REMINDER: Sarah still remembers Jareth from before the labyrinth adventure, so she still thinks he's the sweetheart and still loves him. That is important to the story. Jareth, however, remembers everything and is still prideful about everything.


Sarah still couldn't stop thinking about Jareth. Did he think she abandoned him? Did he forget about who she was? All these questions and more filled her. She thought sadly about how she hoped he would somehow find her, and come to her door. But he never did.

Maybe he had a more difficult job working for the king.

She was no longer as verbally defiant towards her stepmother and stepsisters. She defied them in other ways. She would feed Toby the best kind of food, for example. Or she would keep some scraps of clothing that Anastasia and Drizella hated so that she could make her own. Things of that nature. She was much more sneaky about it. It was strange how she seemed to have changed overnight but it was a good change. She felt stronger, more capable and believed in herself much more than before. She was no longer weighed down but had a purpose, a strong one to live her parents's legacy and to break free one day even if it took a few years or more.

A year went by, then another. Toby was growing large and strong because of the good care his sister had given him. Irene would show him off proudly, excited to prove that she could birth a son. Sarah remembered sadly that Jareth had told her that humans in the Aboveground found out that it was males who chose the gender of the child actually, not the females. Irene still believed the archaic ideas that males were more important than females. It amazed and saddened Sarah. In any kingdom, females had as much right to rule as males did.

She kept reading, kept on dreaming. She had a wish in her heart, to find someone to love her and for her to keep on growing and learning forever. And that wish kept blossoming in her heart to turn to hope, into a dream.

"A dream is a wish your heart makes." She remembered a line from a story she had read once. And she rather liked that.

Through all this time, she never stopped thinking about Jareth. She wondered how he was. Did he eat well? Was he able to get along nicer with his mother? Did the king like him? No matter how many young men noticed her beauty, she didn't pay any mind to them. Not that they wanted her anyway. She was a commoner and a poor one at that. She was a servant in her own home. Friendless except for kind people here and there. But she kept to herself. She had a feeling that someday, she would be able to really begin her life. That Toby would be able to have a happy life too.

She touched the owl necklace that she kept hidden (so Irene wouldn't sell it). She hoped that Jareth thought of her too.


Jareth wished that he didn't remember. That it wouldn't matter to him.

But he looked at the calendar and remembered that today marked a little less than two years since they had last met.

His shoulders sagged. Still in his pride, he believed that she hated him so much that she didn't call for him. Not just "the goblin king" but as Jareth.

He had no idea that she was worried about him, thought that maybe she didn't mean very much to him. He thought about her rejection only from his side, how she had wounded him.

"Your Majesty?"

Jareth turned to a messenger girl.

"Yes, what is it?" He said impatiently.

Since Sarah had beaten him, the entire kingdom knew of it. He still did his duties but he snapped at people now. Everyone assumed it was because he had been beaten at his own game and was sour about it. No, that was only part of it.

Only the goblins and some of his subjects who lived in the labyrinth knew of Sarah. Everyone else didn't know her identity. They just saw his wrath and stayed away from it.

The messenger girl curtsied. "The Queen Mother wants to meet with you. In her study."

Jareth scoffed. "Since when did she send messenger girls to tell me so instead of just coming herself? She has no qualms about irritating me by her own hand."

The girl shirked a little. "Would you like to relay any messages back to her, Sire?"

Jareth waved dismissively. "Tell her that I'll be there soon. And stop acting like I'm going to bog you. You haven't annoyed me that much. Yet." He gave her a feral smile.

The girl gave a hasty curtsey and ran away.

Jareth rolled his eyes. Sarah would never do that. She would insist that she could bite just as hard or harder. Or she'd tell him that his bark was worse than his bite.

No matter the reason, he got up and started walking to his mother's study, a peach in hand and eating it as messily as he could.

He walked in and saw her sitting down with his tutor, Dara.

"Sire." Dara bowed to him.

Jareth gave a small nod back. "Professor. Mother. Why have you called me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Put that peach away and stop eating like you're four instead of 24."

Jareth shrugged. "Come now mother, at least I'm eating healthy food." He waved the peach away.

Eloise looked at Dara who chuckled back at Jareth's antics.

"So, why am I here?" Jareth sat lazily on the couch and began to slice an apple with his knife. "Would you two like some?"

"No thank you, Sire." Dara said.

Eloise ignored him. "Jareth, have you ever seen this book?"

She held up a red book titled The Labyrinth.

Jareth shrugged. "Yes. About a labyrinth I assume. Do I get extra brownie points for that?"

"Your Aboveground sayings are confusing." Eloise set the book down. "This is serious."

"I am too. Do I get a cookie?"

Eloise smacked the back of his head. "Stop being a fool."

