Chapter 1: Sarah Says Goodbye
“No one can blame you for walking away”
Sarah Williams stood at the window of her apartment,
staring down at the rainbow of cars sliding and slushing
along the icy road. The orange-yellow of
the street lamps reflected off the dirty white of melting snow, and, in the
veil of the young woman's tears, seemed to refract a thousand times.
“Too much rejection: no love injection”
She turned away from the window and looked around the
tiny room, her home since her eighteenth birthday four years ago. It was just a simple studio apartment, a
kitchenette and a bed in opposite corners, the floor piled with books and worn
clothing. Once upon a time, Sarah had
been almost compulsively neat, but it took too much effort these days. No one ever came here except for her anyway,
so what did it matter what the place looked like?
Once upon a time, it was a place to dream in, much like
the woods around her home had been. She
had moved in full of spirit and childish dreams of the stage. Reality had come as a crashing blow: she may
have had talent, but so did about ten thousand other girls in this city. It came as an even bigger blow when Sarah
learned just what those other eager girls did to get even tiny breaks. It had sickened her, even more so the
disturbing thought that her own mother just might have resorted to the same
methods to insure her own success. It
was enough to sour Sarah's stage dreams forever.
Then, of course, Deke had
come along. Straight-laced,
well-bred Deke with his refined manners and
no-nonsense outlook on life. He
was just what she had needed, or so she had thought. Deke had the
dubious honor, as well, as being the first and only man she had ever slept with. That had lasted about a year.
Sarah didn't want a real man, or so Deke
had yelled the last time she had seen him.
She wanted a fairy-tale prince, a white-knight who would always come
charging to her rescue.”This is reality, Sarah!” He
had been livid.”There is no need for your prince; and
there are no monsters waiting to carry away innocent maidens!” In a huff, Sarah
had forgotten herself and snapped, “Well, obviously you've never met the Goblin
King!” Deke had thrown up his hands and left without
another word. She never saw him again
She sat down on the end of the unmade bed, not noticing
the tears on her cheeks. If it had only
been that, she could have coped, made new dreams from the old. But it was something else, a nameless
blackness and despair that never seemed far from her mind these days. Like an automaton, she got up in the morning,
went to her job at the book store, came home, and slept like a rock. She remembered what it felt like to be happy,
to laugh, but lately those were foreign emotions to her.
Still, she had been okay for a while. Her family lived close by, and even though
her relationship with her father and stepmother was often strained, she had
Toby and Lacey to always make her feel better.
In her twenty-two years, there had been very little to
compare with the love she felt for her younger half-brother and sister. Toby, almost eight now, was an athletic,
energetic boy with an easy grin and a smart mouth. Lacy, five, with her baby-doll face and dark
curls, was a quiet little girl who shared Sarah's love of books and magic. They were beautiful, perfect children, and
for a long time all the joy in Sarah's lonely life.
Then her stepmother was transferred to
Gone or not, however, what she was going to do tonight
would hurt them terribly. She knew that,
knew that they could never understand her actions, for she, herself, couldn't
understand them. All she knew was that
her life had been a sham for a long time now; she was a zombie taking up space
in a useful, productive world. Well, no
more.
“I heard about a place today where nothing ever hurts
again”
Sarah reached down a lifted a half-bottle of cola to
her lips. With the other hand, not
giving herself time to think about it, she flipped the
top off of a bottle of sleeping pills and swallowed them as many at a time as
she could.
It didn't take long.
The room began to fade and darken.
Just before the blackness took her, she thought she saw someone standing
over her. A thatch of golden hair caught
the light, and a familiar voice hissed “YOU LITTLE FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?”
Then, blessedly, there was nothing.
Chapter 2: Down in the Underground
By the moon above, he was exhausted!
Jareth, Goblin King of the Underground, leaned back into his
padded chair, his eyes fighting a losing battle to stay open. Every muscle in his body ached; his breathing
was forced and raspy. However, it was
well worth it; he had managed to save Sarah's life.
She now lay on his bed, her skin an unusual alabaster
against the black of her bathrobe. Every
once in a while, she shuddered in her sleep, an after-affect of the pills she
had taken. Her muscles twitched beneath
her eyelids, and Jareth wondered if she were dreaming.
He had used his magic to bring her back from the edge,
but it had been a very close call. She
would probably be a little sick for a while, disoriented, and terrified to
learn where she was, but she would live
The Goblin King leaned over and ran a finger gently
through a stray dark curl. He had watched
her often over the past seven years, watched her grow up from a spirited child
to a morose young woman. A hundred times
he had been tempted to interfere, to repeat his offer to her, but he had held
back. He had been rather proud of
himself to have kept from killing that little bastard Deke
and from sabotaging the career of Sarah's stepmother to keep the children the
young woman loved so dearly at her side.
He hadn't know her plans for tonight, hadn't realized
that her depression had reached critical mass.
Only after she had ingested the pills, and he had felt her life slipping
away, did he realize her desire to die. He
had willed himself to her side in a heartbeat, and he had been just in the nick
of time.
He had brought her back from the edge while still in
her apartment. He could have left then,
left her to wake up wondering why her efforts had failed, but Jareth sensed that she was desperate enough to try suicide
again and again until she succeeded. All
he could think of to do was bring her here.
“Sarah,” he whispered to her sleeping form, “How did it
get so bad for you? Was your life truly so wretched that this was the only
choice you felt you had?”
He leaned forward, and, after a moment's hesitation,
gently brushed his lips to her cheek. She
stirred, but did not awaken.”You'll not thank me for
my intervention, I'm afraid. But
understand, Sarah, I could not let you die.”
He settled back in the chair, and watched the firelight
play over Sarah's features until, at last, sleep overtook him.
******************
Slowly, in degrees, Sarah began to come back to herself. The first thing that she felt was cold. Without opening her eyes, she groped around
for her comforter. Her hand grasped a
blanket, and it took a moment for her fogged brain to register that it was made
of fur and animal hide, not cotton and polyester.
She bolted upright on the bed; looking wildly around
the room. No, this wasn't possible! She was dreaming, she had to be. She squeezed her eyelids shut so tightly that
they hurt, then opened them again. Nothing had changed.
She was in a large, old-fashioned bed, wearing nothing
but her faded black bathrobe. The only
light in the room came from a roaring fireplace, and reflected off of grey
stone walls. And in a chair next to the
bed where she lay, the Goblin King Jareth,
was hunched, his blond head drooping in sleep against his the open top of his
pirate's shirt, his hands curled on lap.
She forced herself to think, to remember. How had she come to be here? What had happened?
The pills! In a flash, she remembered the bottle of
sleeping pills she had taken, and a moan of despair welled up in her throat. Sarah swallowed it, scared of waking up Jareth. She had
failed. She had taken the pills, but
just before they took affect, Jareth had appeared in
her room. She didn't know how he had
counter-acted her attempt, but, somehow, he had succeeded.
Jareth did not move, nor give any indication that he was
awake, but suddenly those unreal blue eyes were open and locked upon her. There was no expression on his face, neither condemnation nor triumph, but there was a
curious tension to his frame as he observed her.
“Damn you” she whispered. There was no venom in her tone, just a quiet
despair.
“Someone beat you to that a long time ago, I'm afraid. How are you feeling?”
She considered not answering, but what would have been
the point? “Pretty lousy, and thank you so much for caring” Her tone was still
dead and flat, and, although he didn't show it, alarmed the Goblin King. Anger would have meant that there was still
some spirit left in her. This was going
to be harder than he had thought.
Jareth cocked a golden eyebrow, and began without preamble. “Seven years ago, you came to me as a child. I've never forgotten your courage, how you
confronted me; so full of righteous anger and indignation, demanding that I
return your brother. I respected very
few people up to that point, but none as much as you. You were beautiful and unique and I let you
go because I knew that the surest way to destroy that spirit was to cage it. But I never forgot about you, and, from a
distance, I watched you grow up.
“I saw your dreams of the stage fade with the last
vestiges of your childhood. I watched
you love and lose someone completely unworthy of you, saw you bid farewell to
children you loved as your own. I never
interfered in your life, not once. But
you asked the impossible of me, I'm afraid; you asked to die, and you gave me
the right to reenter your life.”
“You had no right.” Sarah stared up at the stone
ceiling.
“No, my dear, I'm afraid I had every right.”
