WOWOWOWOW Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, wow I just want to cry. I know this fic wasn't perfect with some flaws (sorry I'm too lazy to go and fix any mistakes but I will keep any criticism in mind for writing new chapters, thank you so much for any good critiques for you have made me a better writer). I really am so happy and truly read every review even if I don't respond to them.
This chapter may seem choppy, but remember that every chapter has taken place in a year. It's episodic too, so it kinda jumps down between a few things that happen here with them but they are all connected in a way. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I am so humbled and so grateful for all these reviews. I never expected this story to get so much love and attention. Some have told me that it was their favorite fic and I just tear up, wow. You guys are awesome!
Twenty-Eight
After signing off on some paperwork, Jareth got up and stretched, groaning in relief as he felt the kinks in his bones pop. He really had been sitting for far too long. If he wasn't so tired, he'd ask Sarah for a sparring match to loosen up his muscles.
He ran his hand through his hair, absentminded as he walked back to his chambers where Sarah would be. He gave a few nods here and there to the castle workers who were up and about, something he started to do when he met Sarah. Prior to that, he just didn't care to acknowledge them unless something was important. They also would pretend he wasn't there, working invisibly with a few words of thanks if ever when their paychecks came.
He wasn't rude, he just didn't see the point in doing so. Sarah didn't exactly tell him to nod his head to anyone, she just did it herself in her way of making people feel special and to be kind. He smiled a little, thinking of how his young bride had changed him for the better. Some of the workers even smiled for him though most could see when he'd rather be left alone by the shadow in his eyes.
In front of their chambers, Jareth waved a hand and transported to the bathroom. In the day, it would be bright and luminous from the natural light that would seep in from the glass panes, obscuring any view of them from any outsiders. They installed a nice shower since Sarah insisted on having one when she needed to be quickly cleaned. Their bathtub was large enough for the two of them, next to a window with a soft light above, looking out into the more natural parts of their kingdom like the lovely flowered fields.
To his delight, Sarah was taking a bubble bath. She was laying on the side of the bathtub, a book in her hand, her back facing away from the side of the tub and she gave a little wave to him, smiling. "Come join me, love."
Jareth didn't hesitate. He shed his clothes manually, watching her reaction as he gripped his gloves with his teeth and peeled it off. He unclapsed his cape and hung it over a rack. He reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head, slowly revealing the lean muscle underneath. He took off his pendant and set it on the counter, never breaking eye contact with her except for when he took his shirt off.
When all of his clothes were off, he smirked at seeing his wife's flushed face as he stepped into the tub with her, sighing at how good the warm water felt on his body. "How was your day, Precious?" He traced small patterns on her bare back, loving the little drips of water trickling down. He nuzzled into her neck and held her to him.
Sarah giggled a little but continued to read. "It was good, a little crazy but nothing too big. I'm trying to read though." She kissed his face and went back to reading.
Jareth groaned. He wasn't used to her ignoring when he was naked. Especially for a book. "But I'm here!"
Sarah gave him a look, raising her eyebrow at the interruption and then turning back to the page she was on. "Darling I'm very much engrossed in this book."
The goblin king huffed at seeing his queen paying attention to anything but him. He mumbled about how he was much more interesting than "some book."
Sarah rolled her eyes and conceded. She wasn't going to get anywhere with him distractingly tracing down her spine and his ego begging for her attention. She put the bookmark in and faced him. Sarah gave his fluffy hair a small scratch. "So today, I was trying to figure out a way to possibly set up some wind turbines for electricity. But how to make them eco friendly is the question." She looked up in thought. "I need to understand the wildlife here more to make sure that it wouldn't harm them. Maybe we could hire some wildlife expert in helping us?"
Jareth gaze lifted in thought for a bit. "I don't know if that's a good idea to hire one permanently but we could see if we could find someone for whatever projects you want to do for a time."
"Why would it not be a good idea to have the crown hire them permanently?" She asked him.
They debated the pros and cons, having a good old debate. They tried to not talk too much about work in their alone time but the topic was far too interesting to let up. After a bit, they let the matter settle and slid comfortably in the tub, finally scrubbing themselves clean.
Putting on a silk robe, Sarah dried her hair as Jareth put on his own fluffy scarlet robe. She grabbed her book and his hand, making their way to the bedroom.
Jareth always loved seeing her in nothing but a silk robe. It reached to her thighs and made things such an easy access for when they made love.
"What book is that?" Jareth asked her. "What could be so much more interesting than your husband? Hmm?" Sarah was on her stomach so he settled on the bed next to her, tracing a finger across her shoulders before placing it on the other side of her hips and squeezing her there.
"You know, you're really annoying." She rolled her eyes. "And arrogant."
"But I'm a sexy, magical goblin king. Of course I'm arrogant." He moved her robe a little and kissed the back of her neck.
"It's a newer book called Harry Potter." She showed him the front cover of a boy with jet black hair and green eyes, standing in front of a train. "His parents died when he was young so he grows up with his abusive aunt and uncle. Then he finds out he has magic and goes to a school called Hogwarts when he's 11. It's a good story."
"You're reading about a magical pre teen child? How is that gathering more of your attention than at me, a very much grown up king who gives you dreams in so many ways?" He purred and was delighted in seeing the fine hairs on her neck stand up.
Sarah tried to ignore him but her husband had way too much flare to be ignored. "That's nice dear. I see you all the time, I've just encountered this story."
Jareth read the summary at the back of the book. "So how does this boy get magic?"
"He has it in him, born with it but he uses a magic wand to channel it. Now can you please hush?" Sarah sent him one more look that said that she would kick him to the bog if he annoyed her one more time.
"Magical wand?" Jareth gave her a feral grin. He leaned into her ear and drawled in a low voice "you know, I have a very large magical wand if you want to use it to fulfill your fantasies, it's all yours." He held her close and collided their hips together.
"Gah!" Sarah shoved him away. "Really, Jareth!" She threw a pillow at his face.
"Yes really." He winked at her.
"You and your innuendos!" She scooted to the other side of the bed. "I'm not getting involved in any shenanigans with you until I'm done reading the whole book." She emphasized this by putting the book up so she wouldn't see his face.
