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Quick note: I caught a clip of a movie today that made me laugh. It was an old black and white movie with Cary Grant in it that my mom had been watching. The part that caught my attention was this exchange:

"You remind me of the man." "What man?" "The man with the power." "What power?" "The power of voodoo." "Who do?" "You do." "Do what?" "Remind me of the man."

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Chapter 4- Indentures

Gragar did not make eye contact with Sarah again. He knew that his sentiments would get the best of him if he did. He would just have to keep his mind on the task at hand, and not worry about the girl and his vengeful master. The dwarf led her up a winding staircase, past several closed doors, and finally to a large white door with vines twisted upon it.

Sarah's breath caught at the beauty of the door. As she looked more closely, the vines extended from the door to the doorframe, without a visible break. As she watched, Gragar muttered some words in a muted tone, and waved his hand over the door. As he moved, the vines came to life. They twisted away from the frame, moving toward the center of the door, and creating a circular icon that Sarah recognized as the same symbol that Jareth wore about his neck. Following Gragar inside the room, Sarah gave the vines a backward glance. As the door closed, she could hear the vines resuming their place along the door's frame.

"This is your quarters tonight," Gragar was explaining. "If you need anything, there's a crystal on the mantle. G'night, missy." With another wave of his hand, Gragar disappeared. Sarah looked around the room in awe. There was a large bed with a canopy covering it, and a polished wooden bureau. A washstand and toilet was placed in an alcove, with a curtain covering the space. Long, burgundy colored curtains covered a tall window. Moving the curtain aside, Sarah could see that she was quite a ways up in the air. The labyrinth spread out for miles underneath the castle. As she watched, Sarah could see it changing.

It had been a long day. Sarah sighed, wondering what the next day and weeks would bring. What did the goblin king have planned for her? And how would she prevent him from reading her thoughts? Had he already discovered the depth of her feelings for him? And why on earth was she feeling so strongly about a man who was her adversary, and obviously despised her? These questions proved to be too much for her, and she curled into a ball and fell asleep, not even taking the time to crawl underneath the covers.

Light streamed in the window the next morning, warming Sarah's eyelids. As she slept, the door creaked open, and a diminutive creature crept into the room.

"Sarah?" Stirring slightly, Sarah whimpered in her sleep.

"Please sir, just a bit longer, it's so cold outside, I've no place to go. . ." The small man's heart broke at her subconscious plea.

"Sarah, it's me, Hoggle! Wake up, please Sarah?" he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her slightly. Shocked out of sleep, Sarah's eyes flew open. She was about to call out in fear when she saw her visitor.

"Hoggle!" Grinning, she enveloped her friend in a hug. "How have you been?" Hoggle smiled at her now, glad that her spirits were keeping up.

"I'm alright, Sarah, we were worried about you. For months, you hadn't called on us. We thought something had happened to you." Sarah's eyes clouded over.

"It did," she explained simply. "Daddy died, Karen kicked me out. . . oh Hoggle, so many bad things at once. I'm homeless!" To Sarah's amazement, Hoggle didn't look the least bit surprised.

"I'm not the least bit surprised," he said.

"Why not?

"Well," Hoggle explained, "It's Jareth. Once you've been in his kingdom, there is a bond that links you to him. And YOU, most of all. His mood's been so foul since you left, it's no wonder that it has carried to the aboveground and affected your life. Magic, ya see." Recognition crossed Sarah's face. So that was it. "Sarah," Hoggle continued, "I can't stay long, but I wanted to see for myself that you were a'right. Gragar, well he told me you'd returned. Just be careful, missy, I wouldn't forgive m'self if anything happened to you." Sarah smiled at Hoggle's concern.

"I will, Hoggle, I promise." She grabbed Hoggle in another quick hug.

"I'll check on ya again if I can," he said, before giving a little wave and hurrying from the room. At the sight of her old friend, Sarah felt a little bit better about her situation. After all, the goblin king had accepted her offer. It couldn't be too bad, could it?

