Author's Note: Just want to say thanks for all the reviews! I hope you like this chapter just as much. I've been searching through Spotify for music to put me in the mood to write and I came across and album I never would have found anywhere else, it's almost perfect to set the tone for this world I'm trying to create, I highly recommend!
Olafur Arnalds- Living Room Songs, especially Tomorrow's Song, Agust, and This Place is a Shelter
Chapter 20
Sarah kept her steps in time with Jareth's as they slowly made their way through the castle. He didn't seem to be particularly eager to reach their destination. He placed her hand in the crook of his arm and held it firmly as she made her way down the large stone staircase, unsteady from lack of sleep and the full length dress, she was grateful for his support.
She would steal glances in this direction, trying to figure him out. She realized he had been part of her life for nearly as long as she could remember. When the labyrinth was nothing more than a fairy tale in a little book the Goblin King had been a creature of fantasy, tantalizing and frightening. Then he became her adversary as she took on the labyrinth, still she had to admit she always felt a thrill when he was near. Since solving the labyrinth she was determined to look forward and leave it behind her, despite that he was never far from her thoughts. The easy answer was that she feared retaliation, which was only partly true, she also longed for it in a way, like a person afraid of heights that couldn't help but edge closer to a cliff, just to see what would happen.
She looked to his profile once more. He was so interesting to look at, that was the one word that seemed to fit. Was he classically handsome? No, she couldn't say that he was but there was something about him that drew a person in, it wasn't just the wild hair and makeup or the clothes that made him look like a mix of glam rock star and fairy tale prince. She was sure if she saw him in the comparatively plain clothes humans wore she would still find it hard to tear her eyes away. She was sure he could feel her gaze upon him but did not return it. He look onward as they made their way out of the castle and into the city that surrounded it.
"Normally I wouldn't walk to the village but I want you to see the route. The village is protected but you need to see the way back should you need me."
His voice drew her from her thoughts, she nodded unsure of what to say.
"I'll make it so Nolwynn will be able to visit you as well."
"Thank you, she's very nice. How long have you been friends?" Her voice sounded odd to her, too sharp after the sound of his smoothly accented words.
He was silent a moment as they reached the city gates. Two goblins stood guard but immediately moved to open the gate as they recognized their king. Once they reached the other side of the wall, with the heavy door closed behind them he looked down at her briefly before speaking.
"I've known Winnie since we were children. She is the closest thing to a sister that I have." Jareth said as he held her back a moment before moving onward, he was noticeably tense as he looked around, looking for signs of trouble.
It was late at night now, the labyrinth spread out before them, its corners and turns even more forbidding in the dark. He felt Sarah move closer to him, her cheek pressed against his shoulder for a moment as she looked around nervously. He took the moment to savor the feeling, to collect if for safe keeping, like he did with all their moments together.
He led her to the single entrance to the labyrinth, with a practice flick of the wrist a crystal appeared in his free hand. He quickly smiled at Sarah before throwing the crystal at the wall across from them. Just when it looked like the crystal would shatter against the stone the bricks dissolved into nothingness, leaving a path that disappeared into the night.
"That would have been helpful a decade ago."
Jareth couldn't help but laugh, Sarah looked at him in surprise. He had been acting so cool towards her, the laughter was a welcome change.
"I suppose you would have found it rather helpful, but think of all the fun you would have missed." He winked at her before leading her down the path.
Torches flanked them, igniting as they approached only to be immediately extinguished when they were no longer needed to light the way.
They fell back into silence, though less strained. Jareth was happy to watch as Sarah discovered this new aspect of the labyrinth. Her eyes wide with wonder. He watched, contemplating a life of showing Sarah his world, making her part of it.
He had always felt a tenderness toward her, every life time she lived, each face had been lovely but his feeling had remained guarded to a point, he knew how fragile humans were, how brief their life could be. Now as he lead her down the path, her hand lightly gripping his arm he realized how grateful he was that it had taken so long for the tenderness he felt to grow into something more. This Sarah was so unlike those that came before, it was as if each time she had been reborn she had taken the best aspects of her past, to make the woman at his side. She was so fearless and brave, so gentle and kind, so very beautiful in away far different than the women of this world. Fae women were all beautiful but were so very aware of it, Sarah seemed not to notice the admiring glances she received by the men of her world. Jareth had noticed every glance as he watched over her through the years.
Sooner than he was ready a faint light appeared in the distance, growing with each step as the village came into view.
Sarah let out a quiet gasp as they entered the village, it was beautiful, even with the night obscuring its details she could see that. It was as if they stepped into a travel brochure for some quaint village in Europe, though it was such a mix of style it would be impossible to place it.
"Only humans live here?"
"Yes, though they don't remember their lives in your world. Their memories are wiped clean, even those too young to really remember anything in the first place." Their voices echoed in the empty square, the inhabitants all asleep around them.
"How sad."
"Not as sad as you may think, most of them wouldn't have had any pleasant memories. Why leave them with the pain?"
Sarah said nothing, not able to argue with that. Her mind went to Cathleen, Madame's baby sister, wish away all those years ago.
"Your Majesty." Sarah said awkwardly, having never addressed him by name or title it felt odd on her tongue.
Jareth bowed his head to look at her, an eyebrow raised, questioning.
"Madame's sister?"
Jareth smiled at the question and nodded, "She's here of course, but she remembers nothing of Peggy. It would be best if it was left that way when you see her."
