AN: I've been working on this chapter for sometime now. I originallyhad it much longer, but every time I read over it, I just wasn't happy with how it was turning out. So after a lot of editing and rethinking, this is what's left. Hopefully it won't take me as long to upload the next chapter now that I'm pretty sure where this is going. Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think so far! and if you have any suggestions for this story, please feel free to let me know! I'm always very open to other people's ideas.
Hope you enjoy!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, All rights go to the Jim Henson Company.
I wish
Chapter Four
The past and the present
July 25th 1986
It had been a few days since Sarah had turned him down and won back her baby brother. Jareth hated the feelings that were swirling around in his chest. Sarah never deserved his affections and he could not believe how much power she had actually held over him. Well not anymore. He wouldn't allow her to control him like this.
Calling a crystal he watched as she went to school, ate dinner with her family, and went to the park to act out plays and dress up. Sometimes he'd even transform into his owl form to watch her. Often she would look his way but never once did she approach him or try to talk to him.
As he watched her day to day life, he wondered if Sarah felt any sort of regret for not accepting his offer.
Her life seemed to be rather boring. There were no friends in her life, her Father and Step Mother paid her little attention, and Toby was too young to understand her. Sarah loved him, though. Jareth often smiled when he watched her read stories to him before bed, or when she taught him how to speak and learn to read, and ride a bike when he got older. She loved him dearly, that was true. But still, other than Toby, there really wasn't much in Sarah's life. He wondered how things would have been if she'd accepted his offer. She'd be Queen now, and Toby would be at her side, not as a Goblin, but as the next heir to the throne. That was, unless he and Sarah had children of their own. Thinking of having children with Sarah opened up an entirely new wound and he quickly blanked out any more thoughts of what life would be like with her.
The deal was done now. She'd won, and he was left to be alone for all eternity.
Deciding he'd already spent too much time watching her, he got up from his seat by the window and transported himself to the gates of the Labyrinth. He took a deep breath as his fingers brushed against the ancient stone, feeling the soft currant of magic as it sparked to life in his finger tips. His connection to the Labyrinth had always been strong, even before he was King. He was the only person who'd ever been able to control the maze completely. His Father, with time, had been able to on occasion, to make it move. But Jareth's connection had been strong since he was a child. Sometimes it felt like the Labyrinth itself actually spoke to him, telling him about everything that had ever happened behind its walls. Smiling to himself, he walked in through the entrance, his heeled boots clicking against the stone floor. He placed his hand on the wall again, wanting to feel the life of the Labyrinth when its King stood in its walls; he blinked in confusion when he felt nothing.
'That's odd,' he thought 'I've never been able to touch the stone without feeling something…'
He quickly removed his glove before pressing his palm back on the stone. It felt cold under his touch. The electric feeling of magic that he'd felt earlier was now gone.
Closing his eyes, he called to the Labyrinth telepathically asking for it to lead him safely to his castle. He waited for some sort of response, whether it be the rock itself speaking to him, or the walls of the maze moving and changing at his demands. But nothing happened.
Jareth looked down at his shaking hands, fear gripping his heart.
"My power over the Labyrinth… it's gone," he whispered to himself "How?"
Something caught his eye; some sort of object was sparkling in the sunlight. He knelt down to pick it up. It was gold and shaped like a bullet. Furrowing his brow he tampered with it until a part of the lid come off.
Jareth's eyes narrowed when he realized that he was holding lipstick. Not just anybody's lipstick, but Sarah's.
Then suddenly it all made sense. When Sarah defeated the Labyrinth and turned him down, he'd lost his power over not only her, but over his own Kingdom. This was all thanks to Sarah, the only person to ever beat him and the Labyrinth.
In his rage, he threw the lipstick on to the ground, watching as it rolled into the corner.
How would he ever be able to rule over his Kingdom if he no longer had a connection to the Labyrinth?
Feeling hopeless, he sat with his back against the stone wall, hugging his knees.
He had no power over Sarah, and he didn't think he ever would again.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Lilium gasped as a crystal came flying towards her. She ducked as the glass sapphire hit the stone wall, shattering into tiny pieces on the floor.
Looking up she saw Jareth pacing his office, which was a complete mess, books were scattered all over the floor and his desk had been tipped over in what she imagined was a temper tantrum, and by the way Jareth was pacing, his hands balled into fists at his side, his jaw tight and eyes dark, she knew she was right.
Sighing, she spoke gently "Sire, what's happened?"
Jareth turned to her, glaring, "What do you thinks happened?!"
"Well, from the state of your office I'm guessing that the Goblins have done something really bad this time,"
"It's not the goblins, it's Sarah!"
Lilium wasn't surprised to hear this. By the way Sarah had been talking about him earlier she knew it was only a matter of time before she really made him angry.
"What happened?"
"The damned girl kissed me!"
Lilium was surprised by this, and she furrowed her brow in confusion. "She kissed you?"
