Jane Eyre: Labyrinth Style
Sarah Williams as Jane Eyre
Jareth as Edward Rochester
Chapter 1
It is said that words hold power, but Sarah felt hers words held none. Sarah's words did not stop her step-mother, Lady Karen, from turning her into a servant when her Father passed away, and raising her half brother Toby while Karen enjoyed the company of higher society. Now after 9 years her brother was old enough to leave for school, and Sarah was to remain a servant in her home forever as Toby grew and prospered.
Know that she felt no ill will toward her younger brother, in fact when she did wish for anything it was for her brother Toby's well being. Sarah did believe her words managed to protect him so far, but now she no longer felt her words could protect him. Toby would leave for school, and he would have to choose his own fate as he began to grow up.
Sarah was watching her brother play in the garden with his friends as Karen and her lady friends drank tea and gossiped. Sarah used to attend to the children while the mothers relaxed, but many of them disliked Sarah's cold and distant expression when she was so near, and so Karen told her to remain inside. In Sarah's mind she always looked cold, her dark plain dresses emphasized her plain complexion, and with her dark hair pulled back it was impossible to hide her ever-present frown when she was near them. With the children her face often relaxed into a warm smile, and she appeared youthful again, but when she was near their parents Sarah was always in a dark mood. Sarah could not help but feel pity for the children, knowing they all go home to such wicked mothers, mothers who wished for them to be more than what they needed to be. It was often during such dark ponderings Sarah nearly wished all the children away so they could be free forever.
Sarah smiled and turned away from the window recalling all the times when the wish was on her tongue, but never released from its prison. It was the one belief that never vanished when her childhood ended. It was from a story about a Goblin King and his Labyrinth, where the King was bound to take children that were wished away. The temptation to make a wish always existed, especially when she became her brother's nanny, but she never made the wish. Now she felt the temptation again, lurking where she could not see it, waiting for the words to be set free.
However, the words had changed from when she was 15, when Sarah first became her brother's caregiver. Now at the age of 24 a new wish was replacing the old one, a wish to leave this place and find a new home with a new child to teach. A place so far away Karen could never find her again.
Sarah began to pace as she considered her wish more and more. Her long dark dress rustled on the pale wood floor as she moved restlessly. The temptation to wish was greater in her heart than it had ever been before, and she knew she would not be able to hold it prisoner. Although she did not believe her words held power she would place all her will into this one wish. For this was her last chance or else she would become a permanent fixture in this household.
"I wish…I wish for a new place as a governess, in a place far away!" Sarah yelled up into the attic's rafters. "Where I may raise and teach a new child!"
Wind knocked through the window, blowing it open. Sarah turned back and rushed to it, looking through and seeing everyone outside bracing against the wind.
"Toby!" She cried before the wind pushed her back into the room. Sarah fell to the floor and could not regain her footing as it felt like the whole room was moving beneath her feet. The wood floor groans loudly and a sudden ripping noise left her curled up on the floor paralyzed in fear. The whole room spun until at last the whole room crashed to the ground and it became stationary again.
Sarah remained on the floor, not sure if it was safe to stand again, and then a knocking noise came from her bedroom door.
"Is someone in there?!" A gruff voice asked.
"Just a moment!" she called. Sarah stood stretching briefly to make sure she was not injured. She approached the door and opened it and saw a small man like creature on the other side. He wore a small leather cap over grey hair, and had bronzy wrinkled skin. Sarah realized he must be a goblin.
"Who are you?!" The small-man questioned. "How did you land this room in the King's garden?"
"Is this the Goblin King's garden?" Sarah asked. She stepped out the door and saw that she had landed in a large flower bed in the center of a court yard. A castle stood above the whole garden, a castle of brown stone that reached the sky.
"Yes! And you've crushed all the poppies!" The small-man continued. "Why are you here?"
Sarah remembered her wish and hoped that the small man would know of what she was looking for. "My name is Sarah Williams. I have come here to be a governess for a small child."
The small-man gasped and said. "You've come to the fill the position?!"
"Yes, and I am very qualified." She said confidently. "I have raised a young boy, my younger brother in fact, since he was a baby-."
"A human boy?" Sarah nodded yes to his question. "Then you are more than qualified!" The small-man said joyfully. "Come!" He took Sarah's hand and pulled her from her room. "You must teach this child to act like a human at once!"
"Like a human?" Sarah was confused by that.
