Chapter Five

History

Sarah and Jareth landed in the library adjacent to Sarah's room. A wind of undeterminable source blew strongly for a moment and then died away, leaving the two in silence for a beat.

As soon as the commotion had faded, Jareth placed kisses in Sarah's hair and hugged her tightly again.

Jareth spoke with scared emotion, "Sarah, I was so afraid that something was going to harm you. I wasn't even sure you had survived-"

"I am still not sure what happened. I ate the plum and it was enchanted, like the peach from years ago, and then you sent me back home. The poison stopped working, but it still made me forget what had happened. It's all clear now-"

"How did you ever manage to remember?" Jareth interjected.

"Toby- when you sent him to me it began to jog my memory and somehow I made a memory crystal. We watched it, so now Toby understands what happened as well."

With a graceful movement, Jareth pulled Sarah onto the sofa and they sat together as Sarah finished explaining her experience.

"I am glad everything went so smoothly. I hoped that the magic could not reach you in the Aboveground, but it must have been powerful enough to carry part of the charm into the next realm. I am just so relieved that the other charm was not strong enough. I wish I could have done something sooner. I was afraid that whoever dropped the poisoned plum would be able to locate you through me. If the spell was that strong, I would not doubt that he can also read minds. Should I have contacted you, he might have easily searched for your whereabouts. Using Toby as an indirect communication seemed to work well however, and once you wished for me it was too late for anyone to find you and harm you."

"I know, you did the best you could," she placed a kiss on his lips. It struck her as remarkable how a few days ago she would have laughed at this intimate behavior. "I am much better now," she left her words to ring through the room. They enjoyed a repose from their eventful day. The clock struck two. Sarah had not even been gone for twenty four hours but it had felt like at least a week.

Jareth broke the silence, "Are you tired?"

"No. I had been sleeping for over twelve hours. And you?"

He laughed sadly, "Exhausted."

"Oh no! I must let you sleep. I will occupy myself, but I can't make you stay up any longer on my account," she began to rise, breaking their contact.

"Sarah?" his plaintive voice spoke.

"Yes?"

"I am afraid to leave you alone. Whoever gave you that plum must have some terrible grudge against one of us, and I know it will be entirely impossible to sleep a wink without knowing you are safe," he paused, unsure how to phrase the next line with etiquette. He cleared his throat. "Not to imply anything, but would you mind if we shared a room tonight? It would make me feel much more secure having you closer." Sarah tried not to smile. "What I mean to say is-"

She laughed, "I agree. Perhaps you can enchant me to sleep and we can rest peacefully through the night. I will feel much safer being near you." Sarah now felt at ease near her King and honestly felt it would be a much safer arrangement. She had faith that he would not take advantage of her without her unimpeded consent. Besides, comfortable warmth surrounded her at the idea of simply sharing a room with Jareth.

"If you don't mind, I believe we will be more comfortable in my room," Jareth broke into her thoughts.

"Certainly."

They rose together and Jareth led her just down the hall to his chambers. It was a large room with a wide balcony, enormous windows, a high ceiling, cozy fireplace, and facing the windows was the bed. It was much larger than any bed Sarah had ever seen, all in fluffy white down blankets and pillows. A black silk canopy hung over the immense arrangement. Jareth produced a crystal which he broke in his hand and her graceful, and tasteful, nightgown appeared. He handed it to her and directed her to the bathroom. As he walked off she heard him say he would change garments in his closet.

Sarah marveled at the large bathroom. It was spacious and immaculate, filling her with a sense of peace. She changed and washed her face. As she suspected, her hair was dry again with one shake. Unsure what to do with her silk pajamas, she managed to make a crystal that turned into a wooden box. She also conjured a toothbrush and toothpaste, smiling at her achievement. Once finished, she placed these in the box as well. She then set it to one side and emerged.

Jareth was sitting on a black velvet sofa, rather like the one from their dungeon magic lesson, and had started to conjure blankets and pillows. He was wearing only his black tights, which were unmercifully tight and even more revealing without any cape to distract the eye. Sarah blushed as she watched him bend to arrange the pillows. His Royal Highness certainly had a charming physique. She walked over and stood by him, expecting him to offer this to her.

"Please, you may use my bed. I will sleep here." Sarah looked at the enormous bed and back to Jareth.