Jareth stayed on his side of the bed, laying so his chest was perfectly in view. He had on the most obnoxious smile. "Alright, fine."
"Thank you." She said and went back to reading.
That didn't even last for two minutes.
Jareth moved over to her side. "So, are you done yet?"
"JARETH!" Sarah shrieked and threw another pillow at him which only resulted in him laughing his head off as he tackled her to the bed. She rolled him over so she was on top and glared at him as he playfully kissed her nose.
"So you're done reading, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
Sarah snorted and moved off him.
Jareth rolled over on his stomach too and saw that she was halfway done with the book already. "My, you are a fast reader. Where'd you get this?"
Sarah felt less annoyed with him now. He was still very annoying but she knew that he was just playful and wanted her attention. It was the man she married after all.
"Toby did, it's very popular Above apparently and I can see why. It's a charming story and for me, an easy read." She put a bookmark in it and laid on her back, caressing the side of his face. It felt so good to have her husband just next to her in quiet times like this.
Jareth snatched her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, moving up to her palms and massaging it a little. Sarah gave a sigh at the relaxing motion. He smiled at her content face. She was just so beautiful. The way her eyes lit up or the way she touched his hair adoringly all made him feel so lucky that she was his wife.
Unfortunately, their time was about to be hectic.
"I wish the goblins would take her away!"
Jareth let out a large groan and Sarah wholeheartedly agreed. They took turns fetching a wished away child but this time, something strange was happening. Jareth sent out a command, a snap of his fingers to prevent the goblins from reaching the child.
It would be better if he did this alone.
They shared a look. With their magic, they could tell what was happening. It was a sad situation this time, one that Sarah had only heard of from stories her husband shared with her but had yet to see it herself. She remembered that Jareth had been cruel to her when she was 15 because she wished Toby away carelessly and angrily. This was no mistake.
Jareth sighed. "I'll go this time."
"No." Sarah put her hand on his arm. They had never done this, but she felt that there was a first time for everything. Sensing Jareth's pain, she kissed his cheek. "Let me go with you."
Jareth looked into her eyes, about to refuse. But the moment he saw those green orbs, he knew that he couldn't just say no to her. She was a queen, and she was strong. She was no child, but a woman. She saw the world and she would be there for him.
Jareth gave a nod. "Alright."
With a wave of smoke and glitter, the Goblin King and Queen transported to a hospital room. It was dark and cold, foreboding and heartbreaking.
There was a family. A father, a mother, and a sister looking on a bald-headed child in the hospital bed, hooked up with all sorts of tubes and medication.
The girl's eyes were big. She looked to be around five years old. "You're the goblin king." She said to Jareth. She looked at Sarah. "Are you the Goblin Queen?"
The parents looked frightened, as any would be if two magical beings just popped into a sterile hospital room. Especially if they wore such dark and mysterious looking clothes.
The little girl, wearing pigtails and a a fuzzy onesie, trotted over to them. Her mother gasped but Sarah held her hand out to silence her. "She won't be harmed. That is not what we are here to do."
The mother still looked wary but let the girl walk over to Sarah, who crouched down on one knee while Jareth stood still, watching his wife.
"Hello, Gabby is it?" Sarah said to the small child. When she nodded, she kept speaking. "Why did you wish for your sister to be taken away?"
Gabby teared up and her little bottom lip trembled. "The doctor says that she's going to die. I don't want her to. Can you save her?"
Sarah looked over at Jareth, who was now looking at the sleeping child on the bed. There was a photo next to her, and it looked like the girl was about ten years old even with her frail body. She used to have beautiful, curly black hair and the most playful eyes you'd ever see.
"We can." Sarah answered her. "But there is a price."
"What price?" The father looked at Jareth, a little fearful of the king with slanted eye makeup and wispy hair. The king was getting closer to the child in the bed, laying his hand on her arm to asses the damage in her system.
"She won't be who she is anymore." Jareth said, an edge in his voice. "But she will be happy and she won't die."
"You'll turn her into a goblin." The mother's voice was thick with tears.
Sarah nodded. "If she doesn't, she won't survive the Underground and death there will be more painful than it is here."
"And she has to go to the Underground, she's been wished away." Jareth looked at Gabby. "Unless Gabby runs the labyrinth."
Gabby shook her head. "No. I want her to be happy."
"And she will be. That we can promise you." Sarah reassured the young girl and her parents. "She will have many friends, she will have a good time and never have a care in the world but she won't remember her life here. That is usually for the better though."
"No offense, but I'm not sure if this is the best thing. To become a, a simple creature." The father held his daughter's hand. "What a monstrous thing to do."
Sarah stood up to her full height. "Regardless, it isn't something that we can change. It's beyond us. We are bound by ancient magic and cannot break it."
If only they had been called sooner, then the girl could have been turned fae. But alas, they couldn't do anything.
The mother looked at Sarah and Jareth with bravery. "Your Majesties. I never thought this story was true, and shared it with my daughters. Take care of her for us."
"On my honor." Jareth promised them. The King and Queen stepped back a bit. "We will let you say good bye."
Once the family bid their daughter goodbye, the two monarchs weaved a spell to cause everyone to forget the girl except for her family. They had no extended family and they said that even though it was harder this way, they would rather remember their girl for as long as they were alive.
Sarah cradled her in her arms. When they were in the throne room, she and Jareth immediately placed the spell on her.
Her limbs got shorter. Her complexion muddy but her body was no longer working overtime to survive. She became a goblin, but a tired one, snuggling close to Sarah like a child to their mother.
Jareth looked thoroughly exhausted. Sarah kissed his lips. "I will take her to a family, you wait for me in our chambers."
The king was so tired that he didn't even argue. He just nodded and left.
The new goblin was a little scared. She remembered nothing and her eyes darted everywhere. "Where am I?"
As she used to be human, she had a slightly higher intelligence and therefore, better grammar. Sarah smiled at her. "Welcome to the Goblin Kingdom, little one. I am the queen."
The goblin smiled at that. "Queenie?"
