Labyrinth 1. Chapter 1

**I watched Labyrinth again recently, and remembered just how much I loved it. I've been a fan of David Bowie and his music for as long as I can recall. I have read a few Labyrinth fanfics, my favourite being The Goblin Market by Viciously Witty. Please look it up and read it, if you haven't already. I got the idea to try and write my own Labyrinth fanfic, and this is the result. I'm not sure how many chapters it will take before it's done, but there are lots of twists and turns to come. I obviously haven't read every fanfic based on this movie, so I apologise if this bears any similarity to an existing story. I assure you any resemblance to any other fic is purely coincidental. I have tried to set the tone for each individual chapter with a relevant quote, so I hope that device works. I never want to assume that anyone will read what I've written, but I'm extremely grateful to everyone who takes the time, and the effort to leave a review. I can't commit to replying to individual reviews, but I will try to answer any specific questions or queries. I'm very thankful for every reader and review, so please let me know what you think about this story. Thanks again - Mrs P.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to the Labyrinth movie or novelisation. I will be inventing a few original characters along the way, though.**

**N.B I have rejigged this chapter slightly in response to a couple of reviewer concerns. A massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed/alerted/added to favourites etc. I'm not against working with a Beta, but I don't have one at present and will be continuing under my own steam for now. This chapter is a bit wordy on details, but they are things the reader needs to be aware of. I think the action picks up from chapter 2 onwards, so I hope you will all stick with it. Again, many thanks, I appreciate all of your comments, and will endeavour to improve my writing accordingly. - Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 1

"_**Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving." **_

_**Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky**_

Sarah Williams stood and admired the view across the River Thames from her position on The Queen's Walk, as warm sunlight streamed across her face. She had longed to visit London since childhood. Her mother once played a minor role in a West End play, although in her mind, she was always the star. Linda Williams was an actress, in more places than on the stage. Sarah sighed at the memories of her absent mother's stories and rifled around inside her large purse for the small folded map she'd purchased.

There were posters all around advertising an open-air theatre production in Regent's Park, and she'd bought a ticket on impulse. The idea of seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream performed on the actual date, was too much for her to resist. She once played Titania in a high school production. It was back when she dreamed of following in her mother's footsteps by treading the boards. Sarah found that although she enjoyed theatrical experiences, acting was not in her blood. She checked her map and made her way to the nearest Underground station. It wasn't too long before she arrived in Camden Town, and there was time for her to explore a little before the show.

A rustic looking Italian restaurant caught her eye, and she noted it was already way past noon. The busy lunchtime period was over and she chose to sit outside to make the most of the fine weather. It was never much fun dining alone, and Sarah wished she had brought a book to read. The lack of company caused her to look for distractions to pass the time until her food arrived.

The restaurant was situated in an area where street entertainers were displaying their talents, hoping that passers-by would reward their efforts. The glint of sunlight on glass soon caught her attention. A man in a swirling black cape was performing a kind of disappearing act with three small crystal balls. Sarah's eyes grew wide at the sight, especially when she noticed the magician's blond mane. Was it disappointment or relief she felt, when he turned around to reveal an unfamiliar and rather undistinguished face? She wanted to believe it was the latter. One of the glass orbs clinked onto the ground and began to roll in her direction. It came to a halt only inches from her feet, and the magician gestured for her to pick it up. She stared down at the crystal ball and was sure, for a split second, that two differently distinct eyes were watching her through it. She swiftly parried it away with her sandaled foot, and as her toes made contact with it, a warm tingling sensation passed through her.

Seven years had gone by since her quest in the Labyrinth, and her defeat of the Goblin King. It seemed as real to her now as it did at the time. She kept the book and often read it to Toby when he was younger, at his insistence. Her brother's repeated requests for that story alarmed her at first, but he seemed to remember the Goblin King fondly. He even recalled the song Jareth had sung for him, and would perform it for his bemused sister. She also suspected that the perfectly timed gifts from a mystery benefactor, which were occasionally left for her and Toby, might be from him. Sarah wondered if she might have misjudged the Goblin King due to her youth and naivety. How would he appear to her now, if she met him as a woman, and not a stroppy teenager with raging hormones? She let her mind wander in dangerous directions.

Her meal arrived and was quickly consumed without further incident or distraction. She soon returned to browsing in shop windows and recalled her earlier desire for a book to read during idle occasions. There was a quaint little second-hand bookstore nearby, and she strolled towards it. These old winding streets reminded her of the Labyrinth in a funny way, and she crooked a wary eyebrow upon passing a pub called, The Hobgoblin. Her attention was briefly drawn to an antique shop with a predatory posed stuffed barn owl mounted on a plinth. There had been many occasions over the last several years, when she'd seen a living creature just like it, observing her from afar.

Sarah never lost her sense of wonder, although she'd matured into a sensible young woman. There were times when adult decisions needed to be taken, like when she decided to train to be a school teacher. It didn't mean there wasn't occasionally room for her imagination to wander free. Toby now treasured most of her soft toy collection and other trinkets, but she didn't believe it was necessary to completely relinquish one's childhood in order to grow up. Who wouldn't want to believe there was still a pinch of magic left in the world? It might just have been that she was too attached to the things that brought her comfort and reminded her of good times. Either way, she didn't care.

She rarely called upon her old friends these days, and hadn't at all since she'd left home for college. Sarah thought of them from time to time, but Jareth was the one who continued to haunt her dreams. He was there at a vital moment in her life, the point where she was no longer just a girl, and yet, not quite a woman. Her subsequent sexual fantasies were shaped by him, and so in essence, he did show Sarah her dreams. She wasn't ready to give him what he wanted then, and now the moment had passed. Her parting valediction to the Goblin King, once a line she couldn't remember, became one she could never forget: _You have no power over me._ What a pity, she thought, that it was a lie. Sarah certainly meant it at the time, it was only in the subsequent months and years which followed, she realised the truth: She would never be completely free of the Goblin King, and worse still, she didn't want to be.

A bell tinkled as she entered J & K Quinn's bookshop and seemed to echo for longer than it should. The place was deceptively spacious inside and an ornate spiral staircase ran through its centre. The steps were polished wood and the rail was intricately carved with a trailing leaf motif. It was breath-taking in its slightly crumbling surroundings. The air was thick with floating flecks of dust and the smell of old books. The shop was practically stacked from floor to ceiling with them. Sarah almost turned on her heel, overwhelmed at the choice and unsure where to begin. It was then her eye was caught by a familiar red binding. She was glad of something recognisable, and with a smile she reached for the book. It froze on her lips as she read the title, and watched as the letters began to swirl and rearrange into something else altogether.

"What the?…" she exclaimed.

Sarah started to flick through the pages until her eye was caught by an elaborate, and slightly erotic, illustration.

"This isn't right," she gasped.

The air suddenly became thicker until it was hard to draw breath and she grew lightheaded. Her eyelids started to flutter and she could have sworn she heard music. The rhythm seemed to swirl around her and made her feel even dizzier. Her grip on the book loosened and everything, including herself, began to fall in slow motion.

_**There's such a fooled heart**_

_**Beating so fast**_

_**In search of new dreams.**_

_**A love that will last**_

_**Within your heart.**_

_**I'll place the moon**_

_**Within your heart...**_

_**As the world falls down**_

_**Falling**_

_**Falling**_

_**Falling**_

_**Falling in love…**_


	2. Chapter 2

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 2

_**Be Careful What You Wish For...**_

The falling sensation ended as quickly as it began, and Sarah found she was standing clutching a copy of The Labyrinth to her chest. She cautiously glanced around, but couldn't see another living being in the place. She took one last look at the small book in her hands and then hastily jammed it back onto the shelf. Once Sarah was safely out onto the sun-dappled street, she wondered what caused her to feel compelled to quit the store so soon. Her mind was foggy on the details; she only knew something about the book had unnerved her, which seemed odd as she knew it by heart. Sarah could have sworn the cover title changed to something else: The Goblin King's… something! Maybe if she took another glance at it? Unconsciously she'd turned back towards the door, and then stopped in her tracks. Sometimes it was best not to go looking for trouble.

The street was bustling and her mind was quickly distracted from troubling thoughts. Sarah was glad she'd decided to take the opportunity to visit London before beginning her career in teaching. The trip had been wonderful so far and was only lacking someone special to share it with. It wasn't as if she didn't have friends, but none of them were close, best-friend-forever types. Sarah always felt like she was on the outside looking in, as if no one in this world truly understood or got her. It was the same with guys, and there had been no shortage of interest in that department. They all seemed to want her to be something she wasn't. Some men wanted to own and keep her as they would a precious piece of artwork. Some wanted to wear her on their arm like a decorative jewel. Most of them wanted the easy pleasures they weren't willing to earn. None of them were interested in her mind or her dreams.

_One day my prince will come..._

Sarah thought to herself and let out a heavy sigh.

_I wish!_

She regretted the second part of her thought almost immediately. The words hadn't been spoken aloud, but still, she always liked to err on the side of caution where wishes were concerned. Would it be so awful to see the Goblin King again? She wondered, and then mentally rebuked herself for even thinking about such a thing. This is where seven years of fantasising about a teenage crush gets you, she thought bitterly. No wonder mere mortals couldn't measure up, she didn't give them the opportunity to. The poor men who did ask her out were usually swiftly dismissed as soon as their all too painfully evident faults presented themselves, which was often on the first date. Had she really once broken up with a guy because he thought The Wizard of Oz was a bad movie? Yes, she had, and she wasn't even sorry about it. Most of her friends seemed happy enough with Mister-Right-Now, but Sarah knew it wouldn't do for her. She wanted the real thing or nothing at all.

Her attention was drawn to a curious looking store; Henson's Emporium, which seemed to be selling a mix of new age stuff alongside antique bric-a-brac. The various depictions of fairies and the like had her moving closer to the window to get a better look. A woman, in her fifties, with scraped back black hair and a warty nose, smiled out at her from inside the shop. Sarah couldn't help returning the gesture, nor calling to mind the stereotypical image of a witch, which she silently scolded herself for. The woman had a warm sincerity in her eyes with an aura which radiated genuine kindness, and it put Sarah at ease. The shopkeeper beckoned her to enter the store, which she gladly did.

"A lovely afternoon, isn't it, my dear?" The woman was pouring out tea.

"It sure is," Sarah smiled.

"Would you like one?" The shopkeeper gestured to the teapot as she sipped at her own cup.

"It's St. John's Wort, which reputedly has many magical properties, you know? It can help you in many ways, from attracting the object of your desire to fending off evil spirits, or so they say. Well, it is Midsummer's Day, and you can't be too careful," she said with a wink.

Sarah frowned and then shrugged.

"Why not?" She gratefully took the offered cup and tried a sip; it was quite pleasant in an earthy kind of way.

"You've got some great stuff here," Sarah said as she looked around with interest at the various trinkets and books.

The woman appeared glad to be in the company of someone with a real enthusiasm for folklore, myths and legends. They talked about a few of the more eye catching pieces in detail, as they wandered together around the small shop. The street outside had grown quieter, and it didn't seem odd that no other customers entered the place.

"One of these nailed above your door, that'll keep the rascals out," the shopkeeper explained as she held up a horseshoe.

Sarah was unfamiliar with the tradition, and quirked a sceptical eyebrow at it.

"Oh yes, my dear, cold iron can be lethal to the fae folk, the younger ones, at least. The older fae have their own protections against it," the woman warned.

They continued looking around and drinking more tea, until the chiming of a clock alerted Sarah to the time.

"Oh, I'm sorry but I really have to go. I'm seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream in Regents Park in an hour," she explained and reluctantly made for the door.

The shopkeeper's expression turned contemplative, and she stooped to retrieve something from the small jewellery display cabinet next to the counter.

"Please, will you take this, my dear? No charge, it's a gift," she held out a silver chain from which hung a milky gemstone pendant cut into a heart shape.

Sarah was surprised and didn't know what to say, it wasn't as if she couldn't afford to pay for it.

"It's a moonstone, for good luck and finding true love," the woman insisted with a smile.

"Please take it, and wear it tonight."

Sarah tentatively reached for the necklace and held it up to admire how the light made it shine with flashes of grey and blue.

"Thank you, you're very kind, it's beautiful." she smiled as the shopkeeper helped fix it around her neck.

_"May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far,"_ the woman's parting words echoed after her as Sarah made her way to the park.

* * *

Regent's Park was buzzing with fellow theatre lovers streaming in by their droves. Sarah gasped when she reached the auditorium; its beauty literally took her breath away. The circular stage was surrounded by trees, all lit up with twinkling fairy lights. The woodland set was such that it was hard to distinguish where the real foliage ended and the fake began. It all added to the illusion and was perfect for the play about to unfold there. Sarah noted her seat was close to the stage and she went to take advantage of the facilities. There was a long sweeping bar and dining area beneath the tiered seating of the auditorium. Some people were picnicking on the grass around the theatre. A board announcing the names of all the actors was on display, and Sarah felt a bristle of recognition at one of them. Oberon, King of the Fairies will tonight be played by Jeremy Quinn. She couldn't think where she'd seen that name before, but it was definitely familiar to her.

She took the opportunity to freshen up and retouch her light make up. Her hair was tied in a sloppy ponytail and she shook it loose, using her fingers to brush through her long wavy tresses. It was a warm night and she felt quite comfortable in her knee-length floral sundress. There was time for a quick drink before she took her seat, and so she went over to the bar.

"Gin and tonic, please," she requested.

The place was packed with fellow patrons and she didn't notice she was being watched.

"With compliments, from the gentleman," the bartender said as he set a drink down in front of her and gestured off into the distance.

Sarah craned her neck in an attempt to see the mystery man, only to find it was impossible to single anyone out in the crowd. She shrugged and studied the glass, it looked like gin and tonic but it smelled of something else.

_Peach Schnapps!_

She realised with a grimace, thankful that she hadn't taken a sip. It was clearly someone's idea of a joke. Who would know about her suspicion of peaches, she wondered, except for... No, it couldn't be him, could it? She furtively glanced around and suddenly felt vulnerable. Someone was toying with her, she just knew it. The drink was left untouched on the bar as she made her way to the seating area.

The auditorium filled up with an excited audience and the air of anticipation grew. Sarah found she was seated between two older couples who seemed to regard her with a pitying eye. She was sure one of the women muttered something to her husband about it being a shame to see such a beautiful young woman unaccompanied. Sarah felt a pang of loneliness and wondered if she would ever find someone special to share these kinds of moments with. Mirth then overtook her; she was only almost twenty three for goodness sake, hardly an old maid.

A ripple of applause indicated the play was about to begin. She turned her attention to the stage as the players for the first act were revealed. Sarah was spellbound, right up until Oberon made his first appearance on stage. Her mouth fell open in silent shock; Jeremy Quinn, the actor, and J & K Quinn's bookstore, the place she'd had the strange experience earlier that day. The connection clicked as she looked at Oberon, and recognised him for who he truly was; Jareth, King of the Goblins.


	3. Chapter 3

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 3

_**LYSANDER: Ay me! for aught that I could ever read, **_

_**Could ever hear by tale or history, **_

_**The course of true love never did run smooth; **_

_**But, either it was different in blood,—**_

_**William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream **_

If Jareth saw her in the audience, he didn't betray any sign of recognition. Sarah found it hard to concentrate on anything but him, even when he wasn't on stage. Maybe it was only someone who looked like him, she tried to reason. The likeness was too exact for mistaken identity, and she was close enough to see one of his eyes was darker than the other. It had to be him; no one else looked like him, not anywhere. There was a short intermission, as was customary at the halfway mark in a play, and Sarah was glad of it. She thought of fleeing and getting as far away from Regent's Park as she could. The park back home should be far enough; she thought and then snorted at her foolishness. What was time or space to someone like Jareth? If he wanted to find her, he would, no matter where she tried to run to.

She went back to her seat with apprehension; what did he want this time? She had no more babies to wish away. Why was he here now, after more than seven years? Her head was filled with endless questions she had no answers to. The play started up again and Sarah tried to forget her fears. She knew the lines well enough from her own foray into theatre, and soon she was absorbed in the story once again. When Jareth came back onstage she studied him closely, thinking she was safe, for the moment at least. He looked as handsome and ethereal as he ever did, although his hair was shorter. It now looked more Kurt Cobain style than eighties soft rock star. She grinned and then blushed as she found it suited him. The billowing white shirt he wore was open practically to the navel, revealing an expanse of fine alabaster skin. She imagined trailing her tongue down the length of his torso and her cheeks grew red. Where had that thought come from? Ah, yes, it was one of her fantasies. She blushed again. His breeches were as snug as ever, which elicited yet more X-rated thoughts.

Jareth was smiling impishly when his part didn't call for it, and Sarah wondered if he could somehow sense her desire. Their eyes had yet to meet, but she didn't fool herself that he wasn't aware of her presence. She was mesmerised by the cadence of his voice as he delivered Oberon's lines.

_**But we are spirits of another sort:**_

_**I with the morning's love have oft made sport,**_

_**And, like a forester, the groves may tread,**_

_**Even till the eastern gate, all fiery-red,**_

_**Opening on Neptune with fair blessed beams,**_

_**Turns into yellow gold his salt green streams.**_

_**But, notwithstanding, haste; make no delay:**_

_**We may effect this business yet ere day.**_

Sarah was enraptured, and her attention devoted solely to him, as if they were the only two people there. The rest of the crowd melted away and his eyes finally connected with hers. It felt like she was holding her breath as he seemed to bore into her very soul. The moment passed and all was as it had been before, except Jareth had left the stage.

The play ended to rapturous applause which Sarah joined in as the players took their final bows. Jareth led the way and he drew more than one enthusiastic wolf whistle from the crowd. Sarah looked around with disapproval for the fervent fans who dared to display such coarseness, not that he didn't deserve the attention; she just didn't want other women to be giving it to him. Am I jealous? She wondered when the answer was already evident to her. The realisation caused her hackles to rise again. Be careful, she cautioned herself, this is Jareth, the Goblin King, remember? Oh, yes, she remembered alright.

