Sarah paused in the entry hall of the castle as she realized she had no idea where Jareth could be. It would be difficult to have a confrontation if she couldn't locate him. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as the rage she felt heated her blood, sending it roaring through her system like a flood. She was so angry she could nearly taste it. Her hands remained clenched into fists at her sides as she tried to calm herself, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly again and again as she fought to keep her temper. She hadn't felt this kind of emotion for a really long time. Other than the love she had for her family no real emotion had touched her for years…not since she had returned from her journey through the Labyrinth. Now that she was back it seemed as if the dam that had been blocking her feelings had burst, releasing everything bad she had held pent up for the last ten years. As she began to calm she realized she never had resolved her thoughts and feelings regarding the Labyrinth… and its king. She'd merely pushed them aside, bottled away where she didn't have to feel the pain of the loss she'd felt upon her return home.
She shouldn't be this angry. She really had brought a lot of this upon herself. Jareth was merely taking advantage of her momentary lapse into stupidity. Even Hoggle had pointed out that she should have known better than to give voice to the wish that had been whirling in her head that night. She had spoken the words that had brought her world crashing down around her, just as she'd brought Jareth's plans to a halt with a different set of words 10 years ago. She wondered if he'd suffered as a result. Her lips curled into a sneer as she silently hoped that he had. She hoped he'd felt even the slightest bit of the discomfort that she felt now. A soft laugh escaped her lips as the absurdity of the Goblin King's emotions being affected by anything struck her. The only thing he'd ever shown her was cool disdain; save for the moments she'd spent in his arms on the ballroom floor, moments that had been an illusion.
She walked a few steps into the grand foyer, coming to an abrupt halt as with a pop the torches along the walls lit simultaneously, illuminating the room with a soft amber glow. She scanned the room for Jareth assuming it was his magic that had caused them to light. Her gaze did not pick him out in the flickering light or in the shadowy corners of the room. She wondered what game he was playing now that he lit her path but did not show himself to her. It was almost as if he wanted to play a wicked game of hide and seek. It never occurred to her as she walked out of the foyer and into a hall that lit as she passed that it may be her causing the torches to light.
Kyra materialized in Jareth's room and she sighed as she saw him hunched in a chair twirling the crystal he watched Sarah through in his fingers like a toy. His pose was negligent with one leg draped over the arm of the chair as he leaned against the chair back comfortably. His gaze narrowed as the torches lit at Sarah's passing and Kyra leaned over his shoulder to take a peek as he muttered to himself.
"You've waited all these years to have her here and you hide in the dark as if you fear her." Kyra said softly. Jareth, even though he had not been aware of her presence, did not act as if startled.
"I fear nothing." Jareth said almost absently as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "And you would do well to quit meddling, little sister. My patience has its limits."
"You see what happens when she enters a room. You can't continue to deny that she belongs here with you. The castle is coming to life about you because she is here. Are you still bent on this path of revenge?"
"The Labyrinth has always had a mind of its own." Jareth replied as irritation flashed in his eyes. "I may be ruler of this land, but the Labyrinth has always done what it pleases. It does not mean she is meant to be mine just because the Labyrinth responds to her presence."
"The Labyrinth led her here, and has chosen its queen." Kyra said quietly. "That is obvious to me, and should be to you as well, Jareth."
"I will choose my own mate!" Jareth snapped as his patience reached its limits. His eyes blazed with fury as he stood, the crystal he held shattering with the force of his anger. "I will not bow to the whims of the walls that surround this castle. I do not choose this path!"
"Your pride will be your downfall, brother." Kyra said softly as he swept from the room. "I hope your fall takes you straight into her arms…after she makes you suffer a bit, first."
Sarah looked at the watch that adorned her slender wrist, and then rolled her eyes as she remembered that time traveled differently here. She covered her mouth with a hand to smother a yawn as she fought to put one foot before the other; she was exhausted. She would gladly thank Jareth if her were to appear and offer her a bed right at this moment…
"That can be arranged." Jareth said smoothly as he appeared before her. An amused grin twisted his lips as color rose in her face showing an embarrassment he had never expected to see on her. Sarah Williams was not often caught off her guard, even when she'd been younger she'd had a poise that he'd never been able to shake. "If you are looking for a bed to lay in I am willing to offer you one."
"Not yours!" Sarah said sharply, infuriated that he'd read her thoughts. "I'd sleep in the bog before I'd sleep with you!"
Jareth raised a hand and Sarah flinched back even as a crystal appeared in his hand. He noticed her reaction and her frowned, why would she fear him when he'd never raised a hand to her before? He saw the fatigue on her face and something in him thawed a bit when he realized how exhausted she was. She needed rest; she would not be a worthy adversary if she were dead on her feet.
"Your thoughts lead your mouth astray, my dear." Jareth said, his voice dangerously soft as his gaze held hers. "I wasn't going to suggest you share my bed. Perhaps in the morning, after you've rested, you can be worthy of such an offer."