Sarah laughed. "Yes, queenie!"
She instructed the goblins to take care of her, all of them were excited to usher her around to cause whatever mischief that they usually did. Sarah made sure that she got a warm bowl of food. She adjusted quite well and was happy to be a part of her new family. She doubled over in laugher when they said they wanted to name her "Oatmeal."
"Oatie for short." Borty said to Sarah.
"As long as she likes it, you guys can name her whatever you want. Don't get too crazy, let her have a good night's rest first, alright?"
They all nodded and went back to being stupid.
Sarah materialized in her chambers. She was taken aback by their empty bed, expecting Jareth to be in it. A slight breeze sifted through her hair and she turned to see the balcony doors.
Ah.
She slipped on her robe, the one she was wearing before and joined him.
Jareth had on his scarlet robe and black, silk pants and fuzzy slippers on his feet that Sarah had gotten him for Christmas. His hands were clasped behind him, his hair glowing in the moonlight.
She wasn't sure if she should let him be or stay with him, but seeing as he wasn't telling her to leave him to his thoughts, she closed the doors and walked over to him, putting an arm on his back.
Jareth felt heavy, felt weighed down and dark. It was moments like these with his job where he wanted so badly to sink into isolation but the feel of Sarah's hand on his back reminded him that he no longer had to do that. That he had someone else who understood him. And even before she really did understand the full nature of his job, she never was too intimidated to be with him in his brooding moments. Still, he made no move to touch her back, still wanting to have some form of aloneness. "How is she?"
Sarah reached behind him and took one of his hands, unclasping them and intertwining her fingers in his. She rubbed her thumb up and down his, giving him a sense of comfort even from the minimal touches. "She's doing well. She has so many new friends. Borty decided to name her Oatmeal."
Even in his painful thoughts, he snorted and laughed. "Oatmeal? My god. They are running out of names."
Sarah loved seeing his smile. He had such a beautiful smile. She leaned into him and wrapped her arm around him. "Yeah, they are."
"And you? How are you holding up?" He finally turned to her and cupped her face in his hands.
Sarah was surprised. "You are the one who's out here, and you're asking me?"
He shrugged. "You still didn't answer me."
Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm great. I think seeing her sick in bed and then happy as a goblin did a lot to ease my conscience. I can't help but think about what her dad had said, that she is a simple creature now. But it's not like we can control that once she's been wished away."
"I know." He said thickly. "It just, seeing her father's face is what gets me. Seeing the goblins happy reminds me that my job is to help people learn, to grow or to rescue them. But his face is one I've seen countless of times. Less so now but more so before."
He did not sob. He did not yell, but a tear fell down his cheek. "I have been called a monster, Sarah. And I know you saw me as something less than good when we first met."
Sarah's shoulders sagged and she pulled him close. He rested his head on her shoulder and she kissed his neck. "Oh Jareth."
"I can't help but hear this over and over." He breathed out in pain. "That I am a monster. That I can't do more. That I can't heal children with cancer."
"We are all limited in our abilities." She cupped his cheek. "Just because others may think you're a monster for turning children into goblins doesn't make you so. Even a dumb little human girl named Sarah Williams. Maybe especially her because she was the one who wished her brother away in the first place."
Jareth couldn't help but grin at that. How was it that she knew exactly what to say to ease the painfulness of his heart?
"It does make me feel less guilty." He said quietly. "I think as a coping mechanism, I started to sort of build this wall between myself and the runners." He looked out into the labyrinth. "I would blame humans for being careless in wishing children away or for not coming up with cures fast enough. Stupid I know."
"But it made you feel better when everyone was making you feel like shit." Sarah kissed his chest, for he had no shirt on, just his robe which opened to expose his upper body. "Now you know that you can't just blame them. Because nothing is as it seems."
"And that you can't take things for granted." He held her shoulders, feeling so much pride in this woman. She was honestly the best thing to ever happen to him. "But it still doesn't make it easy."
"Does it ever?" Sarah took his hand. "Come to bed with me, let's talk inside."
He followed her in and they both sat on the bed. Jareth laid his head in her lap while Sarah played with the hair on his face and traced small patterns on his chest.
"I feel guilty because of the pain I saw on the faces of the parents." He said quietly. "If I ever had to go through that as a father, I'm not sure how I would have reacted."
"I know." Sarah felt a tight squeeze on her chest. "It may just kill me."
"It's why humans are so resilient compared to us." He said. "They deal with much more of these kinds of heart-wrenching pains. At the end of the day, I am in awed of people like those parents and their daughter for doing what they thought was best for their family even if they did look at me like I was a terrible monster."
Sarah was so overwhelmed by the emotions that were going through her that she kissed Jareth. Not just a quick peck, but a long, passionate one. She herself wasn't sure about children being turned into goblins, but there was nothing that they could do. It was part of the magic. And, little Oatie had a new chance for a happy life whereas she would have died instantly anyway. She was no longer in pain. Some may argue that it may not be the best course of action but again, these decisions are up for the family and the Goblin King and Queen didn't really have a choice in the matter once someone was wished away.
She pulled away from him, smiling into his lips. His dazed eyes and sweet touches showed that he was just as in love as ever.
Jareth was surprised by her kiss but he took it. He loved the feel of her soft lips coaxing him to open up for her and to share the love and emotions that were running through each of them. He had no idea how he survived this long without her. She was his oxygen, his very reason in not keeping him alive but teaching him how to live. How to find long term happiness instead of only the small moments.
"Thank you." He caressed her cheek.
"Mmm. I should say the same." She moved and laid next to him. "It's been a long day, hasn't it?"
"Yes it has." He snuggled into her neck. "Goodnight, my love."
"Goodnight my goblin king."
The next morning, Jareth woke up to find Sarah reading again. He saw that she was almost done.
"Goodness, you really are a fast reader." He said. "When did you wake up?"
"Shh." She put a hand to his lips, never moving her eyes from the book. Jareth was tempted to lick her fingers but he figured it was better to let her finish reading.
A few more minutes and Sarah set the book down, drawing her legs to her and resting her chin on her knees, staring straight ahead. After a moment, she spoke to him. "I woke up a few hours ago, I was so curious about what happened next."
