CHAPTER SIX

Sarah ran to Ludo. He dropped the flower and said in a low, slow voice, "Sa-rah."

Sarah hugged the large creature. His fur smelled like sunshine, moss, and peat, a strangely comforting and earthy smell, and it was so soft against her cheek. He hugged her back, and Sarah was transported to her youth, after running the Labyrinth, when she'd been so sure of herself and her new friends and the future.

She felt Ludo's large hand tenderly caress her head and he said, "Long time."

"It has been a long time, Ludo. I'm sorry for that."

"I was surprised ya remembered us," Hoggle said, walking away from the bordering plants, the spray-can leaning against his shoulder like a musket. "Was real surprised when I got the summons to come to the garden to say a hello to the Champion."

"Yes," Sir Didymus said, "but joy knows no bounds to see you again, my lady!"

"Come on, guys." Sarah grinned, pulling away from Ludo. "It's just Sarah, you know that. None of this Champion and lady nonsense."

"It's not nonsense," Sir Didymus said. "You won the Labyrinth." He paused, his white fur-brows pulling down with worry. "Have you come for similar reasons again?"

"Oh god, no!" Sarah shook her head. "I'll never wish anyone away ever again! No...um, I asked to see the Labyrinth again, and Jareth obliged. And then...he invited me to dinner, and I agreed."

"Dinner? With that...?" Hoggle sputtered. "Are ya crazy? Ya can't trust him, Sarah!"

"It's fine," Sarah said, waving a dismissive hand. "He's agreed not to be the villain anymore."

"Said like a true villain," Hoggle muttered, darkly.

Sarah changed the subject by asking, "By the way, why aren't you guys at the banquet?"

There was an awkward silence. Ambrosius looked around, giving off a soft whine which quieted when Sarah reached out to give him a ruffle behind the ears. Finally, Hoggle said, "Bein' part of the Court is on a rotatin' basis. We ain't 'on' right now. And frankly," he added, "I say good! Always more trouble'n it's worth. Gotta dress up, so I gotta launder my shirt 'forehand. Such a chore."

"Jareth mentioned there's a rotating thing for the Court," Sarah said. "But I'm sure he'll make an exception for you guys. You're my friends, and I haven't seen you for so long."

She didn't mention how their mirror-parties had broken up all too quickly, as soon as she went to college. How through high school she'd managed to pop in at the vanity mirror in her room to talk to them even briefly amongst the whirlwind of homecoming and prom, final exams and college essays, but once she'd moved to college it became harder and harder. How did someone sneakily talk to a mirror in a dorm room with a roommate just a couple feet away, after all? Sometimes, she'd find a quiet spot in a single study room at the library, but she was always scared she'd come off as crazy, murmuring into a handheld mirror. Also, if Sarah was honest with herself, she had to admit she'd let herself grow apart from her old friends. It wasn't just Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus. She'd been horrible at keeping in touch with her few high school friends, too. In college, things had really changed for her; she'd grown and found herself and found a group she really jived with through the theater program there. She was busy in ways she'd never been before—happily busy. Finally, she started missed seeing her friends for weeks—one turned into two, then three, and finally, she just stopped calling their names. No goodbye...just nothing.

However, she could feel that lack of goodbye in the awkward silence between their words, now. A couple of times, she opened her mouth to apologize, but then shut her mouth each time. What could she say? "Sorry I just disappeared one day. I hope you didn't miss me—or notice, even—too bad. I just—school, ya know? It got real busy there." And then? It wasn't like she sought them out after college, either. In fact, she'd done much worse.

She'd forgotten.

She hadn't thought of the Labyrinth for years and years. It wasn't until the peach had grown on her paloverde that she had felt that jolt of memory, like plunging into warm water, or hearing an old song on the radio.

She said, now, "I missed you guys. I'm sorry I was so shit at keeping in touch." She felt tears prick her eyes. "I'm sure you could come to the banquet...if you wanted..."

Sir Didymus said, "Ah...Sarah, we're not on rotation right now. Our, uh, punishment for sedition."

"Sedition?" Sarah gaped. "He's punishing you still?"

Sir Didymus shrugged. "We have been taken off rotation since that day. We'll be told when it's over."

