People think dreams aren't real just because they aren't made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes.

-Neil Gaiman

Jareth did not respond, keeping his face neutral. He did not betray his shock or fury. Nor did he pretend that he had anything to do with it, letting the mass come to their own conclusions. He would not openly admit that he had no idea what the fuck was happening, nor make up an explanation.

Sarah did the same, though her wide eyes may have given something away to the masses. She felt Jareth's muscle tense even more and she squeezed him back, letting him know that they were together on this.

The Erlking continued. "I look forward to reintroducing myself or getting to know you, if you are new. Let the dinner commence!"

Sarah raised her eyebrow at that. Jareth had told her that no one was to announce that it was time for dinner except for the High King or Queen. For the Erlking to be doing so was to elevate himself to their level.

Jareth's hand moved to her lower back, guiding her. His touch was exactly what she needed at the moment, the gentle stability that only he could provide at this kind of event. He leaned into her. "Are you all right?"

Sarah swallowed. "No, but I will be, once we figure all this out."

There was only one reason the Erlking would do this: To make it near impossible for Jareth and Sarah to ask him why he was there without causing a ruckus. To pin any blame on them.

What was his end goal?

"Oh? I didn't know that. Never heard of the Erlking before," Toby said to the group of servants, pretending to drink wine when in fact, he never had a single drop since coming to the Lunar Palace.

"But you're human!" A young servant named Iona whined. "You surely have heard of someone so terrifying in your world!"

"Nope." He shrugged.

"Let's not hash this out again," Timothy, another servant rolled his eyes. "Tell us what the Above is like!"

"Toby," Samuel said in the makeshift earpiece that they had made using magic. "You need to steer this away from yourself and get more information."

Toby tapped the side of his cheek in thought three times, signaling to Samuel that he got the message. "Nothing that interesting, not compared to here! I mean, we're literally on a freaking moon and we used stars to travel. How neat is that? Aboveground is so lame." He pretended to take another drink of wine, letting the liquid drop into his scarf. "I want to hear more about the scary king who's now the High King's most honored guest!"

Timothy snickered. "Iona would know all about him. Inside and out."

Iona turned beet red, the flush traveling from her face to her neck and below her collar bone. "Timothy!"

"Oh hush," Timothy swung his wine bottle, laughing heartily. "You are acting as shy and reserved as a human!" He turned to Toby. "You'll learn soon enough that the fae do not shy away from such sensual topics."

Toby shifted his position, feeling awkward at how embarrassed Iona was. "I don't mind. I just don't want Iona to feel uncomfortable."

Iona took a long drink, slowly recovering. She cleared her throat. "Well, the Erlking is quite a fantastic lover. A bit rough and demanding, but you get what you give with a man like him. I don't know very much, but he seems to not be this criminal everyone talks about. He told me about the… you know…"

"About who?" Toby was quite invested in this story now.

"That he didn't want the High King to marry Queen Mór," Timothy whispered lowly. "That this was the real reason he was imprisoned. After all, would it be so bad to follow his vision to unite the two worlds? Perhaps his way of going about it was wrong, but it's really not a terrible idea."

Toby wanted to throw up, but said nothing lest he blow his cover. "Way of going about it was wrong," what the hell? Taking the essence of children and his lovers to power this Raí? "Umm, yeah, I guess."

"Toby!"

Samuel appeared in front of them. "I apologize, we are needed. Come, stop dallying around!"

He pulled Toby away. "Lorraine tells me the Erlking's room is clear, so we should go investigate."

He strode with Samuel in relief. "Yeah, perfect!"

They sat down waiting for the dinner to start. Sarah sat directly to Jareth's right. Beside her was a man with intense gray eyes but his smile playful. On his arm was Princess Iliana, gazing at him with adoration. "You must be the infamous Champion. A pleasure to meet you, My Lady. I am Prince Julian, King Jareth's father."

He kissed both of Sarah's cheeks as Iliana did. The older couple shared a knowing glance as they looked at their son and his Champion.

Sarah felt right at ease. "Guilty as charged, Sir."

Even Jareth seemed a bit more serene. "Hello, Father."

"Son." He kissed Jareth's cheeks. "It's good to see you."

Jareth gestured to his parents. "My parents here caused quite a scandal when they decided to marry each other for love instead of an arranged marriage."

Sarah smiled along with them. "I see where King Jareth gets his boldness from."

Julian laughed heartily, sounding almost identical to Jareth's. "You flatter me, young one. Yes. Iliana and I actually met at her betrothal party to someone else."

"No wonder it caused a scandal!"