* * *

Sarah felt like she was in a strange limbo state after the play was over. The players had left to get changed and the audience began to disperse from the auditorium. It was soon almost empty and she reluctantly got to her feet to follow after the last of the stragglers. She looked around for any sign of Jareth, only to find herself disappointed. It was probably for the best, she reasoned, he'd probably already had his fun. The sound of a woman giggling caught her attention and she looked over to see the willowy blonde, who played Titania, Queen if the Fairies, draped over a tall man, who was obscured by the shadows. She didn't need to see his face to know it was Jareth, and her heart sank. The woman giggled again and Sarah hurried away, only to hear quick footsteps behind her. She swung back around to come face to face with her pursuer.

"Did you enjoy the show, Susan?" Jareth inquired with a sneering smile.

_He doesn't even remember my name, _Sarah was crushed but determined not to let it show.

"Sarah," she almost whispered.

"What?" He snapped.

"My name is Sarah," she enunciated each word as if speaking to a fool.

Jareth flashed an amused smile.

"Sarah, Susan, Sofia, Sharon, it's all the same to me," he waved her correction away as if it was nothing.

His lady friend hadn't joined them, and Sarah was grateful for that, at least. She turned away from him and set off for the exit at a brisk pace. Jareth matched her at every step until they were walking side by side. He was wearing an expensive looking tailored suit in a dark grey colour, with a light blue shirt, open to the chest, of course, she noted with disdain this time in place of lust. He was also sporting soft white leather gloves and pointed grey ankle boots. His shorter hair flapped about in the night breeze and fanned wildly around his face.

"Well?" He inquired again, "Did you like the play?"

Sarah came to an abrupt halt, her anger flaring, although she forced herself to clamp down on it.

"What do you want, Jeremy?" She demanded coolly, intentionally using his stage name, as she glared at him.

He smiled and bared his teeth in a predatory way, like she imagined a shark or a hungry lion would.

"You, Sarah, just you," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 4

_**You only know what I want you to  
I know everything you don't want me to  
Your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine  
You think your dreams are the same as mine**_

**_Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars_**

Sarah could do nothing but stare at the Goblin King, and although her mind was racing, not a word escaped her lips. Jareth's amused expression turned to confusion, which he masked with annoyance when she failed to react to his declaration. He expected a slap to the face at the very least, and none came. Sarah, for her part, was completely bewildered. She had to wonder if the whole thing was simply a dream, like Puck suggested in the play. She never once thought her experience of the Labyrinth and everyone in it wasn't real, but this? Her day had been filled with echoes of Jareth, and hadn't she made a silent wish to see him? Well, sort of. Either way, here he was, or was he?

"Pinch me."

Her sudden request took him by surprise and he gave her a quizzical look. Jareth wasn't sure what manner of game she was playing, and he was no one's pawn. However, he decided to go along with it, for now, and duly delivered a spiteful pinch to her arm.

"Ow!" She cried out and instinctively kicked him on the shin.

His eyes grew stormy and Sarah glowered at him as she rubbed over the soreness. It was then the ridiculousness of the situation got the better of her and she burst out laughing. Jareth wasn't unamused, even if he didn't show it.

"You are an odd creature, Sarah Williams," he said.

"Oh, so you do remember my name then?" She mocked, suspecting he'd never really forgotten it in the first place.

Jareth narrowed his gaze; she was pretty as a girl, but as a woman she more than fulfilled her early promise. He took in her alluring feminine curves and her fine sculptured features.

"Even an eternity spent in the Oubliette could not make me forget you," he confessed in a low seductive voice.

Sarah was flattered and couldn't help responding to his charms despite knowing she should beware. Her thoughts drifted back to the kindly shopkeeper she'd met earlier, as she fiddled with her moonstone pendant. If the women's tales were intended to warn her against the fae, it had all come to nought. It was almost midnight and here she was, practically in the thrall of the Goblin King, no less. Sarah tried to stifle another giggle, because the whole situation was just too absurd. Jareth suddenly threw out his hand for her to take and his eyes silently willed her on. The air around them was thick with a heady sweet scent, and suspecting magic, Sarah was relieved to find they were only stood close to a rose garden. She refused to take his hand, but they started walking together at an easy pace.

"So, Jeremy Quinn, do you often prance about from world to world performing a little Shakespeare as you go?" Sarah teased.

He couldn't hide his amusement, but pretended to be affronted anyway.

"Do you know how tedious being King of the Goblins can be?" Jareth took on a pitiful look.

His expression was so convincing, Sarah actually began to feel sorry for him.

"We all need our little distractions," he said.

She knew what he meant, being fond of the odd bit of escapism, herself.

"It's so beautiful here," Sarah sighed dreamily, and wasn't only referring to their surroundings.

He nodded thoughtfully, as if agreeing with her, but all the while his mind was on another matter. It was Midsummer; a magical time when the veil between worlds was lifted. Jareth could pass between realms without being summoned by a wish, as he could on other occasions, like full moons. The timing of this visit was not coincidental, and the clock was ticking. He fully intended to take what he came for.

"You owe me an heir," he said, out of the blue, as they paused by an ornamental water fountain.

"Excuse me?" Sarah exclaimed as her attention was rudely redirected from her admiration of the surroundings.

"An heir," he repeated impatiently.

"I thought your brother would be the one to follow in my footsteps, but alas, it wasn't to be. Such a pity, still, you were the one who deprived me of him and so you shall be the one to make amends," Jareth took on a dangerous air which conveyed his serious intent.

Sarah knew it was all too good to be true, and inwardly scolded herself for getting swept up in a romantic fantasy of her own making. The Goblin King wasn't the Mister Right she'd been waiting for, he was mean and cruel. She might have matured in many ways, enough to be classed as an adult, at any rate. But men and relationships were still unchartered territory, and Jareth wasn't even a mortal man. Sarah felt ridiculously out of her depth and could only draw upon her past defeat of him.

"You have no power over me," she stated as forcefully as she could muster.

It was Jareth's turn to laugh, and he did so mercilessly, until it echoed all around her.

"I won," she angrily retorted.

"I solved your Labyrinth and I defeated you. You've got some nerve coming back here after all this time and demanding I get you a baby. What the actual heck?"

Jareth grinned, his sharp teeth and pale complexion exuded menace. His mercurial expression turned serious.

"You didn't win anything, Sarah, I let you go. There's a world of difference between conquering over insurmountable odds and strolling to an easy victory. If your opponent doesn't do everything in his power to beat you, is that winning?" He sneered.

It wasn't the whole truth, but he wasn't feeling generous. He hadn't intended to forfeit the boy, even though he knew from the start he couldn't keep the girl, not then. She was too young, and there were rules about that, even for the fae.

Sarah felt her world crumbling around her, as it had done once before at their last confrontation. Had her victory really been a lie? She got Toby back, and that was all she'd wanted at the time.

"I think we're done here," she turned to walk away.

"Not so fast," Jareth took her wrist in a vice-like grip.

He wasn't letting go this time.

"No," she protested, but it was all too late.

Sarah could see the scenery changing through her peripheral vision as she glared hatefully at Jareth. She swung her free arm around and landed a slap on his pale cheek.

"Ah, there it is, better late than never," he mocked.

She had never felt so angry, or so hopeless, and she choked back her tears. He wouldn't have the satisfaction of making her cry, she vowed. Somewhere in the distance a clock was striking twelve and a sudden spinning sensation overwhelmed her senses. Sarah closed her eyes as Jareth urged her to go to sleep, and she found she couldn't fight him. Her world turned to black, and she missed his whispered heartfelt apology.


	5. Chapter 5

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 5

_**DUMBY: I congratulate you, my dear fellow. In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. The last is much the worst; the last is a real tragedy! But I am interested to hear she does not love you. How long could you love a woman who didn't love you, Cecil?**_

_**CECIL GRAHAM: A woman who didn't love me? Oh, all my life!**_

_**Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan**_

Jareth paced around the throne room kicking out at random goblins as he passed them by. He couldn't reorder time in the human world and was required to spirit Sarah away before their clocks struck twelve. His hand had been forced by the growing lateness of the hour. Maybe if he hadn't let his vanity run away with him, and he'd forgone the theatrics, he could have spent more time wooing her. Jareth doubted a few more hours would have made the difference. She hated him now, and he couldn't bear it. He kicked another hapless goblin into the air.

"Bring me the dwarf," he growled his command to no one in particular.

The various creatures began to scatter in a frenzy of activity, as the Goblin King swept out of the room. He bounded up the stairs to the place in the high tower where he was keeping his most precious possession. All was quiet and he wondered if she was still sleeping. He unlocked the door and stepped inside the chamber, where upon Sarah charged at him, and delivered a fierce punch to his face. She drew back to nurse her sore knuckles as Jareth wiped at his bloody nose. He quickly recovered his composure and magically waved away the damage she'd inflicted. The door slammed and locked behind him at his command to ensure she wouldn't try to escape. Not that it would do her any good, she couldn't get far from him, he'd seen to that.

"I trust you are comfortable?" He inquired in a cold tone.

The room was furnished fit for a queen, with the finest silk sheets and a sinfully luxuriously soft feather bed. It would have been better than the best five star hotel, were it not for the bars on the windows and locks on the door.

"Another example of your legendary generosity, is it? This is a cage, nothing more," she snarled.

He inwardly recoiled from the venomous look she was throwing at him.

"How am I even here? I didn't wish myself away to you. By what right have you abducted me?" Sarah harried him for answers.

Jareth brought a black gloved hand up to mouth and rested his index finger over his lips in a contemplative way.

"Your cooperation was not required, this time," he finally said.

Sarah regarded him with blatant contempt; the Goblin King was back. He was garbed in the kind of flamboyant finery she expected from him. The elegant earthly menswear had been replaced by metallic grey breeches, matching silk shirt, black leather riding boots and a lavishly embroidered black leather jacket. The glittery makeup mask was in place, and his hair, although still shorter and thicker than it used to be, was wildly ruffled.

"Your incarceration is temporary, once we've been properly bonded, after the wedding, the bars will no longer be needed," Jareth explained as if it was all perfectly reasonable.

"Whoa, back up a bit there, mister," Sarah reacted with shock as the meaning of his words dawned on her.

"Wedding? You can't possibly be deluded enough to think I would ever marry you," she jabbed sharply at his chest to drive the point home.

Jareth hated seeing her so hurt and angry, but he couldn't deny she turned him on like this. Sarah was gorgeous when she was mad, he thought with a devilish grin. His reaction only fired her fury. Another horrific realisation suddenly formed in her mind.

"When you said I owed you an heir, you meant… Oh God, no, never happening," she protested her face contorted with disgust.

Her reaction was the equivalent of a drenching from a cold bucket of water, and Jareth was back to feeling inwardly wretched. He wanted Sarah to love and desire him as he did her. All he lacked was any idea, aside from using magic, of how to make that happen. He could have claimed her when she came of age in the human world. He had been more than generous, if she only knew it. His patience had reached its limit and he needed to make her his before longing for her drove him insane.

"The wedding will take place in thirteen days, after which we will be bonded together for all eternity. Forever is a long time, although I believe it will feel even longer," he wistfully sighed.

Sarah seized on what she perceived to be the softening of his mood, and decided to change tack. She tentatively moved closer to him and reached up to softly caress his cheek. Her action seemed to be having the desired effect, as he leaned into her touch. The movement was so slight she might have missed it, were she not watching him like a hawk. In that moment she could almost forgive him anything for his elegant handsomeness, but she wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

"Jareth," she purred.

"You don't want me, I'll make your life just an absolute misery. Please, let me go."

Her green eyes appealed to his unique ones.

Jareth's lips twitched, he was disappointed in her for resorting to such a cheap trick, even if he wasn't above taking some pleasure from it.

"I'll never let you go, Sarah, you will be my wife and my queen. The sooner you accept that the better it will be for you. I have so many wonderful things to show you, and we have so many dreams to realise together. I can make you happy, if you'll only give me the chance," he promised.

She stepped away and turned her back on him. It appeared to be a hopeless situation and she allowed defeatism to overcome her.

"Anything you want from me, you'll have to take by force. I will never love you, never," she vowed.

"Never, forever, eternity; nothing stays the same, and time changes everything," Jareth wanted to give her some kind of comfort, but was unable to.

"Just answer me one question," Sarah's voice was little more than a whisper, and he nodded for her to continue.

"Why me?"

The Goblin King didn't even try to banish the longing from his eyes, and he drew a deep breath before answering.

"I've lived a very long time, and it's a rare and valuable thing to find someone who can still surprise me," he said.

"So, I'm to be an amusement for you in your dull life," she was incredulous.

Jareth moved his lips as if he was going to speak, and then thought better of it.

_Why? Because I love you, Sarah, with all of my heart, _he admitted to himself alone.

He backed towards the wall and faded through it, leaving her to collapse into wretched tears on the bed.

A knock on the door barely registered, so deep in despair was she. Sarah couldn't face Jareth again in such a state and she buried her head in the pillows.

"Go away, just leave me alone," she yelled as someone entered the room.

"But I've only just got here," a familiar voice grumbled.

"Hoggle?"

He didn't have chance to reply as he was suddenly hoisted into the air and enveloped in a tight hug.

"Don't you fret now, Sarah, everything's gonna be alright," he said as he tenderly patted her head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a quick note to say a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time read this fic, and left a review, please keep them coming. I probably won't keep up this rate of updating, but will endeavour to add a chapter a week, at least. - Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 6

"_**Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness." **_

_**R.J. Palacio, Wonder**_

"Oh, Hoggle," Sarah wailed and sobbed on her friend's shoulder.

"You have to help me get out of here."

The little dwarf was racked with guilt; he needed to confess something to her, but didn't want to add to her misery.

There were so many fairy tales involving princesses who got locked up in towers. They were usually awaiting rescue by a handsome prince, and the thought rankled Sarah. She dried her tears and turned her mind to devising an escape plan.

"You know this place, right? There's got to be some way out of here. We managed to break in seven years ago; it can't be that hard to break out, can it?" She asked with optimism.

Hoggle looked downcast, and avoided answering her question.

"We ain't seen you for such a long time, thought you'd forgot all about us," he sounded hurt as he fiddled with the plastic bracelet she'd once gifted him.

Sarah felt a stab of guilt, as she'd never meant to go so long without calling upon her old friends. When she first went to college there had been a conscious effort on her part to behave like an adult. She never intended that to mean leaving them behind, it just happened. When you don't see friends for a long time, you sometimes start to believe you can get by without them. Sarah realised how wrong she'd been and contemplated what a terrible person she must be.

"I'm so sorry, Hoggle, how can you ever forgive me? I guess I forgot how much I still need you, and Sir Didymus and Ludo, how are they?"

"I ain't seen them for a while," he confessed.

"I don't suppose I'm much good at being a friend, either," he sighed.

They both sat on the edge of the bed swinging their legs back and forth and feeling miserable.

"You know, I once read somewhere that true friends are always together in spirit," Sarah recalled.

Hoggle brightened up a little.

"You were always in my heart, and I'm so glad you're here now," she hugged him again.

The little dwarf was embarrassed for making her feel bad, when he was harbouring a dark secret of his own. He shrugged off her fussing over him and jumped down from the bed.

"So, any ideas on how we can escape?" She asked as she peered out of the barred window.

Hoggle shuffled around in obvious discomfort, making noncommittal noises.

Sarah felt a renewed sense of purpose and began searching the room in the hope of finding a trap door.

"If Jareth thinks he can hold us here as prisoners, he's very much mistaken, right?"

"Ah, actually I'm not a prisoner, his majesty sent for me, thought you needed a friend, I suppose," Hoggle haltingly explained.

Sarah was incredulous.

"What does he care what I need? He took me from my world against my will, and locked me up in this room. He's a monster," she raged.

The dwarf shook his head.

"There's plenty worse than Jareth," he said.

Sarah was apoplectic.

"I can't believe you're defending him," she shrieked with exasperation.

"You haven't seen much of this world, or the creatures in it. His majesty ain't so bad, that's all I'm saying," her friend looked sheepish.

"He's keeping me prisoner until he can marry me and do goodness knows what else to me, who's worse than that?"

Hoggle shrugged, and was about to offer himself up as an example.

"I just want to go home," her voice wobbled with emotion and fresh tears began to fall.

"Aarrgghh, it's all my fault," the dwarf blurted out as he waved his arms around in anguish.

"I gave you that damn peach, and you took a bite out of it, and that bound you to Jareth, and this world, forever," he explained.

She shook her head in disbelief and refused to accept it, muttering the word, no, over and over.

"I swear I didn't realise until it was too late, I'm so sorry, Sarah," Hoggle felt like the worse person in any world for breaking his friend's heart.

She slumped back down onto the bed, dejected and betrayed. She had never felt as alone as she did in that moment, not even when her dad married Irene. It took a long time for Sarah to realise her stepmother wasn't her enemy, or wicked. They had grown pretty close over the years since her experience in the Labyrinth. Sarah realised she had to forgive Irene for daring to marry her father, and for being a better mom than her birth mother ever tried to be. She looked over at her friend, and her gaze softened. He was truly sorry, she could see that.

"I forgive you," she said.

Hoggle was astonished, as he felt he didn't deserve her mercy.

"Jareth is the bad guy here, not you," Sarah assured him.

The little dwarf warily glanced around, as he knew the Goblin King was probably observing them in one of his crystal orbs.

"His majesty told me to tell you, he'll let you have free run of the castle, if you promise to behave yourself, and don't try to escape," Hoggle said.

He hated doing Jareth's dirty work, but at least it would allow Sarah the chance to see more than her current four walls.

She screwed up her face in anger, and then a delicious thought occurred to her. She couldn't make the Goblin King suffer if she was locked away all the time. It would also give her the opportunity to formulate a plan of escape.

"He's got himself a deal," Sarah said with a wicked grin.

Hoggle looked worried, as if he could read her mind.

"Promise you won't do nothing to make him angry, otherwise it's the Bog of Eternal Stench for me," he fretted.

Sarah feigned a look of innocence, besides she knew his-royal-pain-in-the-ass-ness used that threat too often for it to be given credence.

_Jareth will consider the Bog of Eternal Stench a cakewalk when I'm through with him, _she thought with gleeful malice.

"I'll be a good girl, I promise," she cooed for the Goblin King's benefit as she was certain, from Hoggle's body language, that he was watching and listening.