"Like I said, I take this as a reward," Hoggle said, cheerfully. "I ain't wanna go to no banquets in that castle!" He pointed at the castle. "Look at it! Ain't look like a proper castle anymore! Where are the spikes?"

"I—I guess if you're okay. He hasn't hurt you, has he?" Sarah asked. "No Bog of Eternal Stench?"

"Oh no," Sir Didymus said, smiling. "He was strangely reluctant to bog us, perhaps because of our proximity to the Champion. I suspect he knew of our mirror talks. No, he gave us a choice. Bog or exile."

"Exile?" Sarah frowned.

"Exile from the dinners and Court viewings," Hoggle said, then grumbled, "I still gotta work, of course!" He jiggled the spray-can on his shoulder. But then he brightened. "Course, that was an easy choice. Exile, no doubt! Who in their right mind wants to make nice?" He shook his head.

"Have you been to one before the exile?" Sarah asked, suddenly curious. "What are they like? Is it a lot of goblins?" She thought about the afternoon at the tarn. A banquet with goblins may be fun, like taking kids to Chuck E. Cheese.

"No," Sir Didymus answered. "Any of the Labyrinth creatures in rotation can come. It's actually all fairly done, quite impressive considering the breadth and scope of the Labyrinth."

"It's cuz the King has a house gnome, they make the best retainers," Hoggle said. "Whaz his name? We're related, ya know. Distantly, by marriage. My ma's sister's husband's cousin was his aunt—or somethin' like that. Oh, whaz his name?" Hoggle snapped his fingers, as if the noise could jog his brain. "Started with a 'D'..."

Sir Didymus said, "Didymus?"

"No, course not, ya fool!" Hoggle snapped a few more times. "Darren, Drack, Dostoevsky..." And then suddenly, he yelled, "Barnaby! That was it!"

"A 'D', huh?" Sarah grinned.

Hoggle sniffed. "Anyhow, ya'll prolly meet 'im at the dinner."

"Right," Sarah said. She sighed. "I don't get the Goblin King, to be honest. Punishing you still? It's been fifteen years."

"Time matters little in the Underground." Sir Didymus shrugged.

"Yeah, you all look exactly the same." Sarah smiled. She glanced down at herself, thoughtfully. "I'm different though."

Hoggle had gone to the nearby boundary wall and leaned his spray-can against the wall. He said, quiet enough his words were almost lost by the distance, "We still change."

"Indeed," Sir Didymus said. "We change inside." He pressed a paw to his heart. "Even the Goblin King changes."

Sarah said, "Jareth is different this time. He's...well, he's been nice."

Hoggle snorted.

Sarah ignored him and continued, "He's also been fun to be around."

Again, Hoggle snorted.

"I'm as shocked as you, Hoggle," Sarah said, dryly.

"The Goblin King..." Sir Didymus looked thoughtful as he let his paw drop to Ambrosius's head, smoothing through the fur. "I think he changed a lot after you ran the Labyrinth."

"Oh, whatcha sayin' that for?" Hoggle rolled his eyes and huffed. "Like she cares." He turned to Sarah. "Jareth is always gonna be whoever he wants to be."

Sarah considered this for a moment. What does that mean, ultimately? Because Jareth was nice and fun at the tarn. And he showed me that guest room. Last time, he just showed me an oubliette and the Bog of Eternal Stench. What if...what if Jareth wants to be nice? What if he's tired of playing the villain?

And the next thought that popped into her head, close to the heels of all the previous musings, was: In which case, what does that mean for you? And she had no answer to that—didn't even know how to begin answering that question—so she instead cleared her throat and said, "Let's talk about something else instead of this banquet. How've you guys been doing, anyway? What have you been up to?"

Ludo, who had been quietly listening thus far, said, "Mountains."

"Hm?" Sarah asked.

"Ah yes." Sir Didymus patted Ambrosius again, the dog looking relaxed and happy at the fox's feet, then looked at the large creature next to him. He said, "Sir Ludo went back to the mountains. A rock singer's home, after all. This is the first time I've seen you in quite a while, my friend."

"I've been here," Hoggle said, shrugging. "Plenty of work."