"Jareth has adopted a young changeling, and she must learn to act like a human girl at once." The small-man told her as he pulled her into the castle. "Jareth is away and has no time to teach the child anything. Please tame her!" He begged. "She is too wild and crazed to be accepted as a normal human girl!"
The farther in they went Sarah began to hear child-like shrieking. Goblins fled down the corridors away from the source of the noise. Sarah stared at the strange assortment of creatures, amazed that she was really seeing goblins. She was even going to teach a changeling some manners.
Sarah was fortunate that she had spent most of her free time reading fairy tales. From them she understood what a changeling was, it was a small fairy child that took the places of babies and children when their parents wished for a better child. It was similar to what the Goblin King did, except that the parents could not help but give the new child everything it wanted until they had nothing left. It was a form of punishment for wishing their child away, and it gave the changeling strength to grow and eventually leave the parents penniless and childless.
Sarah knew it was cruel, but the parents wished their own child away for something better, and that in itself was cruel. The small-man finally pulled her into a large throne room, where a little girl stood screaming.
She was a tiny creature, three feet tall; she would be about 5 or 6 year old if she was a human. Her hair was reddish brown, and was short and curly. She had a cream colored face with round cheeks, and Sarah could see that the girl had the potential to be a beloved human child, if she learned to be silent.
The girl was currently throwing objects at the brave goblins that remained in the room. Her pretty dress had stains and holes in it, and made her look like a savage porcelain doll. Toby could be beastly during a tantrum, but nothing compared to this girl.
Sarah placed her hands on her hips and marched toward the cherub turned demon. "Be quiet!" Sarah shouted. The child stopped at once and stared at the newcomer for a moment before she hissed at Sarah revealing her sharp teeth.
"A human parent will abandon you the second they see those fangs." Sarah told her. The girl stopped hissing and frowned. Her big brown eyes looked confused.
"I'm your new governess." Sarah told her coming even closer to the demon child. "If you want to learn how to gain a parent's affection you'll need to drop this vicious attitude of yours."
The girl began to pout now, and crossed her arms. Sarah raised an eyebrow at her. "You expect to win like that?"
The little girl saw that this challenger was formidable so she tried a new tactic on Sarah. She widened her eyes and stared to tear up; she even sobbed a little to garner Sarah's pity.
Sarah smirked at the girl. "That's an improvement, but puppy-dog eyes aren't everything." Sarah crossed her arms and turned away. "I'll leave you alone till you apologize for your crude behavior." The trapped goblins shrieked for Sarah to stay and stop the little girl from hurting them, but before Sarah could even leave the room the girl cried out to her.
"Wait!" Her voice was angelic, and made Sarah pause to listen. "Please! Don't leave me!" The girl seemed to be sobbing genuinely now.
Sarah turned and looked at the small child before her. "Apologize to the goblins right now and I won't leave." She ordered.
The girl scowled, but turned and faced the small creatures she terrorized. She adopted a sad expression and said sweetly "Forgive me, I am lonely and angry that Master has left me here alone." The girl looked to Sarah for approval.
"Good." Sarah said, and she held out a hand to the girl. "Take me to your room, and we'll spend time together before we begin our lessons." The girl grinned and ran to Sarah and hugged her.
Sarah couldn't help but smile, the girl only wanted some company, but Sarah knew she would need to be wary of this child. If she gave her too much attention the little girl may try to overpower Sarah. The small-man gaped at the scene before him, and Sarah used this opportunity to ask him what his name was.
"Hoggle, Miss Sarah." He answered. "I, and all the goblins, am in your debt for calming her down."
"Thank you and I will need to discuss my position with you after I finish my first lesson with-."
"Adele." The little girl finished Sarah's sentence. Adele looked up at Sarah smiling with her sharp teeth.
Sarah smiled at her. "You are adorable," Sarah pulled on one of her curls "but can you make your teeth square?"
Adele closed her mouth and opened it again revealing perfectly square teeth.
"Much better." Sarah said. "Now would you like to play a game or learn a lesson first?"
Sarah spent the afternoon playing dolls with Adele, although Sarah was disturbed to see the heads ripped off Adele's toys. Afterward she taught Adele that parents wanted children who did not fuss, but who were sweet and almost angelic. She promised Adele that she would tell her what angelic meant the next day as Adele was becoming sleepy. Sarah dressed her for bed and tucked her in, and told Adele a story to put her to sleep.
