A/N: Jareth's past revealed...
Jareth braced himself against the mantle. The muscles in his back tensed as he began his tale:
"You already know that there is always one rauko in existence." He grumbled. "When one dies, another is born to replace him. So, the day of my birth was the same as the day the rauko before me passed on. Naturally, the entire fey population was on edge, considering how my predecessor was responsible for the ulund."
"Ulund?"
"Flood." He curtly explained. "Almost the entire Underground is covered in ocean now. Millions were killed."
Sarah's throat was suddenly dry.
"Just how strong are raukos?"
"A fey can transform into one animal," he sighed, "but I can take any form I choose. A fey can smash a boulder, I can crush a mountain."
A shiver raced through her body.
"Naturally, all the fey children born that day were watched very closely." He stated gloomily. "Until the day their magic would manifest for the first time. A fey's magic appears when they are a little over forty-five hundred years of age. They would appear to be six years old, to a human."
"For our first spell, we were asked to levitate a ball…I lifted every creature and loose object in a one hundred mile radius at least thirteen feet into the air. As soon as I cast that first spell, my eyes changed to their mismatched state."
"At last the new rauko had revealed itself," he spat with derision, "and all reacted accordingly. The Fey Council branded me with this damn pendant. Friends I had often played with, fled from me in terror. Adults insulted me without provocation, even abused me if they felt bold enough."
Sarah gasped softly in shock, but he didn't seem to notice.
"My own parents," he went on, "whom had showered me with as much love and affection any child could hope for, became instantly cold and cruel. They rarely allowed me to leave their home, I spent most of my childhood locked away in my room, like a dirty secret. I can't tell you how many times I accidently destroyed the entire east wing. My parents must have rebuilt that side of the house at least a thousand times."
"That's why I wear gloves." He noted, briefly raising his right hand in example. "They're made of dragon's hide. They help me channel my magic, but not by much. "
In my fourteen thousandth year, I was legally recognized as an adult and my parents had the right to evict me, which they did without hesitation. I was immediately cast out of my village in the same hour."
His casualness in the last statement frightened her.
"I spent the next fifteen thousand years traveling through the Underground, in disguise, scrounging for food and shelter until someone recognized me. Once they saw my eyes or the symbol, I was forced to go elsewhere."
"Then I happened upon the Goblin Island." His tone softened a fraction. "There was no city back then. Just a vast, desolate wasteland with a few hundred goblins living and working in the mines. It was here that I finally found true companionship. Goblins are considered lower class by the fey, and that's putting it nicely. They dislike their appearance and their biological function of spiriting away unwanted children."
The woman blinked in astonishment.
"You mean-?"
"Yes." He replied. "The magic in the island is physically connected to the goblins, so they have no choice but to answer when a wish is made to banish a human child. But as I was saying, after I convinced them that I meant no harm, they welcomed me. As far they were concerned, anyone the fey disliked was a friend in their eyes."
"I spent years among the goblins. I taught them many things: how to cook, how to clean, how to fight, how to farm, to build proper houses, to sing and dance and too many other things to name. I had learned quite a lot in my travels and I was eager to share with them. I even became their unofficial Ambassador, for a while. I would deliver the precious stones and coins used as currency in the Underground to the kingdoms, much to the receiver's chagrin. It was also around this time that I started visiting the Aboveground to watch the humans and study their culture."
He paused and the brunette could have sworn the temperature of the room dropped about ten degrees.
"Then I heard a rumor." He said darkly. "My parents had given birth to a baby girl. Out of respect, I made plans to return to my village and congratulate them. When I arrived, I wrapped myself in a cloak and made my way through the town square. It was very crowded that day, so it didn't take long before I was spotted."
"They all surrounded me, demanding an explanation for my reappearance. I told them the truth; that I merely desired to see my parents and wish them and their new baby joy. Of course, they didn't believe a word. They shouted accusations at me about wanting to kill the child or my parents, or both. And then…someone struck me to the ground."
Sarah flinched.
