DISCLAIMER - I don't own Sarah or Jareth or the Labyrinth (unfortunately) they belong to Jim Henson & Co, and I'm definitely not making a profit from this. (Bummer) All other NPC's are a figment of my own imagination.

A/N – Hope this makes what's going on a little clearer! Thank you to all my reviewers!

Chapter 18 – Explanations

She lay in her bed clutching onto a cup of tea and watched him looking out into the storm grey skies.

"Did you win?" She finally asked, breaking the silence. He turned and nodded, walking back to the bed and sat down, leaning against a corner post.

"Tilingdor has fled for now. His army is no match against the Goblin hordes, yet. There are other kingdoms that would like a share of the wealth of Shayene. I have no doubt that he will gain help should he ask, and before long he will send a petition to the High King claiming the land as his own by default."

"What is in Shayene that makes the country so valuable? There's nothing there, no cities, no towns and no people, in fact there are more mountains than anything." Sarah said remembering the mountainous terrain from the map.

"There was once a city in Shayene that was even more beautiful than the High Kings. Shayene's wealth lies in its heart of diamonds and veins of gold. The Fae race loves nothing more than showing off their riches with fine jewels."

"Why does the city no longer exist? Why is Shayene under your protection?"

"There in lies the heart of all of our problems, mine and yours. It is a long story…" Jareth sighed looking back out towards the windows.

"You keep telling me I have all the time I need." Sarah whispered putting her empty teacup down on the bedside table making him jump.

"Shayene's people were more beautiful and more graceful than any other kingdoms. They lived and breathed Shayene's air and touched its beating heart every moment of their lives, until Tilingdor took a fancy to its riches. The Goblin Realms and Shayene were as much alike as water and air, but through mutual trust we forged an alliance sworn by blood and marriage."

"Were you married?"

"No. My brother Renálinor was married to Joslyne, first daughter to the King and Queen and heir to Shayene's throne, as my brother was to the Goblin Realms. 15 years we lived in peace and prosperity, the goblins providing Shayene with much needed help in the mines and safe passage to the golden markets of Kel-Thályn in the east. Tilingdor, or at least Tilingdor's King plotted in secret with his allies, and cut off Shayene's mountain passes, advancing and killing every living thing he came across. Nobody escaped and Shayene's city knew nothing of the advancing army until it was too late. The goblin hordes followed behind Tilingdor and began wiping them out from the rear, but they were not fast enough. Tilingdor reached the city and laid waste to its golden halls, filling the streets with blood and death. The royal family were the last to be slaughtered as they were made to watch the destruction of everything they had created. Renálinor was killed with them."

"I don't understand how I fit into this, and how you do too."

"Patience is a virtue you obviously do not possess." Jareth said glaring at her. "Days before the attack Shayene's Queen had given birth to a child, they were overjoyed by their new daughter, thinking that they might never be able to have more children after the difficulty she had had birthing the first. She was beautiful, but tiny, and I was there when her father brought her out for his people to see. I managed to get to the family before the palace was penetrated, but knew we wouldn't be able to defend against Tilingdor. Shayene's king gave me one last order. To take his daughter to safety and to take Shayene as a guardianship until his daughter was old enough to return to take back her kingdom. He handed me several things including her birth records, and Shayene's most important documents to keep until they would be needed, and a bracelet that would let her unlock the secrets of Shayene."

"Why didn't everybody just leave? Surely they didn't just stand there and wait to be killed?"

"Tilingdor had woven a mesh over the city, anybody that was in the city could not leave like that. Since I had not been there when the mesh was put in place, I could still get in and get out again."

"Why didn't you take everybody with you?"

"For exactly the same reason. I was able to take their daughter because she had no magical abilities, no magic and the mesh cannot prevent you from leaving. I took their daughter and swapped her for another, giving the baby to Shayene's Queen just before Tilingdor broke through to the throne room. I barely escaped." Jareth said quietly, staring at the ceiling.