"Yes!" Julian continued his story with enthusiasm, loving the audience. "We became friends and then fell in love. But in order to prove that our match was a good one, we had to work with each other to convince our parents. And to not offend anyone else. Since then, love matches among nobility have been more common. After all, shouldn't love trump political gain?"

Jareth's expression darkened. "Yes, I agree. Same with children as well, isn't that right, Father?"

The pain of his parents distancing themselves and his siblings from him when he first took the mantle of Goblin King still stung. They still communicated and wrote letters often, but when they declined nine out of every ten invitations Jareth would send for them to visit (or asking to visit them), he knew they were protecting Ava and Ruben from sharing his isolation. He might have been an adult, but he still needed to be loved by his parents.

"We did what we thought was best," Julian said sharply, though his voice wasn't as confident as before. "You shouldn't have pursued that horrid woman."

Jareth looked straight ahead. "I did as you and Mother did. The difference was, I got punished while you two got married." He waved it away sarcastically. "It's fine, really. If I had married her, it would have been a disaster seeing how Callista turned out."

"Jareth," Iliana implored him. "We are also products of our upbringing. As your Father said, we did what we thought was best as parents. It hurts us more than you will ever know, seeing how this has caused our relationship to be strained. You will one day understand as a father yourself."

Sarah felt increasingly more and more uncomfortable at being right in between them. She hated seeing them this way, knowing that Jareth truly did want a good relationship with his parents. "When my parents divorced or my mother got sick," she said softly, the three now paying attention to her. "I was in a lot of pain. It felt more like my parents cared more about how their reputation looked if they shared custody over me than they were of actually having me in their home. I know now that while they did care about me and loved me, there was some truth to that. At least, my father did."

She took a deep breath before her next bit. "They weren't perfect, but acted as people did. They were a bit blinded, true, so they did what they thought was their best when it could have been better. As a mother myself, I understand that more than anyone. I have made mistakes I cannot take back when my husband died and my son heartbroken. I made those mistakes partly because it was the best I could do at that time and because I felt it was the right thing to do. Even without such a traumatic experience, I would have made mistakes anyway. It's inevitable. Something I learned while going to a healer for the mind."

She looked to the parents and Jareth. His parents' both had unshed tears in their eyes at her story. Jareth looking at her with admiration. "What I also know is that I wish I had involved my parents in healing with me. That we could have a conversation of understanding and love so that we can learn. So that we can do better by each other."

The other guests were looking over at them, curious about the vulnerable emotions that were plain on their face. Julian placed his arm on Iliana's shoulders, holding his wife close. "Lady Sarah-"

"Sarah is fine, Your Highness," she said with a smile.

Julian's smile got a little wider. "You must call me Julian, then. Sarah, you are a wise one. I can see why you're the only Champion."

Jareth reached for her hand under the table, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

Julian leaned over to look at his son. "Perhaps, whenever you'd like, we can start to chat about this?"

Jareth slowly nodded. It was going to be messy and possibly very angry at first, but he was willing to do this. And he had Sarah to thank. "If you'd like, maybe we start by more regular visits?"

"I think that's a lovely idea," Iliana said. She turned to Sarah again, speaking very carefully. "You said you had a husband?"

Normally, Sarah would correct her and say "have," considering that she had felt very much married to him. But tonight, without her ring and her deep feelings for Jareth, she no longer considered herself married. Ethan still felt very present but more like an old friend than a lover. "I did, yes. He died a few years ago."

Iliana put a hand to her heart, as if she could feel the blow. "How old was your son? How old is he now?"

"He was four and is six years old now."

Iliana tapped Julian's shoulder. "When Jareth was that age, he was so attached to you." She looked back at Sarah. "I can't imagine the horror. Healing from that makes you a strong person indeed. I know that with your heart and wisdom, you will raise your son to be a fine man one day. He is lucky to have you."

God, why couldn't Ethan's family say the same thing to her? She had to hold in grateful tears at hearing words that she needed so desperately to hear. "Thank you. That means more than I can express."

Silence fell over the crowd, and Sarah stood with the rest of them. They turned to the opened door, seeing the High King, High Queen, and the Erlking approach the dinner table.

The High King, allowing everyone else to do so. He looked around with pride and clapped. "Let us dine!"

The dinner was full of the rarest and most delicious delicacies afforded in the Underground, and yet, Sarah felt like she eating sawdust as she stared at the Erlking becoming cozy with the High King and everyone else. She remained quiet for most of the meal as did Jareth, who took her hand from time to time to remind her that he was there with her. That she wasn't alone.

There wasn't much to be said or asked about the Erlking, seeing as Jareth and Sarah were the ones credited with his release. To admit they didn't would be to admit weakness on Jareth's powers and accusing the High King's guest of dishonesty. It may also ruin their chances of finding Ben.

