiss her once more a knock came at the door shattering the moment.
"We are ready your majesty" the voice called
Jareth inwardly cursed he had hoped to have her to himself for a while longer.
"Come Sarah" he held out his hand towards her and she placed hers within his.
Jareth lead her to the double doors and stood beside her before knocking once. The doors where then flung open on both sides and a voice called out to the ballroom.
"His Majesty Jareth King of the goblins and The lady of the Labyrinth Sarah Williams
Sarah looked at Jareth a little confused Garrett had told her she would be announced as the champion yet she had been given a totally different title. Jareth simply smiled at her before leading her forward towards the two people on the thrones opposite. Sarah curtsied and Jareth bowed in respect to the King and Queen before turning back to the dance floor and waiting crowd.
As Jareth placed his hand around her waist a shiver shot up Sarah's spine. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and raised her eyes up to meet his. They waited a moment and then the music began to play and Jareth moved Sarah around the floor. Sarahs mind began to race as the tune played and Jareth quietly sang the words from so long ago into her ear.
"There's such a sad love deep in your eyes"
A kind of pale jewel open and closed
Within your eyes
I'll place the sky
Within your eyes"
The room was beginning to spin faster and faster around her and she could just see Melandra standing near the King and Queen. Sarah felt a sudden stab of pain rip through her heart and all the images from her nightmare engulfed her. Her emotions were in tatters and she did not know how much more she could take.
All too soon the song seemed to end and she was stood with Jareth in the middle of the ballroom. Before she realised he was walking with her back towards the king and Queen and the now waiting Melandra.
With every step Jareth felt her heart breaking along with his. It seemed he had failed and now must face the consequences of his own actions. He had already instructed Garrett that as soon as the exchange was over he was to get Sarah out of the underground and back home at whatever cost. She was not to remain here and watch him broken by Melandra.
With only a few more paces to go Jareth felt Sarah stop and pull back. He turned to her with a look of concern. Sarah looked into his eyes and saw the same sadness as in her dream as she gazed at him she could feel a great sorrow enter her heart.
"Sarah"
"I can't do it. I just can't do it" she cried
"Sarah you must"
"No"
"Sarah please" Jareth pleaded
The whole ballroom had fallen deathly silent as they waited for Sarah and Jareth to move forward. The High King rose from his throne and began to step forward.
"Sarah"
The tears where now flowing down Sarahs cheeks as she looked at Jareth.
"Please don't make me do this. Please "Sarah sobbed
Suddenly she tore her hand away from his and began to back away. Jareth watched her, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and comfort her she looked so frightened.
"Sarah stop"
"I'm sorry" she replied "But I love you"
An audible gasp was heard around the room, Melandra let out a loud shriek as Jareth felt her magic flow from his body as soon as Sarah uttered the words. The immense pain he had lived with and the cold that had wrapped around his heart suddenly eased away. He turned to Melandra sensing her eyes burning into him. He flashed her an immense smile as the realisation of what had just happened hit her. He caught sight of Sarah as she made to run from the ballroom. He quickly moved wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him.
"No precious you will not run from me this time"
Before Sarah could respond Jareth had placed his lips over hers sending shockwaves through her whole body. The guests in the ballroom began to murmur as rumours flew around the crowd. Jareth released Sarahs lips and turned to face Melandra a large smirk across his face.
"I believe the wedding is off" Jareth spat
Melandra let out a load scream and the guest drew back. Sarah watched as the women's appearance began to change in front of her eyes. Her hair turned a deep black with purple streaks and seemed to flow around her, her skin became a porcelain colour and her eyes depended into dark hollow pools. As her form changed she seemed to float into the air her nails had lengthen and looked more like talons. Suddenly she launched towards Jareth with a wail only to be seized by an invisible force mere centimetres from his throat.
"Banshee be gone" boomed the voice of the High King and Melandra screamed once more before she vanished from the room.
The High King turned his gaze to his son his eyes blazing and his voice low and commanding.
"Jareth, my study now and bring the girl" he snapped
Without another word the High King stormed past his son and headed towards the ballroom doors. He paused a moment in front of King Garrett.
"And you" the High King demanded