Jareth stood up and stretched; began pacing the room, his
black leather pants making scraping noises as he moved. “My rights are to any unwanted child I wish
to claim. You know that. But another group falls under my domain as
well: those who do not want their own lives.”
“You lie” Sarah said softly, looking at him again.
“It is a right I have not often claimed. I usually have no desire to bother with such
people. But the right is mine to take;
your life is mine to do with as a please, for three days anyway.”
“What happens in three days?” Sarah huddled against the
wooden head board, but there was no fear visible within her.
“If, in three days, you still wish to die, I have to,
by law, return you to the time and place of your attempt, and let you.”
“I could just say the words now; you'd have to let me
go.”
“Oh, Sarah” His tone was sadly chiding. “Those words are nonsense. I let you go the first time. Haven't you realized that by now?” His voice
softened. NNo,
I see that you hadn't.” He sighed and ran a long-fingered hand through his
golden hair as he paced.
“Why?”
“A whim? No, you don't believe that, and you shouldn't. I never do anything on a whim.”
He walked over to the bed and stood over her. He reached out his hand and ran a finger down
her cheek. She flinched, and he drew
back. “You would have withered and died
had I forced you to stay. I had hoped
that, in time, with a little more maturity and a better understanding of
yourself, you would return to me voluntarily.” He gave her a half-smile, which
she did not return. “I was willing to
wait as long as it took.”
“Three days.” She chose to ignore his last statement,
and he chose to let her. “I have to stay
with you for three days, and then you'll let me go back and die if I want to ?”
“It will be the hardest thing that I have ever done,
but yes, Sarah. If you still wish death
more than anything else, you shall have it.”
Sarah nodded, and for the first time noticed how little
she was wearing, and that she appeared to be wearing it in Jareth's
bed. She flushed scarlet, and the Goblin
King took it as a positive sign.
Hiding a grin, Jareth
motioned to a trunk in the corner. “There
is clothing in there that should fit you; a few dresses and such.” He made no
motion to leave, and the glare she gave him made his heart leap in delight.
“Could I have a little privacy, please?”
“But it's my chamber!” He sighed. “That was a joke, Sarah. Remember those? What people say to make
someone laugh?” He shook his blond mane.
“It does appear that I have my work cut out for me.”
Jareth started for the door.
“I'll return in ten minutes. We'll
talk more then.”
He shut the door behind him, but, even through the
thick wood, Sarah was sure that she heard him chuckling all the way down the
corridor.
Chapter 3: I'd
Like To Show You Something Beautiful
Knowing that Jareth had meant
what he said about being back in ten minutes, Sarah wasted no time in opening
the trunk and selecting a dress to wear.
The garments were old-style, and reminded her of the childhood costumes
she had loved so much, but the weave of these was far finer, the material
butter-soft beneath her fingers. She
chose a plain white underslip and gown, and was half-way
into them before she stopped to wonder just how it was that Jareth
happened to have a trunk of women's clothing in his chamber. As far as she knew, he was the only human
here.
Maybe it was his.
God knows he was weird enough: maybe he cross-dressed as well. The image of the always-dignified Goblin King
prancing around in women's clothing flashed into her head, and she laughed out
loud. Odd, she couldn't really remember
the last time she had found something funny enough to laugh at.
She dug further into the trunk and found a pair of
moccasin-like slippers. As she finished
dressing, she noticed for the first time that the black sky outside was
beginning to show bands of grey and color.
She approached the window and looked out.
Far below her, the Labyrinth sprawled out in all of its
malevolent glory, encased in predawn fog.
She had never viewed it from this angle before, and was surprised at how
innocuous it seemed to be. Somewhere
among its twists and turns were the friends she hadn't let herself think about
in years. A stab of guilt tugged at her,
and she shoved it down roughly.
“Incredible, isn't it?”
She hadn't heard Jareth
reenter the room, but suddenly he was at her elbow. He still wore the same black leather pants,
but he had exchanged his white pirate's shirt for a grey one. “I never tire of looking at it, even after
all of these years.”
“It's an evil place; of course you'd like it.”
“My, aren't we in a rare mood this morning” Jareth commented, still secretly delighted by her sarcasm. Finally, she was starting to resemble the
child he used to know.
“I'm stuck here for the next three days. That doesn't mean I have to like it, or you,
any better than I did the first time.” She
turned on her heel to distance herself from him, and noticed a silver tray on
the bed.
“Breakfast.”
“I'm not hungry.”
“I wasn't asking.” Jareth
gave her an odd smile. “For the next
three days, your life is mine to command.
Of course, I would be more than delighted to hold you down and
force-feed it to you, but your cooperation would make it so much easier on the
both of us.”
Sighing, Sarah pulled the lid from the tray. Eggs, and some kind
of meat she didn't recognize. She
hesitantly tasted both, and found, to her surprise, that they were delicious.
“You aren't retching.
Does that mean my cooking meets your lofty standards, my dear?”
“You cooked this?” She asked in surprise before she
could stop herself.
Jareth laughed. “Sarah,
the uses of goblins are plentiful and multifold, but sadly enough cooking is
not one of them. Not that they mind what
they prepare for themselves, but I'd sooner swim naked in the bog of eternal
stench than let them anywhere near a meal of mine.”
She was shocked to find herself biting back a smile. Lord, when he laughed like that his entire
facet changed, and it was hard to remember how much she hated him.
“Finish your meal, and then we can go.”
“Go where?” She asked apprehensively.
“Just for a walk. You've seen the
ugliness of the Labyrinth. I'd like very
much to show you something beautiful.”
Intrigued in spite of herself, Sarah wondered just what
the Goblin king considered beautiful.
********************
“This is beautiful.
I've never seen anything like it.” Her voice was filled with soft wonder.
Sarah and Jareth stood on the
edge of a deep gorge. A waterfall
cascaded down into a silver pond. The
walls of rock were dyed in every shade she had ever seen and a few she hadn't. On all sides of them, deep green foliage hid
the place well, giving it an unreal serenity.
“Nor have I. This
is where I come when the goblins become a bit much to handle.” He pointed to
the rainbow walls. “There's a magic in
those cliffs, you see.”
“What sort of magic?” The light breeze had added color
to her features, and blew her hair in a dark cloud around her shoulders. Jareth used all the
will-power he had to keep from touching it.
“Even at night, even when the moon is dark, they retain
their colors. You never forget the sight
of them against a black velvet sky.”
He was silent for a long moment, then
blurted out, “Sarah, why do you wish to die so badly?”
There it was, the question she
had known he was going to ask, the question she had asked herself only a
thousand times.
“When I was a little girl, it seemed like all I had were dreams. I was
always beautiful in them and I was always an actress or a queen or loved by
everyone. Even if I had nothing else, I
could always dream.”
Jareth waited, and she continued. “I guess I never wanted to face reality. I built this beautiful, perfect place inside
my mind and I think I wanted it so badly that the real world could never
measure up.” For the first time ever, she smiled at him, and the beauty of it
took his breath away. “Like you said, Jareth, I have lofty standards.”
“Yes, you do. That's
why your association with that Deke creature
surprised me so.” He inched closer to
her side, and she pretended not to notice.
“That's right, you've been watching me.” There was no bitterness in her tone. “Deke was a major
mistake, I'll admit it. In my own
defense, however, I really believed that he was what I needed in my life. Someone practical, someone
down-to-Earth.”
“I believe the term you seek, Sarah, is stuffed shirt.”
She stunned him by laughing out loud. “Okay, he was a stuffed shirt. And he had no imagination, and prissy table
manners. And I thought that I loved him.”
Her face turned serious again. “I thought that he loved me.”
He didn't,
Sarah. Not the way you deserved to be
loved. Not the way I love you.
“Losing Deke wasn't what
prompted your actions last night, though,” he reminded her.
“I really don't want to die, Jareth. But I don't really want to live, either.”
“An interesting quandary,” he agreed. “And you still have almost three days to make
a decision.”
“So what do I do in the meantime?” She asked in a
child's voice.
“Keep an old man company.” Jareth hesitated,
and then gently placed his arm around her thin shoulders… This time, she did
not shy away from his touch. “If I have
to let you die, I will, but, no matter what, for the next few days, I will have
you near me. If it has to be enough, it
will be.”
Wrapped up in their own painful thoughts, neither the
mortal woman nor the Goblin King noticed that, from behind a tree, they were
being watched.
By the moon, she was a beautiful woman. The observer had to admit that Jareth had excellent taste.
Even from a distance, he could see the combination of quiet strength and
child-like vulnerability in her countenance.
