A/N: Here's another installment to enjoy. Sorry it's taken so long to get out, but I'm directing Brigadoon and that's been taking up a lot of my time. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to The Prince's Aylalar, EmeraldRomance, CeliaEquus, lanabyte, chichi89, and KaikenCollison for their awesomely cool reviews! You guys rock. To Cyndi, thanks for your review. I know it was cheezy, but everyone can use some fresh Gouda every now and then. To everyone: Please keep reviewing! The reviews help me decide which story I update sooner. Keep the suggestions coming. I swear you are going to see a few of them next chapter.
Disclaimer: Sir Didymus, doth thou thinkest I could ever own Labyrinth?
Sir Didymus: Not on thou life, my good Lady.
Sarah awoke the next morning with the faint stirrings of a hangover. The group had been up half the night drinking and singing. She looked down and saw she was still wearing the same outfit she had been in last night, complete with shoes. With a sigh, she stepped out of bed and stretched. She looked over at the other bed and noticed that Allie didn't look much better than she felt. Walking up to a mirror, she grimaced. Her makeup was still on, but not in the same places she had applied it to and her hair was simply a huge mess.
A knock came at the door and she winced. She cautiously walked to the door and opened it a crack. 'Of course,' she thought, rolling her eyes. Jareth stood on the other side of the door, looking good as usual. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see into the small slit in the door. She had no intention of letting him see her like this.
"What do you want?" Sarah muttered.
"Why precious," he smirked, "did you just get out of bed. My, my, my, it's well after eleven o'clock."
"Why don't you go to hell," she snapped, closing the door.
Jareth just chuckled and turned the knob himself. He stuck his head in the door. The sight of her standing there in her delicious costume of last night made his breath catch in his throat. If it were up to him, she'd never take it off. Well, maybe not never. He thought she looked absolutely lovely, even with her hair a mess and her makeup streaking down her face.
Sarah glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"I came to see if you'd like to accompany me to Market Week in the Goblin Kingdom?" he asked.
"Market Week?" she asked.
"Yes, precious," he said. "It's a week of celebration in the Goblin City. There are booths for sellers, wine, music, and merriment. I thought you might like to get out of this castle for a day."
Sarah thought about it for a moment. She did want to get out of the castle and she thought the idea of a celebration sounded fun. Still, she was suspicious as always when it came to Jareth. When it came down to it, though, she had to spend time with the man during these 90 days. She might as well start now.
"Ok," she said, reluctantly. "Give me an hour and I'll be ready to go."
"I'll be back in an hour, my Lady," he said with a smirk. "You can always go in that enticing apparel. I'll not mind seeing it again."
Sarah picked up a pillow and flung it at the door. He closed it just in time and it hit the door and fell to the floor in a heap. She could hear his laughter ring through the hall.
Allie sat up in bed and stretched. Her hands went to her head and she massaged her temples. Looking up, she saw Sarah picking up a pillow by the door.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"I've been invited to the Goblin Kingdom for market week," Sarah explained.
"Ooo, did the Goblin King finally ask you out?" Allie teased.
"Shut up," Sarah said, throwing the pillow at her. It smacked the girl right on the head, knocking her back. Sarah laughed. "Serves you right. You want to come with?"
"I'd never dream of intruding on your date with Jareth," Allie said, smirking.
Sarah rolled her eyes and began to undress. It felt good to get the hot leather off of her body. She strolled into the bathroom and began to shower, feeling the water kneed her tired muscles. Thinking back to last night, Sarah smiled. Jareth's serenade to her had taken her by surprise. Then again, so did the kiss she planted on him afterwards. Finishing her shower, she grabbed a towel and walked back into the room. She pulled it tight around her when she realized they weren't alone.
"I'm sorry, my Lady," Liam apologized, trying desperately to look away. "I just remembered that I had offered to escort you on a tour of the Kingdom. Are you free today?"
"You're too late," Allie replied. He looked at her, puzzled.
"I'm sorry Liam," Sarah explained. "I already made plans for today."
"Yeah," Allie chimed in. "Jareth is taking her to Market Week in the Goblin City."
