Ch 47

For Sarah, the next few days dragged by slowly, with only visits to and from her parents and Toby to occasionally stop the boredom. She was practically counting the minutes until she could go back to Jareth.

Jareth's life, however, had been a whirlwind of activity since he'd returned.

He had just managed to make a dent in his mound of paperwork when he was interrupted to settle a dispute between two goblin brothers. "Who gives a damn whose chicken it is?" Jareth muttered as he finally left the two goblins, who had spent the better part of an hour babbling away in goblin nonsense. Jareth got back to his study and rubbed his temples.

He was interrupted six more times, all by people needing to know certain details for his wedding to Sarah. After the sixth interruption, Jareth was ready to pull out his hair, and he stalked to the door, producing a scroll on the way. He tacked it up on the outside of the door, and it clearly stated everything he and Sarah wanted for their wedding, with a not-so-polite notice that anyone who disturbed him would be making a trip to the Bog.

He worked his way through hours of paperwork, and then he was finally finished. He stretched his stiff muscles and stood up and went to the window. He stared outside at his kingdom for a long while, thinking to himself that in just a few days, it would no longer be his kingdom, it would be their kingdom.

The thought made him smile, and he thought about how much Sarah would have to learn. She needed to be knowledgeable about the Underground, and the kingdom and its subjects. She would have a lot of reading to do, but he thought she wouldn't mind so much, seeing as how she had always been fascinated by stories of fantasy.

He wandered into the main room and sprawled on his throne. He found himself thinking about his and Sarah's future, and he imagined the castle alive with the sounds of their children's laughter. He smiled to himself, hardly able to believe that he was having these thoughts. He had never contemplated his future before, not until Sarah came along. Now he couldn't imagine going back to the dull meaninglessness that was his life before she came into it.

His reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he called, slightly irritated at whoever was interrupting his pleasant thoughts.

He became even more irritated when he saw it was Merelinda coming across the room towards him.

He didn't bother straightening up in his seat. "What do you want?"

Merelinda cringed inwardly, thinking that only days ago he would have greeted her enthusiastically, with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Now, it was just cold indifference. She felt a flare of temper that he was treating her so coldly, but she reminded herself that she deserved it.

She cleared her throat. "I just wanted to apologize." It took a lot for her to say those words; the Merfolk were a proud race, and weren't known for admitting they were ever wrong.

Jareth looked at her. "Apologize? What for?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "For trying to trap me into a marriage neither of us wants? To try to make me take responsibility for your mistakes? Or for nearly ruining my relationship?" He stared at her with ice in his eyes.

"For all of that," Merelinda answered, trying to keep her voice from wobbling. "I just want you to know that I'm truly sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Neither do I," Jareth said in a harsh tone.

Merelinda took a deep breath. "I also wanted you to know that I am to be married tomorrow."

This took Jareth by surprise. "What? You're getting married? To who?"

"The father of my child. His name is Dorian."

"But I thought he wouldn't marry you?" Jareth asked.

Merelinda flushed. "Well, I didn't say he wouldn't, I said I didn't think he would. But I talked to him, and he has agreed to marry me. So I will become Queen after all." Yeah, she thought bitterly, and at what price?

Jareth was quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke, it was in a much calmer tone. "Merelinda, I wish I could say I'm happy for you, but I'm not. I know you don't love this Dorian, and I don't know what you said to him to get him to marry you. But I do know that you aren't happy, and if you go through with this wedding, you will never be happy." He rose off his throne and stepped closer to her. "I know that the Merfolk are bound for eternity by marriage. Are you sure you want to be bound to someone you don't truly love?" His eyes pierced hers.

"I have no choice," she said with her head held high. Inside she was dying; he was confirming everything she was feeling, and it broke her heart that she was doing this to herself.

"Being Queen means so much to you?" Jareth couldn't understand how it could.

Sadly, she looked at him. "Yes. Yes, Jareth, it does. I have been waiting to be Queen for my whole life. If I chose not to take the throne, that would mean that my life up until now was wasted, and the rest of my life would be wasted, as well. I can accept marrying a man I don't love, but I can't accept a meaningless life."

"But Merelinda, you're to have a child! Your life will never be meaningless, you'll be a mother with a child to love you and depend on you." He was frustrated that he couldn't get through to her.

Merelinda looked at Jareth with tears in her eyes. "That scares me more than anything else. I'm selfish, Jareth, I freely admit that. I'll make a terrible mother. But I will make a good Queen."

Jareth only shook his head at her, disappointed that she felt that way. "I don't know what else to say to you, Merelinda, except that I beg you not to make this mistake."

"Well, Jareth, it's my mistake to make. I only came here to inform you of my wedding, and to assure you that I wish you and Sarah nothing but happiness. I wish you all the happiness I will never have," With that, she turned and fled the room.

Jareth stared after her, knowing he would probably never see her again. He felt an aching sadness over the loss of a once-dear friend. "Good luck," he said quietly to the empty room.