The dance started immediately after dinner, with the High King and Queen starting things off. Sarah stood to the side with Jareth, planning their next move.

"Remember that you can call for me if something happens," he muttered, not too worried except for the fact that Sarah was stubborn. "We may get separated."

"It might be better if we do, for a little bit," she said back to him. "I might get more information out of whoever is speaking to me."

"Jareth."

The couple turned and bowed to the High Queen. "Grandmother," Jareth greeted her.

The High Queen kissed both his cheeks, but without the affection that his parents had done. When she was done, she walked towards Sarah and put a finger under her chin, observing her. "So you are the infamous mortal who has bested my grandson's Labyrinth."

Sarah did best to keep her face void of emotion. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Jareth rolled his eyes. "Must she always be known as someone who outdid me instead of someone who was brave on her own merit?"

The High Queen smiled for the first time that night. "Grandson, you always had that competitive streak. Like your cousin Uriah over there." She nodded to the side. "Enjoy the ball."

"Wait," Jareth called after her. "Grandmother, I didn't realize that Grandfather had a friendship with the Erl- with Prince Anwir." He didn't dare say more.

Queen Mór snorted. "Few do. It was your great-grandmother who decided to keep this a secret many years ago to save his reputation, though I believe some servants may know now that he has been here."

"How long has he been with you and Grandfather for?"

"I don't know. Your grandfather doesn't discuss these things with me. I found out about the ball and his presence same time as you." It was as much of a confession as Jareth would get that she knew he wasn't involved in the Erlking's release.

She looked at the Erlking's direction bitterly. "But, of course he would elevate that man to a higher standing than me."

Jareth eyed his grandfather with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

Queen Mór looked around them then leaned in. "They were former lovers. Probably current lovers at the moment."

And she swept away without another word.

Sarah's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She tried to smooth her appearance, seeing that some of the other guests were staring at her and Jareth. Fuck. Already she broke one of Jareth's rules of facial expressions. "Did she say what I thought she said?"

Jareth looked just as in shock as she. "Yes."

It made sense, now that he thought about it. Why the High Queen of the time didn't execute the Erlking. Why he and everyone else never heard of their relationship before. It would have destroyed the High King's reputation and questioned his ability to rule.

More and more couples joined in on the dance. Jareth and Sarah were left nearly alone, save a few straggling people trying to not-so-coyly grain Jareth's attention.

Sarah looked up at his face, having seen the kindness and vulnerability under the ice mask. Even as he stood so coldly, she felt her heart reach out to him. She wanted so very badly to hug him again, to hold him and have him hold her as their troubles melted away in each other's arms. "That looks like a complicated dance."

Jareth turned to look at her, his expression softening. "A slow dance will commence after this one."

Sarah tried to not fiddle with her hands. "Do you like dancing?"

He shrugged, his expression neutral. "It depends."

"On what?"

A small, devious smile curved up. "On my dance partner."

He pulled his arm away from her, offering his hand instead. His playful blue eyes dazzled her and his longing smile made her want nothing more than for him to sweep her off her feet away from everyone. "Lady Sarah, will you do me the honor of being my dance partner?"

Sarah placed her hand in his. Feeling bold, she interlocked their fingers together. "I would love that, Your Majesty."

He led her to the dance floor, a hand behind his back. They bowed to each other. The last time they had danced, it was through a dream. An illusion where they both happened to be there in a trance. Here, it was real and true.

Sarah hardly noticed or paid attention to her own footsteps, easily gliding along the floor with Jareth's easy guidance. He didn't look at anyone else but her.

Oh god, she realized. I'm falling in love with him.

In truth, she had already been falling in love, and had known this in her heart for a long time. Before they came Underground. She was just too scared to admit it to herself until now. She could only hope that perhaps, he was falling for her too.

He made sure she was looking right in his eyes as he pulled their clasped hands to his lips, kissing it, then placing it over his heart. He held it there for a moment before letting go and placing both hands on her hips, swaying to the music. Sarah looked from her hand to his eyes, his wordless plea echoing out to her.

But, there was something she had to know. "Jareth?"

"Yes, Love?" He whispered.

Her heart did a happy dance. He called her Love. "When I ran the Labyrinth, you gave me that peach and I had a dream." Her eyes fell for a moment. "I want to know, was it real? Or at least, were you there? Or was it all my imagination?"

He didn't respond for a moment, and Sarah continued to look at his shoulder instead of his face, bracing herself for the answer that she had imagined it all.

Jareth's hand slowly came to brush a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. She found his eyes again, seeing a strain in the movement of his jaw. "It was a dream, yes. It was to see your desires and to test whether you'd break out of it to get your brother back. But, it was not all imagined. I was truly there. We did dance."