And Jareth, when had he ever know Jareth to exhibit such tenderness with anyone?
She planned to leave him. Planned full well to be dead in a little under three days. And
Jareth, honor-bound, would allow it.
Well, they hadn't counted on him. Smiling, the man drew back into the thick
foliage. Jareth
deserved some happiness in his life after all of this time, and so did that
young woman. And Lucas was going to do
everything in his vast power to see that they had it. After all, what else were fathers for?
Chapter 4: Do
you know any stories?
Sarah and Jareth reached the
castle again about
Last night, she had tried to kill herself. Today, she had stood on a magic cliff
discussing her ex-lover with the Goblin King, a man she hadn't seen or wanted
to, in over seven years. Reality had
taken on a dream-like quality, and to be perfectly honest, it didn't seem to be
such a bad thing. And Jareth was definitely different than she remembered.
Now that she was older, she had to admit that the
incident with Toby all of those years ago had mostly been her fault anyway. Oh, it was still easy to despise Jareth for what he had done. Her hatred had had years to fester unchecked,
after all. But she could look at the
situation objectively now, and see that Jareth just
might have only been doing his job.
This business about getting suicide attemptees
for three days still smelled a little fishy to her, but she chose not to call him
on it. Not now, anyway.
That Jareth did not want her
to die was painfully obvious. However,
he appeared at a total loss at how to make her want to live, and today just seemed to be playing it by ear.
The courtyard was teaming with all varieties of goblins
when they got back. Some honed weaponry,
others wrestled in the soft dirt. Another
appeared to be busily painting herself bright blue. As the humans passed, no matter what they had
been doing each goblin stopped to nod respectfully to Jareth.
The looks that they gave Sarah ranged
from indifference to avid curiosity, and in one brave fellow's case, unbound
lust. With a flick of Jareth's wrist that particular goblin vanished on the spot. Sarah did not ask, nor did she really want to
know, where the goblin had gone.
Jareth raised both eyebrows and gave her a deadpan look. “So hard to find good help these days,” he
commented.
“I'm still trying to figure out how you tell the good
from the bad. Jareth,
why is that goblin painting herself?”
Jareth shrugged and opened up the heavy portal to the castle
interior. “She's bored?” He offered.
He paused for a moment.
“I know that you think I'm a monster, Sarah. After all, these malformed creatures were all
at one time human beings. But ask them,
sometime, what life they would prefer.” He pointed at a
medium sized goblin fishing in a tiny pond. “That one is Calvin. His mother sold him for drugs into a
child-sex ring when he was barely three years old.”
He pointed at the now-almost entirely blue goblin in
the distance. “That one, she is Challah. She was
born addicted to alcohol, shuttled from one home to the next until she came to
me.”
“You know all of their names.” Sarah was surprised. “All of their stories.”
Jareth shut the wooden door, blocking out the noises of the
courtyard. “To the last of them, they
were unwanted in your world. Most would
have died at very young ages had I not intervened.”
He grinned suddenly.
“Come along. I'll show you
another place you might like.”
They walked down a long corridor, passing by several
closed rooms before Jareth selected a door and opened
it, motioning for Sarah to enter.
The room was enormous, probably one of the largest that
Sarah had ever seen. The rear wall was
filled with windows to let in as much sunlight as possible. The edges were filled with multideckered beds and cribs, the floor covered in
elegantly carved wooden toys. Like the
courtyard, the place was filled with goblins, but these ones appeared to be
very young.
“The nursery,” Jareth
announced, more than a little pride in his accented voice.
The first child to notice Jareth
gave a delighted squeal and ran to him. In
moments, the Goblin King was surrounded by fifty, all trying to hug him at once
and chattering a mile a minute. The
tenderness on his face as he embraced them was heart-stopping, and Sarah could
only watch in amazement.
“Sarah,” he said at last, untangling himself,
“I got very little sleep last night. Will
you be all right here if I rest for a few hours…?”
For the first time, she noted the exhaustion in his
cerulean eyes. “Of
course. Are you sure that you
trust me to babysit, though?”
He laughed for a long while, and shook his blond mane. “Sarah, wish these children away all you
want; I can't possibly manage to snatch them twice.”
Sarah chuckled.
“I'll keep that in mind. Go get
some sleep.” For some reason, she was feeling tender to him, and she wrote it
off as a side affect of the sleeping pills.
“See you later?”
“Count on it.” He leaned over, and before she could
protest, dropped a quick kiss on her forehead.
Then he turned and walked back down the corridor, and she watched until
he was no longer visible.
One of the goblin children tugged on her dress. “What did Jareth
say your name was? Sarah?”
The young woman nodded.
“Yes, what's yours?”
“Patrick. Hey,
do you know any stories?”
“I know lots of stories. Do you want to hear one?”
“Yeah!” His agreement was echoed by the other youngsters. He took Sarah's hand and led her over to a
chair in the center of the room. “Sit
there. That's where Jareth
always sits to tell us stories.”
Sarah started to sit down, and for the first time
noticed a little girl standing off by herself, silent tears running down her
misshapen cheeks. She was maybe two
years old.
“That's Lizzie.” Patrick noticed Sarah's interest. “Her parents just got killed and she misses
them. That's why she cries all the time.”
Sarah walked over to the child and knelt by her side. “Hi, your name is Lizzie, right? I'm Sarah.”
The little girl sniffled and reached out for a hug. Sarah lifted the young goblin high into her
arms. It felt so good to hold a child
again, so right. Lizzie rested her head
on Sarah's shoulder and snuggled close.
Sarah settled down in the chair, the goblin girl on her
lap. “Okay, who wants to hear a story?”
“Me,” they chorused as one.
“Okay, this is one that I used to tell my brother and
sister.” She blinked quickly to hold back sudden tears. “It's called ‘The Sword in the Stone'“
Many hours later, Jareth came
back to the goblin nursery and stood in the doorway watching the scene in front
of him. Sarah sat on the floor, several
goblin children in her lap, the others crowded as close to her as they could
get. For once, they were all being
quiet, and Jareth could hear Sarah's soft voice as
she sang to them:
Come the rains in wolf packs
Come the stars to the sea
Come the sun to touch the ground
As long as you come to me
Come the nights of weakness
Come the days of pride
Come what may in night or day
As long as you come to my side
She had a beautiful voice, soothing and gentle. It had a haunting quality that crept into his
heart and Jareth closed his eyes to lose himself in
it.
The song ended, and Jareth
opened his eyes to see Sarah watching him.
Her expression was unreadable, but for a brief moment
the Goblin King have sworn that he saw a flash of gratitude in the blue
depths.
“Children, go and eat your dinner. Tell Sarah goodbye.”
“Bye, Sarah.” They seemed reluctant to leave, but filed
out obediently. The last to go was
Lizzie, who clung to the young woman for a long time. “Bye, Tharah,” she
lisped, and hurried after the others.
Jareth crossed the room, and held out his hand to help Sarah
to her feet. She stood and stretched her
cramped back muscles.
“That child has not spoken a word since her parents
were killed,” Jareth remarked. “Truly, you must have a gift.”
Sarah stared after the children, a wistful look on her
face. “I guess I've really missed being
around little ones. They're a good bunch. They just need love.”
“Most children do,” he agreed. “There's only so much that one can do alone,
you know. But I make an effort. I find it relaxing.” He squeezed the hand still in his own. “Come, you should eat something as well. I have a meal waiting in a spare room I've
had prepared. Of course, I have no
objections should you prefer to continue using my chambers.”
“I take it you go with them,” she said dryly.
“Certainly.”
“Actually, I am a bit hungry. Lead the way.”
Her hand in his, Jareth
started for the door. Suddenly, his
fingers closed on empty air. He gasped
in astonishment: Sarah had completely vanished!
Chapter 5: My
name is Lucas, and I'll be your kidnapper this evening.
One minute, Sarah was walking with Jareth,
anticipating dinner; the next, she found herself standing in a large, cold,
empty room. Blinking, she tried to
gather her thoughts. “Uh,
Jareth?” She glanced around the, but saw
nothing but bare stone walls, a wooden door, and an iron- barred window too
high to look out of. “Jareth, this isn't funny!”
“You'll have to speak louder than that if you want Jareth to hear you. He's
a bit far away at the moment.”
Sarah hadn't heard the man enter, but then her eyes
fell up him and she could only start dumbfounded. He gave her a friendly smile. “Hello, my name is Lucas, and I'll be your
kidnapper this evening.”
