CHAPTER 1
Jareth was tapping on his boots with his riding crop in deep thought as the goblins all laughed and got drunk on goblin ale around him. Suddenly, he heard it loud and clear. A disembodied voice says, "I wish the goblins would take you away, right now."
Jareth automatically looks in the pit in front of his throne and sees Sarah sitting there in a rose colored satin dress with a bouquet of flowers in her hand confused and her eyes shut with her arm up like defending herself from being hit. Jareth was in shock for a moment looking at her. It had been eleven years ago since he had seen her in front of him. He sat up straight on his throne. Jareth was in a white ruffled shirt wearing it open chested with a short black vest on. His necklace insignia lay on his pristine hairless white translucent skinned chest. He had on black leggings and his black boots.
Sarah was confused and felt the stone ground underneath her again as she panted and gulped air to breath again. It felt like she had been sucked through a vacuum hose to get here. She hadn't opened her eyes and was afraid to see what she would find. She felt trepidation and anxiety of the inevitable. Sarah slit one eye open and slammed it shut quickly. She didn't want to face that unreal reality. Jareth went into Goblin King mode.
Jareth got up, walked around the rim of the pit and circled her. He said, like doing an observation, "Well, well, well, what have we here? A present has been dropped on my doorstep and isn't it a big surprise. My, my, Sarah, how you have grown in eleven years. You have filled out nicely, I must say."
She cringed inside at his voice confirming her deduction that she was in the Underground once again. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Sarah bravely said, "Hello, Jareth. Fancy meeting you here, huh?" Her voice shook at the end of the sentence. That's when he saw the hit to her face that was bruising and a bloody lip.
Jareth said, "I'll be right back, precious." He vanished in a swirl of glitter.
*THREE HOURS EARLIER*
Sarah was standing in the living room of a friend of hers and there were people buzzing around everywhere. Caterers, photographers, beauticians, her girlfriend's family, her girlfriend's fiance's family, DJ's, equipment people, florists, guests, and a minister all jostling from place to place. Sarah slipped into the room of the bride and looked at the hideous dress her friend was inflicted on to wear that looked like a cream colored nightmare of flowers and gaudiness. Her soon to be mother in law's old wedding dress. Old being the keyword and out of the stratosphere ug-o-ly. Her friend, Megan refused to look in the mirror at herself.
Sarah said, "You sure about this?"
Megan snapped, "Of course I am. It's too late to back out and Grover will have a heart attack if I don't go through with it, even if his mother hates me. Look at the dress? It's like a cheap silk flower craft outlet puked on it. I swear that woman has no taste or she's trying to humiliate me."
Sarah nodded her head and said, "It's definitely humiliation and no taste." She just couldn't believe the woman could name her kid Grover, like after a Muppet? Or, was it a dead president? What's wrong with her? Grover was an absolute loser and everyone knew it but Megan and his parents. So, everyone tolerated him.
Even Grover's so-called best friend and best man treated him like shit. His friend, Josh, was and arrogant asshole that was always on the make trying to get in every girls panties, a true user. He couldn't figure out why Sarah wouldn't get with him for a hook up. She just plain hated him.
Josh came to the wedding stag, to try to get some from Sarah, so he told Grover. Megan filled her in on that detail. Sarah knew her night was going to be limited on how long to stay at the reception and on drinking and avoiding Josh.
After the ceremony, Sarah was hoping the rest would go faster. Josh grabbed her ass twice during the ceremony walking up and back down the aisle. She was the only maid of honor to stand up with Megan. Megan's other so-called friends were busy and couldn't make the wedding.
The evening wore on at a snail's pace. Everyone rushed to the bar to get booze to cure their boredom before even dinner was served. Sarah did a shot of whiskey to keep her sanity and control. Josh came up trying to ply Sarah with more alcohol.
Josh said, "Come on, Sarah, babe. At least its a open bar? You need to relax and get drunk with me." Sarah thought, 'God, he's such a loser!'
Sarah said, "Back off, Josh and leave me the fuck alone. You touch my ass one more time and I'm going to mop the floor with you." She walked away. She was going to punch him in the face next.
A little while later, Sarah was taking pictures with the wedding party in a separate room so the photographer could get the last few shots to complete the album before they went in to eat. As soon as the photographer, Megan and Grover left the room, Josh slammed and locked the door. He grabbed Sarah and started groping and licking her neck. She was fighting him off, punched him in the face breaking his nose and threw him over her shoulder on the floor. She learned it in her self defense class. Josh got up and punched her in the face hitting her eye and cheek. She hit the ground as he kicked her screaming in the ribs, "You fucking bitch! You should be glad I pay any attention to you at all. Megan told Grover about your little delusional bullshit….. How'd that go? Oh yeah! I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!"
He started laughing as a clap of nearby thunder vibrated the building. He backhanded her in the mouth causing a busted lip with his ring. From the floor, Sarah's eyes bugged out as he went to slug her again as she laid on the floor. Sarah put her arm up to defend herself. When he went to punch her, she vanished.
Josh kept looking around for her like it was a trick or something. Then he saw this ominous looking guy with big hair and a high collar like a vampire standing by the window as the wind was blowing hard outside in a storm.
Josh said, "Where's Sarah?"
Jareth said, "You know very well where Sarah is. Look, I brought you a gift." Jareth started flipping the crystal back and forth, rolling it on his hand.