Jareth smirked. "Oh you." He kissed her cheek. But she still didn't respond to him. Which annoyed him because Jareth was used to getting all the attention from his wife.
"You're thinking about something." He said frankly. Her glazed eyes were not normal after reading a book like this. "What's going on in that intelligent head of yours?"
Sarah blushed a little. She wondered if he would think she was silly, but they had been together for so long. Ever since she was 21! And they lived together for four years now. She shrugged off her silly feelings and just told him.
"Well, this author," she lifted the Harry Potter book up. "She was so poor when she wrote this book and was a single mother during it. She'd write it all out by hand or typed it on a typewriter. It's a beautiful thing, to tell a story and to share it with the world."
She paused again.
Jareth kisses her neck and wrapped an arm around her. "And then what, Love?"
"Well, I guess, I was thinking about how you told me that I'm a Storyteller." She touched her hand, remembering how her 15-year-old self had been touched by Jareth the day after she ran the labyrinth in order to see if she was one or not.
Jareth furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of where this was going. "Yes, you are. Have you told stories of me and my job at all?" He asked her, wondering if she had told someone. It wouldn't be bad but it would just surprise him.
Sarah shook her head. "No, except for my family."
They chuckled at the memory. Toby had confronted them, saying that he had memories of Jareth. He even sang Magic Dance back to the king! Sarah asked Jareth what should be done and he said it was her decision. They had been dating for a while by then and even if they decided to part ways (as if!) at least it was a big part of her life that she still wanted to tell her family.
It was tricky because while there really wasn't anything preventing her from telling absolutely everyone, to reveal the magical world to the human world wasn't such a good idea. People had technology that made them so much more powerful and people who talked could be sent to psych wards for being seen as crazy. So Jareth made a deal with her, saying that he would show her family and ONLY her family of their world. If she wanted to show more people, she would have to be queen herself so she could protect herself. Sarah agreed, though she had no desire to tell anyone else.
They decided to show her parents some magic and Jareth's transformations. It took them a bit to get used to but eventually they came to accept it as Sarah could do magic as well. They weren't angry, they didn't yell, they were just stunned out of their minds and Toby finally felt happy asking them if he could visit the Underground (which he did regularly once Sarah moved down there).
Jareth's eyes lit up when he realized what she was saying. They were both on their sides and facing each other. He put his hand on her hip, eyes wide. "Are you thinking of telling the world about us?"
"Not quite like that." She reassured him. "I'm not going to have some giant announcement. But rather, what about a book? What if I wrote a book of our story and those who believe it will wish a child away if they really believe it to come true? You know that no one can wish the child away even with the right words unless they mean it."
Jareth frowned. "I'm not sure, we would have a lot more children be wished away."
She sat up and looked at the ceiling. "Then is that not a better thing? Then they can try to win the child back and if they can't as none have been able to but me, then the child will be in a happy place, yes? We can make it a warning, to not truly wish someone away unless they meant it. In the past, humans all over knew of the goblin kings or queens. Shouldn't they know it again?"
She was on a roll now. The queen stood up and paced. "Okay, so then they can understand that the reason we turn children into goblins is because of what we experienced last night. They won't think anything wrong with us and can understand what we have gone through."
Jareth looked surprised at this suggestion, but his facial expression changed. "So this is how you could fulfill your role as a story teller."
She moved over and sat on his lap. "Exactly."
He looked at her like she was a genius. "Love, what will you write though?"
"The truth." She said. "Not all of it, but enough to captivate it as a story. A story about how the King of the Goblins fell in love with the girl, and had given her certain powers. How she ran the labyrinth and did what was right."
"The plot twist is that what he didn't know was that the girl had fallen in love with him too, and would show him and the world that he was a good person and not some monster." He said with tears in his eyes. "Oh, Sarah, you'd do it for me?"
"I love you, Jareth." She kissed his nose. "I can see how much it bothers you. And besides, this is my chance to finally write something useful."
They shared more adoring words and kisses before getting ready for the day.
"I drew this for you, Your Majesty." One little girl blushed as she handed Jareth a crude drawing of something that looked barely like an owl.
Jareth beamed at her. "Wow, this is quite gorgeous! Thank you for the lovely drawing my dear. How very thoughtful of you!"
"Can you draw well, Your Majesty?" One little elven boy pipped up. He handed Jareth a crayon.
"Not as well as the queen, I can assure you." He gazed to the other side of the room where Sarah was reading to a group of kids, one of them snuggling up against her.
Once a month, they visited one school either together or separately. They always tried to be together in the schools as much as possible, to spend time with the children. It was a tradition that they had started shortly after they married and the whole kingdom found it delightful.
Jareth watched as Sarah read to the children and drew her, giving his little drawing some black hair and green eyes, immersed in the book. The children were telling him about what they had learned that day.
"Today we learned about dirt!" One boy told him. "And how worms make it so plants can grow."
"That is very true, you know so much!" Jareth complimented him just as he was finishing up the drawing.
Sarah peaked from the corner of her eye and saw her husband making silly faces and blowing bubbles at his tiny, adoring fans. She giggled and kept on reading to the children in her area.
Soon, they were finished and Sarah walked out feeling better. Some of these children were wished away and she felt an even stronger urge to write her book. She took Jareth's hand and walked over to another classroom.
A boy with black curls and almond shaped eyes ran like lightening, hugging Jareth's long legs. "Uncle Jareth!"
"Hello, Alistair." Jareth ruffled the boy's head. "How was school?"
"It was awesome!" He said.
Jareth looked at his wife who was snickering. "Awesome?"
"Aunt Sarah taught me that word!" He giggled and hugged her too. "Hello, Aunt Sarah!"
Sarah held his hand. "Hey buddy! Are you ready for a sleepover!"
"Yeah!" He said enthusiastically. "Are we going to kick goblins?"
Jareth was about to speak but Sarah gave him one look and he snapped his jaw shut.
She faced her godson again. "Where did you get THAT idea from?"
