This is the end of this let me know if you enjoyed it !

A queen in her realm

Three days passed, or at least the sun rose and set three times. The days' lengths were very uneven, and Sarah sometimes feared to learn how much time had passed in the normal world. Hoggle assured her that she had nothing to fear and that it would be as long or short as she wanted.
Hoggle had been invaluable to her these recent days. He was always there when she needed him, by her side or hiding behind her throne to whisper advice while Sarah looked regal. She had received ambassadors from distant or rival courts, settled differences between goblins and established strategies with her advisers. She still couldn't believe she was a queen, even with Hoggle's explanations.
He said it had happened naturally and had been inevitable. Jareth's defeat had the effect of a lightning bolt. All goblins feared him and were delighted to know that he had been publicly lowered. Hoggle and Sir Didymus's tales had strengthened Sarah's aura with these disillusioned subjects. In a few months, they had started to love her when they learned from her friends that she was gentle, loving, courageous, that although human, she considered goblins and other inhabitants of the Labyrinth and the city as her friends. All had said to themselves that they would have liked to have had her as queen. Sarah, like their sisters, their brothers, their fathers, their mothers, had abandoned her brother, but she had fought for him. She got to bring him back. And Jareth finally imprisoned Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo for sedition and treason in the worst of the Labyrinth's jails. It was the last straw for the goblins. They woke up and felt the bond of loyalty which bound them willingly or by force to Jareth dissolving, replaced by another, much sweeter, towards Sarah herself. They had forgotten Jareth's name and no longer felt compelled to obey him. Until then, no one knew that they could choose a sovereign. Sarah wondered if telling them about the concept of election was a good or bad idea. Upon their change of allegiance, the goblins had refused to obey Jareth. The city had closed its doors to him as soon as he stepped outside to inspect the Labyrinth. The fallen king besieged his lost city with all his weapons and all the armies that the Labyrinth could offer him. The goblins had suffered severe assaults and heavy losses but had always held out.

Sarah was ashamed when she realized that she could have come to help them for years. If only she wished it strongly enough, any goblin could have escaped the blockade and come to bring her news. But no, she had rejected everything that came from the Labyrinth. In time, she even rejected Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus. She didn't mean to do that, she loved them so much, but she did. And they had been trapped inside the city, undergoing Jareth's blockade without being able to defeat him because their queen was not with them. At first, her dearest friends had not answered her calls because of the magic of Jareth who had kept them imprisoned. And when Sarah's will became stronger than his, they had made the decision to protect her brother. According to them, she wanted so badly that her brother was safe that they had heard her thought for the first time in years. By mutual agreement, they had chosen to fulfil her wish rather than respond to her call.

Within the city limits, Sarah's power was therefore undisputed. The goblins treated her with respect and admiration. As for Sarah, she tried to speak to them with kindness and tried to always remember that they had been human children when she was appalled by their childish behaviour or their savagery. Hoggle sighed regularly and said that they were too used to Jareth's commands and violence. The goblins struggled to understand her way of doing things. Their whims were only the mark of their incomprehension. Toby was better with them than Sarah. Her brother had always hated noise, but he always laughed when he saw the goblins. Toby knew how to push them in the right direction when they did not know on what foot to dance when Sarah gave an order which seemed a little too much like a suggestion.

As strange as it sounded, he was happy here. While Sarah was giving orders, he stood at the foot of her throne and drew goblin heads with chalk on the floor. From time to time, he nodded to show his agreement with one of the goblin advisers, with a serious expression that always made Sarah laugh. At times, the idea of bringing him back to London or to America pained her. She refused to doubt their parents' love for him. Even if Toby was indeed a little different from other boys, they would still love him. But how could she bring him back? He flourished among the goblins who followed him everywhere, fascinated. And Toby did not seem eager to return. He no longer stormed as he had done at the hotel. Usually, he was in a contemplative mood and stayed quiet, but laughed and ran happily sometimes. A few times he had a temper tantrum because someone dared move Lancelot or his chalks at the foot of the throne. Sarah had explained to him that the bear had helped her to find the strength to look for him. She knew he understood because he had placed Lancelot on the throne that day as if the bear could protect her throne when she wasn't here. No one could contest its place since. Only Sarah could move it to place it on her lap while she welcomed her visitors. She was complacent, too relieved to have found Toby. She would have given in to all his whims.

Within days, a routine had set in, and Sarah was reluctant to destroy it. But she had to.

Jareth's finally woke up. It was almost a relief to Sarah. She had so many questions. A goblin came to announce his awakening as she stood in the throne room with her advisers and was trying to figure out the best way to deal with the more recent Labyrinth assault. Vines were trying to force the West Gate. The new queen immediately stopped the meeting, her heart pounding.

"Watch Toby," she asked Ludo, who nodded with a big smile. "I don't want the Labyrinth master to get his hands on him."

Sarah no longer feared Jareth as before, but better safe than sorry. Once alone, she checked her outfit and hairstyle. She didn't want to appear too seductive, but she was increasingly aware she needed to look the part. Appearance was of the highest importance in power struggles in the Underworld. Once satisfied that she looked like the queen she was meant to be, Sarah joined the guest quarters where Jareth was cared for and fiercely guarded by his former subjects.
Opening the door of her room, Sarah thought that it looked more like an oubliette than a sick room. Only a very thin ray of sunshine lit the chamber and its occupant, coming from a narrow loophole in the corner of the room. The dim light made Jareth's pale complexion look even more sickly than it was. Sarah staid on the doorstep and noticed his thinness and the bags under his eyes. It was the first time she saw him since their arrival.

"Don't look at me like that Sarah," he said, opening his eyes and inviting her to enter the room.
Almost despite herself, but well aware of the desires that pushed her, Sarah obeyed. He watched her move while admiring her dress.