"Well, fine… I kissed her… but she kissed me back and she didn't even bloody wince when I pressed myself against her. She wasn't afraid of me, she even had the nerve to bite my lip!" he said furiously as he threw another crystal on the floor, it shattered into pieces.
Lilium tried her best to hide her jealousy. She had known for a long time that Jareth didn't love her, they had been lovers for years and once she'd been convinced that he did loved her.
Flash back
Lilium woke to the sun shining brightly through her window, but nothing was as bright as the sunshine is her heart. For a realization had hit her hard recently, the realization that she was in love, not just with any man, but with her friend and lover, the Goblin King.
Today was the day.
Her Father knew of her feelings and he was prepared to offer the Goblin King the hand of his daughter. She hoped that he would except it, for it would mean that not only would her heart be filled with joy for she would be marrying a King and a man she loved, but also because it would strengthen their Kingdoms.
Her Father had contacted Jareth by telegram with his offer and Lilium had waited anxiously, but hopefully for his response.
The day's turned to weeks and Lilium felt her heart breaking with each passing day.
"You must have heard something, Father," she cried "Or maybe your telegram was delayed and he has not yet read your proposal,"
King Beluar was sat in his throne, watching as his beautiful daughter cried into her handkerchief, begging for any response from the Goblin King that he might not have told her. Unfortunately, he had heard nothing.
"Daughter, if I had heard a response from him I shouldn't keep it from you. I'm afraid that he simply has not responded. It's been two weeks, Lilium…" He rose from his seat and descended down the stairs to his throne, gently resting a hand on his Daughters shoulder. She gazed up at him with tears shining in her pale blue eyes.
"I think that it is safe to say that you probably will not hear the news you wish to from King Jareth."
She shook her head, tears streaming her cheeks "No, Father, I refuse to believe that… He loves me… I know he does."
King Beluar swallowed the lump in his throat; for he knew that the Goblin King probably did not harborfeelings for his daughter like she did for him. It was heartbreaking to see his little girl going through this. Unrequited love was a terrible thing to endure.
"Lily… for your own good, I beg you to come to terms with the possibility that he does not wish to take you as his wife, for if he did, he would have sent an immediate response, securing the alliance. I am so sorry, my dear girl…"
Lilium knew he was right, and she allowed her Father to hold her as she sobbed into his dark hair, begging the gods to take away the pain of heartbreak.
Lilium swallowed hard as the memories came flooding back from that awful time. She never thought at the time that she could ever recover from the hurt he had caused her, and yet here they were, friends and lovers once more. Only this time with an understanding between them – Jareth didn't love her. But she would always love him. And if sharing his bed was the only part of him that she got, she'd take it.
Her Father, of course, knew nothing of her visits to the Goblin Kingdom. And it was best that he did not know, for she was afraid of what might happen should he ever do so.
Shaking the memories, she answered him "So what? It was just a kiss after all,"
Jareth growled at this and turned to face her once more "It wasn't just a kiss! It was a battle, a battle for dominance which I should have won, but I didn't. I lost again!" He threw himself down onto the nearest chair, covering his eyes with his gloved hand. "She's been here less than twenty-four hours, yet she is already regaining her power over me and I am losing mine," He sounded almost defeated which was unlike him.
Lilium knelt on the floor at his feet. "Your Majesty… The girl is a servant in a world she really knows nothing about. Yes, she defeated the Labyrinth but you are the Goblin King, a powerful fae man who can easily regain his power over her and over his kingdom," He slowly removed his hand from his eyes to gaze down at her as she gently rubbed his knee "She will learn to obey you, my lord. With time she'll learn her place."
Jareth smiled weakly and gently reached forward to stroke her soft blonde hair from her face "I wish I loved you, Lily…" he whispered
Lilium shook her head "But you don't, sire. I've accepted that,"
"But I wish I did…I'd have a wife and a family by now, not to mention I would be on good terms with your Father,"
She sighed sadly; not having an alliance with their Kingdoms had been hard for all of them. "I've asked him to forgive you, but he's still upset for the things that happened between us. He refuses to even mention your name," she admitted weakly
Jareth shook his head "I am not proud of what I did, Lily. I realize
I should have said something, anything, but at the time I was so lost… Sarah's defeat had shocked me and weakened me. The last thing on my mind was marriage,"
"Please… you don't have to explain yourself,"
"All I can say is that it's caused a lot of problems, not having your Father's Kingdom to negotiate with. The food shortage is getting worse, my Goblins know nothing of farming or keeping healthy crops, all they know is destruction… and even if they did, you know that the condition of my Kingdom probably wouldn't produce any crops anyway,"
"I wish I could change it, sire."
"I'm just grateful that you managed to bring some supplies with you. You'll keep this whole Kingdom fed for a month at least," He stroked her hair again, a softness in his eyes that she hadn't seen for some time
"You know I'd bring more if I could, but my Father, if he found out-"
"I know..."
