AN: I continue to be blessed with the editing talents of Greenchimes. A lot of this will be about the realities of pregnancy and the struggles of still having to live life day to day. I officially was let go from my job, being one of the 28K at Walt Disney World the company had to lay off. I was there for 18 magic filled years. I hold no grudges and know it had to be done. So writing this story has brought me joy in a time of great sadness. Please see AN2 below. Reviews are most welcome/sought after/begged for!
Chapter 6: The Art of Unintentional Misdirection (Finding Joy in a Time of Forced Silence)
Life didn't stop just because Sarah discovered hers was going to change. Bills still needed paid on the apartment, plays still needed performing for her Minor, she and Cassie were pre-booked to perform the New Jersey Ren Faire, and writing her thesis for her degree had to happen if she wanted to graduate that semester. And now on top of that, she needed to find time to fit in visits to the ob-gyn every few weeks. Time wasn't slowing down to help her figure things out.
The next dream with Jareth came a little over a week after Sarah's discovery, which just happened to be at the end of her first trimester. Her stomach was weak, not from pregnancy hormones, but from nervous worry. She loved Jareth desperately, even more so after becoming his wife, yet she wasn't able to tell him her secret. Being in his presence after finding out-it was too soon to tell him anyway, she told herself. She was still in the weeks that complications showed up and pregnancies could be lost, so better to stay silent and not cause him unnecessary heartache should something happen. Better to wait until at least when the baby can survive outside the womb. She was excited to tell him and yet terrified at the same time. Plus, even thinking about telling him made her dizzy and sick to her stomach...or was that still morning sickness?
She distracted herself from the temptation of telling him by devoting herself to him, especially when he took notice of her racing heart. If he could tell such a small change in her from her thoughts alone affecting her body, how would she ever be able to hide the changes that would be happening to her because of the baby?
Jareth brushed her hair behind her shoulder as she sat atop him, her hands on his chest to steady her as he lay beneath her. She was staring down at him but looking right through him as her thoughts stewed in her mind. He wondered if he had done something to make her hesitant to take him within her. "Sarah, you're trembling like a flower. We don't have to do this."
Her eyes snapped into focus with his and she squinted as she played back in her head what he had said and blurted, "I can."
Her eyes widened and she started to blush at realizing what she unconsciously had answered aloud. She had asked her ob-gyn earlier that week if being intimate while pregnant was still possible and was happy to learn that many women had healthy sex lives even up until giving birth. So it just came out as her automatic response.
He chuckled at her expression, his fingers flexing as he grasped her thighs as she straddled him, "I'm glad, but if you aren't up for it, we can stop."
Sarah smiled softly and leaned down to kiss him as she eased herself onto him and started a steady rhythm, whispering heavily against his lips, "I'm fine."
She had thought that maybe sex would feel different being pregnant, but it was the same amazing as usual. And being normal with him afterwards was easy because he was easy to talk with normally. She didn't know why she had psyched herself out.
To get his mind off thinking of her or asking her questions as he held her against him after their coupling, for she knew he had a curious mind when he felt something was off with her, she sought to distract him by making him talk about himself.
"You know my birthday is next week, but I don't know yours. I feel bad for not asking about it before now, but when is your birthday? You always celebrate mine, but now that I am your wife, it is something I'd like to know." She let her fingers dance over the fine blonde hairs on his chest.
Jareth sounded a bit saddened but bemused, "I know Above, 1796 was the year of my birth, but I've not given much thought on the day."
"You have never celebrated your birthday?"
"Well, no. There hasn't been a need."
"No need? Jareth, you're alive. That's enough."
"No one else has cared." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter."
It pained her soul that he didn't find himself worthy of being recognized for his life. She raised herself and lifted her hand to caress his face, forcing him to look at her, "You matter. If you don't know the day, you could just pick one."
"I suppose I could ask my mother." He suggested thoughtfully.
Sarah nodded and lowered her head back to his chest. "Thank you. I would celebrate your life every day, but I fear it would fan your ego."
He laughed, "One day a year is sufficient. But truly, it isn't necessary."
"Yes, it is." She snuggled into him, "You are important to me and I want to celebrate your existence."
Days later in their next dream, he informed her that his mother gave birth to him on a rainy Monday, June 13th.
It seemed as soon as Sarah found out she was pregnant, cravings hit her hard, and they only got stranger as the weeks went on. Baby Tyton wanted her to eat things sweet and salty together. Cream cheese with brown sugar spooned onto it tasted very close to cheesecake. Pickles dipped in caramel sauce was another favorite snack. Canned sardines with a handful of leftover candy corn from last Halloween also hit the spot.
Before being pregnant, Sarah would have never seen herself eating food combinations a goblin would concoct. French fries and potato chips were also fueling the desire for carbohydrates. Cassie was quick to get on to Sarah to be mindful of how too much sodium could cause her blood pressure to rise, which would be bad for her and the baby.
Also for some reason, Sarah couldn't get enough eggs. Hardboiled, poached, scrambled, if it came from a chicken embryo, she would eat it as long as she also had hot spicy salsa on it. There was sadness with her food choices too, for foods she had once loved before the baby, she now utterly despised. With beloved Chinese cuisine, she could eat an egg roll and lo mein noodles, but she hated eating her previous staple of beef broccoli. Meat in general turned her stomach. Why was her body being so stupid; didn't a baby need better nutrition to grow?
Sarah thought that if Cassie hadn't noticed she was pregnant, she herself wouldn't have even known until maybe school was over, minus the cravings and slight solid feel to her lower abdomen. She only had morning sickness the week Cassie gave her the pregnancy test, which Sarah would have just thought was a flu strain or food poisoning. Also, other than gaining six pounds, little else with her body had changed.
The dreams were more frequent too, making every kiss, every loving caress that Jareth gave her harder to not tell him of their baby. But the moment she would start to tell him, a sense of dread would compel her to remain silent, as well as a pain in her chest that felt like intense heartburn. It was irrational and insane; she loved him so much and knew he would be an amazing father, but the words would never come. She couldn't even bring herself to tell her faithful trio lest they tell Jareth. It was as if something was preventing her from telling him; it made no sense.
Because of her intuition that the Labyrinth was behind keeping Baby Tyton a secret, Sarah attempted to trick it by writing a letter confessing her pregnancy. She tried to have one of her companions give it to Jareth, thinking that maybe she just couldn't tell him directly. Yet sure enough, through mysterious circumstances, the letter never reached him. But it wasn't from a lack of trying.
The first attempt had been when Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo came to visit at her call. She wanted to catch up with their lives, for she hadn't seen them since the day she discovered she was pregnant and they had met Cassie. Ever since they had learned that she was married to their king, Sir Didymus insisted that they bow to her and refer to her as "your majesty." Hoggle just laughed, for he didn't see Sarah any differently. Ludo stopped calling her by her name and started referring to her as "Queenie." Sarah groaned internally, feeling uncomfortable as she had hoped nothing would change between them.
"Come on, guys. I'm still me. I don't want any bowing or groveling. I'm Sarah, that's it."
"As my lady commands." Sir Didymus reluctantly agreed.
"So. Anything new with you all?" Sarah asked.
"Sir Hoggle made the most savory mushroom soup the other day. It doth warm my heart that he would share it with me." Didymus stated.
Hoggle actually blushed at the compliment, "Well, I weren't going to be able to eat it all. I made too much."
"And Brother Ludo has begun teaching his young to call upon the stones of the Labyrinth." Didymus sounded like a proud uncle. "His pups are doing quite well, except for a few splashes of rocks which made a wave of Bog water wash over the new bridge. I had to wait days for it to dry before others were willing to traverse across it. I had little need to guard the bridge those days."
Sarah laughed as she patted Ludo's arm, "You are a good daddy."
"Ludo happy," the beast confirmed.
After conversing with them a bit more, Cassie came home. Even though Cassie was kind to them, they were uncomfortable being Above with anyone other than Sarah. They exchanged salutations, then they quickly dismissed themselves. It was as though some primal instinct wanted them to keep their existence secret still.
Sarah grasped Hoggle gently by the shoulder before he could leave, "Could you take this letter to Jareth for me? Please, don't read it. It's kind of personal."
She knew saying it was personal would guarantee that Hoggle wouldn't open it as he would probably assume it was full of mushy things, which it was. Plus, she didn't want him finding out about the baby before Jareth. She handed the envelope to her friend, who stared at it a moment before switching it between his hands.
"Anything you want me to tell him?" Hoggle asked after a moment.