"Uncle Jareth said it was fine when Momma and Papa aren't here to see." He reasoned, to which Jareth was getting even more red faced from trying to not laugh.
"You are going to be a handful when we have children, aren't we?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"I'm a fun uncle, what can I say?" He took Alistair's other hand. "Daniel and Lydia need to lighten up!"
Sarah rolled her eyes.
They spent the day with him, making pancakes and playing with goblins (and kicking them when Sarah wasn't looking). It took them a while to chase the boy down to have a bath, but they finally tricked him with bubbles and rubber duckies.
As he settled into his room, Sarah read him Winnie the Pooh and he was out soon after.
Once he was asleep, the queen of goblins began to write.
"Once upon a time…"
Sarah actually wrote at lightning speed, gathering her journals and writing words from that. And the book itself wasn't too long anyway.
She even published two books. One in the form of a chapter book and the other a kid's book.
She illustrated it herself too. She asked Jareth to pose for her at times and he gladly did so but was really annoying about it.
"Make sure you make this side even." He puckered his lips slightly.
"Don't do that, be yourself." She told him gently even though she wanted to roll her eyes. "Be you."
At her telling him to be himself, Jareth gave her a warm smile.
"There!" She quickly sketched it down. "So handsome." She winked at her husband.
"Don't forget to do my dark and sexy side." He flipped his cape and stalked to the other side of the room.
"Whatever you say, Your Majesty." Sarah sassed him.
When she showed him the final sketches, Jareth was appalled at his pants.
"Why are they so loose?" He demanded.
"It's a children's book, Jareth." She rolled her eyes. "I can't be selling books in which your pants are dangerously tight."
"Aww, but I look so fabulous." He folded his arms like a petulant child.
Sarah tried another tactic. "Darling." She purred in his ear. "You know that I am also selfish? I don't need or want anyone else to be fantasizing you in those pants but me."
Jareth looked less annoyed and quite lustful now. He licked his lips. "Well in that case, I think I will be less annoyed about it."
Before she knew it, Jareth swept her up in his arms and carried her to their chambers where they gave everyone strict instructions to not intrude unless they wanted to be kicked, goblins or not.
Sarah published the books under an alias, J.C. Williams. Williams was such a common last name and she published it with random initials that seemed anonymous enough.
Both became best sellers. The publishers weren't expecting this, but the book was praised for how different it was from most stories that had romance. It was a story of two imperfect people who learned to be themselves away from each other and then together. Everyone loved how the girl didn't want to be with the king until they had both proven themselves worthy of each other, for the king did not let her understand that he loved her, confusing her until the end of her journey. They also loved how the king never pushed her, that while he had a temper, he also learned to be vulnerable just as the girl learned to be stronger. That he had waited for her.
She made a call in the book for the storytellers to share about the goblin king, of the tale of bravery, of doing what was right. Sarah's story, frustratingly, became seen as a romance story to a lot of people but at the heart it was about growth. It was about how she went from a brat who wished her brother away to a capable young woman who fought to redeem herself. That was what The Labyrinth was about. She added their love story to show that her husband was no monster, but that wishes and words were powerful and beyond his abilities to change. That one should never say the words unless they meant it, to help some child in need. Saying the words wouldn't do anything unless someone meant it. Sarah also told of a story of how the king and queen took away any child who was wished away, that they took care of said child. The little labyrinth book that Sarah had as a child was created to fit her through magic, just as there were other books that surely did the same for storytellers.
But now, there would be a consistent story.
The little picture book was just as powerful, though it only showed of her time in the labyrinth as a teen, not anything else. It was a story of magic, one that captivated children. Sarah had been getting fan mail saying that they read the little book to their children every night and she laughed at one of them saying that her daughter wanted to dance with the goblin king and wanted to be his goblin queen. If only they knew that her story was true!
Her parents loved it and kept an author's copy on their shelf, feeling a sense of happiness in being able to read in detail what was happening in her mind during her time of transition from a mortal girl to a queen. Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo loved the books. Sir Didymus loved how she painted him as a determined knight who would do anything for her. Hoggle was touched at how she had called him her first friend in the labyrinth. Ludo loved the pictures that she drew of them, and even gave him one of them hugging.
Sarah wasn't sure exactly how well the book was actually received until she chaperoned at Toby's first school dance, much to her parents' delight and Toby's horror.
"Bleh." Toby leaned back in his chair just as he was finishing telling his story. "I worked up all that courage to find out if Nadine will be at the dance, but now it won't even happen!" He rolled his eyes and took another jump on the trampoline.
"Well, is there another way you could perhaps go on a date with her?" Jareth's hair was standing up all over the place, much worse than usual with all the static electricity from the trampoline. He hated getting shocked and was very annoyed at his wife and brother-in-law for trying to shock him all the time.
"Hey, where are you going?" Sarah took another jump as Jareth was climbing out of the trampoline, unzipping the safety net.
"I am not going to get pounced on by you two." He sat on the bench. "Besides, I can see and talk to you both here."
"You didn't mind getting pounced on last night." Sarah winked and tossed her hair, giving him a bit of a tease with the way she bit her bottom lip, delighting Jareth to no end.
"Eew, can you guys not? Man sometimes I want to be a kid again so that I didn't understand these innuendos." Toby made a noise hat sounded suspiciously like retching. "Your future kids will hate you for this."
"I'm sure we will thoroughly disgust them." Sarah teased her brother. "Now, back to your crush. So you want some help in asking her on a date?"
"I don't know man!" Toby grumbled. "We're only 14. That's a bit young isn't it?"
"Eh, I don't know." Sarah shrugged. "I was young when I met Jareth…"
"But that was different." Jareth pointed out. "I was intrigued by you. I wanted to know you and ask you if you WOULD love me one day. Also as I've said, age doesn't translate in the same way here as it does Underground. I just wanted you to know me and to give you dreams but of course you didn't want dreams at the end. You wanted something real. And as for age, you being 15 didn't really mean anything to me aside from the fact that you already hit puberty. And to be fair, I had no idea how old you were until you told me, you looked older than I had thought. I would have waited for you to be of age."
"Ugh." Toby gagged.