"They stripped me of my cloak and proceeded to whip me," he muttered without emotion, "those that weren't close enough threw rocks."
He leaned away from the fireplace and snapped his fingers.
His cape and shirt vanished and Sarah's hand flew to her mouth in horror at the multitude of age-old scars that covered his back. They varied in length, some were no bigger than her thumbnail, and others were gashes that stretched from his shoulders to his waist.
She stepped towards him.
"Stay back!" He snapped, but she caught the waver in his voice.
"As you can plainly see, it wasn't the first time I'd been beaten, just never by so many at once. But I endured their hatred in silence, as I had done my entire life. Refusing to retaliate and be the beast they thought I was, no matter how desperately tempting the notion."
He was quiet again for a moment. His hands balled into fists and he trembled.
"What happened then?" The other cautiously pressed, sensing that he'd reached the crux of the story.
"I…I l-looked up," he whispered reluctantly, "and…and I s-saw…my parents…standing in the crowd. They were…just…staring at me…and…there wasn't…a shred…of concern on their faces. N-neither of them…lifted a finger to help me…their only son! They just…stood there and watched….and…and th-that's…when I saw…her."
"Who?"
"My-my sister." He bowed his head. "Just a…a tiny n-newborn babe, but…she g-glanced at me…and in…th-that one s-second, she…laughed."
He clawed at his hair.
"I know sh-she didn't mean anything by it, she was just a baby…but that one laugh, that one single…solitary thing…filled me with…so much rage…I…I c-couldn't hold back…anymore."
He sobbed wretchedly.
"I…I r-rose up…against m-my tormentors…I snatched the child f-from my m-mother's arms…and…and I…I tore…its throat out."
Sarah froze and wave of nausea washed over her as Jareth dropped to his knees with a heavy groan. In a panic, she involuntarily moved towards him again.
"NO!" He shouted, scrambling away from her to the far corner of the room where he cowered like a frightened animal.
"Th-that was only the b-beginning, S-Sarah." He whimpered. "I-I had lost all c-control over m-myself…l-like the rauko before me. I c-could only th-think of revenge. I w-wanted them all to suffer…in-in the worst way…p-possible. S-so, I w-went through the entire village…and I…I ate…a-all…the children."
"Oh my God." Sarah collapsed and dry heaved on the floor. A memory surfaced in her mind.
I can swallow a boar whole.
Every sound of her empty retching was like a slice through Jareth's chest.
"It didn't m-matter what protection s-spells anyone used." The Goblin King wailed. "They were n-no match for m-my power."
"Once I'd k-killed all th-their offspring, I turned on th-the adults. I r-ripped them all apart with my bare h-hands…and…oh, Sarah…I…I enjoyed it. I enjoyed making them bleed. I basked their fear and I loved it!" He growled in disgust.
"I don't know how long it took me to come back to my senses, but by the time I did, they were all d-dead. The village was burning and I was…covered…in the blood and flesh of my victims. I was…so scared I ran."
His cries gradually ceased and he took a ragged breath.
"I fled to the only place I had ever felt safe. The goblins took me in graciously and without question. But it was a foolish decision to come here. In doing so, I had endangered all of their lives. For though I dreaded no personal retribution from the Fey Council, they couldn't execute or imprison me, they most certainly would punish any and all persons who dared to call themselves my allies, especially if those allies were goblins."
"So I created the Labyrinth, initially, to protect them. If a fey tries to infiltrate it, they appear in random places throughout the structure and if they manage to solve it, they're stopped at the gates by an impenetrable magic barrier. Only the goblins, runners, and I can pass through. When Arkus comes, he has to wait for an escort to bring him to the castle. The Gate-Keeper is just an added challenge for the runners."
Sarah vaguely remembered the sleeping guard she and her friends had to sneak past at the outer wall of the Goblin City. It felt odd to think that that was a magic barrier she had passed through at that point.
"For several years, I lived here in self-exile." He continued. "Eventually, word came around to the goblins about what I had done. But due to their animosity with the fey, my crime was less severe in their view."