In the throne room, Jareth contemplatively beheld the crystal in his hand. He loved Sarah, but he wasn't a fool for love, and he didn't expect she would play by his rules. It wouldn't be half as much fun if she did, he thought mischievously.

"I much obliged to you, Hog-brain," he smirked as he looked upon his reluctant envoy.

"Let the games begin."


	7. Chapter 7

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 7

_**KATHERINE: Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak,**_

_**And speak I will. I am no child, no babe.**_

_**Your betters have endured me say my mind,**_

_**And if you cannot, best you stop your ears.**_

_**My tongue will tell the anger of my heart**_

_**Or else my heart, concealing it, will break,**_

_**And, rather than it shall, I will be free**_

_**Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words.**_

_**William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew**_

Sarah flicked through the floaty gowns which filled the wardrobe, dismissing them all without a second glance. Jareth appeared to be labouring under the misapprehension that she was some kind of delicate flower, or should at least dress like one. The clothing he'd had prepared for her was more suited to an old school Disney princess, not someone who intended to kick his ass. She was about to give it up as a bad job when her eyes fell upon an exquisitely embroidered dark green leather jacket, there were also matching knee high boots. The outfit was clearly intended for equestrian pursuits, but it was so near to the Goblin King's attire, she couldn't resist. The only thing missing was anything resembling pants, this world was clearly lagging behind on women's rights, and she huffed.

"I wish I had my own things; my suitcase from the hotel, at least." Sarah spoke the words out loud without her usual caution regarding wishes.

She eventually settled on a black petticoat style ankle length skirt and a grey blouse for underneath the jacket. The overall effect was quite pleasing, she grudgingly admitted, all the while remaining determined to procure some pants. Sarah made a few last minute adjustments to her hair, which she was wearing as a side ponytail, and her carefully applied makeup. It wasn't for the sake of vanity; however she did appreciate the effect these things could have on the opposite sex when she made the effort. A knock at the door announced the arrival of her escort, and she bid him to enter.

Jareth tried hard to control his reaction, but Sarah could see she was getting to him. He held out his arm for her to take, and she accepted with her sweetest smile. He looked unacceptably handsome, she reluctantly acknowledged. He was in a mix of dark blue leather and sky blue silks.

"How would you like a tour of the castle?" He inquired with his best smouldering look.

"It's not as if I've got anything better to do, is it?" She goaded, all the while keeping her smile fixed in place.

Jareth remained silent and led her up a stone spiral staircase until they came out at the start of a long corridor. There were intricately carved wooden panels on the walls, and hanging tapestries. They seemed to be depicting some kind of historical event and there was writing she couldn't read. Her attention was briefly drawn to an unusual portrait which was displayed in an ostentatious golden frame. It appeared to show Jareth looking at his reflection, except the mirror image didn't have his distinctly different eyes, just two matching blue ones. They came to a heavy oak door and it magically opened before them. The room within was impossibly vast and was stacked with row upon row of books in all kinds of sizes.

"The library," Jareth ceremoniously announced.

"Well, d'uh," Sarah rolled her eyes and walked over to the nearest shelf.

She found, on closer inspection, that the whole thing was an optical illusion, and only the first few bookcases were real.

"What the...?" She exclaimed

"Nothing here is quite as it first appears," Jareth cautioned.

Sarah knew he was alluding to himself as much as the fixtures and fittings. It was a warning she'd heard before, and had disregarded at her peril. She let out a heavy sigh and pulled a weighty tome from the shelf. It was completely illegible to her, as the wood carvings and tapestries had been.

"Great, your not-quite-a-library doesn't seem to have anything in it I can actually read," she complained.

"Every book ever written anywhere is here. Simply say the title of the book you require out loud and it will come to you," Jareth instructed.

Sarah was sceptical, but decided to give it a go for amusement's sake.

"How about, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux," she said.

She hadn't actually read the book before, however she had seen the musical version. It seemed kind of appropriate for her situation, although Jareth was more monstrous on the inside than the out, she mused. In a whoosh of air the novel appeared and landed softly in her hands.

"Wow," she exclaimed as she flicked through the pages to check it was in English.

Her choice was not lost on the Goblin King, and he knew she intended to wound him with it. He remained confident she would begin to feel differently when he'd done pulling out all the stops to dazzle and impress her. She seemed delighted enough with the book, and he'd barely even started yet. He would show her his devotion knew no bounds.

They left the library and continued down the corridor towards another heavy oak door. There was a large arched window to their right and Sarah stopped to look outside. It was a long way down to the ground, and she pondered whether it could be used as a means of escape.

"Don't even think about it," Jareth cautioned as he read her intentions.

"I have cast a returning spell to bind you to the castle, and even if you did manage to get outside, it would bring you straight back in an instant," he explained.

Sarah felt rage bubbling up inside her, and she so badly wanted to hurt him. Her frustration over a lack of any means to do so caused her to let out an angry scream.

"I hate myself for what I'm about to say, but I hate you even more: IT'S NOT FAIR," she yelled.

Jareth opened his mouth to offer a retort only to be hit with another barrage of fury.

"I'm such an idiot, to think I even gave you the time of day after everything you put me through the first time around. You show up after seven years, full of charm, full of something, that's for sure. You'd think I'd know better, but, no. I should have got the hell out of there the first moment I saw you up on that stage. What the heck was I thinking?" Sarah was as furious with herself as she was with him.

"What's done is done. If there had been any other way..." he began.

"Don't," she waggled her finger at him. "Just, don't."

Sarah wanted to hit him again, even if he could magic away the damage. Instead, she stilled her hand and turned away from him.

"Take me back to my cell," she coolly demanded.

Jareth was unprepared for this turn of events as it didn't fit with his plans to make her feel more kindly towards him. Things were going about as wrong as they could, and he didn't know how to make them right. He ruled out putting her under his thrall, because fake affection wasn't what he desired. He also knew he wouldn't give her what she wanted the most; her freedom.

"I've got so many wonderful things to show you, Sarah. Don't deny yourself a chance to experience pleasures untold, just because things didn't turn out the way you expected them to," he tried to tempt her.

"I would rather jump head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench than spend another second with you," she spat back at him.

"You think eternity is a long time, huh? It won't be nearly long enough for all the misery and pain I intend to inflict on you. Now, take me back to my prison cell, so I can start writing a list of all the ways I'm gonna make you suffer," she raged.

He let out a defeated sigh and led her back to her room.

Sarah closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling as she heard the door close behind her. When she opened them, a gasp of surprise escaped her lips, for there on the bed was her suitcase. It contained everything she'd packed for her London vacation, and so glad was she to have some of her own things around her, she sank to the floor and wept.


	8. Chapter 8

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 8

_**Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin **_

_**Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in **_

_**Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove **_

_**Dance me to the end of love...**_

_**Dance Me to the End of Love by Leonard Cohen**_

The Goblin King sat brooding on his throne as he absentmindedly swirled three crystal balls in his hands. He hoped granting Sarah's wish would make her happy, and yet still she wept. The years he'd spent fantasising about having her close to him had not prepared him for the reality of it. She may as well be a world away, he thought bitterly, resenting the power she wielded over him. No other woman had ever captured his heart, and in that moment he wished he'd never set eyes on Sarah Williams. He glanced at her in one of the crystals and his heart softened once again at the sight of her. What sweet agony it was, to be in love, and to crave being loved in return.

Jareth had been a spoiled being all of his life. He was indulged by his parents and it seemed everyone he'd encountered since was desperate to please him, particularly when they were female. He had long since shunned his family responsibilities in the pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. He crowned himself King of the Goblins, and they embraced him gladly as their ruler. Jareth was unaccustomed to losing, or fighting for anything. Sarah had denied him once, and she would do so again given the opportunity. He knew the only thing likely to improve her opinion of him would be to let her return to the human realm. He would do many things for her, but he wouldn't allow her to leave him. She was attracted to him, he could sense it, and all he had to do now was turn attraction into adoration. Jareth let out a heavy sigh; he could no sooner turn his love for her into loathing, and he had tried.

The goblins' raucous behaviour was fraying his already frazzled nerves and he roared at them to be quiet. The room grew silent and he heard approaching footsteps echoing down the stone staircase. He turned his head expectantly and felt a twinge of inner delight as Sarah appeared before him, flanked by her goblin guards. She was dressed in some of her own clothes, and looked no less beguiling in jeans and a baggy sweater than she had in all her finery. He jumped up to greet her, letting the crystal balls scatter as he did so. She eyed him warily and kept her distance.

"I might hate you and what you've done to me, but that's no reason to forget my manners, so thanks, I guess, for these," she said gesturing to her clothing.

Sarah realised sulking in her room, however justified would be a self-defeating exercise. She only had the best part of thirteen days to escape from this nightmare, and there was no time to lose.

Jareth acknowledged her thanks with a nod of his head and tried his best to feign disinterest at her presence. He noticed their goblin audience were glaring expectantly at them, in the hopes of some kind of entertainment, and he threw them a warning look. He resumed his seat on the throne and pondered his next move.

"So, what exactly does a Goblin King do?" Sarah inquired, daring to take a step closer to him with every word.

"Besides steal babies, and potential brides, that is," she sneered.

He tapped impatiently at his boot with his swagger stick.

"You know very well I answer wishes, nothing more, that isn't theft," Jareth corrected her.

"You stole me," she accused.

The goblins started to cackle and snigger.

"Stop that," she ordered, and they were duly chastened.

Jareth couldn't resist smiling at her ability to command them. She was born to be his queen, he proudly thought.

"I've spent over a thousand years granting other people's wishes, I thought it was high time I got a turn, and I wished for you," he said and unconsciously leaned closer towards her.

Sarah looked pensive.

"People wish for things they don't really want all the time and they don't even know they don't want it, until they get it," she said.

The Goblin King quirked an eyebrow as a sign he rejected her theory.

"I think getting your heart's desire is just about the worst thing that can happen to a person. I mean, sometimes we want stupid things, right? Maybe the pleasure is all in the wanting and not in the having," Sarah mused.

Jareth looked deep into her eyes, and his were libidinous.

"Why don't you let me show you just how much pleasure there can be in the having, hmm?" He offered.

Sarah felt an involuntary shiver of anticipation pass through her, and he smirked because he felt it too.

"I could make your soul sing, and it would never be the same song twice, each one would rock your world in a different way," he promised.

She bit her lower lip as her anger at him was transformed into wanton lust, and she felt powerless to stop it. He wasn't using magic on her, only his charms, which were just as dangerous. She hated herself for being so easily swayed, and her instinct was to flee back to the relative safety of her room.

Jareth pounced on her moment of weakness and before she could run away, he sprang into action. He waved his hands and a crystal ball appeared, it glowed and pulsated with a bright white light.

"How about a little song and dance?" He said as he threw the orb into the air.

Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but before the words came out there was a blinding flash and everything changed.

There was soft music playing and it grew louder as her eyes came back into focus. She was standing in a magnificent ballroom wearing a sumptuous silver white dress. It was tighter and more revealing than the one she'd worn seven years before. There were no other revellers masquerading as goblins this time around, only herself and Jareth. He was dressed much as he had been in her previous dream, only his shorter hair was different. He took her in his arms and they began to move rhythmically around the floor. It took her a while to register that he was singing to her, so lost in the moment was she.

_**Sometimes you get so lonely**_

_**Sometimes you get nowhere**_

_**I've lived all over the world**_

_**I've left every place**_

_**Please be mine**_

_**Share my life**_

_**Stay with me**_

_**Be my wife**_

_**[Be My Wife by David Bowie, from the album, Low]**_

Jareth let his hand slide up her body from her waist to her neck and he moved in for a kiss. Sarah found she couldn't help herself, and their lips softly brushed together, tentatively at first until their tongues were frantically duelling. He tasted of sweet forbidden delights and she couldn't get enough. Her hands roamed over his firm chest and up through his wild hair. His lips trailed kisses down her face and neck as she gasped for breath.

"Oh, that's so good," she sighed.

Sarah's eyes flew open and she saw their growing passion reflected back at her in a huge ornate vanity mirror. They were no longer in the ballroom; instead they were in a masculine themed lavishly decorated bedroom. The huge bed was a vast expanse of black silk sheets and dark fur blankets.

"No," she panicked, her voice barely a whisper as she pushed against Jareth's chest.

"Don't fight it, Sarah," he murmured in her ear as he lowered her back against the bed.

His hands were everywhere and her resolve crumbled under her feelings of growing arousal.

This was just like one of her teenage fantasies, she thought, and that realisation had a sobering effect.

"Stop," she demanded.

Jareth ceased his soft caressing to look in her eyes.

"Is that what you really want?" He questioned, as he beheld her tousled beauty trapped beneath his strong lean frame.

He ran an un-gloved hand gently down her face and neck to the line of her cleavage.

Sarah shivered at his touch, and her mind grew foggy with desire.

"Everything with you is trickery and illusion," she croaked, her resolve slowly returning.

"Nothing here is real," she declared.

Jareth looked wounded.

"The way we feel, right now, that's real," he said.

Sarah began extricating herself from underneath him, and he didn't stop her, although he wanted to.

He adopted a provocative pose amongst the furs and made no attempt to hide his ardour.

"I don't trust you, and no matter what else I might feel, or think I do, how can I ever be sure of anything when it comes to you?" She asked.

Jareth slowly rose from the bed and he kept his eyes fixed on hers as he clapped his hands together. They were immediately transported back to the throne room and Sarah found she was back in her casual wear.

"No one else knows me as you do, I have given my heart to no other woman before you, and there will be none after. We will spend eternity in each other's arms," he vowed.

She couldn't trust herself to speak again, and so she fled, as far away from him as she could get, which wasn't anywhere near a safe distance.


	9. Chapter 9

**I would just like to address a few things before the latest chapter, if you would be so kind as to indulge me.**

**UltimatePhangirlZoe And Smiles1998 - I honestly didn't think about The Hunger Games (which I love) at all when I started this fanfic. I realise now, and especially in later chapters, that there are quite a lot of similarities. I will have to try and guard against it and will rely on you to tell me if I stray too far into Hunger Games territory. Thanks again.**

**Lylabeth - I really appreciate your considered criticism, and do take on board your issues with the way I've portrayed Sarah. I didn't think it was realistic to have her fall into Jareth's arms without reservation, for many reasons. I would be genuinely interested to know what you considered "amateurish" in chapter 8. The writing in general? My characterisation of Sarah? Something else? I'm always striving to be a better writer, so I like to hear the bad as well as the good. **

**I did originally have a quote from Pride and Prejudice as the header to chapter 8, because I was musing on the way Elizabeth regarded Mr Darcy in the early stages of their acquaintance. I was imagining that Sarah would be similarly prejudiced towards Jareth, at least to begin with. **

**Big thanks to LadyRana, Honoria Granger, iknowyou2, Yoya13, Lylabeth, Jess, Smiles1998, FrancesOsgood, gadamp, UltimatePhangirlZoe and GottesBlume for your reviews, and please do keep them coming.**

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The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 9

_**Knowledge is power - Sir Francis Bacon**_

Hoggle grumbled about his sore feet as he was led into Jareth's chamber. He found the Goblin King sat at his desk impatiently tapping on the wooden veneer with his swagger stick.

"Higgle, no one keeps me waiting, I demand to know what has taken you so long?" he inquired.

The little dwarf let out an exasperated sigh.

"Your majesty only transported me outside the Labyrinth, I still had a long ways to travel," he explained.

"Yes, yes, Hog-head, but time ticks on and I have less than nine days remaining before my wedding. What news do you bring?" Jareth gave him an expectant glare.

The dwarf dug around in his trouser pocket and produced a small scroll. The Goblin King hurriedly snatched it from his hands and unfurled the paper. He quickly scanned over the finely written words and then slammed it down on his desk with an angry thud.

"Damn them," he growled.

"I won't have _him _here, not with Sarah, and I don't want to take her to them, not yet," he muttered.

"How was my dear brother?" the king's feigned curiosity was dripping with sarcasm.

Hoggle fidgeted about nervously.

"You know Prince Kareth," he said.

Yes, Jareth knew him alright, even if they hadn't laid eyes on each other for many years.

He contemplated his next move, knowing he would have to be clear on what he was willing to sacrifice to get what he wanted. His family would not make it easy for him, of that he was sure. He again cursed his love for Sarah; if he could be content to have her for as long as her mortal life allowed, none of this would be necessary. The human lifespan was so fleeting, and he wouldn't watch her wither and die. He required the assistance of his family to make her immortal, and he hated being beholden to them almost as much as he loved Sarah.

"You may leave," the Goblin King dismissed Hoggle.

He needed time alone to formulate a plan of action.

"Can I see Sarah?" the little dwarf asked hopefully.

Jareth narrowed his gaze.

"Yes, but you will not mention one word of this to her, do you understand? Not one word," he warned.

Hoggle nodded his understanding and shuffled out of the room. He carried on up the stone stairs to see his friend, and fretted about the situation she had unwittingly landed herself in. He meant it when he told her there were worse beings than Jareth in this world, there was his brother Kareth for a start.

The Goblin King reclined back in his chair and closed his eyes; it would be dangerous to take Sarah to meet his family, but he couldn't go without her. She would have to be obedient and obliging, neither of which he could rely on without putting her under his thrall. He hoped to avoid using magic to control her mind, even if he wasn't above using it to dazzle her. She was beginning to thaw towards him, and he knew if he could only devote the remaining eight full days to wearing down her resistance, she might willingly be his bride. His parlour trick hadn't really been intended as a serious attempt to get her into bed, although she proved more malleable than he expected. Sarah was a virgin, he knew these things, and he anticipated it would make their wedding night extra special. Her purity would assist the bonding process and the business of turning her into an immortal. He wouldn't risk that, no matter how sorely he was tempted.

* * *

Sarah was sprawled on her bed attempting to read The Phantom of the Opera, but her heart just wasn't in it. Her thoughts were focused elsewhere, and on one thing in particular; if she only possessed more knowledge of love and what it felt like to be in it. No other man ever made her feel the way Jareth did, that much was certain. Sarah couldn't deny her attraction to him; it ran much deeper than that though, if she was honest. If she were there on equal terms, and not as a captive, the whole thing might be a lot simpler. Was she supposed to just forget she was an independent woman, with hopes and dreams beyond marriage? Had she spent all those years studying for a career only to chuck it all in and become Goblin Queen? Sarah was pondering her predicament when a knock at the door signalled Hoggle's arrival. She greeted him warmly, but he could see she was distracted.

