Oh guys did I tell you how much I love you? Oh, thank you so much for all those wonderful reviews! You don't know how happy they make me! Thank you so much.
Hey, hey, we all know I don't own the Labyrinth. Stupid disclaimers anyway. I wish I owned Jareth!!! (just like half of the ladies out there, now, right? -_~ ).
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Je te promets Je te promets le sel au baiser de ma bouche Je te promets la clé des secrets de mon âme J'y crois comme à la terre, j'y crois comme au
soleil Je te promets des jours tout bleus comme tes
veines Je te promets mes bras pour porter tes angoisses
Et même si c'est pas vrai, si on te l'a trop
fait Et même si c'est pas vrai, même si je mens Je te promets le sel au baiser de ma bouche |
I promise you I
promise you the salt to the kiss of my mouth, I promise you the
key of the secrets of my soul I believe in it
as in the earth, I believe in it as in the sun I promise you
quite blue days as your veins I promise you my
arms to carry your fears
And even if it is
not true, if one did it too much to you And even if it is
not true, even if I lie I promise you the
salt to the kiss of my mouth, |
Lyrics & music: JJ Goldman.
Chapter 5. Between Future and Past.
Jareth and Sarah hadn't moved since Sarah's question. Sarah didn't know what the hell possessed her to ask such a blunt question, she was trying hard not to look at Jareth and kept her blushing face buried in his chest.
How weird we decided to hide our faces to each other in the other's body… Jareth pondered as he felt Sarah cling on his collar and bury her face in his chest, while he had his in her hair.
Time stood still before Jareth finally answered, his voice pained, tightening his hold on Sarah. "Do you really need to ask?"
"Jareth, I…" Embarrassed, Sarah wanted to kick herself but trapped in Jareth's iron-like hug, she could barely breath.
"And you?" His heart started to beat faster and faster, Sarah could hear it. Between his heartbeats, Sarah could almost hear another question, one he had asked her, without waiting for an answer, a question which nagged her because she couldn't first understand her but now, as it repeated itself between each of his heartbeats, Sarah finally understood she could just kill him if she wanted…
"How can you hold so much power over me, Sarah?"
How scared he must have been, he, a King, the Goblin King nonetheless, the ruler of the Labyrinth, to feel so dependent of her.
Sarah bit on her lower lip, she couldn't lie to him and get his hopes high when she didn't know how she really felt. Sure, there was that damn physical attraction that kept on gluing them in each others arms but… "Jareth, please understand… I'm not quite sure where I am. This is too fast for me. I mean this morning, I…"
Jareth put a finger to silence her on her lips and said. "Let me take you a better place for us to talk. I don't need other spies to trouble us." Sarah, smiling, nodded against his chest. Suddenly, she found herself in a huge room with a round table in the middle, bookcases facing imposing windows, under which lied an old and used red couch. Jareth led her to the couch and sat next to her, holding her hand: he obviously didn't want to let her go.
Sarah rolled her eyes heavenward and sarcastically said. "Jareth, I wasn't the one who ran away, you know."
Jareth smiled bitterly back and wrapped his arms around her again, bringing her almost on his lap. "Just to make sure." She's still angry at me for running away…
Jareth leaned on the couch and Sarah rested her head on his chest, her hand on his heart. Jareth looked thoughtfully down at her. Did she realize how much depended on her next answer? His heart wouldn't just stop running for a while and Jareth, nervously, dropped a kiss in her hair.
"Jareth, I really don't know where I stand. I mean, all of the sudden you burst in my life again, saving me from a car crash and you want me to remain here for a full year. Then the kids said you loved me and Galion-" Relieved and hurt in the meantime, Jareth abruptly sat up, releasing Sarah, when she told him about Calandra and Nathan confession about his feelings for her.
"The kids said what?" he cut her.
"Oups… Perhaps I shouldn't have said that." Sarah was amused by his reaction: he was blushing and looked kind of agitated.
"The little scoundrels! They were spying this morning too!" Jareth was positively fuming.
"Alright, look who's talking!" Sarah replied, a smile on her lips. Now, that feelings have been said, now that he knows how I feel, now that I know how he feels, it seems so easy to talk… How weird to think that this morning I tried to kick his head away…
Outside, if one of them had bothered to look, they would have seen the sun coming closer to the horizon, taking another day with it.
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"Don't you think we should wait for them for dinner?"
"Oh, Calandra dear, I don't think they'll come down sometimes tonight."
"Yeah, eat or I'll finish all the chicken!"
"Nat! Don't be such a pig! Let me some! Daddy!!!"
A heavy sigh was heard, accompanied by a hearty boyish laugh and a indignant girly pout.
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Sarah and Jareth stayed in his study for some long hours, neither of them bothering about the time and when his stomach started to protest, Jareth, just like for lunch, conjured some food and wine. They both ate at the light of candles, talking about her mainly: Jareth wanted to know every single minutes of the time she had spent far from him. He was sitting, crossed leg, facing Sarah, his back leaning against the old armrest while Sarah was leaning in the couch's back, her legs drew behind her.
Sarah protested that Jareth already knew all the stuff she was talking about since he used to spy on her, complaint that Jareth would wave away, telling her he wanted to hear them from her lips. He wouldn't answer any question coming from her to know what had happened to him, during the past ten years. He would shrug and ask her another question. Sarah tried to make him talk but Jareth only smiled at her efforts.
"Jareth! I've been talking of myself for hours now, and you didn't tell me anything about you and what happened here! Please, Jareth, it's your turn now!"
Jareth smiled back at her, behind the rim of his wine glass: it was as clear as day that he wouldn't say a single word.
"It's not fair!" Sarah cried out.
