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.
Chapter 24 – Pawn to Queen 4
"You know you didn't give me your opinion on my efforts of being you." Sarah said some time later.
"You distracted me."
"But you're so very easy to distract…" Sarah said kissing her king again.
"If you don't stop that I might have to get distracted some more." He said breaking away from her kiss and climbing from the bed.
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked sitting up.
"The kingdom does not run itself, no matter how hard I try to ignore it." Jareth said shrugging into a fresh shirt.
"Will you be long?"
"The rest of the day most likely. Don't go getting into trouble, and don't…" Jareth looked up at Sarah who pouted at him and sighed knowing exactly what she was thinking.
"If you do insist on returning to the Aboveground, then you will need to be back here by sunset. If you're not, then I suggest you start running, because I won't be happy." He said frowning.
"Yes Your Majesty." Sarah jumped off the bed and kissed his cheek as he walked past her to pick up his other boot and disappeared into the dressing room, returning several moments later wearing a soft, shimmery rose coloured gown.
"Be good." Jareth said frowning again as Sarah smiled at him slyly.
"I'm always good." She smirked before disappearing, a cloak thrown over her arm and her crown in her hand.
Shayéne was a hive of activity as she entered the main courtyard of the palace, furniture and piles of moulding rubbish littered the square and she had to negotiate her way carefully over to where Isenith and Rohaéim were stood discussing the uses of a strange wooden implement that sat on the ground in front of them. She couldn't help but laugh at some of the ideas for its use they were coming up with.
"Its from the Aboveground." She told them finally, as their store of random ideas ran out. "It's really very old, but women used to wash clothes with it." She said explaining. "Imagine a big bucket, filled with water and soap, and your laundry… then you stick this in, with the fork ends into the bucket and twist it… I think." She said shrugging. "Either way, I'm really not sure that anybody round here will require it."
"I should hope not!" Rohaéim chuckled.
"Though you'd be surprised at what people do classify as needed…" Isenith said darkly in a fair imitation of Jareth as he sulked, watching several children trying to unroll a huge mound of material that was more hole than rug.
"Was any of it useful?" Sarah asked trying to hide the dismay in her voice.
"Oh yes! We're not going to run out of firewood any time soon." Rohaéim snorted nodding towards the piles still around them.
"A lot of it was in far better condition that we first thought. Most of the residences have basics of everything now, and we can get more through trading." Isenith said over Rohaéim's chuckling.
"That's good. I'm glad that everybody has at least one or two things from Shayéne's past. Has there been anybody…"
"Too many. There's a caravan making its way towards us from the western edge of the Goblin Kingdoms. They must have slipped past Magénne's border guards."
"Just so long as they are only people who wish to settle here, and not a hidden army."
"No chance of that, and we have wards up across the whole country. Nothing comes inside Shayéne's borders that we don't want here." Rohaéim said, his smirk vanishing.
"Take me, I want to see this caravan." She said.
"Are you sure?" Isenith asked.
"I'm sure." She held her hand out to him so he could take her through the veils. When they reappeared they were standing on a small outcrop of rock looking down a long open valley with a wide road winding itself through the middle. Along the road, surrounded by dust and the sounds of people and animals came a fairly substantial caravan.
"Hardly something you could sneak past the border." Sarah laughed.
"Its grown, there were 3 or 4 smaller groups that have merged." Rohaéim said as she nodded.
"Can you sense any kind of danger or intent from them?"
"No. Just a lot of poor, hopeful people. Some mining families, farmers, weavers, basic traders."
"I'd like to speak to them."
"I don't think King.." Isenith started to speak.
"Jareth knows. Don't worry, I'm not going against his wishes." Sarah smiled reassuring them both.
"Doesn't he know what its like to be bonded?" She asked silently.
"No. One day he will understand. When he finds his own mate." Came Jareth's reply, touched with love and deep affection which she returned.
She placed her crown on her head and accepted Isenith's arm as they guided her down the hill to the road where they could meet the approaching caravan.
It took them some time to slow, and then stop as they saw the three of them standing in their path, the lead caravan shouting and passing the message down the line. Sarah noted gladly that there were some small children amongst the older generations. Armies coming to invade rarely brought such young children, not when children were so precious in the Underground.