He tossed the crystal with a flick of his wrist and Sarah caught it unthinkingly. It popped in her hand like a bubble and the scenery around her faded. It was replaced with a room that was cold and dark but it held the one thing she had been longing for…a bed. She walked to it on shaking legs and curled into a ball in its center, wrapping her arms about her body and closing her eyes with a gratitude that was surprisingly aimed at the Goblin King. His image was fresh in her mind as she drifted into a dreamless sleep. She did not see Kyra in her dreams that night.
Jareth knew the instant she slept and he appeared at her bedside in a flash, staring down at her curled form with a seriousness anyone would have found frightening. He reached out a hand toward her face hesitantly, gloved fingers pausing just shy of brushing her cheek before he pulled his hand back to fist at his side. He opened that fist to reveal a crystal. He flung it at the fireplace and a blazing fire appeared immediately, casting cozy warmth throughout the room. His gaze returned to the woman sleeping soundly in the bed and he frowned when he saw she was cold…he turned and disappeared, leaving Sarah covered with the blankets she had been sleeping upon a moment before.
Part 7
Bright morning sunlight poured into the window and straight into Sarah's face as she lifted her head from the pillow it had been resting upon. She blinked at the glare as she raised herself up on her elbows, holding the covers close to her body as she gazed at the room Jareth had sent her to. It was a plain room with little adornment, merely the bed she sat upon and the fireplace where a fire blazed merrily behind a metal grate. There was a table beside the bed with a bowl of peaches upon it and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as realized Jareth must have placed it there. He did have a sense of humor after all, it seemed. Either that or he thought her stupid.
She rose to a sitting position with her feet dangling over the side of the bed. She frowned as she stared down at her shoes, she had gone to bed fully clothed and could feel every wrinkle that had pressed into her body the night before. Her face flushed red as she remembered meeting Jareth in the corridor, and her subsequent reaction to his offer of a bed…she brought up her hands to cover her eyes as mortification filled her, when she looked up again it was to see Kyra standing before her with an amused expression upon her face.
"You look like something the cat dragged in." Kyra told her. "That is the human phrase isn't it? You need a bath. You can't face Jareth looking like that."
"I don't really care how I look…Kyra!" Sarah said with her voice raised in protest as she suddenly found herself sitting in a warm tub of water with frothy bubbles that tickled her nose. "Do you always get your way?"
"Only when Jareth isn't around." Kyra said merrily as she opened a wardrobe that hadn't been there before. "What shall you wear? Let's see, pink is too soft for you…maybe red? No, too bold."
"I can wear my own clothes." Sarah said mildly as she began to wash with the sponge she found conveniently floating on the water. She did need a bath after all.
"They're dirty." Kyra said, her nose wrinkling in distaste as she dug into the wardrobe.
"Can't you clean them with magic or something?"
"That wouldn't be any fun now would it?" Kyra replied. "Aha! This is perfect."
"I can wear my own clothes, Kyra." Sarah insisted stubbornly. "I plan to wear them when I leave today, so why bother with anything else?"
"You're still trying to convince yourself you don't want to stay here." Kyra scolded. "You need to open your eyes to the bigger picture, sweetie. By the time you face Jareth you're going to want to remain."
"By the time I face Jareth he'll want me gone." Sarah corrected, ignoring the small twinge of disappointment she felt at the thought.
"Pessimist." Kyra said as she laid her hand atop Sarah's head. "You need to look on the bright side of things."
"I'm looking at the reality side of things." Sarah shot back with a grin. "You're the one who's stuck in a fantasy. Did you grant your own wish?"
Kyra smiled sweetly before she pushed Sarah's head beneath the water. Sarah came up with a sputter, pushing her wet hair out of her face and glaring at Kyra with feigned malice as a grin tugged at the corner of her lips.
"You're as irritating as your brother." Sarah commented as she began to wring her hair dry.
"I'm worse." Kyra promised as she handed Sarah a towel. "Hurry up and dry off, dear. You've got a big day ahead of you.
Not long after…
Jareth gazed into the crystal as he watched Sarah wander through the halls of his castle. His expression softened as he noted that she wore one of the gowns he had provided for her, and he was pleased that she had chosen to wear something he had provided. It was almost as if the gown were his mark, and she bore it willingly. He doubted that she viewed it that way, she probably saw it as a means to the end, the end being the confrontation she envisioned would set her free of him forever. He would never allow her that. He would never let her go, no matter that he had vowed less than 12 hours before that he would choose his own mate. He didn't view her as the one who might rule beside him but as the mortal that had defeated him, and here was his chance to gain his revenge. He had staked his claim upon her years ago and she had rejected all he had to offer, earning his anger and whatever recompenses he chose to take.
He was so intent on his musings that he did not hear the quiet step that approached from behind him. Sarah paused in the doorway when she saw him sitting so negligently in a chair before the fire, one leg crossed over a knee and an arm draped over the rest as he held a crystal aloft. Her breath caught in her chest as the impact of him stole her breath away…she had never before feared him but now she felt intimidated by his presence, as if her heart were afraid of his effect upon it. She stepped closer, the lavender material of the gown Kyra had chosen brushing against her legs like a whisper as she moved nearer to the Goblin King. The feeling of fear in her chest turned to anger as she saw what he was looking at.
Jareth saw her halt in the crystal and fire flash in her eyes as anger lit her face. He had a brief moment to enjoy the way her face glowed with her ire before her voice slashed into him like a cold blade.
