Chapter 22: A Moonlight Serenade...or Perhaps a Lullaby?

After the unicorns vanished, Sarah took Jareth's arm and gazed at him quizzically. "So how much of that are you going to explain to me tonight?" she asked. "Any?"

He nodded. "Some." He put his hand over hers at the crook of his elbow and walked with her through the garden. "This was a sort of test, for both of us. I was close friends with Taliu, Alia's husband and the former leader of the Unicorns. Since his death, Alia is their leader and also a very dear friend of mine. They are part of my kingdom, but not my subjects. What you saw was, among other things, the breakup of an arranged marriage."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "You were engaged?" She was thinking of all that kissing and flirtation, and she let go of his arm quite suddenly.

"Yes.To Arien. It was more a formality than anything else, originally, because all the monarchs here must have some plan to marry when they take the throne. My ascension was rather... sudden, and I had no immediate marriage plans. SoTaliu decided to arrange a match between his daughter and me, should he ever have a daughter. It satisfied the High Council enough to allow me to take the throne, but now that I have reigned for so long and remained unmarried, I have been pretty much bound by that promise.

"How long were you engaged?"

"Since before her father died more than a millenium ago."

Sarah smiled. "You people sure believe in long engagements, don't you?" she teased.

"There were extenuating circumstances," Jareth told her, laughter in his voice. "Among other things, unicorns are impossible to house-train. I wasn't actually kidding about having to muck out her stall every day!"

Sarah couldn't help it. Peals of laughter rang through the garden. Imagining the most innocent and magical of creatures crapping at all came as a shock to Sarah (and the thought of them crapping all over Jareth's castle amused her even more). Jareth laughed with her, unable to help himself.

Finally, grinning, she shook her head, remembering the biting fairies from her first trip to the Labyrinth.. "Don't take anything for granted," she reminded herself. "So, what was the deal with the finger-pricking horns?"

Jareth hesitated; they were skirting around a few major issues here that he'd rather not get into just yet. "It was a magical promise," he said. "Alia extracted a blood oath, literally, that you would cause no harm to the Underground. Arien, as her daughter and heir, did the same."

Sarah shook her head. "Why would I want to harm the Underground?" Suddenly suspicious, she stopped him. "Jareth, what am I a candidate for?"

Jareth took a deep breath. He'd have to tell her. He took her hand off his arm and held it in his re-gloved one. A stone bench appeared behind them and they both sat down.

In the moonlight Jareth's steel-grey eyes looked almost black, and his pale hair shone white. "Surely you must have guessed by now that my intentions toward you are serious, Sarah," he said evenly. "I have always been fond of you; you must know that. I have been trying very hard over the last few days to make you fond of me as well."

"I... am. Quite fond of you," Sarah assured him.

"Then I must be doing something right," Jareth teased. "Sarah, there are more things about this -- about me -- that I cannot tell you yet, but that will become clear over the next week. I ask for your patience until I am able to tell you everything."

"Do you love her?" Sarah asked quite suddenly, and then clapped her hand to her mouth. She'd been wondering, but hadn't meant to just blurt out the question that was going to make her sound jealous and insecure.

He nodded. "Very much."

Sarah's heart sank.

Jareth continued, knowingly teasing the dark-haired woman beside him. "Yes, very, very much. Taliu and I were as close to brothers as two different species can get. She's the dearest little niece I could ever want."

Sarah swallowed her retort somewhat awkwardly, and just said, "Oh." Sheleaned her head against his shoulder. His arm came up around her and held her close. "Can you tell me why you had to say goodbye to the unicorns? I got the impression this was the last time you'd see them."

"It might be, if all goes well," Jareth said. "The last time in private, at any rate. I should miss them greatly, but would hope to have certain... compensations."

Again, Sarah felt undercurrents there that she knew nothing about, but this time she just left it be. "You'll tell me when the time comes?"

"Yes. You'll trust me until then?"

"Yes."

Jareth smiled and tipped her face up to kiss. "You're very trusting of an old adversary," he teased, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

"You've never hurt me," Sarah whispered against his lips. She pulled his face down to hers and gave him a sweet, lingering kiss.

He put his arms around her. "And I never will, Sarah. I swear it!" he said, sounding almost fierce. He kissed her again, harder, then said her name again, with the unique, sibilant savour that only he could give it -- almost as if he were tasting the word."Sarah. Sarah, will you stay with me tonight? Here, in the Underground?" Sarah hesitated, thinking of her Management project due first thing in the morning.

He grinned. "I promise to be a gentleman, just as long as you promise not to invoke my other persona," he said, referring to what had passed between them in the car earlier. "And you don't need to worry about your morning classes, either. I'll return you to the moment we left. Will you stay?"

"I'll stay," Sarah said.

Jareth smiled. "Remember you said that," he warned laughingly. He stroked her face with a gloved finger, looked around at the moonlit flowers, and started to sing. What was it about words that just never seemed to get the message across unless you sung them?

Come and live in my evenings of magic, my love,

With your mind of a sage and your eyes of a dove

I'll keep you safe from all evil that comes from above,

When you're here in my arms, and my kingdom.

The Underground is waiting for you

A Fairyland now opens to you

My Sarah, look around you and see

Your land awaits your rule -- here with me!

After you entered my kingdom freeborn,

Touched your hand and shed blood on a unicorn's horn,

Sarah, you can't expect not to leave me forlorn,

If you leave me alone in mykingdom.

I need you here in my arms, and my kingdom.

Jareth finished his song and looked down at Sarah.

She was fast asleep, clinging to his shirt-ruffles.

He smiled faintly and leaned back to get comfortable for the night. "Note to self," he murmured. "Don't serenade a tired lady."

A/N: All right, nobody laugh at the song I wrote for Jareth to sing in this story! I know it's a little silly, but I get so very sick of song-fics that use people's pre-existing songs to get their point across. I mean, come on, people, show some creativity! It's your words I want to read when I read your story, not someone else's. If I want top 40, I'll listen to the radio.

So there's my songfic rant. I thought I'd come up with one for Jareth to sing (because he was forever singing in the film). I'm no David Bowie when it comes to song-writing, but hey, at least I tried. And it even has a decent melody, too! Too bad I can't include that as well.