"You still spray fairies?"

"Yes—but I got a promotion!" Hoggle grinned. "I do some gardenin' now, too!"

"Oh, that's wonderful, Hoggle. I didn't know you liked to garden."

Hoggle sniffed. "Ya never asked."

"Yeah," Sarah murmured. "Sorry."

A lull descended; silence that seemed too heavy. Sarah turned to Sir Didymus. "And what have you been doing, Sir Didymus?"

Sir Didymus said, "I did protect the Bog, but I, too, have been promoted and now I protect the southern edge of the Labyrinth entrance."

"Oh, nice!" Sarah smiled, happy that despite her friends helping her, it seemed they hadn't been completely punished unduly—in fact, they may have ultimately benefitted.

"And you, Sarah?" Sir Didymus asked. "While you say you have changed, your eyes still twinkle merrily, which I am happy to see."

"I moved away from the New England area," she said, scratching her shoulder and wondering what to tell them. "Um, I work as a copywriter. Oh! But I am part of an amateur theater troupe. We put on small plays at the community theater once or twice a year. Last year, we did The Importance of Being Earnest. I was Cecily." She smiled with pride, remembering how exhilarating the entire thing had been. It had been the troupe's most ambitious production yet, which was why they hadn't done anything this year, besides some fund-raising events. Little things like bake sales and monologues in the park. She continued, "I live in the Southwest now. It's really pretty out there—but hot."

"It sounds like you've made a good life for yourself."

"Yeah...yeah, it's great," Sarah murmured, but she thought, And I explained all of it in a couple of sentences. The only thing I'm proud of is my theater work. I enjoy my job—in the sense that I'm freelance and can mostly work from home, but is it fulfilling? And why haven't I traveled? I haven't even really seen my own country much, let alone outside it. I promised myself I'd see the world, that I'd do things and have no regrets.

When she'd been young, the entire world had seemed like a pearl ready to be plucked; that nothing could stop her or stand in her way. Now, leaving her twenties behind, she was bogged down by the usual adult things: bills, her job, her mortgage. Dating had been boring, mundane, disappointing, and mediocre. Karen often made comments, asking if she was "seeing anyone," and Sarah would always diffidently chuckle and say no. She'd had boyfriends—one, she'd had for an entire year. They'd tip-toed around not talking about marriage, until it was an elephant in the room that took up all the space. Marriage, kids—she knew her parents worried she was letting time fall through her fingertips. But, Sarah felt like she wasn't developed enough to even consider those things. So, nobody interested her; nobody stuck around long enough to interest her. They were fun, but the fun never lasted.

Nothing was like how she imagined in her late teens, early twenties.

And then, she thought: Did I peak in the Labyrinth? Was that the best, worst, and most magical time of my life? It was a silly thought—logically, she knew that—and yet it made a ball of emotion form in her throat, full of prickly edges when she swallowed. Tears pricked her eyes again.

"Sarah?" Sir Didymus asked.

"What? Sorry, didn't hear you," Sarah said, huskily. She took little sips of air until the emotional wave subsided and the ball disappeared, hoping nobody noticed.

"I asked how the babe is."

"Oh! Toby!" Sarah brightened. "He's a teenager now, can you believe it?"

"Time does move swiftly," Sir Didymus said, pleasantly.

"Sarah happy?" Ludo asked, suddenly.

Sarah hesitated. Was she happy? She said, "Yeah, I think so, Ludo. I'm doing great."

Ludo smiled, his lips pulling back from his large mouth. It might look terrifying if Sarah didn't know how gentle he was, and that he was smiling. She smiled back and said, "What about you, Ludo? How's the mountains treating you?"

"Ludo happy," Ludo said. He paused, then added, "Missed Sarah."

"Yeah, I missed you too, big guy." Sarah sighed. She leaned back until she was lying on the soft grass, looking at the darkening sky. There was just the start of sunset hues; the few fluffy clouds limned in gold. A promise of orangey scarlet on the horizon. She said, "I was stupid for not reaching out to all of you. I'm sorry—I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in so long. But," she turned her head so she could see them in her peripheral vision, "maybe this is an opportunity to right that wrong. Maybe now—I mean, once I go back home—we can go back to mirror-chats, like we used to."

