Disclaimer: Labyrinth is sadly not mine, though I do so love to play within it.

A/N: My sincerest gratitude to those who are reviewing, favoriting, and setting alerts. The support really helps me stay motivated, but also, your thoughts help me fine tune my ideas. I really, really appreciate you all!! So, Sarah's POV here was actually the first scene I wrote for this fic. Jareth's part gave me a little more trouble despite its brevity, but I'm sure you can tell where his thoughts are (which is probably my issue…such an outwardly modest gal I am LOL). Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 7

A Brief Lesson in History

Sarah's POV

"Do I make you nervous, Sarah?" He inquired with that irritatingly haughty tone of his.

I shook my head and denied it, though I had no control over the blush that saw fit to expose me. How could someone be so wickedly beautiful?

He smirked before commenting about the food. I watched with the slightest annoyance as he tucked into his own plate. Apparently, he was not nearly as affected by our awkward situation as I was. I could scarcely concentrate on breathing, let alone eating, with the thoughts and questions stampeding through my brain, but I let my irritation go.

The silence in the room was deafening. After the events of today, I found I could not rouse my indignation to pick yet another fight. I was finally allowing myself to accept there may be more to this Goblin King than I had ever given him credit for. With a shock of surprise, I realized I wanted to know more.

Sometime between leaving the forest glade and succumbing to my pre-dinner bath, I'd managed to release some of my anger towards Jareth to the point that I could at least think his name again, if not say it out loud. Or perhaps, the mounting confusion concerning his character had simply shoved the anger aside to be dealt with later. That was probably more likely.

When Hoggle defended the king I thought it had only been out of fear of punishment, but Didymus had been just as complementary. Jareth had even gone so far as to look past their previous betrayal and give them places of honor in his city. Why? Hoggle seemed to think it was because I had wanted good things to come to them. But why would Jareth care what I wanted? And even if he had been sincere when he promised to give me my desires, had I really expected him to keep his word?

Then I saw him with the child. I'd been furious at his cold treatment of the mother, but as my wrath faded I could see that while he may have treated her coldly, he was only being practical. Even in my wildest fantasies, I had never imagined he would be such a kid person.

Aetia was the final mystery in my pile. It was clear she held a great deal of admiration for Jareth, but in what exact capacity? She had been the loudest voice in a surprisingly long line of cheerleaders on the king's behalf. She spoke of their 'kind' in such a gentle, reverant way that I felt almost bad about ever criminalizing him. He was more an enigma to me now than ever.

I let myself really look at him for the first time, taking in his wild but completely fitting blonde locks and the ethereal face which they crowned. His features were sharp and defined, with high cheekbones and the straightest nose I'd ever seen, and yet he was impossibly beautiful; unique. While somewhat thin, his lips were incredibly seducing. They were the color of a fine blush wine and I somehow knew they would be as soft as rose petals. I watched mesmerized as he took another bite of his meal, yet another irrational swell of jealousy filling me at the sight of those lips wrapping around his fork. "You are so pathetic, Sarah!"

Sensing my rapt attention, no doubt, he turned his eyes upon me. Oh god, his eyes. How they had haunted me all these years. His brows slanted upwards from his eyes rather than towards them, adding to the surety that one would notice his eyes, as if they could ever not. While both were an icy blue like a winter sky, one pupil was normal and the other was not. They reminded me of a yin and yang. The larger pupil nearly bled into the color, making his left eye appear hazel. It was as if his dual nature was there on display for all to see, and it completely suited him.

"See something you like?" He drawled.

"What are you?" I whispered without thinking.

His teasing expression hardened slightly with suspicion. He set down his utensil and dabbed at the corner of his mouth before pushing his chair back and rising, a dismissing sweep of his gloved hand motioning to the full plate before me. "You need to eat. Aetia will be along to escort you back to your quarters within the half hour."

My hand shot out to stop him as he turned to leave. It was the first time I had willingly touched him, we both realized with a shock. "Jareth, wait!"

He regarded me seriously. "What are you playing at, Sarah? Do not think I am some fascination to be used for your entertainment."

It was surprisingly difficult to find my voice. "I-I just figured that since I am forced to stay here, we should know more about each other, like you suggested."

"Ah, but you've already assigned my character so thoroughly, dear Sarah. I am the Goblin King. Cold, arrogant, and cruel; am I not?"

"What if I was wrong," I said quietly. A lump of discomfort formed in my throat at the intensity simmering in his eyes, the emotion of which I could not determine.

He turned fully back towards me, his gaze never leaving mine. My heart thundered nervously in my chest as he stepped closer. One gloved hand rested on the chair behind my shoulder as he leaned his face within inches of my own. His trademark smirk settled on his lips. I swallowed thickly.

