Part 10
"Hoggle!" Sarah exclaimed, "Ludo! Sir Diddymus! You're okay! Your all okay!"
"Sarah" the little Dwarf said in surprise. "You made it!"
"Yeah I made it Hoggle." She said, "But I thought you were in danger, that's why I came 'cos I couldn't leave you, not if u needed me." Sarah's voice became quiet as she remembered how upset she had been when she thought her friends were in danger.
"But you're okay!" Sarah said confidently, happy that her friends were safe and okay, yet sad because it meant that her whole trip to the Labyrinth had been for nothing!
"But the crystal!" She thought, suddenly remembering the crystal that had shown her friends faces scared and calling to her, the faces that had brought her back to the Labyrinth for the second time. Jareth must have deceived her
"Your journey wasn't a was anyway girl!" She thought, "To got to see my friends again and they're okay. So just enjoy yourself this time because you haven't got a baby brother to save"
"So what have I missed?" She asked her friends after dishing out the hugs to each of them, followed by a kiss on the cheek.
"Apart from watching Jareth sleep." Sarah suddenly realised what she said and that it was in fact Jareth's long blonde hair spilling out over the blue silk bed-covers.
"Why are you watching him sleep?" She asked them.
"Oh, he's not just sleeping My Lady." Said Sir Diddymus sadly.
"He's not?"
"No Sarah," Said Hoggle "Jareth's dying"
"Dying? But why? How? Since when?"
Many questions were filling up into her mind. She wanted to ask them all but knew there was a time for that.
"That's why the Labyrinth is also dying with him." Said Hoggle "That is why we called you Sarah. We have taken the liberty of sorting out the bedroom down the hall for you if you want it." He said looking sadly into her eyes "We need you Sarah"
With that a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Okay Hoggle, I'll stay, I'll stay as long as you need me!"
A slight smile spread across Hoggle's face, yet the pain we still there in his eyes. "I'll show you the way!"
Hoggle lead Sarah into another large room not too far away from Jareth's. Although she didn't say anything, Sarah was unsure about sleeping so close to Jareth's room. As she stepped through the large oak door leading into the room, Sarah had to catch her breath, the room was furnished with the richest materials around. It had blood red silk sheets, with heavy red velvet curtains at the large, leaded windows, the largest four poster bed she had ever seen in the centre, and a large stone fireplace facing the bed. Next to the window was a large oak wardrobe that matched the oak bed as well as the oak door. She went over to the window and ran her hand down the curtains, taking the feeling in, she looked out of the window to the rest of the Labyrinth. With a sigh she turned round to Hoggle who was standing in front of a large vanity with different kinds of brushes and make-up on it.
"How did it happen?" She asked Hoggle.
Immediately he knew what she was talking about.
"It started last year, not too long after you left. We all noticed a change in Jareth, he was different, not so mean, he used to take pride in punishing the goblins, just for fun, he was always like that, but after a few months, he never left the castle if he had to, he just sat there in the throne room, by himself. We went to see if he was okay one day and we noticed that he was very thin, thinner than usual, and pale, we got worried so we told him to lie down. He agreed and asked us to help, but as soon as he stood up he just fell. Ludo carried him to his room and he's been like that since. He wakes up from time to time and we feed him and stuff."
"What caused it?" She asked him, sliding her arm around his shoulder
"We'll we really don't know Sarah, we just don't know."
Hoggle slid out of Sarah's embrace and slipped out of the door letting it shut slightly behind him. As she watched the door slide shut she sat on the large, silk covered stool in front of the vanity. She picked up an elegant solid silver brush off the top and was about to start brushing her hair with it when there was a slight knock on the door.
"Come in." She said slightly as Sir Diddymus and Ludo popped their heads around the door.
"Ludo! Sir Diddymus!" she said as she embraced them in firm hug.
"Thank you My Lady." Said Sir Diddymus
"What for?"
"Well, we know Jareth's not exactly your favourite person at the moment, but your staying, staying to help us, and for that we thank you. You see, without Jareth, there is no Labyrinth and without the Labyrinth, there is no us."
"That's what friends are for." Sarah said as a small smile spread across her lips to try and comfort them. True Jareth was not her favourite person but she did love him. She had never told any of them her feelings for him. Maybe she should, maybe this is the time to tell them.
"We are having a welcome back banquet for you my Lady. It will be ready for you in about an hour, the finest food in the land, and all in the aid of you. So dress, well dress as you please My Lady, and we will see you soon."
Sir Diddymus left the room after a slow bow to Sarah, closely followed by Ludo who gave Sarah a large tight hug before he left. She watched him leave through the door, having to stoop so he could fit through the large door frame.
"Sarah back" Ludo had said before he left. This made Sarah smile, the first time she had really smiled in a while, somehow, all of this kind of fitted, like if she was meant to be here.
"Maybe that's it" She said. "Maybe I'm supposed to be here!" As she changed for the banquet they were having for her she wondered how it was possible that she belonged, was it because of her love for Jareth? Or Jareth's love for her? If in fact he did still love her. Or maybe he knew he was dying so made Sarah the heir to the throne so she would have to stay. Sarah frowned at this thought.
"He wouldn't!" She said to her reflection in the mirror as she was about to leave the room in a gorgeous dress she found in the wardrobe.