"How fitting." Sarah said coldly. "That you should hide in your rooms spying upon me like a child rather than face me."
Jareth stiffened in his chair as her frigid voice filled his ears. How had she found his rooms? He'd wrapped them in a spell to cloak their location, a common trick used by rulers to protect them from detection. Yet this mortal had walked in almost as if she'd been led to them. He closed his eyes briefly as he realized the Labyrinth must have guided her in her wanderings, bringing her straight to him without her being aware. The crystal he held winked out of sight as he folded his hands as if it had never been there at all.
"These are my rooms." Jareth said lightly, his voice a balm to the ears Sarah hadn't realized had missed the sound. "What I choose to do within them is my concern."
"You've been spying on me all these years, haven't you?" Sarah accused quietly, folding her arms beneath her breasts to ward off the shiver that ran up her spine at the sound of his voice.
"You still think the world revolves around you, don't you?" Jareth shot back his own accusation as he tried to deflect her from a truth he did not want to admit. "I have not spent my time pining over you my dear, no matter what my sister may have told you."
He rose in one fluid motion, turning to face her with all the regality she'd come to expect. His movement brought them face-to-face, toe-to-toe, as he hadn't realized how close she had come. His eyes swept down over her, lingering over the swell of her breasts revealed by the curved neck of the gown she wore before coming back up to her face. Her cheeks were flushed with her anger and her eyes held a spark that had never failed to draw him in the past like a moth to a flame. His fingers itched to reach out and caress her cheek but he restrained the urge, knowing she would only bat him away in her anger.
"You look as if you passed the night well." Jareth said smoothly as their gazes met and held. "The gown suits you, it is a lovely choice."
"Kyra picked it." Sarah said dismissively as the flush in her cheeks continued down her neck. She had not missed where his gaze had lingered. She chose to ignore it rather than call him on it; she had a feeling it would not be to her advantage to point out what he was doing.
Jareth ignored the tiny flicker of disappointment as Sarah's words told him she did not wear what he provided willingly as he had thought. He should have known her stubbornness would refuse her to allow a gift as simple as clothing, especially if it came from him. She never ceased to annoy him with her unwillingness to accept anything he provided.
"Don't try to distract me, Goblin King." Sarah said as she felt herself drowning in his gaze. "How long have you been spying on me?"
"That is such a cold word, don't you think?" Jareth replied as he stepped to the sideboard. "I've never spied upon you Sarah. I've merely looked in on you now and again."
He lifted a bottle and poured himself a glass of liquid. He turned and offered it to Sarah, shrugging as she refused it with a shake of her head. His lips twisted with amusement as he realized she did not trust him to offer her food. He raised it to his lips and took a sip, holding her eyes with his until he'd swallowed, and offered her the glass again.
"There is nothing more than water in this glass." Jareth said with a grin that made Sarah's insides turn cartwheels. "I give you my word."
Sarah reached for it hesitantly with trepidation clear on her pretty face as her fingers wrapped around the cold glass. Jareth's fingers slid over hers as she began to pull the glass back and she felt a shock run up her arm at the contact.
"You also gave your word I'd have 13 hours to save Toby." Sarah reminded him, hating how breathless her voice sounded as she hastily pulled her hand back with the glass in it. "You will have to forgive me for my hesitation."
"Your tongue is still sharp as ever, I see." Jareth said with a grin as she tipped the glass back for a drink. "In this case I can assure you that my word will not be broken. I have no reason to try to thwart you now. You are not running my Labyrinth this time."
"Then why am I here?" Sarah demanded. "What test do I have to pass this time Goblin King? What do I have to do to finally be rid of you?"
"I went looking for your friends after I realized that you'd managed to spirit Hoggle away from under my reign." Jareth said coolly in a change of subject that immediately grabbed Sarah's attention. She straightened under his gaze, feeling like a schoolgirl about to be lectured as he leaned a hip against the table she stood beside. "Imagine my surprise when I found that Ludo, Sir Didymus and the mutt he rode upon are gone without a trace. Tell me, my dear, where are they?"
"Beyond your reach." Sarah said carefully as she spun the water glass between her hands nervously. "Kyra said you cannot touch them now."
"So you took them all home with you." Jareth said icily as temper began to snap in his eyes. "You had no right…"
"I defeated you. I found I could do many things I wanted after that." Sarah interrupted, enjoying the irritation that flashed across his face before he hid it from her. "Protecting my friends was one of them."
"Someone would have had to show you how to weave the spells that were necessary." Jareth replied, a statement that was also a question as he arched an eyebrow at her. His attitude told her he expected an answer without delay.
"Nobody showed me anything." Sarah admitted as she set the glass down. "The knowledge was just there in my head when I woke up the next morning. I'd dreamed of this place, and woke up knowing more than I had the day before about it."
Jareth scowled as her words hit home. The Labyrinth had told her what she needed to know, and had given her the means to protect herself and her friends from him, its ruler. Anger curled like heat in his stomach and Sarah tensed as he pierced her gaze with his own, her heart picking up its pace as his lips curled up in a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"I'm pleased to know you've dreamt of me." Jareth said silkily, reaching out to toy with a strand of her hair.