"Maybe," Hoggle said, looking away. "Maybe ya will get busy again, too."

Sarah frowned, feeling a small stab of pain at his words.

"It would be difficult now, anyway," Sir Didymus said, gently.

"What do you mean? Does the mirror not work anymore?"

"It...may not." Sir Didymus glanced at Hoggle, but he was looking at a flowerbox near the fountain, where three fairies lazily flew about the flowers. "You've been without magic for a long time, my lady. It may be all gone from you, in which case, when you call...we won't be able to answer."

"Oh." Sarah swallowed, feeling that lump back in her throat. "Oh, I guess...well, I guess I'll see when I go back."

"Of course, the Goblin King could fix that—or may have already," Sir Didymus continued, thoughtfully. "He is the one who gifts magic."

"Shut up," Hoggle muttered. "We don't need no trouble from the likes of the King!"

"What do you mean, Sir Didymus?" Sarah asked, curious.

"Just that," Sir Didymus said, as if Hoggle hadn't interrupted. "The Labyrinth is a carefully balanced ecosystem of magic, and all that magic syphons through its ruler. Like a gate. The King makes sure it's divvied out properly. He can't keep all of it for himself, you see, it would be too much for anyone. So, each creature allowed to stay in the Labyrinth gets a small puff of it. When you called us in the mirror before, that was a small puff of magic not called back by the Goblin King—a gift for a Champion."

"He...might have let me keep the magic?" Sarah murmured. She turned onto her side on the grass, propping her head up with a hand at her cheek, and stared at Sir Didymus, surprised. "That sounds almost kind of him, and he seemed anything but kind back then!"

Sir Dydmus shrugged. "All runners are given a small kernel of magic as a runner, to ensure they don't change while they're in the Underground. Also, so they can keep going. Running the Labyrinth is grueling, no? But didn't you notice, you were never overly hungry or thirsty? Anyway, I think the Goblin King just gave you a little more at the end."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, for I don't know, my lady," Sir Didymus said.

"Oh, come off it, hairball!" Hoggle muttered, angrily. "The King has got reasons for all his deeds, and mark my words, they'll be something sneaky in his reasons! Can't trust him, Sarah. He may be all buddy-buddy today, but what about tomorrow, eh? Who knows what he'll be tomorrow." Hoggle shook his head. "Can't trust him as far as ya can throw him!"

Sarah wondered why Hoggle hated Jareth so much, and she almost asked him. But, then she remembered how Jareth had interacted with the dwarf during her time in the Labyrinth. A villain, and if that's all Hoggle knew, it made sense to hate him. Sarah had hated him a few times during that night—maybe would have kept hating him, except she'd forgotten her adventure and now, as a grown woman, she had the time and distance to change.

He's like a bad boss, Sarah thought. She'd have to ask Jareth why he was like that to Hoggle.

I don't hate Jareth at all, she realized. In fact, the warmth in her belly as she thought of the way he'd stared directly into her eyes on the edge of the tarn, just before she'd pulled him into the water—flustered her. If she had leaned forward, she could have kissed him. What would Jareth have done?

To stop that train of thought, she restlessly got to her feet and said, "This garden is beautiful. Is it one of yours, Hoggle?"

Hoggle stiffened. "I work away from the Castle, in the Labyrinth proper. My next promotion is for the Goblin City."

"Oh. Some time, you'll have to show me. I bet your garden is beautiful."

Hoggle's chest puffed a little with pride. "Planted some ferns the other day. It should have flowers soon." He looked around. "The head gardeners work in the Castle."

"Well, this is pretty impressive." Sarah moved along the flowers that lined the edges. The garden was shaped roughly rectangular, with rounded edges, and a simple design; mostly the lawn, with white marble benches at either end. Edging the lawn were flowers, except where the pond was. She looked at the flowers. They were mostly tulips. She wondered if the Labyrinth had seasons. Did the flowers always bloom?

She paused when the pond came into view. The fountain was shaped like a dragon lounging on a pearl in a clamshell. She smiled at the sculpture. Bubbling from under the dragon and parting around the pearl, came the water which cascaded over the clamshell and down to the pond. The bubbly sound felt cheerful and mischievous, much like the expression on the dragon's face.