Sarah shook her head, "What I have to say is all in the letter."
When he popped away back Underground, a cloud of glitter fell to the floor, as did the letter. Hoggle immediately returned and tried again to take the letter with him by stuffing it in his vest, but it was no use.
On the second attempt that week, Sarah hid the letter amongst a basket of Georgia peaches she had bought at the market. Ludo was the messenger this time; the peaches disappeared, the letter remained. Ludo wouldn't return to try again because in his first attempt, he landed near the shallows of the Bog, lucky that only the long fur of his tail touched the smelly liquid. Sir Didymus helped him to cut off the offending fur, then went to tell Sarah what had happened. Ludo was too scared to try to help her again in case something worse happened.
After the third unsuccessful attempt, Sarah stopped trying as she did not want her companions to get hurt. Sir Didymus had been brave enough to attempt to arrive with the letter directly into the throne room of the castle beyond the Goblin City, yet instead he ended up landing in a lit fireplace and got singed. When he returned to Sarah to retrieve the missing letter, she was so appalled at seeing the blackened fur of his tail that she tore up the letter right in front of him and threw it away.
The Labyrinth obviously would not let the contents of the letter be revealed. Putting her friends in danger was not worth it.
Sarah still wore her mirror locket in the hopes that Jareth would come meet her in the forest on the outer edge of the university that she usually met with Hoggle, Ludo and Didymus. Since the baby bump wasn't yet showing, she wanted to be near her husband as long as possible, in any way possible. She drove out daily in the hopes that when she called, he would come. He was able to find the time to meet her in his avian form only once while he was away from the Labyrinth visiting another kingdom. He didn't appear until the eighth day. Sarah couldn't help her tears from flowing as she held him on her arm and gently nuzzled his beak. She was happy he came as she wasn't sure if he would even be able to see her since his life was busy too.
They hadn't dreamt in nearly a month, which she regretted because it was through her encouragement that he had gone away in the first place.
Sarah had been glad that the dreams halted when Jareth's presence was requested to officiate a trial in the Fae kingdom. Of course, he had honored his marriage vow to consult her on this matter because he knew it could take him being away for weeks. She had insisted that he go; anything that brought prestige to the name of the Goblin King was a vital task to complete. But even with her consent, her hormones made her jealous that his time was spent away from her. She had to convince herself that it was good for her to not dream with how heavily active her own schedule was. The months of April and May were full with writing for and then turning in her thesis, getting ready for graduation, packing to move out of her apartment with the upcoming end to the lease, and practicing the Washing Well Wench skit she and Cassie would do for the New Jersey Ren Fair the weekend after their graduation. Some time apart would give her well needed rest. However, that didn't stop her pregnancy brain from being irrationally angry with him for being gone so long.
Then, Jareth returned after a month and they could finally dream again, just in time for her 21st birthday. With her also being sixteen weeks pregnant, their dream didn't go as she would have expected. Jareth's gift to her was a nursery he had created next to his room for when their first child was born. Sarah at first was shocked that somehow he knew, but the more she asked him questions, the more she discovered he didn't know of the baby. He was just so trusting and full of faith that having a child would happen for them some day, he wanted to have the room ready for her. It gutted her that she couldn't tell him it already had happened. When she tried, her head hurt.
Jareth wanted to christen the nursery by practicing for the purpose of filling it, but Sarah's body didn't want to cooperate.
Sarah held Jareth at an arm's length away from her. "Do you ever feel like you have to pee in our dreams? I really need to go but I'm afraid I'll wet my bed in the waking world."
There was a gleam in Jareth's eyes and the corners of his lips fluctuated as he tried not to chuckle. "No, it's not happened to me. But the only way to find out is to…"
She smacked his arm, "Gross. I would have to clean up after. No thank you. This is the first time I wish I could make myself wake up. Talk about something. Distract me from thinking about it."
He smirked, running his hand down her arm slowly, "I take it my desired method of distraction for celebrating your birthday would be unwelcomed."
"Yup. It's not that I don't appreciate it. The nursery is lovely. But unless you can magic some relief to my bladder, there'll be no fun times for you, I'm afraid."
"Right then." He seemed to contemplate how to distract her. His eyes lightened when he thought of something. "How many more weeks do you have?"
She widened her eyes, thinking again that he somehow knew. "What?!"
He furrowed his brow in confusion, "You'd said your degree was nearly finished and you just have to complete your thesis. How is it going?"
"Oh," she breathed out in relief, then frowned, "There are three weeks left of school. For the most part, I don't have many classes to attend, just a few final tests to complete. And writing my thesis is going much slower than I would like. I sometimes wonder if my topic is too weak and that is why I don't have enough inspiration to write it; lack of subject material."
He grasped her waist lightly, "Can I help in any way to inspire your creativity?"
She gave him a snarky smirk, "Not any way physical if you don't want a pissed wife for her pissing herself."
He did chuckle as he released his hands in surrender and stepped back, "Would sitting down be out of the question?"
Sarah nodded, "I'm afraid to move at all."
Praise Baby Tyton for kicking and waking her up at that moment. She was able to bolt to the bathroom not a moment too late. She didn't know how much longer she was going to last before finding the answer to her unwanted curiosity.
Sarah walked with pride down the aisle and onto the large stage set up in the middle of her university's arena to accept the diploma she worked hard for. On her way back to her seat, she waved to her family in the stands and her seven year old brother waved enthusiastically back. She sat next to Cassie when she returned to her seat to await the conclusion of the event. It was luck that their names were alphabetically sequential so they could share this moment like their college career began, together.
This was the first time Sarah had seen her family in person since she had discovered she was pregnant. The last time she had seen her dad and Toby was in January to greet her little sister into the world. She invited her mom to the graduation ceremony since she was the one who had paid for tuition; yet again, Linda was indisposed. But Sarah's grandparents from both sides came, so that was a nice surprise.
After the ceremony, they all went out to dinner. Being so involved in each others lives, Sarah and Cassie shared their celebration. Cassie's parents and Ryan got along comfortably with the Williams clan. The focus of conversation was naturally on the graduates plans for the next steps in their lives. Cassie's degree landed her a job in the town of Ryan's family winery and vineyard, but Cass wouldn't start until the Fall after their wedding. Social Workers were always in high demand, so the agency was keeping a spot open. When it came time for Sarah to share her life plans, she reminded her family that she still had the fairs in New Jersey and Sterling to work during the summer. She knew they didn't consider working at the fairs a real job, even though the income she made was enough to meet her needs and wants. She also let them know that Cassie had invited her to move in with her and Ryan. Ryan saved her by saying that she had been offered a job to work at his family's winery until she could find a job to her liking. Cassie chimed in, saying it worked out well since she wanted Sarah to be on hand to help plan her wedding, which was to be held at the winery.
Halfway through the meal, baby Lillie started crying and Karen got up to change her. Sarah rose to offer to help on instinct. Karen said Sarah should stay seated and talk with her guests who came to share in her celebration; Sarah insisted she be the one to change her sister, saying she was rusty and needed the practice. Karen didn't argue with that. Lillie was five months old and this was only Sarah's second time seeing her since she was born. Because she wasn't familiar with her big sister, Lillie didn't easily cooperate being changed by someone who was virtually a stranger. Sarah panicked at first, not wanting her step-mother to hear the baby's cries and come take over, so she did her best to change the diaper quickly and soothe the babe. To her relief, Lillie calmed at Sarah's soft tones. Sarah worried that she wouldn't be a good enough mother with how hot-headed she had been as a babysitter for her brother; she wondered if she still had the cruelty in her to ever make a wish to the goblins. Calming her baby sister gave Sarah a boost in confidence that maybe she could be a good mother.
Towards the end of their graduation meal, Ryan pulled out a few bottles of wine he had brought to celebrate the occasion. Sarah declined a glass, causing her dad to tease her that she was legal now and should enjoy a glass, especially if she was going to work in a winery. She wasn't ready to tell him the reason she didn't consume alcohol was temporary due to her pregnancy. Today was not the day to share her secret.
Sarah and Cassie packed up their apartment of three years, the lease being conveniently up when the semester ended. Robert came to help them pack while Karen understandably stayed home with Toby and baby Lillie. Cassie made sure that Sarah paid attention to her body and didn't over extend herself. She practically treated Sarah like an invalid, much to Sarah's annoyance. Cassie wouldn't let her carry anything over 30 pounds. Sarah was grateful her father didn't pick up on their conversation when Sarah started bickering that she wanted to be useful. Once their cars and rented moving van were full, Sarah's dad followed them to her new home and helped her unpack.
