A Prophecy Speaks
Author's Note: I do not own Labyrinth. At all. Really.
Chapter 16 –or- Who Are You?
Jareth and Danol took the dead dwarf back to the castle and into Jareth's workshop. Jareth moved everything in the room to one side and called in a large table, upon which he laid the dwarf's corpse. He was none too gentle in this task.They needed to find out how the dwarf had killed himself while alone in the oubliette. He had no knife wounds. No strangulation marks. But there was telltale foam at his lips that showed he had killed himself with poison.
"He is plainly dressed as a dwarf from Nogrod's kingdom," Danol said. "How could we have not noticed?"
"He must have concealed himself somehow," Jareth mused, seeming not to hear his fellow monarch.
They began to search his pockets. Bits of jewelry were all they found. No way to tell who he was. Jareth transported the dwarf's body to an unmarked grave on the other side of the labyrinth and vanished the evidence to a dark room only he knew about.
Danol patted Jareth on the shoulder and returned to his rooms.
Jareth stared out the window for a good long time before putting voice to his big question:
"Who are you?"
Jareth made excuses for Sarah at dinner. He did not want her leaving her bed until late the next day. Xandra told him Sarah was sleeping peacefully anyways, and that was a good thing.
Dinner was quick and quiet. Afterwards he made his excuses to retire to his rooms early. He wanted to see if Sarah would eat something. He also knew she had been looking forward to showing him her new dress tonight.
Jareth appeared at her bedside with a small tray of food. He handed it to Agee, and she set it down on the little table Sarah ate breakfast at. Agee curtsied and left the room. He saw the new dress hanging on a mannequin in the corner. He walked back to the bed and lay down beside Sarah. Her color was better now, and she was not coughing anymore. The healers had worked their magic. He stroked her cheek and sent a surge of magic through her to wake her gently.
Sarah blinked and opened her eyes to see those beautiful mis-matched eyes staring at her. Jareth smiled, and she felt a million times better.
"Hungry?" he asked her.
Sarah nodded. He rose from the bed and picked up her slight form. He carried her to a chair and poured her a glass of wine. The food smelled good and she was surprised she even felt hungry.
Jareth noticed that she did not eat a whole lot, but at least she ate something. A small bowl of soup, a slice of bread, and a small bit of roasted meat. She was eating some cheese and apple slices when Jareth cleared his throat.
"Sarah, the dwarf was dead when we went back to the oubliette. He poisoned himself," he told her.
"Any idea who he was?" Sarah asked him.
"No. But you survived.We will be giving you a retinue of guards that will follow you around, and also two outside your door at all times. I am not going to risk having you die," Jareth told her, with a catch in his voice. Sarah blushed.
"Is it better now?" Jareth asked her as he carried her back to the bed.
"Is what better?" Sarah asked him as he lowered her head back onto her soft pillows.
"When you first came here you were so worried about your responsibilities and adjusting to life here in the castle. You worried about fate forcing your hand; making you marry someone you thought evil and did not love. Is it getting better, Sarah?" Jareth asked her. She marveled once again at how vulnerable he could look in these soft moments.
"Oh, Jareth. Sometimes I still worry about my responsibilities. But I feel I am adjusting. And you never were all that evil. And as for loving you? We will just have to wait and see," Sarah said, with a twinkle in her eye.
Jareth kissed her then, a very soft and sweet kiss. He could accept that for now.
"Jareth? Hold me, please?" Sarah pleaded.
"Of course." Jareth said as he gathered Sarah in his arms and slowly put her to sleep. Shortly before dawn he left her side, with a million things to do.