Sarah swallowed, hope shining through. "You were there. Why? And that song?"

He laid his hand back on hers, the one above his heart. "I wrote that song a long time ago, when I was heartbroken and lonely I wanted someone who would sincerely want to be with me. You desired a fancy ball, superficial on the outside, but beneath all of that, you also wanted something permanent and true. Where someone stays with you even as the world falls. The Labyrinth and the Dreamworld gave me and my song to you. I had never had that happen before."

"Never had what happen before?"

"Being there in a Runner's dream instead of merely observing."

She was quiet for a moment. "You didn't choose to dance with me? The Labyrinth made you?"

He shook his head. "I didn't choose to be there, to dream with you. But I definitely chose to dance with you. Just as you chose to dance with me."

She bit her bottom lip. "Why?"

Jareth's eyes dropped, melancholy filling them, though his smile stayed. "I was intrigued by the young woman who dared to challenge me and had such a strong belief in magic that she summoned the most hidden parts of my heart into her dreams. How could I not ask her to dance, to have her hear that very song from my own lips?"

Sarah reached up, holding his face with both her hands, ignoring the guests who were no doubt whispering about them. Let them talk. Let them speculate on their relationship. It belonged to her and Jareth alone, not these masses. "Jareth-"

"Excuse me, Lady Sarah?"

Jareth's grip on her hips tightened, his body shifting in position to block most of hers. Sarah hands never left his face, but they shuddered with near paralyzing fear.

The Erlking bowed to the both of them, but eyed Sarah in particular. "Might I have the next dance with Lady Sarah?"

Jareth stared at him murderously. Why did he and Sarah always had to be interrupted when something special was about to occur between them? He didn't give a damn that this was his grandfather's close friend and honored guest. He wasn't about to let this punk swerve in and take his dance with Sarah, especially when he probably kidnapped Benjamin.

Sarah forced a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "Of course, Prince Anwir. Won't you give me and His Majesty a bit of space for a moment, please?"

He smirked, bowing to Jareth. "Of course."

Jareth's head snapped to hers. "Sarah, I advise against this."

"It may be my only chance to speak to him, to see what he says," she whispered back. "You'll be here the whole time, right? And so is everyone else. I have to do this. For Ben."

Her desperate voice broke Jareth. He knew that it would be futile to argue with someone so headstrong. He was not a parent, but if he had a child, he would absolutely do everything he could. For this reason alone, he had to trust Sarah.

The song ended. He took her hand and bowed, giving it a kiss. "Thank you for the dance, My Lady. Know that I am at your service, should you ever need me."

He walked to a space, standing alone where he could see his Champion. He plucked a non-alcoholic drink from a server (wanting to keep his wits) and took a drink. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his siblings, Ava and Ruben, approaching him.

"Jareth!" They called, coming in to kiss his cheeks and he did theirs. He remembered fondly when they were small and would sit next to him while he read books or played music. How he missed those sweet moments.

Ava took after their father, with her light hair and grey eyes. She also had his smile, his facial structure and playfulness. Ruben had darker hair than his entire family due to dying it, with light brown eyes and a stern look he got from their mother. Like Jareth, both are absolutely gorgeous.

"So, that was the infamous Champion you were dancing with?" Ruben eyed Sarah dancing with the Erlking.

Sarah looked serene enough, but to Jareth's trained eye, he could see the tension in her body. "Yes, that was. But you knew that already."

"She looks appetizing," Ava licked her lips. "Maybe I should get her alone. Show her how to really have fun instead of whatever you do at your goblin castle."

"I do have a thing for brunettes," Ruben agreed, biting his bottom lip. "She looks lovely dancing. But I think she would look better between myself and a wall."

"Or on a bed," Ava chimed in. "With her legs spread."

"Perhaps with far less clothing-"

"Enough!"

The twins turned to Jareth, who was glaring at the both of them. "I will not hear such language from you two about her."

Ava snorted. "Your sense of fun lessens every time we see you."

Ruben rolled his eyes, folding his arms. "Yes, and you never cared before when we would talk about our lovers."

"Because they don't mind that sort of language," he hissed. "Lady Sarah is not interested in that sort of thing at the moment and has not established that kind of talk with you. Since she is a human from the Above, she is not used to such brash words from the fae." Jareth set down his glass before he could break it. He created a tiny crystal the size of a marble to roll between his fingers to calm himself, still looking at Sarah. "Besides, I never spoke so crudely about anyone like that unless I was talking to them as a lover. Have some respect"

"Humans are so uptight, aren't they?" Ruben clicked his tongue. "Too bad really, and Jareth's caught on to their peculiar manners."

