Song by pink.
Another inspiration of what Sarah and Jareth may feel with an empty nest and realizing that they never been truly alone in their marriage and family.
Thank you for all the reviews!
Year 1100 years in the future
Right from the start
You were a thief you stole my heart And I your willing victim
I let you see the parts of me That weren't all that pretty
And with every touch you fixed them
Now you've been talking in your sleep Things you never say to me
Tell me that you've had enough
Of our love, our love
Sarah didn't truly know what was happening, it just seemed over the years things have settled. It's been over a millennium since they married, mortals had a something called the seven year itch, maybe this was the equivalent in the underground. She had been so young when they married, while the memories still stayed fresh in her mind she knew that they were old. The days of sleepless nights, walking the floor with their babies. Petty fights that lead to amazing make up sessions. He stole her heart without even being real to her, her fantasies made her a willing victim whether accidental or intentional.
Maybe he was tired of her, the children were out of the house Rosalea had finally settled down not just in attitude, but also finally married to a neighbouring Prince of the shadowlands after a long treaty rewrite and compassion they became friends after freeing them from the clutches of the evils of the land that started over the years. Tiberius was something Rosalea hadn't been expecting, what no one had been expecting. Maybe it was the explosive final battle she had with Lord Ashton, when they found her on her bathroom floor, with the concoction that Sarah knew too well. One she never liked taking, but after a second miscarriage she resorted to it like the many fae women before her when no matter how careful they were.
Jareth had gone on a rampage, going as far to have Lord Ashton reassigned to the farthest corners of the realm with his family. Telling him if he ever entered Crystal city or Golbin Territories he would be personally be killed. He had enough of the man and his constant games with his daughter.
She woke up alone most mornings, not something new. She felt his tossing and turning during the night. He's murmurs and incoherent words. She swore he spoke another woman's name once, on top of that she couldn't barely remember the last time they made love? Had it been that long since they drifted apart.
Just give me a reason Just a little bit's enough
Just a second, we're not broken, just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars It's been written in the scars on our hearts
We're not broken, just bent And we can learn to love again
She found the breakfast table empty, she sighed, turning to ignore the food suddenly not hungry. She wandered to the sitting room, eyes falling to all the old photographs over the years, the old baby photos, to the sullen teenage ones of their children. The many photos from past anniversaries Paris, London, Italy the many places she loved to see.
Their Anniversary was coming up, he didn't even mention anything about it, but maybe he was planning something. He loved a good surprise, always making it just the two of them. No large balls of his parents, just them and some place wonderful.
I'm sorry I don't understand where all of this is coming from
I thought that we were fine
Oh, we had everything Your head is running wild again
My dear, we still have everything, And it's all in your mind
Yeah, but this is happening
You've been having real bad dreams Oh, oh
You used to lie so close to me Oh, oh
There's nothing more than empty sheets
Between our love, our love, oh our love, our love
Jareth was bewildered at the behaviour that was coming from Sarah. He didn't understand where it was coming from, maybe she was missing their children? It was a grand day when Rosalea officially left her parents home for her own, but both realized how quiet the palace was afterward. They no longer had to anticipate what moods their daughter would be in. Especially once Tiberius entered the picture, she grew into a woman he always knew she could be. Granted, she still had her taste of questionable fashion, but she matured and went for less of a shock to a simple statement. Rosalea had brought them together, but it didn't mean that fell apart when their child left them.
Even at night she was distant, keeping to her side of the bed, her back facing him as she faced the wall. Awaking in the night to hear her cry in her sleep, tossing and turning in her sleep. He was at a loss of what to do, after weeks of deteriorating lack of contact, every time he tried to mention it. She always avoided the question, she even shifted away from him as he tried to comfort her in the middle of the night.
He decided he needed to speak to his father. He always knew what to do maybe he may have some insight.
Just give me a reason Just a little bit's enough
Just a second, we're not broken, just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars It's been written in the scars on our hearts
We're not broken, just bent And we can learn to love again
I never stopped
You still written in the scars on my heart
You're not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again
Sarah sat in the sitting room at the High Palace waiting for her mother-in-law to arrive as she came unannounced. Deirdre swept through the door her blonde hair pinned up on her head her skirts trailing behind her.