3 men and a woman left their wagons and families and walked up towards where Sarah, Rohaéim and Isenith stood all bowing low as they reached them.
"Please forgive us Your Majesty, for entering your Kingdom in this way." The woman said standing back up and placing her hand over her heart.
"Our intent is not one of secrecy, but of hope that here in Shayéne we will find a home that is far superior to the ones we have left behind in Tilingdor and Magénne."
"We are hard workers Majesty, we brought tools and supplies. All we want is a chance to work, to improve our lot." One of the men spoke up, also placing his hand over his heart.
"Shayéne needs loyalty, and a willingness to work hard, to benefit everyone." Sarah said nodding thoughtfully as she considered their words. Like Isenith she could not sense anything but honesty from them.
"For a home that is safe, and healthy, our loyalty and hard work are yours Majesty." The woman said.
"Then I welcome you to my lands. Follow the road, it will bring you to the city and to safety. Isenith and Rohaéim will ensure you have homes and food and work." She said motioning to them both as the men and woman stood before her nodding in relief.
"We are grateful. We will not disappoint." They bowed low again before walking back towards their waiting families to share the good news.
"Well that was easy." Sarah said.
"Let us hope that any others we might get will be the same." Isenith frowned.
"We can't afford to turn away hard workers if we want to get the mines back up and running properly." Rohaéim replied clapping Isenith on the back. "Don't be a pessimist."
"He can't help it, he's had to put up with Jareth for too long." Sarah laughed.
"I'll leave you to it then. Call if I can do anything!" Sarah smiled and stepped backwards through the veils, feeling a hidden cold breeze across her face. It was raining when she walked out into the side street and drawing her cloak further around her shoulders Sarah quickly changed to her raven form, letting the rain slide off her feathers as she flew up into the cold air.
She paused for a while and perched on a rusting railing at the back by an open downstairs window of a random house, listening with curiosity to the comings and goings of the people inside. She was just getting to an interesting conversation when a skinny tabby cat jumped up at her. She cawed at the cat, and took flight as it leapt for her again. She flew randomly across the busy city and eventually found herself out in the suburbs, flying over a familiar townhouse. Sighing mentally she dropped and landed on the patch of scrubby lawn at the front of the building and pretended to be looking for worms or something whilst she listened.
"I'm sorry Mr Daveere, I haven't yet seen James, and as soon as I do I'll give him your message. Sorry again for the trouble." Karolyn said snarling under her breath as she slammed the phone down. "Stupid men."
"Karolyn? Have you seen James at all today?"
"No Chris. He's still upstairs. Refuses to come down. Perhaps he needs to see a shrink." She said nastily as her fingernails clacked against the keyboard.
"He's going to have to come down at some point, he's loosing his clients. What's up with him anyhow?"
"Some stupid bitch who used to be a client came round a couple of weeks ago and messed with his head."
"Well tell him if you see him I can't keep… hello, can I help?" Chris asked turning to see a furious Sarah glaring at him from the doorway.
"Not really, but thanks for asking."
"Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm the stupid bitch." She said with a straight face. Karolyn had the grace to blush slightly. "My names Sarah, Sarah Williams." She continued holding out her hand to Chris.
"Williams… not the…"
"Yes. That one." She icily, stalking past them, her cloak flaring out in her wake as she strode up the stairs.
"Wow." Chris said before returning to his office. "I'm not surprised James needs some time off with her around. What a killer!"
The apartment door was locked as Sarah reached the top, and instead of banging, she ran a finger over the lock and listened for it clicking. Magic was such a useful thing she thought to herself as she walked into the apartment and closed the door behind her.
The apartment was in darkness, the blinds and shutters all closed over the big windows. She tried not to breathe too deeply in the festering smell and made her way further into the sitting room. Flicking her finger at the windows she opened the blinds to let in some fresh air, and some light and found James blinking on the sofa dressed in a pair of cut off jeans and far too large t-shirt.
"I told you Karolyn, sod off. And close the damn blinds on your way out!" He groaned reaching for a fresh can of beer, staring morosely at the flickering TV.
"You're disgusting." Sarah said flicking off the TV. "Get up, go take a bath and for god sake stop drinking that shit." She snarled.
