Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, or sadly, any of the characters.

Chapter Twelve

The Lost Civilization

Sarah awoke the next morning to the sound of her door being unlocked and creaking opened. Letting out a yawn, she stretched slightly and sat up. Her eyes burned from her tears last night, but she was relieved to see the familiar blue cloaks of Feryia.

"Good morning Lady," Feryia said hauling in a water basin for Sarah to wash up in. Instead of robes, Feryia held a simple white, velvet gown. There was a gold cord that tied around the middle and gold embroidery on the scoop neck line and sleeves. "The King said it'd be a shame to hide your beauty under cloaks." Sarah blushed, feeling guilty for being blessed with her appearance.

"Thank you so much," Sarah said standing up.

"The King would like to give you a tour of our city once you are up to it," Feryia said putting a few apples on an out cropping of rock, what Sarah assumed would be her breakfast. "I'll be waiting outside, let me know when you're ready." With that Feryia closed the door behind her.

Sarah was surprised they let Feryia attend to her again, perhaps they thought it a true accident, or that she had somehow managed to pick the lock from inside. Going over to the water basin, she washed her face off, enjoying the cool water against her tear stained cheeks.

For toilets, they looked like old above ground versions, made of wood and rock with a pull chain. She was surprised there was no fowl odor. Changing into the white gown, she smiled, it fit just right. She ran her fingers through her hair, getting the tangles out, and grabbed an apple to eat on the way.

Sarah exited her room and walked over to Feryia, who was about the same height as her. It was strange for Sarah to be around people her own height after being with the goblins for so long. It struck her, that she missed her subjects almost as much as she missed Jareth. Pushing the negative thoughts aside, she put on a smile. Feryia led her back towards the same two large stone doors that she had met the King in last night.

Knocking once, the doors opened and out stepped the king. He was dressed in very fine robes of black and blue silk. The Robes had a hood that he had up over his face. Nothing was visible but the blackened furry wolf muzzle and glowing red eyes. The hood had holes to allow his horns through, and a golden crown rested between them. Feryia bowed, and Sarah quickly followed suite earning a small growling chuckle from the King.

"There is no need for such formalities, Sarah," the king said, startling her by using her name. She straightened up quickly, an embarrassed smile upon her face. "I don't intend for you to feel like a prisoner here, more like a guest for an extended stay," he said slowly.

Sarah could have whipped out witty angry retorts, but she did not. It would not help her case, and while she was here, she had to play by his rules. She didn't like being submissive, but maybe if she was really good he would let her have some contact with Jareth.

"Come," Verdant said as gently as his beastly voice would allow. Sarah glanced over her shoulder to see that Feryia did not follow. "I'm sorry that you had the misfortune of staying in the dungeons, you were not meant to end up there under any circumstance."

"Oh," Sarah breathed out. "It's alright; I wasn't even conscious half of the time."

"I also apologize for your unpleasant encounter with Joker and the thief." Sarah was confused, wondering why he was apologizing for all of this. Upon first meeting him, she could tell that he wasn't evil; it was just that fate had not been kind.

Walking by his side, Sarah looked content despite her situation. He led her down the long rock hallways, and to a large iron gate that led down the mountainside and into a large village. It appeared that the mountain ran around a colorful green valley, a natural protection to the people living there. There was a water fall that ran down the side of the mountain into a large lake. Where the excess water from the lake exited, she couldn't see.

"This is my Kingdom, lost to generations of Fae," Verdant said.

"Hasn't anyone ever flown over the mountains and seen you?" Sarah looked up and could see a medium sized circle of bright blue sky.

"No one ever flies up high enough," the king explained. "It's better that they don't anyway, no one would want to know our people."

"That's not true," Sarah protested. "I for one am very interested in learning about your culture no matter what you look like." Verdant chuckled at her spirit.

"Well, please, any questions you have, don't hesitate to ask." Sarah smiled honestly for the first time since she arrived here. Verdant really wasn't that bad at all, he seemed like a good King to manage to uphold such a beautiful Kingdom with out outside influence or trade. Perhaps over time, they could be friends on some level. Sarah hoped so; the loneliness around him was like a dark cloud dampening his true aura.

For the next few hours, Verdant led Sarah around the kingdom. Most of the citizens wore cloaks like those she had seen in the castle.

"Is it some kind of law to have to cover your face, or is just because they want to," Sarah asked. Verdant sighed a little, but not angrily.

"They do it of their own accord. Going from handsome beings into… well… this was hard on the people. They don't like to remember just how badly their images have been distorted." Sarah nodded, again feeling guilty.

"I know this isn't some case of the ugly duckling, but I think too much stock is put on appearance. You don't seem so terrible," Sarah said thoughtfully. Verdant chuckled; he had not done so in public since the curse, earning strange looks from on-looking citizens.

"We aren't Sarah, and what is 'the ugly duckling'?" It was Sarah's turn to laugh. She forgot that in the Underground, they probably didn't know very much if anything at all about Aboveground children stories, and proceeded to explain it to him.

"I wish this was something we could grow out of," Verdant said leading her to the lake. "Even the new born children are cursed with this appearance, they think nothing of it, it's better for them that way when they are young. When they grow older we tell them of the curse, many of them become bitter towards the rest of the courts, but it is natural."

Sarah frowned at this information but didn't reply to it. They walked around the rest of the lake in amiable silence until her stomach let out a growl. Blushing, she averted her gaze to the ground.

"Come, we shall get some lunch," Verdant said, his glowing red eyes smiling at her. Sarah smiled abashed.