**********************
“Search every inch of the castle and surrounding
grounds. Send an envoy into the
Labyrinth and tell them to be very careful if they find her; she's probably
terrified.” Jareth's voice was clipped and tense as
he issued his commands to the goblin called Duster.
“Yes, milord.” Duster hurried out and began relaying the orders to
the other goblins.
Jareth shut his eyes and concentrated on Sarah with all that
he was. The crystals had shown him
nothing but darkness when he focused on the young woman,
and an earlier attempt to feel her mind had failed. Finally, he was rewarded with just a brush of
contact; a flash of fear and amazement, and then nothing at all.
He swallowed quickly.
She was alive. At least he knew
that much. “I’ll come for you, Sarah, no
matter what” he whispered into the empty room.
“But where are you?”
************************
The man who called himself Lucas was about Sarah's own
age in appearance, and his eyes were a startlingly vivid shade of green, not
blue. In every other way, he could have
been Jareth's clone.
Hair, build, features, all identical. Even the basic tone of his voice was the
same, although his accent was more drawn out than Jareth's
clipped, British pronunciation. He
seemed to be getting a savage glee out of her discomfiture.
“Astounding, isn't it? The first time Jareth saw me, he almost fainted dead away on the spot. There is a difference, though: I'm the handsome
one.
“Are you his brother?” Sarah found her voice. “His… son?” She had
never thought of Jareth having children of his own;
and he had certainly never mentioned any, but with the Goblin King anything was
possible.
“No, I'm not Jareth's son. He's mine, actually. It's a bit complicated; I grew up Underground
and stopped aging somewhere in my early twenties. Jareth was already
middle-aged when I brought him here, so he looks older than me.” Lucas rubbed
his chin. “In years, though, he's just a
pup compared with me.”
“Okay, you're Jareth's father. That doesn't explain why you've brought me
here.” She glared at him angrily. Lucas
gave her an innocent smile. “Why, to kill you, of course. Isn't that what you want?” He laughed and
vanished.
****************************
It was darkness proper in the Underground now, and had
been for several hours. The envoy was
still scouring the Labyrinth for signs of Sarah, but Jareth
had little faith in their success.
“Milord, you've searched the castle twice. The young woman isn't here.”
“I know, Duster.
I could feel her if she were.” Jareth stared
out his chamber window at the full moon.
“Milord…” Duster hesitated. “Is it possible that she left by her own
power? The magic flow is strong within her.”
“You noticed that, too, eh?” Jareth
shook a stray lock of golden hair from his eyes. “No, I considered that, but she only has the
potential for magic, not the knowlege. I was planning to begin her first lessons
tomorrow…” His voice broke off suddenly.
Duster suddenly chuckled. “I believe we have company, milord.”
“
She gazed up at him solemnly. “Want Sarah” she said plainly, and sucked on
her thumb.
“Oh, child, I know you do. I want Sarah, too.” He looked out into the
night again. “I'll find her,
***************************
Soon after Lucas had vanished, a pillow and blanket
appeared in the corner, and she wrapped herself in the thick fur gratefully. The room was so cold she had wondered if it
was Lucas plan to freeze her to death.
What was wrong with her, she asked herself. She wanted
to die, right? She had every intention of being dead two night from now. Why, then, was Lucas cheery promise scaring
her so much?
“I want to go home” her voice drifted up through the
iron bars, lost in the blackness of the Labyrinth.
Chapter 6: Have you?
The night was an eternity. Sarah was cold and beginning to feel a little
faint from hunger. She wished she could
see out the window, but it was so high that all she could make out was the moon
rising above it. It gave her a little
comfort, and she gazed at it for a long time.
Unbidden, a memory of Jareth making her laugh
yesterday morning flashed into her head.
Sarah wondered if he thought she had left somehow on her own, or if he knew
she had been taken against her will and was worried about her. It was a strange thing, to be worried about
the feelings of a man who was not so long ago her sworn enemy. But today, that enemy had made her smile; he
had made her feel sheltered and loved, and that was something lacking in her
life for a long time.
She huddled in the corner, wrapped tightly in her fur
blanket, waiting for sleep that never came.
*************************
“Milord, eat something.
You haven't slept all night and you'll not do the girl any good passing
out.”
Jareth picked at the meal in front of him. He knew there was a truth in Duster's words,
but he couldn't eat; it reminded him of preparing breakfast for Sarah
yesterday, and his pride at her liking the food. “How can I eat, Duster, when I don't know
that Sarah will have the same luxury wherever she it.” His voice turned to
stone. “I swear, whoever did this will pay in blood!”
The goblin ran through words of comfort in his mind,
but none seemed appropriate. He had been
in service since the days of King Lucas so long ago. Jareth had none of
the easy humor that marked his sire; indeed it seemed that the current Goblin
King had shed all remnants of his humanity the moment that Lucas brought him
here. He was a cold man, and more often
than not a cruel master. It wasn't easy
to befriend him or give him advice, but Duster had always made the effort
because of his love and respect for Lucas.
Yesterday, though, when Jareth
was walking with the woman Sarah, he had seemed completely different. He had smiled and laughed, and in his eyes
was a light and tenderness that Duster had never seen before. The king looked… human. Happy.
At the moment, though, the old Jareth
seemed to be back in full force. The
Goblin King picked up the tray of food and hurled it at the wall so hard that
Duster could swear he saw a fissure form in the stone.
If his king did not find the girl safe and sound, the
goblin shuddered to think of what he would be like to live with. If that happened, the old advisor just might
decide to take his chances with those insanity ridden creatures on Earth.
************************
“Good morning. Did
you sleep well?” Lucas voice rang out in the room.
Sarah raised her head from her arms and gave him a baleful
look. Unlike Jareth’s
clothing, which always looked like something from a fairy tale, the
younger-looking man was clad in faded blue jeans, and a t-shirt which read “Blonds
have more fun because ignorance is bliss.”
“Your concern for my well-being is touching,
considering that you plan to kill me.”
Lucas gave a deep, belly guffaw. “Oh, my little boy has rubbed off on you. You can't know how much you sounded like him
just then.”
“I would hardly classify Jareth
as a little boy.” Sarah stood up and face to face with Lucas. “So, Lucas, why do you want to kill me?
Afraid I'll corrupt Jareth?”
Lucas shrugged.
“Not really. Goodness knows
corrupting him any further would be a feat.
My plan is simply to do what you asked my son to do; tomorrow evening
I'll take you back in time to your attempt on your life.” His face clouded over
and turned serious, making the resemblance to Jareth
even more striking. “You asked Jareth to let you die, and he has promised to do just that. In essence, young lady, you have asked my son
to kill the woman he loves. What kind of
father would I be were I to allow that?” He ran a hand through his golden hair
and looked at her as if expecting an answer.
“You know that I didn't ask Jareth
to interfere in my life, not this time anyway.
He chose to save me, he knew the rules, and he should be willing to face
the consequences.
“He is, but I'm not willing to let him. He's been hurt enough.” Lucas gave her a
level look. “Has Jareth
ever told you his story? About why he's the man he is?”
Sarah shook her head.
“Bad genes?” She guessed politely.
Lucas chose to ignore that. “On your world, my son was a sweet, gentle
toymaker, and he wouldn't have harmed a fly.”
The floor of the goblin nursery flashed in Sarah's
head, and all of the elaborately carved playthings on in. “Jareth makes toys?”
She asked incredulously.
“Good ones, too.”
He took a breath and began. “Jareth's mother
was a good woman married to a man who couldn't have cared less about her. He wanted a child, which she never had been
able to produce for him, so, as far as he was concerned, she was worthless.
“He was a tanner, this man; worked long hours away from
home. Tossed every skirt he saw and even
bragged to his wife about it; said he was going to leave her for the first
wench that carried his child.”
“Oh, pleasant” Sarah muttered.
“Delightful fellow” Lucas agreed. “His wife was lonely,
I was lonely, oldest story in the book. No
strings attached, none wanted.”
“Then, one day, that ugly brute found out that he was
going to get a child off of his wife after all.
Of course, he didn't know who was really responsible for it.” Lucas's
chest swelled up in pride.
“When the babe was born, Lucy asked me not to come
around any more. A blind man could have
seen the resemblance between Jareth and I. I offered to take
both her and our son away with me, but she refused. She loved her husband in spite of everything,
you see. And, once she was with child,
he had been a lot better to her.