Jareth turned off the main street of the village to a lane lined with lovely cottages with thatched roofs.
"I'll see her?"
"Well, I wasn't going to send you to live here alone." They stopped in front of the one house on the street that had a light burning, sending yellow beams through the window on to the cobblestone. As they reached the cottage door it opened, revealing its inhabitant.
The baby in Madame's cherished photograph had grown to look so much like her older sister. Though Cathleen's hair was faded with strands of silver it had once been a deep red, just like Madame. Sarah smiled at the welcoming face and stepped into the house.
"I've brought you your house guest, Cathleen." Jareth said smiling at the older woman.
"I can see, Your Majesty, such a lovely girl." Cathleen looked Sarah over, a motherly smile on her face.
"Thank you for letting me stay here, ma'am." Jareth had released her arm when they entered the cottage, leaving Sarah feeling very alone suddenly. Unsure what to do she clasped her hands in front of her as she looked around what appeared to be a sitting room, the wood paneled walls were painted a soft green and overstuffed chairs dotted the room giving it a welcoming appeal.
"I'm happy to have you here dear, please come sit down and we will get to know one another."
Sarah looked to Jareth, unsure about what to tell Cathleen. He seemed to understand her worries and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, the isolated feeling drifted away at his touch.
"I told Cathleen you are in a bit of trouble and will be hiding out here until its safe for you to return home."
"Now, I'm just going to go into the kitchen and make us some tea, dear. Your Majesty, will you be joining us?"
"No, I'm afraid I can't. I'll be leaving now." Jareth waited until the older woman was out of sight before approaching Sarah, he knelt down to avoid towering over her.
"You'll be safe here Sarah, just remember not to go into too much detail about where home is. The humans here know they are from another world but not much else."
Sarah nodded nervously, feeling unsure of being left alone here, not matter how welcoming Cathleen was.
Jareth noticed her discomfort, taking her hands from her lap he gripped them warmly.
"I'll come see you when I can, and you'll be able to write to Nolwynn." He once again turned his hand and presented a crystal to her, Sarah reached out for it, holding it delicately.
"This crystal will help you reach me if you need to, throw it at the labyrinth and the path will appear like it did for me."
"Yes, thank you." She said quietly.
Jareth nodded and turned to leave, fighting the desire to stay near her. Sarah watched as he paused at the door, unable to stop a hand from reaching out as if she could touch him from across the room. His head turned slightly in such a way that Sarah thought he may be able to feel her fingers on his back. When he stepped past the threshold and into the night the hand dropped down to her lap, the crystal orb reflecting the lamplight in her eyes.
Jareth arrived back in his private chambers only moments after leaving Sarah. He was not pleased to see that Nolwynn was still there. The look on her face clear that she had a few things to say to her old friend.
"Do you think you could have been a little nicer to her? That poor girl, you're not making things better by acting like some ogre!" Nolwynn crossed her arms as she stood up to him, anger making her face blush.
"Goblin would be more fitting than ogre." Jareth said dryly.
"I thought you were in love with this girl and you barely looked at her!" She followed him across the room.
"Would you keep your voice down!" He shouted, "I don't know who know about her at the moment, I can't act like some love struck boy around her."
His voice dropped to a harsh whisper, "Besides what am I supposed to do? Tell her everything? Excuse, me Sarah, I know I kidnapped your brother when you were a child and made you run the labyrinth to get him back but we have been destine to be together for nearly 2,000 years, so let's get married and make you queen, by the way I'm desperately in love with you. That won't have her running from me in terror at all."
Nolwynn's anger dissipated a bit, it was hard to know what to do in this situation.
"What are you going to do then?"
"I'm going to see the High King tomorrow. I suppose your little spies haven't turned up anything yet."
"No, afraid not. What are you going to tell the King?"
"Nothing about Sarah, yet. I'm going to discuss what you told me about Nechtan. It's possible there's more to it. Hopefully I can find whoever's behind this mess before Sarah's irrevocably harmed and she never forgives me for being dragged into this world again." Jareth sat down in one of the leather chairs, exhausted, he stared down at the rug on the floor, the dark blue and silver pattern swirling before his tired eyes.
Nolwynn watched him for a moment, wanting to find some way to comfort her friend.
"I think she'll forgive you most things, Jareth." Nolwynn had watched Sarah, using the best of her abilities understand the girl that had captured Jareth's heart. Even without knowledge of the prophecy leading him to her the Queen of Fairies was certain he would have found Sarah on his own. Their souls called to each other. It was clear the way Sarah watched him that she was becoming aware of the connection. She patted her friend on the shoulder and stepped out on the balcony to finally return home.
Once Jareth was alone he went to his desk to write to the High King, requesting an audience as soon as possible. Once it was written and sent on its way he finally went to bed, the scent of Sarah's perfume still clung to the bed linens, maddening and comforting all at once.
Jareth's letter appeared on the High King's desk, the wax seal imprinted with the Goblin King's crest glowed dully in the moonlight. It laid on top of many other pieces of parchment, all still sealed with varying colors of wax. The Queen of Fairies note, sent days ago, among them. Weeks of requests and appeals lay unread, slowly being covered with a layer of dust.
Author's Note: While writing the last couple of chapters a quote from Anna Karenina kept popping up in my head-
"He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking." -Leo Tolstoy