Sarah frowned. There was a strange, rainbow pearlescent film on the water. It reminded her of oil, but that wasn't right, either. Sarah knelt by the stone edging of the pond, watching the film float on the water. It broke where the fountain's water dropped onto the pond's surface, but then it reconnected again past it. It looked like when she had done tie-dyed T-shirts; the way the pigment had floated on the water was similar.

She wondered if she touched it, would her fingers sparkle with color? She held out her hand, inching a bit closer to the edge.

The fountain burbled. She leaned a hand against one of the rocks edging the pond. The hard material scratched lightly at her palm, warmed slightly by the sun. The fingers in her outstretched hand twitched.

"Sarah?" Ludo called.

Sarah jerked, blinking. She was a half inch from touching the surface. She leaned back, shaking her head, clearing the cobwebs that had suddenly overcome her mind. She stared at that rainbow-colored film a moment longer. She didn't touch the water.

"What's wrong with the water?" she asked, dropping her hand into her lap.

"Whaddya mean?" Hoggle asked, coming over to her. He looked at the filmy water and frowned. "No idea, maybe the head gardener ain't what he used ta be." The idea made Hoggle smirk.

The longer Sarah looked into the water, the odder she felt. Like something was tugging at her heartstrings. It made her...sad. Like she'd just heard a sad song, but forgotten the next moment, with only the emotions remaining behind. Weird. She got up and moved back to Ludo, leaning against the large creature's side so the fur brushed her cheek, and trying to shake the melancholy that had risen, unbidden, from somewhere within her.

It didn't take long. Ludo caressed her hair like she was a dog he was petting, and Sarah laughed despite herself.

She gave him a playful tickle, her fingers disappearing in the fur at his side. He opened his mouth and released the driest-sounding laugh. Like when a hot balloon operator pulled the cord to heat the balloon. The sound intrigued her so much, she added another hand and tickled with more directed purpose. He shuddered and wiggled his big body, and there was a bit of a wrestling match until Sarah was sitting on Ludo's stomach and triumphantly tickling him under his chin.

Sir Didymus had helped Sarah at first, sitting on Ludo's arm, but then switched sides and now he was trying to wrestle Sarah off by climbing her leg while yelling happily, "Avast, ye dastardly scoundrel!" Ambrosius was barking excitedly, hopping from one side of Ludo to the other. And Hoggle, who had left the pond and come back toward them, was watching the entire display incredulously, but he was playing with something hanging from the side of his belt.

When Sir Didymus's hands started poking into her side and she shuddered, laughing at the ticklish feeling, she raised her hands and said, "Okay, okay! Uncle!" He slid off and they all pillowed their heads against Ludo's arms and side, looking up at the sky, all three of them catching their breath.

Sarah glanced at Hoggle and realized what he was messing with from the many trinkets hanging on his belt. She lifted her head and murmured, "Oh! You kept it!"

Hoggle blushed, releasing the plastic bracelet. "I...well..."

"I get it," she said, and smiled. "Missed you too, Hoggle."

Hoggle sniffed. "I got a lot to do, I didn' notice the years passin'."

"Of course." Sarah decided to change the subject, pointing at a cloud. "Doesn't that cloud look exactly like a rabbit?"

It was a pleasant time. Good friends talking, idly mentioning the shapes of the clouds, and laughing. After a little bit, even Hoggle had leaned back, pillowing his head on his folded arms. He liked to disagree with whatever Sir Didymus said a cloud looked like, and his own suggestions were interesting—one cloud, he claimed, looked like a "three-starred squash fruit, but with missing a leaf from the stem"—but he was smiling by the end, too.

And the end did come, much to Sarah's dismay. She was so relaxed with her head pillowed on Ludo's arm, the fur soft on the back of her neck. They had been mostly watching the sunset, which lit the sky in beautiful hues of goldenrod, indigo, and crimson—a sunset that could even rival the ones she'd seen at her house overlooking the desert—when Sir Didymus turned to her and said, "Milady, when do you need to meet with the king?"