At the mere mention of his name, Liam's eyes narrowed and his face got red. The man had beaten him again. Jareth infuriated Liam like no other. Allie didn't miss the look on the young Fae's face. It delighted her to rile the man. Liam was nice, but he wasn't for Sarah.
"Perhaps tomorrow," Sarah said smiling.
"That would be wonderful," Liam said, recovering. He'd at least make sure Jareth didn't get a chance with her tomorrow. "I will take my leave now. Have a fun time in the Goblin City."
"Thank you," Sarah said. "I'll see you." The door closed and Sarah glared at her friend. "Why did you let him in here and why did you antagonize him with Jareth?"
"Because, he wanted to see you and it was fun," Allie replied, her eyes dancing devilishly.
Sarah finished drying herself off when another knock came at the door. She looked to Allie, who got up and answered the door.
"I'm sorry," Allie said. "Sarah's got plans today and tomorrow. If you want some time with her, you'd better set an appointment now." Allie appeared to nod at whoever was at the door. "I'll let her know. Bye."
Sarah looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Who was that?"
"Oh, nobody," Allie replied. "Just your other two suitors asking you for some time today."
Rolling her eyes, Sarah sighed. "When do they want to see me?"
"The night after next for a ball with Gough and the day after next for a picnic with Pryderi," Allie replied.
Sarah visibly shuddered, thinking about having to spend time with those two. Allie looked at her with curiosity. "Those two give me the creeps," Sarah explained.
"Maybe you can talk to the High King and see if you can eliminate them now and then you won't have to see them," Allie suggested.
"That's a good idea," Sarah said. "I have to go to court in a few days to petition to become Fae. I'll bring it up then. I just have to go to one ball and one picnic. I think I can handle that."
Sarah picked out a burgundy dress and matching shoes. Allie helped her into the dress and then helped her pin her hair up into a messy updo with curling tendrils. They had just finished up when a knock came at the door. Allie got up to answer it while Sarah put in some gold earrings. Jareth came into the room and smiled at the sight of Sarah before him. She stood and walked to him. Taking his arm, she allowed him to transport them both to the Goblin City.
At the sight before her, she gasped. No longer was it the dirty, barren place from her memory. There were colored banners everywhere. Music and laughter filled the streets as people shopped. Sweet and savory smells pervaded the air. Jareth pulled a mesmerized Sarah out of the way of a speeding Goblin on a wild boar.
"You have to be careful Sarah," he warned, his breath tickling her ear as he held her close. After a moment, he noticed that he was still holding her and smirked. If she wasn't going to leave his arms, he'd hold her all day. She felt really good next to him.
Sarah noticed that the danger had passed, but that he was still holding her against him. She also noticed how comfortable she felt in his embrace. The smell of cinnamon and cloves wafted off of him. With every breath in, she inhaled his intoxicatingly spicy scent.
Reluctantly, Sarah pushed away from him and began walking down the street towards one of the vendors. Jareth followed, watching her walk ahead of him. Even the way she walked made his nerve endings tingle.
Sarah walked up to one of the refreshment vendors. There were foods of all different kinds. Many were unrecognizable. She realized that she hadn't eaten all day and her mouth began to water.
Jareth walked up behind her and smirked. "Would you like some péitseog toirtín, precious?" he asked.
The vendor pulled out a delicious looking pastry. It smelled so good that Sarah smiled and nodded. Jareth, being King, was not expected to pay. The vendor was just happy that the King was at his booth. It would bolster his business to say the King ate his products. He held out two pastries for each of them with a friendly smile. The Goblin King nodded his acceptance and led Sarah to a table in the eating area.
Sarah took a big bite of her pastry. It was delicious, tasting sweet and juicy. Jareth sat watching her for a moment before eating his own. A big smirk decorated his face.
"What?" Sarah asked. "Why do I have the feeling that you tricked me into something?"
"I didn't trick you into anything, precious," he purred.
Sarah narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What is this exactly?" she asked.
Jareth looked at her with eyes twinkling. "I told you," he explained. "It's a péitseog toirtín."
"What does that mean exactly," she replied.
Jareth chuckled for a moment before saying, "it's a peach tart."
Sarah glared at him, but continued eating. She wasn't feeling dizzy or anything, so she figured he was just having a joke at her expense. "If this wasn't so good, you'd be wearing it right now," she quipped.
