Sarah and Hoggle followed Jareth to the courtyard in the back of the castle while her heart was nervously pounding in her chest. Never had she held a sword or any form of weapon before and right now, she had no choice in the matter since she refused to leave when a kingdom was in danger.

The King pushed one of the large, wooden doors open and Sarah looked around the stoned courtyard, spotting three training dummies on the left as the sun was still high in the sky. It was going on her second night here and she was going to learn how to use a sword while her boyfriend and family were doing who know what in their world. Did they even know that she was gone or was there some time difference? Maybe Jareth will alter time again…

"Now," Jareth began, closing the door, then walked to the center of the courtyard with her following while the goblin stood safely by the wall, watching. He turned to her with stern eyes of a mentor. "Considering of the time that we may or may not have, we are going to jump into it. You are dealing with a weapon and you will be dealing with life or death situations. It is kill or be killed."

She honestly didn't think of that one before…

"You cannot hesitate to end a life or it will be your own. Are you still willing to do this?"

The human stood strong, not backing out now. "I made my decision."

There was a faint glimmer of disappoint in his blue eyes– Wait. Was one of them grey? "Very well." He unsheathed his sword, feeling the weight and admiring the blade. "Don't think of it has an object," he explained, "but as an extension. It will go where you guide it." He swung it away from her, holding it out to his side as if imagining giving an enemy a warning. He lowered it and carefully offered her the golden hilt with both hands.

Sarah gently took it, feeling the weight; trying to think like the warrior she was going to be.

"It will not serve to just kill, but to defend you. Do not focus on ending your opponent's life, but to save yours as well."

She carefully listened, facing him to let him know.

The lesson was an hour and in that hour, Sarah had learnt how to handle the sword and how to use it, but tomorrow, it was going to be a longer lesson and more serious. Now the duo proceeded to end the day by actually trying to get to know one another as were walking around the castle and was more pleasant than Sarah had expected. They were relaxed, shared some laughs, and for the first time in weeks, Sarah was actually happy with another man. During the time, the golden amulet around the King's neck kept getting Sarah's attention. "What is that symbol?" she eventually asked. "It's almost like your throne."

Jareth looked down at it with a smirk, then looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Good eye. This," he held up the amulet in his palm, "is passed down from king to king. I'm not sure where the symbol came from, but when my predecessor was dying, he formally named me the next king by placing it around my neck."

She looked up at him with wonder. "What was the king before you like?"

"A goblin," he chuckled with a smile, lowering the necklace with a small smirk. "He raised me. He taught me everything I know from fencing to crystals. He was almost like a father to me."

"Altha said that you were human."

His eyes darkened. "I was." His voice had dropped and was colder.

Seeing that she was on sensitive ground, Sarah gently asked, "What happened?"

Jareth took a deep breath. "My mother… wished me away when I was a child."

Those words broke the woman's heart as she just stared at him in horror and disbelief.

The King gave her a harsh glare. "Oh, don't give me that look," he spat. "You did the same to your brother."

"I fought for my brother," she defensively snapped.

He looked away at the truth.

Realization had struck Sarah, causing her to slowly stop walking. "She didn't fight for you…did she?"

Jareth tensed, standing at her side. "No," he coldly answered. "She gave me up. She didn't even say my name and I refused to say it– Forcing the king gave me the name I have today." Before Sarah could open her mouth, he continued, turning his cold, aching gaze to her. "The story was that she had me out of wedlock and couldn't afford me. I remembered it like it was yesterday because when your mother gives you up, that never goes away." He leaded forward, staring directly into her eyes with his voice was low. "Aren't you lucky that your brother doesn't remember you giving him up."

Sarah was puzzled, never thinking of that before.

He gave a bitter smirk, looking ahead of himself. "It's funny… I was actually going to take him under my wing when you were to fail the Labyrinth."

She looked up at him, stunned. "You were going to raise my brother?"