"I'm just so confused," she confessed and slumped back on the bed.

Her feelings for Jareth were threatening to undo her resolve to escape and return home.

The little dwarf pulled up a chair and offered his help in any way he could, although he was mindful of the Goblin King's warning.

"I need to get away from this castle, and him. I can't trust anything, especially myself, not while I'm this close to him. If I could only find a way to break the returning spell, I could at least get out of here. I have to find a way to make Jareth powerless over me, like I did before," Sarah poured out the problems she needed to solve.

She wasn't sure what good escaping from the castle would do her, when there was still the labyrinth to contend with. But she had to believe there was some way to get back home.

"Do you have anything made from iron?" she inquired, recalling her chat with the shopkeeper in London. It was supposedly potent in weakening and warding off the fae.

Sarah knew she wouldn't risk harming or killing Jareth, but it might assist her in breaking through his magic, and gaining some advantage.

"It won't do you no good, not against his majesty, he's a nobleman of the Inbetween Lands. Iron is only harmful to common faeries, not the highborn," Hoggle explained.

"The Inbetween Lands?" Sarah queried upon realising how little she knew about the place.

The little dwarf glanced warily around, and eventually reasoned the Goblin King hadn't forbidden him from giving his friend a geography lesson.

"This world is made up of four separate realms; there are the Light Lands where the good folks live, they're the ones who never do anything nasty. Then there are the Dark Lands where the evil creatures dwell, and they never do no one any good. We are in the Inbetween Lands, where we're neither all good, nor all bad. We can be either, or both at the same time, I suppose," he explained.

"What's the fourth realm?" She asked.

"That's the Land of Unbeing; it's where immortals go when they've had enough of living. They choose their favourite memory and spend the rest of eternity in a repeating dream of that one special moment," Hoggle said.

Sarah supposed it was a sort of heaven, and it didn't sound so bad. She pondered what she would want to relive over and over. All she could think of was dancing with Jareth, and then him kissing her. She mentally shook off the image and the associated yearnings. If she ever wanted to see her family and home again, keeping a clear head was vital. It served to remind her why she urgently needed to get out of that castle, and away from the Goblin King, while she still could.

"There must be some way of breaking through Jareth's magic; he's got to have at least one weak spot, surely?" She looked to her friend because she suspected he knew a lot more than he was letting on.

Hoggle evasively fiddled with a thread on his shirt. He risked a look upwards, only to find Sarah glaring expectantly at him.

"I'd say you're Jareth's weak spot," he eventually said, and continued to look shifty.

"What aren't you telling me? I know there's something you're hiding," she verbally prodded at him.

"Argh, you're gonna get me in so much trouble," the little dwarf shrieked.

"I don't know nothing, only that words have power, and that means books do too," he said.

Sarah was none the wiser.

"How does that help me?" She queried.

Hoggle shrugged and she glared at him again.

"Oh alright, I did once hear tell of a fae prince who wanted to escape the amorous clutches of a sorceress. He tricked her into revealing the spell book that held her magic and by destroying it, he temporarily robbed her of her powers. He was able to banish her forever to the Dark Lands while she was defenceless. I heard the same thing works for books used to summon the fae," he explained.

Sarah chewed her bottom lip as she mused on her friend's story. Her eyes grew wide as a thought occurred to her. The Labyrinth book held the key to her defeat of Jareth the first time around, and maybe it could do so again. It was worth a try, she reasoned, and decided it was time for another trip to the library.


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't intend to add notes before every chapter, as I know I can reply individually to reviewers. I just wanted to expand on a few things and address some issues that have been raised by reviewers, which might be of some interest to other readers. Please feel free to skip this section if it isn't of interest to you.**

**Smiles1998 – Sorry about the misunderstanding over The Phantom of the Opera/The Hunger Games. I thought you were agreeing with UltimatePhangirlZoe over the 'Let the games begin' thing. Thank you for your review, it made me smile. **

**Frances Osgood – Lemon fluff sounds good to me, although as this fic is T rated, there might end up being more fluff than lemons!**

**Honoria Granger – Sorry you don't like the Jareth/Kareth name thing. It does get addressed in chapter 11, and there is a reason why they were named thus.**

**Lylabeth 1 – Firstly, I want to say thank you for taking the time to answer my queries, and for all the information you've provided. I do want to hear the bad as well as the good, which is why I asked if you wouldn't mind expanding on your criticism. It's always great to receive praise, but I know I won't become a better writer without acknowledging the things about my writing that readers don't like. **

**I don't want to say too much about Jareth and Kareth's relationship at this point (see above r.e chapter 11). I will only say that when it comes to good and evil, I rather agree with Oscar Wilde, who said, "It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious." **

**I don't really plan on following established mythology regarding the Fae and immortality. I think Viciously Witty did a tremendous job of incorporating the Celtic legends and such into her wonderful Labyrinth fanfic 'The Goblin Market', and I don't want to even attempt treading over the same ground. I've had a lifelong fascination with the supernatural and folklore, myths and legends, so some of that stuff will doubtless filter through. **

**A big thank you to Smiles1998, FrancesOsgood, Thedragoness821, Honoria Granger, liliDreamer89, KiwiEsh, Lylabeth 1, GottesBlume and HachimansKitsune, for taking the time to leave a review and for the words of encouragement. Please do keep them coming. – Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 10

_**I don't know you**_

_**But I want you**_

_**All the more for that**_

_**Words fall through me**_

_**And always fool me**_

_**And I can't react**_

_**And games that never amount**_

_**To more than they're meant**_

_**Will play themselves out…**_

_**Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova**_

Sarah reached over to the nightstand and picked up the small family photograph she usually carried around in her purse. It had been taken at Toby's eighth birthday and showed her father, stepmother and brother smiling, as she held up his fairy tale castle-shaped cake. Her eyes filled with tears as she wondered whether she would ever see them again. If only there was a way she could somehow have the best of both worlds, she sighed.

The night was drawing on, and Sarah decided a soak in her luxurious en-suite bathtub would be most welcome. She poured in a generous helping of lavender scented oil, as it was reputed for its relaxing properties. Jareth really had tried to cater for her every whim, and she made a mental note to be sure to thank him for his consideration. It didn't change the fundamental fact that she was there without her consent. But his efforts to please touched her heart all the same.

Sarah laid out a selection of nightwear on her bed and was unable to choose between them. She had her own pyjamas, which were familiar and comfortable. There were also two satin and lace nightgowns which were part of the wardrobe Jareth had had prepared for her. One was black and the other red. He once accused her of making him live up to her expectations of him. She looked down at the nightgowns, and wondered if she'd be doing the same for his expectations by wearing them. They were meant for a queen, and a woman sure of her ability to please a man. Sarah felt uncertain of her capabilities on both counts.

* * *

Jareth hesitated before entering Sarah's room because he knew she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her. There was no avoiding it though, not if he wanted to keep her by his side forever. He knocked on the door using the crystal on the top of his swagger stick, and waited for her to invite him in. There was no reply and so he tentatively stepped into the room.

"Sarah?" He called out for her as momentary panic gripped his heart, although he knew she couldn't have escaped.

The bathroom door opened and she appeared, wearing only a towel. Her long dark brown hair was wet and dripping water all over the marble floor.

"Sorry, I guess I forgot to hang the do not disturb sign," she said with a roll of her eyes.

Jareth was momentarily thrown off-balance and fought to maintain his composure.

"I could come back in a short while," he offered.

She blushed as they held each other's gaze a fraction too long, and she became very acutely aware of her state of undress.

"Just give me five minutes and I'll be right with you," Sarah said as she disappeared back into the bathroom.

The Goblin King wandered over to the bed and sat down on it. He realised with horror that it might give her the wrong impression and leapt back up onto his feet. His movement caused the selection of satin nightwear to slip onto the floor and he swooped to retrieve it.

Sarah realised she had nothing to change into and chanced a covert peek into the bedroom. It was with great amusement that she saw Jareth unwittingly scatter her clothing and then struggle to put it back the way it was before he'd blundered in. She decided to leave the choice to him, and betted that he'd go for the black satin and lace.

"Would you be so kind as to hand me my night attire?" She called out to him.

Jareth wasn't easily fooled, and he did as she requested. He began pacing back and forth, waiting for her to re-emerge, which she duly did.

She was dressed in her own cami-top-pyjamas and had combed her damp hair away from her face.

"These are lovely, but they're not really my style, thanks anyway," Sarah replaced the nightgowns onto their hangers, all the time wondering why Jareth hadn't chosen one of them for her to wear.

He stood motionless; his mouth slightly agape, as his eyes trailed over her thinly covered curves.

"So?" She questioned to shake him from his stupor.

He quickly recovered his demeanour and decided to take a seat next to her on the bed. He gently cupped her chin in one of his gloved hands.

"In the morning, I will be taking you to meet my family. I have a few matters I must attend to while I'm there, and they insist on seeing you before the wedding," he explained.

"The in-laws, huh?" Sarah scowled.

"What if they hate me and refuse to give their blessing to our marriage? That would be a real tragedy," she jested.

Jareth fixed her with a disapproving stare.

"I am willing to take you just as you are, but my family will not be so accommodating," he warned.

"My father is the High King of the Inbetween Lands, and he wields enormous power. We will be entering a perilous environment and I need you to be on your very best behaviour. You must promise to do everything I say, or else I will be forced to do something I would rather not."

"What?" She questioned with growing fear.

He decided it was better to show not tell. He stared deep into her eyes and she felt herself begin to fall. It was as if she was drowning in a deep pool and she tried to claw her way back, but it was no use.

"Kiss me, Sarah," he commanded, and she willingly complied.

"I could make you do anything while you are under my thrall. Anything," Jareth drawled the last part in her ear as he ran a gloved finger down her bare shoulder.

"But I won't," he said as he released her.

Sarah recovered her senses and landed a slap on the Goblin King's smug face.

He laughed.

"I told you I would prefer not to have to resort to that, because I want the real you, quick temper and all. I will use it though, be warned, if you refuse to obey me, it's for your own safety," Jareth cautioned.

She studied him for a moment, and decided he looked sincere enough. She could never be completely sure though, and that was the problem. How could she ever trust someone she knew to be an actor, liar and magician? Sarah felt a prod of guilt as she thought about her own plan to deceive him. She glanced over at the nightstand and a copy of the Labyrinth she'd recovered from the library. The thought of destroying a book didn't sit well with her, and she wanted to believe that was the reason for her procrastination. Sarah feared she was only deceiving herself.

Jareth started to get up to leave, but she reached out to still him.

"Don't go just yet," she pleaded.

He looked very alluring in his white ruffled shirt which revealed quite an expanse of chest. He resumed his seat and threw her a curious glance as she tentatively reached out to touch the amulet that hung around his neck.

"It's my family sigil," he explained.

"It's beautiful," Sarah said as she traced her finger around the curved indentations.

Jareth watched her with fascination.

"I have one for you to wear, after we're married," he said.

She experienced a sudden rush of emotion and a single tear began to fall down her cheek. Jareth used his thumb to wipe it away, confused by the change in her mood.

"You know what's crazy?" She asked her voice trembling with emotion.

"I had such a crush on you, after the first time we met, and I guess that feeling never really went away. If only I'd been brought here under different circumstances, I don't know, maybe if you'd asked me, I might have said yes."

Sarah confessed more than she'd meant to, and wasn't sure why she had. It could have been because she was plotting to return home, when a traitorous part of her was beginning to wonder if staying and surrendering would be so bad.

The Goblin King was moved by her honesty. He experienced an unfamiliar emotion, which he identified as shame. It was following his own selfish desires which led them to this situation; if only he could have trusted her to come to him willingly. He knew, in his heart, he could never have taken the chance. She had to be by his side forever, at any cost.

"You'd better get some sleep, we've got a long day on the morrow," Jareth said, his voice betraying his melancholy mood.

Sarah nodded and slid beneath the bedcovers.

"Will you read to me? I so enjoyed hearing you recite Shakespeare, I'd love to listen to you reading out one of my favourite stories."

The request bewildered him and he glanced over at the books on her nightstand. His eyes narrowed as they fell upon the copy of the Labyrinth she'd procured. He wondered if she knew its power, and then dismissed the idea. How would she know? No one knew. Sarah was slyly observing his reaction, and it was enough to convince her she might be onto something.

Jareth rose to his feet and moved away from the bed.

"Another time, my dearest, you really should go to sleep," he manifested a crystal ball in the palm of his hand and then blew it towards her, as if it were as light as a soap bubble.

The room filled with the gentle sound of a soothing lullaby, and Sarah found it impossible to keep her eyes open.

Jareth vanished the book to a place where it would be out of harm's way, and with one last look at his beloved, he faded from the room.


	11. Chapter 11

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 11

_**Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.**_

_**Rick Riordan, The Sea of Monsters**_

Sarah tried to be disappointed, even if she wasn't surprised, that the Labyrinth book was missing from the nightstand when she awoke. A knock at her door brought with it breakfast and the delivery of an outfit, which Jareth instructed by an attached note, she must wear. There was a full length white satin gown with an exquisite silver leaf pattern embroidered all over it. A shoe box held silver jewel encrusted heeled pumps and there was a flowing silver cloak. It was all very beautiful, but not very practical for travelling in. It was typical of the Goblin King to think of style over comfort, Sarah thought with a roll of her eyes.

She quickly ate her breakfast and started to get ready. It was the first time she'd given serious consideration to the prospect of meeting Jareth's family. She never asked for any of this, and yet she did feel nervous about making a good impression. Sarah didn't know what to expect from a high king, but he sounded a lot more important than a regular one. She had already been warned about his powers, and worried he might turn her into a frog if he didn't think she was good enough for his son. She began to wonder what her father, stepmother and Toby would make of Jareth, although she already suspected her brother would welcome him with open arms.

A knock at the door signalled the arrival of her presumptuous husband-to-be.

"Your beauty knows no equal, it shines from within, and that is a rare thing," he said as he came over to stand behind her.

Sarah was sat at the vanity unit putting the finishing touches to her hair. She blushed at his compliment and the want in his stare. He held out a large black velvet jewellery box for her to take. She hesitantly reached out to accept it, her face clouded with uncertainty.

"The magnificence of these jewels pale into insignificance next you, but I would like you to wear them all the same," he explained.

She opened the box to behold an emerald necklace with matching earrings and hair clips. The stones had been cut into leaf shapes. In her mind she heard an echo of a line she knew from a movie: _Only the most beautiful emeralds contain that miracle of elusive blue. _She brushed off her imagined comparison to a courtesan and admired the gift.

"Thank you," she gasped, her eyes misting over as Jareth helped her put the jewellery on.

Her hands reached out for his as she stood to face him. He was dressed in a regal looking outfit which was more formal than his usual attire. The dark green velvet topcoat and silver white breeches complimented her dress.

"Lots of girls dream of being fairy tale princesses, but not many actually get to be one. I wouldn't want you to think I'm not grateful for all of this. You look great, by the way," she wanted to say more but settled for giving him a brief hug.

Jareth let himself savour her closeness, because he knew her favourable opinion of him wouldn't last. Once she discovered the true purpose of their visit to see his family, she would no doubt revert back to professions of hatred and hostility. He couldn't see any other way of getting what he wanted, and he'd already decided to pursue it at all costs.

* * *

Sarah was relieved to discover there wouldn't be much actual travel involved in their journey to visit Jareth's family, not the conventional kind anyway. His method of transportation was better than the Starship Enterprise, she thought with a giggle. They materialised at the start of a long wide pathway, which was bordered on both sides with magnificent topiary and statues. A grand castle stood at the end of their walk, and inside, the royal family awaited their arrival.

"My parents are called Hareth and Elphina, but you should address them as your highest majesties, your grace will suffice for my brother," Jareth instructed.

"You have a brother?" Sarah was surprised.

"Yes, Kareth and I are twins, although I am the eldest by thirteen minutes. Our parents thought it amusing to name us alphabetically, as J comes before K, which says all you need to know about their sense of humour," he dryly commented.

"You've never mentioned him, is all," she was curious to know more.

Jareth sighed.

"Ever since Kareth was old enough to understand I was father's rightful heir by birth, and not him, his resentment of me has known no bounds. The irony being that he's more supremely suited to royal duty than I will ever be. His capacity for tedium is limitless, which is no great surprise as he himself is a prize-winning bore. He has all the ambition and none of the wits to do anything about it. I hoped never to have to inflict my family upon you, and almost two thousand years apart from them has not made me yearn for their company."

"So why are we here?" Sarah questioned with growing unease.

He brought them to a halt a short distance from the castle.

"Before I tell you, I would ask that you remember I can take control of your mind at any time," he warned.

"Oh good, an explanation that starts with a threat, this is gonna go well," she snorted.

Jareth ignored her sarcasm and fixed her with his stare.

"I'm immortal, and in order for you and any children we might have to be so, I must have father's blessing for our marriage. The high king is the only one who can sanction the use of the infinity cup and administer the blood of our ancestors; the soulless ones," he explained.

Sarah let the information sink in.

"Well, that all sounds perfectly gross," she grimaced.

"I think you'd better make with the Jedi mind control before I tell the high king where he can stick his infinity cup," she said.

"You think I'd marry you and then watch you die?" Jareth growled with anger.

"I want you forever, Sarah, do you understand?"

She already assumed immortality was part of the deal that came with marrying him. He led her to believe as much with all his talk of them spending eternity together. But without the High King's blessing she would remain mortal, and so there was a choice of sorts. Did she even want to live forever? The legendary quests of humans to find the Fountain of Youth were enduring myths, however she suspected the reality of it was far less romantic.

"Maybe your father won't grant your wish, and then what will you do?" She asked.

"Whatever it takes," he replied.