Sarah left Adele's room quietly, and was thankful to find Hoggle waiting outside for her.
"Hello, Hoggle." She said quietly, not wanting to wake Adele up. "Can you show me the way back to the room I came in?" She would live there while she stayed here.
"Yes, Miss Sarah, and I needs to talk to you about your job here as Adele's governess."
"Of course." Sarah walked alongside him. "I'm sorry for coming so unexpectedly, but I wished for a new job and found myself here." She told him.
"We thank you for coming." Hoggle told her. "She hasn't stopped screaming for days, and we were hoping for Jareth's return in order to quiet the child, but ye be a God send."
"Is Jareth the Goblin King?" Sarah asked.
"Yes, and Adele is his ward." Hoggle explained. "Jareth be away on business, but he'll be returning within the week. He offered the position to look after Adele to all goblins, but none have last. He'll be surprised to find you here."
"Will I not be welcomed?" Sarah did not want to be sent away just yet.
"He'll test you, but I think he'll be impressed with your progress so far Little Lady." Hoggle told her. "I'll warn you though, the King be a bit eccentric, and it be best to keep your guard up around him." They exited the castle through a door that led out to a different section of the gardens. "But I do believe he'll be glad to have anybody looking after Adele."
He led her to where she landed and found a surprise waiting for her. A crowd of goblins surrounded her old room which had now been transformed into a small cottage for her. They added a chimney and extended her room so she could have a small kitchen area for her on the bottom floor. She had never felt so welcomed by anyone before, and she thanked them for their kindness.
That night was the best in her all her life. The goblins gave her food so she could make her own meals and candles so she could read the books she had kept in her room. Before going to sleep she looked at the picture she had of her and Toby, and prayed that he was doing well without her. She felt selfish for leaving him with Karen, but she knew that if she stayed she would have nothing to look forward to in life. He would be safe at his boarding school away from Karen, so he still had a chance to make something of himself. Being here gave Sarah a new mission in life that was far more interesting than her previous one.
The next week Sarah spent most of her time with Adele. Her pupil remained stubborn at first, but as the week wore on she allowed Sarah to have control. Adele was even starting to show progress, and was starting to act more and more like an angel of a child. Sarah was glad her hard work was paying off, so she would be able to show the Goblin King Adele's progress when he returned. The goblins were starting to think he would not be back for another week, but it no longer worried them now that Sarah was looking after Adele for them. When her first week there ended a group of goblins volunteered to entertain Adele so Sarah could have a day off. Sarah decided to spend the day exploring the labyrinth, and Hoggle gave her a spool of unbreakable thread so she would not get lost in the labyrinth.
Sarah wandered through the labyrinth until she found a small grove of peach trees. She tied her spool of thread around one of the branches and lay down beneath one of the trees. Sarah inhaled the smell of peaches and relaxed entirely beneath the trees. It was in these moments she relished her freedom, even if she missed her little brother, she knew life back home would have pained her. She nearly began to snooze when the sound of hoof beats awoke her. A man was riding towards her on a white stead, and he rode forward continuously, not seeing her lying there on the ground.
Sarah screamed and the horse stopped petrified by the sudden scream, and threw his rider of his back. The man cried out as he fell and landed on his back as the horse continued to neigh fearfully. Sarah crawled away until she was back against the peach tree. The man cursed and ordered his horse to settle, and it did once it was commanded to. The man sat up and Sarah observed him closely, seeing more of his face than she had before.
The man seemed to be feminine yet overpoweringly masculine at the same time. He had long disheveled blonde hair that was tied back in a low pony tail. It looked like he was wearing makeup, but it looked like a natural feature of his face. His eye lids seemed to have their own silvery tint like the eye shadow Karen used to wear. His lips even looked too pink for a man, and yet they were. His chin was pointed elongating his horse shaped face. His most unusual feature would have to be his mismatching eyes, one brown and the other blue.
The man stared at her too, scrutinizing her closely as well. He stood up, his dark cloak falling around his tall body, and walked toward her and leaned on a branch as he stared down at her boldly. Sarah was not used to a man looking so directly at her, and for so long.
"You are in the labyrinth, and I have no idea who you are." The man said puzzled. "How did you come to be here?"
Sarah stared at him quietly, not sure what to say to this man.
"Are you dumb girl? Speak." He ordered.
Sarah asked the first thing that was on her mind "Are you the Goblin King?"
