After the last chapter, I got worried. Not for the story, but for Sarah. The High King's threat seemed pretty real to me, it chilled me in fact. But anyway. Here is the nexct chapter, slightly shorter than the last, but whatever. No one likes things to drag, and I always fear the balance between staying true to characters and keeping things interesting will collapse. I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth. Whatever :'(

Chapter Six, Higgle, Hoggle and Hogwart

It was a never ending cycle of fear, of being taken back to her less than satifatory life, hopelessness, knowing she didn't have a chance against whatever the Goblin King's decision may hold, and submission, understanding that there most likely wasn't going to be much time left for Sarah in the Underground. Then everything went back to fear, of what the High King might do to her if Jareth didn't do something soon.

Since his father's visit, the Goblin King had not left his study, save for meetings with some advisors. All Sarah had heard of him was when the same maid who had attended to her when the High King was due to visit came to notify her of her house arrest. She was not permitted to leave the castle until final word from either Jareth or his father had been received about her future where abouts.

It wasn't until two days after the High King's announcement that Sarah saw the Goblin King again. He was striding down the corridor outside of a vacant chamber with a peach in his hand, and a stressed, focused look on his face. Before she could decide whether or not to ask him of his decision, he sensed her and turned around.

"Sarah." His tone was of vague surprise and relief to see her. Looking at him now, Sarah could see dark shadows under his eyes, as if his atrocious sleeping habits had somehow gotten even worse.

"Jareth. I...what...what are you going to do?" The was no hiding the fear and apprehension in her voice as she questioned the King's decision. Even as she said it, she saw a grim line appear on his face where an almost smile had been seconds before.

"I will not take you back, if that is what you wonder. I will not take back your wish. I vowed to you that I would give you everything you wanted, and my brat of a father will not make me go back on a promise. Not now and not ever. So in that aspect, there is no need for you to worry," she let out a breath at the Goblin King's reassuring words, but kept herself braced for his next sentence. "However, in making the decision to defy my father and keep you here in the Underground, I am, regrettably, putting you into a lot of danger." An apologetic flash went through his eye at this point. "Not to fret, though, my dear, I will keep you safe from any danger if my life depends on it."

Though still wary, Jareth's statement calmed Sarah slightly and made her feel safe. She then decided to ask the question she'd been hoping to get the chance to ask since her arrival in the Underground.

"Would there be any chance at all of me being able to see my friends?" Sarah tried to keep the begging sound out of her voice, but she really was desperate to see them again. Jareth smiled tiredly.

"Ah yes, Higgle("Hogwart!" Sarah corrected him) and Sir Dydimus have been asking about you quite a lot. I even received a large boulder from that beast of yours, with crude handwriting engraved on it, asking to see his friend. I will invite them to the castle tomorrow noon. You may see them then." With that, he turned away, about to go take a well-earned nap after losing sleep because he'd been trying to devise a plan to keep Sarah safe. She stopped him however.

"Jareth, thank you. For everything." She blushed slightly as she said the words, earning a chuckle from the Goblin King.

"Anything for you, my precious." And he was gone. Sarah turned around, excited now at the prospect of getting to see her friends, and stay in the Underground. Though she still feared for her safety, having the High King of the Underground wanting her dead and all, she couldn't suppress the feeling of gratitude she felt towards Jareth for the time being. He was doing all he could to answer all her wishes and keep her safe, whilst she got to live the fairytale she'd always dreamed about. Nothing could be better. Until, of course, she got to see her friends again tomorrow.

Sarah decided she should definitely go to sleep now. Today had been a long day, with all the...nothing. She sighed as she closed her bedroom door and changed into her sleeping attire, crawling into bed and hitting the pillow with a gentle thud. Tomorrow would be good. Tomorrow she was to see Higgle...Hogwart? Hoggle! That's what it was! Tomorrow she would see Hoggle, Sir Dydimus and Ludo again. Then she would be happier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J&S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As ruler of the Goblin Kingdom, Jareth had many problems. Usually, sleeping wasn't one. But tonight, it seemed sleep evaded him like a cat evades water. It was now, when he needed sleep so badly, that it refused to come to him. He felt restless, as if someone he cared about might be in danger. Thoughts of his precious Sarah creeped into his mind, where she would be harmed or stolen from him.

Eventually, he decided he would check on her. Fading into the hallway outside her door, he knocked, hoping for an answer. There wasn't one. Pointless worry overtook his mind and he opened the door and quickly peered inside. His worry was indeed made pointless when he foud the girl sleeping soundly in her bed. He smiled slightly at how delicate she looked, before closing the door again and going back to his own chamber. When he fell into his bed gracefully again, he managed sleep.

His dreams this night, were of a crystal ball, floating in the starry sky, encasing a glorified King and his beautiful queen, dancing, the magical ceilings and walls crashing down around them, as the world falls down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J&S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the other side of the castle in which the Goblin King now slept, Sarah was dreaming her own dream. Her mind strived to show her every fantasy she held in her head since she'd been born, showing her as a princess, a fairy, a witch, an angel, a knight, a queen. A beautiful young woman standing next to her Prince Charming. Her King.

But as she smiled at Jareth, his features began to change, to morph into his father's. The High King held her body close to his, making her increasingly uncomfortable, until his face gained closeness to hers and she awoke with a start. Breathing heavily, she was filled again with the sensation of someone in her head, rifling through her thoughts. Suddenly panicked, she called out.

"Jareth!"

Though Jareth had indeed been deeply asleep when she called him, nothing could break his alertness when it came to his Sarah. When her panicked cry carried through the halls and was magically amplified in his head, he sat bolt right up, jumping out of his bed and fading into her room. She sat on her own bed, breathing shallowly, tugging at her hair and shaking as if she had water in her ears. He ran to her, sitting down and holding her still in his arms.

"Sarah what's wrong?" He whispered urgently, trying to keep her calm, whilst not going into a panic himself. A mixture of anger, confusion and suspicion flooded through him as he tried to think of what possibly could be doing this to his beloved.

"There's someone in my head!" She all but screamed, still thrashing around. As soon as she had begun to answer him, he had felt the presence of magic in the room. He knew what spell this was, and how to stop it. Creating a crystal sphere out of thin air, he whispered some words of an unknown language into it, and Sarah calmed immediately.

"This is a protective crystal. Keep it under your pillows as you sleep and it will protect you from any magical enchantments. You are safe, Sarah. You will always be safe with me.

It was troubled anger that Jareth felt as he walked back to his room. It was a rare thing to possess magic that could be cast upon others without being in the same room as them.

There was only one such person he knew of that had the ability.

His father.

I didn't feel as if this chapter should go any further. Cliffffffffyyyyyyy. What on Earth does the High King want with Sarah Williams' thoughts? Keep reading to find out!

Thank you all again for your reviews, so greatly appreciated!

-Sianie