Jareth set the glass down on the table, next to the couch and leaned on Sarah. "I thought we already had that discussion about the 'fairness' of my actions?"
His eyes were twinkling with mischief and the arrogant smirk wouldn't leave his lips. Having him move so close to her so fast made Sarah uncomfortable and her cheeks could compete with a tomato by their colors, despite all her effort to suppress the blush.
Jareth's grin widened as he saw her blushing, he then leaned back in the couch, taking his glass back in the process.
Jareth was enjoying putting her ill at ease! The nerve of that man! Sarah bit angrily in her apple she had asked for dessert and avoided Jareth's laughing eyes.
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Jareth observed Sarah, like he always did, except that this time, she was a barely a foot away. He watched her bit on that apple, angry and flushed. Because of him. Smiling to himself, Jareth was rather content of himself.
At last, it showed that she wasn't frozen to his attentions. She may not be in love with him, but she certainly will if they kept on like that. It was clear that Sarah had been comfortable with him, after their reunion in the ballroom, it was clear she had grown up and recognized her mistakes, it was also clear she had found in a way or another the strength to forgive herself, put the guilt of wishing her little brother away and she had, with the maturity of an adult, thought back on his actions and on their relationship.
The only black point in the painting was the fact she had believed he hated her.
Bah, he had a year to make up things. A year to make her fall in love with him. He had a year to learn her faults and qualities to keep her forever with him, in here, in the Labyrinth…
Jareth took a long sip of his drink. Sarah would never accept to leave completely the Aboveground. From the way she had spoken about her work and her newfound relationship with Karen, the deep bound she shared with Toby and the love for her father, it would be difficult to make her stay forever in the Labyrinth…
Sooner or later, he would have to send her to the Aboveground to visit her parents and what if she chose to stay above…
Jareth clenched his fingers around the glass, frowning, lost in his thoughts. Sarah, surprised by the intense concentration of his face, lost any appeal to her apple and watched him curiously. Jareth's hold on his glass tightened, so much in fact that the glass broke between his fingers.
"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed as Jareth stared at his hand and at the glass shards, on the ground, wine dripping from his hand. "Are you alright?" Sarah's pale hand in comparison to his gloved ones stained with red wine, so much like the color of blood, almost shocked him: she shouldn't be touched by blood, she was an angel, for goodness' sake! His angel! Jareth raised his head to meet her gaze: her eyes glittering with concern and worry, trapping him. A candle and a moth.
No, finally, she must be an angel of death, those who steal a man's soul and heart...
Jareth waved his hand over the shattering glass and the wine on the ground, making the mess disappear before Sarah could grab his injured hand.
"Jareth! Stupid! What did that poor glass do to you that you felt the need to break it, stupid!" She pulled on the glove to inspect his hand and gasped rather loudly as she discovered a deep cut running in the palm of his hand. "Jareth!" She turned her eyes back to him, alarmed, to find him smiling. "What is so funny, mister? Look, you cut yourself! Stupid, find something to bandage that."
"No need." Sarah stared blankly at him. "Take another look." Jareth encouraged her. No more cut was visible, not even a scar. Sarah, surprised, ran her fingers where his wound should have been and examined his hand under every possible angle.
"My!! I should learn magic! I always manage to cut myself whenever I make dinner!" She said, staring at his hand, smiling softly, still in hers.
"I know." He was losing control over his feeling of lust for Sarah: her gentle fingers caressing his palm had sent a bolt of lightening through his skin, his nerves becoming way too aware of her nearness.
Sarah raised her head to take a look at him, his quiet answer startling her. It wasn't everyday the Goblin King let a chance for sarcasm pass by and not take it. His heated gaze fixed on her froze her suddenly and almost frightened her by its intensity. Now, that was stupid, no?
"Jareth." She whispered almost unconsciously as the man next to her seemed to devour her with his eyes.
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Je te promets le sel au baiser de ma bouche, |
I promise you the
salt to the kiss of my mouth, |
Jareth pulled her closer, by tugging on her hand which was firmly set in his and cupped her chin with his free, pressing his lips against her in no time, his breathing turning more and more difficult. The need of having her close, the need of her lips against his was shortly overwhelming him. Her hair fell all around them, like a shield from the outside world. Inside, the two of them lost themselves in the world of each other arms.
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Je te promets la clé des secrets de mon âme, |
I promise you the
key of the secrets of my soul, |
He teased her lips open with his tongue and when she let him in, lips firmly locked together, they fought each other for dominance. Smiling against her lips, Jareth moved his hands to her waist, he then leveled her and sat her on his lap. He deepened the kiss again as Sarah wounded her arms around his neck, shivering when she felt his arousal against her lower belly. Jareth decided to take a better look at her neck and sucked on her pulse point, her shuddering gasp filling him with pride and contentment. It didn't last for long however, as Sarah unconsciously rocked her body against him. This time, it was he, who let a gasp of pleasure escaped his lips. He clasped his hands on her back, traveling up and down her spine, making sure, in the meantime, not an inch of skin of her neck was left untouched by his starving lips.
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Je te promets des jours
tout bleus comme tes veines |
I promise you
blue days as your veins |
Sarah was riding on a sun… Jareth was infatuating her with desire and pleasure. As she moved her hips closer to his, he let a moan of desire fall and his breathing quickened, she claimed his lips again, taking advantage of his gasp of surprise. Suddenly, Sarah wanted to feel his skin against hers and his shirt was in the way: she pulled on his collar, not letting his mouth escaped her however, giving him a silent plea. Jareth smiled again when she loosened his collar to let her hands wander inside, running them on his neck and shoulders. Unable to go further, Sarah groaned in his mouth and Jareth, giving in to her demands, removed his hands around her waist and started to undress himself.
