A Prophecy Speaks
a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. Next chapter is the end!
Chapter 44 –or- Coming Home
Jareth was in a sort of giddy mood as they rode up to the gates of Crimsonfire City. Giddy was definitely a different feeling for the Goblin King.
Queen Carys was obviously not afraid of embarrassing herself in public, because she literally ran out of the castle and flung herself at King Danol. Her crown was askew as she threw her arms around him, crying openly. She did not even hesitate to throw her arms around a very shocked Goblin King.
"Who leads the dwarves now?" she asked, wiping her eyes.
"A province chief by the name of Bard, who is now King Bard. He was Nogrod's second-in-command, but he's actually sane. We will be keeping an eye on him for sure. Corporal Wyndam is heading up the re-organization and helping with the repair of the city until Bard can take care of it himself," King Danol told his wife.
"Any word from my kingdom?" Jareth asked the queen.
Carys smiled, and Jareth could have cried. Carys would not be smiling if something had gone wrong.
"I just had a letter. One for you too! They won," Carys handed the sealed envelope to the Goblin King, "Now, let's go inside and have a feast before you two retire for the evening"
It was a feast indeed. But truthfully, all Jareth wanted was to be clean and rested. He also wanted to read Sarah's letter. He was relieved that they had succeeded. And Sarah was alive. That was the best part.
Jareth retired to his chambers early, exhausted and anxious. He set the letter on his bed, and once again peeled off travel-worn clothing that was not a little bit dirty. He soaked in the tub a good amount of time before washing, rinsing, and finally getting out. With a white towel wrapped around his slim waist, and his hair freshly combed, he sat down on the edge of the bed to read Sarah's letter. He broke the royal seal and unfolded the parchment.
"Jareth, my love
As I am writing this letter I can only hope you are okay. I have to believe you are. Xandra did indeed attack, but she was stupider than I could have ever believed. She assumed I had no power, or at least, very little power. She thought I would be an easy defeat. She was wrong. I was the one to defeat her, but the cost was too high. Toby was knocked unconscious, and Hoggle was killed by a spell meant for me. We cremated him in the courtyard and then buried the bones in the garden near the gazebo. Roughly a quarter of the goblins you left here were killed also. There were less casualties than I expected on our side though, possibly because Hoggle's death sent me spiraling far enough down into myself that I was able to use the flame within me to turn every single one of Xandra's troops to ash. That took some time to accept, and I still have not dealt with it fully. That's a lot of deaths to be on my hands alone.
Carla's forces showed up after the battle. I sent them and her home. She did me a great service, guarding the kids and servants.
I found out what gender our children will be. I'm not going to tell you in this letter. All I know is that they will represent the light, the darkness, and passion. Carys will be leaving for our kingdom about three weeks before my due date. I need her here for the birth. Please take all the time you need. I love you.
-Sarah"
Jareth read the letter several time before putting it away. He finally crawled into the large, soft bed, and fell asleep.
Jareth and his goblins left Crimsonfire City the next morning. It was going to take them close to two weeks to get home. Sarah would be about three and a half months pregnant by the time he got home. Carys would arrive about a week later. He had wished to be home by the time Sarah gave birth, and it looked like he would get his wish.
It was almost two weeks of riding Drago through the arid plains and dunes of the Dragonlands, and onto the hills and plains surrounding the Labyrinth. It was a welcome sight to see the Labyrinth before him, and a relief to finally see the gates of the Goblin City. The city looked fresh and new. Jareth had no doubts his enterprising wife had more than likely done all the repairs by herself. The goblins cheered as he rode by, and his troops all removed themselves from the line as they passed their homes. They needed a well deserved rest. When he finally reached the castle he handed the reins of Drago to a stablehand.
The sun was starting to go down, and Jareth heard the flutterings of wings above his head. He looked up and saw an owl circling above him. The owl circled lowed and lower until it landed on the stones, and then flowed into the Fae form of his queen, the lovely Sarah. She looked like fresh air feels. She was very big with child. Her cheeks were daintily flushed and her hair was long and flowing below her circlet. She smiled a huge smile and put her hands on her hips.
"Hello stranger," was all she said before she walked up to him. Jareth did not care about how big she was, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. Then he lowered his head and kissed her very thoroughly. He put her down and hugged her tight. As he hugged her, he felt a little bump that caught him in the belly. He looked down at her stomach in amazement.
"Now stop that you three. He's happy to see you too," Sarah chided her children so that Jareth could hear too.
"How are they?" Jareth asked.
"Happy," was all Sarah said before she joyfully kissed him again. They linked arms and walked inside.
As they walked into the audience chamber Jareth saw that Princess Cara, Prince Toby, Agee, Core, Varda, and little Aaron were all waiting for him. They all had big smiles. It was good to be home.
After a feast, Jareth and Sarah took a long, hot bath in their huge bathtub. Being back in his own tub felt good, but holding Sarah in his arms was even better. She was lying against him, and he was rubbing her belly. The babies were kicking his hands over and over.
After they stepped out of the tub they put on robes and stepped out onto the balcony, relishing the warm night air.
"So who rules the dwarves now?" Sarah asked as she looked out over their kingdom.
"Bard. Well now he is King Bard. Nogrod's second in command," Jareth told her. She nodded thoughtfully.
They spoke shortly of what happened while they were apart. Sarah told him of what she had done, and showed him the magical sphere holding a defeated Xandra. Jareth could not have thought of a worse punishment for the traitor. Jareth told her of the condition of Belegrat. They talked into the wee hours of the morning. Finally, Jareth was done talking. He pulled Sarah to him and gave her a kiss that made her forget Xandra or dwarves. They did not talk for the rest of the night.