* * *

They were led into the grand hall and announced by a stout elf as Prince Jareth and his human companion. The high King and queen were seated on elaborately carved high-backed wooden thrones. They were on a slightly elevated platform underneath a flowery canopy. Prince Kareth was sitting off to their left, and an empty seat awaited Jareth. He didn't take it, and instead he performed a low bow for his parents before addressing each of his family in turn. He introduced Sarah, and she felt compelled to curtsy, despite not be instructed to do so. The high king and queen's attention seemed to be solely focused on their eldest son, with only Kareth keeping his gaze fixed critically on her. Sarah noted he was almost identical in appearance to his brother, except for his eyes which were matching blue, unlike Jareth's. She thought his parents looked to be around their mid-fifties in human years. They wore permanently bored expressions and possessed the kind of preserved good looks Sarah expected from older Hollywood stars, but not the ones who went to hack plastic surgeons. All three had flowing manes of silver blond hair, which were neatly styled, unlike Jareth's wild locks.

"Isn't it a marvel how quickly wayward sons can find their way home when they want to beg a favour," High King Hareth's voice boomed around the hall.

"I suppose being King of the Goblins is a time consuming business. Filthy creatures," he roared with contempt.

It was the first time Sarah had seen Jareth look so humbled, and instead of savouring the moment, she felt adrift. She found she preferred his usual cocksure demeanour; it didn't suit him to be so subservient.

"Let the human step forward," Hareth commanded and she tentatively obeyed.

"You always did have an eye for the unremarkable," the queen disdainfully observed to her son's fury.

"Will you grant my request or not? I'm sure we've all got other things we'd rather be getting on with," Jareth impatiently snapped.

He noted his brother watching him squirm with smug satisfaction.

High King Hareth regarded his first born son with a severe look.

"We've got all the time in the world, my son, unlike the human," he sneered.

"However, if you immediately renounce this silly business of being Goblin King, turn that fake kingdom of yours into dust, and resume your rightful place here, with your family, I will grant your human immortality," the high king set out his terms.

Jareth drew in a deep breath and glanced over at his beloved.

"Deal," he said.

"NO!" Sarah and Kareth both cried out in unison.


	12. Chapter 12

**I just want to say another big thank you to everyone reading/adding as favourite/reviewing etc this fic, it means the world to me. Please do keep the reviews coming. - Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 12

_**Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.**_

_**J.M Barrie, Peter Pan**_

The high king scowled hard at his youngest son, immediately silencing Kareth's protests, and then he turned his attention to Sarah.

"What exactly are you objecting to, human?" He demanded to know.

She swallowed back her fear and looked to Jareth for support. She could tell he wanted her to say as little as possible and was even toying with the idea of answering for her. The choice before him was watching either his kingdom, or Sarah turn to dust. She would grow old and die without immortality, she was irreplaceable. Kingdoms could be rebuilt.

"Well?" the high king roared losing what little patience he possessed.

"I don't want anything to be destroyed and I don't want to live forever, I just want to go home," Sarah whimpered.

It was one thing to be coerced into marrying the Goblin King, and she had to admit she'd been warming to the idea. But it was quite another matter to be stranded with his vile family for all eternity; her blossoming feelings for Jareth would not stretch to that. She couldn't believe he was willing to destroy the life he'd known for almost two thousand years. What would become of Hoggle, and the rest of her friends? She had to make him understand that the price for getting what he wanted was far too high.

Kareth could contain his anger no longer, and even at the risk of incurring his father's wrath, he stood up to confront his brother.

"This is completely unacceptable, you don't get to swoop in and usurp me for a second time. You turned your back on your birth right, so go back to your filthy goblins and take your ungrateful wretch of a human with you."

Jareth was incandescent with rage and he grabbed his twin by the throat.

"You will never refer to Sarah again, do you understand?" He warned as Kareth began to choke and splutter.

"Enough," Hareth bellowed loud enough to make the servants jump a foot into the air.

"If a male of any species wishes for a life of happiness and contentment, he should never father children," he groaned.

Jareth put a protective arm around Sarah's waist but she shrank away from him.

"What are we to do, my dear Elphina?" the high king turned to his wife for counsel.

The queen looked contemplative and then her face broke into a wicked grin. It was all well and good to be immortal, but long life could be dreadfully dull. She had an idea, which could provide both entertainment and a solution to their family strife.

"I've heard such stories about the Goblin King's exploits, some of which no mother would ever wish to hear about her own son," she raised an eyebrow at the reports of his legendary prowess with the opposite sex.

Sarah felt herself blush, although she wasn't really sure why, which seemed to amuse Elphina all the more.

"Doesn't the Goblin King give humans thirteen hours to solve his labyrinth and get back the things they've wished away?" the queen asked Jareth, who warily confirmed her assumption.

"That sounds like supreme fun," she clapped her hands together.

Hareth did not seem to share his wife's enthusiasm.

"I say we challenge our sons and the human to solve our grand labyrinth. They can have thirteen hours to do so, and they will use no magic, upon pain of immediate disqualification. They will each compete to win their heart's desire, plus one forfeit to be decided by you, my dear. Winner takes all," the queen turned to her husband who was equal parts horrified and fascinated by the suggestion.

The high king could just about appreciate how watching humans fail might be mildly diverting, but to involve his own family in such a spectacle would surely be a step too far. The queen sensed his struggle and continued to argue her point.

"Our sons have never had to earn anything in their wretched lives, it will do them good. This human once bested the Goblin King and now he wants to marry her, let's see whose will is stronger," she said.

Jareth, Kareth and Sarah listened with horror throughout the high king and queen's debate. They each began to protest in the strongest possible terms. Their objections fell on deaf ears as Hareth delivered his judgement.

"The more I think about it, the more enticing the idea becomes," he said.

"Jareth, if you accept the challenge and win, I will make your human immortal. Your forfeit as winner will be all I have already requested of you. Kareth, if you win, I will officially name you as my successor, and your forfeit will be to marry Lady Rowana. I know you have a history of mutual loathing, but her family is almost as old as ours, and she will be your queen. Your eternal lives will be an unending misery," he chuckled as his sons grimaced.

The high king finally turned to Sarah.

"Human, in the unlikely event of your victory, you will get to go home. Your forfeit will be that if you do so, you will never see Jareth again, ever. I know you love him, foolish child, and you will be glad to keep your mortality so that your yearning for what you can never have might eventually come to an end."

She was as angry as she was upset, and couldn't bear to meet Jareth's questioning gaze. She did love him, and she hated him for putting them both in this predicament.

Kareth had been puzzling over everyone's terms, and he wasn't satisfied.

"If the human were to win, how would that settle things between me and Jareth?" He queried.

"Stupid boy, if you both lose then nothing will change regarding your succession. Becoming high king is your dream, not his, so you'd better be sure to win," the king scolded his youngest son.

"So, do you all accept the challenge?" The king bellowed as the queen looked on with anticipation.

Millennia could pass without the hope of such a diversion, and Elphina was determined to make the most of it.

Sarah made a momentous decision and turned to Jareth, clasping his hands in hers.

"I'll marry you and I'll love you, but only if you remain Goblin King. Don't destroy your kingdom and the homes of all the creatures that live there. I don't even want to be immortal, and even if I did, I wouldn't want you to pay such a high price for it. We can be happy together, even if it's not forever," she pleaded with him.

She didn't want to sacrifice the chance of ever going home again to save another place with a claim on her heart, but she was willing to all the same.

Jareth wore a pained expression as he battled against his better instincts. He wanted to take her back to his castle and straight to his bed. He simply couldn't bear the thought of ever losing her, and if there was a chance of winning the challenge, he had to take it.

"I accept, father," he said, and Sarah felt like her heart was shattering into pieces.

Kareth was next in declaring his intention of winning, although he made clear he was appalled by the indignity of it all.

"Well, human, do not keep us in suspense, do you accept?" The king fixed her in his gaze.

Sarah stepped away from Jareth; if he was willing to destroy everything she loved, why should she stay?

"Let's go, there's nothing here for me now," she said.

_Why, solving a labyrinth is a piece of cake, _she thought, it was what happened afterwards, that was the tricky part.


	13. Chapter 13

**I am overwhelmed by all the lovely reviews and positive response to this fic, thank you all so much, and please do keep them coming. I have decided to post the next three chapters together, as they deal with the grand labyrinth challenge and are probably best read as a whole. I am thinking this fanfiction will be around 20 chapters in total, but that might change. I am pretty close to finishing the final part of this story, so hopefully it won't take too much longer before it is complete. I never start something I don't intend to finish! Thank you all again, and I hope you enjoy these next three chapters. - Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 13

_**If you're going through hell, keep going.**_

_**Winston Churchill**_

The grand labyrinth was at least three times the size of the Goblin King's, and appeared much more intimidating. It was a fair distance from the castle and was part of the sprawling royal lands that stretched out far beyond the horizon. The high king and queen had fashioned the grand labyrinth to their whims and fancies. They conjured up three entry points; one for each of the challengers. There was only one exit, and the first one to reach the finish line would be declared the winner.

Jareth magically transformed his and Sarah's outfits into something more sporting. She requested her own sweatshirt, jeans and running shoes. He reverted to his familiar Goblin King attire, of frilly white shirt, black breeches, boots and high-collared leather jacket. Kareth appeared to have selected some sort of military uniform, with jacket and breeches in various shades of green. His long silver blond hair was swept back in a neat ponytail, in contrast to his twin's wild mane. Jareth tried to talk to Sarah, but she wouldn't hear him. He had made his choice and she would have to live with hers, win or lose. His innate arrogance refused to let him entertain the possibility he might not win, or that she could.

The high queen was eager to get the entertainment underway and she impatiently hustled the challengers to their places. The high king manifested three crystal balls, which would be used to monitor their respective progressions through the labyrinth. Jareth, Kareth and Sarah were each handed a pocket watch marked with thirteen hours. They were reminded that no magic powers were to be used, and any breach of that rule would result in immediate disqualification for the guilty party.

"No harm will come to any of you while you are inside the labyrinth," Hareth promised.

"Such a pity," the queen sighed.

"Nothing that would leave a permanent scar, at any rate," the king joined his wife in a hearty chuckle.

Jareth felt a stab of fear for Sarah, and cursed himself for being such a selfish being. He protested against any harm coming to his beloved, but was silenced by his father.

"We couldn't injure her any worse than you have already done. I promise you she will be undamaged, physically at least, by the end of the challenge, beyond that who can say," the high king smiled contemptuously at his eldest son.

Kareth huffed impatiently, as he had no time for love, and even less so where his brother was concerned.

The challengers were told to make ready and then given a countdown from thirteen.

"Remember, victory is all," the high queen's voice echoed after them as they ran into the labyrinth.

Sarah heard Jareth calling out to her, and she hesitated for a moment. If she won, she would never see him again, and angry as she was with him, it was a terrible thought. Her absent mindedness caused her to almost collide with a wall and it reignited her indignation.

"Damn you, Jareth," she yelled, before running deeper into the maze.

The high stone walls seemed endless as she searched fruitlessly for hidden passageways along the way. A low hissing sound caught her attention and she advanced cautiously towards its source. She swung around a corner, expecting to find the hisser waiting for her there, only to discover the path was clear. The noise grew louder and she spun back to see a huge green striped python slithering along the top of the wall. Sarah clasped her hand over her mouth to muffle a shriek. The snake heard and lowered its head down towards her, so that it was only inches from her face.

"Well, issssn't this nicccce," the python hissed.

"Sorry, can't stop, gotta keep going," she tried to scurry past.

The python plopped down in a vast coiled mound in front of her feet.

"No one may passss unlessss I say so," he informed her.

Sarah looked to dodge around him, but the python swayed from side to side to prevent her.

"I like sssshiny things, give me ssssomething for my collection and I'll let you passss," he hissed.

Jareth had replaced the jewels he'd gifted her with her own things, including the moonstone heart-shaped pendant she been given in Camden. The shopkeeper told her it was for good luck and finding true love, it seemed to have failed on both counts. Sarah had been willing to give herself to Jareth, and he'd rejected what she'd offered, in favour of pursuing his desire to keep her forever on his own terms. It appeared he only wanted her if she was eternally young and beautiful. Sarah believed true love should transcend such superficialities, and if it didn't, then it wasn't. She undid the clasp on her necklace and held it up.

"You can have this," she offered.

The python moved in for a closer look and let her hook it over his head.

"Pretty ladiessss sssshould be careful who they give their heart too," he said.

"Ain't that the truth?" She exclaimed as the snake slithered back up the wall allowing her to get by.

* * *

Jareth was growing suspicious at the lack of obstacles in his path. His parents obviously wanted him to win, and instead of being pleased, he felt slighted. He didn't need their help to triumph over his dullard brother or his beloved Sarah. She was brave, determined, quick-witted and so much more, but she was no match for him. He practically let her win the first time around, and his parents would not be so generous with her. Jareth let his attention wander from the task at hand, so much so he failed to notice the ground was opening up beneath his feet. He found he was spiralling at speed down a helter skelter slide, until he landed with an undignified thud at the bottom. Pride comes before a fall, he bitterly thought. There was a flickering light coming from somewhere up ahead, and he walked towards it.

"Pick a door, any door," a deep voice boomed.

The cavern was then flooded with light to reveal three identical red doors set into the wall. Jareth checked for another way out, only to find he was trapped. He would have to make his choice.

"One door leads the right way, one door leads the wrong way, and one door leads back to the start," the voice informed him.

"How can I choose the right one? I demand a clue," Jareth only liked playing games he had an above average chance of winning.

"You are in a position to demand nothing," the voice reminded him.

"One, two or three? Choose," it impatiently barked.

Jareth paced around as he worked through the odds and the consequences of making the wrong choice. The longer he pondered, the more time was ticking away, regardless, and he knew he could delay no longer.

"One," he growled.

"Are you sure?" The voice inquired.

"What if I were to tell you that door two definitely leads the wrong way? Do you want to change your mind, or stick with door one?"

Jareth reconsidered and recalculated the odds, which suggested switching would improve his chances.

"I choose three," he said.

"Very well then, on you go," the voice instructed him.

He opened the third door and stepped through it, directly out onto a stone ledge with a huge drop on the other side. He steadied himself and his temper got the better of him.

"Damn it," he yelled.

In that moment he saw himself as he'd so often been in the past, laughing at the poor unfortunates who'd faced his labyrinth. His parents were surely mocking him now in the same way. He wasn't given to self-loathing, but he caught a glimpse of how Sarah must have seen him, and might see him still, he didn't like it.

When he turned back to the doorway it had vanished, and instead there was a new path to follow.


	14. Chapter 14

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 14

_**You feel unworthy of the throne**_

_**You have forgotten who you are**_

_**We all have the power of angels**_

_**And we fell from the same star**_

_**The heart of a lion**_

_**And the lips of a child**_

_**One part of you is dying**_

_**And the other running wild**_

_**Kings by The Pierces**_

The high queen glanced disapprovingly into the crystal balls.

"You are making it too easy for Jareth, my dear," she scolded her husband.

Their eldest son was making fast progress through the labyrinth, with just over nine hours still left on the clock.

"He must win, there can be no other outcome," Hareth insisted.

He watched as Kareth repeatedly failed to solve riddles posed to him by a large white and black spotted cat.

"_Until I am measured,_

_I am not known._

_Yet how you miss me,_

_When I have flown!_

_What am I?"_

"The answer is TIME," roared the high king as his youngest son continued to dither.

"Something you are fast running out of, my boy."

The high queen turned her attention to Sarah.

"The human is doing well; maybe we should let her win. Jareth could marry someone more suitable if she was gone, and for pity's sake, he's tried enough of them out. He will still be your heir even if he loses," she argued.

"But he loves her, and she loves him," Hareth said.

Elphina sighed.

"When did you become such a sentimental old fool?"

"Oh, my dearest, it is one thing to have a little sport with our children, and goodness knows they both deserve it. But when it comes to matters of the heart, well, that is a serious business. We married for duty and were extremely fortunate to fall in love. I think our sons should learn the true value of it, and perhaps then they will realise there are more important things in life than getting your own way," he affectionately kissed his wife's hand.

"Maybe the human should win," he said with a devilish twinkle in his eyes.

"Rules were made to be broken," the high queen chuckled.

The high king was missing his afternoon nap and he fought back a yawn.

"I have an idea, let's wind their clocks on by a few hours, if they can't be more entertaining, they can at least be quick," Elphina argued.

She forgot how time could drag when one is constantly watching the seconds tick by.

Hareth nodded and as he was also growing hungry, he quickly made the announcement. His voice boomed throughout the labyrinth, as Jareth, Kareth and Sarah watched the hands on their pocket watches spin round. They were left with only four hours to get to the finish line.

* * *

Sarah followed the path into woodland and she heard voices whispering.

"_Who will she marry?" _

"Hello?" She called out.

"_Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief?"_ The voices murmured in her ears, but there were no creatures to be seen.

"_What about the Goblin King?"_

"I wouldn't marry him if he was the last man on earth, except he isn't really a man, and I don't even know what this world is called. Isn't it the Inbetween Land? Anyway, oh heck, I just know I'm not in New York, or London, anymore," Sarah sighed as she realised she was essentially arguing with herself.

The path continued to wind its way through the trees until it branched off towards a colourfully decorated Romany caravan. There was an old hunchbacked woman in traditional gypsy garb sat at a table and she was staring into a large crystal ball.

"Have your fortune told, pretty lady?" She called out.

"Err, thanks, but no, I've gotta get to the end of the labyrinth," Sarah politely declined and tried to hurry onwards.

The path ahead was now blocked by tall, thick, and thorny bramble bushes. There didn't appear to be any way through without getting lacerated.

"If you get scratched you'll fall into a deep sleep, and you wouldn't want that now, would you?" The old woman warned as she contemplated trying to fight her way through the thorns

"I can help you find the way, pretty lady, come and sit for a while" the gypsy coaxed her.

"Come on, let me show you your future," she said.

Sarah didn't want to loiter, but as there didn't seem to be any other way out, she reluctantly trudged over to the table and took a seat.

"Cross my palm with silver and then we can begin," the old woman instructed her.

She dug around in her pockets, unsure if she had any money, and eventually pulled out a nickel.

"I'm pretty sure there's no silver in it, but it's all I have," she explained.

The old woman seemed satisfied and she instructed Sarah to clear her mind of all thoughts.

"Look deep into the crystal ball and let it show you the way," the gypsy directed her.

There was nothing to see at first, and then white mists began to form inside the orb. They swirled around creating a hypnotic effect and then, very slowly, a picture began to emerge.