Maybe he was too slow, maybe she was too eager, but Sarah roughly pushed the shirt down as soon as he had loosened it enough to fall off his shoulders. Her eagerness filled him with happiness and he didn't complain when she lowered her head to his neck and started to trail butterfly kisses down his throat. Her hands traveled down his torso to come back to settle on his shoulders, her fingers digging in the over-sensitive flesh when Jareth brought her close again, pressing his chest against her breasts, claiming her lips as his own again. He ran his hands under her shirt and pull it above her head, her arms getting up and Jareth took the chance of trapping her wrists in one of his, still held up in the air, above her head, leaving her neck and torso exposed to his heated gaze.
"So beautiful…"
He trapped her mouth again, never satisfied of her, always willing to find more, to taste more, to…
"Sarah…"
Her name on his lips made her shiver, like never before. Oh, she had had some boyfriends but never her name had been whispered with so much intensity and power, desire hiding behind each syllable of her name. She freed her hands from his and buried them in his hair, almost white in the moonlight shining down on them.
Jareth traveled his lips down her throat to her torso, his hands supporting her as she fell backwards, letting him have a better access at her chest. He groaned when his lips found her bra, still blocking him from her breasts. Smiling deviously against her skin, he decided to tease her merciless: he ran his tongue over the material of her bra, not really touching her hard nipple, letting it unsatisfied.
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Je te promets mes bras pour porter tes angoisses |
I promise you my
arms to carry your fears |
Sarah groaned and settled herself back in her previous position and cupped his face in her hands. "Don't tease…" she pleaded between her moans of pleasure. Jareth didn't answer and placed her on the couch, moving her so that he was on top of her, her hands never leaving his hair. She watched him, as he bent his head down on her breast, running his tongue inside her bra, this time, just above her nipples. Sarah arched in the direction of his mouth. "Jareth… please…" she moaned again.
He managed after some fumbling to unclasp her bra, throwing it somewhere in his study, making her giggle. He caressed her face lovingly and stared down at her, supporting himself in his elbows, not to crush her under his weight.
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J'y crois comme à la terre, j'y crois comme au
soleil |
I believe in it
as in the earth, I believe in it as in the sun |
"Sarah…" As a song to claim his love for her, Jareth repeated her name over and over again: between each of his kisses, between each of his caresses, his lips moved to say her name another time, her name turning into an ode to love…
Sarah managed to open her eyes, the sound of her name resonated at her ears like he was telling her "I love you" each times…
Jareth leaned on his hands, on each side of her head and looked down at her. He kissed her lightly on her lips and asked her to open her eyes again. "Sarah," he whispered, "I… I can't go further if you…" he didn't complete his sentence, but both heard it: 'if you don't love me'. He took a deep breath and added, "I don't want to rush you in anything, and I want you to take your time, to understand how you really feel."
. It's everything or nothing with Jareth .
Sarah nodded, smiling up at him, knowing how much it must cost him to stop himself like that, to preserve her, to protect her because he loved her. A small and lonely tear fell from the corner of one of her eyes when she hugged Jareth, not in a passionate way but in a warm and caring way, trying to thank him but words failed her. Jareth buried his head in her neck and the two of them rested in each other arms, hearts above each other, not moving, Sarah lying on the red, old couch of Jareth's study, with him on top of her.
The stars twinkled gently down on them, easing Sarah confused feelings.
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Some time later, the rising sun found them in Jareth's chambers, chased away by the cold wind, which decided to rise, from his study. Within the black silk sheets of Jareth's bed, Sarah lied between the arms of the Goblin King, playing with his necklace. She was still dressed in her jeans while Jareth still wore his tight black pants. They were talking in whispers; Sarah's giggles punctuating their night chat.
"Whoa, the sun's rising…" Sarah suddenly remarked, leaving Jareth's embrace to watch the sunrise by the huge doors leading to the balcony. The mountains, in the far, left their night clothes to embrace the red and orange colors of the day star, the Labyrinth, itself, changed in less than few seconds to become more vivid than she had ever seen it: as if it was getting out of a long and peaceful slumber, the trees around it seemed to stretch and colors seemed to fly over it.
Jareth watched Sarah gasping before the beauty of his world as he was before her. He lifted a hand to bury it in her silky strands, catching her attention and, in trance, kissed her.
"Good morning." He whispered, wishing from the bottom of his heart to have the possibility to say these simple words again.
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Jareth left her at her doorstep, he had smiled and kissed her lightly but she knew he was still hoping. Sarah watched him vanish from the corridor, turned around, sighing and entered her room.
She took a look at the room, opening the cupboards to find them empty. A small disappointment tugged her heart, disappointment that she suppressed and she closed her hand around the necklace she was wearing: the one Jareth had given her, yesterday… Yesterday. Sarah walked to the bed, on which she fell, arms outstretched, and stared at the ceiling.
Yesterday, she had been almost crushed by a car but Jareth saved her.
Yesterday, she thought he hated her but he told her otherwise.
Yesterday, he had been kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
Yesterday, he told her he loved her.
Sarah sighed and rolled on her side.
So much can happen in a day.
Sarah closed her eyes and their conversation of the night before came back to her.
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"Jareth," Sarah had started, snuggling closer in his arms, within the black sheets of his bed, "about what happened this afternoon…"
"Yes?" His voice sounded far away.
"Why did you run away?" She asked, looking up at him.
Jareth sighed and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. "For the same reason I didn't take you in my study, Sarah."
"Jareth?" Sarah leaned on a elbow and put a hand on his cheek. Hand that he took in his and rolled on her.