Sarah jerked, startled. She glanced at her watch and hissed in surprise. "Oh crap, it's seven!"

She leaped up, and the outing ended on her promises to visit again, to call their names in her mirror when she got back home. She hugged each one—even Hoggle which was a strange mix of soft, plump body and knobby elbows and knees—and gave them a kiss on the cheek. Even Hoggle, who fidgeted and complained as she did so, and then she walked backwards toward the door so she could wave goodbye.

She tried to imprint the memory of her friends with the sunset behind them, now a glorious orange-red color. Ludo was in the center, bracketed by Hoggle and Sir Didymus, who was already on Ambrosius's back. The fox waved. Hoggle just watched, quietly. At the last moment, Ludo raised a large hand and waved, too.

Sarah reached back and after a moment of scrabbling, she found the doorknob. One final wave, and then she stepped into the castle.

# # # #

Finding her room was easy, as well. She just backtracked. And, she ran, conscious of the ticking time. How beautiful that outing in the garden had been with her friends. It was like time had stood still and yet gone too fast at the same time.

Back in the room, she leaned against the door for a moment and murmured, "Okay, time to get ready for a banquet."

She went to the bathroom and considered the clawfoot tub, longingly, but she didn't have time to take a full bath. Instead, she washed her face in the sink with a soft bar of soap that smelled like jasmine and sponged herself off with a washcloth. There was a porcelain table near the tub that had a few cut-crystal bottles and a silver brush on it. She uncapped them, sniffed, and identified shampoo and conditioner, hair oil, lotions, and one with perfume. She slathered lotion along her skin. The scent was heady, exotic, with jasmine hints, as well. And the perfume complimented it, so she dotted some behind her ears and along her pulse points.

Her hair had some nasty snags in it from rolling in the grass with her friends, and swimming in the tarn, so it took her long minutes to work her hair to smoothness. Afterwards, she left the bathroom and opened the wardrobe.

"Holy moly," she muttered, looking at least half a dozen gowns hanging in the wardrobe. How on Earth was she supposed to choose one? And who had chosen these?

She pulled out the first gown, which was such a dark green it looked almost black, with the most beautiful gold brocade. The neckline was low, she noted, while the sleeves were puffed at the shoulders and then tight down to the wrist. But, the skirt was way too full. It would bubble around her, stiff and confining. Would she have to wear a bustle or cage? A corset? She shook her head. It reminded her of the silver ball gown from the bubble dream—except the opposite in color scheme. Dark and gold, instead of white and silvery.

She remembered feeling the confining shape of whale boning in the bodice of that silvery gown, and carefully mincing her steps so she could walk in the full skirt. She didn't want that again; thinking about it now made her feel vulnerable. It was too intense. This wasn't a peach dream, nor was this banquet so...serious. While she wanted to make the Goblin King take notice—And why do you want that? Her traitorous mind whispered, but she ignored it—she didn't want to overdo it.

The next gown was a plain red design. The color was amazing, something for a femme fatale, with an even riskier neckline. But the satiny fabric pooled down to the floor, like a little train. She would be kicking that out of her way all night.

The next gown was the silver ball room gown.

She stared at it, feeling the familiar fabric. She pinched the tulle and lace puff sleeves, feeling the scrape of material along her skin. She sighed, both from the memories—and for how much she had changed since she was fifteen. The gown was beautiful—a perfect princess gown—but just not her anymore. And being the third gown in the wardrobe, not the first? That seemed like a joke on Jareth's part. Like a "hey, remember this?"

"Absolutely not," she muttered, putting it back.

She flicked through them faster now. A beautiful, simple indigo sheath. Definitely the winner so far, she thought, continuing.A passionfruit-orange frock with a knee-length, tulle skirt. And something silver at the back. She pulled this last one forward and considered it.

The fabric was silky, and it had a similar cut to the sheath dress, but the color was a textured silver, with black dotting it. Like unworked silver ore, Sarah thought. The sleeves were long, and would come to triangular points at her wrists. The edges had pearl and onyx embellishments. It was off-the-shoulder, and as Sarah pressed the gown to her body, she realized the neckline would just skim her cleavage. A tease without showing anything. However, the long skirt, which just skimmed the gown, had a slit in it all the way to the thigh. An even bolder tease.

