Chapter Six
"Alright, my darling. Open your eyes." Jareth took his hands away from Sarah's eyes. She opened her eyes and gasped. They were in one of the nicest restaurants she had ever seen. It was huge, and yet there was only one lone table in the center of the eggplant colored carpeting. It was a small circular table, covered with a white cloth. A tall white candle burned in a silver holder, and the finest china and silverware Sarah had ever seen lay set on the table. Jareth led her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her, then seated himself. After placing her linen napkin on her lap, Sarah picked up her menu. Across the top was the name of the restaurant, "A Land Serene", and underneath were the choices. Sarah looked them over and over again.
"Jareth, I can't decide. You choose." Jareth grinned, and with a wave of his hand, the menus disappeared, and with another wave, food appeared in front of them. Sarah breathed in the fabulous smell of eggplant Parmesan over angel hair pasta. She glanced over Jareth's plate and noticed that he smelled his own culinary delight of Chinese stir-fried vegetables and chicken. Sarah almost hated to spear the eggplant on her fork, it was arranged so perfectly on her plate, but once she put the first bite on her plate she was no longer sorry. It melted in her mouth with the perfect blend of seasonings. She and Jareth ate in silence.
Sarah had never before been so at peace, so complete. Here in this world where her dreams were reality, she at once felt a mixture of peace, contentment, and happiness, and also an almost head-spinning joy so strong she felt she would float right up out of her chair.
Jareth was eyeing her over his food. She was slowly ceasing to care about what she was leaving behind, friends, family, but most importantly, fiancé. At first it had been a whim, to see what this Jonathan was like, but Jareth adored torture, and he had seen the agonized look in that boy's eyes. This was turning out to be more fun that he thought. He pushed back his chair, and stood. Holding out his hand to Sarah, who looked up, he said, "Care to dance?" Sarah nodded slowly; knowing that the dream she had been waiting for all night was about to commence. She took Jareth's hand and the restaurant swirled around them and finally transformed itself into a huge ballroom. Enormous gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, draped in red and green buntings, and the floor was covered in gold glitter. Bubbles floated in the air, catching stray glints from the chandelier. The walls were covered in blue velvet, and it was completely empty except for her and Jareth. Somewhere off in the distance, Sarah heard music start to play, and Jareth bowed to her, and she curtseyed. Then Jareth swept her into his arms, and then began to dance. This was not like before. Before there had been other people. It had been noisy. Sarah had felt small, shy, afraid. This was different.
Then Jareth began to sing. Sarah would never remember the words later, but she knew he sang of love, a sweet, sweet love, and the promise of forever and a day. Sarah looked into Jareth's eyes, and he looked back at her. There was only Jareth and Sarah, Sarah and Jareth; there had only ever been these two. The world melted away as they danced to the rhythms of each other's heartbeat. Then, Jareth gently lifted her chin, and looking straight into her eyes, kissed her. She kissed him back, and it became more and more sensual as the dance went on. Sarah felt that all the world was in that kiss, that there had never been such a thing as a kiss before then, that she would never come up for air, that she never wanted to. And in that same kiss, Jareth knew that he had gained her heart, now all her needed was her soul, and he would at last come to victory the only being who had ever been victorious over him.
And Jonathan watched from a distance. Then he rested his hands on the damned shield that kept him from his only love, and laying his head on the glass, cried all the tears of a deeply tortured soul, and moaned with so much pain it was almost audible.
"Alright, my darling. Open your eyes." Jareth took his hands away from Sarah's eyes. She opened her eyes and gasped. They were in one of the nicest restaurants she had ever seen. It was huge, and yet there was only one lone table in the center of the eggplant colored carpeting. It was a small circular table, covered with a white cloth. A tall white candle burned in a silver holder, and the finest china and silverware Sarah had ever seen lay set on the table. Jareth led her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her, then seated himself. After placing her linen napkin on her lap, Sarah picked up her menu. Across the top was the name of the restaurant, "A Land Serene", and underneath were the choices. Sarah looked them over and over again.
"Jareth, I can't decide. You choose." Jareth grinned, and with a wave of his hand, the menus disappeared, and with another wave, food appeared in front of them. Sarah breathed in the fabulous smell of eggplant Parmesan over angel hair pasta. She glanced over Jareth's plate and noticed that he smelled his own culinary delight of Chinese stir-fried vegetables and chicken. Sarah almost hated to spear the eggplant on her fork, it was arranged so perfectly on her plate, but once she put the first bite on her plate she was no longer sorry. It melted in her mouth with the perfect blend of seasonings. She and Jareth ate in silence.
Sarah had never before been so at peace, so complete. Here in this world where her dreams were reality, she at once felt a mixture of peace, contentment, and happiness, and also an almost head-spinning joy so strong she felt she would float right up out of her chair.
Jareth was eyeing her over his food. She was slowly ceasing to care about what she was leaving behind, friends, family, but most importantly, fiancé. At first it had been a whim, to see what this Jonathan was like, but Jareth adored torture, and he had seen the agonized look in that boy's eyes. This was turning out to be more fun that he thought. He pushed back his chair, and stood. Holding out his hand to Sarah, who looked up, he said, "Care to dance?" Sarah nodded slowly; knowing that the dream she had been waiting for all night was about to commence. She took Jareth's hand and the restaurant swirled around them and finally transformed itself into a huge ballroom. Enormous gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, draped in red and green buntings, and the floor was covered in gold glitter. Bubbles floated in the air, catching stray glints from the chandelier. The walls were covered in blue velvet, and it was completely empty except for her and Jareth. Somewhere off in the distance, Sarah heard music start to play, and Jareth bowed to her, and she curtseyed. Then Jareth swept her into his arms, and then began to dance. This was not like before. Before there had been other people. It had been noisy. Sarah had felt small, shy, afraid. This was different.
Then Jareth began to sing. Sarah would never remember the words later, but she knew he sang of love, a sweet, sweet love, and the promise of forever and a day. Sarah looked into Jareth's eyes, and he looked back at her. There was only Jareth and Sarah, Sarah and Jareth; there had only ever been these two. The world melted away as they danced to the rhythms of each other's heartbeat. Then, Jareth gently lifted her chin, and looking straight into her eyes, kissed her. She kissed him back, and it became more and more sensual as the dance went on. Sarah felt that all the world was in that kiss, that there had never been such a thing as a kiss before then, that she would never come up for air, that she never wanted to. And in that same kiss, Jareth knew that he had gained her heart, now all her needed was her soul, and he would at last come to victory the only being who had ever been victorious over him.
And Jonathan watched from a distance. Then he rested his hands on the damned shield that kept him from his only love, and laying his head on the glass, cried all the tears of a deeply tortured soul, and moaned with so much pain it was almost audible.