"You were wrong?" He repeated with amusement while raising one of his strangely sculpted brows.

He was too close.

I cleared my throat and dropped my eyes to the table. "You're clearly not a goblin, but you aren't exactly human either, are you?"

"Ah, clever girl."

"Well?" I challenged, my natural defiance prickling along my spine.

"Well what?"

"So what are you?"

"I am Fae," he replied simply.

"You're a…a..fairy?" I looked at him with disbelief. I'd seen fairies before when Hoggle was trying to exterminate some near the Labyrinth's walls, and they hadn't looked anything like Jareth.

"Please don't insult me." He snorted. "Fairies are irritating little leeches."

"Sounds about right to me," I mumbled automatically.

"And it always comes to this, doesn't it?" He sighed wearily before straightening his body.

"Sorry. Old habits die hard. Please go on, I really am curious."

"You're always curious." His eyes narrowed, likely trying to gauge my sincerity. He settled back into his own chair. "Eat." He nodded towards my plate once more.

I picked up my fork and speared something resembling a carrot half-heartedly as he spoke hesitantly. "Fae and fairies are related, much like your own kind and apes. Perhaps you can understand why confusing the two would be insulting?" He paused, smirking once more. "The Fae are an ancient race that once ruled mankind, before the advent of science forced us to find a new realm for ourselves."

"There are more of you then?" I asked, my mind going immediately to a certain ballroom littered with tall figures wearing distorted goblin masks.

"Really, Sarah; I'd like to think I am one of a kind," he spoke lazily as a playful heat danced in his eyes.

My cheeks colored. "You know what I mean."

His lips parted with a small, satisfied grin. "Yes, there are many Fae. Just as there are goblins, elves, dwarves, unicorns, dragons, sprites, mermaids, et cetera, et cetera." He motioned absently with his hand as if the topic was self-explanatory.

"Just how big is the Underground?" I exclaimed, feeling my eyes widen in amazement.

"The goblin kingdom is but a territory of our hidden world. For you see, we are not technically underground, but in a different dimension. Our world is as great as yours, as you are so fond of saying."

"Why didn't the book say anything about this?"

"Because that was not its story to tell. The Labyrinth is not concerned with telling about other regions than itself. Though, I am sure you are aware of other tales…Narnia, Middle Earth, Oz, just to name a few."

My head was beginning to hurt. "You mean to tell me I could have just as easily found myself a prisoner of Sauron or the White Witch?"

"Nonsense, you are hardly a prisoner, and those stories were highly fabricated. Tolkien and Lewis had much fun exploiting their experience in the Underground for their own profit. Did you know they were here together, and made a friendly wager of who could write the most successful account of our world? Of course they could not divulge the entire truth, lest the High Court be forced to dispose of them, though I dare say Lewis was a bit closer in his representation. That century was unusually cold…"

His voice trailed off as some great memory surfaced in his expression. I shook my head as I stared at him again. Food forgotten, I was suddenly in awe of the man…no, mythical creature in front of me. I tried to imagine a younger version of Jareth standing aside a huge lion, or fighting against a Ringwraith. I must be dreaming.

"Come now, precious, there is always a measure of truth in all myths, is there not?"

"So there have been others that have journeyed to the Underground and lived to tell the tale?"

"Certainly. Where else do fairy tales come from? Though, as I've said, any who return to your world are forbidden from telling the entire truth. We depend upon mortal imagination and belief to fuel our magic, and yet we must exist in a thinly-veiled secrecy."

I had to admit, it was genius, almost like spreading celebrity gossip just to keep names in the papers. This world of magic and myth existed in reality, but was hidden from human knowledge other than what flourished in our hearts and imaginations. It made me wonder what else was lurking in this other dimension. Was every creature and place of lore actually real? I shivered uncomfortably. I'd thought the Labyrinth was frightening enough. I suddenly felt very small and very, very mortal.

"My, how the thoughts are flying across your face," he commented in a jocular tone.

"It's a lot to take in." I folded my hands in my lap and took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "So, you are actually a king though, right?"

"Yes, I rule over the Labyrinth and the goblin kingdom. I am a member of the Fae nobility. We oversee all regions of the Underground, due to our longevity and magical ability."

I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. At least, if I had to be trapped in the Underground, I had a powerful captor. I seemed to mean something to him, whatever his motives were, so surely he'd keep me relatively safe.

"And how long have you been the Goblin King?" I asked, though in truth, I really wanted to know how old he was period.

"Since my father was promoted to High King," he answered vaguely. His smirk widened.