"Thank you for the tour," Sarah said lightly. The citizens bowed their heads as they passed, but then went on their way. Sarah didn't think that she would have been welcomed this well.

"You're Welcome."

"Do they, I mean do your people mind my presence? I am an outsider."

"No, I've made them aware that you did not even exist in the underground at the time the curse was placed," Verdant said wisely.

"How did you know?"

"Everyone, even us, heard about the Goblin Kings defeat by a mortal girl. It only made sense that he would want you back as his Queen." Sarah's mouth formed a small "oh".

"I didn't know that I was famous," Sarah said jokingly.

"More like infamous, my people wanted me to take you the moment you returned. I knew you were different, and I could have easily foiled Jareth's plans to win you over at last," Verdant sighed. Sarah frowned at this. "They saw your union as your siding with the enemy."

"Why didn't you? I mean, not that I would have wanted to, or think it would have gone over that well if you had."

"Dear child, a beauty such as yourself doesn't belong with a monster such as I," Verdant said slowly.

"Why not? There's no reason. Just because ones image is more favorable than another's, that doesn't mean we couldn't have at least been friends…" Verdant's glowing red eyes smiled at this.

"Such a strange girl. I had a feeling of your character, and I knew that I could never condemn you to such a fate."

"I wouldn't have felt condemned," Sarah protested earning another laugh from the King.

"No, I suppose that you wouldn't, but it would have been harder for you that way. You are here now; let's not dwell on what could have been."

"So, we can be friends now?" Verdant looked surprised.

"You truly wish to befriend me? I have taken you from your king, your home, and bound you to a mountain prison. How is it that you do not detest me?"

"Well what good would that have done me? No, I'm not happy with it, nor do I agree with your course of action; but if I'm going to be here we should get along," Sarah replied.

With that said they both headed to back to the Castle, and Sarah received the lunch worthy of the Queen she was. She did not bring up Jareth or returning home, she had a feeling Verdant knew that it was on her mind often enough.

Over the next few days, Sarah had become friendly with Verdant. She ate meals with him and often went for walks with him outside of the castle. Eventually Feryia stopped locking her door at night, and Sarah knew that the King had come to trust her on some level.

Sarah was still lonely for Jareth's company, she missed him so very much, but she had let her anger go. Verdant's attentions kept her pacified more often than not. Almost two weeks had passed before Sarah got up the courage to ask Verdant if she could have some contact with Jareth. She had expected him to explode, forbid it and send her to her room, but he had not.

Verdant's glowing red eyes watched her knowingly and he assigned her a messenger bird that would allow her correspondence. Sarah was so happy that she actually debated hugging him, but instead settled for laying a gentle hand on his arm and thanking him profusely before running back to her room to begin writing. Verdant watched her go, a sigh escaping his lips. He was becoming too soft on her, but he could not help it, Sarah was an easy girl to love.

Sarah understood that he must trust her; she could send messages out about the village if she desired. She did not. She had become a close friend to Verdant. Even though he was her captor, he wasn't a nasty person at heart and was just trying to do something to ease the pain of his people. It took awhile, but Sarah finally understood this, and couldn't hold it against him any longer. The only two people to really talk to her were Verdant and Feryia, the others shied away from her presence.

The night after he had granted her permission to write home, Sarah found parchment and quills left upon her mattress which had been up graded to sitting upon a wooden frame, and actual quilts. She quickly started a letter to Jareth, telling her how much she loved him and missed him. She wrote that she knew he was doing everything he could to get to her, and that he shouldn't worry, for the King was being very, very, kind to her. She with held information on Verdant knowing Jareth wouldn't want to hear about how she became all buddy-buddy with her captor.

Once finished, Sarah rolled up the parchment, and allowed it to sit on an outcropping of rock that acted as a shelf. She had Feryia send for a bath, and during the course of writing her letter, a large brass tub was brought to her room and filled with steamy water. Feryia provided soaps, and Sarah was soon washed and ready for bed. Like magic, Feryia made the tub, water, and soaps disappear, leaving Sarah to rest.

Getting ready to climb into bed, a strange but familiar feeling came over her. It was the feeling she had when she was being called into the spirit world. She had not had a vision since she had been captured. Could it be Asura trying to tell her what to do next? Lying down in bed, Sarah debated ignoring the vision, but it was quite powerful and hard to hold off. Closing her eyes, she let go of the land of the living once more, and became enshrouded in a familiar blinding fog.

"Sarah, you have done very well," came Asura's voice. Sarah turned to watch as the beautiful face of the Queen of spirits came into view, the other two faces of lion and boar were staring and unseeing in opposite directions.

"I don't know what I am supposed to do now," Sarah said.

"You will not like what I am about to tell you, but it must be done Sarah. To free yourself, your king and the rest of the underground, there is no time to wait for the counter curse. I've watched as the King Verdant has come to trust, befriend, even love you, and now you must take advantage of this," Asura replied seriously.

"What do you mean?" Sarah looked confused, and nervous.

"Why, my dear child, you must kill the Dark Elf King."

Author's Note:

Oh dang! What the heck? Now wait a minute, what's going on? You'll just have to read and find out! Yes, I was like screw it and am pulling out all the stops. Every twist that comes to mind will be added. At the very least two more chapters with the material I have now. Don't worry there will be a lot more Jareth in the next chapter! Thank you all who have reviewed thus far! It means sooo much to me! As always, keep on reviewing and please forgive any errors that slip my eye.