Looking down at her, her black hair spilled on the black sheets of his bed, made Jareth whispered to her, giving her his heart. "Because you're really important and dear to my heart and, I'm afraid, to my sanity, too. Sarah, I can't and I won't take you to find out in the end you don't feel the same way for me. You drive me crazy, right, but I won't." Sarah had put her arms around his neck and Jareth had rolled back on his back, bringing her with him. Sarah rested her head on his chest, comforted by the sound of his steady heartbeats.
Sarah hadn't added anything after, and Jareth had just kissed her in her hair
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"Morning!!!!!!!" A cherry voice squealed suddenly, making Sarah jump in surprise. She sat up abruptly in her bed to find the twins in her bedroom, by her bed, looking at her. Calandra was wearing a deep red dress with a red ribbon in her hair while Nathan was dressed much like the day before except that his vest was as green as his eyes.
"Cal, we should have knocked." Nathan said to his sister, in a reproaching manner. Sarah crossed her legs on her bed and smiled gently at the twins.
"It's alright, Nathan. In fact, I'm glad you're here, because I need to find a bathroom and some clothes. I can't stay here for a whole year without bathing and in these."
Calandra and Nathan led her to the baths of the castle: in the lower grounds of the Goblin Castle was a huge heated pool with a fall and Calandra assured her there was a constant water movement so that the waters were always clean. The one Calandra led her to was the one reserved to the female guests of the Goblin King, Calandra said also that the men and women baths were separated and that the Goblins didn't have the right to come in here. While Sarah was bathing herself with Calandra, Nathan went to the Head maid of the castle, Celia, the old nanny of Jareth and Galion to ask her some clothes for Sarah. After looking in her reserve, Celia found a plain blue and white dress, with long sleeves and an assorting hat. Calandra went to retrieve the dress from Nathan and headed back to the baths where Sarah had finished to dry herself. Sarah and Calandra stepped out of the baths, Nathan was waiting for them, leaning on the wall, in front of the door. His face lit up with a beautiful smile and he bowed deeply in front of Sarah, offering her the hat. Sarah laughed and let the twins take her hands, to lead her outside.
When the walked through the kitchen, being the shortest way to get out of the castle, Celia interrupted them. Celia was a small, old woman with pepper and salt hair, dressed in a black dress with a white apron, but the sparkle in her blue eyes showed some vitality and some energy.
"Good morning, my Lady." She bowed in front of Sarah, making her blush, while Calandra just kissed her round cheek. "My name's Celia, I'm the Head Maid of the Goblin Castle."
Sarah smiled and bowed back to Celia, not knowing at to react. Unknown to her, when Celia saw Sarah bow in front of her, the old maid decided that that Lady Sarah was a really good woman and took a great liking in her.
"Good morning." Sarah felt stupid, in this kitchen, she was aware that all the gazes were fixed upon her, Nathan and Calandra chatting happily with Celia didn't notice Sarah's uneasiness. She could hear the maids murmuring between themselves. "It's her."
The maids and all the kitchen staff were staring at them, but neither Calandra nor Nathan seemed to mind, well they were used to get attention whenever they went, but Sarah was extremely uncomfortable.
"Lady Sarah: the mortal girl that trapped the King's heart."
Sarah blinked several times before it registered… So, everybody knew Jareth was in love with her. Her cheeks started to burn and Sarah fought the urge of covering her face with her hands.
"It's her, she's gorgeous."
"They say she defeated the Labyrinth in less than three hours." Sarah rolled her eyes. Nine hours, people, nine hours. She thought dryly.
"No!"
"Yes, I tell you!"
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"Three hours, really! Who spread this rumor?" Jareth was fuming alone in his study, observing Sarah in one of his crystal. He had been watching her since he had left her this morning.
This morning. Jareth sighed and sat in his red couch. His red couch where Sarah had lied, half-naked in his arms, arching towards his hungry lips… Jareth groaned in frustration and closed his eyes, trying to cast away the bittersweet memory. Bitter because he had had to stop, sweet because he knew now he could have Sarah… Jareth sighed again and opened his eyes again.
"You do sigh a lot lately."
Jareth gave a start at the unexpected male voice and whirled around to see Galion, sitting on the windowsill, behind him. Galion graciously jumped down and sat next to Jareth, taking the crystal from his hand.
"How long have you been watching her, this morning?"
Jareth glared at Galion. Galion who was currently playing with his nerves. "Galion." Jareth let pass through his gritted teeth.
"Yeah?" Galion turned his head in Jareth direction and it was then, and only then, that Jareth remarked the beautiful blue bruise on Galion's jaw. And he burst in laughter.
"Alright, my brother, I'm sorry for punching you, yesterday."
Galion grumbled a bit but accepted the apology.
"So, how long have you been watching her today?"
"Since I left her this morning…" Jareth took the crystal back and stood up, he went to the windows and leaned one of them.
Galion looked thoughtfully at Jareth. "I think she went to the baths this morning…" A grin came to his lips. "You, sly dog, you've been watching her in her bath!" He accused Jareth, laugh twinkling in his eyes.
"As if I could…" Jareth sighed, he knew Galion had to say that.
"What?"
Jareth started to get mad: why in the seven hells did his brother need to watch over him like that? "Listen up, stupid, a mere kiss and all I want is to have mad sex with her for hours and so imagine what seeing her naked in her bath would cause on my system!"
"Yeah, quite true… Anyway, you're hungry? I was on my way to join the kids for breakfast. Want to come?"
"Why not?" Jareth pushed himself from the windowsill and after a last look at Sarah in the crystal ball, followed his brother.
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Oblivious of the tumult they caused, Calandra exclaimed rather proudly. "Celia was Daddy's and Uncle Jar's nanny." Sarah turned her eyes to the little girl and smiled down at her.