"Jesus Christ Sarah!" James gasped climbing unsteadily to his feet. "I didn't think you'd come back! Oh my god! You've come home!" He laughed spilling the fresh can and dancing towards her. Sarah took careful aim and punched him in the face.
"Fucking hell! What was that for?" James shouted when he came to sprawled on the floor, hanging on to his bleeding nose. In her head she ignored Jareth who was laughing his head off.
"You're a lying shit. All those talks about being strong, and moving on. You can't even act on your own advice."
"What?"
"Look at you, wallowing in your own self righteous pity. I came back to apologise for misleading you. But I'm not going to. You frightened me James. I thought you were my friend, but you couldn't see beyond your own feelings." She said throwing a towel at him.
"I am your friend! I love you!" He whimpered stuffing the towel under his nose.
"You may love me James, but I don't love you. It's the truth. I came back to make sure you're OK, which obviously you're not."
"I just wanted…" He muttered behind the towel.
"You're such a mess! The business is going down the drain because you can't get over it."
"I just want my life to be with you."
"You knew you couldn't have that. Why can't you understand?"
"Because I know you love me really. I know you Sarah."
"Oh get over yourself. I'm sorry James, but you need to know the truth."
"What truth?"
"Look at me." Sarah said commanding him to be still with a no nonsense tone. James sat up from leaning against the back of the sofa and looked into her eyes.
"What… what has he done to you?" He whispered in awe.
"He didn't do this. I'm not human James. Its not some kind of miracle that I can walk again, and that the scars I had from the crash are all gone. I belong to Jareth, I am a part of the Labyrinth. Now do you understand why I can't stay here?" She watched as he nodded dumbly, not taking his eyes off her own, whirling pools of darkness and starlight. "I'm sorry. But I had to know that you understood." She said as he finally turned away.
"Please go." He whispered. "I don't want you to see me like this."
"Too late. Just get yourself back together again and everything will be OK." She said reassuring him.
"Will you ever come back?"
"Maybe, just to visit." She faded from view and James sighed before getting shakily to his feet and stumbling over to the bathroom to sort himself out.
Sarah could feel the Labyrinth resting, the sun sitting at the western edge of the kingdom, almost waiting for her to return.
"You're late."
"The sun hasn't set yet."
"That's because I told it not to." Jareth turned and watched her as she walked towards him trying to clamp down on the fear in his heart.
"You didn't have to do that, I promised you I'd come back." She whispered enveloping herself in his strong arms gratefully, kissing away his fears. "I belong here. I belong to you." She said nuzzling his neck.
"Good. Come dinner is ready." He said rising and taking her cloak from around her shoulders and leading her to the small dining room, already occupied by Theo and Lucia.
"Hello Auntie! Long time no see!" Theo giggled handing Sarah a glass of wine as she stepped through the door.
"Theo are you drunk?"
"Not really…" He laughed again, "I'm still revelling in the vision of Elindah and Joránn getting a whole bunch of whoopass! You can't believe the amount of gossip and rumours that are circulating in the court now."
"No doubt you can turn them all to your advantage." Jareth remarked dryly as he sat down at the table.
"Too right. I am the most wanted Fae in the court and its all thanks to my beautiful Auntie here." Theo said grabbing hold of Sarah and dancing her around the table.
"Please Theo, spare us your dancing at least." Lucia said wincing at her son. Theo sighed and put Sarah down again, sliding into his chair and pouring more wine as the food arrived.
"So, what are you hoping for first, a boy or a girl to be heir of Shayéne?" Theo asked as Sarah choked on a mouthful of wine.
"Pardon?"
"Don't tell me you can't tell." Lucia asked looking up in surprise. "You really didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"You're pregnant my dear! Still in the very early stages… but we can tell. Of course it's the females choice of what sex she wants, but its such good news."
"You both must have been at it like rabbits!" Theo sniggered. "Must be a record! Normally it takes ages, but then I guess you're a bit different." He said winking at Sarah who had gone rather pale.
"Where do you get such crass statements from Theo?" Jareth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why from you Uncle Jareth! It's all that time you left me in the Aboveground. It played hell with my upbringing."
"What upbringing was that darling?" Lucia asked looking at her son in curiosity.
"The one you and daddy didn't give me." He replied grinning.
"Oh, that one."
"I'm sorry, you're telling me I'm pregnant?"