"How could you have left them?" Sarah asked.

"I didn't have a choice. Somebody had to protect Shayene's interests, and I was the only one could protect their daughter."

"Where did you take her?"

"To the Aboveground."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with this would it?" She said angrily, throwing him the letter from her mother. He opened it and read the legible parts, sighing and running his fingers through his hair.

"I didn't think she saw me." He said finally, handing Sarah back the letter.

"That's it? That's all you're going to say? You sentenced a child to death just to protect me? It wasn't ever my fault was it? My mother, oh my god she's not even my mother! The woman you gave me to and stole her baby, no wonder she never wanted to be with me! All my life I've always thought that it was my fault, that there was something wrong with me! Why didn't you tell me when I first came to the Labyrinth? Why didn't you tell me then?" She wept, angry and upset.

"You were too young. I did not want you to return then, the Seelie court and the High king would not have let you return to Shayene."

"Now I don't belong to anybody. I have nobody. The photographs in the box belong to somebody else's family and I'm all alone." The weight of Jareth's explanation crashed down around her and she cried for her lost family, for the life she had never known and for all the times she had been scorned by the woman she had always believed to be her mother.

"That's not true." Jareth told her as he scooped her up into his arms. "You belong to me now, and I won't let anything happen to you. I warned you that you'd hate me Selindé."

"I don't hate you." Sarah sighed wiping her eyes. "Will you take me there? To Shayene?"

"Not now. There are things we must set in motion before Tilingdor can pre-empt us. I must speak to the High King and…"

"Who was in your contract?" Sarah asked suddenly looking up at him from where she lay in his arms.

"One Selindé Al'Shayene." He said looking down at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"But I'm not her."

"Not yet. We must remedy that tonight when we meet with the High King."

"Why do we have to go back there?"

"He must formally announce you as Shayene's heir and Queen. Finally putting to rest all the gossip and suspicion that has dwelt in Shayene's silent halls for 25 years."

"How will they be able to tell that I am who you say I am?"

"Fae can not lie."

"Are you sure?" She asked sceptically wondering why she didn't feel any different now she knew everything than what she did a month ago or 10 months ago.

"When James asked you if you loved me, would you have lied to him?"

"I tried, but I couldn't. I guess I am Fae."

"Finally the girl understands." Jareth said rolling his eyes.

"Jareth?"

"Mmmm?"

"I don't know how to be a Queen, I've only ever been a black sheep."

"Its not too hard, you are a woman. Being a Queen is in your blood." He ducked as she went to hit him.

"Are you going to even ask me?"

"No. As you rightly said, you are in no position to accept or decline a petition since you are not yet a recognised Fae, nor are you Queen, and since I am a King I don't have to ask you anyway, you should be honoured that I have chosen you."

"Why you arrogant…"

"Please Sarah, you have much yet to learn about our culture. Our women are our possessions, and we take great care of them, but they have no rights. Even after you become Queen, you will have no control over your kingdom, as it will become mine when we have married." Sarah pulled away from him, shocked at his attitude.

"I don't believe you can say that with a straight face. You're telling me that even after you've released me from slavery, once I marry you, I'll be your slave anyhow, only with a piece of paper that gives me a title?" She laughed, thinking he was teasing her, but stopped as she looked at his hard eyes.

"You will have to learn quickly if you are not to make a fool of us in public. You will have to spend more time with Lucia and learn how to be a good wife and a Queen."

"You're taking the piss. I may bow to you now because if I don't you'll hit me, but if I'm going to be your wife then I'm certainly not bowing down to you. You have no power over me Jareth. I'm your equal." She said quietly, trying not to shout at him.

"You may be my equal when it comes to the Labyrinth Selindé, but you are gravely mistaken if you think I can't control you." He said narrowing his eyes. Sarah glared right back at him, and refused to wipe the tears of pain away as he did something to her, making her unable to even gasp for breath. He finally sighed and shook his head, releasing her.