"Really?" Sarah, amazed, turned her attention back to Celia. She remembered Galion telling her their nanny giving the longest lecture ever to Jareth. But, seeing her now in person, Sarah couldn't understand how a so small woman could scowl and have an impact on the Goblin King.
Nathan nodded proudly. "Yes, she survived where the lot before her failed. So, Celia's like our grandma."
"Oh, young master Nathan, you shouldn't…" Celia tried to say but Nathan waved her denial away.
"Nonsense, grandma. Daddy and Uncle Jar love you. It's enough for us, isn't it Cal?"
"Yes!" His sister exclaimed happily.
Celia smiled down the children and declared softly, lighting up some beautiful smiles on the twins' faces, in the meantime. "And I love them both dearly." She then turned back to Sarah. "But, I believe you were going to the gardens?" she inquired.
"Well, I don't know, I'm just following Nathan and Calandra, here." Sarah answered, truthfully.
Calandra squealed "Yes! Oh, maybe we could have our breakfast in the garden?"
"That's why I prepared you this." Celia smiled and handed Nathan a basket covered with a white sheet.
"Oh! Thank you, grandma!" the twins said in unison.
The twins started to dig in the basket while Celia walked them to the kitchen door where they could access to the gardens directly and Sarah decided to try her luck. "Hum, please, lady Celia, do you-"
"Oh, no, Lady Sarah, don't call me Lady." Celia interrupted her.
"Then I'll call you Celia if you call me Sarah. I'm not feeling really comfortable with all these Lady." She admitted, embarrassed.
"Alright, but you were going to ask me something?" Celia smiled again, thinking that Jareth was a fool of not going back to this pretty lady sooner.
"Yes, do you know where I could find Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo. You see, they are dear friends of mine and I miss them terribly, I thought that maybe you knew where they were?"
Celia smiled but before se could answer, someone else did for her. "Just call for them, Sarah. They'll come." Jareth was leaning against the wall, next to the kitchen's door, just outside. Dressed as usual with a white poet shirt and tight black pants. His black coat was outlined with golden lines running at the end of his sleeves, on the collar and on his front. Sarah smiled sweetly to him, smile that Jareth answered before being pulled downward rather abruptly by Calandra.
"Uncle Jar!!!!! Morning!!!" She squealed in pure happiness, putting her arms around his neck, asking him silently to be hold.
"Hello, my dear." Jareth answered, complying to her wishes, and patting on Nathan's head to greet him too. Nathan only smiled back.
Calandra squeezed her godfather a little and asked in her cheery voice. "You're having breakfast with us in the garden? It's so beautiful today! Please?"
"Jareth, you know you'll give in eventually so shorten your suffering." A dry voice stated making Calandra turn around to yell. "DAAAD!!!!!"
Galion was wearing a long black coat, over a plain red shirt and black pants. A beautiful blue bruise forming on his jaw. Jareth smirked again at the sight of the bruise, but Galion only shrugged back.
"Good morning, Nanny." Completely ignoring his daughter, Galion kissed his old nanny on her cheek. She had an eyebrow raised and was about to ask something but decided against it and rolled her eyes, in a 'I don't want to know' manner.
Jareth kissed her too while she critically watched his from head to toe. "Well, Jareth, you don't look too bad this morning." Jareth rolled his eyes: he knew she hated the way he dressed. "Here, Galion take this." Celia handed Galion another basket, which was rested near the door. "I knew you two would join Sarah and the children." She added with a mischievous smile.
"You know us too well, Nanny." Galion bowed to her.
Nathan, still holding Sarah's hand, pulled her in the direction of the garden. "This way, Auntie Sarah." Nathan, holding the first basket Celia had given them started to drag away Sarah, leaving the others behind.
"Whoa." Galion stared at his son, pulling a laughing Sarah behind him. "I've never seen him act this way around a woman before." He told Jareth, surprise evident in his voice. Calandra turned her head to her father and threw her little arms around his neck.
"Nay, Daddy, you know we both love you dearly, now don't you?"
"Yes, Cal. But your brother's reaction is quite… surprising. From you, it'd be normal since you've always been the most open of you two. But, Nathan… Oh, well, I suppose I should just be happy?"
"See, Uncle Jar, I told you I could do something with Daddy." Calandra turned back to Jareth after giving her father a peek on the cheek. Clung on Jareth's neck, she looked critically at her father. "By the way, Daddy, what happened to you?"
Nathan and Sarah turned around to look at Jareth, Calandra and Galion when Jareth's deep laugh reached them. The Goblin King was still holding Calandra and was laughing heartily while Galion tried to pout at Calandra, making the little girl laughed with her godfather. Nathan and Sarah looked at themselves, not really understanding what was going on.
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Jareth and Galion had breakfast with Sarah and the twins, but they left shortly after to attend to some kingdom affairs, which Galion said to no one in particular Jareth seemed to forget these times. This remark earned him a dirty look from Jareth, who, when Sarah wasn't paying attention, stole a kiss from her and vanished from the garden. Galion smirked and vanished after Jareth. Sarah's flushed face made the twins wink at each others and they proposed her to do the grand tour of the castle. Sarah tried to forget how sweet Jareth had been to her during breakfast, sitting next to her, brushing her hands, sending hot shivers down her spine. He had complimented her on the dress, telling her it suited her and that he would ask Celia to have several dresses done for her. Sarah had tried to talk him out if this idea but he retorted that if she was to stay with him for a year, she should have more than a dress.
Sarah agreed heartily to the tour, pushing thoughts about a disturbing, flirting Goblin King, far away in her mind, and, after bringing back the basket and what remained from their breakfast to Celia, the twins led her in the castle. They made her visit each room that was worth a peek, from the huge, common kitchen to the king's private library.
