Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.
Chapter 20
Into the Gardens of the Goblin King
"You wish to deny your connection to the Underground...?" His tone all of a sudden turned to sound unusual bitter as he neared her walking around the table, and stopped just few paces away from her.
The approach of the Goblin King was making her nervous, but she forced herself to stay still. "I don't only wish to do so." Sarah articulated as clearly as she could, and looked at the blond haired fae man. "I entirely deny believing it, unless I hear explanations that even somehow make sense."
His smile could have been described nearly malevolent as he offered her his hand, and pulled her up from the table.
"Sarah..." Gone was the polite man, who had dined with her just a few moments ago. Instead, Sarah faced this time the wicked Goblin King. "From the first moment you took your first step in the Underground, you have been part of my world." His hold became similarly more coercive and it made Sarah to wince. "You are touched by my Labyrinth, you belong to my domain." His words hurt her actually a lot more than the hold he had on her arm. "That should be big enough reason to anyone, who has her wits still intact."
"I don't belong to anyone or anywhere!" Sarah exclaimed, trying to deny his words, trying to deny the truth in them. "Your attempt to break my faith in me, isn't working very well, for your information." She eyed him murderously. "As you know by yourself, I showed last time I could out win you anytime!" Sarah felt his ire emitting from his stature, and she made an attempt to pull herself loose on his grasp.
"You belong to Underworld and that way to bigger forces you are able to understand!" His words were almost a hiss, his eyes burning with an angry light in the dark of the night.
"I belong to me, only to myself - even if I would be with some perverted way connected with the Labyrinth!" Sarah tried to defend herself, her chin courageously held up. She was playing again role of the innocent heroine and Jareth was her enemy. "And you should understand it doesn't mean I have anything to do with you unless I feel that way for myself!"
"You tire me Sarah." Jareth informed her casually. "You act like a child." His words left Sarah gasping for air. How dared he criticize her? Like he would be any better from her… Who had been the one, who nearly had made threats at her just few minutes ago?
"Well the feeling is mutual, thank you very much!" Sarah furiously declared. "You said I have magic and that Labyrinth listens to me…." She narrowed her eyes and her tone turned cold. "Well, I will most certainly do my best biding it to send me back to my world."
That's how easy it's going to be. I'll help him, he helps me…Right…? Somehow her previous thought about Jareth helping her really started to shatter now. She wasn't very convinced with her reasoning anymore. Surely he'll let me go if I wish to do so…Right? She tried to vanquish these very disturbing thoughts very quickly.
"I am the ruler of the Labyrinth." Jareth softly replied to her unspoken questions, like knowing what she had been thinking about. "What if I asked it to bring you down…? Keep you here…?"
Sarah's heart missed one heartbeat and she froze in terror. He couldn't…He wouldn't…She was unable to phrase her words.
"Suddenly silent?" Jareth taunted her, his face covered by shadows. Only his odd eyes remained the same – even when serious, his eyes shimmered like some strange pools in the light of the befalling darkness. The night had plummeted itself down on the world, and Sarah could perceive through the windows a full moon raising up, casting its silvery light on them. Solely the light of the moon along the chandeliers and the few of the burning torches lit up the room. "Maybe it's because I'm right and you…." man leaned closer, the tips of his hair caressing her, flying around her, his head nearly touching her face "…are…wrong?"
"You little cheat!" She spat at him then, devastated by his unexpected harshness. Now he was suddenly telling her he wouldn't let her leave his Labyrinth, at least not now, not maybe ever.
"I never lie…" Jareth amused answered, his pose relaxing a bit. "You let me back in your life when you asked me to meet you, I didn't force you." He smiled at her. "You chose to come here by yourself..." He leaned nearer, nearly whispering "...when you chose to call me and to trust in me."
His face hovered few inches away and she was suddenly mesmerized by his mismatched eyes, like they would have held her captive; like he would have hypnotized her there to stand still, to keep her face held up, her green eyes sparkling in the pale light, her lips barely open.
It was like a picture from a distant dream. The fantasy of her childhood time was standing here next to her as she remained still, like she would have been chained on her place. She was shivering within her memories; the stream of time dragging her along, moving her simultaneous to all different directions.
Time expanded. It became a translucent shell, a picture at halt for that moment of transition. And like always, there was moon, a man and a woman. There was enchanting scent of the midnight and a sudden blooming of thousands of roses. There was mouth and another; and the heavy weight of this unmoving moment…
The crack could almost be heard aloud. Underneath the tremendous weight of the in-between of what was gone and what might be coming, the moment frozen to still, shattered into million fractions and broke down on them.
