Guided by Love

A week had passed, maybe even two, since Jareth had appeared. Time had passed in calm, almost even courses and the two had spent a lot of time together. They had gotten used to the changes that had taken place between them. And although the wounds of the past still shimmered at the edges of their conversations, the silence that lay between them was more one of comfort than tension.

After a while, Jareth had to go back to his realm.

"Are you coming back soon?" asked Sarah and Jareth saw the slight sadness in her eyes. He leaned towards her and kissed her hair.

"Sarah. Of course I'll come back. Every moment that I can't be with you is terrible for me." He looked at her and took her hands in his. "I'll miss you." He gave her a gentle kiss and with a quick movement of his hand he was gone.

Sarah spent the days either alone in her room or with her friends. But she kept thinking about Jareth. She had sworn to hate him forever and now she had completely different feelings. Was she in love? In any case, she no longer hated him. She was more than aware of that.

One day, Sarah had spent the morning in town with Debbie and was now alone in her room. Her thoughts wandered from the new experiences back to the old ones as she lay down in her bed to take a nap. The gentle sun falling through the window caressed her face and the world around her became increasingly quiet.

Jareth was there again and couldn't help but watch her. It wasn't the first time he had seen her in this state. Her calm, peaceful demeanour, as if the world had lost its focus for a moment, captivated him. He had had enough of the loneliness of his castle, enough of the responsibility that came with the crown and the secrets of his world. The thought that he could share a moment of carefreeness with Sarah, without the burden of the outside world, had not given him any peace over the last few days.

He had opened the door to her room and was now standing quietly leaning in the doorway, his arms folded in front of his chest, and his gaze resting on her face. The gentle movement of her breath, the quiet murmur of a dream floating in her lips – all of this touched something in him that he had not felt for a long time. A strange feeling of longing. A longing for closeness, for a time when he did not have to constantly see himself as the Goblin King, but as simply someone who spent time with another soul he respected.

Jareth was sure: If there was a moment in which he could connect his world and her world, then this was it. Without words, without explanations. Simply in the silence of a day in which they both no longer had to hide in the shadows of their past.

Slowly, almost cautiously, he approached her. The decision that was growing within him was clear: he would take her to his realm. Just for a while. Not by force, but as an offer to see another part of him – a place where they could be undisturbed, without the obstacles of the world outside.

He stood in front of her bed.

"Sarah," he whispered softly, but she didn't respond. She was fast asleep. A gentle smile crept across his face as he carefully lifted her into his arms and with a wave of his hand he teleported the two of them to his castle.

There he laid her on his bed in his room and sat on the edge of the bed. He stroked her head and got up. He wanted to let her continue sleeping.

When Sarah slowly opened her eyes, she immediately felt a change in the atmosphere. The room she slept in was no longer the same, the things around her were not right. The walls, the windows – they were no longer those of her dorm room. Everything was... different.

Sarah sat up, looked around and couldn't believe what she saw. The room was magnificent, with high ceilings and ornate details that gave a feeling of royalty and history. She was sure where she was.

In a castle... Jareth's castle.

Sarah stood up and opened a dark wooden door. It led to a corridor and Sarah wondered which way to go.

"Jareth!" she called in alarm, her voice echoing in the vastness of the hallway.

He appeared quickly, as if he had known she had woken up... A calm, almost mischievous smile played on his lips as he met her in the corridor. "Did you sleep well, Sarah?" he asked with a gentleness that was at odds with his usual determination.

"What have you done?" Sarah looked at him with angry eyes and took a step back, completely overwhelmed by the situation. "How... how did I get here?"

Jareth looked at her calmly, without any trace of remorse. "You were sleeping, Sarah. I took you with me. I thought it would be nice if you could see my kingdom. You've asked me so many times..." His voice was gentle, but also a little apologetic. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Sarah was upset, her cheeks flushed with anger. "You should have told me! You can't just bring me here without giving me a choice! You almost kidnapped me!"

Jareth took a step closer, but this time he kept his distance. "I understand that you are angry. And I should have told you before, I know that. But I just wanted you to see something of who I am. My kingdom, Sarah. The place where I live, where I rule. It was never my intention to hurt you."

Sarah shook her head and crossed her arms. "I don't understand, Jareth. You know that I can't just fit into your world. This is not my life. This... this is so far from everything I know.

"It was never my intention to force you to integrate here. I didn't want to force you to stay forever either," he said quietly and sat down on the bench next to the window. "It's all about the time we can spend together. Without the distractions of the outside world. Without the barriers. Just like the time we spent together at your place."

Sarah looked at him, her anger slowly starting to fade, but the disappointment remained. "I would have expected you to ask me if I even wanted that, Jareth. The time we spent at my place was really nice."

He looked at her for a long time, then stood up and walked towards her. "I didn't think about how you would feel. It was a mistake, Sarah. I'm sorry I put you in this situation. I just wanted you to be with me. Without any obligations. I wanted to show you my home, not as a place where you are trapped, but as a place where you can feel welcome if you want to. But maybe I need to learn how to show you that in a different way. I think you know about my feelings for you and I'm willing to wait and see if one day you feel the same way I do."

"I know what you mean, but you could have at least asked me if I wanted to come with you. Not steal me from my bed and just take me into your world with you. And I didn't know if I was ready to come back here yet. But now I'm here, thanks to you," Sarah winked at Jareth and a smile crept onto her lips.

Jareth took a deep breath and straightened up. "Exactly. Now we're here and we're making the best of it. And again: I don't expect you to stay here forever. But for a little while? A week, maybe. After that I'll take you home again."

Sarah's thoughts were pure chaos. Her feelings fluctuated between disappointment and relief. He hadn't done it with any bad intentions, but the fact that he had brought her here without her consent hurt. She felt like she had lost her autonomy.

She took a deep breath and sat down on the windowsill, which glittered in the morning sun. "I need time, Jareth. Please give me the time I need. There's something there, but I can't say exactly what it is. I have to understand it myself first."

He nodded, and a silent understanding spread between them. "Then I will give you that time, Sarah. And when you're ready, I'll be there."