"Oh, it's me, and I'm…home," Sarah watched as her other-self went about her business.

She watched as she played a session of Dungeons and Dragons with her brother, gossiped with her stepmother and bickered with her father. She went to the school where she was training to be a teacher, and saw a man leaving a red rose on her desk.

"Who is that?" She questioned as she noticed the man was paying her special attention.

He appeared to be a teacher, and he rather reminded her of the actor, Tom Hanks, only with ginger hair. The man was called Tim, and he continued to bring her gifts and ask her out on dates. Sarah watched as her other self gently and repeatedly rebuffed him, until one day she gave in. They were dating now, only she didn't seem too happy about it, just resigned to it. The picture suddenly went cloudy and the mists began to swirl again.

"Hey, what the heck?" Sarah complained.

"This is only a possible future, it's what might be, not necessarily what will be," the gypsy explained.

The mists cleared again and a picture of a bride in her wedding gown appeared in the crystal ball. She couldn't see the woman's face through the thick veil, but she felt it was her. The other Sarah was softly weeping as she reached for her bouquet.

"_Tim is a nice man, and he'll give you an uncomplicated life."_

She heard her stepmother say.

"_I know, I just thought the man I married would be more than...nice. I wanted someone I'd die for, not be bored to death by."_

Her other-self lamented.

"What about someone you'd want to live forever for?" The old woman asked.

Sarah was too lost in the misery of her potential wedding day to process the gypsy's question, and then something clicked in her mind.

"Oh, so that's what all this is about, huh? Let's show Sarah how dull her life would be if she went back home and married a nice normal guy, instead of a vain, arrogant, selfish Goblin King, am I right?" She raged.

"Look for yourself, and judge the difference," the old woman gestured towards the crystal ball.

She was still angry, but did as she was bid and looked again into the clearing mists.

_**Walking in the snowy street**_

_**Let me understand**_

_**Drifting down a silent park**_

_**Stumbling over land**_

_**Open up your heart to me**_

_**Show me who you are**_

_**And I would be your slave**_

_**[I Would Be Your Slave by David Bowie, from Heathen]**_

She heard Jareth's voice singing to her as the image of another wedding day emerged, and this bride was buzzing with happiness. Sarah gazed sadly into the orb as her other-self beamed with joy. The bride and groom danced together, lost in each other's arms, as if they were the only two beings left in the world.

"It's just more trickery and illusion," she said.

"If Jareth truly loved me, he would have listened to what I wanted, and we'd be back in his castle now, instead of playing this silly game with his horrid parents," Sarah wailed.

"Careful now, human, or else I might begin to get the impression you don't really like us," the gypsy woman transformed into the high queen before her eyes, and laughed heartily at her expense.

"Your highest majesty," Sarah spluttered, and then she didn't know what else to say.

"Have no fear girl, it's quite alright, we aren't nice beings; it just isn't in our nature. We are neither all bad, nor all good, we are mostly mischievous and we can be cruel. We do sometimes get the urge to do kindnesses when there is nothing in it for us, but most good deeds are motivated by expectation of reward. I don't think we're so very different from humans in many respects, except we do not share your physical weaknesses. We do age, but only very slowly, we would grow wizened eventually, if we didn't retire to the Land of Unbeing. What Jareth wants to give you is not for the faint-hearted, and longevity can be its own kind of curse for those who cannot make the most of it. If you want a normal life and a nice husband, you should go home, we'll help you," the high queen explained.

"Never mind me not liking you, you don't like me, and you don't think I'm good enough for your precious son," Sarah's anger returned.

They wanted rid of her, and she really didn't care if the high queen did turn her into a frog, or worse, in that moment.

Elphina burst out laughing.

"You know, the more I see of you, the more I begin to understand why Jareth wants to keep you," she said.

Sarah was completely perplexed.

"When we bond in marriage, it is forever. There is no divorce in this world, and our-kind do not get widowed. If you do not become immortal you will die and leave my son grieving for you until his time came to go to the Land of Unbeing, which would not be for many thousands of years," the queen explained.

"It is in your hands, human, when the path clears you can run for home and never look back, or you can hope for Jareth to triumph," she handed Sarah her moonstone pendant back, which was last seen around the neck of the python.

"You have to decide what your heart wants, and go for it," Elphina said as she faded from view.


	15. Chapter 15

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 15

_**If you want something very, very badly, let it go free. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with.**_

_**Anon.**_

Kareth peered out anxiously from his hiding place behind a huge oak tree. He was sure he had outrun the troll, it was better to be safe than sorry though, he thought. How many indignities was he expected to suffer, he wondered. Kareth heard the sound of his brother's voice jeering at him from somewhere up above the tree tops. He spun around for a better view, which caused him to trip and fall into the nearby slime pits.

Jareth was fresh from successfully completing a 'match the egg to its mother' challenge. He correctly reunited a goose, a crocodile, an ostrich and a dragon with their respective offspring. The grateful friendly dragon offered to fly him some of the way over the labyrinth, and as it wasn't against the rules, he accepted. The chance to witness the spectacle of his brother's mounting humiliations was merely a delightful bonus.

"Dragon, set my son down on the ground this instant," the high king's thunderous voice startled the creature causing it to send Jareth falling to earth, and fortunately for him, he landed on a soft bed of moss.

"You...you always get it so easy," Kareth waved his finger around in anger as he scrambled out of the slime pits and staggered towards his brother.

"All because you happened to pop out of mother first, and even though one of your eyes was damaged in the process, it didn't do you any harm. The ladies love you, and your imperfection, I know because I've had years of them telling me how wonderful you are," he jabbed at his twin's chest.

"This whole fiasco is your doing, and I won't let you get away with it. The throne should be mine, and I deserve it. I'm the one who's been patient and loyal for the best part of five thousand years. I'll see you sent packing back to those stinky filthy goblins if it's the last thing I do," he raged.

"Oh, boo hoo, little brother, maybe if you'd done more than bitch and sulk during all of your miserable existence, father might have named you as his heir. Instead, all your whining about being second best has become a self-fulfilling prophecy," Jareth mocked.

Kareth lunged at his twin and wrapped his hands around his throat, just because you couldn't kill someone, it didn't mean you couldn't hurt them. They scuffled, exchanging blows and insults until they both succumbed to temporary exhaustion. The landscape had changed around them while they were otherwise engaged, and they now faced the final challenge, the mirror maze.

There were less than two hours remaining for them to get to the finish line, and Jareth forced himself back up onto his feet. He was determined to win, and he delivered one last kick to his twin before running for the maze entrance. He hoped Sarah was alright, and was worried his parents were tormenting her. If they managed to keep her distracted but safe, while he crossed the finish line, he would be forever in their debt. He was doing all this for her, and even if she couldn't appreciate it now, she would in time. He would have all of eternity to make it up to her, and he would.

"Not so fast, Goblin King," Kareth sprinted after his brother and followed him into the maze.

"Find your own way, for once," Jareth sneered as he tried to maintain his slender lead.

They faced rows of distorted mirrors that bent their reflections into amusing and grotesque shapes. It was hard for them to resist being distracted and they soon found themselves howling with uncontrollable laughter. They needed to focus their minds if they were ever going to escape. Jareth managed to think of Sarah, and he held onto the picture of her in his head as he made his way to the end of the row. He swung around the corner and into a long corridor which had a full length mirror at its end. He ran towards it and watched with surprise as the image of his love appeared in it. She was somewhere in the maze and was transfixed by a mirror reflection that showed her ageing at an alarming rate.

"Sarah," he called out to her.

She didn't appear to be able to hear him and she began to weep.

"Oh, my darling, Sarah," he cried, "I will never let you wither and die."

The only way out of the corridor seemed to be through the mirror itself, and Jareth launched himself at it. He felt as if he was floating in a glass bubble until the sound of shattering sent him hurtling into darkness. There was a glimmer of light shining up ahead and he raced towards it. He emerged onto a dance floor which was illuminated by coloured lights and six spinning mirrorballs. A rock beat began to play and he felt irresistibly compelled to move along to the music. Jareth was only able to move on when silence fell once more, and then he ran as fast as he could. He thought he caught a glimpse of Sarah as he emerged before another row of mirrors. They tried to distract him with images of women he'd known, and not loved, but they couldn't compete with her.

"Sarah," he called out with increasing desperation.

He ran to the end of the line and gasped, as he turned the corner and almost collided with her. He pulled her into a fierce embrace and then drew back slightly to capture her lips with his own. She didn't resist, but he could see her eyes were red from crying, and that pained him.

"It's almost over, my precious one, and soon we will be together forever," he whispered soothingly in her ear as he stroked her hair.

"Do you love me, Jareth?" Sarah questioned as she pulled away from him.

He looked confused as if he couldn't comprehend her need to even ask.

"My love for you reaches further than the stars, and is deeper than all of the oceans combined, it knows no end, and it will last beyond eternity," he vowed.

She gazed into his eyes.

"Do you love me enough to let me go?" She asked.

Jareth looked outraged and grabbed hold of her arms.

"Sarah, you are mine, don't you understand? He tried to kiss her again but she evaded him.

She stepped backwards and up against a large arch-shaped mirror. He watched in horror as Kareth appeared from the other side and pulled her through it.

"SARAH," Jareth howled.

He dove in after them but the room was a mass of reflections and distortions. He couldn't be sure what was real and was left grasping at thin air. He pursued them shattering glass as he went in a desperate bid to separate truth from illusion.

"Let her go, Kareth," he roared.

His twin's laughter rang throughout the room, as did Sarah's muffled cries.

"I think there's something I would like even more than being king," he said.

"I would like to watch you fail and suffer, as the only thing you truly love is taken away from you, forever," Kareth voice was dripping with glee at the prospect.

"You lay one hand on her and I will..." Jareth growled.

"And you'll what, eh? Kill me?" His brother mocked.

"You've had your way for far too long, it's time you knew what disappointment and despair feel like," Kareth said.

He dragged Sarah out to the final stretch of the maze and the finish line was in sight.

"Go on, human, run," he commanded.

She hesitated and Kareth grabbed her firmly by the throat.

"Go back to where you belong, or die," he threatened as he released her.

Sarah staggered away from him and ran; she skidded to a halt just before she crossed the finish line. She didn't want to be separated from Jareth for the rest of her life, she was sure about that. She loved him, even if she was still uncertain about becoming immortal. Kareth began to stalk after her and there was only one way out.

"SARAH," Jareth finally emerged from the mirror room and began sprinting towards her.

"You're too late," his twin shrieked with delight as he reached Sarah and pushed her over the finish line.

"NO!" She screamed.

Jareth let out an anguished roar and he set upon his brother with ferocity.

"The human wins," the high king and queen declared as they materialised.

They encased Sarah in an enchanted bubble to prevent her from escaping.

Their eldest son broke away from his twin and ran towards them. He threw himself on his knees and begged for his love to be returned to him.

"You knew the rules of the game, and we must honour them. The human will be returned to her home, and you will never see each other again," the high king said.

Sarah was sobbing and she pressed her hands to the bubble as Jareth did the same with his, they both wished for one last touch.

"I'll do anything, just name it," he pleaded.

"Say goodbye then," the high queen ordered him.

"I don't want you to ever let me go," Sarah sobbed as she held her hands close to his.

Jareth squeezed his eyes shut for fear his emotions might get the better of him.

"You asked me if I loved you enough to set you free, I do, I just don't want to ever lose you. Promise me you'll find your way back again, no matter what it takes," he begged.

"I promise," She vowed as she vanished before his eyes, and a single tear streaked down his cheek.


	16. Chapter 16

**I want to thank everyone who provided thoughtful and detailed reviews. I really appreciate your feedback, and I would like to take this opportunity to discuss a few issues raised. I didn't intend Jareth's family to be viewed as evil or insane, and I tried to give them some justifications for their behaviour and a bit of humour. My inspiration for writing them the way I have was drawn from immortal characters in movies, television and literary representations. I was thinking primarily of Eric Northman, from True Blood/The Sookie Stackhouse books, Q from the Star Trek Universe and the Time Lords from Doctor Who. These characters can be extremely charming, mischievous and occasionally benevolent. Their longevity has also made them vain, lacking in patience, compassion, empathy and imbued them with disdain for other qualities they would regard as mortal weaknesses. I've read a few Labyrinth fanfics which have portrayed Jareth's family as being warm, good-humoured beings who are very welcoming of Sarah. I have nothing against those representations, and it's a choice every writer has to make. I also can't deny my own (sometimes nightmarishly awful) experience of in-laws has influenced the way I've written these relationships. I tend not to view people in terms of being good or evil; we all have our flaws and justifications for the things we do, whether other people agree with us or not.**

**Anyway, many thanks to everyone taking the time to read my fanfic, you have made me smile so many times with your lovely comments. I've been going through a pretty tough time recently, and writing this story has been a wonderful means of escapism for me, so I'm doubly chuffed that so many of you have enjoyed reading it. – Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 16

_**Call it magic  
Cut me into two  
And with all your magic  
I disappear from view  
And I can't get over  
Can't get over you  
Still I call it magic  
Such a precious jewel  
**_

_**Magic by Coldplay**_

Sarah woke up surrounded by unfamiliar people and voices. She was unsure where she was or how she'd got there. There was a suitcase at her feet and an echoing voice announcing flights arriving and departing. She was seemingly in an airport, with no memory at all of recent events.

"There you are, we've been looking all over," her stepmother's voice pierced through her fuzziness.

Toby ran over and hugged her.

"Hey, I missed you kiddo," she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

Sarah felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, although she wasn't sure of the reason for her melancholy. A tear dripped down her cheek and she hadn't even realised she was crying.

"You've only been gone for a week," her stepmother rolled her eyes.

It felt much longer, and then she remembered.

"Jareth," she murmured.

"The Goblin King?" Toby questioned.

"What nonsense are you two talking about? Let's go, I've got to get dinner ready," Irene ushered them out of the airport and they headed to the car.

"Did you see the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace?" Her brother bounced excitedly impatient for details.

Sarah mustered up as much enthusiasm as she could to regale Toby and her stepmother with tales of her vacation, excluding her unplanned detour. She couldn't stop thinking about a different castle and another royal family. They pulled up outside their house and grateful as she was to see her home again, something felt different. Sarah needed to be alone for a while, and wearily dragged her luggage upstairs. Her room looked the same as always, she just couldn't shake the feeling she didn't belong there anymore.

"Hoggle, can you hear me?" She sat at her vanity and desperately called out to him, but no reply came.

She did the same for Sir Didymus and Ludo, only to be met with more silence.

Maybe all I have to do is wish for Jareth to come and take me away, she thought. Sarah tried out various combinations of possible right words, all to no avail.

"If only it were that simple," she sighed.

_Well, you wanted to come home, and here you are, _Sarah slumped down on her bed and clasped at her moonstone pendant. She thought about how angry she was when Jareth stole her away, and how meanly she'd treated him. He had a dark side, and she couldn't ignore that, but he was also so very charming. She could forgive him for just about anything, and she had, because she loved him. The pained expression on his face, as she'd disappeared from his view, haunted her. It was as if she could see his heart breaking in two before her eyes. He loved her, the way she always wanted to be loved, and she knew she would die for him, or live forever, if that's what it took. Her eyes grew heavy and she cried herself to sleep.

A soft knocking roused Sarah from her short nap, and she managed a smile as Toby poked his head through the doorway.

"Can I come in?" He inquired.

"Yeah, get over here," she held her arms open for him as he jumped on the bed.

"Why did you say the Goblin King's name before? Did you see him in London?" Sarah thought Toby had forgotten all about that as he hadn't mentioned it in the car.

She stared into her brother's blue eyes, so unlike her green ones, and a little like one of Jareth's, at least. He was so trusting and eager to hear any tales she might care to tell.

"I always told you the Labyrinth was just a story, although you never believed me, of course. You knew it was real, and that the Goblin King actually existed, didn't you?" She asked.

Toby nodded.

"So, you saw him again?" He bounced up and down with excitement.

Sarah smiled, in a sad kind of way; her sorrow at being separated from Jareth was raw.

"I have a story to tell you, and it's just between us, okay kiddo?"

Her brother grinned and swore to keep the secret.

"Does it have a happy ending?" He asked.

"Not yet," she sighed.

* * *

Jareth stared at the empty space which Sarah had so recently occupied. He was as still as a statue with only his eyes betraying the depth of his heartbreak. Kareth kept his distance; his perceived victory had already begun to lose its sweetness. His brother really did love the human more than anything else, and he found he envied that almost as much as Jareth's status as heir. Kareth began to wonder at how much he really wanted to be king, if he could give up his dream so easily just to spite his twin. His determination to beat his brother at any cost, had taken an extremely bitter twist, and he found he could take almost no pleasure from it.

The high king and queen beheld their morose offspring with dismay. They wanted to teach their sons a lesson or two, but it was all such hard work and no fun at all.

"We should have a spot of feasting, I'm sure that will cheer everything up. I could get the servants to scare up some entertaining company. I've heard there's a travelling troupe of wood nymph dancers who simply have to be seen to be believed. What do you say?" Elphina sought to motivate her family.

Kareth beheld his bedraggled clothing and that, coupled with his melancholic state of mind, left him desiring nothing more than to get cleaned up.

Hareth reached out and put his hand on Jareth's shoulder.

"We really should do something to celebrate your return home," the high king said.

His eldest son remained still, but he addressed his family in a cold clear voice.

"I lost the challenge, and you took my Sarah away from me. Nothing else but the superior power of your magic over mine would keep me from her, and you know that. If you won't return her to me, I don't want anything from you, not your kingdom or your throne, not one thing. Let Kareth have it all, I don't care. I am the King of the Goblins, and that's where I belong, not here. I will never see any of you ever again."

The high queen threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Jareth, please don't be so dramatic," she scolded.

He could stand their company no longer, and closing his eyes, he faded from their view.

"Well, that could have gone better," Elphina said.

* * *

The goblins were uncharacteristically subdued when Jareth materialised back in his castle. It was as if they already knew they had lost their would-be queen. Their king swept through his throne room in silence and bounded up the stairs to Sarah's chamber. He paused at the entrance and briefly rested his head against the wooden door. If he could wish her back, he would, and he hoped against hope she would be waiting inside for him. What he wouldn't give to be greeted by one of her passionate slaps, he sighed, and beheld the empty room.

