Sarah had watched Jareth these past few weeks with cautious eyes. When he saw her watching him, he smirked and raised a eyebrow suggestively. In these cases, she usually blushed and turned away, walking out the room to wander the corridors of the castle. Dressed in her pretty "prom" dresses each day, she walked the lonely corridors alone. Jareth never let her out of the castle. He gave her a short explanation of the war with the fire devils, and she had merely nodded, not caring really if the entire Labyrinth went up in flames, well she did love Hoggle, Dydimus and Ludo, she would want to save them, but she hoped that these fire devils took Jareth and his bouncing goblins to some hell and left them there to rot. Yes, she was angry with Jareth.
She scowled whenever she thought of the times that he had to force her to eat, shoving food in her mouth and holding it closed, waiting for her to swallow. She remembered how she attempted to bite his fingers and how he throttled her to the floor. He never hurt her, he only did what he could to restrain her. Still, Sarah manged to get in a few punches and kicks. Even Goblin Kings could feel pain, she learned. She knew it was childish to fight him this way, but it was the only way she knew how. Words, she knew, he could twist and turn them so that they hurt more than any slaps she received or kicks that she gave.
Sometimes he laughed when she tried to hurt him, and sometimes he backhanded her so hard her vision turned fuzzy. But he always begged pardon afterwards with pretty words and a new diamond or dress. Sarah turned her nose up at these gifts. They made her feel like a common whore, which she knew that she wasn't. Jareth never asked for that, even though he hinted that he was a generous lover. So for now, Sarah was safe. Jareth let her do as she pleased, so as long as she didn't leave the safety of the castle. He had asked once if there was anything that he could provide for entertainment, but she shook him off and gave him a cold stare.
She would have liked a few books to read, perhaps some of her favorite plays. The castle setting was perfect for her play acting. She was eighteen now, but she had never given up her play acting. However much she wanted her plays, she was too proud to ask Jareth. She was also secretly afraid that he would turn his nose up at such antics and laugh at her childishness.
Jareth allowed her into the castle gardens as long as Hoggle was there with her. She enjoyed being with Hoggle, but she didn't like the gardens. They were too cold and impersonal for her. Every flower it seemed was groomed for perfection. There were no weeds, and little shrubs lined the stone paths that scrolled over the ground. There were no wildflowers, only rows and rows of dainty pristine roses and lilacs. The heady scent of the lilacs gave Sarah a headache. Sarah once asked if Jareth had planted the garden, but he had given her a hard stare and muttered something about his mother. This made Sarah want to wander the gardens even less. The thought of Jareth's mother gave Sarah the chills. Hoggle had let it slip during one of their walks that Jareth's mother had committed suicide here in the gardens after Jareth's father had taken another lover. His mother was thirty years old and still lovely, but it was rumored that she was terrified of growing old and losing her beauty. Jareth's father had said that she was allowed to live the remainder of her mortal life here in the Labyrinth, but Jareth's mother didn't want that. She had begged and begged Jareth's father to give her the touch of immortality, at least with the touch of immortality she could remain beautiful until the hour that she died, but he had said no.
This story occupied Sarah's mind for many days. She thought about what a cold and selfish woman Jareth's mother must have been. She also thought about why Jareth had given her some of his immortality. It was generous of him, she admitted to herself. But why?
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