After he helped them settle in, her dad decided to stay overnight to be able to drive safely home in the morning; her childhood home was a three hour drive away and the sun was already setting. Ryan and Cassie shared a bottle of wine with Robert over a box of pizza. Again, Sarah declined to drink. Robert made a face but said nothing of it. When getting ready to leave in the morning, Sarah's dad complained she was still living too far from home. He feared he would never see her, just like when she was in college. He made her promise to visit more often to see her brother and sister; Sarah easily agreed to the reasonable request.
Sarah's new home was a roomy three bed, two bath cottage that Ryan bought just after he proposed to Cassie. Sarah had her own bathroom conveniently attached to her cozy room, a room which Cassie said would some day become a nursery when they had their first kid. The cottage was ten miles from Ryan's family's vineyard in the rolling hills of New York wine country.
Sarah appreciated how quiet and rural the area was, but she only got to enjoy it for two days after settling in. Next on her calendar of never ending activities was the fair in New Jersey. The upcoming weekend was the first of three they were to perform their Washing Well Wench act, so it was back to living in a hotel for three weeks. Sarah assured Cassie that she felt up to it. Baby Tyton was still barely showing. Sarah would just not throw herself into the well barrel or bend over too much. Cassie agreed she would be the physical one and Sarah could tell the jokes and mess with the Guests in the audience. And joining the human chess match was out of the question this season. Sarah didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize the baby, and fighting with weapons would be too much movement. Plus there was always a chance she could get hit in the stomach in the choreography of the fights. As much as everyone tried to be mindful, in the heat of the actual fight sequence, it was easy to have a mess up and actually be hit full force. So, no battles for Sarah.
Significant others usually gave tokens of affection during times of being apart, and Sarah wanted to give Jareth something with which he could appreciate. For weeks after learning Jareth's date of birth, Sarah had been wracking her brain on what she could give her magical monarch husband who could provide himself with everything he could possibly want. The only thing he did not have was her, which she still couldn't remedy. A spark of inspiration hit when watching the movie Willow: the titular character was going on a long journey and his wife gave him her braided hair to remember her by. In the movie, the wife chopped off all of her hair as her gift, but Sarah wasn't so keen on losing her long hair. Plus, she knew Jareth loved her long hair as it was useful to him during certain congenial dream time activities.
During her last week of classes, Sarah had snuck in a visit to the History department to ask a professor what types of love tokens might have been exchanged in the time and place Jareth's parents had met. She learned that couples of Venician society would exchange handwritten notes, locks of hair, handkerchiefs, gloves and miniature portraits which could be easily carried in a pocket. Sarah inquired if the professor knew who did such portraits contemporaneously and he recommended she visit the art department. She was connected with a very talented undergrad who did beautiful, lifelike portraits but had never done a miniature before. He was excited to give it a go. After sitting for him to sketch her likeness for reference, she paid him $80 for the commission and said she'd give him another $20 if he could get it done before graduation. Thankfully, he met her deadline.
Before dawn on the morning of June 13th, Sarah sat in the hotel lobby sipping coffee and eating oatmeal from the free continental breakfast provided. It was the last day she was performing at the New Jersey Ren Faire. As she ate, she stared at a blank piece of printer paper she had obtained from the front desk. She wanted to write a letter to Jareth to wish him a happy birthday and express her love and how much she missed him. She dare not chance writing anything that might hint to her being pregnant and have the magic prevent him from reading the letter. After composing her flowery message, she asked the front desk clerk for an envelope and a pair of scissors. Right in front of the clerk, Sarah reached behind her neck to pull a strand of hair from the back of her head and cut a long section of hair off. She then folded it within the letter, put the letter in the envelope along with the miniature portrait, licked the envelope shut, and returned the scissors to the wide eyed woman who had been staring at her through it all.
Sarah then promptly headed out of the hotel and into a nearby wooded area. Though the sun had just risen, it was quite dim, the heavy morning fog still low to the ground. When she thought she was far enough away from other human beings, Sarah pulled her falconer's glove from her pocket and placed it carefully over her left hand, mindful of not catching it on her wedding ring.
"Jareth, I need you." She grasped her mirror locket in her right hand as she called out into the trees.
She heard the faint pop of Jareth's arrival as he appeared in her realm and swooped down to land on her glove. He bounced his head around to examine her as if searching for an injury.
She ran her free hand down the feathers of his wings, "Calm down. I'm fine, I just wanted to see you."
He hooted in relief and nudged her cheek with his beak.
"Today is a special day, don't you remember? Your 197th birthday."
He tucked his head and made a low sound in his throat. Sarah smiled at his humbleness and began to sing the traditional Happy Birthday song.
"I've brought you a gift." Sarah said as she pulled the envelope out of her pocket. She slightly smirked as she waved the envelope in front of him, "It's an envelope, nothing more, but if you open it and see what's within, it will confirm your dreams. Yet this is not a gift for an ordinary king who takes care of rowdy goblins. It is for a king who comes to the aid of his allies, provides for his loyal citizens, and who cares for the well-being of his wished away charges. If you want it, you must believe yourself worthy." She then moved him to look at her again, "You are worthy, Jareth Tyton. I love you."
After kissing his beak one last time, she held up the letter so he could grasp it with his talons. When he did, he hooted then flew off.
Later that evening, Sarah found Hoggle in her hotel room with a small pouch from Jareth. Within was a long lock of his hair, a small portrait of his likeness, and a note that read: "Thank you for reminding me of who I am. I love you, my queen. 'Til next we dream."
That night, the Labyrinth allowed its king to dream in order to ask his wife for a birthday request of his own.
Earlier in the day while watching Sarah work at the fair, Jareth had observed her smiling brilliantly as another troupe pulled Peaches Flode into their performance. Other than twirling her around the ballroom seven years ago, the king had never seen Sarah dance. Seeing her successfully attempt the torso movements of the women who had their stomachs bare so others could view the provocative movements of their belly muscles made Jareth desire to see her do a private performance for him.
Sarah's expression at finding herself barefoot in a burgundy and gold belly dancer costume in the dream wasn't as favorable as he had expected. She crossed her arms over her stomach and slightly curled into herself as if to hide her body from him.
He placed gloved hands on her shoulders, gently straightening her to look at him. "Sarah, you are alluring. Why does this make you uncomfortable?"
She looked down at her hands running over the thick of her exposed belly then back at him. There was a question in her eyes that she was unwilling to speak.
"Please, Precious. What aren't you telling me? What is going on in that mind of yours?"
"Why am I wearing this? I've never worn anything like it before." Her voice was quietly reserved.
"It's my birthday and I am giving myself a present."
She shyly grinned at his assured answer. She relaxed her arms and ran her fingers over the flower patterns of the embroidery on the edge of the low waist of the flowy pants. "This is beautiful. So I take it you watched me dancing today."
He slowly moved his fingers down her bare sides and placed his hands on her hips. Moving his own body, he used his hands to undulate her hips as he willed. "The way you moved," His voice thrummed low in his throat, "will you dance for me?"
The skin of her cheeks flushed a moment as he swayed her. She then looked into his eyes as she widened the circles of her hips and placed her hands over his. She next grasped his wrists, pried his hands off of her, then pushed against his chest to shove him away to make room as she began to move. She jutted out her leg to show off the movement of her ankle and hip together, shimmying a few times before alternating feet to repeat the action with her other hip. She stretched out her arms to the sky and rolled back her head, then alternated swaying her arms like branches in the wind. She slowly brought her hands down into her hair and gathered it into her fingers, then turned quickly while letting go of her hair to fly behind her as she spun. When she stopped, her hair draped down her bared back as she rolled her shoulders. She then gathered her hair on top of her head, winking to Jareth and giving him a flirtatious smile while she wiggled her hips by alternating her knees, using her feet as the anchor.
She was no professional, but imitation was the best form of flattery, and Jareth couldn't tell that she was a novice, too enchanted by her gyrations and curves. She took slow steps towards him as she swung her hips, twisting from her ribcage as she teased that she was reaching out for him. At the last second she turned away taking sensual steps around him, shifting her hips side to side with each step. She let her fingertips brush his shoulders as she passed behind him, then stepped aside when he turned to face her. He reached out to grasp her but she swayed away. She lightly laughed at his frustrated growl.
Sarah tisked and said in sultry tones, "If you want this birthday present, you'll have to be quicker than that."
