When Sarah woke, she felt more in a trance than she was when she was asleep. Her body seemed to do the work for her, moving as if she was in syrup to her mirror that held a portal to the Underground that Jareth had made for her.

She stepped out of the portal and into the courtyard where soldiers stood stoically at the ready. There was an air of somberness, for even the birds had quieted on this day.

"Lady Sarah?" One of them inquired, looking very uneasy at her appearance.

"Is Samuel here?" she asked, her mouth moving on its own accord.

Samuel was Jareth's advisor and over the years had become a friend of hers as well. If anyone could help her, it was him.

Then, she remembered that Jareth could summon him just by holding his amulet. She curled her hand around it, swallowing.

"Samuel? Please come see me immediately."

The guards watched her in awe as Samuel immediately appeared before them, having been transported there by the power of the amulet.

Samuel immediately understood, going on one knee, for only reigning monarchs could unlock that power from the amulet. It would not work that way for anyone else.

"Your Majesty," he greeted. "I pledge my loyalty to you, Queen Sarah."

The guards followed suit, their fist across their chests as a respect to the new queen.

Sarah noticed how Samuel looked much paler and his eyes bloodshot. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please stand, Samuel."

Samuel stood and peered right into her face. As much as it hurt Sarah to see her friend hurt, there was a sense of relief that she had found someone else who understood her pain. "Are you all right?"

He waved it away.

"I'm in a state of shock, but doing what I can. Thank you for your kindness, Sarah. I know how much he loves you and how much you love him."

He meant it. He was always amazed at the amount of compassion Sarah held, even at her most difficult moments.

The way he spoke of Jareth in the present tense just felt so very right at this moment. He may have departed from the world, but his love for Sarah still remained, and that was something Sarah would hold onto as she navigated her grief.

"Thank you, Samuel. I know it's not easy for you either. Or the rest of the kingdom."

He nodded appreciatively. "What I don't understand is how he passed so suddenly and so peacefully, and how you know. I would like to hear from you once we go inside."

He held an arm out for her.

"I would like that," she thanked him, taking his arm and going up the castle.

The castle felt so different, knowing Jareth was no longer there. The servants were bustling about, wearing dark clothing and removing the bright decorations in preparation for the mourning period.

Looking down, Sarah realized that in her haze of shock, she had dressed herself automatically in a black dress from her world, fitting that of a new monarch, who was mourning.

Samuel offered her some porridge for breakfast, and she accepted, though it tasted like sawdust to her. Everything just felt so bleak without her love by her side. Her whole body ached, and her eyes were puffy from tears.

Samuel waited politely for her to speak. When she did, she kept it brief.

"There's… a lot that happened. A lot I haven't fully processed yet. In short, Jareth had given me powers when I first ran the Labyrinth, which included powers over him. Over the years, as we fell in love, I unknowingly took more of that power and changed dreams, most recently to the point of multiple deaths happening. That was within the past few nights that the Dreaming became a mess. Morph- Lord Shaper," she corrected herself, using the name that the fae would associate him with.

"He was going to kill me, so Jareth killed himself first so I couldn't use his powers anymore. Lord Shaper then made me a queen, saying that I qualify as champion."

She had these thoughts, but there was something about the words reaching her ears that made it all the more real.

"Oh god," she covered her mouth in horror. "Jareth killed himself for me. I'm the reason he died."

"Stop, Sarah," Samuel pleaded her. "You cannot go down that path. It would lead to nothing but self-loathing. That was his decision. He did not die so that you would blame yourself. Do not let his sacrifice be in vain."

He gestured to the amulet resting on her chest.

"He lives on in you. Honor him, Sarah. Honor him by living a happy, fulfilling life."

She wanted to agree with him. She wanted so desperately to take what he said to heart. Already, Samuel was telling her what she needed to hear, but it hurt too much. Happiness and fulfillment seemed too out of scope for her at the moment.

She looked at him earnestly. "I need to see him."

Samuel's eyes widened. "I'm not too sure that's the best idea-"

"I need to, Samuel. I need to say goodbye."

He hesitated, but thought better of it. After all, his kind were allowed to be close to the body of their loved ones one last time to honor them. Sarah, as the queen, and Jareth's beloved, had every right to see him.

"It may disturb you."

"I don't think I can be more disturbed than seeing him die."

She had a point, and he would honor her request.


Samuel walked into the late king's chambers, where they were preparing his body.