"Hey, puberty is something that is natural." Sarah said. "Yeah, you know how I got a lot of unwanted advances from people when I was young. Jareth was annoying and flirted with me, but he never made me feel uncomfortable in a creepy way."
"Except for the tunnels." Jareth winked at her. "You made me mad enough that I made you scared of the cleaners."
Sarah laughed. "True. And you were wearing those pants! But you never touched me or made me feel like you would have taken advantage of me, which is the difference between you and all the creepy older guys who were leering at me. Anyway, back to what Jareth was saying, you're too young to yes, choose a lifelong partner, and maybe to really tie yourself in an exclusive relationship, but I'd say there's nothing wrong with getting to know her if she's a special young lady and have fun. A dance would have been the perfect place, too bad it's being cancelled."
The fact that Toby was 14 and STILL telling her all these things about his life was amazing. Most teens would close off but it was probably Jareth's influence that helped. Toby could still be annoying and grumpy, saying sarcastic things and be short to people but for the most part, he was very open with his family at least. He was a handsome young boy, his curly hair in waves on his head and his blue eyes shining bright. There was this joke that whenever Sarah and Jareth took him out that people would assume that he was Jareth's brother, not hers because of the color of his hair and eyes. If they looked closely though, they would see that both looked like their father. At first glance, Sarah may look like Linda but a closer look showed how much of her father's daughter she really was. Especially after that falling out that she had with her.
"I know." Toby sighed. "It sucks when the parents bail out, not enough chaperones. We only need two more too. I don't know if I'll get another chance to just casually hang out with her anytime soon."
"It's good to go on a casual date and lots of them with different people." Sarah ruffled his hair. "I think in my heart I always loved Jareth, but going on dates with other guys ended up being good for the both of us."
"Yes, as much as I'm not fond of that idea, I have to admit it's true. It made her more sure of choosing me as a husband. I was already experienced and besides, even if I wasn't, I didn't have to regret bringing Sarah to be my queen. She already knew what her life could be like here and she chose not to. It just made us more sure, didn't it Precious?" He beamed at her.
Sarah smiled at him, the softness of their love radiating them. "Yes, for sure."
Jareth felt a lot of sympathy for Toby. He remembered when he was a young teenager, those awkward feelings. And then it was even worse when he met Sarah. When he reached out more to his magic and really understood how old she was, he felt bad but he was still arrogant. Thank goodness she called him over, starting the chain of reaction that lead them to where they are today.
But then, he had an idea.
"OH NO." Toby pointed at Jareth from the trampoline. "I know that face! You're up to something!"
Jareth got up and walked to the trampoline, grabbing on the bars and looking at Sarah through the net. "If they're short on two chaperones, what do you say we become those chaperones?"
Sarah looked at him like he was the smartest man in both worlds. "You mean, you want to make sure that kids aren't grinding against each other or just staring at each other awkwardly as some people are at the punch bowl as we dance with each other and show off some really bad dance moves to teenagers who already are embarrassed? I'm down!"
"NO WAY!" Toby yelled. "You can't do that!"
"I am the king, I do what I want." Jareth winked at him.
"So?" Toby growled annoyedly. "You're not MY king."
"The question is, do you want to miss out on a chance to woo a pretty girl or would you rather not have your cool sister and her husband be at a dance?" Sarah folded her arms.
At the end, Sarah's reasoning won over. The couple talked to Robert and Karen who offered to chaperone instead and of course, Toby was freaking out about that. If anything was worse than Jareth and Sarah being chaperones, it was his parents. At least Jareth was a good dancer and his sister was "cool" to his friends, even if he didn't always think so.
The day of the dance came. Toby was dressed nicely, but not too nice so that it wouldn't look like he was trying too hard. Jareth and Robert took him shopping for something nice. Toby ended up choosing a nice button down green shirt and Jareth got him a nice looking leather jacket. Toby was unsure about the jacket but it was a nice jacket so he took it with him anyway.
"Oh honey you are going to your first dance!" Karen kissed him. "So handsome! And growing so fast." She teared up a little.
"He's eating us out of house and home." Robert told Sarah. "Just look at those long legs."
"Remember when I was eating a lot? That was nuts." She laughed, thinking back on those days.
"But he's a boy, he's seriously driving Karen crazy with how much we have to go grocery shopping." Robert laughed.
Jareth did a few more inspections, asking if Toby wanted to add on some glitter to which the teen gave a hard no.
"Who am I, Ziggy Stardust?" He rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Bowie is pretty awesome." Sarah wasn't going to let anyone say anything bad about her favorite rock star.
"Yeah but it's not like I can pull it off." Toby took one more look at the mirror at his hair, a bit thrown back but hanging nicely. "Okay, I think we can go now."
"Awesome, hop in the car." Sarah took the keys from Robert and kissed his cheek. "Bye guys."
"Have fun Toby!" Robert waved at them.
"Daaaaad." Toby mumbled.
"Oh! Take lots of pictures!" Karen tossed a disposable camera at jareth to which the king caught.
"Will do!" Jareth waved back.
Sarah got in the driver's seat and Jareth in the passenger while Toby was in the back. To try to be "cool," the king and queen donned on sun glasses.
"I hate you both." Toby mumbled.
"Shut up." Sarah told him. "We're doing this for you, we promise to not embarrass you. Too much."
Toby hissed out a few swear words but the couple could see a small smile on his face.
Getting to the dance, Sarah and Jareth stood by the doors, watching as Toby made his way to a group of friends. Sarah was right, the fluorescent lights on the gym tiles looked so dorky but also adorable. She waved to a few of her old teachers, clutching on Jareth's arm as a few single teachers here and there were making eyes at him.
The room was filled with hormonal teens. As the royal couple were quite attractive, some were even making eyes at them. Pathetic forms of flirting that could only be made by those who have never tried. Sarah knew that she was awkward as a teen too but not THIS awkward to be staring and failing to hide their attraction to the young couple.
"Do they not realize how obvious their staring is?" Jareth asked with a hint of amusement. "I feel quite exposed."
"I know what you mean." Sarah laughed. They were used to attention as king and queen but this was different. The attention they got Underground was expected. This was not.