"High King?" I squeaked. With every bit of information he revealed, a thousand new questions formed. He was becoming more a stranger to me with every second. Not to mention, it was almost impossible to imagine him as a child, or as a son to apparently very, very powerful Fae parents. Sure, I'd entered into this discourse with the intent to know him, a little, but I was a bit shocked at how open he was being. For some reason, I had only ever conceived a mere caricature of his personality. Amazing figment of a dream or cruel villain? There had been no in between, until now.

But despite his newfound chattiness, we still seemed to dance around the most important issue. He'd refused to discuss it earlier, but perhaps now, with a civil air about us, he'd be more forthcoming. I had to try. "Are you ever going to tell me why I'm here, or at least what you intend to do with me?" I amended, remembering his assertions that I was here because I lost the Labyrinth and made some deal with him that I could barely remember. "What in the world could you want with an ordinary human girl like me? You say I can't go home, but why? Can't you or one of your people send me back?"

I watched, sadly, as his entire demeanor changed like the closing of a book. When he finally responded, his voice was a strained whisper. "You are hardly ordinary, Sarah." He stood and tugged at his gloves before offering me a hand. I fought to keep my fingers steady as I placed my hand in his, using his aid to stand. "Enough questions for now. The hour grows late and I have other matters which require my attention. Know that you are quite safe, and that none will disturb you while you are the guest of the King. And at present, that is all you need concern yourself with."

I pulled my hand away as I noticed Aetia standing beyond Jareth's shoulder. Following my stare, Jareth turned to acknowledge her appearance. "Ah, Aetia. The very representation of punctuality. I entrust Sarah to your care once more."

And with that, he was gone, just…vanished. I gasped and turned my shocked green eyes on the pleasant lady before me.

"Fear not, my lady. The King has always had a touch for the dramatics." She smiled warmly and approached me.

I looked upon her with my new information. "Are…are you Fae like he is?"

"Yes, though I am not of the same status." She tilted her head. "It seems you and His Majesty had quite the conversation?"

"I never saw anyone else like him when I was here before, I – I was just curious," I mumbled, more to myself than to her, though she heard me quite clearly anyway.

"There are few Fae who reside in the goblin kingdom. His Majesty is generally a very solitary person."

Solitary? So even among his own kind, Jareth was avoided. Typical.

"Do not misunderstand, my lady, it's just that our kind is not overly fond of goblins," she winked and smiled brightly. "Were it not for the responsibility of the Labyrinth, I dare say one so powerful as His Majesty would never be asked to oversee the loathsome little creatures."

I followed her quietly back to my chambers, feeling equal parts irritation and intrigue. Once alone, I changed into a plain night dress and flopped down on the bed. I tried to categorize what little information I did know in the hopes that it would reveal some deeper meaning, or at least give me a plan of what to do next. Despite what he said, I was essentially Jareth's prisoner. I had been taken from my home and I was not allowed to return.

I just couldn't figure it out. I could perfectly remember my trip through the Labyrtinth – the funny little worm with a cockney accent, the helping hands, the door knockers, the old woman in the trash heap – but when I tried to replay what happened after I stepped into the castle, it was like the memory went out of focus. No matter how hard I tried to remember our final showdown, I had the uneasy sense that there was some essential bit of memory that I could not access. Jareth said I traded my freedom, no, accepted my dreams in exchange for my brother's safe return. But it didn't make any sense. Assuming that was true, wouldn't that have been two good things for me, and nothing but sacrifice on his part? Unless he actually wanted me, but why? True, my own memory was fuzzy, but I could remember the story just fine. I remembered the Goblin King offering the princess everything as a last resort to distract her. Was that really what happened to me or was I simply taking it for granted because I couldn't remember the exact truth?

I drifted into an uneasy sleep as my thoughts continued to riot in my brain.

Jareth's POV

I returned to my study hastily, half expecting to find another red crystal on my desk after all I had divulged. I was quite certain the court would not approve of a mortal knowing so much about our history, but as Sarah would not be leaving Underground ever again, courtesy of the piece of magical soul she bore, it shouldn't matter. In truth, I was rather shocked at how forthcoming I had been with her. I was rather secretive by nature. But, it seemed honesty was what she desired more than anything. I just had to decide how revelatory I was willing to become.

Aetia's arrival was preceded by a soft knock against the door. Nestled in her arms lay the sleeping human baby who had officially become a citizen of the Underground thirteen minutes prior. I gazed upon the child fondly despite the association with his abhorrent mother. I really should've made her a goblin, but Sarah's defense had crumbled my resolve. That's not to say I hadn't punished her; I implanted a permanent memory of her leaving the baby unattended at a shopping center, thus she believed herself entirely to blame for the child's kidnapping. She would also never be able to conceive again.