The man smirked. "Not entirely dumb I see. I am the Goblin King, and you are?"
Sarah stood, brushing dirt and grass of her dress as she did, and curtsied to him not wanting to appear rude. "My name is Sarah Williams. I came here to work as Adele's governess."
"You came?" His eyebrow raised in disbelief. "And how did you accomplish that?"
"I wished myself here." She answered.
The Goblin King laughed. "You wished yourself away to be the governess of a changeling? You are a strange woman." He was staring at her with more interest now. "It has been a long time since I spoke with a young woman so cordially." He mused out loud.
"Calling me dumb and ordering me to speak is cordial?"
The Goblin King laughed at that. "It is the most cordial compared to one's in the past." He continued to stare at her. "If you know of me you must know of my reputation." He said referring to his role in taking children away.
"Yes, sir." Sarah answered. "It must be a difficult role to be burdened with."
"Burden?" He picked on that word. "I would say being a governess to a changeling would be more burdensome than my position." He looked around for a moment. "Where is Adele?"
"The goblins volunteered to look after her so I could have a day off."
"They volunteered?" The Goblin King said in disbelief. "You must have done something to Adele to make her tolerable to them."
"You may judge it yourself when you return and see her." Sarah told him. "I've spent the past week teaching her how to act like a human child."
"Is that how long you have stayed in my labyrinth?" Sarah nodded. "Where are you staying?" questioned.
"My room was ripped up when I made my wish and it landed in your garden." Sarah explained. "The goblins turned it into a small cottage for me."
"You live in a hovel in my garden?" The King did not see the appeal in such an arrangement.
"On the bed of poppies that used to be there." She clarified a bit miffed by his condescending tone. He may have a castle, but her cottage was worth more to her than any castle.
The Goblin King chuckled. "The red ones?" Sarah nodded. "I always hated them, so I must thank you for disposing of them." He turned from her and mounted his horse again. He looked down at her and asked "You plan to remain I assume?"
"If you will allow me to stay." Sarah answered hoping he would not send her away.
"We will see about that." The Goblin King looked at the ground and saw he had forgotten his riding crop. "Hand that to me." He pointed to where it was on the ground.
Sarah moved away from the tree and retrieved it and handed it back to him. However, when he reached for the riding crop he gripped her hand where she held it instead of taking it back.
Sarah stared up at him and he gazed down at her with an amused expression. She tried to pull her hand away gently, but he was not releasing her from his hold yet. She saw his expression harden, and she froze, trapped in his stare.
"Never stray out into the labyrinth when the sun begins to set." He warned her. "If you ever find yourself lost in here only I would be able to recover you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." His grip was tight, but not painful. Sarah wished he would let her go.
"Do you swear to not wander alone unless you carry that string or go with a goblin?" He asked darkly.
"Yes!" Sarah cried exasperated with the Goblin King.
The Goblin King smiled again and released her. "Good." He praised as he watched Sarah back up until she was under the tree again. Sarah glared at him, and he grinned in return. "And know I expect you and Adele to join me for tea this evening." He whipped his horse and rode off toward the castle.
Sarah watched him depart. She thought from this encounter she only had a glimpse at what Hoggle meant by eccentric. She reached for her string and untied it, deciding to find her way back to the beginning. Sarah did not want to lose track of time and end up disobeying the King's order.
Sarah rewound the spool of yarn until she found herself back in the King's garden. She hurried back to her cottage not wanting to see the King again so quickly. When she neared her little home she found a small goblin woman waiting outside.
"The King expects you for tea, Miss Sarah." The goblin woman began saying.
"I know already." Sarah told her. "Adele and I will be ready by this evening."
"King impatient, so he hurries time forward." The goblin woman responded.
"You must be joking." Sarah then noticed the sky rapidly changing from bright blue to dark orange. "Is he serious?" Sarah could not believe what she was seeing.
"Very Miss Sarah." The goblin woman answered. "Come inside and I will dress you." The woman entered her house before her.
"But I was going to wear this!" Sarah protested following the goblin woman inside. Her navy colored dress was enough for her to wear.
"Not nice enough."
"Excuse me!" Sarah said offended.
"King send dress to wear." The goblin woman said opening a box on Sarah's small kitchen table.
Sarah rolled her eyes, but still removed her dress so the goblin woman could fit her into the new one. It was a long, pale green dress, with a square cut neckline and long sleeves. Sarah remembered when she was younger and she dreamed of wearing such a lavish gown. Only her step-mother ever wore such wonderful gowns, and Sarah was left with simple dresses.