"Entering, Her Majesty, Queen Sarah of the Goblins."

Everyone bowed or curtsied in deference. Sarah walked in, paying attention to no one. They all backed away or walked out of the room, giving her a chance to have some privacy, except for some guards and Samuel, who kept watch by the entrance.

"Hey, Jare."

She approached him, taking in his countenance. He still looked like himself, though much more gaunt and pale, as if he was sleeping and all she needed to do was to make him some warm soup and wake him with a kiss.

Whenever she thought of what would happen when her parents would die, she thought of how she would have lengthy conversations with them. She thought of recalling old memories and laughing. Now, she could hardly put them into words.

How could she? How could she express her happiness that she knew him at all, but also how much she wished that they hadn't met, so he wouldn't have this fate? How could she tell him that she was angry that he died, but also happy to know that he loved her that much?

How could she let him know that she loathed the idea of living in the Goblin Kingdom, tearing her life away from the Above to be in the Underground without him there?

She sat with him for a while, keeping him company. It was strange to not see his chest rise and fall with each breath, as she often observed when they laid next to each other. Reaching out, she brushed his hair the way he liked.

She put her hand on his, a stray tear falling down her cheek.

"You're so cold," her voice wavered. She instinctively drew the blanket up to his shoulders to warm him as she always did when he was cold.

Bending down, she kissed his forehead one last time.

"I miss you, Jare. I love you so much, and I will continue to do so for as long as I have breath in my lungs."

She waited, almost hoping that his hands would warm once more, and he would leap up to kiss her. When he did not, she squeezed his hand one last time and left the room.

Samuel gently closed the door behind her, relieved with how it went.

"Would you like to go eat a more hearty breakfast? Or perhaps rest in the Queen's Chambers that are now yours?"

Sarah shook her head. She was fatigued beyond measure, but she would not be able to rest. Besides, she did not want to end up dreaming and meet Lord Shaper again. Not right now.

"No. I need something to do. What needs to be done, Samuel?"

He paused, not wanting to add another burden on her but changed his mind. While he was not as well acquainted with grief and loss, as he was part of the immortal faerie race, he often encountered wished-away humans, who needed to keep themselves busy, lest they waste away.

"There is something you can do. None of us have been able to placate the goblins. They want to mourn their king, but we're having them wait as we try to scramble to figure out how to proceed with how to organize them paying their respects."

Sarah perked up at this. Besides Jareth, she was the best one to get them under control, and the one they respected the most. It was both a combination of her being Jareth's equal as the Champion in garnering their initial respect, but also her warmth and proactiveness in caring for them.

"That sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you."


While Sarah had been to Goblin City on her own before, there was something about losing Jareth that made her feel so empty being here.

It was depressingly quiet, as if she could feel the air permeate with the news of Jareth's death.

She spotted one goblin by the pond, dipping her feet in them. The goblin swung her feet sadly, without the usual enthusiasm she possessed.

"Evie?" Sarah called to her.

Evie's head popped up.

"Lady? I mean, Queenie?"

She immediately ran into Sarah's arms, sobbing into her clothes.

"Kingy is… he's…"

"I know, I know," she cried with Evie, going on her knees then settled down on the floor holding the little goblin. "I miss him too."

She wasn't sure exactly when the other goblins joined them, but joining them they did.

They all addressed her as "Queenie" now, the inherent magic in them alerting them of who their loyalties now lie with. They found comfort in the arms of their Goblin Queen, as she took the time to hug each one of them.

They told hilarious stories of Jareth, like the time he allowed them to have a barbecue after a wished-away child told them about it. Then promptly declared that fires of a certain size were illegal. Of course, that led to the goblins making smaller fires and claiming that it wasn't illegal. The whole thing sent Sarah laughing for the first time since she had woken.

Soon, her three companions from her run joined her as well. Sir Didymus, unlike his usual talkative self, was somber with very few words.

"His Majesty's death touches us all, My Lady. Though he can be cruel, he was quite generous."

The phrase tugged a small smile on her face. "Yes, he could be. Deep down, he's always been kind. He's just brash and had to relearn how to be kind."

The gentle giant, Ludo, offered her a glittering rock that Jareth had gifted him.

"For Sarah. From Jareth."

"Oh, Ludo, that is so sweet. But Jareth gave it to you, so you should keep it." She pushed it back gently to him. "I appreciate it more than you know."