The words had barely passed her lips when his hand caught hers and he pulled her to him, fusing his mouth against hers as he wrapped his fingers in her hair to keep her close. He rubbed his fingers against her scalp, causing her to moan into him. He removed one hand to inch down beneath the golden band around her waist, kneading his fingers against the bare flesh of her plush ass. Sarah gasped as he pulled her pelvis closer to his. Jareth grinned against her as he thoroughly enjoyed unwrapping his gift.
Sarah and Cassie hadn't unboxed much beyond essentials after their move because they hadn't had time. After the New Jersey Faire was over, they put all their efforts into organizing their new home before they had to work the fair in Sterling in late July. Sarah began to work at the bistro of Ryan's family winery three days a week. Once she learned the layout of the complex, she also led tours. She didn't really want to search for a career job until after the baby anyway. Ryan's brother said it was fine for her to just work afternoons and early evenings, for which she couldn't have been more grateful. She wanted her evenings free to dream with her king.
And dream they did.
Sarah had thought that being pregnant would dull her sex drive but she found she desired her husband more than ever. Having time to herself alone in the cottage during the day while Cassie and Ryan spent time together, Sarah's thoughts would wander to what Jareth might be doing, or wearing, or not wearing. Was he thinking of her to distraction like she was him? The Labyrinth, it seemed, was accommodating her by letting her take out her sexual frustrations on Jareth in their dreams as often as her hormones needed, including during afternoon naps.
Then something happened that had never occurred during their dreams before: Someone made a wish.
Sarah could tell by the erratic movements Jareth made that something had changed within him. He held still a moment breathing heavily against her, his eyes tightly closed while he cocked his head as if listening to something she couldn't hear. He went back to his task of moving his lips over her throat but a moment later the low thrum of his moan returned as he was frustrated by something. Whatever it was, he could resist it no longer. He cursed as he ripped himself away from her.
"What's wrong?" Sarah asked, looking up at him as he stood above her.
"A twelve year old twit has decided now was the perfect time to wish away his twin sisters. The Labyrinth is giving me no choice. I must wake."
And like that, he was gone.
Sarah sat up and looked around her. She hadn't wandered the Labyrinth alone in a dream since she was fourteen, in the early part of her relationship with the Goblin King where they had tried to avoid each other. Now, she didn't want to take one step without him. This section of the Labyrinth was a favorite, the place in which they had wed. But she'd never explored it, always being too busy doing other activities. She was surprised that the prospect of wandering while nude didn't bother her, but why should it? No one else was around.
She hadn't taken two steps before she felt strong arms wrap around her. Jareth's soft hair tickled her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "Now, where were we?"
"You are back incredibly fast. Did the boy take his dreams?"
"No, he ran and won his sisters back. Much like you, he wished out of frustration, not because he hated the girls. Seems he chose the correct door when he came to the knockers. He reached the castle in six hours."
"But you were gone for only two minutes."
He leaned his body against hers a little wobbly, unsteady on his feet. He sighed against her, saying slowly, "I reordered time."
She brought her hand up to his neck to steady him, "Do you feel okay?"
"To be honest, I haven't tried to use such magic since your run. I'm a bit unpracticed."
"You didn't have to come back. We'll dream again. Don't exhaust your magic for me."
"Who said I didn't want to. Both times. I will never be able to resist spending more time with you. I would place myself under a sleeping curse if it meant never leaving your side."
Sarah sighed in disappointment, "You know my answer to that is the same as your answer for me being tempted to wish my sister away: Don't do it. I'm not worth it."
"And you know my answer: You are worth every risk I take." He turned her around to resume showing her how much he treasured her.
Having six weeks between faire performances and her new job at the winery being rather effortless, Sarah felt more relaxed than she had in years. There were no text books to read, no play scripts to memorize, no rehearsals to attend. For the first time in her life, she could choose to do anything or nothing on her own terms. Being so relaxed, she was able to give herself more time to become attuned with her baby. Her latest visit to the ob/gyn was a good report; Baby Tyton had a strong heart and was properly active for her age. Her. Sarah didn't want to know until the baby was born but out popped the gender from the nurse technician during the sonogram. It didn't really matter what the baby was, as long as she was healthy.
At nearly six months, it was starting to be impossible for Sarah to hide her baby bump in strategically baggy clothes any longer, which meant she had a hard decision to make: Bikini or no bikini?
The Williams family reunion picnic was Fourth of July weekend and it was something she couldn't miss. Plus, she wanted to catch up with family she hadn't seen and to experience good food: the baby was hungry. One thing she did not take with her was her mirror necklace so there would be no chance of Jareth flying in and seeing her condition. But she felt it was time for her family to know. Of course, she had forgotten one other tiny detail: No one in her family knew she was married. Her cousins seeing her ring instantly brought up questions, and that was even before the pool party started. Once she put on the bikini and her baby bump was exposed, the interrogation began.
Sarah told the truth as much as she could: She married a man she fell in love with in February but they didn't want it known because they didn't know how their future would pan out. Jareth Tyton was from England and he had to leave when the semester was over as his student visa was up. They were working out the details, but Sarah wanted to live with him wherever he decided when the time came. She also felt it was a good time to share that she would legally change her last name to Tyton as soon as possible. She was amazed they bought her story rather easily.
Sarah was anxious of her family's reaction to her having a baby so soon after she finished school. After Karen's advice last year about not getting pregnant while in college, Sarah was sure the woman would have been critical, but instead she was just beside herself that she hadn't noticed Sarah's ring nor that she was pregnant when they had seen each other in May. Sarah was glad Karen seemed happy for her. Her father, on the other hand, wanted to know why Sarah hadn't told them at her graduation party or told him privately while he helped her move. She tried not to cry as she explained that the timing had been wrong. In the end, her father conceded she was old enough to make the decisions in her life and live with the consequences.
Watching a skit of the Royal Court the first weekend in August of the faire in Sterling made Sarah ponder on something: She was married to a king, but did that make her a queen? Would she actually rule or was she just Jareth's consort? Even though she wasn't currently able to help govern the kingdom, she wanted to be ready for when she would. But she knew very little of government in the Labyrinth itself or protocol of monarchies in the Underground. She felt it was time that she should start learning about the land that would one day be her home.
Sarah went to sleep grasping her mirror locket, willing a dream to happen.
Like in dreams of the past, she wanted to plan the setting on where they would meet and what they would wear. Most of the time, she didn't care and let Jareth take the lead, but on this occasion, she deemed it important enough that she wanted to beat him to it. Only once had she been in Jareth's study, four years ago when she had caught Jareth asleep after having fought in a war. It was the most appropriate location she could think of to have a serious discussion. She wore purple sweat pants and a University of Albany sweatshirt, something baggy to hide her ever growing belly, and something hopefully unsexy enough that Jareth wouldn't be enticed to touch her. She wanted to give her husband no purchase to distract her; today was about business, not pleasure. She also had him dress in something she knew he hated, yellow. He had once attended a Spring festival in the Dwarf Kingdom and he was quite put out by the required color scheme. It happened six years ago, but Sarah kept it in her memory for a day such as this.
He looked down at himself in disgust and then looked at her in confusion. "To what do I owe this delight?"
"I want to talk and don't want any distractions."
"You don't find this distracting?" He indicated to his gaudy garment.
"I'm in no mood for being side tracked with kisses or flirting touches. I know your vanity. You're less likely to sway me if you are focused on yourself looking hideous." She pointed for him to sit next to her on the couch in front of the fireplace. "I would like to talk today."
"And what shall we discuss?" He asked as he moved to sit beside her.
"My role as your queen and what I'm supposed to do."
His eyes flared in understanding, "Sarah, you don't have to think about this now. You have your life to live where you are; live it to the fullest while you can."
"I've lived here my whole life and it is not where I am meant to be. I will be with you someday. I want to know what your expectations of me are. Am I an acting monarch or am I just a symbol of status to hang off your arm?"
"You're implying I'd have you be queen by title only, a pretty bauble for me to parade around?"