“So the prince of the
“When Jareth was twelve, or a
little more, my contribution to his genetic makeup began to assert itself. He discovered that he could do magic; just
little things; he had no formal instruction, after all. But keep in mind he lived in time of fear and
hatred. He knew full well that the
punishment would be death should anyone learn his secret. So he hid it.
“The power isolated him. He had to be careful and it took its toll. He was still sweet, but quiet now. He didn't go courting like the other lads his
age, and, as he grew, he got a reputation as being above the need for women.
“He was a woodcarver by then, but his toys were so
beautiful that they became his sole focus.
He was a wealthy man by thirty, and it became a hobby at that time, one
he adored. The village children would
come to his shop and sit by the hour watching him, and more often than not
leave with something. He was gifted in
so many ways, my boy. Blessed.
“Then Jareth's luck ran out
on him and left no forwarding address. He
fell in love, some silly chit not worth a moment of his time and half his age. He made a regular fool of himself over that
one, I can tell you. Always bringing her
things he had made, and flowers from his garden. His mother and “Father” were dead by then,
and maybe he was just lonely for another family.
“Then, one night, Jareth
decided it was time to grace the love of his life with the secret he had
guarded since childhood. When she was guarded since childhood. When she was sure that it was real magic, and
not slight-of-hand, she said goodnight, left, and ran right to the village
priest. One day later, my son was
sentenced
Not only had Jareth been
betrayed by the woman he loved, but also by the townspeople he had know all of
his life. As they planned to burn him,
so to did they burn all the toys he had made for their
children. I could have murdered them all.”
His voice was thick with loathing for all that his son had suffered.
“Instead, I did what I had wanted to do since his birth. While he slept in his cell, I transported him
underground. I brought him home.”
“How did he react?”
“As expected. He had been
betrayed by everyone he loved and trusted, remember, now it felt like his
mother was betraying him from beyond the grave.
It took a lot of time, just to convince him that I was his father, and
not some half-sibling his mother's husband produced.
“Jareth wasn't the same man I
had watched for forty years. That man
died in a prison cell. This Jareth was cold as ice and hard as a rock. The only thing that interested him was
learning the magic, and he absorbed it as fast as I could teach it to him. He let me be his instructor, if not his
father, and I accepted that. Couldn't really blame him, actually. Once his training was complete, I retired and
handed over the reigns of the kingdom.
“I check in on him every now and then, and he's
respectful, if distant. With those
children, he's almost the man he used to be; with you, he is that man.
“If his heart's about to be broken again, I'd far
rather it be me that he comes to hate and not himself.”
“You love him a lot.
Have you ever told him that?” Sarah asked.
“Yes,” Lucas nodded, “I have. Have you?” He raised an eyebrow in a gesture
exactly like Jareth's, and the woman had no answer.
Chapter 7: Return
her to me at once!
Lucas had fed the woman, but judging from the look on
her face she had been comparing his cooking to his sons, and found the older
man sorely lacking.
As he crossed the short distance between the “Guestroom”
and the front walk, Lucas chuckled to himself.
So far, his plan was going so well he could have sang,
but that was another area where his son was his better.
Oh, that girl was something else. Confused as hell right now, didn't know if
she wanted to live or die, loved or hated Jareth. But not a bad child; she had a lot more inner
strength than she realized. He stepped
outside into the warm afternoon air and took a deep breath. Yes, Sarah was going to make a fine
daughter-in-law, a wonderful mother for his grandchildren. Now, to work on that son of
his.
*********************
Jareth stood in a pool of sunlight, deep in the Labyrinth's
heart, gasping in a chilled sweat. His
head hung low, blond hair matted and damp, he looked
barely able to stand. Since daybreak, he
had flown as the white owl over the twists and turns of the Labyrinth,
searching in vain for the woman he loved.
“Great moon, boy! Sit down before you fall down!”
Jareth raised his head, not at all surprised to see the man
in front of him. Lucas followed no rules
but his own. The former king came and
went as he pleased in the Underground and on Earth, and, when he came, he
stayed as long as he liked.
“Something evil afoot, Lucas. A human woman
in my care vanished yesterevening. We've had no sign of her since, and I'm
frantic. She's the one I told you of
years ago, the one I love.”
Lucas nodded, grinning.
“Lovely young lady. Sharp as a tack. Not overly fond of me, though.”
Jareth went stiff. “Tell
me that does not mean what I think it does!” His voice was a dangerous near
whisper.
“Don't take that tone with me, boy. Your lady-love is safe and sound, and you're
welcome to her back. Just
as soon as you can find her.”
“Bastard!” Jareth lunged forward at his
father. He hit empty air and tumbled to
the ground. “LUCAS!” His howl shattered
the woods. “RETURN HER TO ME AT ONCE!”
Spots of rage swam in front of his eyes and he almost choked on his fury.
“Find me, you find Sarah.” The man was gone, but his
voice seemed to come from all directions.
“LUCAS!!!”
The only reply was laughter slowly fading away.
*********************
His boy did have a temper, no one could doubt that. If he ever stopped to think about it, he
would realize that Lucas would never harm anybody, especially not someone his
son loved. The problem was that the boy
usually got himself all worked up into a temper tantrum, and didn't stop to
think.
Lucas reentered the small house, smiling to himself. Maybe Sarah was going to be able to help him
with that. At least reawaken a few of
his better traits.
Since he had left Jareth,
Lucas had slowly weakened the magic barrier around his home. Jareth should be
able to sense the young woman by now, and be on his way here. On to the next stage, then.
He opened the door to Sarah's room. She appeared to be meditating, but, upon his entrance,
she looked up with mutinous blue eyes. “What
do you want?”
“There's been a change of plans, my girl. I'm not going to send you to your death
tomorrow night, after all.”
“You're not?” She rose to her feet and frowned at him,
puzzled.
“Nope, I'm going to kill you right now.” He informed
her cheerfully.
She paled. “You
can't do that! I still have time to decide if it's what I really want.”
He walked toward her, trying to look as menacing as
possible. “I can do whatever I like. I'm Lucas, and Lucas says you die.”
The plan was to have her want to live, to beg him to
allow it so that she could see for herself that she didn't really want to die. So far, the plan had gone like clockwork. Then, everything fell apart.
Sarah did not cower, nor did she beg for her life. Instead, the young woman ran directly at him
and leveled a knee to his groin. Like a
sack of flour, he went down, cupping his injured manhood. By the time he could stand, and walk a bit,
she was gone.
He transported himself outside the house just in time
to see a dark head disappearing into a line of trees.
“By the moon, no! Not in there! Come back, you idiot!” He started after
her, but his progress was stopped by hands on his collar, lifting him into the
air and worrying him like a rat. “Where
is she?!?” Jareth's voice was shrill with rage. “Where's Sarah?!?”
“There'll be time to kill me later, Jareth. She clocked me one and ran into the
“The
********************
Sarah ran through the trees as fast as she could. She was all animal instinct now, fleeing
danger, and, like a panicking animal, paying little attention the area around
her.
She didn't notice the sulfur smell of the river she
came to, nor the way the water sizzled and hissed on the rocky bank. Bunching her muscles,
vaulted forward onto a stone a foot into the water. In sank beneath her, and she leaped on to a
small earth lump a little further on. Then
she noticed for the first time that she stood in a river of acid.
The opposite bank was too far for her to jump to, and
she couldn't go back. She stopped to
catch her breath, and noticed that the lump was crumbling beneath her feet. She did what any sensible person would have
done, she screamed.
A force hit her like a truck, lifting her from the
crumbling dirt and propelling her backwards.
She hit the opposite river bank, landing flat on her back with someone
on top of her. She saw a glimpse of golden
hair.
“Let me go, you son of a bitch!” She struggled against
him with all that she was.
“Sarah, stop. It's
me. It's Jareth.”
Chapter 8: With
all that I am
Her struggles ceased, and she looked at him like he was
an apparition. “Jareth?”
she whispered.
“Yes, it's me.” He moved off of her, and pulled Sarah
into a sitting position. “Are you all
right?”
She nodded and collapsed against him, shaking. His arms were bands of steel around her back
and he rocked her back and forth, crooning softly.
“Sh, you're safe now, love. I'm here.
I'll never let you go again.” He kissed the top of her head over and
over, stoking her back.
She finally looked up, still breathing hard. “I thought I was going to die,” she said
softly.
