I'll be loving you, always
With a love that's true, always
When the things we plan, need a helping hand
I will understand, always, always.
Things may not be fair, always
That's when I'll be there, always
Not for just an hour, not for just a day
Not for just a year, but always
Always – A gift of song from my Father
For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are those 'It might have been.' John Greenleaf Whittier
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When Ishmial left the Goblin King was standing on the throne room floor and Sarah was sitting in her chair. Her head was slightly bowed and her eyes were shifting side to side, seeing nothing, lost in trying to find a way out of the situation. Jareth had seen that look before, it was the same look she had when she tried to remember "the words" during their confrontation in the Escher room. To Jareth this was pure Sarah, a woman who still fought when angels and devils plotted against her, a true champion. It was at this moment he knew that he loved her and always would.
The clicking sound of his boots echoed off the hard stonewalls breaking the silence as Jareth stepped up to her chair. "Sarah", the Goblin King said softy as he offered her his gloved hand. Sarah was looking at his boots, her eyes still shifting side to side in deep thought; he knew she couldn't hear him. Jareth took off his right glove and offered his slender hand, "Sarah."
Her eyes moved slowly up to his as though she were coming up from under leagues of water. In their unguarded depths he saw the hope of fantasy and the pain of reality battling in her heart and mind. Holding her eyes Jareth slightly smiled and murmured, "Walk with me Sarah....walk with me now through my Labyrinth." Her eyes still fixed on his she took his hand.
They were on the windswept hill overlooking the Labyrinth; the swift change of scene snapped Sarah back to the present. "I thought we were going to walk through the Labyrinth." Jareth chuckled, "We shall but we must have a starting point." Gently pulling her by the hand he said, "Come with me, I want to show you something." Sarah noticed his hand was warm and soft and that her hand felt at home in his. He led her to the edge of the hill overlooking the Labyrinth and continued to hold her hand as they gazed upon his kingdom. It was beautiful.
Jareth spoke loudly over the wind, "This kingdom has been my life since the day I was born. My mother raised me here to be King of all you see and until I met you it was all I ever cared about." Bringing her hand to his lips he lovingly kissed it then held it to his heart as he looked into her eyes, "I love you Sarah, I love you with all I am. There is nothing heaven or hell can offer me except to be with you always. Say you will choose to go Aboveground with me and I swear I will find you."
Sarah knew he spoke true. Her thoughts hit fast forward, how many times in her secret heart had she longed to hear Jareth say words such as these? She began to love him when she was 15 but was too young to really know what love was or how handle it. But Jareth knew how she felt. He confirmed her feelings for him in the ballroom and did not hesitate to use that information during their final confrontation. Acutely perceptive, she was painfully aware that he did not love her in return, or wouldn't allow himself to love her. He was even arrogant enough to warn her what was to come – "Beware Sarah, I have been generous up until now but I can be cruel." With youthful stupidity she was brazen enough to call him on it thinking he had nothing up his sleeve. Now she knew better.
He came at her with sincere words, words she wanted to be true but weren't, "Everything...everything I've done I've done for you." He twisted and turned the situation until it seemed he was doing her a favor and she was too demanding and ungrateful to see it. Oh, he was good, he was very good. It took all that she had to keep reciting the words and not listen to the lies of the beautiful man in front of her. She had no doubt that if Toby had not been at stake she would have lost.
Over the years she treasured the fantasy of who she wanted him to be, her dark knight in shining armor, someone who could rescue her from her painful life. Then she grew up and faced reality. She understood that life wasn't fair and the good guys don't always win. When she returned to the Labyrinth she saw Jareth as he really was, a struggling being just like her. She fell in love with the real person, but sadly she had nothing left to give him. Wasn't life ironic?
"I can't say that Jareth. I can't say I will go Aboveground with you." The Goblin King put his hands on her shoulders, "You don't love me then." Sarah looked into his mismatched eyes, "I do love you with whatever there is left in me that can love, but it's not enough. What if you don't find me? I can't take that risk."
Jareth encircled her with his arms and brought her to him, her ear to his heart, "I will find you. Look at me Sarah." Sarah pulled back slightly and looked up into Jareth's beautiful eyes. Slowly he brought his mouth to hers, gently kissing her lips. At first she didn't respond but then desire flared and she gently began to kiss him back. His lips were tenderly moving over hers, inviting her to want more, to lose herself in him.
She slightly leaned forward and began to kiss him more passionately, he instantly responded by pulling her closer and sliding one hand in the hair behind her head. Holding her gently but urgently he easily slid his tongue between her yielding lips making her moan and press her body against his. He lifted his lips from hers and whispered, "Sarah." then quickly brought them back to hers with a groan of burning passion.
Sarah suddenly stopped and pushed him away. "I can't do this, I can't love you only to lose you. Don't you understand what you are asking of me?" Jareth looked at her, "Yes I do know what I'm asking of you. I'm asking for the only chance we have to be together and have a future. For that, for you, I am willing to take that risk."
Sarah dropped her arms to her sides in defeat, "Yes, well I'm not. I've made my decision; tomorrow I will tell Sarial that I choose his offer. I'm sorry Jareth but I don't believe in dreams and fairy tales anymore." Seeing the cold resolute look on her face he knew he'd lost her. This wasn't a decision she came to lightly, she had really thought about this. Closing his eyes and deeply sighing he understood that unless a miracle happened, tomorrow she would be gone forever.
Jareth felt pressure and pain in his heart unlike anything he had ever felt before. They didn't have much time left and he didn't want to lose one precious moment to sadness and grief. He didn't want to regret wasting these last moments in arguments and tears. Pushing past the pain he simply said, "Then walk with me through the Labyrinth one last time." Jareth stoically offered his arm to Sarah. She paused then hesitantly took it and allowed the Goblin King to guide her down the hill towards his kingdom.