Jareth snorted and rubbed his head in feigned pain. "In all seriousness, I've heard that it is some old wives tale about the throne. So what about it is important that you're both here about it?"

Dara twiddled with his fingers. "Sire, do you remember when you came to me a while back, and I told you about a prophecy?"

Jareth took a bite of his apple. "Yes, what about it?"

"Well, you were defeated by a human, were you not? The first time that's ever happened in the history of the labyrinth being built."

Jareth glared at Dara. "Are you insinuating that I am a weak king who let some girl win?"

"So it WAS a girl." Eloise looked pleased with herself. "The goblins refused to talk to me about it."

"As you are not their sovereign, that makes sense." Jareth ate up the rest of his apple. He conjured some pomegranates now. "Anyone want some? I found a trick to opening these without making the area look like a murder scene."

"Once again, I am just fine." Dara told Jareth.

"Suit yourself." Jareth began to slice in it.

"Sire, this is serious. Have you read the book itself?" Dara asked him.

Jareth picked up a few of the pomegranate seeds and began to eat. "No, nothing since you've told me that it was some prophecy. Prophecies aren't real. Mother, you need to stop believing in the witch doctors and the crazy old ladies who want to make money off you."

Eloise picked the book up. "Just to make sure, none of these things happened, right?"

She began to read. "'But what no one knew, was that the king of goblins had fallen in love with the girl and had given her certain powers.'"

Jareth stopped eating and leaned forward.

Eloise turned to near the end of the book, seeing that she had his full attention. "'Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.'"

Jareth couldn't breathe.

She snapped the book shut. "Here, take a look."

Numbly, Jareth took the book from her and began to read random pages. Everything happened EXACTLY as what had happened to him and Sarah.

"But, how-"

"It is called a prophecy for that reason." Dara answered him.

Jareth threw the book down as if it was a roach. "What if I had read the book before? Would this all have happened?"

"That's the thing about prophecies, sometimes they come true and sometimes they don't." Dara said in the calmest voice possible as he picked the book up.

Jareth paced back and forth. If Sarah had the book…

Oh no.

He began to rethink all the things he had said. He took the book from Dara and reread the interactions between the king and the girl.

Now he understood.

Now he saw it from her point of view.

She wasn't abandoning him.

She was trying to save Toby! And she was being treated as a slave from what the book said.

STUPID STUPID STUPID JARETH!

"Jareth?" Eloise said gently.

"You heard what you read." He couldn't face her. "I fell in love with her. And gave her certain powers." That explained why he couldn't just track her down magically in his crystal even though the night wasn't quite over yet. But what powers had he given her?

"What happens now?" He asked Dara.

Dara shrugged. "Nothing. You are still king, and she is still the only champion. Though, maybe it means that she can be a worthy candidate for queen?"

Eloise blinked "What?"

"If she is able to beat the labyrinth, she could be a queen. Queen consort though, for as long as she doesn't have magic, she cannot have the crown matrimonial."

"We will talk of this later." Eloise said. "Jareth, we have a meeting with-"

"The queen of Estella for that damned 25th birthday ball of mine, I know." He groaned. "Must you pair this with me and Celeste? I told you, I'm not going to marry her."

Eloise sighed. "Then you will have to tell the queen yourself. You should still dance with Celeste at the ball though, to be polite. They will still want you to announce a proposal to her at the ball per tradition but again, it is your choice to say no. And my dear, I was wondering, is the girl who ran the Labyrinth the same girl that you had been seeing in Estella?"

Jareth nodded.

Then, an idea came to him.

Oh, perfect.

"When is the queen coming?" Jareth asked.

Eloise looked at Dara, confused with his change of attitudes. "During lunch time."

Jareth clasped his hands together. "Good. I will go and get changed then. Make sure the queen has all the comforts she needs."

And he left without another word.

"What has gotten into that boy?" Dara referred to Jareth's bizarre behavior.

"I've been asking that since the day he was born, I'm used to it by now." Eloise massaged her forehead, hoping that whatever Jareth was doing wasn't too rash.


"Thank you for the lovely accommodations, Your Majesty." Queen Beatrice drank her tea.

"Please, you've called me Jareth since I was a child." Jareth chuckled. "It is nice to have you here."

Beatrice set the tea down. After some small talk, she was ready to fully step in. "Jareth, I want to know, will you be proposing to Celeste at the ball?"

Jareth was careful with his answer. "To be honest, I am not ready for a marriage. My 25th birthday, though traditional, seems hardly a good enough reason to just go and propose to her."

"But you've courted her before and known her since childhood." Beatrice frowned. "What else do you need?"

"What else? I am a king, but I am not husband material." He said. "Too childish, too moody, too whatever. I'm sure my mother would love to tell you." He winked at her.