"At least I'm not entitled like you," he snapped. "I don't have the luxury of being selfish when I have a kingdom to care for. You refuse to see the important things about life, living without empathy or a care for others."

A few couples passed between his line of sight and Sarah. He continued to dutifully watch them, until they disappeared completely from his view.

Jareth frantically looked, unable to see where they went. He pushed his siblings and the other dancers out of the way, no longer caring about propriety. He pulled the doors opened to the hallway, running away from his siblings calling his name.

Samuel threw a crystal in the room. It glowed white after a moment. "We're clear. No traps."

Toby went in, opening drawers. "So, what exactly are we looking for?"

"Anything incriminating," was Samuel's answer as he looked through places that were less obvious, like the inside of shoes.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Toby snorted. "Hey, do you think those servants who said that the Erlking wasn't so bad, do you think that maybe his weird cult is coming back? He seems to be manipulating them into believing his cause."

Samuel pursed his lips together. "I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me. I don't like how easily his appearance is dismissed, even by those who were around to remember his heinous crimes. Something is happening and we need to figure out why."

They continued to search, not finding anything in the bedroom. They went to the bathroom, and that's where Toby found something weird. "Samuel, come here."

The two men stared at a strange, dark orb floating in the sink. "What is it?" Toby asked, frightened and in awe of it. It seemed to suck light out of the things around it, similar to how he would imagine a tiny version of a black hole to be like.

"I haven't a clue," Samuel said, looking just as baffled. He created a crystal, carefully encasing a swirl of energy inside of it. "I will make sure that this can be brought back home for further investigation."

Toby watched as Samuel's eyes flashed wide open. "Down!"

He tackled Toby to the cold, sleek bathroom floor as some terrifying creature swiped at him. It had completely black eyes and endless rows of teeth, hooks for hands and an energy that made him nauseous. "You have trespassed this sacred room," it spoke to them. "For that, you will pay with your life!"

Samuel pushed Toby aside, leaping to fight. He took a short dagger from his hip, using magic to blast into it. He kicked its knees, making it fall and snapped its neck.

Toby grabbed a candle stick and threw it at another one, making it scream. "Watch out!"

Samuel took the fallen candlestick and used it to stab the creature. "Lorraine, we could use your help!"

Lorraine was there immediately. She had gotten a stick to catch fire from the fireplace, then using her magic to blow at the remaining creatures. "We need to alert King Jareth."

"What the fuck was that?" Toby stared at the dead monsters.

"Raí, Toby," Samuel said gravely. "The same creature that tried to kill Jareth when he was Above. Are you hurt?"

"Bruised a bit maybe, but nothing that bad," Toby said, rubbing his arm. "No head injuries."

"Good." Samuel said. "You two need to lay low, go back to His Majesty's chamber and stay there. The Erlking's servants are going to be back soon. I will fetch the king and Lady Sarah."

"And them?" Toby pointed at the dead creatures.

"Leave them." Lorraine snarled at them. "Someone will take care of them and maybe it'll be proof. Leave that black orb alone, we don't know what's in it and what it could do to us. It's too bad Mara isn't here."

"How are you enjoying the evening, My Lady?"

Sarah tried to put as much distance between them as possible, holding her skirt instead of placing her hand on his shoulder like she did with Jareth. "It's been lovely, Your Royal Highness."

The dance changed to a more upbeat tempo. He took that chance to pull her closer to him, making their chests touch. He grinned sadistically at her obvious distaste for the act. "I could make your entire night, my dear."

Sarah wished she didn't have gloves on. Then she could use her nails to scratch this vile excuse of a man.

She smiled with feigned flattery, chanting over and over again that she would do anything for Ben. His fingers dug into her waist possessively with intent to leave his marks on her body, his entertained sneer made bile rise in her throat. His eyes roamed over her body, working to expose her with discomfort. "You're quite peculiar, Lady Sarah. The only Champion of the Labyrinth. A mere ordinary girl defeating a king."

A memory filled her vision, transporting her to two decades past. She looked up, tears smearing her eyesight as he taunted her, holding up the crystal ball, his fine hair swirling in an invisible wind. "This not a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby!"

The hairs on Sarah's neck raised. She pushed that memory down, coming back to the present to respond smoothly that "Perhaps that's how I won. I am more than I seem."

"He doesn't take kindly to being defeated."

"How would you know? I thought I was the only Champion."

He laughed heartily, but his eyes narrowed in warning. "Such a fierce response. The silver tongue of yours strikes like smelted iron."

"I mean no offense, Sir," she grinned, almost sweetly. "But whether he is losing his touch or not, it doesn't change my status."

"No, it doesn't. But it does change the way he sees you compared to other runners."

