~*~Chapter 21~*~

The Courage of a Rose

" And so I sat there, like the mouse in Aesop's fable,

not daring to look upon the lion bound by cruel ropes.

Chained by fate and shackled by pride, he stared in silent pain;

And because I lacked the courage of a rose,

I could not set him free."

-"Phantom" by Susan Kay

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The days sped by, November passing by in such a blur that Sarah was quite surprised to find that it was the middle of December. She hadn't thought that she had been at the castle at the center of the Labyrinth for that long, but the days had sped by in their own unrelenting way.

Neither Sarah nor Jareth had spoken of the incident with the Minotaur, as both were loath to break the shaky truce that had been erected in the wake of the event. Both parties treated the other with complete civility, speaking only polite words and subtle compliments.

Sarah had found that she came to look forward to dinner with the fae king, anticipating his company and smart conversations. If she and Jareth ever randomly ran into the other somehow in the castle during the day, Sarah was bemused to find that a little bud of joy would blossom in her breast, and a smile would spring easily to her lips.

Sarah was frightened of this transformation within her. It couldn't be that she was starting to warm up to the Goblin King, her captor, her enemy. This was just not how it was done. She was the protagonist in this story, and he the antagonist, the villain. Stories didn't work this way.

Sarah sighed.

She was being unfair to the Goblin King. To Jareth. He'd changed somehow since the Minotaur incident, and here she was, still treating him in the same way as before, albeit civilly.

Sarah sighed again and rubbed her eyes, trying to ease the headache that pounded her head. She had to get outside, had to be free of the unbearable confines of this castle. Sarah bundled up and left her room in search of fresh air, and, perhaps, the answers to her musings.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

He watched the girl and her horse stroll leisurely around the grounds from a balcony far above the pair. Jareth smiled when Sarah shrieked with surprise when a cloud of puffy sow fell from one of the trees and landed on her head and shoulders.

He gently stroked his bandaged arm. The arm that she had bandaged with such care and gentleness. Both he and Sarah had come out of the Labyrinth changed. Jareth couldn't explain it, but something about a life and death experience changes a person, no matter how firmly they may resist. Politeness had been the modus operandi for both parties since the skirmish with the Minotaur, a refreshing and somewhat unexpected development.

Perhaps…

But no. It could never happen, no matter how grievous the situation or how gentle the words spoken. Sarah would never learn to love him. Could never learn to love him. Could never learn to further her affections beyond warm kindness and perhaps, dare he even wish it, friendship. He was too cruel, too heartless…

Jareth gingerly placed a hand over his heart, feeling its sluggish beating. The rose that had brought Sarah here, the rose that her unwitting father had picked had hardened his heart more perceptibly than the others. He was reaching the end. Perhaps one more, maybe two roses more and his heart would cease to beat, becoming a thing of cold, hard stone. It would not be much longer now.

And yet, in spite of all this, Jareth knew that his heart had been changed more radically when the young impertinent girl with the long brown hair and flashing green eyes had first set foot in his castle.

He loved her.

Jareth gazed forlornly down at Sarah and her horse, which nuzzled Sarah's cheek, wanting to be petted. He could hear Sarah's laugh as she indulged the creature.

He saw Sarah glance up at the castle. He could see when she spotted him. She raised an arm and gave him a shy wave. Bemused and delighted, Jareth nodded back and raised a hand in return. Shyness overcame Sarah, who buried her face in the soft hair of Greatheart's neck, turning to continue her walk.

Jareth slowly let his hand fall, drifting back over his heart once more, a smile on his lips.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

It was time for dinner with the king, an occurrence that both delighted and unnerved Sarah. She took a deep steadying breath before she rounded the corner into the brightly-lit dining hall.

Of course Jareth was already in there, standing next to Sarah's chair, ready to push it in once she sat down.

"You look very pretty tonight, Sarah." Jareth said politely as Sarah sat down, "it looks like the fresh air did you good today."