"That's why I am asking, yes. If you tell me so little about what you do and why you do it, how am I to know what you expect of me? You've not told me anything about what you do other than rule goblins, protect the Vault in the castle, and occasionally battle in other kingdom's wars. And when a baby is wished away to the goblins, why do you have to be involved when they are the ones who retrieve the child. Plus, you once mentioned the Goblin Council run things while you visit other kingdoms, but could they overrule you? I don't know. "
He astutely nodded. "Well, all right then. Let me remedy some of that. Yes, as my queen you have equal rule and equal say in the goings-on of our kingdom. The Goblin Council would step in only if neither of us were in the kingdom. Your word supersedes theirs. However, I have the right to veto as I see fit, as is my right as head of state. I would prefer that you leave the battle campaigning to me. Though the queen of the Elves is the better fighter in their household, she does not have to worry about mortality in the same way as you. Being my queen, the Labyrinth may bestow magic upon you, but as we won't know how much magic until you're actually here, I'd rather avoid putting you in harm's way just to find out if you were made immortal. If I should go to war, you would be made acting monarch in my stead. Yet should something happen to me, it will be up to the Goblins and Labyrinth if you remain their ruler. Never forget, they could choose someone else. As for the Goblin King's duties when a child is wished to the goblins, it would be quite unfair to the wisher if the rules weren't explained properly. Goblins, as I am sure you have observed, are rather contrary creatures and would probably confuse the wisher into losing the child unnecessarily or on purpose even. Goblins can be rather spiteful. The position of monarch ensures the rules of the Labyrinth are followed."
"What about things like etiquette and protocol? What are the rules and laws of your kingdom? What are the general laws Underground morally and ethically?" Sarah was passionate in her enthusiasm to continue to ask questions.
"Sarah, why is this upsetting you?"
"I just want to be worthy of what you've given me." Sarah knew it was the hormones talking, but she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "I want to be a good queen."
Jareth placed an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side as he kissed her temple, then leaned his head against hers, "Precious, the Labyrinth wouldn't have allowed me to marry you if it didn't deem you worthy of ruling equally beside me."
"I want to learn. Can't we use the dreams for that too?"
"Hopefully not every time." He purred, taking her earlobe between his teeth.
She slipped a hand in the opening of his shirt, smoothing her hand on his chest as she leaned into him a moment, letting him tease her. "Oh no, not every night."
The next afternoon, Ludo appeared in Sarah's room with a large crate. Once she saw what was within, she understood why the beast had been the one to deliver the gift. Inside were twenty volumes of literature of varying subjects and sizes. She was glad her husband took her request to heart, although she realized that for her astute curiosity to be satiated, she would have to study like she was in college all over again. But being Jareth's wife was worth it. He had sent her tomes on History of various kingdoms of the Underground, documents on trade agreements, and even personally handwritten scrolls with descriptions for the things of his own kingdom one wouldn't find in any book. She guessed he had to have reordered time to be able to create these documents for her in less than a day. She hoped he hadn't exhausted himself too much in his efforts to appease her curiosity. She made a mental note to one day adequately repay his generosity.
"Where are we?" Sarah looked around at the strange foliage with which she was unfamiliar. Tall corn-like stalks with what looked like gigantic green blueberries the size of tennis balls were growing along the edge of a marshland; a broken stoney footpath directed where to safely traverse the land. One thing constant was the glistening sheen of glitter dusting everything, indicating it was somewhere within the Labyrinth's walls.
"I realized there are still places you have never seen of the lands you reign. Since you want to learn more about our kingdom, I thought it might interest you to familiarize yourself with it. Although, of course, I cannot show you the citizens that live in these areas. I'll describe them as best I can. Some are rather odd."
Walking the Labyrinth was the last thing she wanted to do, especially not after the events of her day in the waking world. Baby Tyton had been wiggly all day and Sarah could still feel her dancing around, even within the dream. The winery had held a wedding and though Sarah had felt fine at the time doing multiple trips of carrying five gallon kegs of alcohol from the cellar to the tent in the vineyard, by the end of the evening she regretted it. Her back ached immensely. She was in her twenty ninth week of pregnancy and working hard to hide her belly by wearing strategically placed baggy clothes. But in the dream her garments were unlike anything Jareth had ever had her wear before: brown pants of a suede leather and a flowy poet's shirt which opened to her navel with no bra underneath and thankfully reached mid-thigh, hiding her stomach.
"Am I wearing your clothes?"
"I find these comfortable to wear for long distances. As it is just us, I indulged myself," Jareth ran a gloved finger down the middle of her chest across her sternum, his eyes fixated on her cleavage, "but you can make adjustments."
She gently grabbed his finger before it could reach the swell of her belly and smirked knowingly. "Are you sure this shirt won't be a distraction while you're teaching your pupil?"
He leaned forward to whisper against her lips,"You are always a distraction." After giving into the distraction of her mouth a moment, he gained some self control and cleared his throat. She just stared at him expectantly for the tour to begin. He tapped a finger to his nose a moment. "Right. There are sections of the kingdom I would prefer you avoid traveling without myself or Ludo as we have magic to speak with the Labyrinth directly. Those without magic tend to find themselves in precarious situations; the dangers untold, hardships unnumbered so to speak."
Some of the creatures and their behaviors Sarah couldn't picture, even though she was sure Jareth was quite thorough in his descriptions. Once she saw the creatures, she was certain she would be able to recognize it based on what he said. One place she wanted to visit, especially on a day with beautiful weather, was a wide open plain of a deep blue grass, the occasional orange blossom on a lime green stem scattered throughout the field. It would be perfect for their family to have a first picnic together. Some day.
Sarah feared the next time she dreamt with Jareth, he would surely find out. At thirty weeks, there was no hiding Baby Tyton now. But when he embraced her, he made no reaction to her stomach pressing into his; that's because, when she looked down, the baby bump wasn't there. Sarah nearly fainted when touching her stomach gave no sign of a child being within her. Worse, when Jareth tried to ask what could possibly be ailing her so he could help remedy the situation, she couldn't speak. Magic, or the devil for all she knew, was preventing her from talking of their baby. She couldn't concentrate on anything save for the desire to wake up in the real world to ensure her baby hadn't been stolen from her. Jareth could do nothing but watch her act insanely as she screamed for him to make her wake up.
Gasping awake, Sarah immediately wretched into the waste bin beside her night stand. As she lay back onto her bed, she cried in relief as her hands landed on her expanded belly.
Their next dreaming had them both cautiously approaching each other, Jareth to gauge Sarah's mood, and Sarah for feeling sheepish at her previous-though in her mind understandable-behavior. She looked at her torso; again there were no signs of being with child but it didn't frighten her as much this time.
"All better, Precious?" Jareth asked as he took her into his arms.
She nodded against him, "I'm sorry. It's never happened before, but I think I had a nightmare. This summer has been really hot and working the faire must be getting to me."
"I attempted to meet you at the fair but when I arrived, I was at your new abode. You didn't take your necklace." He said it as a statement although the question was implied.
Sarah tried to keep her tone neutral as she tried to come up with a reason he would believe for her not taking the necklace with her. "Cassie was in a rush to leave on time and I couldn't go back and get it after I remembered I wasn't wearing it. I forgot to put it on because she was distracting. She's all nutsy from planning her wedding. When she's nervous, I'm nervous she'll mess up our act."
"How can I help ease your mind?"
"Well...there is one thing. But I have to show you what to do. Ever heard of a massage?" When he shook his head, she grinned. "Well, then, I think it's time to introduce you to the wonders of having one."
She pushed him down upon the narrow bed she made appear. He moved his fingers to unlace his breeches, but she stopped him. "Eh eh. There is no sex with this. Move to the edge of the bed and lay on your stomach, face down." He glanced at her with uncertainty as he turned over and hesitated putting down his head, prompting her to ask, "Don't you trust me?" She saw contemplation in his eyes before he nodded and lowered down to the pillow, turning his head with his nose facing her. His eyes tried to follow her every move. He jerked his shoulders when her hands made the first contact with his back, but once she started a steady pressure with her thumbs, she felt him finally relax. When she found a knot in his shoulder where it connected to his neck, he groaned much like she had heard him do many times when experiencing pleasure. She did deep strokes with her knuckles to ease the knot out.
"Gods, Sarah," He breathed out before moaning again.
She moved around the sides of the bed so she could rub down each of his limbs, starting with his arms. He was sensitive when she rubbed deeply into his biceps. She started to apologize but he said she needed to be more aggressive. She liked how he was at her mercy. This wasn't the first time he had allowed her to explore his body, to feel the softness of the skin of his fingers to the rougher skin on the bottoms of his heels. But this was the first time she'd done so with the intention of staying fully clothed. She was having a hard time not getting aroused from feeling and hearing his reactions. Not wanting to push her own limits, she stopped after she finished both his thighs.
"Any place you want me to rub again?"
He turned on his side and indicated to his tented groin, "I know one place you haven't gone yet."
She shook her head, "Nope. I told you, this isn't about sex."
"Could have fooled me." Be brought her wrist to his lips, scraping his teeth against her skin before growling, "This was the best foreplay yet."