"If you ever do that again," She whispered, turning away from him, trying to control her fear. "I will never give you what you truly want from me. I may be your slave Your Majesty, you may force me to be your wife and take my body as your own, but I won't ever give you my dreams. Without them I will still be able to escape from you, and you won't be able to follow if I don't want you to."

"Then you have to understand that I hurt you because you need to know. To learn and understand what your life will be like. I promise you Selindé, I won't ever do that again, but you can't push me around, you're a manipulating bitch when you want to be, and I give in to you more than enough already. I have to tell you that it hurts me just as much, if not more than it hurts you, everything you feel, I feel too. You also have no idea what I truly want from you."

"Am I such a burden? Perhaps you should marry Elindah after all, you can have Shayene, I don't want to be a Queen."

"I should beat you black and blue for saying that. I have sacrificed 25 years of my life, and the respect of my peers for you and you dare to tell me that you don't want to be Queen? After everything I have done to make sure you survived and were cared for. The battles I have fought for you, I even reordered time and destroyed the Labyrinth just for you." Sarah grunted and ignored him wrapping herself up in the duvet. "One day Selindé you will thank me for everything I have done for you."

"Haven't I already?"

"You know, its not you who should be worried that you're not good enough. Everything I do for you throw back in my face." He sighed looking back out of the windows.

"What happens if Tilingdor…"

"We will deal with that if and when it happens." Jareth said climbing off the bed and going to the desk. He sat and began writing letters, calling for Isenith who appeared and looked curiously at Sarah before disappearing, clutching an armful of papers.

"I'm going for a bath." She said getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom.

"No drowning yourself."

"How many times do I have to tell you I was having a bath, not trying to drown myself?" She sighed as he glared at her across the room before she closed the door on him.

"You are a queen." She whispered to herself several minutes later as she stood naked in front of the mirror as the bath filled, sending clouds of steam into the air. "My name is Selindé and I am a queen." She snorted quietly and wiped away some of the condensation on the mirror. "Don't kid yourself girl, you're a novice and you're out of your depth. You're going to stand in front of them all tonight and be laughed at, or slapped. Either way its not going to be a pleasant experience… but you do get to marry your king in not quite so shining armour… if they let you live, if he lets you live." She sighed and wished that she had blonde or white hair like so many of the other Fae women she had seen in the High Kings city, but amended to herself that since she had been different and out of place all her life, having different coloured hair really shouldn't phase her. She climbed into her hot bath and let it soak away the aches and pains that she had accumulated in the past few days, thinking sadly of how she must have hurt James.

She screeched and covered herself as Jareth flung open the door.

"If I hear you thinking about that pathetic mortal again I'm going to do something rash, like wipe your memories. I swear I'm going to have to knock you out before tonight." He scowled at her as she flashed a rude sign in his direction and slammed the door behind him again. She turned and pointed the same finger at the door and made it lock.

Jareth went for a walk out in the Labyrinth to try and get as far away from the girl in his head as possible, but couldn't help but blush furiously as she made him regret walking in on her again by flashing lots of very rude thoughts into his mind. He smirked and vowed to himself that once she was his wife he'd make her pay for putting so many thoughts into his head. Jareth went back to his study and waited for Isenith to return.

Sarah finally climbed out from her cool bath and wrapped a soft robe around her before going to find Lucia. The Orangary smelt just as heavenly as it always did, but its intoxicating smell grew almost overbearing as Sarah had to walk deeper and deeper into the Orange tree grove before she found Lucia kneeling by a new shoot, protecting it from the parrots overhead with some netting.

"Hello Lucia." Sarah said, trying not to startle her.

"Hello Sarah." She replied standing up smiling. They caught each others eyes and Lucia's smile faded. "Oh Sarah, what has he done!" She cried holding out her hand to touch Sarah's brow.

"I am bonded. I had to Lucia, it's a long story, but Jareth isn't at fault, I made him." Sarah said sighing. "Its OK, really, and you don't have to call me Sarah any more. I know what happened." Lucia nodded, her eyes full of sympathy.