Then, they took another tour in the garden, this time letting Sarah admired it.
Nathan and Calandra knew everything about the castle or the garden. According to them, the garden were Jareth's mother. "Uncle Jar said it's his mother who tended the garden, before. Now, it's Celia. Uncle Jar once told us his mother used to take him and Daddy everyday to her favorite spot in the garden to read them some stories or just talk to them."
"Really?" Sarah realized how little she knew of Jareth and his life. How he became the Goblin King… How his parents died… How he spent his time…
Calandra, not noticing her sadness, kept on. "Yeah, Uncle Jar also said she had to make this a tradition because she was a Queen and didn't have much time to share with them. We never knew her."
Sarah remembered Galion's words, when he was talking about Jareth and his childhood. Again, she knew so little of him. Wind blew gently on them and Sarah suddenly felt nostalgic, she grabbed the twins' hands and asked them, playfully. "Hey, you two, want to meet some of my oldest and dearest friends?"
Nathan and Calandra nodded at each other, before turning to Sarah, wide grin playing on their lips, telling her in unison. "YES!!"
Sarah winked back at them and stood up. Jareth had told her just to call them… Oh, well, it has always worked before, why would it be different today? Sarah focused on the image of a dwarf, a small fox and a big monster with the heart of the child and called them.
"Hoggle. Sir Didymus. Ludo. Please, come and visit me."
The twins waited, grinning back at each other, rather excited about meeting some of Sarah's friends, when a rough voice, on their left, which sounded surprised caught their attention.
"Sarah?" Sarah whirled around at the sound of her name to find Hoggle with eyes at the size of a saucer staring back at her. "What are you doing here, in the Labyrinth?" Sarah squealed and let go of the twins' hands.
"Hoggle!" Sarah ran to her friend to catch him a warm hug, which Hoggle returned quite mechanically.
Ludo came closer to Sarah and caught her in his arms. "Sawah friend?"
"Ludo!" Sarah laughed and hugged him back, while Sir Didymus bowed in front of her.
"Lady Sarah, it is so good to see your beautiful face again, I must say."
"Sir Didymus!" She took the small fox in her arms too and hugged him.
"Sarah, what are you doing here?" Hoggle asked her again.
"I'll explain later, Hoggle, first I'd like you to meet Nathan and Calandra." Calandra was holding on her brother's arm, hiding behind him. Sarah remembered how the little girl had been all shy the first time she had met her but she had liven it up in few minutes after.
They were all standing near a small pond, surrounded by trees, from which purple and pink flower were falling on the water, giving to the scenery a mist of magic and royalty. The sunlight bathed the place and the small group decided to settle near the pond. Nathan and Calandra had got a great liking of Ludo and they were playing with the giant beast and when Sir Didymus went to join them, Hoggle sat resolutely next to Sarah. He crossed his arms on his chest and glared at her. "Alright, Sarah, now we're alone. I want to know why you're here."
Sarah had to smile. Hoggle was one of her closest friend and with the time, he had developed a great protectiveness towards her. "You told Sir Didymus to play with Nathan and Calandra, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. He, too, wants to know why you're here. So?"
"Oh, Hoggle, don't worry. Everything fine. Jareth only gave me some… thinking to do."
"Thinking?"
Sarah bent her head, her black hair covering her face again. "He told me he loved me." She said quickly in a whisper.
Hoggle stared at her in surprise: the Goblin King had told her he loved her? He tried to say something, but his voice failed him. "Oh, excuse me, sir Hoggle, but my king is able of love." Celia stepped out of the shadows and approached Sarah and Hoggle, holding a basket with some fruits, cakes and drinks in it. She put it down and glared at Hoggle who backed away, visibly impressed by the woman. Celia radiated with authority and with the aura of someone with whom you'd better be friend with than enemy.
"Hoggle, this is Celia, Jareth's old nanny and Celia, this is Hoggle."
"Hello." Hoggle stammered while Celia sat down, Hoggle was positively frozen and Sarah couldn't help but smile. Maybe, that was how she managed to lecture Jareth . Calandra at that moment noticed her and squealed.
"GRANDMA!!!!" She ran to Celia for a hug, laughing as Ludo started to run after her. Celia, with a smile, distributed the cakes and fruits and handed to everyone a goblet to pour them some fruit juices. The twins dragged Sir Didymus and Ludo back in their game and Celia started to gather her things to leave, but Sarah stopped her.
"Please, Celia, stay with us."
Hoggle made a strange noise, which sounded like a squeal of fear, but when Sarah turned to him, all he could do was shake his head. Celia looked rather amused and said. "Knowing Jareth, I'm sure he likes to play tricks on you." Sarah laughed again, much to Hoggle dismay.
Celia settled herself comfortably against a tree and looked at Sarah, waiting for the latter to speak.
"Well, I wanted to know what happened after…" She was about to say 'after I defeated Jareth' but thought otherwise and hastily changed. "After I left." But her little hesitation didn't escape Celia and the older woman smiled. So Jareth is finally following my advices. Good.
"Well, I won't lie to you, Sarah: the Labyrinth was a hell." Hoggle spat rather bluntly.
Celia looked confused for a while and asked her two companions. "Heu, excuse me, but I thought you two visited each other frequently."
Sarah smiled bitterly and answered first "Yes, but Hoggle made me promise not to ask him how life in the Labyrinth was, unless I was actually sitting with him in the Labyrinth."
"Yeah, I knew if I told her how it was, she'd felt guilty." Hoggle added.