Jareth laughed and went back to eating his own tart. As they ate, they engaged in a friendly banter about the uses of enchanted fruit. By the end of their treat, they were laughing gaily. The goblins and other inhabitants of the city watched their King in amazement. It had been so long since they had heard him laugh about anything. Maybe this woman would be their new Queen. They certainly hoped so.
The couple spent the day together, looking at various booths and listening to Goblin music. Sarah got to try her hand at the feadóg. She was terrible but she got the little flute to play a bit before giving up. Jareth surprised her by being very good at it. He played her a melody that she knew would be haunting her for days.
Jareth noticed the sky was getting grey and it smelled as if rain were on the way. He was just about to collect Sarah and transport them back when the skies opened. It began to pour and everything became drenched. Sarah ran to him, completely soaked. Jareth waved his hands and they were transported into his chambers in the Goblin Castle.
Sarah looked around at the opulent setting before turning on him. "Why are we here?" she asked.
"I didn't have the strength to transport you to the Fairy Kingdom after the exhausting day we shared," he lied.
"Sure," she said sarcastically, not buying his story for a moment. "Well, I am not staying here tonight. Especially not in your bedroom."
"Precious," he purred. "When you come to my bedroom, I assure you it will be willingly. I won't need any tricks."
"Ha!" she exclaimed. "You're definitely counting your chickens before they hatch. How do you know I'll choose you?"
Jareth stepped closer and moved his head in as if to kiss her. Sarah closed her eyes and waited. He smirked and moved his lips from in front of her mouth to next to her ear. "Because," he whispered, "you're practically begging me to kiss you right now. I shant ablige today, precious. At least, not right now."
Sarah shivered. She wasn't sure if it was from the feeling of his breath on her ear, the words that he said, or the cold from being wet and in a drafty castle. She pretended it was the latter.
"We need to get you out of those wet clothes, my dear," he said. When she raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her, he smirked. "Don't worry precious, I won't watch. Yet."
Jareth walked over to the dresser and pulled out some things for her to wear. Giving them to her, he escorted her to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and began to change out of her wet dress and into the dry clothes he provided. At the same time, in the main room, Jareth was changing out of his soaked clothes and into some dry ones. He magically dried his hair and then laid down on the bed to wait for her. He could hear her groan when she realized what she would be wearing.
"Damn you Jareth," she cried. In her hands was a black pair of form-fitting trousers, a black poet's shirt, black boots, and a black leather breast plate. Her mouth turned into a frown, realizing that she had seen these clothes before. It was the outfit he wore when she first saw him in her parent's room, minus the cape. 'Two can play at this game,' she thought, cheekily. She put on the entire outfit, though it was somewhat big on her, and went out to confront the Goblin King.
Jareth looked at her and gaped. Even in his clothes, or maybe especially in his clothes, she looked stunning. The thought of his clothes touching her most intimate places made him groan in pleasure. "I didn't think you were going to wear the whole outfit," he said. "Though it does look delicious on you."
"Oh, you didn't?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I guess I did say you could wear them, so I shouldn't be surprised to see you in it," he replied, smirking.
"What's said is said," she replied.
Jareth thought her impression of him was quite alluring. He was always into a little game play in the bedroom. With a wave of his hand, the clothing magically tailored itself to her body. He threw in the gloves and the cape for effect. She looked down and giggled. In her hand was a crystal.
"What is that?" he teased, playing along with her game.
"It's a crystal, nothing more, but if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams," she explained, trying to juggle it as he had. Unfortunately, she wasn't skilled in the art of crystal juggling and the crystal fell to the ground. It bounced and rolled over to him on the bed. He reached his arm down and picked it up, juggling it with ease.
Sarah laughed and said, "show off."
Jareth joined her in laughter, standing and walking towards her. He held out the crystal in his hand. "Here," he said, giving it to her. "You can keep this one. If you ever need me for anything, just call my name."
Sarah stared at it, dazed. It was beautiful. She was so stunned by the gift that she reached up and kissed his cheek. She turned her back to him, still looking in the crystal, admiring the colors it radiated. Jareth stood behind her, his hand to his cheek. She didn't see him move stealthily behind her until he put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around.
