I DO NOT OWN THE LABYRINTH OR IT'S CHARACTERS
Comments and questions are very welcome.
Jareth knew of Sarah's date, not like he was spying, just taking care of his investment. Sure, he could have sent someone else to watch over her, but who could do a better job than him? Besides, who was he to critique with whom she spent her time with? Who was he kidding? As soon as he saw her respond to that pathetic excuse for a man, he threw his crystal at the closest wall watching it explode everywhere. Damn her. And damn him too.
He stood, pacing, and decided to take flight into the night sky. Something was bothering him, and he would not rest until he found out what. He refused to believe that his agitation had anything to do with Sarah being on a date, and yet here he was. Jareth found himself sitting, perch on a street lamp, in owl form, like a common stalker.
He scanned the area, watching and waiting. He tried not paying attention to what Sarah was doing. Blasted chit, danger was about and here she was fooling around with this waste. After what seemed like eternity, and much to his relief, the man in question stepped out of the heap of metal Sarah drove. That is when he saw it, out of the shadows a very familiar female stepped out. What was she doing here? To his knowledge, it shouldn't even be possible for her to be here.
Jareth stayed put, afraid of being spotted, when after a few moments he saw the same shadows she stepped out of to pull her back in. This was worse than he suspected. He thought he was very careful, but not enough. Apparently he was being made a fool of after all.
The next day, he waited for her downstairs, again she was unaware of her surroundings. He would have to double down on the wards around her house and that of her family. He caught the spoon, though it did leave quite the sting. He was not hurt, as he already expected some reaction from her.
Once her training began for the day, they would not stop, no matter how much she begged. To his dismay, she did not. It was well into the afternoon when they took their first break. He had her conjure their meal. To his surprise, she did very well. All day he had her practice defending herself against different magical attacks. When he felt she was ready to move on they practiced offensive moves.
His mother stopped by, to check on Sarah mostly. "Jareth, you must not overwork her. She will be useless if she does not learn to conserve her energy." He noticed Sarah never took her eyes off his mother, but kept his mouth shut. "Are you going to take her measurements today?" He asked. "Of course. I took the liberty of bringing a few gowns for her to sample." Sarah groaned at the sound of this.
"I hate dresses." Jareth turned and smiled at her. "But you look wonderful in them. And these are made from the finest materials in all the land. Nothing but the best for my queen." Sarah stuck her tongue out at him, for a moment he just stood there thinking of things he would like for that tongue to be doing. Nevertheless, business first. "You're disgusting." She added.
Secretly, he was impressed. Her stamina was growing, though he had some concerns. She would have to move to the castle soon enough, and wondered how she would take the news. That was a battle for a different day.
By the end of the night, they were both exhausted. "It's getting late. I will bring you dinner. Use my room, stay the night. Neither of us are in any condition to travel. Shower, I will bring you dinner." Sarah was too tired to argue. Too tired and sore in places that should not exist. "Just for tonight." He nodded, and walked out of the room.
So far no one knew about Sarah's training. Him and his mother had been very careful. His room was fully warded, and no one dared enter his room without permission. He went for dinner which consisted of beef stew, warm bread, and pie for dessert.
Sarah's Point of View
The rest of the week consisted of work, home, calls from Stephen, a surprise call from Rob, dodging calls from Karen, and of course training with Jareth. The night before the ball, Sarah wanted to scream. She made herself a tea, leaves from the queen herself, to help calm her nerves. Jareth left her a note saying she was to expect Hoggle to take her via mirror to his quarters. This way she could conserve any energy she might use needlessly.
The morning of, Sarah prepared for the day, not knowing how long she would stay Underground. She took a backpack full of this and that. The queen said all would be provided for her, and yet she wasn't sure.
Sarah hated Lady Leahnor. There was no other way around it, she simply just hated her. Hoggle had escorted Sarah through the mirror, orders of his majesty, and straight to Jareth's room. Sarah had recently dubbed it the dungeon, but here she was. "Hoggle, I am so nervous. What if I fall over my dress? What if I make an ass out of myself? I have never been to a ball before." Hoggle just sighed, watching her pace the room.
"Well, ya can't say I didn't warn ya's" With that Sarah stopped pacing. "Warn me? When?" Instead of fiddling with his hat, he stood up straight, pointing a finger at her, and began his rant. "Lookie here, missy. I's told you, you take too many things for granted. Take this Labyrinth, even if you get to the centre, you'll never get out again. And here you are. I don't know what you and Jareth are playing at, but our lives are in danger."
Sarah would have smiled at his sudden bravery, except she knew the only reason he had that reaction was very serious."Thanks for nothing, Hedgewart." She said, "Oh! It's Hoggle." He began pacing himself, Sarah just ignoring him. "My mission is complete, you should be getting ready. I's was ordered to escort you to the wait'n room, where you will be announced." With that, Hoggle began walking to the door, but not before he turned around for one last word. "We's rooting for you, and you know should you ever need us…" Sarah smiled at him, holding back a tear, and watched him close the door.
Thanks again to all for reading my story, and putting up with my brief intermissions. If they are a bit much and not enjoyed, let me know. I realize I don't post as often as desired as I do want to give my best. Leave reviews, they are the bread and butter of my creativity.