Sarah couldn't help but compare it to the other dress, the princess gown. This was a darker, heavier, more textured silver color. Color rich with life, she thought, smiling at the fanciful idea. There was nothing innocent and young about it—nothing princess. This was a gown for a Champion. For a witch, for a sorceress. For a queen.

Her smile grew and she shook her head. She was being silly.

Then her smile shuttered out as she realized she had no makeup or embellishments for this gown. It was a shame, a waste of something so beautiful, and she wondered if she'd look like a joke in it. Something so fancy with plain hair and plain face.

Oh well, she thought, firmly pushing the thought away. What could she do? She'd keep her hair loose, comb it out again so it would be relatively smooth, and hope for the best.

She knew her time was running out, so she slipped the gown over her head and let it pool onto her, shivering at the soft fabric brushing against her skin. She moved to the bathroom for her comb but stopped as she passed by the mirror over the sink. Her hair was in an elaborate coif. She'd been in such a rush, she hadn't noticed her hair was suddenly off her neck. The coif had dark purple jewels threaded through the stylistic braids and knots that it was made up of, with curling tendrils that framed her face. It wasn't as large or puffy as the princess look—after all, times had changed—this was sleeker and more elegant. Also, she was in full makeup. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl and dark purple eye shadow. She had foundation, blush, lipstick; all perfectly complimentary. Her skin had a faint, glittery sheen. She lifted a hand, entranced, to see her fingertips were manicured and painted dark purple.

She went back to the wardrobe. On the back of the door was a full-length mirror, and she angled it in a way to see her full appearance. The dress hugged her curves. Silver eardrop earrings adorned her ears, a simple silver chain as delicate as spiderweb with a glittery, dark amethyst drop circled her neck. Delicate silver rings were on her fingers. Something peeked out of the wardrobe, catching the light, and when she reached under the other gowns, she pulled out a pair of shoes. They were a dark purple—so dark that without direct light they looked black—and embellished with crystals and silver spikes. Shoes that were very far from a princess's image, as well.

Sarah wasn't sure what to think of all of this. Was the wardrobe—or the magic, she should say—reacting to her wishes or Jareth's? If it was the former, it seemed the magic knew she didn't want to feel like a teenaged girl stuck in the Labyrinth; if it was the latter, did that mean she and Jareth agreed on something—that she wasn't young and naïve anymore? And if that was the case, how did she feel about being in agreement with the Goblin King? Or of him thinking of her like this?

Wait, he couldn't know what dress I would choose, Sarah thought. Right?

She wondered what his expression would be when she walked into the banquet hall like this. She licked her lips, wondered if the lipstick could smear, and then took a deep breath. Somehow, she felt more nervous now, despite being decked out in such finery.

But, the dress felt like a dream, and she looked like a million bucks. Red carpet ready. Gala ready. Banquet ready, she thought, lifting her chin bravely. The Goblin King could throw anything at her; she would do this dress proud, and act confident and collected.

Easier said than done, she thought.

She sat on the bed and strapped the shoes on. They were surprisingly comfortable for heels—and she wasn't a big open-toed heel wearer—and they made a soft click-click sound on the hardwood floor as she crossed back into the sitting room.

She paused halfway to the door, realizing she didn't know where the banquet room was. Well, she figured Jareth would sort something magical out, or she'd try her theory that the castle would rearrange itself to go where she needed to go.

However, when she opened the door, she found a goblin there dressed in a tattered brown pair of shorts and an ironed and laundered, crisp white, button-down shirt with starched collar.

She stared, having never seen such a thing as a dressed-up goblin. He looked at her and said, "Ready lady?"

She cleared her throat and replied, "Oh, uh, yeah."

"Great! And you'll be late," he said, with a grin and a wink. "Follow me!"

The goblin came to Sarah's lower waist. He had a small head, a snout, large floppy ears like a dog, and long arms so his knuckles nearly touched the ground. So, he easily reached up and grasped Sarah's hand. His grasp was soft but strong, his skin rough and dry like autumn leaves. Sarah smiled and followed him, her clacking shoes and his slapping bare feet making an odd, rhythmic cacophony on the floor.