"He doesn't know that I'm here..." She smirked up at him and Jareth grinned back at her, his eyes filing with amusement.
"He doesn't know that his precious daughter is still my lover?"
She blushed, shaking her head, but managed to recover quickly.
"Forget about the kiss you shared with the girl… I know you'll regain your power over her and the Labyrinth again soon," She reached up a hand to caress the side of Jareth's face and he closed his eyes wearily, leaning into her touch.
"Take me to your bed, sire..."
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Lilium lay with her arms wrapped around him, her head rested on his bare chest, her breathing was soft as she slept, and her dreams were peaceful.
Jareth gazed blankly up at the ceiling; sleep would not come to him this night.
He should feel satisfied, he'd just spent much of the night making love to the woman sleeping beside him but he felt unfulfilled. All he could think of were the soft plump lips of Sarah Williams as they caressed his own.
Sarah Williams, the only woman who'd ever been brave enough to defeat his Labyrinth. The only woman who'd ever been strong enough to turn him down.
In truth he was infatuated with her, with her strength, her bravery, her beauty.
His eyes scanned over the old paintings of cherubs and naked angels that were painted on his ceiling; desperately trying to forget the feel of her lips, the feel of her body pressed against his own.
No, sleep would not come tonight…
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Knock! Knock!
Jareth's eyes opened heavily and he glanced at the ornate clock hanging on his wall.
It was five thirty in the morning.
"Who in all of the underground is it?!"
The door opened slowly and Sarah came waltzing into the room. She was already dressed and hair was up, styled rather messily. She was carrying a tray of breakfast.
"Sarah? What are you doing? I have breakfast at seven not five thirty!"
Sarah only smiled sweetly at him and placed the tray on his nightstand. "It's there for when you want it, sire," she moved to pull open the curtains but Jareth rose his hand "Sarah, don't open the curtains. I did not say I was ready to get up yet!" he was already losing his patience. He couldn't damn win with this woman; she was either too late or too early.
"Go back to bed, Sarah, for gods sakes!"
Sarah sighed and shook her head. "You're just as bad as Toby when I try to get him up for school," she laughed and pulled open the curtains, the early morning light shone in through the window, bathing the room in golden.
Jareth groaned and turned over, hiding his head under the pillows. Sarah grinned and tried to stop herself from laughing. Good. She was glad she was succeeding in annoying him. She was about to leave when she noticed another figure in his bed, stirring in its sleep.
"Hmm…what's going on?"
Her eyes widened as she immediately recognized her voice and she blushed when the blanket slipped down her back, exposing Lilium's bare back.
Feeling very uncomfortable suddenly she rushed towards the door, only to have it slam in her face, making her squeal in surprise.
She turned when she heard the wicked laughter of the Goblin King behind her.
He was sat upright in his bed with his pillows propped behind him, his chest was bare, the blankets gathering low at his waist. She prayed to god that he was at least wearing tights.
"What's the matter, Sarah?Too afraid to stay in the room when you see I have company?" he smirked at her childishness.
Sarah glared at him "I'm not afraid of you, Goblin King. I'm simply leaving to give you and your whore the privacy you both deserve!"
Jareth was suddenly out of bed and pressing her against the wall, his expression one of complete anger "I'll have you know that she is not a whore, she is a princess! You'll show her some respect!"
Sarah knew she'd been wrong to call Lilium a whore. Lilium had been kind to her yesterday and now she was calling her names. She didn't know why but seeing her in Jareth's bed, knowing what had happened between them had really made her feel angry. She didn't even know why.
Before Sarah could reply Lilium spoke softly "My lord, let her go…"
Jareth realized he still had Sarah pressed against the wall and he quickly moved aside, allowing Sarah to flee the room.
"She's unbelievable!" he shouted, kicking the door to his room shut with such a force Lilium wouldn't have been surprised if it had fallen off its hinges.
"She's jealous..."
Jareth spun on his heel "What?!"
"Sarah… she's jealous that I am in your bed," She whispered
Jareth shook his head "That's impossible! She hates me."
"I don't think she hates you. You infuriate her, but she still finds you attractive. I know a jealous woman when I see one,"
Jareth gazed back at the door "But… I never-"
"Your Majesty, this could really work to your advantage… The girl already finds you attractive, that in itself is an advantage, but now, if you can get her to fall for you… you could regain all your power over her once more and over your Labyrinth,"
Jareth turned to face the woman in his bed
"Perhaps you are right, Lily… perhaps you're right…"
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The rest of the day was hideous for Sarah. Nugan had told her that Jareth wanted her to clean his study and it was in such a mess from his temper tantrum yesterday, that it took her over four hours to even get half of it done. Jareth had scolded her for being late with his dinner again but Sarah had ignored every word he'd said, refusing to even make eye contact with him after the way he'd treated her earlier this morning.