"Alright," she walked over and carefully climbed into his bed. It was the most comfortable bed she had ever had the pleasure of laying upon, but incredibly large. Three more people might have fit comfortably. Laying there, she felt very alone. Jareth was still arranging the sofa, and Sarah sat up and thought of what to say.

"Jareth?" he turned to gaze innocently upon her face. He must have seen her blush, for he too began to blush. "I, well, if you are not uncomfortable with the idea, I would not mind sharing the bed with you."

He blinked and opened his mouth to speak, "Are you sure you would not feel in a compromised position? That is, any more compromised?"

"Not at all; it is a large bed anyway. I don't think I would be able to sleep here alone even if you enchanted me."

For a moment he simply stood and stared at her. Then he looked to the sofa and back to her. "Well, if you have no objections-?"

She smiled and he took that as reassurance. Seven graceful strides brought him to the other side of the bed and he slid in somewhere to her right. Sarah edged closer to him and he did likewise. A wave of his hand extinguished the lights, the moon set the room with a blue and silver glow. They settled their heads upon the pillows and let silence fall between them.

About a minute passed before Sarah ventured timidly, "Jareth?"

"Mmm?"

"I can't sleep."

He sat up a little, "Oh yes, I need to enchant you-"

"No, I feel fatigued now. I suppose the travel does that. It's just-"

"Should I move to the couch? If you are uncomfortable I can move-"

"Can we move a little closer together? After all, it's not as if we need to deny the fact that we are sharing a room." She hoped she did not sound too forward, but she could sense that he was quite touched.

"Alright."

They each slid into the middle of the bed and Jareth pressed a goodnight kiss to her lips before they settled. The black canopy lit with enchanted stars one by one.

Golden dawn was saturating the room as Sarah opened her eyes. For a moment she was startled to find herself in an entirely different room and was even more startled to find the Goblin King lightly spooning her, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. In an instant she recalled the enormously turbulent past few days and was relieved to wake with a memory. Yesterday's awakening had not been met nearly as well.

She smiled with the contrast, and nestled a little closer.

After a time, Sarah began to doze lightly once more. As a clock struck seven, Jareth began to stir. Sarah giggled when she felt him jump involuntarily, and as his own realization set in she rolled over in within his protective arm to face him.

"Good morning, my King," she said with a sly smile. "Did you rest well?"

"Good morning, my pet. I most certainly did," he responded sleepily.

Sarah giggled again as he kissed her lips tenderly. Some miraculous Underground magic seemed to eliminate morning breath entirely.

Jareth and Sarah had bathed and dressed before meeting in the King's office to investigate the attempt on Sarah's life. Sarah wore a simple red linen dress with a square cut neck line, and Jareth sported his usual striking tights, boots, open poet shirt, and resting on the nearby chair were his gloves and high-necked leather cape. Spread on a large table was an enchanted map of the Underground. The two sipped mint and honey tea as Jareth pointed out the neighboring kingdoms.

"Here to the north of the Goblin Kingdom is Desvida, the land of Vampires. There are also many other creatures that the Aboveground believe to be spirits, werewolves, and banshees. They all live amongst mortals. Some have moved to the Aboveground," he paused to sip the sweet tea.

"Do you believe this kingdom is a threat?"

"Not really. We have been at peace for many years. Occasionally we accept some of their exiled because they will not prey upon the Goblins nor can they harm Fae because of their magic. In a few rare circumstances, intermarriage between the vampires and the Fae have occurred. It makes sense because of our shared immortality. The vampires can feed without killing. In fact, it is believed that our ancestors came from the same origins.

"However, there are several orthodox Vampires that are very adamantly against intermarrying species. They believe in the sport of the kill and do not approve of adulterating their powers. A relationships with a kingdom of mixed-blood rulers would certainly bother them, especially considering my ancestry. My great-great grandmother married a vampire, though the traits have not seemed to pass through the lineage much."

Sarah nodded pensively. Jareth walked to the eastern border of the Goblin Kingdom, "This is Camelot. You will have read of it in The Once and Future King. It is a true history of the realm, including the magic and sorcery. Like the book that you doted upon," he gestured out the window to the enormous Labyrinth, "The Once and Future King is another escaped book. Somehow it was brought up to the Aboveground.

"Much of Camelot's magic originates from the Goblin Kingdom; Most of the kingdoms are connected somewhere in the past," Jareth paused and looked at Sarah, "The threat may also come form a powerful sorcerer from this realm. We are on good terms with Camelot, but some of these sorcerers are beyond the reach of laws."