"Yes, of course dear, didn't we just cover that bit?" Lucia asked confused. Sarah shook her head and then fainted, falling off her chair into Theo's lap.
"Apparently not quite enough." Theo said laughing and hoisting Sarah back into her chair as Jareth stood and picked his wife up.
"You're all cruel, cruel people." He said taking her over to a couch and laying her down.
"You can talk. When were you going to tell her?"
"I wasn't until she found out herself." He growled pushing her hair out of her face gently.
"You need to make her eat more. Sex really isn't healthy alternative to eating." Lucia told Jareth as she continued to eat.
"Depends what you're eating." Theo collapsed into giggles in his chair as Jareth smirked.
"Will you two ever grow up?" Lucia sighed rolling her eyes.
"No." Came the reply from both of them.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Sarah whispered looking up at Jareth.
"Nonsense. Come back and eat your dinner, we can discuss this later, and no more wine." He said reprovingly as he walked her back to her chair. Sarah sat and gazed into the depths of her vegetables trying to work out how they all knew except for her.
"They aren't going to eat themselves you know." Theo said after several minutes of silence.
"Hush Theo." Lucia said quietly pouring them more wine.
"I'm pregnant." Sarah whispered.
"Yes precious. We really did get past that bit already." Jareth said touching her cheek again.
"You don't understand. They told me I couldn't. They told me I'd never be able to have children, after... I can't remember. I shouldn't be able to get pregnant."
"Nonsense Selindé, of course you can get pregnant. I should know, I made your body for you after all." Lucia said smugly as Sarah looked up at her.
"Oh, I think I forgot… The Seelie, it… took some memories away." She said quietly trying to comprehend the news. She looked down and touched her tummy.
"There was nothing left to fix. What's the point in doing emergency repairs when you can have a whole new upgrade?"
"I think I... I need to be on my own for a while…" Sarah said getting up and walking swiftly through the veils before Jareth could stop her.
The Labyrinth was still warm though the sun had set as Sarah walked through the long passageways and corridors in the dusk light, stumbling occasionally on the uneven footing. Her head, still spinning from the news that Lucia had blithely given her refused to make sense of anything, and the Labyrinth, sensing her unease rippled around her, pathways changing at random, sending her in circles until she frowned and told it to behave.
"Stop it." She said in frustration to nobody as a new passageway opened itself before her, a shining corridor of mirrors, with thick black ivy trailing down and covering some of them. She walked forward cautiously, catching glimpses of her pale face reflected in the now moonlit mirrors.
"Hello Selindé."
Sarah stopped and looked at the uncovered mirror at the end of the passageway. There was somebody else within, but she couldn't make out a face, just a glowing body like shape.
"Its you." Feeling a bit dumb she said in recognition as she walked further forward until she could see herself reflected beyond the glowing creature. The creature chuckled.
"You're much braver than Jareth was."
"How so?" Sarah caught another glimpse of the creature in a mirror behind her as the labyrinth changed again, blocking her into the roofless room of mirrors.
"He refused to acknowledge me for many years."
"I think I had a better upbringing than he did." Sarah said as the creature chuckled again.
"Yes. I can imagine so. Though the saying 'don't talk to strangers' doesn't really apply any more." Sarah shrugged and turned as the creature moved from one mirror to another.
"I didn't actually catch your name though…" Sarah said finally standing still as the creature continued to circle around her.
"I am nothing, I am everything, and I am what you wish me to be. I have no name."
"That's not true. They call you the Labyrinth. They call you the Lost One. They call you the Game." Sarah said thoughtfully.
"What makes you think you know me?" The creature stopped moving and stayed in the mirror behind her. Sarah watched it reflected into infinity in the mirror in front of her.
"In order to possess magic you must have a soul, regardless of whether the soul belongs to a body or not. To have a soul, to know the difference between black and white, to comprehend, you must have conscious thought. You must understand your place in the universe, be it insignificant, or otherwise. You know this, and therefore you are the Labyrinth."
"That is not what you would name me."
"No. I think, you are more than just the Labyrinth to me. You allowed Jareth to save me, to save Shayéne. You heard me when I cried for help, for somebody to save me. It is not the Seelie court that controls what my King does, whom he may bring back here and when, it is you. I'm still not sure why you let me return, and why you shared my dreams so often, but I'm grateful for the second chance. I belong to you and Jareth now, so I couldn't continue thinking of you as just the Labyrinth. You are safety and strength, you are comfort and knowledge. You are a friend, though a strange one I'll grant you." She said shrugging.