Even Hoggle, who had the most tumultuous relationship with Jareth out of all of them, withheld his usual grievances of the king.

"Sometimes, he can be kind of a jerk. But deep in his heart, he really did much good for the kingdom. He gave us homes and a family, in a way. The Lost and Lonely, he called us. I suppose that's true, 'specially when you consider the kids he gave homes to. He was lonely too, then he found ya, Sarah. He loved ya."

Sarah wiped her tears, not for the first nor the last time.

"Thank you, Hoggle. And I loved him. I hope he knew it until the very last moment."

The goblins slowly dissipated, feeling much better after grieving together. How good it was to share the sadness with people who understood. She made a mental note to do the same with Samuel and any others, who were closely affected with Jareth's passing.

"What are ya gonna do now, Sarah?" Hoggle asked her. "Bein' queen and all?"

"I'm honestly still not sure," she admitted. "There's a lot, and I know that Jareth's staff will help me transition, and honestly, there's a lot of work to be done. For today though, we're taking it slowly. We are in mourning, after all."

She stood, facing the direction of the Labyrinth.

"But I think besides meeting with my goblin subjects, I'll have to meet with the Labyrinth next before the human or faerie subjects. There's a lot more to being the Goblin Queen than just ruling. I have responsibilities to the Dreaming and the Runners."

The three of them silently accompanied her to the Labyrinth. Turning around, Sarah hugged each of them and bade them farewell for now.

"I think… I think I have to communicate with the Labyrinth. I know Jareth could, and I can feel it in my heart. I have to do it alone."

"We understand, My Lady." Sir Didymus bowed gracefully to her, sweeping his hat to the ground.

"Don't forget, Sarah," Hoggle reminded her. "Should you need us…"

"Need us," Ludo echoed.

"I will absolutely call."

She smiled at all of them. While they came into existence because of her imagination, it didn't make them any less sentient or less independent. They had their own thoughts, their own feelings, their own histories. She did not control them, and their friendships with her were as real as any relationship with anyone else.

Walking to the Labyrinth, Sarah placed a hand on it. Immediately, a feeling of magic washed over her. There were no words, just emotions.

She felt the anguish of Jareth's loss, but also the relief and joy of having her as the new queen. She nearly broke down in tears again, remembering that it wasn't that long ago when she and Jareth chatted about the future and what being queen would look like.

In truth, she didn't want to be queen without Jareth. But she couldn't deny that there was something that pulled her. Something that was meant to be.

Besides, she knew the goblins and the kingdom better than some other random person would. She would grow into it one day. For today, she mourned with the Labyrinth and felt peace in being able to share such pain.

Her feet began to walk automatically. Still keeping her hand on the Labyrinth, she let it guide her. Left, right, forward, even backwards at times.

The maze turned into bricks, then hedges, then trees. She kept on walking and walking, feeling safe and protected by the Labyrinth.

It recognized her authority and did not lead her astray. She saw statues, many representing her life. They were all made of different materials. Some reminded her of the Grecian statues of marble. Some were of flowers. Some made of glitter. They showed phases of her life from when she was small with her parents to her most recent dance with Jareth on their last date.

She came to a dead end. With both hands, she pushed into the foliage, opening it up like a curtain. In the center were seven tall statues, the tallest she had ever seen. The first statue was of a man, who resembled a monk with his brown robes and a cloak over his head.

In his hand was a book, chained to his wrist. Whether this was to keep the book from escaping him or keep him from escaping the book, she didn't know. Perhaps both.

Next to that statue was a man, dressed in the same manner. He looked up at her, his clouded eyes all-seeing.

"Queen Sarah of the Goblins, Lady of the Labyrinth, Mistress of Wishes, Guardian of the Borders, Delegator of Dreams, and Champion of the Labyrinth. I knew you would be here. Welcome to my garden."


This chapter was, of course, inspired by grief in general. I only intended to write about her meeting Destiny but there was something that drove me to write the unplanned scenes of Sarah meeting with Samuel, sitting next to Jareth's body, and being with her goblins/her friends. I know it probably made it ten times sadder, but I'm really glad I wrote it. Perhaps my brain wanted to drive home the fact that here, Jareth really is dead. I did enjoy showing Sarah's strength even as she's grieving.

We already saw how poorly it went for Jareth when he met Destiny. How will Sarah respond? Thanks for reading and I hope you will leave reviews, no matter how many years has passed by since I wrote this fic! (Seriously, comments on old fics give me such joy).