The Truth of Feelings
It had been a while since Sarah had arrived at Jareth's castle. The days passed in a gentle routine, and the time they spent together was unexpectedly quiet and fulfilling. Jareth showed her the secrets of his kingdom, took her to places she never thought possible, and the two found each other in the quiet moments, they never imagined they would enjoy so much.
But this night was different. As the moon was high in the sky and bathed the castle in soft silver light, Sarah lay in her bed, fast asleep. But something in the air was different. She turned in her sleep, the blanket slipped from her shoulders, and in an inexplicable movement she began to leave the room. Her eyes were closed.
Jareth, who had gotten into the habit of checking on her like this every night, was on his way to her room. Once there, he noticed that her door was wide open. He entered the room and to his dismay, he saw that Sarah was not in her bed. An uneasy feeling gripped him. Almost instinctively, he formed a crystal ball and looked for Sarah. Through the shimmering surface of the ball, he saw her – Sarah, sleepwalking, on her way out of the castle, as if she were answering an invisible call.
Jareth knew immediately what to do. He stormed out of the castle, through the gloomy landscape and the garden. He finally found her, not far from the entrance to the labyrinth, staggering and unaware of her surroundings. Without hesitation, he took her in his arms. She was light, almost fragile in this state. In a few fluid movements, he carried her back to the castle, past the stone walls, which now seemed almost ghostly in the silence of the night.
He carefully laid her in his bed, lay down next to her and took her gently in his arms. Her breathing was calm, and being close to her brought a familiar feeling of longing to his mind.
Jareth moved briefly as he stretched out his legs, waking Sarah. She opened her eyes and looked around, disturbed. The first thing she saw was Jareth, who was holding her tightly in his arms. Her eyes widened in horror, and in a moment of panic she slipped away from him, her movements hasty and uncontrolled.
"What... what's going on here?" Her voice sounded startled, gasping as she gasped for air. "Why am I here? What have you done to me?!"
Jareth was at her side immediately, his hand on her arm to calm her down. "Sarah, please. Calm down. You were sleepwalking. You had left the castle and were about to enter the labyrinth. I... I thought it would be better to keep you here until you come to your senses.
Sarah stared at him, her chest heaving with excitement. "Sleepwalking? I haven't done that since I was 6. What... what have you done to me, Jareth? Why am I lying in your bed with you?
Jareth took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. "It was never my intention to scare you, Sarah. I just wanted you to be safe. I should have tried to wake you, but I just wanted you to sleep peacefully. You're here because I wanted to protect you."
The intensity of the moment made the air between them almost tangible. Jareth felt her closeness, her heartbeat, and he knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for, even if he didn't want to admit it.
Slowly he slid closer to her, and without saying another word, he leaned in and kissed her. It was a tender kiss, almost hesitant, but he felt that she didn't pull away. Her lips found his, and it was as if the space around them disappeared as they simply lost themselves in that moment.
Sarah let herself be drawn into the kiss, without resisting, without maintaining the walls she had built for so long. The kiss was a promise, a silent agreement between them. The world around them faded, and in that moment, there was only the sound of their two hearts.
After a while they pulled apart and Sarah looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and confusion. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "My own feelings confuse me."
Jareth felt a knot in his chest loosen. He knew what she was feeling and he felt the same. "I know, Sarah. I know you're unsure. But you must know that I will never treat you like I did back then. I will never hurt you like I did in the Labyrinth. You deserve more than that."
Sarah was silent for a moment, considering his words. Her mind swirled and her eyes began to shine as she realized the truth of her own feelings.
"I'm scared," she said quietly. "Scared of my feelings. But also of the fact that I've realized I've fallen in love with you."
Jareth smiled gently and pulled her closer. "Then you know now that I will never put you in danger again. You are the only one I want, Sarah. I love you."
"I know," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. "I know you do."
For a long while, there was silence between them, only the sound of their breathing filling the room. But it was a silence of understanding, of knowing that they were now at this point where everything they had wanted was within their grasp.
Jareth knew that this moment was the beginning of something much bigger – a future that they would walk together, without the shadows of the past that still hovered over them. But now it was time to live, to love, and to feel that love.