"It wasn't long before they asked me to be their king." He chuckled without humor. "The Fey Council had no choice but to honor this decision because no Underground monarch in their right mind would be stupid enough to raise an army against a rauko."
"So I accepted the job with pride and ruled over my kingdom as judiciously as I could manage. I still delivered mined goods when the need arose, I entertained myself by flying to the Aboveground more and more, and I established new rules for the goblins to follow concerning wished away children."
His voice grew sad again.
"As I said, I didn't realize the Labyrinth was too strong for a human. At the time, all I could think about was redemption. I thought…that if I could rescue unwanted human children, if I could do for them what no one did for me, maybe I could forgive myself for my sins."
"But, it doesn't matter." He hissed in self-loathing. "It doesn't matter how many children I delude myself into thinking I've saved. It doesn't matter how many more loyal goblins surround me."
Sarah raised her head to stare hopelessly at him.
"I still feel them," he moaned in pain, "those hundreds of fey children I devoured. I still feel them inside me. I hear their screams in the night. It's true, all raukos are evil. I am a demon."
Sarah couldn't speak.
She could hardly think.
Her emotions were an unsettling whirlwind. She felt sick to her stomach, she felt aching sympathy for the fey village…yet, nothing tore her heart more than the sight in front of her.
The sight of Jareth so completely and utterly broken.
At that thought, something fell into place and she spoke the words that were long overdue:
"I love you."
Jareth's face snapped in her direction, his expression was stricken.
"You-you what?!" He stammered in disbelief.
"I love you." She repeated patiently.
It seemed the more she said it, the more a sense of calm enveloped her.
A sliver of elation crossed the fey royal's features before he retreated into his shell of ancient sorrow.
"You can't mean that."
"I do." She insisted with growing confidence. "You know I do, don't you? Because I said it. I should have said it a long time ago."
"Sarah," Jareth shook his head in exasperated protest, "have you not been listening to a word I've said? I murdered innocent children! I slaughtered an entire village!"
"I heard you." She soothed, crawling slowly to his side. "I'm not saying it doesn't matter. I'm saying that it doesn't change how I feel about you. I understand now, why you left me. Don't ever do it again, but I honestly can't say I wouldn't have done the same. I'm glad you told me the truth Jareth."
She gently cupped his cheek in her hand and smiled warmly.
"You will never be a monster to me. I know you didn't mean to do what you did, and the fact that you spend every day trying to make up for that mistake only proves that there's good in you. I want to be with you, Jareth. Right beside you, always. Marry me."
"Wh-what?" He gaped at her. "Now?!"
She pulled him to his feet.
"Right now. I don't care about the ceremony or the dress or any of that stuff. I'm ready to be yours."
His lower lip quivered but he nodded in agreement.
"Give me your right hand, Sarah."
She obeyed him and Jareth grasped her hand in his right.
He pulled her against him trapping their hand between them, pressed against their hearts like a Roman salute.
"Now wrap your other arm around my waist." He instructed, already sliding his own free hand around her.
"Repeat after me." He said once their positions were identical. "Corm, nomin ar' val."
"Corm, nomin ar' val." She echoed.
"Ilya sina, amin kinar yassen lle…"
"Ilya sin-sina, amin k-kinar yassen lle…"
"…aul coia ar' gurtha."
"…aul coia ar' gurtha."
The instant she finished the last syllable, there was a sharp burning sensation emanating from their joined hands and spreading into her chest.
"Heart, wisdom and power." Jareth crooned against her forehead, holding her still in his unbreakable grip. "All this, I hold with you in life and death."
The pain subsided as quickly as it came and Sarah finally gazed into the eyes of her husband for the first time.
"My precious Goblin Queen." The Goblin King murmured in awe before sweeping his bride into his arms and carrying her to the cushion.
A/N: Finally all finals and end of the school year projects are done! What do you guys think? I have a bonus gift for you all, Liam-R-Collins has posted fan-art for this story on deviantart! The link I on my profile page. Be sure to leave a nice comment for him, he worked VERY hard on it for me! Review, review, review!