"And what if you are wrong?" Sarah hastily spoke while she could nearly imagine herself perceiving the sound of shattering of the glass falling down around them. She pulled back and Jareth let it happen, cloaked in the darkness.
He shrugged his shoulders and turned around, continuing his saunter out of the balcony doors into the moonlit garden. After a moment of hesitation, Sarah followed him, his majesty, the Underground King into his garden.
The moon shone bright up them; illuminating their way as they walked along small pebble paths, bordered by different trees and plants; oaks, ashes, cypresses as well as bushes with star-like flowers, roses, and both violet and white common lilacs... The air was crisp and fresh, reminding Sarah of her childhood home and the park where she had used to spend all her free time. She remembered the springs of her childhood, scent of the flowers, reddish nights and sparkling spring rains. She remembered the times she had rehearsal the role of the heroine of Labyrinth, remembered that young girl she had been, like it all had happened only in yesterday.
Maybe it had. Who knew how time moved down here?
The gardens of the Goblin King were wild like everything in him and his kingdom. They were wild and beautiful. In her noise Sarah could smell the smell of just-cut grass, the blossoming of different flowers, and variety of odd spices. It was a magical garden, she understood, as she wondering gazed around her. In the distance she could see, or at least Sarah wanted to believe she saw nature spirits, small wood imps and those nasty biting fairies dancing in the air. She gently rubbed her finger that sometimes still stung from the memory of the bite she had suffered from that one fairy a long time ago as it now seemed.
"You asked me why you have a connection with my world…" Goblin King suddenly spoke. "You asked where you got your magic…" Sarah narrowed her eyes and studied him, considering his motives. Why was he suddenly offering her this information he hadn't told her before…? Finally she made up her mind.
"Yes…" Sarah hesitantly spoke. "I must not be the only one who has wished someone to you…?" She briefly looked away before continuing. "Like you know, I have met some of your people already, as the wife of your counselor, Gwendolyn…She told me some things about her past, and explained that she has been an unwanted child once…"
The king stopped, turning his eyes on her; and for some reason Sarah felt herself shiver.
He considered his words for a moment before he answered.
"No." Jareth replied finally. "There are others like Gwendolyn, like you must be aware by now." His eyes suddenly flickered. "There have been…others like you and your brother."
Jareth lifted his face and glanced at the night sky, carefully speaking out loud. "But none of them have solved my beautiful deadly maze. None of them have destroyed my castle and set my kingdom astray… None of them have ever succeeded in the task of claiming back what they call their own." He fixed his eyes keenly on Sarah, who couldn't maintain her disbelieved expression when realizing the true meaning of his words.
"So, I'm the only one solving the Labyrinth…" She silently stated, pondering his words, and Goblin King retained saying anything to her.
Only sounds Sarah could perceive were shuddering leaves joined with the faint surge of flowing water. The time was lingering, moving so utterly slowly. The night sky curved above them, the unfamiliar constellations sparkling there, reminding her again how far she was from her home. She felt a sudden stabbing of pain. It was nearly Christmas Eve and here she was, in the Underground, fleeing someone or something strange and perhaps deadly too. Here she was, away from her family and loved ones, away from her home. This had really turned out to be her most odd Christmas ever.
Sarah turned her attention toward the Goblin King, who finally answered her. "The answer to both of your questions is yes." He sighed. "You are the only one solving my Labyrinth. And yes. There are others, who didn't have the same luck your brother did. Some of them I have placed in my castle and some work…elsewhere in my world…"
"So, you don't turn them into goblins?" Sarah asked a comprehension dawning on her.
He laughed at her question, an honest laugh, which made her knees feel suddenly very weak. Wow. She let the thought to penetrate her mind before she had time to guard her thought. His laughter had surprised her. Now where did that come…? She obviously needed to be far from him when he was like that, making that kind of sound… Even though this was the only time she had heard his laughter, the reaction it had on her, made her nervous, lightheaded. Sarah gave herself a mental slap. Bad girl. None of these thoughts anymore! She didn't want to feel attracted to him - he was far too untrustworthy for it. Not to mention about her difficult situation she had created with the high council and the Underground world…
"What makes you think I'd want to have more of those creatures in my domain?" His tone was amused. "Trust me when I tell you they are quite capable producing new generation, even without the help of you reckless people, making your careless wishes…" He shook his head. "No. I have no need for magically created goblins." He smiled bit malicious. "If I can have a choice over it – and trust me in this I do – I prefer a human servant."