Or would he?
"Hoggle!" Sarah exclaimed, "Ludo! Sir Diddymus! You're okay! Your all okay!"
"Sarah" the little Dwarf said in surprise. "You made it!"
"Yeah I made it Hoggle." She said, "But I thought you were in danger, that's why I came 'cos I couldn't leave you, not if u needed me." Sarah's voice became quiet as she remembered how upset she had been when she thought her friends were in danger.
"But you're okay!" Sarah said confidently, happy that her friends were safe and okay, yet sad because it meant that her whole trip to the Labyrinth had been for nothing!
"But the crystal!" She thought, suddenly remembering the crystal that had shown her friends faces scared and calling to her, the faces that had brought her back to the Labyrinth for the second time. Jareth must have deceived her
"Your journey wasn't a was anyway girl!" She thought, "To got to see my friends again and they're okay. So just enjoy yourself this time because you haven't got a baby brother to save"
"So what have I missed?" She asked her friends after dishing out the hugs to each of them, followed by a kiss on the cheek.
"Apart from watching Jareth sleep." Sarah suddenly realised what she said and that it was in fact Jareth's long blonde hair spilling out over the blue silk bed-covers.
"Why are you watching him sleep?" She asked them.
"Oh, he's not just sleeping My Lady." Said Sir Diddymus sadly.
"He's not?"
"No Sarah," Said Hoggle "Jareth's dying"
"Dying? But why? How? Since when?"
Many questions were filling up into her mind. She wanted to ask them all but knew there was a time for that.
"That's why the Labyrinth is also dying with him." Said Hoggle "That is why we called you Sarah. We have taken the liberty of sorting out the bedroom down the hall for you if you want it." He said looking sadly into her eyes "We need you Sarah"
With that a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Okay Hoggle, I'll stay, I'll stay as long as you need me!"
A slight smile spread across Hoggle's face, yet the pain we still there in his eyes. "I'll show you the way!"
Hoggle lead Sarah into another large room not too far away from Jareth's. Although she didn't say anything, Sarah was unsure about sleeping so close to Jareth's room. As she stepped through the large oak door leading into the room, Sarah had to catch her breath, the room was furnished with the richest materials around. It had blood red silk sheets, with heavy red velvet curtains at the large, leaded windows, the largest four poster bed she had ever seen in the centre, and a large stone fireplace facing the bed. Next to the window was a large oak wardrobe that matched the oak bed as well as the oak door. She went over to the window and ran her hand down the curtains, taking the feeling in, she looked out of the window to the rest of the Labyrinth. With a sigh she turned round to Hoggle who was standing in front of a large vanity with different kinds of brushes and make-up on it.
"How did it happen?" She asked Hoggle.
Immediately he knew what she was talking about.
"It started last year, not too long after you left. We all noticed a change in Jareth, he was different, not so mean, he used to take pride in punishing the goblins, just for fun, he was always like that, but after a few months, he never left the castle if he had to, he just sat there in the throne room, by himself. We went to see if he was okay one day and we noticed that he was very thin, thinner than usual, and pale, we got worried so we told him to lie down. He agreed and asked us to help, but as soon as he stood up he just fell. Ludo carried him to his room and he's been like that since. He wakes up from time to time and we feed him and stuff."
"What caused it?" She asked him, sliding her arm around his shoulder
"We'll we really don't know Sarah, we just don't know."
Hoggle slid out of Sarah's embrace and slipped out of the door letting it shut slightly behind him. As she watched the door slide shut she sat on the large, silk covered stool in front of the vanity. She picked up an elegant solid silver brush off the top and was about to start brushing her hair with it when there was a slight knock on the door.
"Come in." She said slightly as Sir Diddymus and Ludo popped their heads around the door.
"Ludo! Sir Diddymus!" she said as she embraced them in firm hug.
"Thank you My Lady." Said Sir Diddymus
"What for?"
"Well, we know Jareth's not exactly your favourite person at the moment, but your staying, staying to help us, and for that we thank you. You see, without Jareth, there is no Labyrinth and without the Labyrinth, there is no us."
"That's what friends are for." Sarah said as a small smile spread across her lips to try and comfort them. True Jareth was not her favourite person but she did love him. She had never told any of them her feelings for him. Maybe she should, maybe this is the time to tell them.
"We are having a welcome back banquet for you my Lady. It will be ready for you in about an hour, the finest food in the land, and all in the aid of you. So dress, well dress as you please My Lady, and we will see you soon."
Sir Diddymus left the room after a slow bow to Sarah, closely followed by Ludo who gave Sarah a large tight hug before he left. She watched him leave through the door, having to stoop so he could fit through the large door frame.
"Sarah back" Ludo had said before he left. This made Sarah smile, the first time she had really smiled in a while, somehow, all of this kind of fitted, like if she was meant to be here.
"Maybe that's it" She said. "Maybe I'm supposed to be here!" As she changed for the banquet they were having for her she wondered how it was possible that she belonged, was it because of her love for Jareth? Or Jareth's love for her? If in fact he did still love her. Or maybe he knew he was dying so made Sarah the heir to the throne so she would have to stay. Sarah frowned at this thought.
"He wouldn't!" She said to her reflection in the mirror as she was about to leave the room in a gorgeous dress she found in the wardrobe.
Or would he?