Sarah couldn't help but to laugh, feeling a similar stirring as him but refusing at the moment to give in to his desires until she got what she wanted. "Well, if you are done, it's my turn. Trade places; you massage me."
He cocked his head and pursed his lips, "Alright. I'll play your new little game. See if you are so keen on being aroused and then instantly denied satisfaction."
Sarah reciprocated his expression, "If I promise we can scratch your itch after my turn is over, will that make you happy?"
"Immensely." He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood, moving to the side to allow Sarah to lay down. "So, how do I avoid causing you injury. There were moments your movements were forceful, but those were some of the most relieving."
"Experiment. I'll tell you if it hurts."
This was Sarah's goal all along. Her ob-gyn had suggested that she ask her husband to help relieve the swelling of her feet and aching of her joints through massage. The quickest way Sarah could think of teaching him had been for her to do it to him and have him reciprocate. She'd only had a massage once in her life, when she was fifteen and her mom treated her to one when she went to the spa on the cruise. She was too young to feel anything sexually stimulating from it then, but now having Jareth's hands finding aching spots that craved such attention...she too found that she had itches that needed scratching of her own. It especially felt wonderful when he reached her feet and ankles. She had him rub them for a long while before she told him he could commence with the scratching.
The next few dreams after that she ensured that he rubbed her down as it helped relieve her real pains in the waking world.
"Sarah, you have glittery visitors again!"
Sarah heard Cassie call from the other end of the cottage. She sighed. This was the fourth time this week they unexpectedly showed up. The first visit had been out of the blue. While Sarah was scrambling eggs as Baby Tyton had a craving, Sir Didymus popped right into her kitchen. She had panicked because the baby was due in a little over a month and her companions still didn't know. She grabbed a tea towel hanging off the edge of the stove to hide her baby bump. Didymus was delivering a bouquet of the orange flowers Sarah liked so much, a gift from her husband. The next day, Ludo wanted to bestow Sarah with Sarah #2's baby tusks, as her first pair of adult teeth were coming in and her baby teeth were falling out. He popped in on Sarah leaving the bathroom after she had taken a shower, the towel on top of her head saving her from exposing all of herself at the time. Sarah thanked him for the gift but didn't quite know what to do with them so just placed them on a shelf in her room. Then Hoggle came later that same day after he heard Sir Didymus boast of the wonderful smells of Sarah's cooking on his visit. Hoggle had gathered some herbs he thought she might like to add to her recipes. He came in on Sarah doing a load of laundry and she quickly grabbed a basket to hold in front of her stomach as they talked.
Sarah thought her attempts to hide her baby were rather pathetic and obvious, but her trio still remained unaware. With them and her husband still clueless, she was convinced that the Labyrinth prevented her ginormous belly from being seen by her companions much like how it prevented Jareth from seeing it in the dreams.
Now, all three of them sat with Cassie in the living room.
Sarah had been resting on her bed, feeling Baby Tyton dance. Her heart beat uneasily in her chest as she made the decision to walk out and not hide anything, mostly to test her theory. If she was wrong and the Labyrinth wasn't hiding the baby, it was time for them to know anyway. She rose and slowly walked across the cottage to face her fate.
When she rounded the corner to enter the room, she was surprised to find Ludo, Didymus and Hoggle conversing with Cassie. Sarah was a bit bewildered; usually they came together only when she called or when Jareth sent them to her. The anniversary of their meeting was still five weeks away, so she was at a loss as to what could have inspired them to come now.
"Hi guys, what brings you here today?"
As she suspected, they gave no reaction out of the ordinary to seeing her as she carefully lowered herself down onto the couch between Didymus and Cassie.
"They actually came to see me." Cassie said, holding out a box for Sarah to look into.
The box was of dark polished wood with a green velvet lining. Inside was a delicate set of blue gemmed earrings with a matching necklace. Cassie held out a note that read, "You have blessed my wife with companionship. Now I bless you with something very old but new to you, which you don't have to borrow, and it is blue. ~J"
Sarah had been talking with Jareth a lot about the preparations for Cassie's upcoming wedding. He appreciated that Cassie wanted to include Sarah in the traditional bridal experience as Sarah hadn't been able to plan her own nuptials.
"Oh, Cass."
Cassie started to tear up, "He doesn't even know me and yet he is so kind."
Sarah shed a tear too, proud of what her husband had done for her friend. "He's watched you more than you realize. Every time he came to see our show at the faire, it wasn't just me he watched performing. He saw my great partner too."
"Your Majest...Queen Sar...Sarah." Sir Didymus humphed as he still had a difficult time not addressing her formally. "We also have gifts for Lady Cassandra."
Didymus handed Cassie three metal coins of a purple color with markings with which the women were unfamiliar. Cassie smiled dutifully, then asked, "What do these do? Are they magic?"
"No, my lady. They are to help your father pay your dowry." The knight stoutly answered.
Cassie couldn't help her outburst of giggles; Sarah did her best to remain diplomatic and hide her smile. Baby Tyton made her mommy feel butterflies as if she was laughing too.
"That is a very thoughtful gift." Sarah answered, placing a hand on Cassie's knee to stop her laughter.
Cassie silenced her voice but her body still shook with her laughter.
"Here's mine." Hoggle thrust a larger leather bag onto Cassie's lap. Inside were two pewter wine goblets with fighting dragons molded on the side. "My cousin made these. She owed me a favor."
"These are awesome. Ryan and I can use these at the reception." Cassie assured him.
Ludo's gift was a pouch of what he called "tasty" mushrooms. Sarah and Cassie exchanged cautious looks; Sarah had told Cassie about her enchanted peach induced dream. If Underground mushrooms were anything like the peaches or even some Earthly varieties of 'shrooms, they didn't want to go experimenting with them. Cassie thanked Ludo anyway.
Cassie got up to hug each of them, "Thank you all for your gifts. I only wish you could come on my special day."
"Sarah, Jareth wants yous to have this." Hoggle said, holding out a small pouch.
Inside was a note: "You didn't think I'd forget my queen, did you? I look forward to the day you will use this on your first decree. ~J"
Sarah emptied the contents of the pouch into her hand: A signet ring embossed with the crest of the Goblin Kingdom. She found that it was too big for any finger but her pointer finger on her right hand. She rubbed the fingers of her opposite hand over the smooth object. "Cass, can I borrow your Yankee Candle?"
"Sure...why?" Cass asked, getting up to grab the ever present fragrant candle that made the cottage smell of mulberry from off the fireplace mantle.
Sarah held up her new ring and gave a dazzling smile, "I need the wax. I want to test out my present."
Sarah asked Ludo to help her rise off the couch; she grasped onto one of his fingers with both her hands and pulled herself up.
"Your majesty, dost thou back have an injury?" Didymus asked upon seeing her struggle to rise.
Cassie looked confused; she didn't know they couldn't see Sarah was eight months pregnant. "Of course her back hurts. She's…"
"Cass, I'm fine." Sarah stopped her friend from saying any more. She leaned close to Cassie to speak quietly, hopefully so the others wouldn't hear, "They can't see her, just like Jareth."
"So…" Cassie said loudly so as to change subjects, "What do you plan to do with the wax?"
Sarah smiled in thanks to her friend's quick understanding. She then went over to the computer desk and pulled a blank piece of paper from the printer. She then grabbed a pen off the desk and held it above her head, aligning it upon her newly adorned pointer finger. "My husband has given me a ring of power. I may make my first decree." She then lowered her arm and looked to her Underground companions. "Any suggestions?"
With very little squabbling, the trio quickly agreed on their desired change needed in their kingdom. Sarah laughed out loud when they told her and she couldn't stop giggling as she wrote her letter.
"Dear Husband,
On behalf of some of our subjects, my first decree is the implementation of an annual chicken hunting season. Apparently, this year the Labyrinth has run amok with them. Our subjects also request that if there is to be continued importation of the fowl creatures, coops should be provided so there is more control of where the smelly beasts nest.
In all seriousness, what you did for Cassie is amazing. She thanks you greatly. I'll send pictures of the wedding to you once we get them back in a month or two.
I miss you terribly. 'Til next we dream. ~S
P.S. Blame Hoggle for this one."
After writing it, she folded it, put it in an envelope and sealed it with the wax. Just before the wax fully hardened, she pressed her ring down to leave the impression of her authority. She then bid her companions to deliver it to their king.
Sarah stared at her eyes in the vanity mirror in her old room in her father's house as she clutched her necklace. Her heart pounded in her chest as she finally stretched out her hand and placed the locket in the jewelry dish before turning away and walking out of the room. She made a vow to herself, a barmy promise to not reenter that room until after the baby was born.