“Nonsense. I'd never allow
it. Not unless you wanted to.”
“I didn't want to.” She stared at him in amazement. “Twice today I've thought I was going to die,
and I didn't want to. I don't want to
die!” She began laughing; and effect of fear, elation, and exhaustion, and Jareth joined in a moment later.
“Oh, love, I want you always to treasure life. You were my fire-child; I knew that that
spark still had to be there somewhere.”
What he had been calling her finally registered in her
brain. “Jareth,
do you mean that? Do you… love me?”
He cupped her chin, and stared into her eyes. “Sarah, I have always loved you, always. And mine was a selfish passion; I wanted to
force you to accept it. Today, I ask you
to. Even if you can never more than
despise me, just believe that I love you with all that I am.”
She reached up her hand, and ran it down his cheek in
wonder. “I don't despise you. I thought I did, but what I really despised
was the way you made me be honest with myself, to see
the person I really was. No matter where
I've gone, or what I've done, never been far from my mind. No, Jareth, I don't
despise you. I've loved you from the
first moment you held me in your arms. I
love you. I always have, I just didn't
want to face it.”
“What do you want?” His voice was achingly tender.
“You. The Underground. The little goblins.” Her voice cracked. “A family.”
His eyes blazed into hers. “Then I suppose I should do this right. Stand up.”
Puzzled, she rose to her feet. Jareth knelt on one
knee, and looked up at her.
“Through heartbreak untold, and loneliness unnumbered,
I come to your side, to tell you my heart you have stolen. For my love is as eternal as time, and my
kingdom ashes without you. Say that you
will be mine for eternity, and you will have complete power over me.”
Her eyes filling up with tears, she dropped in front of
him and pressed her forehead to his. “I
will. I can't imagine anything greater
than spending eternity at your side.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
His response was in no way hindered by his exhaustion. He returned the kiss passionately, his tongue
circling hers, his hand restless on her spine.
Swallowing a moan, Sarah tugged at the back of his shirt. Jareth's other hand
slid down her thigh, moving under the hem of the once white gown.
Neither noticed the stately falcon circling overhead,
drifting lower and lower down toward the river bank. It shimmered and took the form of Lucas.
Sarah felt Jareth stiffen,
and pull away. She looked to see what
had caught his attention and Lucas gave her a friendly wave. She made a strangling half-yelp and huddled
against Jareth.
“Keep him away from me; he's crazy!”
“I am not.” The man was affronted. “Crazy like a fox more like
it.”
Jareth rose to his feet, motioning Sarah to do the same. “Would you care to explain your actions
before I orphan myself?” He glared at his father.
“She wanted to die.
Figured the best way to change her mind was to offer
it to her.” Lucas laughed. “Worked, too. Though not the way I
expected it to. She got me a good
one; afraid you're going to remain an only child, my boy.”
Sarah tilted her head.
“You weren't really going to murder me?”
“Of course I wasn't.
Had you going for a while, though, didn't I?”
He grinned at her, and, to her own surprise, she
grinned back, shaking her head.
“I thought my family was screwed up,” she muttered, and
both men laughed.
She'll make a
good wife to you son, Lucas mentally
sent to Jareth.
Now what about my grandchildren?
I was working
on that before you interrupted just now,
Jareth shot back.
“I'm going, I'm going.” Lucas said aloud. He nodded to Sarah. “I'll see you soon, daughter. Make that boy of mine laugh some more. He needs it.”
He changed into the falcon again, and became airborne. He let out an angry yelp as Jareth flung a stone at his retreating form. “And don't come back until you're invited!”
the Goblin King yelled after the bird.
Dream on, my
son, Lucas sent back. Then he was gone.
Jareth turned back to Sarah.
“I apologize for my father's actions.
I truly believe that he meant no harm, but he had no right to frighten
you in that way.”
“He loves you. He
wants you to be happy, and he thinks I can give you that. And his plan was so twisted that it actually
made sense.” She laughed and slipped back into Jareth's
embrace.
“Sarah, was he correct? Was it his actions that
prompted you to want to live?”
She leaned her head on his chest and looked up at him. “Maybe his plan speeded things up a little
bit, you were doing a pretty good job on your own until then. That was a low blow, showing me the nursery.”
“Haven't you learned by now, my heart, that there are
no limits to my evil? That I will go to any measures to
secure what I desire?” He gave her a sinister grin and reached for the
hooks on the back of her gown.
She pushed his hand away. “Huh uh. Not until after we're married.”
“You are serious?” At her nod, he gave a long-suffering
sigh. “In that case, we'll have the
ceremony tomorrow afternoon. That will
give me time to plan your surprise.”
“What surprise?”
He kissed her gently.
“That, love, you'll find out tomorrow.”
Chapter 9: Are You Really Getting Married?
Sarah awoke the next morning to blinding sunlight in
her eyes. She reached out her hand and
groped empty bed space beside of her.
Jareth had transported them back to the castle yesterday, and
had used the last of his reserves to do it.
She had to practically carry him to his bed, where he had asked her to
stay with him, promising to be a gentleman.
He had kept that promise, doing nothing more than
curling his arm around her waist before falling asleep. Sarah, although bone-weary herself, had
stayed awake a while longer.
She remembered seeing him the first time through the
eyes of the child she had been. Evil, dangerous, exhilarating. The way he held her when they danced, waking
feeling for the first time within her. All
she could do in the ignorance of her youth was run from the seductive demon.
He could have pressed his will upon her. Could have forced her to
stay with him. Could
have brought her back at anytime during the past seven years. Instead, he had been patient, biding his time. Only when her existence had become too much
to bear had he come for her, saved her. She
thought back on the books she had devoured as a child, women willing to risk
everything for their demon lovers. “Eat
your hearts out,” she mumbled as she cuddled against Jareth,
drifting off to sleep.
Now it was morning, and Jareth
was already up and about. Sarah stretched
and yawned, and sprawled in the warm sunlight like a cat. She noticed then a large, steaming tub at the
foot of the bed, gave a glad cry of delight.
Jareth, or another thoughtful sole, had included everything
needed for the most enjoyable, relaxing bath of her life. She lingered in the warm water for a long
while, knowing that she had the most idiot grin on her face. It was amazing what you took for granted
until you lost it.
When she finished, she put on her old black robe and
ran a silver brush through her long hair until it glistened in the sunlight. Her stomach made an angry noise just as
someone knocked on the door and a goblin woman entered with heavy-looking tray.
“From his Majesty, my lady. He sends his
love, and says that there's something for you in the trunk. It isn't your surprise, he cautions me to
tell you, but once you've eaten and opened the trunk, I'm to lead you to that.”
The goblin woman looked proud at having remembered her king's missive word for
word.
Sarah was starving, and make
quick work of the meal. She hurried to
the trunk, and upon opening it, could not speak. Inside was the most beautiful wedding gown
she had ever seen in her life. Snowy
white and pure silk and lace, layered in a complex manor. It sported no jewels, it needed none. Sarah held the soft material to her cheek,
hardly daring to believe that something this lovely could ever belong to
someone like her. She lifted in high,
and saw the note underneath.
I know on your world it is custom for the bride to
choose her own gown, but when, my love, have we ever done anything the way of
tradition. Know that if you were to wed
me in beggars rags, I would still be the happiest man
in any world. Until I see you again, I
count the moments. -Jareth
“Here lady, let me help you with that. It looks a bit awkward for one person.”
“What's your name?” Sarah asked the woman, shedding her
robe.
“Kanya. And let me be
the first to tell you, Lady, that everyone here is thrilled about today. With open arms, we welcome you as our queen.”
The goblin woman helped Sarah into the gown.
“Oh, Lady, you do look splendid. Come
have a look in the mirror.”
Sarah followed Kanya to the
looking glass and started in surprise. The
woman peering back at her was beautiful to behold, her dark hair contrasting
her fair skin and white dress, her eyes almost as brilliant a blue as Jareth's.
Kanya patted her arm.
“There was something else King Jareth wanted
me to tell you, once you'd seen yourself.
He said that today you will become a queen, and you are the most
beautiful woman he has ever seen, and that everyone here will love you as much
as he does.”
Her words to him on the rainbow cliff
two days ago. It seemed so distant now, so far away. All that pain and despair
and emptiness. Another
lifetime. Sarah smiled at Kanya. “Okay, I
think I'm ready for that surprise now.”
Kanya led her out of the chambers and down the hall. They transcended a short flight of stone
stairs into what appeared to be a solarium.