Sarah set her drained cup onto the tray, "But why would anyone want to kill me? Do you have enemies that would know of our-" she stopped herself from saying 'relationship'.

"There are political reasons. If I were to marry you, it would ruin the chances of inheriting a large amount of land. Many of the more eccentric sorcerers, such as Morgan le Fay, are very greedy. They do not have the same physical bonds to the magic as we Fae have, which allows them to use their powers for… somewhat questionable motives," Jareth placed his cup next to Sarah's and turned to gaze out the window.

"I did go back to find and examine the plum after I sent you home (At that point I was rather concerned with avenging you). Worms had destroyed most of it, they are a part of the plan to remove evidence, but when I held the pit I was able to sense something. Magic often leaves a strong presence of the person who used it, and in this case I felt the presence of a dangerous sorceress named Andromeda the Beauty. She is a distant descendant of Morgan le Fay, and has lusted after the Goblin Kingdom for nearly a century. Her spells and potions keep her appearance youthful. She is mortal, like the rest of her Kingdom, but she may live for several more centuries yet thanks to some Fae blood in her veins as well as her magic," he paced back to the map and stared at it as if looking for an answer.

"But that does not explain why she would attempt to kill me, " Sarah quietly joined him and peered into his stoic face. He heaved a great sigh and looked to the ground.

"Many years ago, when she was still a young mortal of twenty-three, we were engaged."

Sarah stared at him blankly, "What?"

"Our parents had connived to let us meet each other and we did seem to fall in love," he closed his eyes as if he were afraid to look at Sarah. "We became engaged, mostly from pressuring me. It was around that time that I learned to probe minds. She had been acting strange and her parents even stranger, so I probed her mind one evening and discovered that her parents had convinced her that she should marry a king and bring royal blood into their family. Besides that, they were greedy for land and expected to inherit my entire kingdom once they arranged for my death. I broke the engagement once I discovered her true motives," he rubbed his eyes as if attempting to mitigate some blinding pain. "Needless to say, I was deeply hurt and felt entirely betrayed. It was too late to retract the powers I had given her and she had already learned quite a bit of magic. I suppose she continued learning from master wizards in Camelot, because when I next heard of her she was considered the most powerful witch in the kingdom."

Sarah was unsure whether to feel pity or infuriation upon hearing this piece of evidence, but calmed herself into remembering that it was all long before her birth and that Jareth could not have known of her existence. She slipped an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

Jareth seemed greatly relieved by this action, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Some twenty years ago, I felt an extraordinary presence overwhelm me. I felt it again when I saw you for the first time just before I came to take your brother. I tried to dismiss it, but within thirteen hours you had convinced me that you are my true love. And now," he brushed a strand of her hair from her face and kissed her forehead. "I love you, and I will do anything in my power to protect you."

Sarah felt a wave of guilt, remembering that moment as the Escher room shattered away: You have no power over me. She had wondered about that moment every night before she fell asleep. Why had she been forced to choose between her innocent brother and the man that she subconsciously knew she loved?

"I love you, Jareth. I knew I loved you on the thirteenth hour as I saw your face fade away. I hadn't had the nerves to accept what I saw until then."

They shared this moment for a long time, then kissed quickly and turned back to the map. It was difficult to allow themselves to concentrate, but it had to be done.

Jareth guided Sarah from the tower office and together they began to descend to the dungeons. He felt it would be best to continue with another magic lesson so that Sarah could have some, even if minimal, defense should Andromeda confront her again. In his mind it was clear that Andromeda had been the dark and mysterious woman that had pretended to hobble away. The presence of her magic was too strong. She had never been good at hiding her magic trails.

The walk down the tower was long and the path into the dungeon room was even longer. In affectionate silence, they navigated the stairs down to the main floor and began their journey into the east wing.

"Toby is such a remarkable child. If it were not for him, you would be in the Aboveground completely unaware of your experiences here. I don't know what I would have done. I'm sure that whoever attacked you, possibly Andromeda, would have had you killed once she found you."

Sarah stopped walking abruptly, "Can she have already discovered that I am back here with you?"

"If she has probed my mind, then yes. I have not felt anything, but she is much more skilled than most," he again reached to tame that unruly lock of hair, but Sarah stepped back, eyes unfocused in concentration.

"Then couldn't she know where Toby is?" Sarah asked with a trace of fear.