Beatrice laughed. She and Eloise did talk about their children often. "Then will you propose to her eventually?"

Jareth sighed. "She is logically the best candidate. She is a good person, a friend I get along with. I care about her like a friend and she already knows how to be a good queen. But I am willing to at least take the step in having a joint ball. Please do not expect a proposal though."

Setting Beatrice up like this helped her to feel lucky that Jareth had offered to even having a joint ball. Beatrice relaxed. "Of course, I do not want to pressure you."

At least that's what she said. She didn't want to push him too much for fear of getting in the short end of the stick.

"I do have a proposal to make for you though." He poured some more tea.

Beatrice's eyes shot up. "A proposal? Of what kind?"

"Since it is my 25th birthday, it is one where, though not traditionally, it is one I can decide how it will go. I would like Estella and the goblin kingdom to be able to have all its inhabitants invited. If I am to possibly marry Celeste one day, I shall like the people of her kingdom to get to know mine. Maybe at a later date, we could do this at Estella if that is what you wish. I want your people to feel at home here. And even if I do not marry her, we have a lovely alliance and I want our kingdoms to get along."

Beatrice clapped her hands together. "What a lovely idea! But what about the goblins and those creatures?"

Jareth waved dismissively. "You needn't worry. They will be around my castle and inside but they hate ballrooms and anything of the sort. We could arrange it so there is a fair that day, a day of celebration so your people can meet my goblins prior to the ball itself if they wish. Is that alright with you?"

Beatrice couldn't wait to tell her husband. She was sure now that she could secure Celeste and Jareth's marriage! "Yes, it is lovely."


Jareth felt a little sorry for leading Queen Beatrice on, letting her have hope that he may marry Celeste. But he never lied to her, just was sneaky. He didn't say he would marry her, just to let her think that there was a possibility. Which actually was a lie in and of itself now that he thought about it.

The castle was making invitations to be sent to every household in the Goblin Kingdom and the Estellan Kingdom. He hoped, hoped that this would work.

He invited everyone in hopes that Sarah, who lived in Estella, would be come to the ball and see him again.

He still loved her. He missed her dearly. If she was with someone else now, he would know. But he had to see her again and to talk with her. He didn't want to send out a search party for her. He wasn't sure if her stepmother would treat her badly and he wanted her to come to him out of her own free will. He didn't want to scare her again.

He shook his head. Did he lose his mind in the labyrinth?

Something felt off though. What of her father? Robert loved his little girl. So why was she a slave? Did he just disappear on his trips long enough to not notice?

Hopefully he can get all of his answers.

He created a special invitation for her. Taking a silver ribbon that had fallen out of her hair in the peach dream and sprinkling glitter in it, he hoped that this would work. He spelled the invitation so that while he couldn't find her, maybe this would. And when the time was right, if she needed, the invitation would turn into what she needed: a dress for the ball and a carriage to take her.

Jareth smiled to himself. Sarah didn't need a fairy godmother when she had a king.

He tucked the invitation into the envelope and blew at it. "Do not disappoint me. Go and find my lady."


"Sarah! Play ball!" Toby tried to grab her finger and drag her to play.

Sarah kissed Toby's head. "I will soon, I promise. Let me do the dishes first."

"Can I help?" Toby asked her.

Sarah shrugged. It would be good for him. "Sure. You can help me dry the cups."

She got out a step stool for him and they sang as they worked. Many of these songs were Jareth's songs that he had taught her. Sometimes Sarah even wondered if he was real. If only she was able to see him.

Irene came through the door, wearing layers of fancy clothing along with Anastasia and Drizella. "Ah, there you are. Toby what in the world are you doing?"

Toby laughed and waved a cup. "Doing dishes with Sarah, Mommy!"

Irene wasn't having it. "Put that down now! Sarah, what do you think you're doing?!" She shrieked.

Sarah didn't understand her anger. "Teaching him how to do the dishes. He's 3 years old, old enough to learn."

"No child of MINE is going to be a servant!" She barked at Sarah.

Sarah felt her blood boil. "He's not a servant, just able to take care of himself." She turned back to Irene. "Or did you forget that he's not a son of a count like your daughters are?"

SLAP!

Sarah fell backwards and hit her head. She felt warm blood seeping into her hair.

"Toby is MY son. He is here because I love him. You are here because you are useful. Hold your tongue!"

Irene had the most evil gleam in her eyes. Sarah never felt that much fear from her before. She had been hit, slapped, yanked around but nothing like this.

Toby began to cry. "Sarah! Mommy why did you hurt my sister?"

Irene picked Toby up. "Hush child. That THING is not your sister. She is simply your father's daughter."

"You say that as if I am illegitimate." Sarah couldn't believe her. "My father MARRIED my mother before you! And besides, all children are precious. Illegitimacy is just placing the blame on them from what their parents did. What have I done to you to make you treat me this way?!"