"I'm sure it does."

He leaned into her ear. Every atom in her body screamed to run away, to find Jareth and bury her head in his chest. "Your bluff doesn't fool me, child. Tell me, do you really believe that he's different from everyone here? That he really cares about you, and doesn't see you like some sort of pet he can show off?"

He twirled her, about to position them so that he was behind her but Sarah easily evaded it to face him again. "I don't know why you're telling me these things in such a hostile manner, perhaps you've been imprisoned for far too long. Perhaps you should take some time to rest and attend etiquette classes before engaging in conversation with someone like myself."

Out of all the inane skills she had to learn for this ball, snarky responses to asinine interrogations were her favorite. She batted her eyes innocently, hoping that maybe he would lose his temper enough to reveal something.

To her surprise, he receded, clearing his throat. "I apologize, I must have offended you and your host. You are staying with him, are you not? I only say these things out of worry."

"I appreciate the concern, but it's not needed."

"My dear friend, the High King, is quite worried about his grandson."

"Oh?" She could feel the poisoned anger coursing through her blood. "Then why doesn't he check on the Goblin King himself?"

"Because King Jareth doesn't want him there. He puts on this front of elegance and authority, but is really just a sad little child inside. I can't blame him too much for that." He smirked. "Pretty thing like you, another trophy. Another thing to be thoroughly used before cast aside."

"I…"

An odd feeling descended upon her. In the time it took to blink, Sarah no longer saw the other couples or the dance floor. She was somewhere dark. Looking up, she saw Jareth sending goblins after her as she reached Goblin City. She ran and ran, trying to get her friends away from the goblins catapulting themselves or starting fires.

She found herself alone, in a room full of stairs with gravity that didn't make any sense. He towered over her, went through her, accused her of things she did only because she was trying to right her wrong. To save Toby. With each step, he angrily sang the words, as if they were made of poison.

"How you turn my world, you Precious thing."

"You starve and near exhaust me!"

"I move the stars for no one!"

"Your eyes can be so cruel, just as I can be so cruel!"

"Yes, he has a taste for revenge, doesn't he?" The Erlking whispered in her ear, his physical form no longer visible to her. "Look at him, obsessed with your rejection when you ran away from him. Angry at how far you got. How careless he was then."

The world changed. She was in the memory of a dream, her eighteen-year-old self in her last year of high school, having sex with her then boyfriend. As she was about to finish, she looked up to see uneven blue eyes staring right back at her. She screamed Jareth's name, desperate to reach that high. When she blinked, her boyfriend's eyes were normal again.

When she actually met her boyfriend later that day, she could barely look at him in the eye and couldn't bring herself to sleep with him when they went to his house that night.

"You saw his eyes when you slept that night. You knew that he was tormenting you on you on what you could have had with him when you lay there, naked and frustrated that you didn't finish. His eyes haunted you for years, didn't it?"

She felt rough hands gripped her thigh in emphasis. She kicked forward but couldn't escape his grasp. Not until the next vision flooded her mind.

Sarah had just come back from a night out at the club, drinking legally in the United States for the first time. As she danced sensually with an interesting guy she would have hooked up with, a flash of silver and blond made her halt midway, fearful of the dangerous king. It wasn't him, but it scared the fuck out of her all the same. She looked into the mirror of her vanity, seeing herself as she looked at age twenty-one. For years, she had convinced herself she was hallucinating when they never came, only to be disappointed once more. "Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus. I need you!"

"They never came, did they?" The Erlking clicked his tongue with mock sympathy. "They were kept behind. Only he could come to you. Only he could open the door. It's the game he plays, waiting until you break."

Sarah was with her mother, Linda, after one of her performances On Broadway. They went go to find Linda's on-and-off again (and eventually ex) boyfriend, Jeremy. When they found him, he gave Linda a kiss, his face morphing for a moment into that of the Goblin King's, mismatched eyes and all. When he turned back to Sarah, he turned back into himself.

The only similarities Jeremy had with Jareth was that they were blond, had blue eyes, and Jareth opted for a British accent. Even so, Sarah couldn't bring herself to have fun at Linda's after party and felt sad whenever she kissed Jeremy, even though she knew that Jeremy and the Goblin King weren't the same person.

"Or perhaps, it wasn't your imagination," the Erlking crooned. "Maybe he slept with your mother as a way to take revenge on you. Maybe he found her more beautiful and alluring than you'll ever be."

Sarah whimpered. She had an ex boyfriend who straight up said "your mom is way hotter than you" while drunk one night, and it was always a point of insecurity for her. She was too much like her mother to not draw comparisons.

