"If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends."

Four months since Sarah's departure from Aster Hall

"What would you like for your reward?" The Goblin King asked Cyzz and Blirt.

The two goblins had found strange ribbons and jewelry in Larissa's and Nolan's room, something that did not match the couple.

Doing some research, they concluded that these would have belonged to young Thalassan women. A possible trophy for each victim?

Jareth had called a young kitchen worker, human and small. She was weak in physical strength but smart, agreeing to be the bait for her king. She served Nolan and Larissa, gaining their trust. She was safe the whole time, with goblins watching over her. Eventually, they tried to take advantage of her, Nolan making the mistake of saying that he wanted to take her as he took all the other women while they were outside the castle grounds.

The Goblins had been spying and barged in just in time to save the kitchen worker. She was paid handsomely for putting herself on the line, but asked to not be in such a position again and Jareth agreed.

For punishment against a member of the castle, Jareth left them hanging over the bog of eternal stench for two whole days. Then had them chased around by the Fire Gang. Then let the goblins have free reign on them, harassing them and poking and prodding. After days of this torture, Jareth promptly dropped them off in Thalassa, handcuffed and blind folded as he kicked each forward to King Fernando, effectively ending the war.

Jareth had absolutely no sympathy for them. Not only did they cause a war, they were guilty of hurting innocent women and children. That was one of the most grievous crimes anyone could commit in his kingdom. They were quite bold to seek refuge with him and he would not stand for it. If he had been allowed, he would have done more to torture them himself.

"Chickens." Cyzz said. "For friends!"

"And not food." Blirt clarified, folding his arms and nodding.

Jareth shook his head. What was with his goblins being so obsessed with chickens? "Three chickens each, that is the maximum. And feed them well."

"We will, Kingy!" They promised.

It was a relief, but he gained an enemy with Estella and possibly the High Council if they find out about him rescuing Sarah as that was considered an interference. He didn't think that Miread would tell them, for it was embarrassing on her side, but she told Dominic about his Precious Sarah, so it was a possibility that the High Council would know about her as well.

Sarah. What was she doing there, in the middle of the field and alone? He knew his beloved, she would not have done so without a good reason. It was by sheer luck that he saw her as he was doing his duty to saved any Wished Aways. He even begging a few to wish for him to take them as they were dying.

He resisted the urge to to go Aster Hall to see how she was doing. He didn't want to overwhelm her, he didn't want to see her and to go back on his knees, begging for her again. Losing her once was hard enough, he wasn't sure if he could take another rejection.

He walked to the piano, finding solace in music. When Sarah first left him, he spent nearly all his time here, trying to stay away from the temptation that was alcohol.

His fingers pounded on the keys, echoing the brokenness that was his soul. He had been angry at Sarah for going away from him. Angry that she didn't just listen to him and did what he wanted her to do.

How you turned my world, You precious thing

You starve and near-exhaust me

His reasoning mind told him that it wasn't her fault, that she never asked him to save her. That it wasn't her fault that he was a king and betrothed to a stupid fae princess without telling her. But it was easier to be angry. Easier to blame her.

Everything I've done, I've done for you

I move the stars for no one

He would have saved his subjects or an innocent person from death, yes, but out of duty.

Only for Sarah would he do it out of pure love.

You've run so long

You've run so far

Your eyes can be so cruel

Just as I can be so cruel

So cruel, the way she told him that she hated the word generous. That he lied to her with his heart.

Though I do believe in you

Yes I do

Live without the sunlight

Love without your heartbeat

I can't live within you

He braced himself for the darkness that was to come in his life. No more light, no more happiness. He didn't want to go through this life without her. His existence as king would be just as it was before, sad and depressing, trying to keep everyone in line and taking care of Wished Away children.

His sole existence as Jareth would be to make sure that Sarah is alive and well. He would bleed out just for her.

I, I can't live within you

Off to the distance, he swore that he heard and felt her voice calling for his soul.

Just as his was calling out for her.

"You have interfered in the affairs of a human kingdom without invitation!"

Jareth rolled his eyes, not giving a damn about what The Chins thought of him. "Your point? They were directly interfering with my duty as The Guardian of the Wished Aways, how do I ignore war?"

"You took sides-"

"I took no sides. I condemned both."

"We have reports of you cursing the two kingdoms-"

"I just said that. Perhaps you can listen instead of yapping about?"

"Silence!"

He was in hot water, but considering that he lost both wings, sight in one eye, color in the other, had scars on his face and loss of much of his hair, why did matter now?

"You really enjoy being a thorn on our side, do you?" A High Councilwoman asked rhetorically.

"Of course." Jareth smirked. "But, if you say that I, the Goblin King, shouldn't interfere with human politics, please tell me why Princess Miread has taken power as King Dominic's right hand woman. Please tell me what I should have done about Prince Nolan and Queen Larissa when they have attacked a member of my castle, my household, especially when I have done nothing but be a good host. Their war has directly interfered with my kingdom and I refuse to let the egos of these kings win."

The High Council was quiet. Everything he said wasn't wrong, infuriating them all.

"We convene in an hour." The same High Councilwoman said.