The look he gave her was emotionless and his voice was grim when he asked: "Who else would?"

Not knowing what to say, Sarah just looked away, seeing how close her brother was to being raised as the next goblin king if she had failed. Thank God she saved him…

"But I wouldn't dwell on it," he broke her thoughts in a lighter tone. "You won. He is a human with a sister, who didn't abandon him." There was a dryness in his tone that she didn't like.

Sarah slowly looked back at him. "You wanted to raise him like the former king did with you."

"I could've raised him to be a solider," he dryly replied.

Sarah studied him, knowing he wouldn't.

Jareth was not just a cruel king with a cold-blooded heart– He knew pain, loss, and loneliness. He was cold and cruel at times because that was a shield. She remembered how subtly amused he was while she was running the Labyrinth and how emotionally distant he was. She also replayed how he was silently begging her to stay with him as his eyes were staring at her with hope and how he wanted her to love him and he would be her slave. He was going to give her everything, just for her to be with him and she was only sixteen.

He just wanted someone to love and be loved in return.

After having a quick dinner in the dining hall that was a simple chicken soup made of the chef, Sarah was still thinking about what she had learnt about the Goblin King only hours ago. He was wished away like she had done with her brother, but instead of being fought for, he was just given up by a mother who supposedly couldn't afford him. His early life certainly wasn't the most pleasant, but at least he had the king to raise him… But she didn't even know how well that was.

Releasing a sigh, she wanted to end the night by taking a bath, so she had went to the throne room and sure enough, there was Jareth– sitting on the throne with a leg kicked up. He was deep in thought as he was gently tapping his boot with a riding crop and eyes just staring ahead of himself. "Um, excuse me," she gently said, "but I was wondering if there was a bath or a shower for me to take."

The King turned to her. "The only one is connected to my room, but you may use it." He stood up and walked passed her, heading to the entry way.

She followed him. "Thank you. Also is there a nightgown or anything that can fit me?"

"I will have something brought over for you."

In silence the two of them walked down the stairs to a long hall, to a right into another set of staircases, then came across another hall, took a right and turned to the first wooden door on the left. The King opened it to a grand bedroom with a four-poster bed; a fire place; and a window with a grand view of the Labyrinth. He even had two bookshelves cluttered with books on the far wall.

"This is your room?" Sarah asked in awe, not expecting anything like it. Considering how unwell kept the throne room and the city is, she expected it to be something similar.

"Surprised?" he chuckled as he led her to another wooden door beside fireplace on the left. "If I wanted things to be clean that would be impossible since goblins aren't the neatest creatures in the Underground." He opened the door, revealing a large bathroom with a bathtub on the right. "Everything you need is here. Fresh towels are underneath the cabinet." He pointed to the wooden cabinet that was beside the sink on the left. "And I will have your clothes ready on the bed." He turned to leave.

Sarah turned to him. "Jareth?"

He stopped and looked at her.

"Thank you."

He gave a polite dip of the head, then carried on his way.

They haven't spoken to each other since five or so hours ago after practice since he had told her a snippet of his life. She knew that she owes him a story of her own, but she knew that would only make her closer to the Goblin King. She couldn't do that to him or herself since she already had a boyfriend. However, for the passed three months since they started dating, things weren't going so well with the arguing, but that was another story.

Sarah didn't know how long she spent in the warm water, just soaking and thinking. It felt like the world had stopped and she was okay with that, until she remembered that she needed to eventually get out. Getting out of tub, she wrapped herself up in a white towel, wrung the excess water from her long hair, drained the tub, picked up her clothes, then made her way to the bedroom. Sure enough there was a white nightgown and a silk robe on the crimson quit. Smiling, she dressed herself and allowed the long dress to fall, making her feel like an elegant princess getting ready for slumber.

Throwing on the robe, she proceeded to wrap her hair in the towel, then made her way to her own room, where she happily slept.