Eventually the day came to an end and Sarah tiredly made her way to her chambers. She stripped from her dirty apron and dress, tossing them carelessly onto the floor and took a very quick bath.
Now she was sat on one of the chairs by the fire, her red fleece blanket she'd brought with her from home was wrapped around her. She watched the flames dance in front of her and swallowed hard as tears suddenly formed in her eyes. She'd been here two days and she was already rethinking her decision to live here. Life at home wasn't easy, but this was worse. She'd worked harder than she'd ever worked in her life, so much so that her knuckles were raw from scrubbing the kitchen floors, another job Jareth had given her last minute. She scrubbed at her eyes angrily, not wanting to be weak, but the more she tried the worse it got and soon Sarah was sobbing quietly.
She'd never expected her life here to be so awful. Now the idea of living at home with her Dad, Karen and Toby was becoming even more appealing to her as time passed. At least at home she had some freedom. She could always go to Diane's house or Diane could stay at hers. Here she had nobody…
There was suddenly loud knock at her bedroom door and Sarah gasped, bolting upright in her seat. It was past eleven so who on earth would be visiting her now?
Pulling her fleece blanket tighter around herself she called softly "Who… who is it?"
"Sarah… It's me,"
Shocked to hear the voice of the Goblin King on the other side of the door she got to her feet, wiping her tears from her cheeks before she moved to the door and opened it. Jareth was leaning against the door frame, wearing his favorite grey tights and a white poets shirt which was wide open, revealing his pale chest. Sarah wasn't used to seeing him looking so informal.
"Jar- Your Majesty?What is it?"
"May I speak with you?"
She hesitated for a moment but then nodded and allowed him into her room. He strode in; looking around her room at the personal possessions she had unpacked and placed randomly about the room. There was a picture of her family on the mantle and on her bed was one of her old teddy bears.
Sarah shut the door behind her and pulled her blanket around herself, suddenly very conscious that she was wearing only a night dress that she'd found in the wardrobe.
She watched as Jareth awkwardly paced her room, glancing over at her as though he was going to say something, and then looking away again, as though changing his mind.
Sarah folded her arms over her chest, watching as he once again looked at the photo of her family above the fire.
"This… this is your family, isn't it?"
Sarah furrowed her brow at his question but nodded. "Yes, it's them,"
"You must miss them…"
"I do…" she swallowed the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat again.
Jareth glanced at her and his eyes looked soft for the first time since she'd been here.
"I know the pain of missing ones family,"
"You… you do?"
"Yes…"
Sarah sat down in the chair by the fire and Jareth took a seat on the chair opposite, "Tell me about your family,"
Sarah was a little surprised that he wanted to know about her family. Where was this coming from?
"Well… my Dad's a lawyer; my Mum, my real mum, she was an actress, she left my Dad and I when I was just six years old, to peruse her dreams," she said bitterly as she glanced over at the framed picture of her Mother beside her.
Jareth reached for it, taking a long look at the photo of the woman.
"She looks a lot like you…"
Sarah nodded; she did look like her mother that was true. Her Father had reminded her constantly that she looked like her when she'd been growing up.
"Yeah… I guess I do. I cut this picture of her out from a news paper,"
Jareth looked over at her "Did you still see her after she left?"
"A couple of times at Christmas… but after I turned ten it all stopped. I haven't seen her to this day, except for on TV sometimes…"
Jareth put the photo back on the table. "I'm sorry to hear it; it is painful indeed, not to grow up with a Mother around you,"
Sarah cocked her head to the side "You sound as through you're speaking from experience?"
"I am…" he admitted, looking down at his hands. "My mother died just after I was born and my Father died two hundred years ago," He smiled sadly "I still miss him. Two hundred years passes by very slowly when you're alone."
Sarah felt awful for bringing back such a painful memory for him and shook her head "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked… wait, you're two hundred years old?"
Jareth smirked "Older. I'm actually five hundred years old, you see, life is very different for the Fae, we are almost immortal unless we choice to pass over to the other side,"
Sarah furrowed her brow "But you said your Mother died?"
"She did die. Fae can still die, just not from all the same things humans die from, like old age, or illness. In fact, we hardly get sick at all. But we can still die from other things. My Mother died because they couldn't stop the bleeding after she gave birth to me... It was simply her time,"
"I'm sorry…" She lowered her head sadly "I'm guessing that your Father choose to pass over?"
Jareth nodded regretfully. "Indeed. He had spent too long without my Mother. He missed her, and even though it had been hundreds of years, the heartbreak from losing her got worse the older he got. He told me a week before his choice to pass over, that I was next in line to the throne. He said he knew I was ready for it. I didn't think I was, I was still a young man and the last thing I wanted was responsibility," He gazed into the flames as the memories came flooding back like an old song
Flash back
King Gerald knocked three times on his sons door, waiting impatiently for him to open it.