"He has always carried his pain deep within his heart. Perhaps now you can help take that pain away."

Sarah nodded mutely as they made their way back into the open glade.

"I wanted to ask you if you would help me dress for tonight… I'm somehow meant to be the Queen Jareth has always seen me as, and I really don't know what I…" Lucia smiled and embraced her.

"Not to worry, we will make you look perfect. The Fae court will not forget the Queen of Shayene quite so quickly as they forgot the mortal who won against the Labyrinth." Lucia interrupted her smiling mischievously. "Come let us go make you beautiful."

"Lucia? Did you ever meet my mother? My real mother?" Sarah asked later as Lucia made a few final changes to her dress.

"Only once, but you look very much like her. Shayene's people often had dark hair and eyes, and your mother was the prettiest Fae I'd ever seen until you, once I'd managed to get you looking Fae again." Lucia said grinning. "You were such a mess, I nearly didn't forgive Jareth for letting you get hurt."

"But then the Seelie Court had forbidden him to ever contact me."

"Forbidden to contact you yes, but others he could and often did. He was furious about what happened to you when… well, I've never seen him so angry."

"They never found him." Sarah said, trying not to remember what happened the night she was raped.

"They won't ever find him." Lucia said with a look in her eyes.

"What did Jareth do?" She whispered looking at Lucia in the mirror.

"I don't know, but it wasn't pleasant." Lucia said shaking her head. "Don't think about that now though, tonight you become yourself, and make my brother the happiest he has ever been."

"I hope so. What if I really can't learn to be meek and respectful to him? I don't want to embarrass him in front of the other Fae… Lucia what if I disappoint him?"

"I don't think you could ever do that Selindé. For all his blustering and acting like the King he is supposed to be he loves you deeply, and really couldn't care less if they all thought him foolish. He knows you inside out, and knows that you are strong willed and powerful. He doesn't want you to change, but he does want you to know how to protect yourself from the others. You've seen how cruel and heartless we can all be." Lucia said touching her cheek. Sarah nodded and stood up, shaking out her silk dress to free the layers from her legs.

"Thank you." She said turning to face Lucia who nodded and smile.

"You really are perfect. I have outdone myself." She laughed clapping her hands as Sarah turned back to look at the queen standing watching her in the mirror. Her pale blue silk dress flowed over her curves perfectly, and was highlighted by silver and dark blue embroidery around the tight bodice and at the edges of the skirts. Around her wrist shone her bracelet, and her hair shone with tiny diamonds and the deepest sapphires on silver strands.

"Will you and Theo be coming with us?"

"Of course. Jareth is no doubt fussing in his study as we speak, we'll join you there in a little while. Lucia said walking with Sarah to the corridor before disappearing. Sarah took her time walking the long corridors to his study, trying to order her thoughts, and failing miserably.

He was stood outside on the balcony watching the sunset, splashing red and purple and gold across the clouds and his hair when she found him. She wondered absently how long he had spent over the years watching the Labyrinth with the falling and rising of the sun.

"Too long." He said turning to look at her and smiling grimly.

"I hope the High King will let you release me, its freaky the way you do that." She said leaning on the balcony next to him. Jareth snorted and pulled a box out of a hidden pocket in his cloak and handed it to her.

"The bracelet you wear was from your father, this is from your mother." He said as she opened it and took out the ring. He gently took it from her and slid it onto her finger. "Perfect fit." He said closing the box with a snap making her jump.

"I'm frightened." She whispered looking up at him. He nodded and took her into his arms. "I really don't want to make you angry, or disappointed, I'll do whatever you tell me to do, since I have no choice, better the devil you know than the Fae you don't."

"After tonight Selindé I promise you won't ever have to worry about anything but clothes and jewels ever again."

"Careful Jareth, you don't ever make promises you don't intend to keep." She said smiling.

"This one I do." He told her, escorting her back into the warmth of his study.