The castle was a maze. She tried to remember the route, but she found herself getting confused. There were maybe two left turns, up one flight of stairs, and one right turn? Or was it two?

It didn't help that everything looked similar. Similar wall colors, floor colors; tapestries, paintings, and sconces went by, but it was hard to remember them all, so they blurred together. Just flashes of color. But ultimately, they had walked for only a few minutes.

Then, Sarah noticed slight changes. The corridor looked newer, kept better, with fresh paint and wallpaper. The tapestries weren't so threadbare, the paintings grander. And then they turned and in front of them was a large, double door painted white. She stopped in front of the door, uncertainly.

"Lady?"

Sarah blinked, looking down to the goblin and said, "Oh, uh..." and then realized something. "I never asked your name."

The goblin grinned, showing off pointy eye-teeth. "Crelzug."

"Well, thanks for bringing me, Crelzug," Sarah said. She leaned forward and opened the door, and immediately soft, tinkly music came through.

She waited, but Crelzug just looked at her. Finally, she said, "After you."

"Oh, I'm not going today," he said. "Kingy just sent me to pick you up."

Sarah frowned. "Oh. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I stay here." He waved toward the door. "You go, lady."

Sarah hesitated. "You ever been to one of these?" She asked, pointing a thumb toward the door.

The goblin nodded.

"Any advice?" Sarah half-joked.

The goblin thought about this carefully, and for a moment, the only noise was the music. Finally, he said, "Keep room for dessert."

"Oh, good advice. But don't worry," Sarah grinned, "I have a separate stomach just for dessert."

Crelzug's eyes widened, but Sarah walked past him and through the door.

She was very nervous; her stomach full of butterflies, her breath quick, her heart quickening. The edging on the double doors were carved designs. She barely noticed it as they opened of their own accord, anticipating her arrival. She walked through, remembering her theater training. Back straight, confidence in your role.

And she entered into chaos.

Or, she realized after a moment, the throne room.

But, there were creatures everywhere, frolicking, laughing, talking, roaring, singing. And directly in front of her was a red carpet that rolled up to a large, stone throne. Above it was a giant portrait of the Goblin King, and sitting on the throne was the subject of that portrait, in the flesh. The Goblin King was wearing black satin, edged with black lace, and gold and silver embroidery. His hair was a stark contrast to his outfit. He was lounging in the throne, a leg thrown over the arm, and he tapped the toe of his boot with a riding crop he held lightly in one hand. The colors weren't new—Jareth liked the theatrics of black with his pale coloring—but every time Sarah appreciated how his outfits tailored perfectly to his build. Perfectly dramatic. Perfectly fae.

Emeralds winked at his fingers, catching her gaze. Sarah followed those long fingers up the arm and chest, the surprisingly wide shoulders, the neck half-obscured by lace, the well-defined jawline and thin lips, the aquiline nose, and finally to the Goblin King's eyes.

Their eyes met; their gazes caught and held. A little electric pulse jumped along Sarah's skin, making her shiver.

He was watching her, and in his mismatched eyes were universes made and destroyed. Emotions that were so vast and deep, Sarah couldn't name them. And yet, something about his expression, the look in his eyes, made her breath catch. All the noise, the frolicking creatures, the flickering sconce-light—it all faded away into the background.

The world fell down, Sarah thought.

In this moment, there was only her and the Goblin King.

And Sarah knew—not for the first time on this magical day—she would never be the same again.

AUTHOR NOTES:

Man, I'm happy to get this chapter up. It was a lot of fun to write, but I did question myself a lot, and edited it somewhere around eight times (!). Anyway, I'm just nipping in to tell you that I started a Tumblr where I discuss Labyrinth, my fanfic, writing, IPs I love, and other random stuff. I just posted a little commentary about this chapter over there, where I talk about the inspirations for this chapter, particularly Sarah's fashion choices. I had so many notes on my Trello (where I outline and take notes for my writing) that I wanted to share them! So, if you're interested, you can find that at Tumblr, my username is corditequill.

As always, please review or comment on this chapter. It really encourages me! :)