"Jareth, I need to speak with you, boy, Open the door,"
A moment later the door opened and Jareth stood before him, dressed in light blue velvet and black. He gazed into the green eyes of his Father and knew that something was wrong.
"Father, what is it?"
"Son… come and sit with me on the balcony. There is something that we must discuss. It cannot wait; I already fear that I have left it too long."
Jareth simply nodded and followed his Father out onto the balcony. It was late autumn and the trees surrounding the castle where hues of golden, red and orange, some of the leaves were gently falling from the branches, almost like snowflakes on a winter's day.
Gerald sat on the carved stone bench and waited for his son to sit beside him. When he did, Gerald took a deep breath.
"I'm old, son…almost as old as the Labyrinth itself..."
Jareth gazed out towards the twists and turns of the Labyrinth, the sun was setting, giving the sky an orange and pink glow.
"Why do you say that, Father? I know you're old, there is no reason to remind me," He furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Son, there is every need to remind you. Listen, please,"
Jareth sighed but nodded, allowing his Father to continue.
"Every day it gets harder and harder to be without her, son…"
Jareth's head turned quickly "Father… you're not…"
Gerald gazed into the mismatched eyes of his son and nodded. "I am. Three hundred years without my heart is long enough. You're a grown man now son. One I know I can trust to look after my Kingdom."
Jareth shook his head "Father, no, please, don't say such things. I'm not mature enough! I don't know how to run a Kingdom!"
"Hush boy, Of course you are mature enough. You're a clever lad, and you handle the Goblin's well,"
"Father, I kick them into the bog, that is hardly handling them well. They are the most difficult creatures to deal with. They have only just started to listen to you!"
Gerald laughed softly "They will learn, in time. Goblins are sensitive creatures with a deep love for their homes and chickens,"
Jareth snorted "Chickens! Absolutely ridiculous!" He grumbled
"Just trust me, son. When you are crowned King, they will love you and obey you, just as they did for me… well, sometimes." He grinned and tapped his sons back "Trust me; I know you can deal with them, and the Labyrinth has already claimed you as its next heir."
Jareth shook his head, gazing down at his gloved hands "You know I never wanted your Kingdom, and if you weren't choosing to cross over, I would never have had to have it,"
Gerald spoke softly "One day… you'll understand what it is to love, and only then will you understand why I have done this… Because to be without them, is like trying to breathe without air."
Jareth felt tears cloud his vision and he hated himself for it.
"Father… you are all I have left…"his voice cracked with emotion, a tear streaming down his cheek.
Gerald gently wrapped his arm around his son, pulling him close "I'll always be with you… even if you can't always see me… and one day, if you choose to pass over, we will be together again, me, you and your Mother."
Jareth started to weep softly into his Father's white blonde hair, his shoulders hitching. Gerald held him close, but there was no sorrow in his heart, for knew there was a reason Jareth was born with such a strong connection to the Labyrinth. it was his sons destiny to inherit the throne. The Labyrinth had chosen him.
A week later
Thunder crashed and the rain pelted down almost aggressively. Why did it always rain at funerals?Jareth stood outside the castle, dressed completely in black, watching as a few Fae knights carried the ornate coffin of which held his dead Father.
There was nothing but the painful ache of sorrow in his heart, anger and extreme hurt. His Father had left him and now he'd be stuck here forever, with nothing but goblins, chickens and an unruly Labyrinth. He'd never wanted a crown; he just wanted a normal life. One where he might venture Aboveground and perhaps one day live there. But now, that dream was gone. Tomorrow he would be crowned King. Goblin King. And there was nothing he could do about it.
A blonde woman dressed in black velvet approached him. "Your highness, I came to condole with you, your Father was a great man. It is sad indeed that his time has come,"
Jareth blinked as the rain threatened to spill into his eyes, and glanced down at the woman before was beautiful, with long blonde wavy hair and pale blue eyes
"His time only came, My Lady, because he wished it too. He didn't have to die. He chose too."
There was such coldness in his voice as he spoke of him; the woman was shocked that he'd dare talk of his dead Father in such a disrespectful manner.
"It is each man's choice, what he should do with his life when he reaches a certain age, my Lord; Your Father had every right to do what he did."
Jareth watched her closely, no woman had ever dared speak to him like she just had. "Who are you?" he asked irritably
"She is Princess Lilium of Ryrella. I had many dealings with your Father and your Kingdom," King Beluar approached him, he was a tall dark and stocky man, with bright golden eyes and a long beard that most Fae men didn't like to keep.
Jareth nodded and managed to give him a weak bow, his shaky legs only just holding him up. "Well, Of course. I have no doubt that we shall continue our dealings with your Kingdom,"
King Beluar nodded "We shall, I have no doubt. For your Goblins cannot keep a good crop, but my men can, and as you probably know, my Kingdom is well known for its food's fine tastes,"
Talking about food wasn't exactly what Jareth wanted to do right now, but he nodded politely. "Indeed, Sire. And your men are not able to find any diamonds, crystals or marble in your realm,"
Beluar cleared his throat "Well then, it's a deal. Our Kingdoms will remain in trade with each other."King Beluar held out his hand and Jareth hesitated before he took it and shook it.