Just six more weeks to go before the baby was due. The battle of her desire to tell Jareth of the baby had been lost. Irrationality and forced silence had won. She wondered when she'd ever see her husband again. Without the necklace, being away from the mirror would be like the year they were apart. She didn't want to put herself, or Jareth, through that again but she felt like she had no choice. If Jareth ever really needed her, he would send Hoggle or Didymus to find her. Maybe at Christmas, when she would spend the holiday with her Dad and therefore be near the mirror again; maybe then the Labyrinth would let her tell him?
Sarah's sobs increased the further she moved away from her old room. By the time she hit the bottom of the stairs, she was ugly crying so intensely that she could hardly see through her tears to make it to the couch in the living room. Once she reached it, she allowed herself to collapse and let the sorrow flow.
"Hey, Sar. Are you okay?"
Hearing her eight year old brother made her ground herself. She took a few deep breaths and then nodded, patting the cushion beside her. "I'm okay, Tobes. Come sit with me?"
He curled himself into her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Why are you crying?"
"I miss my husband." Sarah confessed.
"Why is he away?"
"Well, when someone doesn't belong to a land, even if they want to live there, sometimes they have to wait to be given permission to return." She explained.
"But if he wants to come, they should let him." Toby said assuredly.
Sarah nodded and kissed the top of his head, "I agree. Oooh!" Sarah slightly jerked a moment, then grabbed her brother's hand and placed it on her lower abdomen and told him, "Hold really still."
His eyes lit up when he felt the movement within her, "The baby?"
"That's right." Sarah smiled.
"So cool! Mom never let me feel her tummy with Lillie."
Sarah frowned but understood. It could be strange to have others touch your body. But since she didn't mind, she said, "You can feel for the baby any time. You just have to ask."
Karen came in, handing Sarah a small bag, "These are some of Lillie's newborn clothes. With you being so far away, I wanted you to have something."
Sarah grinned slightly, "Thanks Karen. I had better get going. I want to make it home before it gets dark."
Two days prior, Sarah had made the three hour drive to spend the weekend with her family before preparations for Cassie's wedding and having the baby kept her from visiting. Cassie was no bridezilla, but while she was confident and assured about the things she wanted, she was adamant on Sarah staying by her side. Cassie told her she wanted her to help because Sarah didn't get to plan her own wedding. Since Sarah was not going to be the Maid of Honor- it was only right that Cassie's sister get that honor-Cassie insisted that Sarah enjoy helping her make the decisions for the big day. With Cassie's sister being only fourteen, she couldn't be expected to help much with the planning duties. Sarah found it fun, even if tiring, helping Cassie with her wedding. Cassie had been right; in some ways it fulfilled any need Sarah had in not being able to plan her own. In others, she felt that the wedding Jareth gave her had been perfect. The setting had been magical and her dress beyond comparison. Despite Ryan being wealthy through his family's business and that he could afford to give Cassie a beautiful ring, Sarah knew Cassie was envious of the wedding band provided by Sarah's king. Although beautiful and having a large three carat diamond, Cassie thought her ring was rather generic and did not have the personal sentiment expressed through Sarah's ring.
Baby Tyton appreciated the days where Cassie arranged to visit bakeries and caterers for food tastings. Sarah had asked Ryan if he was okay with her assisting Cassie in making the food choices; he said as long as he was allowed to manage the beverage selections, he'd let Cassie pick anything she wanted.
The wedding was a most joyous occasion. Ryan's mother had been in charge of decorations and setting up the banquet tent at the winery; it pays to not have to afford a venue when your family owned a location others booked to use for their ceremonies. Ryan loved Hoggle's pewter goblets, for which Sarah was glad. And Cassie's blue-gemmed jewelry was admired by all who saw it.
One thing unexpected was that three days before the end of her honeymoon cruise, Cassie received a call for a family emergency: Sarah had gone into labor.
To say Sarah was scared would have been an understatement. She woke up feeling something was strange. She was wet from her waist down and the sheets of her bed were sticking to her. Only when she sat up to pull back the sheets, the action causing a twinge in her abdomen, did she realize her water had broken while she was asleep. It was two weeks earlier than expected, which was nothing to truly be concerned with, but it was terrifying for a first time mother having to do it on her own. Before she left on her honeymoon, Cassie had made sure to help Sarah pack her suitcase to take to the hospital while she was packing for her trip. Cassie, however, had fully expected to be home before the baby came. Instead, Sarah had to drive herself to the hospital, breathing heavily through two contractions while trying to focus on safely getting to the emergency room.
Once at the hospital, a nurse let her call her Dad. He was at work and still a three hour drive away; at best he could be there in four or five hours. With the unexpected intensity of the pain associated with the contractions, Sarah sure hoped the baby came before he got there. The nurses told her she was already dilated four centimetres and that everything seemed normal for this stage of labor.
Being alone in the maternity ward, Sarah sobbed silently to herself, wishing that some way she could tell Jareth she needed him. In her delirium during the pain of the contractions towards the end, she imagined her husband holding her, encouraging her that she was doing amazing, reminding her to breathe as his eyes were fascinated with what was happening where she couldn't see. The nurses were nice and empathetic, but there is nothing like the comfort that family can give. Sarah held on to the knowledge her Dad was coming. He didn't make it in time.
Maria Irene Tyton was born at 11:33am on a rainy Monday, October 11th, 1993 weighing 7.6 pounds.
Staring down at her tiny creation that lay on her bare chest, Sarah couldn't help but to tear up at her perfect beauty.
"Hi, Mari. I'm your mommy."
The moment Sarah held her daughter for the first time, she knew the right name to call the baby was Mari. No need to change the birth certificate as Mari was easily a nick-name for Maria.
And like her namesake, she had a full head of soft red hair. It was too soon to tell whose eyes she had; Sarah was disappointed to learn it could take months for a baby's eye color to develop. Her upturned eyebrows and dimpled chin were her daddy's though. She had her mommy's nose and temper.
Breastfeeding was the most natural yet awkward thing Sarah had ever experienced. A nurse, a virtual stranger, showed her how to get the baby to latch onto the nipple and guided Sarah on what to look for to make sure her baby was suckling properly. And then trying to learn how to move the baby to switch sides scared Sarah. The baby cried as soon as she was moved, making Sarah afraid she had turned the baby the wrong way. It was the first time Sarah was afraid of herself, afraid to do something unintentionally wrong that might harm her child. The nurse assured her the baby was only crying because she was still hungry and that Sarah was doing fine. Once the baby calmed, the nurse left to give mother and baby time to bond.
After Sarah and the baby were settled and napping, Robert arrived. Not wanting to disturb his daughter in her first rest after giving birth, he called the cruise line number Sarah had been given for emergencies to tell Cassie the baby had been born with few complications. A birth wasn't an emergency, so Cassie would get the message as soon as she got to shore. Cassie had three more days until the end of her honeymoon. Robert also called Linda to let her know she had a granddaughter. Being on the other side of the world, Linda promised she would try to make it to the States to see the baby at Christmas. Robert declined letting Sarah know he'd even made the call.
When Sarah was asked how she wanted the baby's name to appear on the birth certificate, they allowed the baby's last name to be anything Sarah wanted, but they said they could not legally put Jareth Tyton as the child's father without him being present to approve it. As much as she tried to argue, her father reminded her it was against the law for them to include the father's name without his written consent, even if she was adamant on who the father was. Reluctantly, Sarah had to let the issue go. The important thing was that the baby's name reflected her paternity.
The lead doctor for the maternity ward wanted Sarah to stay two extra days to watch her vitals. The baby was fine, yet Sarah was still bleeding heavily and her blood pressure wasn't stable. The doctor assured her it was common for there to be bleeding days after delivery, yet the amount and the pain she expressed she was feeling was something they wanted to keep an eye on.
Before Sarah left the hospital, Cassie called long distance from Florida to tell her how excited she was for the baby but that she would be away an extra day. Ryan had surprised her with a day at Walt Disney World so they could visit the Italy and France pavilions since they couldn't go to the real wine producing countries on their honeymoon. Cassie made Sarah swear she wouldn't go to the cottage alone but would stay with her Dad until she and Ryan got back. Sarah reluctantly agreed it would be the best scenario to follow for the well being of the baby.