Sarah saw Jareth standing by the window, but
before she could speak to him, she heard a familiar voice cry out “Sarah”, and two
small whirlwinds with light brown hair, the other with dark, launched
themselves into her arms.
“Toby, Lacey, is it really you?” She asked in amazement,
her eyes devouring the children.
“What other brother and sister you got?” Toby grinned
at her.
“I didn't think I was ever going to see you guys again,”
she whispered, kissing them both.
“I felt it too risky to bring their parents down” said Jareth quietly. “I'm
sorry, love. I know what it would have
meant to you to have your entire family here today.”
Sarah shook her head, still clinging to her brother and
sister. “This is the best present I've
ever gotten. But won't they be missed?”
“After the ceremony, I'll send them back to the moment
I took them. No one will ever be the
wiser.” He gave her an evil grin. “Now,
if I understand you correctly, you're actually thanking me for abducting you
siblings.” He laughed. “You have a
remarkable way of changing your mind, my love.”
“And are you aware that that one” he nodded toward Toby
“Has a most remarkable memory? The minute I appeared in his room, he knew
exactly who I was, and had the audacity to ask if I was ever going to get
around to turning him into a goblin like I promised.”
“Toby, you can't remember that! You weren't even a year
old!” Sarah protested.
“I remember everything.” He informed her smugly. He turned to Jareth. “After the wedding, can I go play in the room
with all the stairs?”
“No, you may not.” Sarah answered. “You nearly gave me a heart attack last time.”
The little boy sighed, but did not protest.
“Sarah, are you really getting married?” Lacey asked. Sarah noticed for the first time that her
little sister was picking up the faintest hint of an English accent.
“I sure am. Want
to be my flower girl?”
“Jareth asked me to,” the
child replied. ‘Can I really?” The
bride-to-be nodded.
“I'm the ring bearer.” Toby announced. “I'm going to bear the rings right out of here
and into a pawn shop.” He giggled.
Jareth looked at Sarah.
“We're having all daughters” he announced firmly.
Chapter 10: Angel
for Life
“Calm down, boy.
You're going to lose your breakfast all over yourself in a minute.”
Lucas brushed of the front of Jareth's velvet jacket,
and chuckled. “God, you're a handsome
devil. I'm proud of you, son. You've done really well for yourself.”
Jareth took a breath, trying to relax. “She's the best thing that ever happened to
me, Lucas. I keep expecting someone to
wake me at any moment.”
In the corner of the make-shift groom’s room, Toby was
patiently teaching a pack of avid goblins the rules of three-card-Monte. Lucas jerked his head toward the boy. “Well, pull your ring-bearer away from his
life of crime and let's not keep my future daughter waiting.”
The ceremony hall was strewn with every flower that the
goblins could find. Even though Challah was still bright blue, the rest of the brood had
managed to clean up very well for the occasion.
Even the children seemed to sense the importance of the day, and were on
their best behavior.
Lucas, the best man/clergy led his son and Toby to the
front of the hall. All business now, the
little boy walked, holding the pillow like it was fine china, a gleam of pride
in his eyes.
Squeezing Jareth's hand,
Lucas moved away to the small podium and took his place.
The music began, and all eyes turned to the entrance of
the hall. Lacey
appeared, a basket of pedals in her small hand. Solemnly, she moved down the red carpeting,
scattering the pedals as she went. Reaching
the end, she moved to stand near Toby as she had been instructed.
The music changed, and as one the goblins rose to their
feet. Sarah appeared at the beginning of
the hall, and made her way down the aisle.
Watching from the far end, Jareth
could not look away, could not breath. Sarah's face shown with light and life, her eyes when they met his
burning with love.
Then she was in front of him, and he took both of her
hands into his own, not speaking a word, his eyes saying everything.
Lucas cleared his throat. “We gather her today to witness the marriage
of Jareth, my son, King of Goblins, and Sarah,
formerly of Earth. If any here know any
reason why this wedding should not take place, speak now and forever answer to
me!” No one laughed; they knew he was serious.
“The bride and groom have written their own vows. Jareth?”
The blond Goblin King took a breath, his smile blinding
his bride.
“My love. My beautiful love. Since
your childhood you have held me in thrall.
I had the gift of magic, you showed me a
greater power. I had a mighty kingdom, you showed me it was nothing to hold it alone. I took pride in decadence,
you made me reach for the sunlight. I
swear to you from this moment on to be everything you could ever need. I vow to be your friend, your protector, your
lover. If we are blessed with children,
I vow to love them as I do their mother.
And I vow, Sarah, to be yours alone until the end of time.” His cheeks
were damp as he finished.
Sarah was crying as well. “You managed to turn my life inside out from
the moment I first saw you. You made me
so angry because, no matter how hard tried, I couldn't
look at you and not see myself.
“I've always felt alone, incomplete. You complete me, you make me whole. For all of eternity, I will stand at your
side. I'll never break your faith in me,
and I'll never stop loving you with all that I am.
“Jareth, do you accept Sarah
as your wife, to love, honor, and cherish for all eternity?”
“I do.”
“Then place the ring on her hand.”
“With this ring, I thee wed; and pledge my life to
yours.”
“Sarah, do you accept Jareth
as your husband, to honor, love, and cherish for all eternity?”
“I do.”
“With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge my life to
yours.”
“Then by the power invested in me by myself, I now
pronounce you husband and wife. Well,
don't just stand there like a fool, boy.
Kiss her!”
After a long moment, when neither bride nor groom had
come up for air, Lucas quipped, “Hey, I said kiss her, not give her a
tonsillectomy. Save something for the
honeymoon.”
“Father, please! There are children present.” Jareth did not realize what he had said until the words
left his mouth. Sarah laughed along with
Lucas.
“Might have known the first time you called me father
it would be to grip about something.” Lucas sounded proud, though. Not vexed.
Toby tugged at his new brother-in-laws sleeve. “Hey, Jareth, when
do we eat? I'm starving.”
Jareth looked at his wife.
“The goblins are giving us a reception.
Don't worry, they didn't cook any of it. Just don't ask where it did come from.”
“They swiped it from Braville's. They told me so.” Toby announced. He laughed.
“They said you should've seen the look on the cooks face. He almost wet his pants.”
“Married to the king of thieves, am I?” Sarah patted
her husbands arm affectionately .
“Making you the queen of thieves, my
love. Come on, let's feed
the boy before he eats a goblin.”
****************************
Wherever Braville's was, it
had wonderful food. Somehow, the
resourceful goblins had even managed to produce a wedding cake and crates of
champagne, which they attacked with marked enthusiasm until Jareth
cut them off. Grumbling, the goblins
wandered to the side of the room to learn seven-card-stud from Toby, whom they
were coming to greatly admire.
Lacey had latched on to the goblin boy, Patrick, and
his shadow, Lizzie. They were huddled
off to themselves now, sharing the secrets of the childhood that bonded them
In the room's center, Sarah and Jareth
moved slowly to the soft music, pausing every now and then to share a kiss. When the song ended, Jareth
backed away and motioned for his wife to wait.
He walked over to the musicians and whispered something. The leader nodded, and a new song began. The Goblin King took his place in front of
them.
“He's going to sing, he's going to sing.” The words
rippled throughout the goblin crowd. En
masse, they moved forward to hear. His
eyes never leaving his new wife, Jareth began:
These are silver wings
These are floating hearts
These are golden eyes
Angel for life
Dreaming all alone
And I feel that someone
Listens to me
Angel for life
These are silver wings
These are golden eyes
These are floating hearts
Angel for life
Heaven is smiling down
Heaven's girl in a wedding gown
I'm gonna be so good
Just like a good boy should
I'm gonna change my ways
Angel for life
For all the saints alive
Don't I feel like a saint tonight
Wings not mine for eternity
Though I'll never fly so high
I've surrendered
I believe in magic
In magic
Angel for life
In magic
Angel for life
As the song ended, the room went wild stamping and
cheering. Crying again, Sarah moved
forward into her husband's waiting arms.
*************************************
“Lucas, have you seen Jareth?”
Sarah asked her father-in-law several hours later. “I lost track of him after he took Toby and
Lacey home.”
It had been a party the goblins would never forget. Toby had persuaded Jareth
to do his “Magic Dance” and let him participate. The child picked up the steps unusually well,
and even outdid Jareth at several points. Of course, the semi-sober goblins h
She stepped over a goblin, who
gave her a woozy smile and passed out. Once
Jareth had left, they reclaimed their champagne with
a vengeance, and Sarah hadn't the heart to stop them. After all, they were the ones who stole it.