"And I offer you my deepest sympathy, of course. Your father was a great friend of mine and I shall miss him as much as you shall,"
Lilium cringed at her Father's words and looked apologetically at Jareth, but his expression remind un-phased
"I thank you, for your words, Your Majesty…My lady," He nodded to Lilium, giving her soft look before he bowed and strode back into the castle, his cloak blowing in the wind and rain.
Lilium watched him leave, her heart leaping in her chest.
"I never knew that the Labyrinth had a King before you,"
Sarah's voice brought Jareth back to reality and he glanced over at her as she sat with her red blanket around her shoulders, her legs crossed and her chin resting on her hand.
"My Father was the third King. Before that, my Grandfather, but before that, nobody is really sure who ruled over it, or if anyone even did. My Father was a good King, I always tried to be like him but I'm just not,"
"I understand… My Dad always wanted me to be like him, you know, become a successful lawyer or something, but I'm just not like him in that way. I always wanted more from life. My world never really suited me, that's why I came back here, I thought that perhaps this was where I was meant to be… but now…" she trailed off, pulling her blanket tighter around herself again.
"What do you mean? Sarah, just because we haven't been getting along doesn't mean that you aren't meant to be here. I knew the moment I met you that you belonged here, which is why I offered you so much…"
Sarah was surprised to hear this, and leaned forward in her chair, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Really? You mean, I made the right decision?"
A feeling swept over Jareth then, a feeling he hadn't felt in quite a long time.
Guilt.
Guilt that he'd already managed to make Sarah feel like she wasn't meant to be here, when the reality was, that she was very much meant to be here. He knew that he needed to get his power back over Sarah again, though. No matter what cost, even if he hated it.
"Yes, Sarah, I think you made the right decision."
She smiled and leaned back in her chair again. "I was going to ask you to take me home," she whispered, the light from the fire reflecting in her eyes.
"Why?" he said, feeling panicked "You've been here less than a week,"
"I just didn't know how to cope… with-"she trailed off again
"With what? Say it…"
"With you…" she answered honestly "I feel like you hate me so much. You've not exactly been nice to me since I've been here, you've just made me work really hard, and I can deal with a lot of work in my life, but I can't work for or live with someone who treats me like you've been treating me,"
She sat there, waiting for him to get angry at her, but instead, he nodded and spoke softly "If you treat me with the respect I ask for, I promise to do the same for you. I don't like being at odds with you, either. I should like to find a comfortable friendship with you,"
Sarah gazed at him in surprise, her lips parting softly. "I… I'll do my best. And I'm sorry about this morning. I shouldn't have spoken about Lily like that, I like her, I do, I don't know what came over me," she nibbled her lip nervously and Jareth watched her intently as she did so
"She isn't hurt by your words, so don't be too hard on yourself… Princess Lilium will be leaving in a few days anyway; she came to bring supplies for my Kingdom,"
"Supplies?" she asked, interested as to what sort of supplies he could be speaking of
"My Kingdom is going through a hard time at the moment. Ryrella, the Kingdom I used to trade with, stopped sending me supplies when I turned down a marriage to Lilium,"
Sarah furrowed her brow "But… this morning, you and Lily…"
"We share a bed sometimes, but I've never loved her, I never wanted her to be my Queen."
Sarah felt sad for Lilium for a moment, imagining that it would be very hard to share a man's bed after being rejected and knowing that he didn't love you. It was something she knew she could probably never do
"My Goblins aren't gardeners; they know nothing of keeping healthy crops, but they are great at mining for diamonds,"
"Forgive me if this sounds silly, but if the Goblin's can't grow crops, why don't you just hire other Fae to do it?"
Jareth sighed. He'd been hoping he wouldn't have to go into detail about this tonight. "My Kingdom has never been able to have crops grow here. There is just something about the soil and sunlight here, it just won't grow. I suppose you noticed that most of my Kingdom doesn't have grass, most of it is sand. There are some trees, but other than that there really isn't much here. Don't ask me why, for I have no idea, I wish I knew, But it's been a problem here for as long as I can remember,"
Jareth was right, when she'd run the Labyrinth, there hadn't been that much life here. There were trees, yes, and some hedges, but she'd never once seen any fruit or berries growing, not much grass either, and no plants or flowers.
"So how will you survive?"
"At the moment, Lilium is helping keeping my Kingdom fed. She continues to bring supplies from Ryrella, without her Father's knowledge. But I am not certain how much longer she can help us. I will have to try and figure something out… I will not allow my Kingdom to starve,"
Silence crept between them and Sarah just watched as Jareth gazed thoughtfully into the flames, his brows drawn low over his eyes as he anxiously tapped his knee.