The kids were definitely having fun but Sarah could see that they kept looking at the opposite sex, unsure of what to do. According to Jareth, he could clearly some of the ones who weren't straight looking even MORE awkward at the fact that they had a crush on the same sex peer who definitely didn't like them back because they were straight. Sarah took his word for it as Jareth, while leaning very heavily towards women, was no stranger to relationships with men. Now though, he joked that in the past he was bisexual and that now he was "Sarahsexual" which made her simultaneously cringe and laugh.
"That girl over there, she's really hanging onto that other girl. She looks so sad that she's starting at someone else." Jareth pointed out. "Poor thing."
"You sure that it's not because maybe she could just be a clingy friend and not a crush? I've definitely had that happen." Sarah looked at him.
"Could be, humans are confusing." Jareth said. "This is the 3rd slow song to be played and no one is dancing together! Toby is avoiding the girl." Jareth threw his hands, exasperated. "And you still won't dance with me."
"I told you, adults dancing will just weird them out even more. We can dance any old time." Sarah had an idea though. "Hey, you know those prizes that they were going to give away?"
"Yeah? What about it?" Jareth could sense that she was having a good idea and he was down without even knowing what it was.
She told him, and he was ecstatic.
They talked to the other chaperones and the teachers, and they weren't all sure but they more or less went along with the idea.
Jareth tapped on the microphone. "Hello, I hope you are all having a wonderful time at the dance."
Sarah held in a giggle at seeing her brother try to act cool, like he didn't know who Jareth was.
"I have something to offer you all." He showed the prizes on the table. "If you dance with someone, yes, actually slow dance with someone, then you will be entered for a prize."
Apparently that did the trick. A few students started to dance with each other. Sarah watched with pride as Toby approached Nadine and held his hand out kindly. She smiled at him and they laughed and chatted all through the dance.
She couldn't help but sneak in a thumbs up behind her at him and then trotting away to be next to Jareth and then snapping some photos of him.
"Silly boy, he's good looking, kind, and funny. Of course these girls want him!" Sarah laughed at the ridiculousness that was her brother.
Jareth took her in his arms, loving her smile. Seeing her so happy just made him happy. "Dance with me, my sweet."
And there, on the floor of a middle school gym, they danced together as if no one else was there, just modestly holding onto each other.
Near the end of the dance, Jareth saw a few shadows moving suspiciously. He groaned at seeing his subjects up to mischief again. Normally they were very good but this was not one of those times.
He walked into an empty classroom and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing?" He glared a small goblin who was about to chew some electrical cord. "You're going to get yourself killed."
"No kill! Me eat!" He proceeded to bare his teeth when Jareth grabbed him with one hand and lifted him up, the little thing laughing.
"Warzo, this is not okay!" Sarah saw the two arguing and came to check them out. "Okay, out you go. Go mess with some chickens or something."
"Yes Queen! Oh and Oatie say she want to swim in chicken feathers!" He brought back the name of the little girl who had been terminally ill turned to goblin, and Sarah rolled her eyes.
"You guys are bad influences. No swimming in feathers, you know that plucking the feathers hurts them. Now shoo!"
When Warzo trotted away, Sarah and Jareth burst out laughing. "I guess this is what I signed up for in being goblin queen. Not that I would change a thing. Except for the swimming in chicken feathers!"
Jareth gave her a peck on her lips. "I didn't choose this job but I've come to love it, and I've come to love the fact that you are by my side."
They didn't notice a young girl walk into the room, staring at them with huge eyes until they turned from the kiss.
The girl looked at where Warzo had been. "Wait, you saw that, that goblin too?"
Sarah and Jareth gawked as the girl continued.
"King and Queen? Oh my god, you're real!"
She brought out a book from her purse. The Labyrinth.
The very book that Sarah had written.
"I knew this was real. I didn't say anything to anyone but I knew it in my heart that it was real." She sunk to the ground, kneeling before them.
"Oh dear you don't have to do that." Sarah crouched down to meet her eyes. "Please, I am like you."
She helped the girl up and felt a jolt go through her hand as she touched her.
The girl was a Storyteller.
Just like Sarah herself.
"What was that?" The girl didn't sound fearful, just unsure.
"You are a storyteller." Sarah said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Incredible." Jareth said. "Your plan worked, love."
The girl bowed at both of them. "I want to say that I've heard the story before from my dad, and I think it's wonderful." She approached Jareth. "My dad said that his dad wished his baby brother away when he was hurt so badly that they didn't think that he would live. Thank you for taking care of him."
The way she said it with such gratitude, with such sincerity made the king and queen tear up. Sarah really was fulfilling her job not just as a queen but as a Storyteller, to be the caretaker of children.
Jareth was rereading the book that his wife had written. He smiled at the inside of the book.
"To my husband, who taught me so much and gave me so much. This story could not have come about without you. Thank you for being there for me as the world fell down and beyond."
He hugged it close to his heart, rereading about her thoughts of him and how she thought him imperfect but that he was a good man. He would never be tired of reading the things that she said about him. He loved the illustration of them dancing in the ballroom. He would often read the book and open up the little music box that Jeremy got them for their wedding. Everyone she knew loved her book but no one more than the king of goblins himself.
But there was something that was nagging in the back of his mind. As she met with publishers, he saw that she would look at whatever university they were at longingly.
Sarah was learning endlessly, and she would have forever to gain whatever knowledge that she could. It was a perk of being immortal. But still, there was something about getting a formal education that really appealed to her, he could see.
He took flyer that was in the student union building at a university in Seattle and approached her.
Sarah was watering the plants, so nice to see how her garden was growing. She took pride in being a hands-on queen, and the castle workers loved to be around her as she got her hands dirty. She did not think herself above them at all. They laughed and gardened her official garden (which Jareth had given to her once they married). She saw Jareth trotting over and waved at him, the other workers inclining their heads slightly at the king when he came by.
"Are you here to join us, Your Majesty?" Sarah gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "We are almost done actually."
"Oh, I just came to see my wife. It looks like you all did a lovely job. I was just taking a break from reading. I wanted to ask you something before I went back to work."