Josh was mesmerized looking at the crystal roll around and almost defy gravity. He asked, "What is it?"
Jareth said, "It's just an ordinary crystal but, if you turn it this way you can see your dreams. Forget Sarah and you can have it."
Josh spat, "The little bitch will be gone forever if I take the crystal?"
Jareth got pissed at him calling Sarah a bitch. He said, "Watch your smart mouth, boy. Do you want it or not? You could run my labyrinth within thirteen hours and if you reach the castle you can bring her back here."
Josh snottily said, "Forget it. I don't want her here anymore. Look what she did to my face. Fuck her! I'll take the crystal." Jareth handed him the crystal and it popped in his hand.
Jareth punched him in the face again and said, "That is for my queen." He disappeared in a swirl of glitter, leaving Josh on the floor with a really bad broken nose now gushing blood.
Back in the Underground, Sarah knew Josh wouldn't run and she was doomed to stay here forever now. Her life was completely over and she would grow old and die here now being hated by Jareth for beating his game. She sighed resigned to her fate and put her head on her arms and put her head down even though the goblins were picking at her and tugging her hair out of its up do.
Jareth popped back in and looked at a solom Sarah with her eyes closed. She looked so sad and had a black eye and bruising on her face with a split lip. Jareth was glad he punched the boy himself because if he would have seen more marks like now he would have killed him.
He said, "Divot and Knock go up and do what you do best to a boy named Josh Martin. But, do not be seen to make him think he's crazy or haunted." The two goblin's giggled in glee and popped out, like a bubble popping sound.
Jareth went up to Sarah and crouched down looking at the damage on her face that was swelling. He touched her cheek softly and Sarah jerked awake scared. He thought her eyes were the most beautiful shades of green. She sat up and looked him in the eyes and spoke softly with sadness, "Jareth, I knew he wouldn't run. He doesn't care about anyone or anything but himself. I guess I live here now huh?" Jareth nodded his head yes.
She said, "In the dungeon?" He shook his head no. He put out his hand. Sarah looked at it and took it. He led her out of the throne room down the hall. She followed, looking at everything they passed by.
He took her to a pair of ornate wood carved doors. He opened it to a huge room of light cream and gold baroque style carved furniture in a Georgian and Victorian era. The cream and soft sage and seafoam colors were muted and feminine. Jareth changed his clothes as they walked in the room and led Sarah to the vanity bench to sit down. He knelt down on one knee and lifted Sarah's chin.
He hissed and said, "It looks painful, my precious. Let me heal you, ok?" She sadly nodded. He created a crystal and put it on her face. It melted into her skin taking away the swelling and the bruising. Sarah discovered the pain went away.
Sarah softly said, "He kicked me in the ribs too. I think he cracked or broke them." Jareth did a diagnostic spell and she did indeed have a cracked rib. He created another crystal and pushed it into her ribcage.
Jareth looked into her eyes sincerely and said, "Would you like your belongings from up there in here with you? I transferred them into a room in the castle before I returned. I thought maybe you should have them with you here."
Sarah looked into his eyes and said softly, "Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you hated me for winning and turning down your offer."
Jareth said softly, "You were a child. It was for the best you returned now that you're older instead. I didn't hate you for winning. I did hope you would have stayed but you were still too young and didn't understand."
Sarah said, "I do not want to be afraid of you, I'm not good at taking orders. But if asked I will try to comply if reasonable. I don't want a slave or to be a slave."
Jareth asked her, "What do you want, Sarah?"
Sarah looked down and said, "I want to be loved, cared about, and respected equally. I do not want things in exchange for my freedom. Things are meaningless." He smiled at her.
He smirked saying, "I was a fool back then to offer you things and not myself directly. You still might have refused it as a trick. We can talk things over tomorrow. Did you have dinner?" Sarah shook her head no. "Then, you get comfortable and I'll have a tray sent up to you. Just rest Sarah. I will come for you at eight o'clock to go have breakfast in my salon." Jareth made all her belongings appear in the other room in boxes to this room Sarah was in. He went to the door.
Sarah said, stopping him, "Thank you, your majesty."
He turned and said, "You're welcome, Sarah. Call me Jareth when it's just us, love." He smiled and left out the door. Sarah smiled to herself and thought, 'I bet he doesn't let everyone do that.'
Sarah started going through her stuff putting them away in the dresser and the armoire. She put on a nightgown and her terry robe. There were tons of beautiful dresses inside the armoire. She put away most of her clothes and ate her dinner when a goblin brought it to the door. Sarah laid down to sleep and tossed and turned from the anxiety and the rush of adrenaline earlier. She went over everything in her mind until she fell asleep.
—--day 2
Sarah woke up and took a bath in the grotto swimming pool called a bathtub. It was a beautiful bathroom with a sandstone floor, plants surrounding the pool and a small waterfall coming from the wall. Sarah rinsed her hair with it and she felt much better. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't tell that she was hit at all. Her cheek muscles were a bit sore.
She got out of the bathroom and put on a dress of plumb purple. It was a lovely dress of silk and gold stitching for the trim. There were long sleeves, a sweetheart neckline and off the shoulder. It was very pretty. Sarah wore her long hair down and put on just a bit of makeup. Sarah put on a pair of black ballet flats.
There was a knock at her door. Sarah went and opened it to Jareth. She smiled at him and he said, "You look beautiful this morning Sarah. Come, let us eat and talk." He held his hand out for her to take.