Jareth smirked again. They might as well admit defeat. After that hour, he was ready to hear what they had planned for him.

"We have decided that for your interference with saving the Estellan soldier, you have suffered enough already with the loss of your wings."

Damn right. They truly did not know who Sarah was, or they would probably use her as a pawn against him. As far as they knew, he was just saving a poor person who was caught in an unfair battlefield. Even the High Council had to admit that even if she was a traitor, for Estella to execute her in the middle of the war in front of the enemy was deplorable, so they couldn't truly condemn Jareth for helping her.

"However," Another member spoke up. "You have hidden something from us. The marriage and offspring of your sister, the late Princess Adeline."

Jareth kept his face still, but his jaw hardened at the mention of his late sister.

"We have found the child, Princess Adelaide. Your niece and ward." He continued. "You have hidden the existence of her from us, withheld her from her true identity."

"You leave her alone." He warned them. "You have allowed me to suffer in my parents' stead enough, let her be."

"You are not in any position to make demands from us, Goblin King." Another man stood up, rendering Jareth silent. "You have not taken a wife in the specified timeframe. Because we are generous…"

Now he understood why Sarah hated it when he used it.

"…We have decided to give you until the end of the year to find a bride worthy of the throne. If not, you will abdicate and Princess Adelaide will be the Goblin Queen. We will find a regent for her if that is the case."

"Worthy?!" He snarled. "Your definition of worthy is not someone who will do well in taking care of her subjects, but one that is a political pawn. A fae princess who would only want this kingdom for power. Have you forgotten the point of ruling is? Adelaide is a child!"

"Enough!" A woman slammed her fists on her chair. "We are done with this discussion. You will marry by the end of the year or lose your crown."

They were only doing this because they knew of her existence. If they didn't know about Adelaide, they wouldn't dare remove him from the throne. This was ridiculous. Insane. Maddening.

Fuck everything.

The first thing Sarah really wanted to do was to see Toby, but that would be dangerous. Who knows if Aunt Vicky knew of her status as a traitor to the Estellan crown? That was a terrible idea, and she didn't want to endanger her sweet brother.

She had reservations about going to Aster Hall, even though the pull was strong. She thought of the people she left behind, the emotions she felt there, and the her treatment. She had been treated as a friend, as an equal. She longed for those days once more.

If she went there now, would she endanger the household? Would they be attacked by kidnappers who would make money from her by dropping her off in Estella?

Getting some resources at the hospital, they informed her that if she wanted to be a refugee, she should go and petition the Goblin King himself.

"The King?" She blinked. "You mean for me to just walk up and ask him for help?"

"How else?" The dwarf at the counter asked back. "He is the one who grants audiences. It is through him that the Wished Aways and some Runners are granted the status of a refugee and eventually citizenship."

"Is it that easy to approach the King?" Sarah asked him.

"Well, you do have to wait in line and during certain times of the day, but easier than your human king, absolutely."

Sarah thanked him. Her decision was made.

She would forego going to Aster Hall to directly go to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City to petition for her status as a refugee in order to protect herself and the people who she now considered family.

Sarah had very little with her, Not even a penny. Lucky for her, the Goblin Kingdom was very gracious. Different households took in travelers and treated them well. As much as Jareth said he hated being a king, she knew that he loved the people here. And she could see why. They provided the warmth that many other other kingdoms lacked.

Taking a map with her, she walked miles and miles, only stopping to eat, rest her ankle, or to take shelter from some very kind people. She tried to repay them back by doing their chores and such when she could. The more she stayed her, the more Sarah figured that being called a traitor in Estella was a good thing. Maybe, when she was able to find work for herself, she could spend more time traveling around the kingdom.

She learned more about the war in Estella and Thalassa, that there were civilian casualties from the fire but no military casualties. Her heart ached for those innocents, but she was glad to know that Hope was probably fine.

If fate allowed her, she would go see her and Toby one day. Hope had done so much for her while they were at basic training. She built her confidence, took care of her, and was a real friend.

As sad as she was for being branded a traitor and being stuck here, she did not regret it one bit. She did what was right. She bravely faced death in order to save as many as she could. For that alone, she had enemies, but she would always have a peace of mind for what she did.

It took her two weeks to finally arrive at Goblin City, after all that walking and doing chores for her kind hosts to repay them for caring for her. She had to be gentle on her sprained ankle, allowing it to heal when she could.

The buildings in Goblin City were small to accommodate the small creatures. It was a bit chaotic, but with a sense of organization as well, like everyone understood the ins and outs of this chaos. The goblins there were so adorable, just like small children.

"Pretty Lady want a chicken?" One little goblin held a chicken up to her.

"No, I'm good, but thank you." She thanked her, wincing a bit as the chicken flew out of the goblin's hands, clearly unhappy with being man-handled.

Sarah, being a former teacher, had many admirers from the goblins just as she was admired by small children. They were drawn to her like a moth to a flame because of her gentleness and willingness to listen to them.

She got to hear lots of stories from them too about what the kingdom was like, confirming Jareth's stories to her.

"Kingy play basketball! He kicks us into baskets!" One goblin told her excitedly.