"I've not." Sarah denied in a whisper as he twined a thick tress about his fingers. "I've never…"
"Liar." Jareth called her as he tugged on the hair wrapped around his hand, drawing her suddenly closer.
"Let me go." Sarah ordered, the tremor in her voice giving no heat to the demand as her hands came up to push at him. Neither one missed the double meaning to her words; she was asking to be released from more than this embrace.
"Why would I do that?" He asked, amused at the way her gaze darted to the door as if hoping that someone would walk through it to save her from his attentions. "Maybe I should ask what you would do to convince me to let you go?"
He tugged on her hair again; back this time so she was forced to look up at him. Sarah froze as his gaze dropped to her mouth, stating his intention to kiss her quite clearly. Her hands fisted against his chest as she prepared to push away from him even as his arm slid around her waist.
"Come now Sarah, it is such a small thing, really. A gesture between old friends, if you will."
"We've never been friends, Goblin King." Sarah replied as she glared up at him. He had her trapped with one hand twisted in her hair and an arm firmly wrapped around her waist.
"Still so formal." Jareth chuckled. "Say my name, Sarah."
He dipped his head and brushed his lips across hers teasingly, barely any contact at all, and felt the slight tremor that shook her body at the contact as well as the rush of heat that swept his own as she jerked her head back, only to be halted by his hand in her hair.
"Say my name." He demanded, his voice low as his hot breath swept her face and his lips hovered less than an inch above her own. "Say it."
His lips traveled across her jaw and Sarah felt her knees weaken as her eyes fluttered closed. All thoughts of resistance melted under the assault he was waging on her senses.
"Jareth…"
Whatever else she may have said was cut off when his mouth captured hers. Heat immediately curled through her body as his lips branded her in a way she never would have dreamed possible, as if he were renewing a claim that had been staked long ago. Her fists relaxed and her hands slid up his chest of their own accord, slipping around his neck and up into his hair as she began to respond to the pressure of his lips against hers. Jareth's hand slid free of her hair and wrapped both arms around her as he completely forgot that he had only meant to toy with her. He had only meant to make her realize that it was he who held the power in their game… but all thoughts fled as he came dangerously close to losing himself in the woman he held in his arms.
Sarah murmured in protest as Jareth ended the kiss, her eyes opening to find him staring down at her with an expression that she could not read. His face gave no sign of that he had been affected by their kiss. She flushed red to the roots of her hair as she realized she'd plastered herself against him, and he still held her snugly in place. She twisted free of his grasp, taking an unsteady step back when he reached for her again with a hand raised in protest. He caught her hand in his and raised it to his lips to press a kiss in her palm before closing her fingers around it as his eyes gleamed at her.
"Do you see why you will never be free of me, Sarah?" Jareth asked softly, his fingers still wrapped around hers. "We are connected. By our past, by our present and possibly by our future."
"No." Sarah denied, shaking her head as she took another step back, pulling her hand free of his. "That's not possible. I can't accept…we don't have a future!"
"Of course not." He sneered as he released his grip on her hand. Once again she was rejecting him. "There is no way we'd have a future…not together at least. I brought you here for one thing only…to pay you back for the way I've suffered the last 10 years."
"How have you suffered?" Sarah demanded. "You look as if you're doing fine to me! You haven't changed a bit."
"Did I say suffered?" Jareth asked, cursing himself for his slip of the tongue. This interlude had shaken him more than he cared to admit. "A mistake in words."
"Why did you kiss me?" Sarah asked, hating herself the moment the words came out of her mouth. She didn't know if she wanted to know the reason or not.
"Payback." He replied, refusing to admit the real reason to her or to himself. "Why else? You don't think your 'charms' have suddenly caused me to lose my head, do you?"
His gaze swept down her body insultingly. Sarah stiffened and she did the first thing her temper demanded of her…she picked up the glass of water and tossed it in his face. The rage that swept across his face was a huge change from the icy disdain she was used to seeing and her heart leapt to her throat as she turned for the door…but before she could rush out Kyra was stepping through it. Her gaze swept the room and took in the situation immediately. She smoothly stepped between her brother and Sarah as she spoke, removing the glass from Sarah's limp fingers and setting it aside.
"I thought Sarah might enjoy breakfast." Kyra said easily as she slipped her arm companionably through the girl's. "It would seem I've chosen a fine moment to interrupt. Do join us Jareth…after you've dried your face."
Sarah bit back the giggle that threatened to erupt at Kyra's words…now was NOT the time to laugh. Kyra swept her from the room quickly; their departure was followed by the sound of a glass shattering against the wall. Jareth stood where Sarah had left him, his face pale with rage and his hands clenched into fists as he glared at the door they had left through.
Apparently his emotions weren't as controlled as he liked to think.
Sarah sat across the sumptuously laid table from Kyra, her chin resting in her hand as she stared sightlessly down at the plate that had been set before her. She had never been served by a goblin before, and she had been surprised by how pleasant the experience had been. She'd not seen a polite goblin on her last visit to the Goblin City; she realized her perceptions of the goblins had been just as skewed as her opinions of the Labyrinth itself.