"You could send it to my secretary you know." She teased. Any official matters, they would have their secretaries communicate. Jareth's was Daniel, Sarah's was a lady named Sylvia who was lovely. She had seriously considered Lydia but though Lydia was one of the important ladies in aiding her, she didn't want her as a secretary since Daniel was her husband. If there was tension between herself and Jareth, there could be tension between Daniel and Lydia too and she didn't want their work life to invade their private life either.
"Ah, but this is not official work matters, love." He said. He held his arm out. "Ready to go?"
Sarah nodded and tried to clap the dirt from her hands. The gardeners lowered their heads in respect. "It was lovely to work with you today, Your Majesty."
"You too." Sarah said. "Until next time!"
Jareth took her to his office, where Sarah was even more confused. "Jar, I thought you said that this wasn't going to be a work related thing."
"Well you may think it is but it is so much more personal. And you're dirty." He wrinkled his nose.
"Some good, hard work will be good for you." She countered playfully.
"Yes yes, but I don't enjoy rolling around in the dirt like my young wife does." He poked her nose. They sat on the couch and he brought out the flyer.
Sarah's eyes widened. "Wait, what-"
"You keep looking at these PhD programs, love. I think that instead of window shopping, you should go ahead and do it." He told her gently.
Sarah looked at the flyer for pursuing a PhD in engineering. She had to admit, it sounded good. Imagine that, Dr. Sarah Williams, a queen and a doctorate.
She could do research on engineering, that way she could hone in skills in teaching and in research which is something that she wanted to become more independent on her own and to eventually teach the Underground. As humans become less and less prejudiced, she hoped to be able to combine the two worlds. There were a lot of creatures Underground who could not use magic yet lived in a magical world. Humans could certainly do that too one day just as they had sons ago before written language recorded things.
She thought of how she wanted ideas like mental health to be a thing down in the Underground. How she wanted more than just the royals to be aware of Aboveground politics. Heck, even American politics confused her enough not to mention the whole world and BOTH worlds. She needed a system and that was how she and Jareth were moving towards.
But there was something on her mind.
"Jareth, being a student isn't easy. "I'm married to you and I have to work here-"
"Sarah." He interrupted her. "I have been ruling for so long alone, I can certainly do it again for another 5 years. You going Above would be an investment to yourself. We could even have people from our kingdom audit classes if taking them would be too difficult for them. Even if you're just one person, think of the change you have already brought. Good change. If you don't want to get that graduate degree then don't but don't do it because you're worried about me or the kingdom. It will be easier to do it now than later when the human world will change too much for you and when we have children."
He kissed her cheek. "I give you my blessing."
Sarah's bottom lip trembled. "Oh, Jareth. That seems a little, oh I don't know, unfair that I get to have the best of both worlds. You really are giving me not just my dreams but so much more."
Jareth hugged her, the smell of the earth still on her. "Precious, I would give you anything, and to make you feel better, you know that this is a responsibility. By having this gift of both worlds, you must use your talents to improve things for us. We have a life that we love but that's because we have chosen to do it well. I love you, Sarah." He held her hands. "Will you do it?"
Sarah looked at the flyer. "There's a lot of things to do. I want to be as truthful and as fair as I can. They'll want to know what I've been up to since I've graduated with my bachelor's. I've done so much but it's been here."
"We will make sure that you will do this fairly as you can without lying to them. Nathaniel could write that letter of recommendation. I could have Daniel write something on my behalf because I am your husband and I know how you feel about being unfair." He smirked.
Sarah hugged him one more time. "You're the best, Jareth. I love you."
"I love you too, my Precious Sarah."
If you guys think that Sarah wrote the books kind of fast, eh maybe but I also write fan fiction pretty quickly and it was supposed to be a simple book that she wrote anyway. I've no idea how long publishing takes but I assume a while so if she had a substantial amount of time (as well as recording time) then she could probably have done it in a year or so. And it's a fic anyway lol so not everything will be totally accurate lol. I hope that this tied up a loose end from chapter 1!
I hope that you enjoyed the snapshot of the first year of their married life! I am so excited to keep adding onto this story even more. Please keep reviewing, I read every single one and it means a lot to me that you do. I've gotten some great feedback like how I use commas or some wordings. Those really help and I would love to know if you enjoy the chapter or not as well as the critiques! Thanks guys!
Next chapter a little sneak peak: Sarah will be teaching Jareth how to drive. Ah! Maybe a little bit on her grad student life and balancing it with being a queen but I think the next few chapters will be shorter (like the same as my first few chapters) as I know almost nothing about engineering (am a biochemistry major myself who works in a microbiology lab). So on the engineering itself probably not that much but definitely more of their married life and their friends!
I had hinted that Jareth was straight in past chapters, saying things like "his past relationships with men and women" but I don't quite talk about it because this is mostly about him and Sarah, so I don't even include female exes except for the engagement chapter. I didn't really want it to be a big thing but I also didn't want to do representation injustice either which is why I wanted to make it more normal. Maybe another chapter will address it more, idk. He does lean more towards women in my mind and it is a fanfiction so yeah. I also am straight which is why I don't want to "ruin" an LGBTQ story. I may add an LGBTQ character but at the moment I haven't really added new characters that are important so we will see.
I thought adding in Harry Potter was fun! If you do the math, Jennifer Connelly was born 1970 (I think, something like that) so HP would have come out during that time. Just a thought!
I had intended it to be simple but then it evolved so much, thank you. There will be more, like eventually they will have children so I will show you that. There will be more of Sarah's family, friends, and even Jeremy but as Jareth and Sarah are married, it's pretty natural for them to focus more on each other than anyone else.
While you're waiting, go check out my other stories, particularly Once Upon a Dream as that's the newest one with not as many reviews as I wanted since it's so sweet and took a lot of thought into writing it. I keep writing stories but never finishing them, so I don't publish them right away in case I change things around (except this one since it's episodic). It would mean a lot if you checked out my other stories and keep on reviewing this one! So glad you guys liked the wedding chapter. It was one of the best things I've ever written and it's been fun!