"Thank you," replied Sarah, accepting her napkin from Jareth before he sauntered gracefully to his seat. "I couldn't resist. I do love the snow! It makes the whole world seem like a fairy-land of sparkling white."

"Indeed it does," replied the king, raising a glass in a sort of toast.

They lapsed off into silence as they ate, Sarah keeping her eyes modestly down on her plate, and Jareth glancing up surreptitiously from time to time to study her.

She was dressed in a gown of shimmering green, her long hair pulled back from her face in a jeweled clip. She never looked up to meet his glances, much to Jareth's chagrin.

Sarah was aware of Jareth's glances, which bemused and slightly frightened her. She wasn't sure of what to do with this new and, in some respects, improved Goblin King. It frightened her how their actions towards the other had changed. It was strange and new and altogether disconcerting.

Sarah shook off her reverie to find the Goblin King looking at her, as if he had just asked her a question and had been waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, what was that?" Sarah queried, cheeks flushing at her inattention.

"I asked you if you would like some coffee, Sarah dearest," he replied smoothly, lifting a steaming pot in one hand and a porcelain cup in the other.

"Yes, please."

Jareth poured a cup of the steaming brew and rose from his seat and walked down the table to where Sarah was sitting. He set the cup down in front of Sarah, never breaking eye contact with the flustered girl.

"Be careful, Miss Sarah. 'tis very hot."

Sarah fidgeted slightly, disconcerted.

"Um..thank you. I will."

Jareth grinned brilliantly at Sarah before he turned and stalked sinuously back to his seat.

Sarah stared at his retreating form for a moment before she gathered up the steaming cup in her hands and blew on it gently to cool it so she could take a drink.

Jareth serenely took a drink of his own coffee.

"Mmm. This is good. I make a pretty damn good pot of coffee if I do say so myself."

It took a moment for the words to sink in for Sarah.

"Wait, what? You made the coffee? All by yourself?" Sarah spluttered slightly, surprised by this little nugget of information.

"Of course. I made the whole dinner all by myself. No magic or goblins or anything! I've been slaving away all day in the kitchen." His voice took on a theatrical air and he threw his hand dramatically up upon his brow, as if the deed had been unduly taxing. "I'll have you know that I had to make three batches of those damn rolls before they finally turned out right. It was terrible." He sighed comically, slumping in his chair as if he was utterly exhausted from his efforts.

Sarah laughed, so hard that tears lacked from her eyes.

"It's not funny!" said Jareth indignantly, those rolls nearly finished me!"

"Sorry," Sarah gasped, trying to wipe away her tears, "It's just that I'm trying to imagine you cooking, and I keep seeing you wearing a frilly flowered apron and cooking mitts, with your hair up in a cap and smudges of flour on your face!"

Jareth shook his head in mock disapproval.

"Sarah, I'm surprised at you! What sort of self-respecting king wears a frilly apron? You do me and injustice imagining me so!"

"What sort of self-respecting king cooks for a silly girl he keeps in his castle?" Sarah replied saucily.

"A Goblin King, m'dear. Mind you, you were right about the flour. It was everywhere."

He gave an involuntary shudder at the memory.

Sarah smiled and sipped some more of her coffee before she spoke again.

"Why did you do it?" she asked quietly, not looking up from the dark liquid in her cup.

"What, get flour everywhere?" Jareth replied, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"No, cook dinner. Why would you bother to take so much time to do such a thing?" clarified Sarah, still gazing determinedly at her cup.

Jareth paused for a moment before speaking, which caused Sarah to look up and meet his eyes. They stared at each other as Jareth responded hesitantly, as if afraid what he said would be taken badly.

"…perhaps because I thought that the girl whom I made the dinner for was worth the time and effort. Even the three batches of rolls." He gazed softly at Sarah.

"Oh," replied Sarah, somewhat startled, her hand flying to her mouth in her astonishment. "Oh."

Her brain moved sluggishly, going over what the Goblin King had said.

"I-I see…" Sarah finished lamely, folding her hands in her lap and gazing down at them.