"You can trust I haven't had spellbound food served to you." Kyra said as she set her fork aside. "You need to eat Sarah, you haven't had anything since tea yesterday."
"Oh, yes…I wasn't worried about that." Sarah said absently, her attention straying to the door as she straightened. Jareth hadn't made an appearance and she didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed by that.
"Jareth doesn't usually use the door."
Sarah looked up sharply as Kyra smiled at her across the table. She scowled as she realized Kyra knew exactly what she was thinking. She aimed at scowl at the Queen of Dreams, and raised her fork to point it at her threateningly.
"Stay out of my head, Kyra. I mean it." Sarah warned, waving her fork for emphasis before stabbing it down into a piece of ham. "It's bad enough having your brother reading my thoughts. I don't need you in there too."
"I can't help it." Kyra said with a grin. "It's like breathing…it comes naturally."
"Can you hold your breath?" Sarah muttered. "It wouldn't hurt you to practice some self control, Kyra. You and your brother could both benefit from that."
Kyra did not miss the bitter note that crept into Sarah's voice with that last comment and she wisely refrained from poking into the girl's mind. She liked Sarah, and was beginning to regret pulling the girl back into Jareth's web. Helping Jareth had been the only thing that had been important at the time, but now she was finding herself wanting to have Sarah as a friend…something that wouldn't happen if Sarah felt she was being toyed with.
"I agree." Kyra informed Sarah, enjoying the quick surprise that flashed across Sarah's face. "I'll stay out of your head…unless you ask me to."
"Thank you." Sarah said with a relieved sigh as she pushed her chair back from the table. "I'm going for a walk, if I can find my way out of this castle again. I need to clear my head."
"I'll say." Kyra laughed, holding up her hands to ward off Sarah's suspicious stare. "I'm not prying now, I promise. I can see on your face you have a lot on your mind."
Sarah left the room and not 2 minutes later Jareth appeared beside the chair she had just occupied. Kyra didn't glance up as he flung himself down in the chair but continued to eat as he silently fumed.
"I would think you would've have outgrown that by now." Jareth said as Kyra concentrated on her food.
"Meddling?"
"Eating as if your life depended upon it. You should be fat as a pig by now." Jareth said, his eyes straying to the door Sarah had left through.
"Never." Kyra replied as she set her fork aside. "Neither will Sarah, if she keeps eating the way SHE does."
"What do you mean?" Jareth asked, feigning disinterest as he adjusted the gloves on his hands.
"She barely touched her food, and I know for a fact she hasn't eaten a full meal since before I granted her wish. Haven't you seen how pale she looks? We've messed with her life beyond reason, and she's suffering to the point of exhaustion. Does your plan for revenge go as far as driving her to her death?"
"Killing her? You think that is my plan?" Jareth asked, his cool persona falling away as he stared at his sister with horror.
"You want revenge…how far are you willing to take it?" Kyra asked. "Have you thought ahead to what you're going to do with her once you've had your revenge? Or are you simply going to toss her aside and go on with your life…not that you've had much of one without her these past 10 years."
She disappeared in a flash, leaving Jareth to ponder how he had managed to anger two women in less than an hour…
Sarah sat once again at the head of the steps leading up to the entrance of the castle, her arms wrapped around her knees much as they had been the night before as she watched the bustle of the Goblin City pass by. The walk out of the castle had done much to cool her ire and had left her far more tired than she should be feeling after such a short bout of exercise. She blamed it entirely on the fact that Jareth had rattled her so badly she didn't know what was going on anymore. Her mind went back to the scene that had played out in Jareth's rooms and an unwelcome rush of sensation swept through her at the mere memory of the kiss they'd shared…in reality it had stormed her senses.
Her musings were interrupted by the sudden silence that filled the courtyard. She raised her head and saw the activity in the area had halted, and all Goblin eyes were trained upon her in awe. She rose to her feet cautiously…the last time she had been the center of attention here she had been under attack…she did not see the transformation that was taking place in the castle behind her, radiating from the place where she had been sitting. It finally registered that their gazes were trained behind her and she turned to look. A gasp escaped her lips as a radiance moved outward from where she stood in a wave, sweeping away the grime and replacing it with a glow that dazzled the eye…it was as if the castle had been given a sudden and instant makeover. She did not see the goblins gather closer until she felt a brush against her skirt and she turned to find they had gathered around her in a semi-circle, and were kneeling before her as if she were royalty.
"It's the Queen!"
"The legend is true!"
"The Labyrinth has chosen!"
Sarah listened to the babble of voices that swept over her with dawning understanding. They thought SHE had done this, that she was the cause of the regeneration of the castle's appearance. She shook her head in denial as hands clutched at her skirts, and heads bowed reverently before her.
Jareth stood unnoticed in the doorway, his expression unreadable as he watched his subjects' reactions to the sight before them. The Labyrinth and his subjects had accepted Sarah.
He turned on his heel and walked away.
Part 8
Sarah sat on the edge of the bed in the room Jareth had given her, twisting the folds of the nightgown she wore between her fingers as she watched the sun sink below the horizon. Another day ended, and she was still trapped in this world by the wish Kyra had granted. She had been here for nearly a month now and each day brought disappointment as she opened her eyes to a world that was not hers. She had not seen Jareth in this time and she was frustrated by that…how was she supposed to resolve anything when he wasn't around? Not that she missed him; she just wanted to go home. Kyra had done her best to keep her company but she had her own kingdom to rule with her own duties to perform. As a result Sarah found herself with a lot of time on her hands, and she had put it to good use.