Sarah held Ethan's coat to her nose, not caring about the blood splattered on it. She breathed in his scent, pretending he was there. Pretending he was only hurt, that he would wake up and come back into her arms. That he would tell Sarah that "it's just a flesh wound" to make her laugh at the Monty Python reference. That he would tell Ben jokingly that he fought beside some the Ninja Turtles.

She screamed so loudly that the security team in the hospital to came to check on her, a few insensitive staff told her that she was disturbing other patients without helping to calm her. If Ethan had been one of the staff, he would have been gentle and kind.

She looked up at the ceiling, gasping as she saw a lightbulb that was turned off, giving an eerie glow like a crystal. In a trance, she stood up, reaching up until she was floating to the ceiling, touching the bulb. It popped like a soap bubble, the feather of a barn owl landing in the palm of her hand, his mark gloating at her pain.

"Of course, you knew this all along. You knew that he caused your beloved husband to die, you just didn't want to admit it once the handsome Goblin King came back to your life. He probably watched on your wedding night as Ethan called you his wife, as you made love with him. He loathed the fact that the child you grew in your womb wasn't his, but another man's."

She shook her head. No, that's not what happened that day.

All of these experiences were reflections of herself, of her own fears and insecurities. It had nothing to do with Jareth. Nothing with the man she loved and adored so much.

She didn't even dream of this. She placed her hands on her ears, trying to block out the voice. "Get out of my head!"

His voice seemed to come from inside of her very brain, low, almost soothing despite his treacherous words. "What better revenge is there for you defeating him than that of breaking your life only to build you back up? And it's so easy for him too. Look at you. A pathetic woman who's nearly forty years old. Who will stop being interesting, young, strong, and sexy, according to your own species. How much worse is it compared to one of the fae? Your body and emotions will be used until you are nothing but a husk of emptiness, bled dry by him. You chase after a purpose, to feel alive after so much death. All he has to do is say sweet words, and you're all over him like a cat in heat."

Sarah tried to remember to breathe as her therapist told her. To regain even a second of control, to look at her situation from above instead of being swept up by it.

In and out. In and out.

She could still hear the Erlking's voice, but was now able to block out the actual words. She instinctively reached out, twirling her fingers. A very thin and invisible string became more and more tactile. She found it wrapped around her body, the multiple windings of it made it stronger.

She pulled the string in her hands until it was taut. With her teeth, she snapped the string in two, loosening the threads around her body. Still floating in the air, she thrust her arms out and threw her head up, teeth clenched. "ENOUGH!"

The force of her words transported them out of the hospital to a deep and dark place. Sarah was still floating, her hands angled to the ground. If she had looked closely, she would have seen the violet flames of magic surrounding them.

The Erlking materialized before her, smiling arrogantly. "Touched a nerve, didn't I?"

Sarah didn't even hesitate. "I trust him."

There was so much they needed to talk about. So much that she needed to clarify, to understand. To figure out why he was so ruthless to her or demanding all those years ago, why he asked her to fear and to love him. To be her slave.

But she trusted him with every ounce of her being. And for now, that was enough.

He sneered. "Then you're a fool."

"You're right, I am." She tilted her head to the side. "I'm a damn fool for letting you into my mind the night Ben disappeared and now, to doubt him even for a single moment. To make all my doubts of Jareth, even the ones I thought in passing, to take life." She turned her hand over, a crystal resting inside of it. "Twenty years ago, he offered to give me everything I want, including for to be my slave. I looked at him right in the eye and told him he had no power over me, declaring myself victorious over a king who has influence in both the faerie and dream domains. Why should I let you do any of that when all you've done is invade my head?"

She waved the crystal away. "I don't know what your goal is, why you've taken my son, why you're making me doubt in Jareth. But what I do know is this: You, Prince Anwir, are an even bigger fool for thinking that I would allow you to have any power over me."

He gnashed his teeth together. "What did you just say?"

"I will repeat myself as many times as necessary." Sarah held her head high like the victor that she was. "You have no power over me, to control me or my thoughts any longer."

His twisted face stayed that way for a moment longer, his chest rising and falling with visible strain. His lips slowly turned upside down, a leering grin trying to leech the confidence out of her. "That may be so, but if you think that prevents me from causing you harm, you are mistaken."

He truck his hand across her chest. Sarah fell back, her eyes closing as her scream of Jareth's name remained stuck in her throat.

Jareth nearly tore the door handles off the doors themselves. "Sarah!"

He transformed into a barn owl and took flight, deciding that he would cover more ground that way. Had he been at home, he would have used magic but that was severely limited in the High King's place. Everyone was required to relinquish a certain amount of magic when they entered for the safety of the High King and Queen.