"I brought you back here because of his love. He loved you, and so I loved you too. We were lonely and sad."
"Oh." Sarah said, a little overwhelmed by this answer. She sat down as a stone seat appeared behind her and touched her tummy again. It was now very dark, though the black ivy glowed with a strange milky mist that picked out purple highlights in her hair. "Have I made him happy?" She whispered. "Is this what he wants?"
The Labyrinth moved again to float in the mirror facing her.
"More than you could imagine. We are very happy, and happier to know that you carry our child."
"So long as I live to give birth. I can't help but think that Elindah is planning something."
"You are perceptive. The Fae you speak of has been consorting with the dark ones."
"The dark ones?" Sarah felt a sudden fear leap into her chest at that name giving her goose bumps.
"You have a right to be afraid, the Dark Ones, the Unseelie Court; banished from this plane for over a millennia. Now she is trying to bring them back, and if she is successful, they will come for me, and for you, and for Jareth."
"Why? Surely now we are bonded there's nothing she can do? Why unleash them when they are so dangerous?"
"There is no other power in the Underground capable of banishing the Unseelie court. I have done it once before, and I shall do it again if need be."
"Aren't the Seelie Court more powerful?"
"Their powers are limited, and pale in comparison to my own, and those of yourself and Jareth."
"But, they bound us. Surely they must be more powerful if they could do that, and give me back my name?"
"They could do that because you let them. If Jareth wished, he could destroy the rules and petty promises they make him keep, but he doesn't, and that is why he was chosen in the first place, and why I let you return. Neither of you desire to rule the Underground, you do not abuse your gift of magic, nor do you use it to do harm."
"Why do you stay here, bound to this place?" Sarah whispered, feeling the magic surrounding them suddenly.
"Because I do not wish to be anywhere else. You have seen yourself the changes magic can cause to the land when it is controlled by your will. Imagine if it were not controlled." Sarah shuddered. "I abide by my own rules because I could not abide to be cast into chaos again."
"You're remarkable." Sarah said. "I guess that's why the Labyrinth is the way it is. You use other people's dreams and fears to create yourself a balanced world. Seems reasonable to me, but why only young children?"
"They have more imagination than older humans, they believe in magic and fairy tales. They are often the most vulnerable too. By bringing them here to become Fae, they help save our own race."
"Not to mention preventing harm from befalling them, why should I not also use them to help myself?"
"Jareth told me that nobody believed any more, that the magic in the Aboveground was fading and that fewer children were wished away."
"He was right, until you recreated Shayéne. The magic you spread throughout your kingdom went farther than you both thought. Children are relearning what it is to believe in something greater than them. They say that the Aboveground has become too advanced for fairy tales, and yet, I feel them stirring in the night, through their technology, through their ability ingrained in them to think of bigger things, they are recreating fairy tales in a modern sense. The combined magic of yourself, the children of Shayéne, and Jareth has spread throughout the planes, and has rekindled the belief.
"Can you tell?" She touched her tummy again in distracted fascination and confusion.
"That you carry new life beneath your breast?" It watched as she nodded.
"It is barely more than the faintest whisper. It will not be long before you learn to hear its heartbeat for yourself. You are as a child yourself with your skill in using your magic. As yet you have learnt to manipulate the reality around you, but have learnt nothing of the refined skills needed for healing. In time you will master this too." The Labyrinth turned away from her and looked into some greater distance.
"You should return to the castle. He has just returned just returned with another child."
The mirror in front of her flickered, showing a hazy image of Jareth holding a crying baby in his arms, stalking through the castle towards the throne room. Sarah realised belatedly that whilst she had been talking to the Labyrinth she had not been aware at all of Jareth, and it suddenly frightened her.
"Stop watching me!" He shouted back over his shoulder, anger colouring his voice as he sensed being watched.
"He is upset." Sarah said rising to her feet.
"He can not stand the fact that these children are unwanted." The Labyrinth told her.
She didn't hesitate before stepping through the veils, catching herself before she ran into the back of Jareth.