Sarah turned back to Hoggle, a vague feeling of guiltiness coming to her… She thought she knew why the Labyrinth had turned into a living hell, but still she hoped it wasn't… "What do you mean a hell, Hoggle?"
"Well, the Labyrinth became erratic. I mean, sometimes it'd just grow ten times bigger that it already was, sometimes it'd just go back to its normal size. And then, a day, strange beats started to come out of it and all the War Lords of the Underground had to come to fight them off. And no one knew where Jareth was."
Celia looked indignant and cut Hoggle. "We knew where he was! It was just that none of the War Lords dared to speak to him. Well, except Galion."
"Whatever." Hoggle shrugged her denial away and kept on. "Anyway, after a time, the Labyrinth turned back to normal. And that's it."
Sarah bent her head, and in a whisper, inquired. "How come it happened?"
Celia sensed her distress and put a warm hand on hers, firmly clenched in her lap. "Well, Sarah, you have to understand who the Goblin King truly is. He is the most feared monarch of the whole Underground because he is the Goblin King. The Labyrinth is an extension of his soul, do you understand?"
Sarah looked up, thoughtful. "You mean, when I left he…"
"Yes, he was a wreck as Galion says it and so we had to do something. Galion and I managed to knock some sense back in Jareth's head and he got his emotions back in control. That's why Jareth is so feared in the Fae Court because no one had ever had so much power on his lands, not even my former king, the King Obsidian." Celia nodded to her.
"But, why is Jareth so linked to the Labyrinth?" Sarah sounded desperate. She hoped nobody was hurt because of her.
"I don't know, honest. His father was like that too. Maybe it's in his family." Hoggle answered.
"Sarah, you shouldn't feel guilty. It happened ten years ago. It's the past, put it behind you." Celia smiled reassuringly to Sarah, squeezing her hand. Sarah was glad she had asked Celia to stay and smiled back to the older woman. A loud squeal snap the three of them out of their gloomy mood and they all turned their attention to Calandra, the one that was squealing, like usual, as Ludo threw her in the air and caught her to throw her again. Calandra was laughing and Nathan was playing a swordfight with Sir Didymus with stick of wood for weapons.
Sarah followed them with her eyes and again, she wondered about the twins' mother. "Celia?"
"Yes?" Celia turned to Sarah again.
"What happened to the twins' mother? Jareth told me she died, but it doesn't explain why they are so shy around strangers."
"She was called Emerald." Hoggle answered, his eyes still on Calandra and Nathan.
"You know what happened to her, Hoggle?"
Hoggle nodded and said. "Everybody here, in the Underground , knows about Lady Emerald, the woman who was loved by the strongest and most influent War Lords of the Underground and by the feared Goblin King."
"Jareth?" Sarah couldn't believe her ears. But again, she knew so little of Jareth… And she chose to ignore a little pang of jealousy, which caught her heart.
"Yes. It happened shortly after King Jareth's mother's death, Queen Lillianna. It was well known that the King was extremely close to his mother and so when she died his only left family was Galion, War Lord of the West." Celia sighed and her gaze became thoughtful, lost in her memories. Her voice became a whisper and sadness covered her face.
"Galion was in love with Lady Emerald, a High Elf princess and Jareth, who had never met her, hated her because he felt like she was 'stealing' his brother from him. Jareth met her during a ball, given by Lady Emerald's Uncle, the High Elf King of Terra, Obsidian. I am a High Elf too." Celia smiled softly to Sarah's started face. "We have a humanoid form and no long ears, like you mortals like to think, but we do have a close relationship with the Earth and Terra."
Her eyes went vague again, and Celia kept on telling her story to Sarah. "Anyway, during the ball, everyone saw that Jareth was extremely harsh to her, the domestics I know from the castle all complained to me about my charge. They all said he was horrible to her but I couldn't do anything, you see, I raised Jareth, and I knew what he was feeling..." A short silence cut her story and Sarah wondered how much pain the fact of telling this story cost to Celia, she felt guilty for bringing back the memories and bit her lower lip in embarrassment. Celia put her hand on one of Sarah's and squeezed it.
"Someone has to tell you, Jareth and Galion can't and it's better if you heard it from me than from someone else." Celia sighed again while Hoggle grumbled his agreement, and before Sarah could talk she began:
"But Lady Emerald was well-known for her sweet and caring nature and also for her great wisdom and, so she immediately understood what Jareth was truly feeling: he was hurting after his mother's death and his brother was being taken away too. It was just the reaction of an extremely jealous little brother who cared a lot for his older brother and so, despite all the mean things Jareth did or told her, she still showed him care and affection. This lasted for weeks, Jareth never missing an opportunity to be mean to her, behind Galion's back of course." Celia smiled bitterly and shook her head. "The scoundrel was really harsh to her, even I couldn't stop him, but she kept on showing care for him, whenever he would arrive at her place, unannounced, she would smile and welcome him."
"Galion was, technically speaking, from a lower rank that Emerald so the only way for him to marry her was either with Jareth's support or Obsidian, Emerald's uncle, had to recognize him as worthy for his niece. But the King of Terra would have never done that at that time, because he didn't have children on his own so Emerald was his only potential heir."
"So, the only way for Galion was to ask for Jareth's help, I think it was then that Jareth understood he too had fallen in love with Lady Emerald. But, he loved his brother too and he knew Emerald was head over heels for Galion so, heartbroken, he supported Galion when the latter asked for Emerald's hand to her Uncle." Sarah felt her heart tightened with sadness for Jareth… Jareth was in love with a woman he couldn't have, because she loved his brother.
"And so Emerald and Galion were engaged. Jareth never told any of them his true feelings and he hid them from both Emerald and Galion, turning bitter and sarcastic to everyone. And this led to the biggest argument between the two brothers: Galion blaming Jareth for acting like a spoiled child and Jareth telling him Galion didn't understand him anymore."