Irene didn't even say a word. "Girls?"

Anastasia and Drizella kicked and jabbed at Sarah. Not too much though, but enough to cause her bruising.

"Don't be too hard on her, we still need her for work." Irene spat on her. "And besides, we have a ball to get ready for. We need all the help we can get."

"Ball?" Sarah asked weakly.

Irene held out an invitation. "From the goblin kingdom. It seems that the king is hosting his birthday ball joint with ours, and I can only assume that it's to hide an eventual proposal for the princess."

"Maybe we can marry him mother!" Drizella jumped up gleefully. "We are nobles!"

"We could have the most beautiful dresses to impress him!" Anastasia said.

"Highly ambitious and I would love it if you could." Irene smiled at them both. "But even without him, I bet we can still find you some lovely suitors."

"Every person is invited to the ball, everyone!" Drizella held the back of her hand to her head. "Isn't it just marvelous?"

"Every person?" Sarah asked. She thought instantly of Jareth. If the goblin kingdom was holding a ball… he would be required to be there and maybe she could see him!

"Every person!" Anastasia said.

"Don't get any bright ideas. You wouldn't have anything to wear." Irene seethed. "Now girls, let us get rested. Come Toby. We have a long day of finding the best tailor tomorrow."


Sarah sat in her bed, feeling so elated at the idea of a ball. She pulled out her journal, one that Jareth had given for her 16th birthday. She blushed but she had written thoughts of him in there too. Today had been sour with the marks her stepmother and stepsisters had given her, but it all in all ended in hope.

She brought out her mother's old pink dress. She would have to fix it so it would fit her and then make it look new instead of the older fashion that it was. She couldn't help but dream of her Jareth.

"Who cares about the king when I can have him?" She held the fabric to her face. She would have to be diligent about it and lose even more sleep but she was determined to get through this.

A jolt of fear went through her. He was a little older than her, maybe he was even married. She shoved the thought down. Even so, she would be able to see how he was and thank him for being so kind to her. She maybe would be able to find some other young man. Or just have some fun. Who knows?

She heard a soft knock on her door. Curious, she went to answer it as normally her stepmother and stepsisters were as loud and obnoxious as they possibly could be.

She was surprised to see Toby.

"Well hello." She whispered quietly so no one woke up. "What are you doing here sweet boy?"

Toby hugged her. "You were hurt today. That's not right."

Sarah felt pain at seeing his sad face, but elated that he wasn't copying them. "Oh, Toby…"

"I love you, Sarah." He looked up at her. "I don't want to sleep alone, can you read me a story? I promise I'll go back to bed. Don't want you in trouble."

Sarah patted his head. "What kind of story?"

"The one with the king. And the maze."

Sarah blinked. She hadn't read that book since he was around 18 months old. He was so little back then. For some reason, one night she just stopped reading it. Like she didn't need it as much anymore. She felt a little bad, but maybe it was good to reread a story that had meant so much to her.

She picked him up and set him on her bed. She picked the floorboard up and took the precious book out. "The king of goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and had given her certain powers…"


So of course they're not back together yet but I'd thought I'd show some hope in this chapter. Jareth went from "I'm too stubborn to contact Sarah" to "I don't want to harass her if she doesn't want me" which is... good but it took him a couple of years? Lol.

I know it's sad that it's been two years since Sarah and Jareth had seen each other, but I do have a reason for this. The reason is Toby since he's older now (a toddler) and is able to talk and stuff which will play more a part as the story progresses.

For those who are trying to figure it out in their heads, they were 22 and 15 when they met then 23 and 16 when Sarah ran the labyrinth. Now, they're roughly 24/ (will be 25 soon for Jareth) and Sarah is 18. She is still being hurt and stuff but she's stronger and isn't losing her kindness and purity because the labyrinth is supposed to help her be a better person. And now, she has Toby as a reason to stay. Her parents, Jareth, and now Toby are her anchors so I feel like that was a good reason to keep her staying in such a situation. And even with all the abuse happening, even with child protective services that we have today in our own world, people go through this crap every day so it's important to not blame or judge people who are victims of the situation.

How did you like sneaky Jareth? Sneaky Jareth has become an inside joke between me and a friend jarethlover on Instagram lol. Stay tuned for more Jareth/Sarah goodness! Leave a review!

Little China Girl: I'm glad you're liking it and I'm pleased you were sad about Robert because I was hoping it would be powerful but sad (and short).

Fireshifter: YUP HE IS AN IDIOT. But I feel like with him being so nice and all, he has a breaking point (so did Sarah). It's also a lesson in pride too for all of us. I hope this chapter helps a bit more to make you feel less sad!

GoblinQueen83: You got it! And thank you for reading!