"Why did you come here?" she asked after a few more minutes had passed in silence.
Jareth sighed, running a gloved hand through his hair. It was now or never.
"I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you, earlier. It was ungentlemanly of me,"
Sarah gazed at him, surprised at his apology and maybe even a little touched.
"I forgive you… and I'm sorry for waking you up at five thirty in the morning," she said with a soft smile spreading across her face.
Jareth returned her smile "I forgive you."
Sarah gazed at him, a mixture of feelings swelled in her heart as she met his gaze. "I promise I'll try to be a better maid,"
"You're already a good maid, Sarah…Don't doubt that. Let's just both try to be nicer to each other,"
Sarah nodded and leaned back in her chair once more, feeling peaceful around Jareth for the first time.
He watched as she closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips. He swallowed hard as he noticed the happy look on her face, and he felt guilt wash over him once more. It wasn't that his words weren't sincere; they were. He didn't want to argue with Sarah anymore, it was exhausting and made him moody for the rest of the day. But he couldn't help but feel bad for playing her.
When he next looked at her, she was asleep in her chair; the blanket had fallen from her shoulders, and was lying on the floor in a heap, leaving her arms bare. He admired her as she slept, she looked peaceful, but exhausted. Her hair was damp and hung in soft waves down her shoulders. She was wearing one of the night dresses he'd provided for her, which pleased him. It was long, but had no sleeves to cover her arms. He took a moment to look over them, noticing how they were slim and pale, dotted with little freckles. He'd never seen a fae woman with freckles, much to his disappointment. He wished that more woman in his world looked like Sarah. He'd only ever met one fae woman with dark hair, and she was the sister of King Beluar. No fae woman ever had green eyes, dark hair and freckles.
She shifted a bit in her sleep, but didn't wake. His mouth went dry when he noticed that he could see her breasts through the thin material of her night dress, and he looked away, feeling guilty for looking upon her when she wasn't aware of it. The fire crackled and Jareth stood, bending down to pick up the blanket from the floor and covering her with it once more.
She pulled it tighter around herself but didn't wake up.
Jareth watched her a moment longer and then finally managed to tear himself away, leaving the room and closing the door gently behind him.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The next morning when Sarah arrived with his breakfast at the time he had originally asked her too; she found him to be already up and dressed, sitting behind his desk with his legs folded elegantly. He gave her a warm smile when she curtsied and placed his breakfast in front of him.
"Good morning, sire," she spoke softly, returning his smile with her own.
"Good morning, Sarah,"
She poured his tea for him and then stood back, waiting for him to dismiss her. He nodded at her "You may go, Sarah."
Nodding back to him she turned and left, closing the door behind her.
Once outside the room she sighed, leaning her back against the door she smiled to herself.
She'd been dreading seeing Jareth this morning, fully expecting him to be back to his normal arrogant self, so it really was a relief to see that he'd kept to his word. Little did Sarah know that on the other side of the door the Goblin King was also breathing a sigh of relief. She felt touched that Jareth had taken the time to come to her chambers to say sorry to her last night. And him asking her about her family, and he telling her about his had almost charmed her. Perhaps Jareth wasn't such a bad guy after all...
For the first time since she'd been living at the castle, Sarah actually enjoyed her breakfast with the other Goblin staff in the kitchen and she wasn't mad about the chores Jareth had left for her.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
A few days passed, and Sarah and Jareth had continued being civil to one another, although she found that she didn't see him as much as she had before. Only at meal times did she see him, and he would greet her politely as she did him and then she'd return to her duties. She found she could deal with the solitude quite well, and she eventually started to enjoy her life working in the castle. She got on well with the Goblins, even if they were sometimes a little rough around the edges. She found them to be caring and fun, and once given instruction, they seemed to work quite well.
Together they all managed to clean the throne room which was well over due, and the Goblins didn't seem to mind helping one bit. They really liked Sarah. She was kind and lighthearted. They were allowed to sing as they worked, and after they'd finished the jobs she'd given them, she'd go down to the kitchens and treat them all with a small piece of cake.
Jareth had no idea that any of this was taking place and she wasn't sure what he'd say if he found out, but Sarah knew that when he next visited the throne room, he'd probably be happy that it no longer smelt of beer and Goblin piss.
Jareth spent most of his days in his office, reading through letters and paper work, or trying to figure out what to do about the current state of his Kingdom.
It was a heavy weight on his shoulders, knowing that he was the one responsible for the food shortages. He sometimes wished that he'd just married Lilium, love be damned! But his Father had known true love, and told him that it was never worth living without it. Not that Jareth was even anywhere near to finding that kind of love himself. He wasn't sure if he ever would now. His Kingdom was falling and he didn't exactly have the best reputation in this world.
King Beluar had made it impossible for him to make any sort of trades with other Kingdoms; telling them that Jareth, King of the Goblins, was not a made to do business with, since he wasn't respectful and didn't keep to his word.