"But a civil war burst in Terra, and Galion being a War Lord and engaged to Emerald left to Terra, never resolving the argument. Since Emerald was the heir, it was too dangerous for her to stay in Terra so she was sent to the safest place of the whole Underground…"
"Here, under Jareth's care." Sarah whispered.
"Yes, she was sent here, in the Labyrinth. I remember Jareth's horrified face when he heard the council decision, but he could only accept and so Emerald arrived. Jareth was under torture, he would come in my room, late at night, feverish, asking for help and all I could do was to take him back to his bed and rock him like I used to do when he was a child till he fell asleep."
"He avoided Emerald as much as he could, but… Emerald was, after all, only a human so she didn't understand Jareth's distant manners. With him giving support to Galion, she had concluded he had finished by accept her in his family as his brother's wife. And so, one day, she confronted him, telling him she didn't understand why he was avoiding her."
"Jareth lost his temper, yelling she never understood him in the first place because everyone had always loved her while he was feared because of who he was, the Heir of the Goblin Throne, because of his strange mismatched eyes, people either make fun at him or run away from him. And Emerald understood: she was one of the few who showed him love without caring on what he was and because of that he had fallen helplessly in love with her." Celia stared into space, as if looking at events of the past.
"I remember that day. Jareth's turmoil created a storm, one of the strongest that has ever hit the Labyrinth, and Emerald ran away under the rain, feeling guilty because she had created a rift between the two brothers."
"Jareth ran after her and called Galion for help. Galion was in the middle of a battle, but at Jareth's anguished cries, he came immediately. Jareth only told him Emerald had ran away and the two of them took after her. When they found her, she was crying and she was asking for Jareth's forgiveness, but Jareth told her that there was nothing to forgive because there was no harm done. I think Galion understood what was going on at that moment but he never blame Jareth and none of them ever spoke of Jareth's feelings for Emerald."
"Soon after, the civil war was suppressed and Galion married Emerald. Jareth gave them some lands and a castle on his western coast. Emerald gave birth to Nathan and Calandra and Jareth was chosen to be the godfather of the twins. He spoiled them and he still does, loving them as his owns but Emerald was weak by nature, she would catch a cold quite easily and after that night in the rain, she was sick for several weeks."
"Because of her weak nature, the doctor advised her not to carry any more children but she wanted another child and so she hid her next pregnancy to Galion not to worry him. But, during her second month, she had a miscarriage. Jareth was there but Galion was away in an important diplomatic mission and because of the importance of this mission, she forbid Jareth to call for Galion."
"I was there too, Jareth had brought me along because he thought I could save her but she was losing too much blood: there was nothing I could do. I saw Emerald smile weakly to Jareth and ask him to take care of her children and of her husband and she died shortly after Jareth's promise to her, smiling softly. Galion tried to kill himself several times when Jareth told him. But each times, Jareth stop him, because of his promise to Emerald. The twins were around six of your mortals years, but they were clever and really sensitive for kids of their age, they understood that their mother was gone and…"
"That's when they developed their strange way of speaking, I guess. I mean the words of one starts in one of them mouth to be finished in the other's one."
"Yes, how do you know?" Celia was the one surprise, that time.
"Yesterday, Jareth scowled them because they left the castle without telling anyone and Calandra was deeply hurt."
"Hum, Calandra loves Jareth deeply, a scowl from him and her world is destroyed. I've already told Jareth about this problem, but Jareth's only shrugged. Anyway to finish with my story, The King of Terra, who is blessed with the power of the Earth and so as the monarch of Terra, wanted to know how it happened and he used Vision of Terra: it's a power that permits him to see through the past. Shortly after using the Vision of Terra, he summoned Jareth and thank him in front of his whole court for his unrequited love he nourished for Emerald."
"Obsidian also asked Jareth if Galion knew, but before Jareth could answer, Galion stepped forward and answered that he and Jareth were closer than brothers, that Jareth was almost the other half of his soul, like Galion was his. The King of Terra then smiled and said he whished his people to remember Emerald as she was beautiful in both heart and body. Jareth said it would be nice and left, without looking above his shoulder. I think Obsidian had first wanted to blame his niece's death on Jareth, that's why he summoned him in front of his whole court but, thanks to Galion and his intervention, Obsidian came back to his senses."
"The legend says that three days later, a ballad was placed on the King of Terra desk by the wind, a ballad telling the story of the three of them: Emerald, Galion and Jareth. Since then, the whole Underground knows this story and it was turned into a legend. Nobody knows who wrote the song, maybe the King of Terra knows but he refused to tell anybody."
Lost in the story, Sarah felt her heart go to Jareth and she asked Celia softly "Could sing it for me?"
"I don't think it'd be really wise." Celia turned her head briefly towards the twins who were still playing and Sarah nodded, "Yes, you're right, it'd only bring back painful memories to them."
End part 5.
Alright people I need somebody to write this ballad for me. I tried several times but I'm really bad at writing songs, I think I'll stick at stories so if anyone thinks he or she can write the story between Emerald, Jareth and Galion into a song, please feel free. I even may use it in the next parts of this story or in a side-story. I love songs a lot, you may have noticed. Sometimes, I think a song can express feelings much easier than any speech… I'm way too romantic, sometimes… Oh, and what is A.S.A.C? Sorry if I sound dumb, but I really don't know what it is…
Anyway. Thanks a lot for reviewing, commenting, caring enough to review! BTW, I forgot to write this down, in the part before, but you're damn right, Silver Space, why little kids have to be so difficult sometimes?