“He was here for a minute. Said to tell you that he'd
be waiting on the rainbow cliff.”
“Thanks, Lucas.” She turned to leave.
“Um, Sarah?” He looked contrite.
“I haven't really apologized for what I did. Well, you're my daughter now, and I don't
want that to get off to a bad start.”
He fell to his knees.
“Oh, please, forgive me, Your Majesty.
I beg of you, have mercy on an old man! Have mercy, my queen!”
Sarah was almost doubled over laughing. “Oh get up! Of course I forgive you, but if
you ever pull anything like that again, I'll do more than just kick you.”
“Point taken.” Lucas winced. “Now
go and find my rascal son.”
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “See ya later.” And
then she was off.
Chapter 11: Welcome
home, my love
Sarah did not relish the idea of tramping around the
woods in a gown she hoped her daughter would one day wear. Before leaving to find Jareth
she went up to his (their, she thought grinning) chamber to change. Somehow, in the course of the evening, her
husband had transported the contents of her entire apartment into the room. He hadn't taken the time to organize
anything, however, and it took some time to shift through the mess and locate
jeans and a t-shirt.
Ten minutes later, Sarah reached the rainbow cliff. It was dark out now, and Jareth
had been correct: the wall of rock shown like multicolored jewels against the
black sky. The Goblin Queen barely
noticed.
A fur blanket, heaped with satiny looking pillows, was
stretched out on the ground. Near by,
fat candles flickered in silver holders, casting shadows on a wicker picnic
basket. The sent of melting wax and wet
rock from the falls stirred her senses, awaking something primitive and wild
within her.
“You took a long time getting here.” Arms encircled her
waist. “I wondered if I might have to
kidnap you again.” His lips brushed the back of her neck, and she shivered,
pressing closer into him.
Jareth moved away, and sat down on the blanket, patting the
area next to him. When Sarah was settled
at his side, he reached into the basket, and produced something, which he
placed in her hand.
She gazed at the object, and back at him. In the depths of electric blue she saw the
questions, the self-doubt and insecurity.
The hope.
Smiling, she raised the peach to her lips and took a large bite. It wasn't about a piece of fruit, they both
knew that. It was about forgiveness, and
trust.
“Foolish man.” she whispered softly. “Did you think that I'd marry a man I didn't
trust?”
“I…” He stopped and took a breath. “I've caused you so much pain…”
“You've brought me more joy than I've
ever known” she gently corrected. “We're
equals now, Jareth.
I'm a queen, and my first royal dictate is that we throw the past into
the bog of eternal stench and just believe in the future.” She took his face in
her hands. “Do you love me? Trust me?”
“Yes. And yes.”
His voice was ragged.
“Lay back and shut your eyes.”
He complied, golden hair trailing on the pillows. Sarah took in every inch of the man now hers. She knew first hand how domineering he was,
how he hated giving up control even for a moment. That fact that he did so now without hesitation
gave her a much better answer to her question than words ever could.
She moved her fingers down the front of his shirt,
pulling open the pearl buttons as she went.
When the silk garment hung open, she leaned over and kissed the pale
skin beneath.
Taking the peach in her hand, she moved the bitten end
over his torso, from collar bone to naval, licking off the juice it left behind. She could hear his heart-rate quicken beneath
her lips, his breath becoming harsher and more rapid.
She sat back on her heels. His eyes opened,
cast blue fire upon her.
“You've shown me that you trust in me.” She swallowed
quickly. “Now let me show you the same.”
He sat up and moved behind her. She felt his tongue flicker back and forth on
the sensitive skin of her neck as he pushed aside her long hair. His hand were on her
shoulders, kneading the flesh beneath the soft cotton, moving lower, under her
arms now. Sliding
forward to cup her breasts in his palms.
Sarah arched into his touch, panting. He gave a muted growl and without warning
stripped the t-shirt from her, balling and throwing it somewhere behind them. Bereft of the cloth and, for a moment, Jareth's touch, Sarah shivered. “Turn around.” His voice was breathless.
She faced him, and she could not speak. He had shed his own clothing, and sat
completely in ease, watching her reaction.
She had a feeling that this was just as much of a test as the peach had
been.
Oh, but he was beautiful. The candlelight turned his fair skin golden,
flicked shadows here and there across him.
He was well-muscled, the lean body of a man all grace and fire and dance. He was aroused as well, his manhood parallel
to his flat stomach, reddish cast and huge.
Sarah reached out her hand, trailed her fingers along
the length of hot flesh. Jareth shuddered at her touch, prompting her to increase
the pressure of the caress.
He stood, pulling her to her feet. His mouth crushed against hers, and she
kissed him in equal force. Jareth's hands worked the fastener of her jeans, opened
them. Tugging them
down over her hips. Sliding his
hand inward and cupping the hot, pulsating flesh. Kneading gently, pushing here, pressing there. Her
pupils were so dilated that he could barely make out the blue around the black. She locked her mouth on his once again,
giving no quarter.
Every fiber of her body burned, screamed for the
release only her husband could give her.
Jareth was grinding his hips against her now,
and her control broke. She stepped back
from him, caught her breath. Never
taking her eyes from his, she lay down on the blanket, and held out her hand.
Jareth covered her body with his in the space of a heartbeat. His arms locked on either side of her chest,
he gazed down. She felt his hips shift
felt him poised to enter her. He gave
her the tip of his shaft.
“Do you want me?” His voice was a harsh whisper. She could only nod, tried to arch but he held
her flat.
“Tell me.” He pressed a little more.
“I want you.” She found her voice. “Want you so bad.” she mumbled, nearly out of
her mind in need.
He gave a quick thrust, and filled her. Sarah made a mewling noise and arched against
him. He drew back and gave her his heat
again. And again.
She met him lunge for lunge, her spine lifting of the
blanket. He was making choking noises,
and she realized that he was sobbing her name.
Sarah dug her fingertips into his back, lost in
mindless primal need. Suddenly, she was
over the edge, her climax catching in waves as it slammed into her. She knew that she was crying, screaming his
name and her love for him over the waterfall.
Jareth's body stiffened and he shuddered,
spilling his seed into her. Still crying
her name, he fell on top of her, and she felt his tears mingle with her own.
Eternity passed, and neither king nor queen made any
effort to break the spell. Finally, Jareth raised his head, looking down into her tear-filled
eyes, hand raising to brush them away. His body still lodged in hers.
“Welcome home, my love.” He whispered, and fell back into
her embrace.
Chapter 12: Who
will you be?
One year later
Sarah stood on the edge of the cliff, the light breeze
tangling the dark hair that hung halfway down her back.
“See that?” She said to the infant boy in her arms. “That's where you'll learn to swim when
you're older, in that pond down there. And,
when you're a lot older, you can go diving off that edge over there.” She
kissed the blond fuzz on top of the child's head, and he cuddled closer to her.
Near by, Jareth stood. Like Sarah, he held a golden-headed infant in
his arms, and he was busily making grotesque faces at her. Uninterested, the child pulled a lock of her
father's hair into her mouth and began sucking noisily.
“I think she's hungry.” Sarah laughed. “Here, take Donovan for a moment.” The young
mother sat down and undid the front of her gown. “Adrianna, give Daddy back his hair.”
Jareth sat down next to his wife and handed her the twins. One at each breast, Sarah leaned back into
her husbands arms, closing her eyes and enjoying the tranquility of the day.
Both children had Jareth's
distinctive coloring, his golden hair and brilliant blue eyes. But while Donovan's features were an even
mixture of both parents, Adrianna, (Adi as they
called her) was a miniature replica of her father and grandfather.
Sarah laughed, remembering the day of the twins’ birth,
last month. Lucas had been even more
nervous than Jareth, and, upon seeing his
grandchildren, had let out such a whoop that he started them howling. When both he and they had calmed down, he had
held them, beaming with pride as though he alone were responsible for the
miracle.
“Sarah?”
“Um?” She twisted her head to look back at her husband.
“Who do you think they'll be? What kind of people do
you think they'll grow into?
“Good people.” Sarah was sure. “Not completely good, no one is. But decent people, kind and
loving.” She kissed both small heads.
Jareth smiled at the babes at his wife's breasts. “I wonder, my little ones, who will you be?”
THE END
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