Author's note: Surprise! One more chapter before the new year. Happy Holidays, and please review! Oh, and I don't own the Labyrinth.
"Welcome back to the Labyrinth, Sarah."
Every time Sarah had interacted with Jareth before, it had been in an informal setting. Outside in an arid landscape, inside a creepy tunnel…the only exceptions were the ballroom and the setting of their final confrontation. She'd always known that Jareth was the Goblin King, but now, seeing his throne room for the first time drove home the fact that Jareth was a king. A very handsome king, who was waiting for some sort of a response from her. What were the right words to address a king respectfully?
Sarah quickly settled on a formal (and stuffy) "Thank you, your majesty," before inclining her head briefly and then looking away. She masked her nervousness and her difficulty keeping her eyes off of him by diverting her gaze to take in the entire room. She spied a window overlooking the entire Labyrinth, and crossed the room to have a look.
Jareth observed her, fighting to keep his face impassive and cool, no matter what emotions boiled beneath the surface. Looking at her, there was no doubt that she was much grown, physically at the very least, since she had conquered the Labyrinth barely nine months ago. Although Sarah's response had been primly short, it had been long enough for Jareth to detect the shadow of her voice from before hiding behind this new voice that was stronger and somehow richer. Her face was narrower, although she'd lost most of the gauntness he'd seen in his crystal. Most telling were her eyes. He remembered the innocent orbs of before – he might then have been looking into a startled fawn's eyes such was the innocence – but now, her eyes were all grown up. She seemed to pierce him with the one gaze she had given him thus far, and he had felt his façade slip ever so slightly, and was therefore grateful that she turned away from him a moment later.
What he had seen of her earlier in his crystal hadn't been distorted: somehow, time in the Aboveground had outpaced time in the Underground. Just great, Jareth thought, something more to add to the list of problems. Setting that aside, Jareth considered her choice of words.
Her use of his title and not his name was both a blessing and a curse. To hear his name from her lips might have been more than he could bear, the pain of her parting still smarting as it did, and yet her cold deference and formality almost hurt more. Well, if that was how she wanted it to be between them, he would oblige her.
Fashioning an impromptu, official-sounding speech, Jareth said, "As champion of the Labyrinth, you will receive all that is due to you. Given the current state of affairs, that won't be much. Still, you are entitled to lodging and repast anywhere you desire. I've taken the liberty of arranging accommodations for you here in the castle, but if your wishes lie elsewhere, you have only to say so and other arrangements will be made. While I am grateful that you chose to return, I want you to understand that you are under no obligation to help. If at anytime you wish to return to the Aboveground, you need only ask." As he spoke, he approached her, coming to stand beside her.
She nodded absently, indicating that she had heard his words while her eyes never left the Labyrinth. She could see all of the changes Hoggle had mentioned. The outer walls were much further away that she remembered, as if the Labyrinth had taken a giant breath and refused to let it out. The atmosphere was far removed from the dusky orange of before. Instead, a dull, grey light illuminated worn masonry and gloomy forests. The darkness, she saw, was aptly named. It reminded her of a reverse hurricane eye. There was no gradient between the darkness and the comparatively-brighter portions of the Labyrinth. There was light, and then there was darkness.
"It's so different," she said, her manner abstracted. Sarah leaned her face closer to the window, feeling as if the Labyrinth was drawing her in. A sudden footfall beside her broke whatever spell she had been under, and she blinked several times to clear her vision. Sarah turned to look at Jareth and was startled to find him so close.
He surveyed the Labyrinth as she had done, and Sarah took the opportunity to see what she hadn't seen in her cursory appraisal of him earlier. Up close, he looked tired and on-edge. Worry lines surrounded his tired eyes, still magnificent in their drained state. His lips were closed, his jaw set; he looked worn out.
"I want to help." The words were out before Sarah had formed the thought, but she didn't care; they were true. "Really. I want to help; I don't care what I have to do. I don't know how and I don't even know if I will be able to, but I want to help you." Sarah ended her abrupt offer of help as her next words dried up. It could have been because she was nervous and not sure how he'd take her offer of help considering she had beaten him at his own game and presumably caused this current crisis. But the more likely explanation for her sudden reticence was that the moment she had mentioned wanting to help, Jareth had fixed his eyes on hers and the intensity of his gaze made further speech impossible.
After what felt like an eternity, Jareth spoke. "Thank you," he said quietly. It had been easier than he could have imagined, and Jareth released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Before he could say anything else, Sarah's eyes widened and her voice returned.
"Oh! I almost forgot. I need you…" Sarah paused, momentarily forgetting what she was going to say.
Jareth arched an eyebrow, intrigued.
Remembering what it was she needed to ask, Sarah continued, trying not to blush after her compromising pause. "What I meant was, if you would, I'd like you to arrange an excuse for my absence from the Aboveground. Please." And just like that, they were back to business.
"I see. I will attend to that matter momentarily. For now, perhaps it would be best if you familiarized yourself with the castle, the Goblin City, and the immediate Labyrinth. I think you will find your friend and guide Hoggle waiting outside that door." Jareth gestured to a set of ornately-carved wooden doors on the opposite side of the room.
Sarah hadn't even realized that Hoggle was missing. She'd been so distracted by Jareth's presence and by being back in the Labyrinth that she hadn't even noticed. What else had she missed? Sudden realization hit her, and she reached for the straps that should have been across her shoulders, only to come up empty-handed.
Jareth anticipated her query and answered, "You'll find your rucksack in your room. Your chambers are being prepared as we speak, and when they are done, my senior housekeeper, Mrs. Chartha, will find you."
Sarah relaxed, grateful that she wouldn't have to ask for clothes and other basic necessities. A sudden image of her walking around in an open poet's shirt and tights, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination, threatened to produce a very undignified fit of laughter. Fighting the urge, Sarah instead said, "You remembered his name."
Jareth stared, uncomprehending.
"Hoggle's name," Sarah prompted. "You said it right. You never say it right. You always call him Hogwart or Hogbrain, but never Hoggle."
A small smile spread across Jareth's features. "You're right. I forgot myself; I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again."
Sarah let herself smile, albeit uncertainly, at what she was sure might have been good-natured sarcasm. Turning towards the door he had indicated, Sarah made to leave. Before she reached the door, Jareth stopped her.
"Before you go Sarah, I need to ask you something."
She turned back to him, an expectant expression on her face.
"I must ask you not to venture into the Labyrinth alone. Ensure that you have an escort at all times. More importantly, do not approach the darkness without me. There are dangers untold in the darkness, and I would hate for harm to befall you."
His tone was deadly serious, and Sarah knew she should respond in kind. "I won't," she answered.
Her answer must have been adequate, for he nodded and then waved the doors open. As Jareth had said, Hoggle was waiting outside the doors. The dwarf jumped back when the doors opened. His attempts to look innocent even though he had obviously had his hand cupped to the door, trying to eavesdrop, failed miserably.
Sarah grinned at Hoggle, and turned back to say goodbye to Jareth. She would have too, save that when she looked back, he wasn't there. Apart from herself, the throne room was completely empty. Somewhat disconcerted, Sarah let Hoggle lead her away.
Had she chosen to look out the window, she would have seen a snowy owl growing smaller and smaller as it flew towards the Aboveground.