After leaving the hospital, Robert swung Sarah by the cottage to let her grab anything she thought she might need before they began their three hour journey to her childhood home. While he drove, Robert asked Sarah if her husband knew the baby was born. Something in the glint in her eye told him she wasn't being truthful when she said she had spoken to him in an international call. He didn't press her, not wanting to stress her so soon after going through childbirth. Although she hadn't said anything, he knew Sarah was in a lot of pain; a nurse had pulled him aside before they left the hospital to let him know she was still bleeding, even after two days, and if she showed any signs of fainting or other complications to get her to a hospital. So far there had been no signs of problems, but he was going to keep a watchful eye.
Karen was excited to see Sarah and the baby when Robert brought them home. Toby was jumping up and down for a chance to see the new baby, so they all moved into the living room to be more comfortable. Robert started carrying the boxes and suitcases from the car up to Sarah's room while his wife and son got acquainted with his granddaughter.
Sarah loved how interested and caring Toby was with her baby. Baby Lillie didn't know what was going on other than at the moment, she wasn't the center of their attention. Karen adored her granddaughter's name, Mari. She thought it was a prudent yet flirty name.
"I know her birth certificate says Maria, but once I saw her, I knew Maria was too formal a name for her strong spirit. She's a Mari." Sarah explained.
"Mary like 'had a little lamb' or Mari like Super Mario but without the O?" Asked Toby to be sure he knew how to say his niece's name right.
"The second one." Sarah confirmed, laughing at her brother's analogy.
Sarah's dad came downstairs, "Everything is in your room, Sarah."
"Thanks, Dad. If it is okay with everyone, I would really like to get some sleep."
"Of course." Karen said, "Mind if I help you get settled in?"
Sarah nodded, "I will never say no to help."
"Surprise!" Karen sang out as soon as she opened the bedroom door for Sarah.
Inside, she showed Sarah how the room had been slightly rearranged, with the vanity moved further down the wall away from the window and in its old place was her baby sister's old bassinet.
"Your father and I talked it over, and we'd like you and the baby to live here indefinitely. It's your choice, of course. I know you had planned on living with Cassie, but ever since I learned of the baby, I kept thinking about how terrible it would be for you to raise her on your own. Cassie and Ryan couldn't possibly expect to have a baby not their own living under their roof, especially not as newlyweds. It's perfect timing for you to move here and start using the things Lillie has outgrown. And, since I'll be home with Lillie anyway, I figured in a few months if you want to get a part time job, I could watch Mari for you."
Karen then walked over to the vanity and picked something up, reaching out with an open palm for Sarah to see the object. It was Sarah's mirror locket. "I'm afraid that in moving the vanity, we broke this. Your father stepped on it so the metal is bent, but I think it can be fixed. The glass only cracked a little."
If Sarah hadn't have been holding Mari, she would have raised her hand to hush the gasping sob that escaped her lips. The tears still streamed down her face. Karen mistook her emotion to be of gratitude for her gesture in making changes to the room, not knowing the importance of the broken necklace.
Karen wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulders, "Do you like it? Will you stay?"
Sarah tried to gain composure, knowing that this was a generous offer from her step-mother. She took a calming breath to remind herself that the vanity mirror was still intact and magically functional after she broke the piece off to make the necklace. Perhaps the necklace could still serve its purpose.
"It is very kind of you. Thank you, Karen."
"Good. I'll let you and the baby get settled. Dinner should be ready by six o'clock."
Sarah moved forward to place Mari in the bassinet. The sweetling remained asleep, although she wiggled under her onesie at the feel of something new against her body.
As she looked down upon her child, tears swelled in Sarah's eyes and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing as she let the emotions of the necklace being broken fully surface. When she couldn't feel any more, Sarah rose and wiped her eyes, staring at the vanity where Karen had placed the broken necklace. She felt the urge to call upon Jareth to see if the magic of the locket still worked, yet with the vanity mirror being there, she would never know. Some day she'd have to drive a few hundred miles away to be able to test if the necklace was damaged too much.
Sarah scoffed at herself for being so forgetful; for the next few weeks, she would have to give her child constant care and be unable to travel that far. It could be months before she could call upon him by the necklace alone. She wasn't sure if she was ready to call upon him yet anyway. Now that she was back with the mirror, she knew they could dream at any time; and if he did visit as an owl, she wouldn't try to hide Mari.
After one night of being at home, Sarah wondered if agreeing to stay in her old room had been the right choice. Having two crying babies in one house was a mental challenge for all ears. If it wasn't Mari waking every 2-3 hours for feeding, it was Lillie crying because of Mari. Sarah knew a newborn needed such constant care but she was embarrassed at it waking up the whole house. Somehow they were going to have to find a balance so everyone could get sleep.
The morning of October 14th, Sarah sat rocking her daughter as she nursed at her breast. Just listening to Mari's breathing and the occasional vocalizations made in her eagerness to nurse gave Sarah intense swelling feelings of love. Her mind drifted to the memory of this day, the day that started it all. The day that if a wish had not been made seven years ago, this bundle of joy would have never been given to her. If Sarah couldn't have Jareth with her in the waking world, at least she had a part of him near her through their child. She stroked Mari's soft, red hair and began to hum the very first song her husband had ever sung to her. The tiredness that comes with motherhood washed over Sarah as her humming put herself to sleep.
The confused voices of her companions startled Sarah awake. They had been sent bearing gifts from her husband who wanted to show her he missed her on the day of the seventh anniversary of their first meeting.
"Your Majesty!?" "Sarah?!" Sir Didymus and Hoggle spoke at the same time with similar surprise in their tone.
"Oh, hi guys." Sarah sleepily sat up and noticed where their eyes were staring. She carefully moved the baby so she could adjust her shirt to cover her breasts so her friends wouldn't feel uncomfortable. She then placed Mari up to her shoulder to get any bubbles out of her tummy; a large burp erupted from the baby's mouth.
Sarah laughed at seeing the expression on her friends faces, "She burps like a goblin. Come meet your princess, Maria Irene Tyton. I call her Mari for short."
"Sarah has baby?" Ludo asked, leaning down to get a better look.
"Yes, I had her three days ago."
"How? How did you hide this from us? Hide this from him?" Hoggle asked, astounded.
"It wasn't intentional, on my part. I tried to tell all of you." Sarah sighed. "I'm surprised you can see her now."
"But, why?" Asked Sir Didymus. "Why was her existence kept from us?"
"I have often wondered the same thing. Maybe it was a kindness so Jareth wouldn't get hurt. Would you want to know of a child you could never see, never hold for yourself? He has enough to worry about as it is." She shrugged. "His focus should be on his kingdom. Knowing him, if he knew of Mari, he would put himself in danger trying to get to her."
"My lady, she's beautiful." Sir Didymus said in awe as the babe grasped one of his outstretched fingers.
"She has red hair." Hoggle said, confusion in his voice.
"Jareth said his mom has red hair and brown eyes. But I think Mari will have blue eyes, like her daddy."
Hoggle placed his hand over Mari's tummy. "Sarah, you have to tell him."
The irrational feeling of needing to keep Mari a secret nagged at the forefront of Sarah's mind just thinking about telling Jareth. It was something she couldn't fight even if she tried. "No. Hoggle. I won't. And you don't either. All of you, promise me Jareth will never know. Until I can come to the Labyrinth, he will never know of Mari."
Though they did with extreme reluctance, they each vowed to keep her child a secret.
AN2: In researching for this story, I discovered that I knew nothing about what the female body actually goes through to create another human being since I myself have never been pregnant.
It might be strange to keep saying, but I am truly loving writing this story more than anything I have ever written. I hope you are liking it too.
For those curious as to why I didn't go the full route of Mari looking like her father but more like her grandmother, that is because I look like my maternal grandmother in hair coloring but have my father's eyes and facial features. The belly dancing costume Sarah wears for Jareth's birthday is based on a costume which floated around the LFFL in early October 2020 for inspiration. In case you wondered how to pronounce Mari's name, it is Mahr-ee.
Ianinha: Thank you for thinking this story to be well written. I don't actually get many reviews on my writing style or techniques, so it is appreciated.
Panduhbabyy: Glad to know you want more! I hope you have now seen Labyrinth and would love to know what you think of the movie. I'm flattered you read my story without having seen the movie first.
Guest2020: Whoever you may be, know that I treasure your review. It is exactly the type of review we authors like to receive to give that boost to our creativity to keep doing what we love.
Jetredgirl: Always flattering to know one of our great LFFL authors enjoyed ny work. Thanks for taking the time to read and leave a review!
TheLadyBookworm: I hope you are still liking the direction of where this story is going. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts.