First she'd organized the goblins into a motley cleaning crew, sending them throughout the castle to scour away the gloom that seemed to hang over it. They accepted her orders without question because she worked beside them…and they assumed she was their queen…apparently the Labyrinth's decision was enough for them even if Jareth had not announced anything. Not that she would accept the title if he did. She was merely finding a way to keep herself from going insane without anyone to talk to. Soon the castle was clean as can be, and seemed to glow with a new life that Sarah could not help but enjoy as she went about the tasks she set herself every morning. The goblin in charge of the kitchens had come to her with a list of complaints that were soon set to rights…the meals coming out were proof of that. She hadn't known so much went into the running of a household (for all its size the castle was a home) and she silently berated herself for not thanking Karen for little things such as clean sheets and new dishes, flowers to brighten the rooms and the fresh scent of a newly scrubbed room. She hadn't stopped taking things for granted apparently, and now that she had assumed the role of chatelaine in Jareth's castle she was coming to realize how much work was involved in running a home.
It didn't make her time any less lonely but it made the days speed by faster when she kept herself busy. She'd found a tiny garden that she was bringing back to life day by day, spending at least an hour every morning pulling weeds and planting flowers. It was blooming into a sanctuary, and sometimes she came out in the early evenings to sit with a cup of tea and a book to unwind at the end of a day. She'd had a bench positioned beneath a rose trellis, and if she couldn't be found in her rooms she was sure to be found tucked into her hideaway.
She made daily visits to the Goblin City as well, mostly with the head housekeeper to do the daily marketing, and often found herself a guest for tea at the mayor's house, or the doctor's, or whoever else happened to catch her when she was marketing. She didn't realize that she was slowly being absorbed into the everyday life of the city and its Labyrinth, that she was becoming part of the Underground with every day that passed.
She lay back with a sigh as she mentally counted off the things she needed to do tomorrow. First she had to settle a dispute between two goblins over who owned a fence that ran between their properties. Then she had to oversee the polishing of the silver in the formal dining room…last time she had let the goblins handle that chore alone she had returned to find them flinging the eating utensils at each other instead of cleaning it. She continued counting off the list in her head, finally trailing off into sleep as exhaustion claimed her.
Jareth sat in his own rooms listening to the report brought to him by the goblin he'd set to watching over Sarah as she went about her duties throughout the day. As he listened his mind wandered to the fact that she was fitting in quite nicely, almost as if she'd been born to the position of queen. He scowled at the idea of that, it was foolish to think a mortal had been born and bred for the sole purpose of becoming his queen…though the ease with which she was handling the duties expected of one gave credibility to that idea. He was running out of ways to test her. He kept hoping she'd fail and give him an excuse to reject her without having to think up an excuse for refusing to accept her. As it was he was having a difficult time justifying to himself why she should not reign at his side…except his repeated denials to Kyra that he felt anything for the mortal woman.
While Sarah had not seen him for a month, he had indeed seen her. He checked on her constantly through his crystals, and would occasionally appear at her bedside while she slept. He made up all kinds of excuses for this action, but the real truth was that he feared she would be gone one night, that she would have resolved any regrets she had thereby breaking Kyra's spell. His greatest fear these days was that she would leave.
He found himself enjoying his castle now that she was in it. She had done wonders with the halls, gone were the dim lighting and eerie appearance it had once had. Everything was so polished it glowed, though he had a feeling the walls gleamed with more than just work…he could feel power emanating from them. The Labyrinth was happy, and showed this more every day. The only rooms that had not been touched were his …Sarah did not come here. He knew she could find her way, and he knew she had begun to approach his door before turning away several times now. He had deliberately decided not to seek her out…let her come to him. He wasn't about to go chasing after her begging for her company no matter how lonely he was beginning to feel.
The annoying thing is that he hadn't felt lonely before she came back to the castle. His life had been exactly as he wished it, and if he had amused himself by checking on her now and again that hadn't meant that he'd missed her or anything. He frowned at the realization that he was defending his own thoughts to himself, as Kyra wasn't here to pick at him until he was ready to explode. His sister had been needling him mercilessly since Sarah had arrived, constantly reminding him that he had his own feelings to resolve when it came to the mortal woman she'd invited into his world. Last time she had been there she had hinted broadly about something that he needed to do but hadn't finished telling him as he'd waved her away.
The goblin finished his report and Jareth straightened as he realized he hadn't heard a word that had been said, but rather than ask for a repeat of the information he dismissed the goblin and turned to stare out the window. Sarah didn't realize it but her garden was directly below his window. He'd watched her several times when she thought she was alone, tending the flowers she'd planted or simply sitting and reading a book. He'd been tempted to join her but had not wanted to ruin the pleasant mood she seemed to sink into when there. He wasn't in the mood for one of their usual disagreements and it seemed better to simply sit and watch.
The next day:
"Busy?"
