She came again, rather excited as always. Today, she had valiantly carried out her mission! Though the purpose of the mission was completely lost to her. She had defeated a thousand legions of terrifying demons and goblins. She had killed them all!
And he was standing at the end of all this, waiting as always. Waiting for her inevitable arrival.
"Well-done, Sarah," he would say in his practiced tone. "You've defeated my armies. Brought them to a veritable stand-still. And now, you've-"
"No, no, no!" shouted Sarah, rather irritably. "You didn't say it right"
In a fit of anger, she threw down her sword and shield. Jareth cringed and waited for her favorite phrase.
"It's not fair!" Ah, yes, there it was. "You mess it up all the time. You do it on purpose"
Little Sarah sat upon the ground, pulling her knees up close.
"Sarah, I mean no harm to you. Now what have I done wrong"
"You said it wrong! 'Brought them to a v...v'...whatever that word is. That's not how it goes. You're supposed to say -the lines-!"
Ah, yes. The lines! The almighty lines which Sarah loved so much. Jareth looked at her blankly.
"Sarah, the lines don't very much matter. It is how you play the game, after all"
"No, it has to be done -right"
"Perhaps there is no right way"
"...There's always a right way. You don't get it. You just don't understand."
Jareth stared at her blankly.
"You must always have it this way"
"It has to be done the right way"
"...Very well," he said, hesitating. "If it has to be done this way, it shall"
Sarah looked at him then, and smiled. His heart broke for that smile. It meant the world to him, and so with great effort and trial, he would always try to ellicit it from her. Brighter than the sun, and twice as warm...
Sarah took up her weapons once more, and Jareth resumed his former place and stature.
"Now, then...Well-done, Sarah. You've defeated my armies, something no other has yet been able to do. You've travelled my lands without fear, now to find yourself at me feet. And now you have come to face me"
"I have come to defeat you, horrible Goblin King. I will not rest until I have done so"
"It will not be so easy, Sarah"
"We shall see!"
They had the usual fight. Sarah was so grandiose, yet unskilled in the use of her weapons. Jareth patiently guided her, allowing her to win. He found it impossible to do otherwise. He was so deeply compelled that, no matter his amount of pride, he would always let her win.
She finally had him pinned to the ground.
"I have defeated you, horrible Goblin King. You will suffer my wrath"
Jareth feigned a terror that was terribly unbecoming to him, but one which pleased her greatly.
"Oh, dear maiden, spare me. If a heart you have, spare me"
It was such a hollow and useless exercise, but to please her heart, he would say anything. If only it pleased her...
She stared at him coolly. Well, now, she had him in her grasp, didn't she? She could do anything that she wanted to him. Kill him, even.
But...no, not today.
"Oh, but I will spare you," Sarah stated. "I will spare you because my heart is pure"
She lowered her sword, the signal that Jareth was allowed to stop being the conquered. She turned away, her usual sign that she wasn't afraid.
"You are free to live, Goblin King," she said as she walked away from him. "See that you learn from this and do not cross my path again."
Jareth glowered at her as she left. It was so infuriating, and it never changed. He could never get over it. Everytime she came to see him, it was to defeat him in some way or form. Now she would leave him to play with the others, whom she loved more and looked on with kindness rather than a scowl. She would never look at him that way, never bother to think of him that way. It was all such a useless endeavor to even try to please her and yet...there was no other alternative. He could not cease his love for her, nor his desire to please her. If her pleasure came at the expense of his pain and alienation, so be it.