Jareth did keep to his word, but King Beluar had worked hard at making these assumptions about Jareth. Even when Jareth tried to contact other Kingdoms himself, they never returned any of his letters. Jareth knew that this must be his karma for never responding to the letter about Lilium.
Leaning back in his chair, Jareth turned to gaze out of the window, admiring the Labyrinth in all its dark beauty. Each time he saw the Labyrinth, sadness would fill his heart with the reminder that it no longer listened to him. It really was a painful loss. The Labyrinth had never stopped obeying its King before him, and that was something else that worried him. What if it never did listen to him again?
He guessed that it was probably because Sarah had defeated him and he had lost a certain amount of his power over his own Kingdom, or maybe the Labyrinth just no longer respected him because he had lost to her. He just hoped that he could somehow gain his power over Sarah again, without it being too forceful. He wasn't really a cruel man by nature, and he didn't hate Sarah. He actually liked her, probably more than he should, especially since they'd stopped arguing. Each morning she would greet him with a smile and a curtsy, pour him his tea and then leave when he dismissed her.
It wasn't great friendship, just an understanding between them, that if they remained civil to one another, then life would be a lot easier for them both.
He didn't want to break her spirit; he just wanted to reclaim what she took from him.
He sighed heavily, resting his head back on the leather padding on his chair, watching as it started to rain.
He had to be strong and forget any friendly affection he had for Sarah. He had too, or his Kingdom would fall. Right now he just had to continue being nice to Sarah and see if she would fall for him.
That evening, Jareth sat in the dining room with Lilium, both of them waiting for dinner to be brought to them.
Lilium was dressed in a deep purple gown; her blonde hair up in a platted knot. She sipped from her goblet, watching as Jareth gazed into a crystal, an unreadable expression cast over his face.
"My Lord?"
Glancing up from his crystal he sighed and flicked his wrist, the crystal vanishing from view. "Forgive me; I have a lot on my mind this evening,"
"Anything you wish to share with me?" she asked softly, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
He smirked at her. Jareth was a man who was easily charmed by the batter of friendly eyelids, or the smile on a pretty face. He reached for her hand, gently taking it in his own gloved one "I suppose I'm just thinking about how I'll miss you when you leave,"
Lilium knew this wasn't really what troubled him, but took the moment to enjoy his attention. "Is that so, my lord?"
"Indeed it is… perhaps later I can show you just how much I will miss you," he whispered
Just as he finished his sentence, Sarah walked in with another Goblin maid, each of them holding a trey of food. Sarah's wide smile faded when she saw the two holding hands. She placed the tray in front of Jareth and poured his wine like she always did at dinner. He smiled at her when her eyes met his but she quickly looked away. Jareth furrowed his brow when she did not return his smile. What was wrong with her?
"Sarah? Are you alright?" he knew it wasn't very kingly to ask his servant if she was alright, but he couldn't help himself.
"I'm quite alright, thank you, sire," she forced herself to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes like it usually did. He watched her as she left along with the Goblin maid.
"It seems like whatever you've been doing with Sarah is working, Your Majesty, the girl is attracted to you and seeing us together makes her jealous," Lilium stated as she started to cut up her food "She may even have feelings for you,"
Jareth gazed at the door, shaking his head "Attraction is one thing, but feelings are quite another. I very much doubt that Sarah has any feelings of which you speak," he said as he quickly drained his goblet, needing the comfort of alcohol after speaking of such things.
Lilium shrugged "I don't know for sure, sire. But if you are ever to reclaim the power over her and your Labyrinth again, this could work,"
Jareth looked at her with a questioning eye "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting that you continue to play on this. Get her to think you have feelings for her like she may have for you. If she does have feelings like that towards you, you'll know… and then you'll be able to regain all of your power over her,"
Jareth looked down at his plate of food, his appetite suddenly gone. He was surprised that Lilium was saying these things. He didn't know that she was capable of thinking such things.
"I know it's not ideal, my lord. And I know it's probably not fair on Sarah, but this is about your connection with your Kingdom. You've spent long enough without it; you've told me yourself that nothing has felt the same since you lost your connection to the Labyrinth,"
Jareth nodded after a moment "You're right, of course. I'll try my best to win her affections,"
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o
AN:So... there it is! Don't be too mad at me for making Jareth have a lover. I thought about changing it for sometime, but I really think it adds something to the story. Please do let me know your thoughts on it, though. I am truly interested to know if any of you guys like Lilium or not. also for any of you wondering, yes, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus will be in this fic at some point soon! :D
On Friday night I am off to watch Labyrinth on the big screen and I can't wait! Have any of you guys ever seen Labyrinth on the big screen before?
(This chapter was named 'Past and the present' because of the amount of flash backs that took place. Do you guys enjoy the flash backs or would you rather they weren't there?)