"Sarah" Jareth said tenderly, rising from his chair once more and walking down the down to where Sarah sat. He knelt down and grasped Sarah's hands in his own.

Sarah didn't look up.

"Sarah, dearest, look up at me, please."

He put his hand under her chin and raised her face to look at his.

Sarah kept her eyes down for a moment before hesitantly raising them to meet Jareth's.

"Sarah, when you first came to my castle, you were so headstrong and stubborn," he chuckled softly, "well, I guess that you still are."

Sarah blushed and tried to look away, but Jareth's hand under her chin kept her still. Jareth continued.

"You were so set on leaving this castle from the moment you set foot here. When you ran away, I was so angry, and I'm sorry to admit that I loathed you. I did not think that those feelings could ever change. But when you got lost in the Labyrinth and were accosted by the minotaur, I was so scared…I was afraid that I would lose you just when I realized my feelings for you. I was terribly frightened."

He paused and tucked a stray curl tenderly behind Sarah's ear.

"You have bewitched me, body and soul. I have become more and more entranced by you, by your face, by your smile, by the way you say my name, even in anger. I am a man obsessed, utterly and completely. My heart is yours, to do with whatever you wish. You are too generous to trifle with me. I am your slave. I will move the stars and reorder time, all for you."

"I-I don't-"

"I love you." Jareth said simply, gazing deeply at Sarah.

Sarah was stunned. She sat numbly for a moment, trying to collect her scattered thoughts.

"I-I don't know what to say…" Sarah finally whispered, her courage withering.

"Say that you love me," Jareth replied, his voice soft and husky.

"I-I…" Sarah faltered, alarm, fear, and pity overcoming her. "I can't say that…"

Intense sadness filled the Goblin King's eyes.

"You do not love me in return."

It was not a question.

"No! I-I mean that I don't know, I can't say that if I didn't feel that way. Please don't ask this of me."

Jareth gently released Sarah's chin and rose to his feet. He held out his hand to Sarah to help her up. Sarah took it tentatively, and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Then I must bid you good night." Replied Jareth in a cool, sad voice.

He bent and gently pressed his lips to the back of Sarah's hand. Sarah felt her cheeks grow warm with shame and some other emotion that she daren't identify.

"G-goodnight." Sarah stuttered before she turned and fled the room, leaving Jareth standing alone, looking forlornly after her.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah hurried back to her room, trying and failing to lock away all of her thoughts.

She couldn't love him, could she? Jareth was her captor, after all, he had decreed that she stay at the castle for an eternity in exchange for the rose that her father has stolen. I wasn't fair…

And yet…the way he had looked at her, with such intense despair…all the sadness of the world in his eyes.

Sarah was a coward. She couldn't bring herself to love the Goblin King, and by failing to do so, set him free, breaking the terrible enchantment that had imprisoned him all these years.

Sarah shook her head, trying to dispel her mind of all these thoughts. She stripped off her gown and pulled a nightgown over her head and crawled into bed. Thanks to her utter emotional exhaustion, Sarah was asleep before her head had hit the pillow.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Not far away in another part of the castle, the Goblin King sighed broken-heartedly, watching a dark haired maiden sleep in the depths of the shimmering crystal he held in his palm.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

AN: Hello all my lovelies! A nice long chapter this week to make up for the shortness of the last few! I've been pretty lucky this finals week to have 3 of my 5 finals done the week before, and so I've had time (and the lack of writer's block!) to write a long chapter! I hoped that all of you enjoyed the J/S fluffy-ness! There is at least one Pride and Prejudice reference and one Phantom of the Opera reference!

Also, on a totally random note, I've decided that if I ever make a band, I will call it "The Minotaur Incident." It would be totally awesome. I wrote that line and I was like "band name!" (Towards the beginning of the chapter)

Anyways, please read and review! I really makes my day! Thanks so everyone who has already reviewed, and added me to their various favorites and alerts lists!

Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith.

The name "Greatheart" belongs to Robin McKinley, who features a horse with the same name in her book "Beauty."