"Hair stay up, or go down?" Sarah was seated in front of the mirror above her small dresser.
"It will remain as it is." Sarah said. The Goblin King may order her to change dresses, but she would not change her hair for him.
"Put shoes on." The goblin woman pushed a pair of silver shoes in front of her. Sarah slipped her feet into them and followed the goblin woman out the cottage door. It was dusk now and Sarah was led into the castle where goblins were rushing past in all directions. The return of the king must have them back to their old work routines.
They stopped by Adele's room and made sure she was dressed appropriately as well. Adele wore a short, frilly magenta dress with pale pink stockings. She wore fingerless gloves, also in a dark magenta color.
"Master is back! Master is back!" Adele jumped up and down excitedly. "Master always brings me a gift when he comes back." She told Sarah as they walked through the castle to the King's study. When they reached the door the goblin woman enter first and announced their presence.
"Miss Sarah and Adele your majesty." She announced.
"Let them enter." He answered loudly.
Adele rushed in crying "Master! Master!" Sarah entered behind her and saw Adele jumping up to hug the Goblin King in his big red chair. The Goblin King was seated in front of a lit fire place, his legs stretched out on a footstool in front of him. His long hair was no longer held back, and she saw that he was wearing tan trousers with leather boots and a black leather vest over a white poet's shirt. Sarah also noticed he was still holding the riding crop from earlier.
"Do you have a present for me?" Adele asked when she pulled away.
The Goblin King grinned at Adele showing his sharp teeth, and she smiled back with her pointed teeth showing as well. "Of course you little sprite." He said lifting his hand and suddenly a round crystal ball appeared in it. "Here you are." Adele thanked him and accepted the crystal gratefully.
"Sarah!" The Goblin King called seeing her still standing by the entrance. "Please sit." He gestured with the riding crop to the chair in front of him.
Sarah approached cautiously, and sat before the Goblin King. He stared at her and she looked away to Adele playing in the corner with her crystal. Adele was staring into it giggling at something she saw within it.
"Would you like a crystal too, Sarah?" Sarah looked back to the Goblin King holding another crystal in his hand.
"No thank you." Sarah said politely.
"Are you sure?" He rolled it back and forth on each side of his hand. "It holds everything you could possibly desire. It's a window into all your dreams and wishes."
Sarah stared at the crystal as it floated going up and down either side on his gloved hand. The movement was entrancing, but Sarah resisted the temptation to see what the crystal offered.
"My wish for a new position has already been fulfilled." She told him. "Thank you for the offer though."
The Goblin King frowned at her as the crystal vanished and before he could speak again a goblin came in with the tea tray. The goblin placed it on the table by Sarah and poured her a cup of tea, but his hands were shaky and he spilt tea onto the saucer. Before he could pour a second cup for the King, Jareth ordered him to stop and asked Sarah to do it instead. The poor creature ran out shamefully and Sarah was left to pour the King's cup of tea instead. Sarah then stood to hand the Goblin King his tea, which he used as another opportunity to make her uncomfortable.
He grabbed the wrist of the hand that held the tea, trapping her as he had when they met earlier. He used his riding crop to turn her face from side to side, so he could examine it. Sarah did not understand why he did this, but she could not remove herself from this situation.
"Forgive my boldness." The King said as he examined her. "I only see human faces briefly in my interactions with your kind." He explained. "To see yours for so long makes me curious."
"Curious?" Sarah was even more confused. "Your face looks nearly human, how is it any different?"
"Human faces can change." The Goblin King said slowly. "From infancy to adulthood it's constantly changing. It may gain scars or wrinkles, or be untouched like yours." He leaned forward to examine her closely. "So much history is in a human face."
Sarah looked for an excuse for him to let her go. "Your tea is getting cold sir." She reminded him.
"So it is." The Goblin King took the cup from her and let her go, allowing her to return to her seat. "Thank you for indulging my curiosity." He sipped his tea as Sarah stared at him.
When he finished his first sip he looked up and saw her staring. "Do you wish to examine my face as well, Sarah?"
"No, sir." Sarah said embarrassed to be caught staring.
The Goblin King smirked and placed his cup and saucer off to the side. "How does my face compare to the mortal men you have seen in your life?" He asked curiously. "Would you see me as handsome?"
"I would see you as androgynous." Sarah answered bluntly.