A jolt of panic shot through the room and caused a bolt of lightning to strike a tree outside.

Jareth created a crystal quickly, "We must bring him here so that he will be safe with us. Take my hand-" he added unnecessarily; Sarah was clinging to his arm already.

With a fierce wind and the shattering of crystal, Jareth and Sarah vanished away to the Aboveground.

Icy wind gushed through the open windows as a swirl of glitter, crystal, and Jareth's black cape formed into a Goblin King and a young woman. They had appeared in Toby's room. In the Underground it had been late morning, but here there was pale moonlight shining through the windows and casting long shadows across the floor.

Sarah immediately rushed through the door and into the hallway, calling for Toby. She turned and headed for her room, only to find that the door was missing.

"Jareth, where is my room?" she cried in a panic. Jareth quickly opened the hall closet so that the door pressed against the wall where her door once was, turned the handle, and closed it again while at the same time opening the wall to her bedroom. She assumed that it had been Jareth's way of preserving her presence in the Aboveground while removing any traces of her existence. However, she took no time to dwell on this. She frantically ran into the room, calling her brother.

Sarah looked around quickly, but only saw Lancelot lying on the floor. She stooped to pick him up and as she rose she noticed something reflecting the moon. It was a crystal. At first Sarah thought it was the crystal she had given Toby, but then she saw that it was solid and rested neatly next to her music box. Jareth stood next to her as she bent to examine it.

"This isn't mine…" Sarah squinted her eyes and tried to make sense of the blurs in the sphere.

"She's been here, I can feel it," Jareth murmured. "But something is not right."

The blurs began to form into the image of Toby. Sarah cried out and grabbed for Jareth. The young child was alone and crying in a stone cell that resembled the dungeon rooms at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. He curled into a tight ball on a canvas cot and wailed for Sarah and Jareth.

Sarah burst into tears and fell into Jareth's embrace, unable to breathe or speak. She fought to control her emotions and opened her eyes to look over Jareth's shoulder.

A tall, dark haired woman stood by Sarah's bed. She began to laugh softly, her low voice penetrating the silence that had taken possession of the room.

"How touching," she purred. Jareth whipped around and attempted to step in front of Sarah, who grasped his arm in silent bid to allow her to stand her ground. Despite his fears, Jareth resumed post by her side.

The woman flipped her black hair over one shoulder with a graceful hand, "You are so clouded with emotion that you can't even feel me behind you. I always could tell you were weak, Jareth."

Sarah bristled when she heard her speak. Jareth was not at all weak, and the way she seductively pronounced his name was more than she could stand.

"Andromeda. Still bitter? Pity. I always thought you were better than that," Jareth placed a hand on his hip and assumed his typical Goblin King stance.

"Don't play games with me, Jareth. I know all your little tricks. After all, you taught them to me so well," she flashed a glance to Sarah, pursing her red lips in obvious pleasure at Sarah's rising temper. She placed a hand on her hip and mimicked his stance with a feminine twist. The two exchanged steely looks.

"Give me the child," Sarah pronounced, her mind snapping to the old speech.

Andromeda laughed, her eyes closing and head tilting back. "Well well! The little girl knows her lines. Too bad they won't help her now. You will find that I, unlike our Fae friend here," she gestured casually to Jareth, "am not bound by incantations and silly word games. I rule magic. It obeys me, whereas Jareth finds the roles reversed. He is a slave to his own trade," her dark eyes met his in mocking stare.

Sarah stepped forward, Jareth grabbing her arm forcefully. "What do you want?"

"Oh, the direct approach. I suppose I only want what we all seem to desire: a friend, companion, perhaps an apprentice. It is not so much, is it? You and Jareth seem so happy together, so why shouldn't I be as well?" Her voice was sickly sweet, her eyes challenging Sarah to oppose her.

"I want my brother back," she met the stare, "And I will have him back, now."

"I'm sorry, little Sarah, but I have no reason to give back the boy. He will grow fast enough with my magic to help him, and he will fear me and love me like a fawning slave. He will be my son, my heir, the child I should have had. The child you might have had, Jareth, had you only listened to your instincts."

Jareth cut her off here, "You must return the child, you will harm him by using powerful magic. You want something from me, Andromeda. I know your sly plots firsthand."

"Sadly, you are wrong again. You never were victim of any of my plots, and you have nothing to offer me. I have taken my prize, and there is nothing you can do to make me change my mind."