Sarah jumped as Kyra's voice rang out. She had yet to adjust to the woman's ability to appear out of nowhere. Especially as she always seemed to appear where Sarah least expected her. Like now, when she was tired from a long day of work and had just settled into bed.
"I'm holding court, can't you tell?" Sarah asked sarcastically. She set the lamp she had been about to douse back on the bedside table.
"I knew you'd be glad to see me." Kyra said with a smile as she settled into a chair. "I'm sorry I'm so late. I got caught up with something."
Sarah pulled herself into an upright position with a sigh. Kyra obviously wasn't going to take the hint and come back in the morning. She couldn't complain though, she'd had no company but that of goblins for the past several days. She tucked the blankets around her legs and leaned back against the wall, eager for a visit.
"Anything new?" Kyra asked with interest. She was hoping to hear that Jareth had come out of hiding and faced the fact that he loved Sarah. He had to, or…
"I visited the Fierys today." Sarah confided. "They're not as scary as I remember them being. They'd never met a human before, that's why they were so curious about me last time."
"I'm pleased Jareth took you." Kyra said, her tone casual as she met Sarah's gaze. She could see by the expression on Sarah's face that she had made her own way to the forest of the Fiery. She silently cursed her brother's stupidity as she changed the subject to one she hoped would cheer Sarah.
"Why are you still staying in this dreary room?" Kyra asked. "The Queen's chambers are much nicer than this, Sarah. You should move in there."
"No." Sarah said firmly. "We've discussed this before Kyra. I'm happy here. I'm not moving into the Queen's chambers. It's not my place."
"Why not? You already rule here, Sarah. You may as well make it official."
"It takes more than moving into a room to make a queen, Kyra." Sarah said with a frown.
"I imagine you already meet many of the requirements." Kyra replied with a smile. "Do you want to see the present I've brought you?"
Sarah's face lit up with excitement as Kyra held out her hand. The excitement faded a touch when she saw that Kyra held a crystal in her palm. She reached out hesitantly, almost reluctant to take it in her hand.
"Don't you trust me yet, Sarah?" Kyra asked, her tone serious as hurt filled her face. "I thought we'd gotten past our initial distrust of each other."
"I'm getting there, Kyra." Sarah replied quietly. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the crystal orb, lifting it easily for it did not weigh much at all. "What is it?"
"A gift." Kyra said simply. "I cannot reverse the wish I granted, that is outside of the rules of my power. But I've fixed what I can."
Sarah glanced down at the ball she held in her hand quizzically as she rolled it between her palms.
"It will also grant limited requests." Kyra continued. "You can bring your things here. You can't bring people, but you can perhaps cheer the décor of this room a bit."
"I'd love to have my music." Sarah said wistfully as she set the crystal on her nightstand carefully.
She gasped as her CD player appeared beside her upon the bed.
"I knew you'd like it." Kyra said with glee as she clapped her hands together. "I won't feel so bad having to leave you for a while now."
"You're leaving?" Sarah asked with dismay.
"I have to. There are things I've neglected for too long. I'm going to be occupied for at least a month of your time." Kyra said with regret. She leaned forward and gave Sarah a hug, vowing to speak to her brother before she left. He had let this go for far too long. Stubborn fool. "You can call me if you need me."
After she left Sarah picked up the crystal again, wondering what Kyra had meant when she'd said she'd fixed what she could. She turned the crystal so it caught the light, her breath catching in her throat as she saw what was revealed inside. It was Toby…but not as she'd last seen him. Instead of the angry boy her wish had produced she could see the Toby that she knew, sitting in the living room with an equally normal Karen and her father. She saw the picture of a happy normal family, and her throat ached as she held back the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes. She could see no sign that she had existed for them. The photos that were arrayed upon the mantel didn't hold her image as they had before; the ribbons she had won in school and awards for activities were replaced with items from Toby's own life. She didn't exist to the people she was looking in on…not anymore. She was nothing. She clutched the orb to her chest as she scrambled out of the bed, forsaking a robe as she sought to escape the room that was closing around her like a prison. She pushed through the door of the room and stumbled blindly down the hall, instinctively heading for the one place that had become her sanctuary in this world. She made it to her garden without mishap before the sobs broke free, and she collapsed on her knees before the bench in misery.
Meanwhile Kyra was pacing before Jareth, her eyes shooting sparks of anger as he studiously ignored her. She knew he was not concentrating on the document he was scribbling upon, he'd shut down the minute Sarah's name had left her lips. She glared at him helplessly as she realized there was nothing she could do to make him see reason, he was going to have to be smacked in the face with reality before he would see that he too had his own issues to resolve in regards to Sarah. He didn't realize that both his and Sarah's futures were wrapped together in the same spell…
"Fine." Kyra said with a scowl as Jareth still refused to look up at her. "I'm going. Don't come whining to me when your plan to have Sarah come to you backfires."
"I don't whine." Jareth said mildly as he looked up, only to find Kyra had gone. He breathed a sigh of relief and rose to walk over to where the remains of his dinner sat on the sideboard. He poured himself a snifter of liquor that he swirled in the glass as he walked to the balcony. He stepped out onto the stone surface and set his glass atop the railing as he leaned forward to feel the night breeze…only to pause as the sound of Sarah's sobs reached his ears. His gaze went straight to her garden where he could see her kneeling beside the bench, her head pillowed on her arms as she cried out her misery.