His words hurt her. How could he make her feel in so short time like that? First giddy and in the next moment mad? Angered by his words Sarah bit her teeth together and spit her question, voice dripping with acid poison. "Like my brother?"
Jareth briefly glanced at her until he gave her his answer.
"He was only a paw in the game." His voice was steady and calm, but the words set her world in turmoil, even though she had suspected it from the start. "My prime target was you." Man turned his back on her and walked further, his dark cape creating a twin image of that alien sky in which the distant stars sparkled as the diamonds in his cloak; the halo of his blond hair glowing in the dim night. Sarah felt her mouth to turn dry, following this creature of magic with her eyes, too shocked to even move. His voice turned bitter. "But I was over-confident, even reckless… Me! A creature older than your race all together!" His shoulders slumbered. "I thought I could have you both…" His words were silent, his face turned to meet the night air, turned away from her. "And I ended up losing the game I've never lost before…I ended losing both of you…"
"But why?" Sarah shook her head in disbelief, at lost. She felt herself once again so very young and naive. "Why him? Why me?" Jareth had denied from her the answer, but she was certain he would finally tell her that. Sarah feared the possible answer she might hear, just as much she longed to hear it.
Goblin King was quiet for awhile, pondering his answer, before he turned to meet her. His face was cloaked in shades of the night, his features shadowed and Sarah could only see the mismatched eyes shining out of the darkness he had masked himself in. Then and there he was the demonic king of the Underground, the one who made others tremble with fear. What he said then, every word he spoke then… They turned her world upside-down, doing exactly like he had once promised to do for her.
"Because, Sarah, you were already given to me." There was a small twist of mockery in his next words. "…and your brother, because you offered him to me for yourself…"
He stepped in the light and met her shocked gaze.
She wished she would have never met him. While admiring his now nearly angelic appearance, Sarah almost couldn't bring herself believe the cruel nature that same facade held within. Sarah stared him, fully realizing it now, tears welling in her eyes. He was the cruel Goblin King, who toyed with people's lives, who twisted and bended rules as he wished. He showed no humane feelings, how could he have? As long as Sarah could see it, he really didn't have them. He was an immortal, not a human.
It was his cruel words that resonated in her mind, over and over again.
Because, Sarah, you were already given to me…
She was lost in his mismatched eyes, trying to solve a puzzle she hadn't known even existed. A terrifying feeling gnawed inside of her. …You were already given to me… Her green eyes flew wide open as it all started to fall into its place. Thousands of memories from her childhood, teenage years; all of them pierced her consciousness.
She was young, maybe seven. It was raining and she was at home, reading her Labyrinth book, playing together with her toys, playing along the lines of the Labyrinth-play. Her music box was playing that familiar and enchanting melody at the same time.
Sarah's father looked at her with a disturbed expression and moved his eyes toward his wife. "Linda, that child spends too much time with herself…" He sounded worried. "She lives too much within her fantasies…"
Her mother laughed, that beautiful sound somehow strained; almost guilty. "Let her dream Robert! She deserves them…Don't be the one taking them away…"
Goblin King stood still, noticing the color bleaching from her face; knowing the effects his words have inflicted on her.
She stared at him, hear head throbbing with pain; and the memories followed memories…
"I'm sorry love…" Her mother hugged her. "But I have a dream to catch…" Her eyes became so sad, sadder Sarah knew even was possible to become. "I'm so sorry my love… Please forgive me…"
Another after another one...
"Don't you think you are a bit too old for those make-believe games, hon…?" Her father asked her gently, inspecting her Labyrinth doll, a crude figure of the real Goblin King. And she, feeling bitter and angry, shouted back at him.
"You can never understand! It's real! Go away! Leave me alone!" The tears surged in her eyes. "Just leave me like mother left me…"
Already given to me…
The words echoed in her head, her heart beating all so slowly in her chest, her emotions whirling from fear to anger, from anger to sad, from sad to total blankness.
Sarah heard a faint noise and headed eagerly toward it, hoping to find someone able to help her. Her eyes met a back of a small figure. She felt embarrassed when understanding suddenly what the person was doing. She didn't want to disturb. But she needed help. Time was scarce; she only had 13 hours… So, Sarah interrupted him and his actions. "Excuse me…"
The person, a dwarf as he turned out to be, turned equally embarrassed around zipping hastily his pants before doing so. "Excuse me!" He repeated her exact words with a sharp edge in his tone and looked at her. A flash of recognition flashed in his dark eyes. "Oh, it's you…"
Sarah stared the Goblin King frantic, finally understanding the total meaning of his words.
Because, Sarah, you were already given to me…
She had been here before.
She had been a child wished away.