At this thought, a chilly wind seemed to come under the door from the corridor. Sarah tried the doorknob, but the vines on the outside of the door kept it firmly in place. Sighing, Sarah went to the window, and gazed across the winding maze.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jareth's voice made her jump, and prickles cover her skin. She may have been in love with him, but he still had the power to send a chill into her. Raising her chin, Sarah turned to face him.

"That valley, where I first arrived," Sarah questioned, meeting Jareth's gaze. "Where was it? I don't remember it from my first journey here." Without amusement, Jareth smirked.

"You saw very little of my kingdom, Sarah," he answered. "The labyrinth is a country in itself, yes. But there are areas on its outskirts that are beautiful." Sarah nodded, glancing again out the window. The gesture was more a way for her to calm her nerves than to examine the landscape.

"Have you decided my fate?" Sarah asked, nervously turning once more to face him. She tried to grin but was having a difficult time suppressing tears at the hopelessness of her situation. Jareth watched her, sensing her fear, and acknowledging the change that had occurred within her. When she had left his labyrinth, she had been afraid of nothing. She had her life firmly in hand, with everything in her grasp. It was a bit disconcerting to see how broken her spirit had become.

"I have," he answered. "You will be staying with Madam and Master Breanon. They have been looking for someone to help with the housework and help take care of the children. You will do nicely. You will help them with whatever they ask. If I hear that you've done otherwise, you will be sent back to the aboveground before you can blink. Do I make myself quite clear?" Sarah nodded, swallowing the fear that had been working into her throat. She felt like a small child, being reprimanded for bad behavior. Normally, she would have lashed out, attacking him for his condescension. But now, she could only accept the terms that he gave her and hope that it would be enough.

"You are most generous," she said, not making eye contact with him.

"I'm not finished," Jareth continued. Sarah nodded. She should have expected that she would not get off so easily. The broken, angry monarch would not let her free without somehow gaining vengeance for past wrongs. "You will have a goblin standard year in the service of me and the Breanon family," he continued. "That's 13 of your months. If, by then, you have proven yourself worthy of staying here in the underground, you will be free. But if I find fault with you or the work you have done, your claim to sanctuary will be forfeit, and you will return to the aboveground and whatever fate awaits you there. And I can promise you, Sarah, that I will not make things easy for you." Gulping, Sarah again nodded. Meeting her gaze once more, the goblin king tilted his head, as if considering her. A shiver ran up Sarah's spine. She knew that somewhere under the harsh exterior, there was a heart that was kind and generous. She hoped that within the year, she would be able to find it and bring some happiness to the goblin king once more. Could he learn to love her once more, as he had ten years ago?

"I have said all that I wish to say," Jareth stated. "Gragar will accompany you to the Breanon homestead. From today on, your home will be with them. I have informed them of your arrival. Take heed, Sarah. Your existence depends upon it." And with that, he flashed of the room.

"Miss Sarah," a low, gruff voice called from the doorway. Sarah turned to see Gragar, decked in what must have been the uniform of Jareth's royal guard. "I've come to escort you, Miss." Nodding, Sarah followed.

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Oh, I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying this story! I'm enjoying the way it's going as well. ;-)

Vireyda Magodaly: Thanks for the heads up! I was having some issues with fanfiction.net, and it must have replaced the first chapter instead of the third. It should be fixed now though!

Draegon-fire: I hope you like the way I'm going with this, after this chapter. Yes, Sarah will be separated from Jareth for a while, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? ;-)

Lady of Shallotte: haha, I will do my best! I always find though that the end of the chapter finds itself; there always seems to be a point when it needs to end and a new one needs to begin. If I do make them too short though, I'll try to update quickly to make up for it.

Stardust dreamer: I'm so glad you like this story!! Oh, and work she will. . . ;-) I have plans! LOL. . . Thanks for the review!

Thanks so much for your reviews everyone; it's what keeps me going!

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