Jareth raised his hand as if to make a crystal, but Sarah caught it as Andromeda lifted her own. The three stood still for a moment.

"Raising your hand to strike a sorceress? Certainly you realize your position. Either way you will lose. Fight me and I will be sure you regret it for the remainder of your life," her voice was quick with passion. There was no doubting her power of both magic and persuasion: She could easily harm either of the Williams in the blink of an eye.

She laughed as resignation set over his features. "Long live the King," she whispered in Jareth's face, then exploded into a glittering black dust that dissipated as it settled to the ground.

Sarah screamed as she felt herself falling back into the Underground.

"No! Jareth, let go! Let me go! I have to get him back, Jareth. I have to-" Sarah's face already hurt from crying. Too much had happened in the past few days and it was beginning to take its toll. Jareth's arms were around her, but she could feel no warmth. She tried with all the strength she had remaining to break free of his grasp, and started beating him with her fists. Finally he relinquished and stepped back. They were in Jareth's room again, late-afternoon light streaming through the windows.

"Take me to her now. I have to get Toby back-"

"Or what, Sarah? And how? There is nothing for you to do. You know that she will kill either you or Toby if you try to storm her castle, and if she kills you then she will keep Toby or kill him as well. It is futile, Sarah!"

"So what then? You are just going to give up and forget him? We can't do that. I can't."

"It's all we can do until she changes her mind," Jareth attempted to consol her and remain strong.

Sarah stared at him in shock, "I can't believe you! You are supposed to be the one with courage and power, not her. You are a coward, and I am not going to let her keep him. I already had Toby taken from me once because of you and I will not let it happen again."

Anger coursed through Jareth and hardened his face, "Are you suggesting that this is my fault? I beg you to mind your tongue."

"Of course this is your fault! You should have thought about Toby's safety! In fact, you shouldn't have ever even taken him in the first place. All you have ever brought me is trouble and pain," Jareth stood straight and stepped toward her. She knew she was angering him but also knew that she was making him more vulnerable. "None of this is Toby's fault! It is not fair to just let him be taken away!"

"Life's not fair Sarah, that's just the way it is," Jareth tried once more to soothe her and check his rising temper.

"No, it's not; I learned that the last time someone tried to steal my brother. But that doesn't mean we have to accept it. I am going to get my brother back if I die trying." With this, she stormed from the room and down the hall and into her own bedchambers. The door shut with a loud bang and she immediately had to force back tears. She couldn't let herself be weak for Toby. It was important that she set off at once to find him.

In the wardrobe she found some more practical clothes for the long journey she knew she would face. She pulled on the leather pants, blouse, and bodice and then started to lace up the tall leather boots. Out the window she could see the tall mountains of the east. "It's not that far…" she muttered to herself. At that moment Jareth burst into the room. She casually tightened one boot and moved onto the other.

"Haven't you ever tried knocking?"

"I need not remind you that you are in my castle and I may come and go as I wish. I will not let you go to retrieve your brother, and I have good reason for it," she continued lacing her boot and ignoring him. Jareth grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his face. Startled by the hostility, Sarah stonily obeyed. He softened his tone slightly, "Andromeda has a score to settle with me and she is manipulating you into doing it for her. You must see that you will gain nothing by rushing to Toby's aid. She will kill you if you leave this kingdom, and even if you managed to reach your brother, she would not hesitate to kill him. If you die, she will still have Toby to raise as her son and heir simply to spite me. And if she kills you, she will make the first step in winning the kingdom. I can't live without you, Sarah. I would fall apart if something happened to you, and she knows it. Someway or another she would take the kingdom from me, and then she will have won."

Sarah felt torn between her brother and the man standing before her. Not just the man, but his kingdom as well. If the kingdom fell into Andromeda's hands, any number of horrible things could happen.

Her voice crackled, "And if you go to her?"

"She will not yield to me unless I give her the kingdom," he hoped silently that she would understand the implications of such a trade. He could not deliver his kingdom to a greedy witch.

Sarah sighed deeply and stood to face Jareth, her shoulders squared and face determined. Her mind raced for some loophole. Suddenly her shoulders slumped and she fell onto his shoulder. She had come to the painful realization that for once there was absolutely nothing she could do to help her brother. She did not cry this time, all her tears were spent. Instead, she began the difficult process of accepting their new life.