The Goblin King leaned his head back and laughed. "That is often said of my kind." He told her. "Humans are unable to hold all things beautiful at once, unlike I, you can only separate features into masculine or feminine. Man and woman complete the full circle of beauty when bound together."
A philosopher as well as a king Sarah noted silently.
"Although when beauty stands above the rest even a semi-divine being would notice." The King continued to stare intently at Sarah. "If a perfect creature lacks a feature held by another, equal or lesser, it is said that being is the creature's missing piece, and to obtain that piece is crucial."
"So that the circle may be complete?" Sarah guessed.
"Yes." The Goblin King told her. "God made all creatures flawed, even perfect ones. Once they are complete they will never again know misfortune, or notice the cruelties inflicted on this world. A beginning must end, and it ends with two hand in hand facing the end together."
The power of his words surpassed anything Sarah had heard before in her life. It was unusual for her to feel words reaching out and touching her, changing her perspective on the world. Sarah however did not want him to think it impressed her; he already exerted enough control over her as her employer. She disliked his dominant personality, but she wished to hear him speak more on the subject.
"Is it beauty alone that brings them together?" Sarah asked him. "I would think their personalities must be complimentary as well."
"Oh no." The Goblin King answered grinning darkly. "Their personalities must challenge each other until one submits to the other's will."
"Submit?"
"If you prefer the word compromise I shall use that, but one or the other must change for them to be together peacefully."
"I always thought both participants must surrender something. If not then it is not equal."
"A blind man would not ask his love to blind herself so they that may both be equal." The King countered. "One completes what the other lacks, and then they stand together as one perfect creation. That is how they will both be when the world ends, fulfilled, without any earthly bounds tying them to this plane any longer."
Sarah realized this was a strange conversation to be having with her new master, but then again she was warned he was unique. She could tell he was sincere in his beliefs, but why speak of such things willingly to a subordinate? The King still stared at her, perhaps hoping she would give him reason to speak again. Sarah looked away to where Adele was, the little elf was asleep on the floor holding her crystal. Sarah felt guilty for neglecting her and knew it was time for them both to turn in for the night.
"It seems Adele is unable to stay awake as we speak sir." Sarah stood and went over to the small sleeping girl. Sarah lifted her gently; Adele wrapped her arms around Sarah's shoulders, and allowed Sarah to hold her. The King stood as well and watched Sarah as she held Adele.
"Do you enjoy looking after my ward?" He asked approaching the pair. The Goblin King petted Adele's hair waiting for Sarah to answer.
"She is lively, and often keeps me amused, so I would say I am content looking after her." Sarah looked down at Adele, and she wondered how the Goblin King became this changeling's guardian.
"Adele is the offspring of an old friend mine." The King began saying as though sensing Sarah's thoughts. "A former lover in fact, a fae revered for her beauty and sweet voice. She stole the wills of many mortal men and often brought chaos to the mortal realm. At one point she swore complete devotion to me, but she could not resist the temptations of the Aboveground, and so I dismissed her from my company."
"What became of her?" Sarah wondered.
"Eventually she caused too much trouble, and was made mortal to prevent further chaos." The King answered. "Her child was allowed to return, after she swore blindly that Adele was of pure fae blood, specifically mine. I see nothing that could substantiate this, but I accept her so she does not suffer mortality for her mother's actions."
"You seem to care for her as if she were your own." Sarah moved toward the door and the Goblin King grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.
"Children are my specialty." He said proudly. "And it would be faster if we used my usual means of transport." The ground shifted beneath them and Sarah nearly fell, but the Goblin King caught her and Adele as they materialized in Adele's bedroom.
The Goblin King removed Adele from Sarah's possession and carried her to her bed to tuck her into bed. He still spoke to Sarah as he magically turned Adele's dress into a white night gown.
"It is my duty to guard over the unloved and unwanted, as the-."
"-The fallen angel, Jareth, of the Underground." Sarah said quietly with him, remembering the line from 'The Labyrinth.' The story said that Jareth was originally an angel that ferried children to heaven, but he fell from heaven and took to stealing children away. Supposedly, the fae were created when a small group of angels fell from heaven and became established on Earth.
It was a long time since she read the book, but she did remember that it suggested the Goblin King was one of the original angels that fell from heaven. In the beginning of the book it explained that God had punished Jareth for taking a child away from a family when the child's older sibling selfishly wished him away. Jareth was blinded and thrown into the labyrinth that no being could ever solve; however Jareth was the first to solve it, and thus claim rightful ownership of it. From then on he took on the role of stealing away unwanted children and turning them into goblins to live in his labyrinth.