Circling around, he spotted something in the Firefly Garden. He descended, seeing what looked like a pool of stars on the ground.

He immediately transformed in mid air, running as he hit the ground. "SARAH!"

He reached her crumpled body, a slight whimper leaving his throat as he tried to rouse her. "Sarah, wake up! Please, please wake up."

No response.

Gods, please no. Please don't leave me, Sarah. I need you here, I need you alive. There's still so much I need to tell you.

He checked her pulse and breathing, finding the former to be weak but working and the latter to be uneven and worrying. He lifted his hand, finding blood stain on his white gloves that couldn't see before due to her dark dress.

He focused again on the dress, now seeing that there were claw-like streaks across her chest, her right cheek bruised. Not so different from the ones he got on his face from the Raí. He tore off his cape, pressing it against her wounds to stop the bleeding. He looked up at the sky, roaring in pain. "Samuel!"

Samuel appeared instantly. "Perfect timing, Sire. I was just about to go looking for you-"

"None of us are safe here," Jareth interrupted him, moving aside to show Sarah. Samuel blanched, hardly having time to react before Jareth barked an order at him. "Take her back home to a healer. Now."

Samuel understood instantly. "Yes, Sire. But she is injured, and moving her-"

"We have to take that risk," Jareth said roughly. Moving an unconscious person is always dangerous when you aren't sure of the extent of their injuries. "I will create a portal for you to avoid the strain on her body instead of just transporting normally. Where is Toby?"

"With Lorraine in your chambers. We need to speak to you as soon as we can." He nodded to Sarah, slowly taking her in his arms. "She takes precedence of course."

"Good. I will fetch them later and then we'll talk. Get Mara to look over her too."

"Right away, Sire."

Jareth put his hands together then apart, a crystal appearing between them. He enlarged the crystal, bending together space and time. The crystal exploded into a flat circle, the castle hallway on the other side of it Samuel stepped inside.

"Take care of her!" Jareth called to him.

"I will!" Samuel called back. "Close the portal or you'll run out of energy!"

He didn't want to leave Sarah, but he did what he had to do. He waved his hand and the portal disappeared.

It took a lot of energy out of him, but he still had enough to transport at least himself and do one more thing.

Julian beamed at the enthusiastic crowd laughing at his story. "So, Iliana and I were eating and then-"

"Guests of the Winter Solstice Ball."

Julian froze, locking eyes with Iliana's. The voice echoed throughout the ballroom and directly in their minds. Everyone looked around for the source, frantic at the way it boomed with threat.

"I, King Jareth of the Goblins, Lord of the Labyrinth and Keeper of Dreams, brought Lady Sarah, Champion of the Labyrinth, here as a guest of the High King. She was to meet the nobles of the Underground. Instead, I have found her alone and gravely hurt in the gardens."

The guests gasped and whispered to each other, trying to understand what might have happened. Already, theories were flying all over the place as to what might have happened.

Julian and Iliana held each other, their hearts reaching to Jareth, their oldest child, who they had spectacularly failed when they allowed him to be sent away to be king and then left him. Whose voice was now fury dipped in heartbreaking grief just as he was opening up his heart again.

"Let me be very clear: whoever has broken the oath of hospitality and guest will rue the day they decided to lay a hand on her. By committing this treacherous crime upon Lady Sarah, you have made an enemy of me and the Goblin Kingdom. I consider this attack upon her person as an attack on myself. Know this: if you had any part in harming her, I will know. I will hunt you with the power of dreams and the weapons of nightmares. If you try to hide from me, you will not succeed. I will make sure that your deepest fears and hallucinations plague you until you beg for Death Herself to take you, and I will enjoy disemboweling you with my bare hands for the vultures to feast upon right before She does."

I'm pretty sure there aren't any weird inconsistencies or potholes but if there are, please feel free to tell me lol. Or any other mistakes/weird things/advice you want to give. I welcome constructive criticism and it has helped me in growing as an author.

Jareth's family will make more appearances in this story. Thank you so much for reading.

I also wanted to add another AN that I forgot for last chapter. Sarah taking off her ring was yes, encouraged by Toby, but imo she would have done so after the mistletoe kiss had Ben not been kidnapped. I imagine she takes it off to sleep. So that next morning, she wouldn't have put it back on. The reason she really had it until now isn't really so much because she didn't move on from Ethan, but because it's a habit and sometimes it's hard to let go of habits when things get horrible and stressful. Routine helps ground us, so she just kept said ring on, as she didn't really think deeply about herself and Jareth with how crazy she was going losing her son.

Review make me happy! I know people say "write for yourself" but let's face it, we write for ourselves but post for others to read lol. I shamelessly admit that I love reviews. Thank you again for reading!