"Dearest, what is it?" Deidre said breathlessly as she pulled Sarah in a hug, kissing her cheek as a sign of greeting.
Sarah fell into her seat silently after years of being queen, she perfected the dramatic fall to make it seem effortless. "May I ask you something personal?"
"We are family," Deidre laughed.
"How do you Eldron manage to stay together after so many centuries and still be happy with each other, and not get bored.?" Sarah asked after a moment of deliberate thinking as she chewed on her lip. Looking down, not wanting to see her mother-in-laws face.
"Oh my dear, it's not exactly easy. We have had our moments when we drifted apart, we barely spoke after Jareth left and Emmerette had passed on. But we always knew we needed to show a united front for the realm. When Jareth took over the Goblin Kingdom we knew that we needed another heir, which helped us reconnect." Deirdre told her truthfully, taking Sarah hand she squeezed it. "We are not perfect."
"It just feels like my purpose is gone, Aiden and Leo have their own family. Rosalea married and finally on her own. Even Anna and Francis moved away for his new post taking Lyra with them. It made me realize that I've gone from a daughter, to a mother and wife. I was always thinking about children, Jareth, the kingdom, the people. Now it's just blank, I don't know who I am." Sarah explained.
"First, you are still a mother even when your children leave the nest and we all go through this empty nest syndrome." Deirdre patted her hand sympathetically. "But I understand what you are feeling. Sometimes you do so much, raising children, keeping a marriage alive and a kingdom peaceful. You forgot about yourself, till one day you realize all those dreams you had may not have happened." Deirdre replied
"How do you fix it?"
"You talk, to make small changes to communicate, you make time for each other but also for yourself. I know the time between becoming a wife and a mother wasn't long, but before you became parents you were husband and wife. You have to remember that you are more than parents, more than a king and queen. You were once friends and lovers, and once you find that place once more everything will work out.
Sarah nodded, not knowing that just down the hall Jareth was getting the same speech from his father.
"May I ask a personal question?" Deirdre asked after studying her daughter in law.
Sarah nodded, agreeing it would be fine.
"How many have you lost or gave up since Aiden," Deidre asked softly,
"Five-two miscarriages, one late, one early on. The other three we thought it best to not tempt fate. It seems no matter how much we try to be conscious about it, it keeps happening." Sarah sighed, she hated admitting what they resorted to.
Deirdre nodded. "Fifteen for myself. It's a burden we carry as women."
Oh tears ducts and rust
I'll fix it for us
We're collecting dust but our love's enough
You're holding it in
You're pouring a drink
No nothing is as bad as it seems
We'll come clean
With the words still fresh in their mind from the wise King and Queen. The younger King and Queen found themselves in the hallway. Looking at each other, Jareth placed the glass of spirits on the decorative table in the hall beside him before extending his hand towards her with a look a worn worry on his face.
Sarah took it, allowing him to pull her into a strong embrace. It was like they were doing life backwards. Without the daily grind of the children's wants and needs, they needed to readjust. They went from being parents and spouses for centuries, while they never lacked passion within the bedroom they never had a strictly lovers stage. To be able to truly learn and just be with each other without the worries, or interruptions of the children.
"I'm sorry," Sarah whispered
"So am I, I should have seen it." Jareth looked into her emerald eyes with his blue- gray eyes.
"You couldn't have known," Sarah shook her head. "I didn't know that I would feel so empty and unsure of myself when they all left palace. We aren't broken Jareth, just bent. We can learn together to figure out how we want life to be, now it's just us."
"It's never been just us has it?" Jareth asked to think it was more a statement as he let his forehead fall for her.
Just give me a reason Just a little bit's enough
Just a second, we're not broken, just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars It's been written in the scars on our hearts
We're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again
Slightly melancholy but I hope I expressed what was going on in my head with them.
I live for music and music often inspires my musings. I hope it doesn't bother people much.
Tina.