Sarah ate alone with Hoggle in her room. She sent away the attendants who proclaimed that they would only be too willing to wait upon her. She knew that they didn't care for her, even though she was their Queen. Sarah was considered something of an upstart. The goblins could not fathom why his majesty could have chosen this frail human girl for their Queen.
Hoggle on the other hand, understood perfectly well why Jareth chose his friend Sarah. She was what the Labyrinth demanded. Beautiful in a fiery sharp way, with a sharp mind and a cunning wit. Jareth recognized a jewel when he saw one. Sarah was just that, a jewel. While her beauty was great, even greater than that of Jareth's Lady mother, it did not undermine her endless store of kindness and compassion. This was something Jareth's mother never had. Jareth's mother never loved anything.
The Lady Anais was beautiful, oh yes, she was as beautiful and delicate as a white rose, as a fresh snow flake, as beautiful as the night sky. And yet, she was an unhappy woman, always gazing into her mirror, searching for any new advances of wrinkles or crows feet. When she wasn't gazing into her mirror, she was admiring the bracelets that graced her dainty wrists, or measuring the size of the earrings and necklaces that his lordship bestowed upon her. She had no mind for books or stories. She had almost no imagination at all.
It was rumored that she was descended from Queen Gwennafer of Camelot, and that as a young girl she had wandered into a fairy ring and met Jareth's father. Lured by the false promises of eternal beauty and youth, Anais was only too happy to be taken away to the Labyrinth. But as the years passed, and his lordships interest in Anais wavered, Anais grew frantic at the thought of growing old. She was no longer a fresh young girl and his lordship collected many young mistresses half her age. Jareth's father had bestowed upon her many jewels and gifts at the birth of Jareth. This was when he commandeered the garden be planted just for her, and had ordered several unicorns be rounded up just for her amusement. Their grace and ageless beauty fascinated her. But it was not enough for her.
With each passing day, it seemed to Lady Anais that the lines and wrinkles she tried so hard to keep at bay were steadily marching across her face. She tried creams and expensive potions, and even asked the king to procure some fresh maiden blood so that she might take a blood bath to rejuvenate her body. The king merely looked at her and laughed.
Finally distraught, when Jareth's father produced yet another mistress to flaunt in her face, she took her life in the garden that the King gave her. Some say she slit her wrists and watched her human blood flow into the earth lying face down in the dirt, others say that she took one of her pearl necklaces and dipped it in poison and then swallowed the rope whole, letting the poison run loose in her body.
Hoggle remembered the day Lady Anais died well. He had been tending the inner gardens that day and came across her cold body. He had been the one to summon the king to his mistresses body. He had stood there watching the King come and inspect her body, impatient to be away, angry that he been called to deal with this matter. So what if she had died? He could have a dozen of her easily!Hoggle remembered that Jareth had been with him that day. He was a boy still, but incredibly handsome, hinting strongly of the man he would become. Jareth had stood passively by his father as he inspected Anais's body, eyes cold toward the woman that had born him.
Hoggle shuddered to himself, thinking back to that dreadful day. His eyes caught Sarah's and he relaxed. Nothing like that could happen to Sarah. She was so different from Anais. She was warm and caring. She had a heart and a mind that was brimming full of imagination. She appreciated the Labyrinth and it's deep magic and saw it for what it was.
Hoggle watched carefully as Sarah gazed out of window. She seemed sad even though she was smiling. "She loves the rat" Hoggle chuckled inwardly. He noted the way she barely touched her food, shifting her body uneasily while keeping an eye on the window.
"A storms coming" Sarah told him. Hoggle looked out the window and saw that she was right.
"No need to worry" Hoggle told her.
"I'm not worried, its just that I am remembering, that's all" she twirled her fork with a smile. "It rained the night I wished Toby away." Her voice took on a dreamy tone, "It was the night that I met you guys." Hoggle beamed at her.
"It was the best day of my life!" Hoggle exclaimed.
"As is mine" Sarah said softly. She leaned across the table and took Hoggle's hand. Lightening flashed across the sky and Hoggle jumped up to latch the window shut. The winds began to blow strongly and howl as they twisted themselves around the eaves of the castle. Sarah fancied that she heard whispering from the corridors. The wind spattered rain drops against the windows and Sarah begin to feel chilled. She looked longingly at the comforter that was spread across her bed.
"I'll think I'll turn in" she told Hoggle with a small smile.
"Nothing wrong is there Sarah?"
"No. With all this fuss over Jareth's silly war, I'm exhausted."
"Well just call if ya need me" Hoggle told her. "I'll come running." Sarah smiled at the swarthy little dwarf all puffed up, ready to defend against the storm and winds. It touched Sarah's heart.
"Good night Hoggle. Sweet dreams."