The small boy squirmed contentedly as Aetia handed him to me. I brushed a lock of hair from his forehead before lowering my lips to kiss his soft skin, while trying to quiet the pang in my heart. How ironic was fate to create a race of people so fond of children but so reproductively challenged? My thoughts unwittingly drifted back to my Sarah…my betrothed. Would we ever have cause to celebrate our own creation? I had to be hopeful that we would.

"Everything is all set, Your Majesty. The lady is settled, and the family awaits you in the throne room." She touched the boy's cheek tenderly before turning to depart. I smiled once more at the fragile life in my arms. "One thousand, two hundred and thirteen," I whispered. "May your new life be filled with the blessings of love, knowledge, and strength."

I clutched the child tighter before transporting us both to the new parents. As usual, their joyous, tearful faces both calmed and aggravated me. Settling an unwanted or neglected child with a new, loving family was perhaps the bright side of reigning over the Labyrinth, but every baby I held filled me with such longing for things I had no right to desire.

Three months. Barely a ripple in the endless stream of eternity in the Underground. Could anything really change in such a short period?

I bid the happy family farewell before settling onto my throne, tossing one leg over the arm and losing myself to my thoughts yet again. The castle was unusually quiet; likely due to Aetia's influence. She had been sympathetic when I told her of Sarah's difficulties remembering our betrothal, and oddly optimistic. I had little doubt that the Fae lady was already plotting some sort of match-making scheme in case the memories did not return.

Three months.

The time limit was like a constant drum beating against my consciousness. I considered my next course carefully. It was clear that while she did not entirely remember her past feelings and promises, she did yet feel something for me in the present. But was it only curiosity? No, there was definitely attraction as well. I smiled as I recalled the dilating of her eyes as I leaned closer to her, and the way she grabbed my arm to prevent me from leaving. She'd even used my given name for the first time. I supposed I could certainly manipulate that feeling if needs be, but I knew it would only be a shallow victory. I wanted Sarah to belong to me, mind, body, and soul, just as I belonged to her.

A strange pull suddenly manifested within the caverns of my chest, nearly arching my back away from the seat. Curious, I allowed the invisible ties to lead me through the silent corridors of the castle, but I paused with uncertainty once I stood before the door across from my own. The trail of sensation ended within Sarah's room. Apparently, some great conviction was transpiring within her. I hesitated for only a moment before deciding it was worth the risk of being caught to further investigate what was calling my piece of soul so strongly. Silently, I moved into her room and sat gently at the edge of her bed. I was nearly struck dumb by the sight before me. A sliver of pale gold moonlight lit her slumbering face with an unearthly beauty. Her night shirt had shifted, revealing the perfect curve of her smooth shoulder. Her silky dark hair fanned across her slim neck and over the pillow. I had to physically restrain myself from reaching out to touch her.

"Jareth…" Her breathy voice cut through the air and caused my heart to skip a beat, prodding that same magnetic impulse again. I grinned widely. Was she dreaming of me? I conjured a crystal and examined what lovely thoughts were floating through my beloved's mind. Expecting to see that blasted ballroom again, I was quite shocked as I recognized the very banquet room we had shared earlier. In the scene, I was leaning over her, as I had done, but rather than lower her eyes, she reached forward and clasped my face between her delicate hands.

A rush of heat spread across my face in the exact location her dream hands held me. Her dream-self moved upwards purposefully to press her warm, soft lips against my own. I gasped as the action mirrored itself upon my actual lips. Desire blazed through me with the intensity of a branding; stirring a passion that out measured anything I had ever felt before. My breath felt pinched as my pulse raced. I knew I should leave, but I was so quickly addicted to her fantasy that I could not tear myself away.

Swirling vapor began slicing through the dream images until I could barely make out our faces. "Ah my pretty Sarah, my queen, what new trick is this?"

So distracted was I by the dream that I failed to realize the mists in the vision were really the crystal's confusion over Sarah awakening. "What are you doing in here?" A low, tense voice whispered in the darkness. "And what do you mean by…queen?"

Slowly, I turned my gaze from the crystal to meet a pair of green eyes brimming with betrayal.

A/N: Next chapter picks up directly from here. We are very near to being done with day one (slow burn, remember?), and it does pick up pace a bit after that. Is it going too slowly? Are you feeling the tension? Did you like seeing a softer side to Jareth (my Jareth is like Shrek - ogres/onions have layers LOL). What do you think of the time limit? I crave your thoughts:)