The clothes she'd been wearing earlier that day were spread out on the bed. Jareth had used his magic to transport them back to the castle before the labyrinth challenge. He inched closer to them and pulled off his gloves. The fabric of the dress was comfortingly soft as he held it up to his cheek; he imagined it was her skin against his. He breathed in her scent and fell down onto the bed holding the gown close to his heart.

"Oh, my darling Sarah, I shall never again know happiness," he cried.

The Inbetween Lands were a place of perpetual summertime, but Jareth's mood turned his little corner of it grey and cloudy. The rain began to fall, lightly at first as the odd splash dotted the window panes, and then the skies turned black. A violent storm raged until the Goblin King finally drifted off into a fitful slumber.


	17. Chapter 17

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 17

_**For whatsoever from one place doth fall, **_

_**Is with the tide unto an other brought: **_

_**For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.**_

_**Edmund Spenser, The Fairie Queen**_

Sarah picked disinterestedly at her breakfast, as she thought how strange it was to be doing mundane things again. She was about to visit the school where she would be working, and felt woefully unprepared for it.

"What's wrong? You've been out of sorts ever since you got back. Vacations can't last forever you know," her father broke into her reverie with his usual insensitivity.

She had been home for three days and was still feeling like a fish out of water. How was it that the Goblin King's castle seemed like a more natural environment to her now, than this? She was sure it hadn't always been that way, but something had changed, or maybe it was her. Sarah slowly realised, falling in love with Jareth meant that nothing would ever be quite the same again. Their separation was causing her physical and emotional pain, as if a vital part of her had been severed. Her appetite waned as did her enthusiasm for her old life. Dorothy Gale might have been happy to go back to living in black and white, but it wasn't enough for Sarah.

"Maybe you'll meet a nice guy at this school; there's gotta be some cute young teachers, right?" Irene tried to get her husband support, but Robert was absorbed in his morning newspaper.

"How a pretty young woman like you doesn't have men lining up for a date, I'll never know," her stepmother shrugged as she collected her purse from the kitchen counter.

Sarah froze as she thought about the vision of her possible life in the gypsy's crystal ball. There were worse fates than marrying a nice man, to be sure. But anyone who wasn't Jareth would always be the wrong one.

"We'd better get moving if you don't want to be late," Irene hurried her along and yelled at Toby to fetch his school bag.

They almost sent the mailman flying in their rush to get out to the car, leaving Robert to sort through the bundle of letters and parcels.

They drove in near silence, with Irene oblivious to her son's concern for his big sister. Toby promised Sarah he would do everything he could to help her get back to Jareth, only neither of them knew of any place they could start. They both tried wishing again for the Goblin King to take her away, but it was all in vain.

"Here we are, and Sarah, if there are any cute guys, remember I can always set an extra place at the table tonight," Irene said as her step-daughter rolled her eyes and got out of the car.

Toby wished her luck and she blew him a kiss.

"Later, kiddo," she said.

She thanked her stepmother and watched them drive away. Sarah couldn't help smiling as she pictured Jareth sitting down to dinner with her family. She wondered if he liked tiramisu, Irene's latest food obsession, and hoped one day to get the chance to find out.

The elementary school was a fairly typical and unremarkable brick building, with an archway entrance. The children were arriving in their droves, as busy parents rushed to get them through the gates. Sarah felt overwhelmed by it all and completely lost. A soft spoken male voice from somewhere close behind her caused her to jump, and set her nerves jangling.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the man apologised.

"I just wondered if you needed any help," he said.

Sarah spun around and was completely unsurprised to be face to face with her possible future husband. She recognised him from the crystal ball vision, and he seemed instantly taken with her.

"My name's Tim Wakeman, I teach fifth grade, are you new here?" He inquired.

"Hi, yeah, I have an appointment with the principal, if you'd be kind enough to point me in the right direction," she explained.

He was keen as mustard, and she felt like she was cheating on Jareth just by walking with him.

"You didn't tell me your name," Tim said as he led her to the principal's office.

"Oh, didn't I? Um, I'm Sarah Williams," she reluctantly replied.

He held out his hand and she hesitantly shook it. She tried to make the gesture as brief as possible, but he held on fast for a long moment.

"Pleased to meet you, I sure look forward to getting to know you better," he beamed.

They reached her destination, and she was keen not to give Tim any signals he could interpret as encouragement. He talked about them grabbing lunch together, as they were apparently the only two teachers there under the age of forty. She was politely non-committal and grateful when the principal came out of his office to greet her.

"I just know you're gonna love it here," Tim said as he went off to class looking like he'd just hit the lotto jackpot.

He was a sweet guy, and Sarah felt bad knowing she could never return his feelings. She took her tour and was glad it was over well before lunch time. Mr Evans, the principal, did invite her to stay on for a few hours, but she declined and made up the excuse of a dental appointment. She really would rather have teeth drilled than risk raising Tim's expectations any further.

Sarah wandered the streets without any clue where she was headed. She stumbled across a small cinema showing a matinee double-bill of Gene Kelly movies. She loved musicals and it seemed as good a way as any to spend the afternoon. Sarah took her seat in an almost empty theatre, and settled down for the second feature, Brigadoon.

"_I'm highly attracted to ye. Why, when I look at ye, I feel wee tadpoles jumping in my spine."_

She immediately thought of Jareth, and the effect he had on her.

_Why do people have to lose things to find out what they really mean?_

She let out a heavy sigh; you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. Those words had never rung more true to her.

_"I told you if you love someone deeply enough anything is possible. Even... miracles?"_

Sarah wanted to believe that, so badly. She dabbed at her eyes and went home.

* * *

Toby was waiting for her when she got back to the house. He appeared to have spent the day thinking up various ways they could try and summon the Goblin King. Sarah was grateful for his efforts, and had it not been summertime, she would have tried sending a letter up the chimney, just to please him. He was such a sweet kid and it would break her heart to leave him behind. Toby was willing her on every step of the way, and she wondered if he truly realised what he was helping her wish for.

Her stepmother began quizzing her about the school, and any dating prospects she might have spotted. Sarah didn't mention Tim, and was relieved when the conversation moved on to neighbourhood gossip. It seemed strange to her now, that she'd been fighting Jareth to return home to a place more obsessed with superficialities than a fairy tale world.

"Oh, a package came for you this morning, it's on the coffee table," Irene pointed into the lounge as she continued with dinner preparations.

Sarah wasn't expecting anything in the mail, and she regarded it with apathy until she noticed the return address.

"Is it something you bought in London and had shipped over?" Her stepmother inquired from the kitchen.

Sarah didn't pause to answer as she sprinted up the stairs to her room.

"Maybe we'll need that extra place setting at the dinner table after all," Sarah said as she went to open her package from J & K Quinn's bookstore.

_The Goblin King's Bride_, was the book she remembered seeing in London. It was the one she couldn't recall the full title of after her strange experience in the shop, which looked so much like her copy of Labyrinth. She began to flick through the book, as it detailed how her bumpy love story with Jareth had unfolded. Sarah reached the part where she'd been sent back home and was desperate to know what would happen next. She flipped the page over and started unconsciously reading out loud.

"_The High King and Queen of the Inbetween Lands sat on their thrones and glanced contemplatively at the two empty seats beside them. Prince Kareth was too busy wallowing in regret and self-pity to be of any use to anybody. Prince Jareth, otherwise known as the Goblin King, had turned his back on them for good. He wanted his precious Sarah back, and nothing else mattered to him. His kingdom was close to being flooded from the destructive force of his sorrow. _

_High King, Hareth turned to his queen, and exclaimed, "We must have an end to this strife; the Goblin King shall have his bride!" Elphina was in complete agreement, and a wedding would bring feasting, which was a fine prospect indeed. The high queen pondered on recent events, and reasoned that although their children were wiser for failing the challenge, the resulting misery was a complete bore. "If sons are to be taught lessons it should be done before they reach five hundred years old, by five thousand it is far too late," Elphina was philosophical. The high king nodded, "Quite so my dear," and that was an end to that. The solutions to their woes were right under their noses, and so they worked their magic._

_There is power in words, so they say, and a book holds many wonders in the hands of a person who knows where to look for them. Dear reader, if you seek then you shall find nothing is closed off to an open mind. A sincere wish made from the heart is always a very fine place to start."_

Sarah set the book down on her bed, she'd already tried wishing and it hadn't worked. But if the magic was in these words, maybe she needed to try again. She drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes and clasped hold of her moonstone pendant.

"I wish Jareth, the Goblin King, would come... and have dinner with my family."

She felt a whoosh of air on her face and opened her eyes expectantly, only to discover the bedroom window was open. She was crushed and fell back onto her bed weeping.

The sound of the doorbell ringing barely even registered with her, so lost in sorrow was she.

"SARAH!" Her brother yelled out to her at the top of his voice.

She didn't respond and so he galloped upstairs and flung her door open.

"You have a visitor, come see," he jabbered excitedly and was gone again before she could respond.

Sarah wasn't in the mood for entertaining, and she wasn't expecting anybody, was she? A sudden fear gripped her that maybe Tim had discovered her address. She leapt up and crept fearfully to the top of the stairs.

"I sure wish Sarah had told me you were coming, I would've made my signature dessert dish," she heard her stepmother say.

"Do you like tiramisu?" She inquired of the guest.

"Who doesn't?" A charming and familiar voice replied.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you to every single person who is taking the time to read this fanfiction, and especially to those who take the trouble to write a review, they are all very much appreciated. I am so close to finishing this story, and there will be two more chapters after this one, making twenty in total. I hope you all enjoy these final three chapters, and please keep the feedback coming. - Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 18

"_**By you I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You shewed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased." - Mr Darcy**_

_**Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice**_

"JARETH!"

Sarah flew down the stairs and her breath caught when she saw him. He was a vision of pale ethereal beauty; with a hint of vulnerability in his eyes he seldom let show. She flung herself into his arms, kissing him for all she was worth. He returned her passion with equal vigour and the pair of them quite forgot they had an audience. Irene awkwardly cleared her throat as Toby wolf-whistled them.

"Err; no wonder you've been so down in the dumps since you got home. Why didn't you tell us you'd met a handsome English guy during your vacation?" Sarah's stepmother tried to find out more about her mystery man.

The front door opened and Robert Williams walked in. He had returned from work looking for domestic quietude, and didn't expect to find his daughter being willingly ravished in the lounge by a stranger.

"What in the Sam Hill is going on here?" He questioned.

Sarah reluctantly broke away from her Goblin King and turned to her family.

"This is my fiancé, I guess, Jareth," she said.

"You guess he's your fiancé? After that display I would think you'd know," Robert was incredulous.

He studied her elegant looking blond suitor in his designer clothes and shoes. The man was evidently on a mission to charm with his winning smile and his gift of a magnificent flower bouquet, which Irene was clutching.

"It's just that I don't actually recall a marriage proposal, only being told I was gonna to be your wife, whether I liked it or not," Sarah turned back to Jareth with mischief twinkling in her eyes.

He looked chastened but could see she was only teasing him.

"Where's the ring?" Irene questioned.

"I never heard of an engagement without an engagement ring," she said.

The Goblin King looked contemplative for a moment and then he winked at Toby. He twirled his wrist around and when he opened his palm there was a crystal orb with something shiny inside it. He brought his other hand over it in a dramatic flourish, and with gasps from the audience, he was left holding an exquisite emerald cut diamond ring. Jareth theatrically lowered himself down onto one knee as he reached for his beloved's hand.

"Sarah Williams, will you do me the very great honour of agreeing to be my wife?" He asked.

She let him slip the ring onto her finger, and it was a perfect fit.

"Oh my, it's gorgeous, thank you, yes, of course I'll marry you," Sarah threw her arms around him and the kissing started again.

"_We need to talk, though," _she whispered in his ear.

Toby was wildly applauding them as her father and stepmother looked on with shocked bemusement.

"Isn't this all kind of sudden?" Robert questioned.

His daughter and future son-in-law didn't seem to think it was soon enough.

"That dinner won't get itself on the table," Irene went to find a vase for the bouquet she was holding, and was glad of an outlet for her nervous energy.

Sarah took Jareth by the hand and dragged him towards the stairs, as she excused them for a private talk.

"Hey, no funny business up there, engaged or not," Robert called after them.

He made a mental note to be sure to have his own quiet chat with his daughter's fiancé.

Jareth hesitated on the threshold to Sarah's bedroom. He recalled watching through her window, as he'd been excluded from her triumphant return celebrations several years earlier.

"What's wrong?" She questioned as she took his hand and pulled him through the doorway.

"To lose you once was… necessary, you were too young the first time around, alas. Losing you for a second time was, well, let's just say, I never want to feel that way again," he held her tightly to his chest.

"I told you, I don't want you to ever let me go, but there are things we need to discuss," Sarah kissed him and pulled him down to sit next to her on the bed.

He eyed her warily; afraid she was going to slip through his fingers again.

"I love you Jareth, and I do want to be your wife, but I'm afraid," she confessed.

He began to look alarmed.

"I mean, not of you, or your family, even after everything. I'm afraid of being immortal, and I don't want to go someplace where I'll never be able to see Toby, or the rest of my family, ever again," Sarah explained.

She hoped he would understand her fears, and help her to overcome them, somehow.

Jareth pensively pursed his lips together.

"I have kept things from you, Sarah, and had I been honest from the start, perhaps we might have avoided some of our recent heartaches. I should have trusted you to come to me willingly, and I must confess it's so much sweeter this way. I could have assuaged some of your fears, had I not been filled with dread at the thought of ever losing you again," he was earnest.

She narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

"Keep talking," she said.

"You will be able to return to this world, not as easily or as often as I can, because you will not become fully fae with immortality. But twice a year, at the times known as Beltane and Samhain, the veil between worlds lifts and you would be able to pass through. I cannot apologise for wanting to make you immortal, because I could never stand to watch you crumble to dust before my eyes. You will outlive your human relations by generations, and that is the truth of it, but you will still have me, and hopefully lots of little Jareths and Sarahs, and we will be your family too. The concept of eternal life may seem more like a curse than a blessing to some, and for those with little or no imagination, it may indeed turn out that way. We will choose go to the Land of Unbeing together at some point, so there is an ending of sorts. Our fae ancestors were called the soulless ones, because it was believed they were fallen angels, who were not good enough for heaven, nor bad enough for hell. They were said to be already dead, and yet they would live forever. The truth is we've evolved over the years, as some of us bred with humans and other species. We could live forever, but we would shrivel up and look worse than the goblins. The Land of Unbeing is a kind of heaven we created for ourselves, and all things considered, it's not such a terrible prospect," Jareth paused and gently stroked her face.

Sarah contemplated his words, and tried to comprehend the reality of what he was describing.

"I remember reading a quote once that said, _millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon._ The rain never bothered me, and I don't tend to get bored, there's always something to do, right?" She said.

Jareth nodded.

"I can think of plenty of things that would fill an afternoon, rainy or otherwise," he smirked.

A thought occurred to Sarah and her smile turned to a frown.

"Wait a minute; you still get to be King of the Goblins, and no turning your kingdom to dust or anything, right? I know the high king and queen made it possible for you to come back to me, but you didn't have to make some awful bargain with them, did you?" She was on her guard after recent events.

"Have no fear, my love, we will rule our own little world, and aside from formal occasions we need hardly ever see my family. Father has decreed that I shall remain as Goblin King, and when he and mother retire to the Land of Unbeing, I shall rule the north and Kareth shall rule the south," Jareth explained.

"Are you both okay with that?" Sarah worried about potential future conflict.

"It's less than my brother wanted, but more than he honestly expected, so he's content. I never desired any of it anyway, so half a kingdom has got to be better than bearing the full weight of all of it. I can endure anything with you by my side," he said.

She kissed him and eased him back against the bed. Her hands wandered over his firm lean chest as she felt her arousal building. There was something so attractive about Jareth, aside from his good looks; it almost was like a magnetic pull. Her lack of experience was forgotten as she trailed her tongue up his half exposed chest to his neck and then to his right ear.

"Mmm, you taste so good," she sighed.

"Sarah, my precious one, it is such a pity, but we must wait for our wedding night," Jareth reluctantly tried to cool her ardour.

"Your purity will help with the immortality ceremony and with our bonding. We will be married the day after tomorrow, it's all arranged. When we make love for the first time it will be a very intense and special experience for both of us, I can promise you that," he said.

Sarah blushed.

"At least one of us will know what they're doing, I hope I won't be a disappointment to you," her self-confidence crumbled and she couldn't bear to meet his gaze.

He reached out and gently tilted her head up so he could look deep into her eyes.

"Sex without love can be very pleasurable there's no denying that, but ultimately it's a hollow experience. When we join together we will be two whole beings becoming as one, and our love will take us as deep into the realms of pleasure as it's possible to go. You could never disappoint me, Sarah, so please don't even entertain such foolish notions," Jareth rebuked as he gently stroked her face.

She leaned in to kiss him again when a knock at the door made her jump.

"What is it?" She impatiently snapped at whoever was outside.

"Mom says dinner's ready," Toby answered, a little hurt by his sister's sharpness.

"Hey, kiddo, get in here," she said, wanting to make amends.

Her brother peered sheepishly around the door and immediately cheered up at the sight of the grinning Goblin King.

"What a fine young fellow you've become," Jareth said as he got up to greet the boy.

Toby surprised him with a hug.

"My sister is gonna be Goblin Queen? That is way cool. Will I be able to come see you?" He asked.

Sarah's heart broke for him, and she cursed herself for not explaining the situation better. She would visit him when the timing allowed, but he couldn't follow her. It was hard for her to believe she had once wanted rid of him, but if she hadn't, they wouldn't be where they were now.

Jareth quirked his eyebrow as he pondered a possible solution.

"I do believe, young sir, that if you wished yourself away to us, the wish could be granted. It would be a one-time only deal though, alas," he mused.

"Really? Cool," the boy grinned.

His sister was confused.

"Wait a second, we can't both leave dad and Irene, it wouldn't be fair," Sarah argued.

Toby thought about it and sadly realised she was right.