Bending down, he captured her lips with his. She felt surprised for a moment and opened her lips to him. He took advantage of the situation to taste her tongue with his. Her arms snaked around his neck, caressing the skin with her fingertips. His arms went around her waist, holding her tight to him. When their kisses became more urgent, he picked her up and walked over to the bed. Laying her down carefully on the bed, he perched himself on top of her. Her hands slipped into his shirt, touching his bare chest. He felt her legs wrap themselves around his waist. One of his hands wandered down her leg, finally coming to rest on her round bottom.
Suddenly, Sarah pushed him away and untangled her legs from around him. Jareth looked at her, confused. He sat up and rolled off of her. Her face was flush and she was panting heavily.
"We c-can't d-do this," she managed.
"Why not, precious," he replied. "I know it isn't because you didn't like it."
"N-no, I l-liked it. I did," she stammered. "If we go any further, we'll both be breaking Fae law."
"Courting couples are allowed to enjoy carnal pleasures," he said, stroking her jaw with his finger.
"Normal courting couples are Jareth," she corrected, willing herself not to give in to the feelings his touch elicited. "You are courting me with rivals. You are not allowed to do any more than kiss me. If you do, we could be in violation of the courting laws. That means I won't become Fae and you won't be allowed to court me."
Jareth rolled his eyes and sighed. 'Damn the stupid laws,' he thought. He wanted her so much right now. She was right, he knew, but it didn't change this fact. Unfortunately, she would be full of regret later should he pursue this. He didn't want her to ever regret it when she finally did come to his bed.
Sarah sat up and got out of Jareth's bed. She couldn't forget the feeling of his hands on her. She was full of desire for his touch, but she knew that they would regret it should she have let it continue. She didn't ever want him to regret touching her. She picked up the crystal from the table where she had set it.
"I think it's time for me to go home now," she said. "Thank you for a fun day in the Goblin City. I hope we get to do it again sometime."
Jareth smiled and joined her. He grabbed her hands and kissed them gently. "Any time, my dear," he said. He waved his hand over her and she disappeared back to the Fairy Kingdom, right in the Throne Room. She looked around and rolled her eyes. His tricks were unending.
The Fairy King gaped at her and began to laugh. Allie, who had been at his side, laughed with him. Sarah smirked and raised an eyebrow, twirling the crystal on her fingertips. With a neat little spin flaring her cape, she turned her back on the two gawkers. She quickly left the room and walked back to her shared chambers.
"Was she wearing what I think she was?" Allie asked.
"I do believe she has been shopping at the same place as my brother," Fagan replied.
"This is one story I've got to hear," Allie said, hurrying out of the room.
Fagan watched her leave and went to find his brother for an explanation. Jareth was sitting sideways on his throne. An unconscious smirk adorned his face. He looked lost in thought.
"Well, hello my brother," Fagan said, smiling.
Jareth turned to see his brother standing in the middle of the room. "Hello Fagan, to what do I earn the pleasure of this visit?" he asked.
"I think you already know," Fagan replied.
"Mmmmm," Jareth said, pretending to think.
"Don't patronize me," Fagan replied, getting impatient. "Why was Lady Sarah wearing your clothes?"
"Oh that," Jareth said with a smirk.
"Yes that," Fagan replied. "What is going on? If you don't tell me, one of your goblins will."
Jareth spread his hands, indicating his permission to ask his subjects anything he wanted. This was going to be fun. Fagan walked up to the nearest bunch.
"What did your King do today?" he asked.
"Kingy Market"
"Kingy with Lady"
"Kingy eat treat"
"Lady eat treat"
Fagan rolled his eyes. This was getting him no where.
"Lady make Kingy laugh"
"He play music"
"They laugh"
"It rain"
"Lady and Kingy get wet"
"Rain make wet"
Fagan sighed. They were wet and she borrowed his clothes. He was hoping for something a little more juicy. He turned to see Jareth laughing.
"What?" Fagan said, frustrated.
Jareth decided to put his little brother out of his misery. He got down from his throne and put his arm around his shoulder, leading him to his study. The two drank Goblin ale and talked. The goblins looked at each other in good spirits.
"I told you Kingy need a woman"
"We get new Queen"
"Let's go see her"
"Yay!"