The other prize of solving the labyrinth was that his eyesight was partially restored. Sarah then wondered if that was why his eyes did not match. Did one remain blinded from when God punished him?
The Goblin King then turned and stared at her. Sarah's eyes widened and she tried to contain her sudden fear. His eyes were narrowed at her, and she felt her thoughts were completely exposed to him. He stood and approached her slowly, increasing her apprehension with each step closer he gained on her.
"What are you thinking Sarah?" The Goblin King asked her as he stopped in front of her. "You know my history; you spoke the words of the only book that knows them. Do you think me a wicked being?"
"Does it matter what I think of you sir?" Sarah asked. "You are my employer; I am in no position to judge you."
"You resist my inquiry, am I to think that this means you are subordinate?" The King sounded amused. "And what if I asked you to be insubordinate so I might hear your thoughts?"
Sarah smiled a little. "My thoughts are my own. I will not share them so easily."
"I must devise a new means then to steal your thoughts." He offered his hand to her. "Shall I now escort you to your shack?"
"To my cottage?" Sarah corrected sharply. "You may sir." She took his hand, and then they reappeared outside her little home.
The Goblin King released her hand easily. Which relieved Sarah for she feared he may hold onto her again as he had before.
"Goodnight, your majesty." She curtsied to him and he bowed to her in return.
"I wish you pleasant dreams, although I may give them to you if you wish." The crystal appeared again in his hand. "Will you still resist the temptation?"
"I will sir." Sarah answered smiling as he scowled. "Will you need to see Adele at all tomorrow?" She asked wanting to know if she needed to rearrange her lesson plan to accommodate the Goblin King.
"Yes, I would like to give her a lesson at some point tomorrow."
"Would it be alright if I brought her to you after lunch?" Sarah asked. "I'll finish my lesson with her before then."
"Perfect." The Goblin King grinned at her approvingly. Sarah nodded and moved toward the front door. "Sarah?" The King said stopping her. "I will need your help with my lesson."
Sarah looked over her shoulder at him. "Help? In what way?"
"You will see." He answered mysteriously. "Goodnight." He turned away and suddenly transformed into a barn owl. He flew off toward the highest tower of his castle and vanished as he flew out of Sarah's sight.
Sarah could not help thinking that the King was arrogant. He rides back to his castle on a horse when he can already fly? The transformation must have just been a way for him to show off in front of her. She had to admit it was quite an exit, but her remaining impression was that he was bigheaded. She giggled and thought that he was a strange king to be working for before she opened the door to her home.
Sarah entered her room and lit a lantern to illuminate her small space. She pulled out her nightgown and placed it on top of her dresser. She wondered where she would store her new dress. From years of folding and putting away all of Karen's dresses she knew it had to be stored properly if she did not want it to wrinkle. Sarah decided to fold it carefully and place it in the same drawer as her other dresses. If it wrinkled it wrinkled, she would just have to press it out if she was forced to wear it again.
Sarah laid her dress out on the bed and pulled on her white nightgown. She carried the lantern in her right hand and folded the dress over her left arm as she went to her dresser in front of the darkened window. She placed the lantern on top of the dresser then pulled open the top drawer with her free hand. The dress was placed inside carefully before Sarah began to close up the drawer. When it was shut she looked up and met a pair of eyes staring at her through her bedroom window.
Sarah stared at the being for a long moment before the creature opened its mouth revealing its jagged, porcelain teeth and screeched at her.
Sarah screamed and pushed away from the dresser causing the lantern to fall and break, extinguishing her only source of light. She could no longer see what was outside her window, but Sarah heard it moving. There was a scratching noise coming from the outside wall, circling her house once, twice, and then a third time before the noise stopped.
Sarah stood still in the center of her room praying that whatever was outside was now gone. She stepped slowly toward her bed, cringing every time a board beneath her feet creaked. When she neared where her bed was Sarah reached her hands out and felt for it blindly. When she found it she hopped onto it quickly and pulled the sheets around her.
Sarah sat on her bed for a half hour before she finally began to calm down. The creature had to have been gone by now, and she needed to get to sleep. She lay down and waited for the rest of the adrenaline coursing through her to dissipate until she finally fell asleep.