"We'll come see you when we can," she promised as she hugged him tightly to her and smoothed back his unruly mop of blond hair.

"You could come for the wedding, at least, as long as we get you back home before the clock strikes thirteen," Jareth offered.

The boy's tears soon dried as he began to jump up and down with excitement.

Sarah joined in and she held out her hand to the bemused Goblin King.

"You might have to use that mind voodoo of yours on dad and Irene, just so they accept my leaving and don't question it. Can you do that?" She inquired.

Jareth nodded.

Toby started singing as they walked down to dinner together.

_"You remind me of the babe, the babe with the power, the power of voodoo..."_


	19. Chapter 19

**Here's the penultimate chapter... I hope you all enjoy it... Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 19

_**I absolutely love you**_

_**But we're absolute beginners**_

_**But if my love is your love**_

_**We're certain to succeed**_

_**Absolute Beginners by David Bowie**_

Jareth almost used up his entire reserves of forbearance getting through dinner with Sarah's father and stepmother. She whispered that it was payback for all she'd endured from his kin, and he thought the punishment more than fitted the crime. The small talk was excruciating and the Goblin King resented being quizzed over his suitability as a husband. He was only too happy to use his powers to shut them up and get them to accept Sarah's imminent departure. Toby wanted Jareth to make his parents do silly stuff while they were under his thrall, but his big sister soon put a stop to their fun. She had to draw the line after he made them strut about and cluck like chickens.

She stared down at her suitcase and tried to decide what to pack while her fiancé snooped around her room. He stopped and stared thoughtfully at her M.C. Escher poster.

"I recreated that place just for you," he said.

She could see a sad faraway look in his eyes, and she abandoned her task to wrap her arms around him.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to appreciate it back then, but my baby brother was kinda defying gravity at the time. It's a shame it all fell down because I would've liked to see it again," Sarah rested her head against his.

"I rebuilt it, I'll take you there when we return," Jareth promised.

"Heck, that's gonna be a nightmare to childproof when the time comes," she fretted.

He burst out laughing at the thought of it.

"Our children will need no such protection, I assure you," he said.

Sarah returned to her packing and she held up a choice of swimwear.

"Which one do you think?" She appealed to Jareth for his opinion.

His eyes trailed over the proffered skimpy bikini and a more conservative looking swimsuit.

"Both," he said, "but that one will be for my eyes only," he indicted towards the two piece set.

She pushed down on the top of the case to get it closed and Jareth helped her zip it up.

"Could we take a walk through the labyrinth tomorrow? I'd like to see my friends before we get married," Sarah requested.

He frowned.

"You will soon become their queen, it won't do for us to be scampering about our kingdom with all manner of fuzzy creatures," he sneered.

She fixed him with a narrow-eyed glare.

"That sounds more like something your family would say. I've got other reasons for wanting to get to know your world better, because of all the careers I considered when I was going to college Goblin Queen wasn't even on the list. How in the heck am I supposed to prepare for such a thing, other than by getting to know the land and the creatures I'll be ruling over?" Sarah questioned.

Jareth regarded her for a long moment and then he let out a heavy sigh.

"Very well," he wore a petulant look.

Sarah cradled his face in her hands.

"If we're gonna make our marriage work, you're gonna have to learn not to be such a sore loser," she kissed his pouty lips.

"I've already won the only prize that really matters," Jareth conceded

Sarah clasped his hand in hers and they went to bid farewell to her family. She hugged her stepmother and father tightly to her and tried to hold back the tears. She hoisted her brother up in her arms, and made sure to whisper instructions on what he was to wish so he could come to her wedding. He nodded and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"I'll come visit," she promised as Jareth held out his hand for her to take.

He froze her father and stepmother in time for a moment, and they waved to Toby as they disappeared into the ether.

"It's only forever, not long at all," he whispered in her ear as she pressed her tearstained face against his shirt.

* * *

Sarah skipped down the castle steps in a particularly happy mood. The previous evening had been spent exploring the castle with Jareth, and he made it a wonderful time. He had playfully chased her around the Escher room until they'd collapsed together in a giggling heap. He vividly translated the elaborate woodcarvings and tapestries that hung on the walls, making his history come alive for her. The Goblin King delighted in giving her a taste of the many wonders still to come during their lives together. They kissed goodnight under the stars, and she had awoken excited at the thought that her wedding day was only one more sleep away.

The goblins were running amok when Sarah entered the throne room and the whole place was in uproar. Jareth wasn't there and a couple of chickens were roosting in the space meant for him. She shooed them away and set about trying to restore some order. The floor seemed to be covered with critters of all kinds and things she didn't want to think about. Sarah stepped carefully over to the throne and after brushing off some stray feathers, she sat down.

"This mess will not do at all," she roared, affecting Jareth's accent.

"You," she pointed at the nearest goblin.

"What's your name?"

The hairy raggedy creature started bowing.

"Grub, your-almost-majesty," he squeaked.

"Well, Grub, you and your friends had better start tidying up or else… I won't read you a story, and it's a good story too," Sarah teased.

The goblins looked unsure at first, but she couldn't bring herself to threaten them with the Bog of Eternal Stench.

"Well, hurry up," she snapped, and the various critters jumped to obey her orders.

She went to the library to select a suitable book and returned to a fairly presentable throne room.

"Much better," Sarah said and ordered them to all to sit comfortably so she could begin reading.

She opened up the copy of Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes and began with Little Red Riding Hood and The Wolf.

The Goblin King was astounded to find his subjects in rapt attention; hanging onto his beloved's every word. They oohed and ahhed before finally collapsing into fits of laughter as he watched Sarah in awe from his concealed place on the stairwell. He made himself known with loud applause as she finished the verse with a dramatic flourish.

"You are spoiling them, my precious one," he said as he walked through the assembled crowd not caring where he trod.

"I'm starting to think my teaching skills won't be wasted after all," she beamed as she rested back on his throne.

"I can see I am going to have to do some redecorating around here," he waved his hands around and produced a crystal ball.

Sarah gave him a curious look, thinking he was dissatisfied with the goblin's attempts at cleaning up.

"My queen needs a throne of her own," Jareth said as he gestured for her to move behind him and he threw the crystal at the space she'd vacated.

A blinding flash of light illuminated the entire room and when it faded there were two thrones sitting side by side.

Sarah smiled and rewarded the king with a kiss.

"How about we take that walk through the labyrinth?" She asked.

He gave an unenthusiastic nod, and she rushed off to put on some suitable prospective Goblin Queen attire. She re-emerged in the dark green leather jacket he'd had made for her, with matching boots and a white blouse with black pants.

"It is customary for queens to wear gowns," Jareth was unimpressed with the lower half of her outfit.

"Well, this queen is gonna tear up the rule book," she said and dared him to argue.

His eyes were stormy for a moment, and then he broke into a toothy grin.

"Shall we?" He held out his arm to her and she gladly accepted.

They made their way through the Goblin City and to the gateway which led to the labyrinth.

The great door groaned open and the sound of rapturous cheering greeted them.

Sarah was overwhelmed as she saw Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus astride Ambrosius, along with an assembled horde of creatures. Her friends tentatively stepped forward, as they were conscious of her soon-to-be elevated status. She wasn't about to stand on ceremony and she moved to envelop them in a warm hug.

"I missed you all, so much," she said as they individually welcomed her home.

Jareth stood back and let her enjoy the moment, although he kept his swagger stick ready for any creature who dared to get too familiar with his beloved.

"Your subjects already adore you, my precious one, you were born to be my queen," he crowed with pride.

"You shall all come to the wedding," Sarah addressed the crowd and they cheered even louder than before.

Jareth scowled.

"We are going to need a bigger cake," he said.


	20. Chapter 20

**Well, here we are, my friends, the final chapter. I have really enjoyed writing this fanfiction, it's been a nice bit of escapism from my sometimes not-so-nice real life. I hope the ending doesn't disappoint, and I thank you all for taking the time to read this story. There are adult situations hinted at here, but I don't think it crosses into M rated territory. I do have an idea for an M rated Labyrinth fanfic, which I will work on and see if it goes anywhere. I'm pretty busy at the moment though, so I can't promise anything. Thank you again, to every single person who's read this fic, and taken the time to leave a review. -Mrs P.**

* * *

The Goblin King's Bride

Chapter 20

_**If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.**_

_**Orson Welles**_

"White leather and feathers?" Sarah exclaimed as she examined the wedding outfit which had been made for her.

The bodice of the dress was embroidered white leather. The skirt was flared tulle with hundreds of tiny diamonds sewn onto it. There was a white feathered cape, made from familiar looking plumage and matching jewelled suede ankle boots. She also had an amulet necklace just like Jareth's and a crown which bore the same symbol on its peak. It might not have been what she imagined getting married in, but it worked somehow. Sarah ran her hand over the soft feathers of her cape with a building sense of anticipation. She probably would have chosen something more traditional, but she was marrying a Goblin King, and unconventionality was expected. Her hair was back combed to within an inch of its life by an overenthusiastic elf stylist, and then she was given a full face glittery makeover by an elf beautician. Sarah hoped her eye shadow wouldn't clash with Jareth's, and thought how disconcertingly attractive he looked in make-up, while still retaining his masculine appeal.

She let her elf helpers lower the crown on top of her puffed up hair, and assist her in fastening the cape. The jittery nerves which had been plaguing her since the previous evening were back with a vengeance. Sarah slipped on her boots and drew in a deep breath as she walked over to the full length mirror. A gasp of pure joy escaped her lips as she twirled from side to side.

"Not bad at all," she smiled at her reflection.

A knock at the door signalled it was time for her to join the wedding party. She hadn't seen Jareth's family since the day of the grand labyrinth challenge, and she expected them to be troublesome guests. They were no doubt less than impressed to be surrounded by goblins and all manner of other creatures. But this was the domain of the Goblin King, and his soon-to-be queen, and they would just have to lump it, she defiantly thought.

Jareth was waiting to greet her as she stepped out of the bedchamber. His eyes swept appreciatively and lasciviously over her.

"I once told you that you were my wish come true, and oh, my precious one, you are," he sighed as he took her hand and kissed it in a reverential way.

Sarah gazed adoringly at him, as she admired his outfit, which was similar to the one he'd worn when she'd defeated him and reclaimed Toby. He wore a feathery cloak over a white ruffled shirt and white leather jacket. His breeches and boots were also made to match. Jareth's hair was as wild as ever and his crown was almost buried under it. His amulet kept getting lost under the ruffles of his shirt, and Sarah reached out to adjust its position.

"_I ask for so little, just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want,"_ she murmured.

"_Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave," She_ trailed her fingers over his chest as she recalled his earlier words.

He tilted his head slightly to one side, and his mouth twitched contemplatively.

"These terms are acceptable to me," he said as a grin spread across his face.

She brushed her lips softly over his and he made a throaty growl as he deepened the kiss.

"Are we to have a wedding today, or not?" The high queen's exasperated voice rose above the noise of the assembled rabble.

Sarah reluctantly broke away from Jareth and they straightened each other's crowns.

"Shall we?" He said.

She linked arms with him and they descended the stairs to the great hall.

"Well, it's about time," the high king grumbled.

"We thought you'd forgone the ceremony in favour of starting the festivities early," Kareth suggestively raised his eyebrow.

"Hey, sis," Toby called out and waved as he frolicked around with some new goblin friends.

The wedding feast was already set out, and at its centre was a cake so tall, the top tier was almost touching the ceiling. They were taking a chance leaving it within reach of so many unruly creatures, many of whom were in high spirits, and hungry. The assembled throng of unusual guests parted so that Jareth could escort Sarah to a flowery altar, where his family were waiting. The high king was holding a small silver goblet which was engraved with a spiral pattern. She presumed this was the infinity cup, and a frisson of terror prickled at her for what she was about to undertake. Jareth eyed her nervously as he sensed her fear, but she forced herself to smile in an effort to reassure him. The choice had already been made, and she wasn't going to change her mind now.

"Sarah, step forward," the high king commanded.

He was addressing her by her name, at least, and not merely as human, which she supposed she wouldn't be for much longer. Hareth twirled his wrist and opened his hand to reveal a small vial which contained a frothing green substance. He crushed it over the cup, letting the foul looking liquid ooze out. Sarah grimaced as the high king held the vessel for her to take.

"May the blood of the soulless ones grant you life eternal," he said.

"Will it make me feel any different to the way I do now?" She asked.

"It will amplify your senses, in that you will feel more alive than ever before," the high king explained.

She looked over at Jareth, who was silently willing her on, and he gave a nod of his head as encouragement. Toby gave her the thumbs up sign, as he stood with Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus. The high queen and Kareth were too busy shooing away overenthusiastic goblins to offer any support. Sarah lifted the cup to her lips, and was pleasantly surprised to find the green liquid tasted like apples. She drank it down in one gulp and tried to discern if there was any change in the way she felt. There was no immediate effect, and she didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

The wedding ceremony was to be conducted by an old fae male, who was introduced as the Keeper of Secrets. His name was Rapando, and he manifested before them in a glittering flash. He wore a billowing dark blue cloak which sparkled with star like jewels. Jareth reached for Sarah's hand and he planted a kiss on the inside of her wrist. He indicated that she should do likewise to him and then he clasped her hand in his.

"Two are bound as one, from this day and for all eternity," Rapando said as he grasped their joined hands.

When he released them, Sarah was shocked to find a spiral tattoo on her palm, which matched an identical one on her husband's.

"All hail the Goblin King and Queen," he proclaimed.

The room was shaken by an almighty cheer as Jareth took his bride in his arms. The moment their lips met, Sarah felt her enhanced senses kicking in. Their kiss sent sparks through her entire body, until it was as if all her nerves were tingling in unison.

"My dear boy, do hurry up and announce the feasting, or I fear I shall faint clean away," the high queen snapped impatiently.

The rest of the mismatched hordes of guests were beginning to grow restless, and so the Goblin King reluctantly broke away from his wife.

"Let the feast begin," he commanded.

"That was one short ceremony," Sarah chuckled.

She thought about a Catholic wedding she'd once attended that seemed to go on forever.

"It's not over yet," Jareth said, his eyes blazing with desire.

"The bonding part happens later, in bed. I believe they used to perform it in front of the guests, in the olden days. But I think mother would object if we tried to revive that particular tradition," he grinned.

"She wouldn't be the only one!" Sarah snorted.

They took their seats at the feasting table as guests filed by to offer their congratulations. Toby kissed his sister and shook hands with his new brother-in-law. He was having the time of his life with all the goblins that were glad to see him again. Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus were merry with joyful delight at their new queen. Kareth warily approached them and he reached out and took Sarah's hand.

"I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me," he begged.

She eyed him with suspicion, but he looked so much like the man she loved, she found her anger dissolving. Jareth wasn't willing to be quite so magnanimous.

"I think a few thousand years spent apart, should rid me of the urge to want to strangle you until your perfect blue eyes pop out of your head," he growled at his twin.

Kareth nodded in agreement, and scooted off to try and find someone to spend the evening with who wasn't completely covered in hair.

The high king and queen were mellowed by the food and ale. They weren't quite so priggish once they got drunk. Sarah was still grateful she wouldn't be obliged to spend much time in their company. She would try and make sure they were supplied with copious amounts of goblin ale, whenever family gatherings couldn't be avoided.

"Where I come from, it's customary for the bride and groom to have a first dance together, can we do that?" Sarah asked.

Jareth appeared more than happy with the suggestion, and he manifested three crystal balls which he sent flying off into the air.

"If my precious wife wants a first dance, she shall get one," he said.

"And this time it won't be ruined by a chiming clock."

The crystal balls swirled around and collided to create a glittering dance floor illuminated by three floating chandeliers. The goblins and other creatures scattered to make room for the happy couple. Jareth led Sarah out and put his arm around her as they began to move in rhythm to the music.

_**But I'll be there for you-ou-ou**_

_**As the world falls down.**_

_**Falling.**_

_**Falling down.**_

_**Falling in love.**_

_**[As The World Falls Down by David Bowie]**_

The feasting and partying looked set to go on into the next day, but Toby's thirteen hours were almost up. He didn't want to leave and complained loudly about how unfair it was.

"Your family has a keen sense of personal injustice," Jareth dryly remarked.

Sarah hugged her brother tightly to her, despite his protests. She promised they would visit, and it would be Halloween when she saw him again.

"Bring lots of candy," he pouted.

The clock began to chime and all the goblins who hadn't succumbed to a drunken stupor came to bid Toby farewell. His sister kissed him and Jareth ruffled the boy's blond hair before sending him back home.

The Goblin King wiped away his queen's tears and led her to the staircase.

"Let us go to bed, my precious one," he said.

She eagerly nodded and they took their leave of the drunken revellers.

It was many hours, maybe even a day later, when Sarah awoke in the arms of her husband. Their bed chamber was littered with scattered clothes, boots, crowns and feathers. She surveyed the damage and tried unsuccessfully to care as Jareth stirred beside her. His hands started to wander over her body and she whimpered with delight.

"If we do this every day, from now until the end of time, that's just fine with me," she said.

"Oh, you starve and near exhaust me, my precious one," he gave a mock dramatic sigh.

Sarah pulled him under the covers and they burst out laughing.

"Will we always be this happy, do you think? She questioned.

Jareth made a face like he was giving the matter serious contemplation, and then did something which made her purr with pleasure.

"Every day I think I can't possibly love you more, and then I do, so I believe we will," he said.

* * *

Did the Goblin King and Queen live happily ever after? Yes, mostly, because no one is happy all of the time. They argued on occasion, which they both secretly enjoyed, and the fire between them burned brightly. Their six children were a source of constant joy, and frequent frustration. Jareth often wished for the goblins to take them away, which they did, but then they brought them right back again. Sarah visited Toby and her family for many years, until her lack of ageing began to bother them. Her brother was married with a family of his own by that time, and so she didn't feel too bad about leaving them to get on with the rest of their lives. She loved all her children equally, but the youngest, named Jareth Junior, or JJ for short, was the apple of all their eyes. He was a blue-eyed baby with a shock of blond hair and a mischievous spirit, just like his father. Sarah wrote lots of stories to read to her children, but their favourite one by far was The Goblin King's Bride (with the adult bits edited out, of course).

**THE END.**


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