To hear Jareth's title mentioned in such a sweet way made her heart soar. He did deceive her in an awful way, but it didn't change the fact that he was a kind person who was just doing his best to rule his goblins.

"That sounds like a fun game!" She laughed, eating a sandwich with them. "Do you guys like your Kingy?"

"I loves him!" Another goblin said. "He sings Magic Dance!"

"But he likes to Bog-threat us."

"NO BOG."

"He doesn't like chickens either! He said if we were bad, he would eat chickens!"

Sarah watched in fascination and a slight horror as the goblins formed a circle, throwing their fists in the air yelling "CHICKENS ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD."

She would have to keep in mind to never eat chickens in front of them. It was almost cult-like, the way they were parading the chickens around, almost a strange religion. Jareth told her that the king, himself, would have to gift them things and threaten with the bog to remind them that he was their sovereign and not the chickens.

Walking closer to the castle, Sarah was in awed of it. It had glitter all over, not that it surprised her. Her Jareth was a man who loved the sparkly things.

Wait, her Jareth? When did that term of affection seep into her mind again?

She reminded herself that she was here to seek refuge, not to gain his love. How could he love her when he didn't even see her in the hospital?

The goblins confirmed to her that the King had saved Wished Aways in Estella during that battle, just as that boy told his father. So, it was quite possible that he saw her running to save after that poor child.

She should say thank you to him. She owed him that much. Truthfully, she owed him her life. She would have been executed if not for his interference. And what did that rescue mean for him? He was a king, after all, and Miread no doubt saw him and would report back to the High Council.

The closer she got to the castle, the more frightened she was. Maybe she didn't need to ask for anything, just stay in the kingdom. Keep her head down. Stay safe. Sneak over to see Toby when she could.

What if he didn't want to see her? She had no doubt that he would treat her well, but would he really want to see her when he ran from her at the hospital?

Just as she was about to flee from cold feet, she bumped into a person about half her height.

Small seeds flew everywhere, scattering on the stone ground.

"Watch it, Lady!" The dwarf grumbled. "Bah! You made me spill all these seeds!"

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry." She helped him up and gathered the seeds back into his basket. "Are you hurt?"

"Eh, it's alright." He looked at her, his face softening but he was still very gruff and annoyed with her. "Are ya a Runner? Ya wished a kid away?"

"Me? Oh no." She shook her head. "I'm just here to try to, well, meet with the King. I seek refuge."

"Ah." He said, understandably. "Ya must be from Estella."

"What makes you say that?" She kept a straight face. She may be safe here for now, but if anyone felt like sending her back to Estella to get punished, Sarah easily could be kidnapped and face trials. She was only safe in the hospital because Alondra hid her true identity from everyone else. If she was granted the status of a refugee, no one could send her away without facing the wrath of the Goblin King.

Not that she needed to be a refugee to have that happen. If Jareth's rescue told her anything, it was that he would take care of her even when they had their falling out.

"Haven't got refugees that weren't Runners or Wishers in a long time, and lots from Estella fled here, their homes burned down." The dwarf said. "So, are ya from Estella?"

"Yes." Sarah nodded. That was her cover story, that she was seeking refuge as if she was one of those villagers whose homes were burnt to the ground. "Do you know where I can go and see him?"

"Sorry Lady." The dwarf shrugged. "The King is not accepting anyone for the next few days. He had to have official meetings. Best ya go home 'til then."

Sarah's heart sank. It was one thing to choose to run away from Jareth, another to be told that she didn't have that option to even see him right now. "Oh."

The dwarf looked a bit torn between leaving and talking to her some more. Pity in his eyes, he asked "Do ya have a place ta stay for now? There's the inn."

"I have no money, nothing to trade." She held her hands out, empty. "I have been relying on the graciousness of strangers, rationing my food until I got here, hoping that I can find employment after being granted the status of a refugee."

The dwarf sighed. "Listen, ya can stay with me for a few days, but I promise nothing much after that. I don't usually take guests, 'specially humans and fae since ya kind are so damn tall so me house isn't as comfortable for ya'll. Me house is right next to the castle if ya wanna stay. It's not very spacious, but it's home."

Sarah perked. She didn't want to be treated like charity, but sometimes, you have to do what you have to do to survive. "You mean it?"

"Of course."

"I would be most grateful. Just until I can meet with the Goblin King." She nodded gratefully. "I can cook, clean, whatever chores you'd like me to do to earn my keep."

"Well, aren't ya a nice one." He said sincerely.

"I try." She held her hand out. "I'm Sarah."

"Hoggle." He gave her a true smile. "Welcome to Goblin City."

Some inspirations:

Jareth losing his eye and wings are, as FireShifter said, reminiscent of Rochester losing his right hand and his sight in Jane Eyre when he tries to save Bertha from the fire. I didn't feel like making Jareth all the way blind, but enough that it hurts.

The fire in the villages was definitely inspired by Bertha (again, also in Jane Eyre) burning down Thornfield Hall.

Thank you to those who have reviewed, especially those who have reviewed regularly! You guys make my day by reviewing each time I post. It's been so nice and I have been spoiled!