"I'm glad to see you in better shape", admitted Sarah. "I was worried this past few days."

"No one is more relieved than me. They were a few occasions where I would not have given much of my skin and yours. But look where we are now. Didn't I always say I would make you my equal?"
"Don't exaggerate. It was the goblins who decided to rely on me rather than you. My goblins who chose to free Toby on their own. In this whole story, I owe you nothing."

Jareth raised an eyebrow at what he saw as an exaggeration but stayed quiet. Sarah smiled at him and resumed.

"Despite everything, I am grateful to you for agreeing to accompany me and guide me in the Moor. Without you, I might not have survived, and we both know that you have done much more than I was entitled to expect from you. For all this, thank you."

He was visibly surprised to see her ready to admit her debt and Sarah raised her chin in a gesture she hoped was defiant. Finally, he smiled.

"You shouldn't thank your rivals so quickly. Did you not realize that my forces are besieging your little kingdom? You can lead your pitiful goblins as much as you want, Sarah. Without me to support you, your domain is the weakest of all."

"It remains to be seen. I will be their queen to protect them from you. I will not return your kingdom to you."

With unexpected force, Jareth got up and pressed Sarah against the stone wall. She refused to tense up or melt into his embrace. Sarah just looked at him as coldly as she could. With a predatory smile, Jareth undressed her with his gaze. He trapped her right hand above her head. His other hand, he put it on her hips.

"Wil you scream for help or defend yourself?"

He breathed in her neck. She didn't shiver and was very proud of that fact.

"Why would I do that? You're so weak right now that I could knock you down with a single push."
"You underestimate my strength. I could make you cry my name of pleasure over and over again until you ask for mercy."

"And you underestimate your condition, just as you forget that I am no longer a pitiful little human frightened as you like them. You will not scare me. You repeat that I am your equal, yet you hate that this is really the case. You can never dominate me again."

Frustrated and furious, the master of the Labyrinth turned away and stamped his feet on the floor. Sarah advanced towards him confidently. She was her own mistress. She was in control of her desires and fears now. Pushing her advantage, she continued.

"My kingdom is as big as yours now but do we need to challenge each other? The Labyrinth and the Goblins city have always worked together. I hope this will always be the case. It is now my duty to take the children offered to the Goblins queen. There must be test offered to those who wish to recover them. You're still the master of the Labyrinth. I want you to do your job, as you always had. Let's collaborate."

Jareth looked at her in amazement, then his smile widened.

"I would do everything in my power so that they never reach the limits of your domain."

"And I will cheat on every turn to help the most deserving", retorted Sarah.

Jareth's joyful laughter echoed throughout the room. Sarah smiled back. She had planned everything while he was asleep. She was starting to understand her new role, but it was out of the question to reign as Jareth had done. She would abduct children but would return them to all who were sincere enough in their regrets and ready to change their behaviour. As for the captured children, she would leave them the choice of becoming a goblin or remaining human. They still couldn't leave the city limits, but it would always be better than the lack of choice imposed by Jareth. Her advisers kept saying over and over that it would be frowned upon throughout the Underworld. Sarah didn't care. She would be relentless in her relationships with her neighbours and in her treatment of the visitors whose repentance was not sincere. In a few months, no one would think she was weak and especially not Jareth.

"I think I'll collaborate, for now", Jareth finally said once he stopped laughing." I will order the Labyrinth to end the siege of the city."

"I am grateful to you."

"But beware Sarah. Until you give me everything I want, I remain your adversary. The siege ended, I could still decide to regularly test your and your domain defences."

"If you wish to do so, I won't stop you. You'll see that our defences are solid and the place quite strong enough to resist your assaults. My will, after all, is as strong as yours, Jareth."

Hearing her say his name brought a new smile to Jareth's lips, but it quickly dissipated. He exchanged a new look with Sarah, which dragged on in heavy silence. They could no longer deny where they stood and what they felt for each other. Their desire was palpable. Sarah was no longer trying to deny hers. However, they were also two sovereigns, each with different ambitions and intentions. If they weren't rivals, they weren't allies either. What they both wanted to be was of no importance in the face of this reality. They both looked away with sadness.

"You're free to leave as soon as your condition allows it", Sarah said at last. "You're not a prisoner here, and your kingdom is waiting for you."

Jareth nodded but didn't take a step toward the door. He nearly held out a hand to Sarah's face before he controlled himself and disappeared. Sarah was left alone. She could only look where he was the instant before in frustration. A few days earlier, she would have been relieved to see him disappear. Now, she yearned for his presence after just a few seconds of absence. However, there was no point in crying over it. She would see him many times in the months and years to come, when their respective duties forced them to do so. It was unlikely that they would find joy in those meetings. There would always be something preventing them from becoming something more.

Sarah had dreamed of being his equal. She was now, but it had a bitter taste.
Almost reluctantly, she left the room, not without casting a last look toward it, hoping irrationally that he would come back and take her in his arms to give her the absolute he had promised her for so long. Sarah could cry over this failure, but the Goblins Queen could not afford it. She had to prove that she could lead her kingdom properly, to herself, to Toby, to her people and to him. She had to learn to smile and threaten, to lead and to protect a whole kingdom of goblins. She had to find a way to combine her life here and her life there, far above the Underworld. Maybe she should give up her research, which now seemed futile to her, but she was going to give Toby back to his parents, and there was no way she couldn't be around to see him grow up and keep him happy. She could order a goblin to watch over his safety and bring him back to the palace safely if he lacked love or acceptance, but it would not be enough. She had to be there.

Sarah, the Goblins queen, closed the door and returned to her duties. And one day, in a far future, she would find the time to fight for what her heart wanted.

One day.