He was at her side in an instant, standing helplessly above her as he stared down at her grief-stricken form. He was at a loss as to what he should do, never in his life had he been faced with such misery in a person. He'd set out to cause this, and now could only think that he did not know how to make it stop. He dropped to his knees beside her, reaching out and laying a hand on her shoulder as he leaned forward.
Sarah did not even think, could not think, she could only feel the offered comfort of a hand upon her shoulder. As the hand became an arm that slid around her back she leaned into the support of his body, blindly seeking solace as she buried her tear streaked face in the curve of his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his waist as his other arm came around her. The crystal orb dropped to the grass beside them, coming to rest against the stone leg of the bench with a clink that caught Jareth's attention as he rocked her sobbing form in his arms. He ignored it for the moment as he rested his chin atop her head, breathing in the scent of her hair as he ran his hands up and down her back. He pressed a kiss against her temple as her sobs began to break into hitching breaths, and she tried to tell him what was wrong.
"Toby…and Dad…they don't…know…me!" She wailed, her hands digging into his back as she fought for control. "The crystal…Kyra tried to fix…"
"Shhh…." Jareth said softly as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, pushing it back from her tear-streaked face. "It's alright, Sarah."
"No…" Sarah denied, shaking her head and sending her hair tumbling back into her face. "It's not…I have…nobody!"
Jareth tightened his arms around her, feeling helpless as she dissolved into sobs again. He did not think she would be able to take much more of this grief, but he did not know how to soothe her pain. He reached over and picked up the crystal, hoping to attain a clue as to what his sister had wrought. He took in the scene the crystal showed immediately, and knew that while his sister's heart had been in the right place she had shown worst possible thing that Sarah could have seen…a life that did not need her in it. He knew from watching her over the years that her greatest fear was to be unloved…unwanted. It was why she had resisted liking Karen for so long, and part of the reason she had rejected him so long ago. He startled himself with that thought…he had never before tried to see her point of view when it came to their past encounter…he had not expected to be confronted with this insight now.
Sarah tried to hold back the deluge that had hit but it was not happening. Part of her was mortified beyond belief that Jareth was here to witness her breakdown, but part of her was glad that he was here to offer comfort. It was strange that she was finding his presence comforting since he was the reason she was here to begin with, but she was not as adverse to the feel of his arms around her as she thought she would be. She struggled to find control as he whispered her name against her hair and tightened his hold, she burrowed even closer against him as the sobs wracking her body began to lessen.
"All I wanted was a normal life." Sarah said miserably. Her voice was hoarse from the harsh sobs that had come from her throat.
"I took that from you." Jareth replied, his own voice rough with emotion as he ran his hand down her hair.
"No, you didn't." Sarah told him, her face still hidden against his shoulder as she gulped in air. " I gave some of it up when I wished Toby away. I had visions of a great adventure. I got more than I bargained for, but I wished for it…for you."
They sat without speaking for several moments, the only sound being Sarah's struggle to get her breathing under control.
"Kyra meant well." She said softly, freeing one of her arms to scrub at her face with her sleeve. She made no further move to break free of Jareth's embrace as he leaned back against the bench, taking her with him so that she lay against his chest cradled in his arms.
"She usually does." Jareth said with a chuckle that Sarah felt vibrate down into her soul. She had never heard him laugh before. "Kyra is one of the most well-meaning persons I know. It would be great if she got it right once in a while."
"She must get it right some of the time." Sarah said soberly. "She granted my wish, pretty much exactly the way I asked it."
"Not entirely." Jareth corrected her. "You wished you had never met me. Instead, she granted that you never completed the Labyrinth. If you'd never met me, we'd not be where we are now."
Sarah pondered that for a moment. She hadn't realized it before but Jareth was right. Kyra had granted the wrong wish.
"I did wish I hadn't met you." Sarah said with a sigh. She raised her head and looked up at him. "I didn't realize that she'd messed it up until now."
"Would you rather she had granted the correct wish?" Jareth asked, the coolness she knew so well returning to his voice as he stared down at her. Sarah stiffened, bracing for their usual argument as his eyes snapped down at her.
"Sometimes." Sarah snapped as she struggled against his grip. He did not relax his hold and she sagged against him, too drained by her emotional outburst to put up much of a fight. He smiled in satisfaction when she laid her head against his shoulder again. "Maybe she does it on purpose."
"Does what on purpose?" Jareth asked as her eyes drifted closed.
"Messes up. Maybe she grants the wishes she thinks will do the most good." Sarah said with a yawn. She'd take him to task for his attitude later. "She interprets as she sees fit."
Jareth and Sarah sat in silence for several long moments.
"Did you mean it when you said you wished for me?" Jareth asked hesitantly as he leaned his cheek against her hair.
Sarah murmured a reply and he glanced down to see she was curled against him cozily, her lashes lowered against her cheek in near sleep. He sighed as he lowered his head to press a kiss against her temple, pondering how he was going to handle things now that they had shared this moment…he didn't think he'd be able to return to ignoring her again.