Time moves on

Time moves on – A sleepless night.


Warnings – light abuse (bit of a slap) angst and languge.


Sarah sighed and rolled over, swinging her legs to the side of the bed as her massive belly rippled again. She rubbed the valley between her breasts.

“Damn indigestion!” she shuddered as the familiar burning sensation rose in her throat. She turned and looked at Jareth, resisting the urge to poke him and wake him up, he worked hard, keeping the Kingdom in order, and he had been a dutiful and attentive husband and an eager father, in waiting for the arrival of his first born. Sarah knew all this but still resented him for his peaceful sleep.

She watched as he claimed her side of the bed, she waddled around the room, trying to shift the endless discomfort that she had felt for the last few days. Despite knowing how exhausted he was, she deliberately rammed into the bed, jerking him awake.

“Sarah?” Jareth reached out around him before leaping out of bed wildly looking around him, still mostly asleep. Sarah took in his form, beautiful in the moonlight that streamed through the window’s, pale skin almost glittered in the moonlight. Muscles tensed as he searched the room for her presence.

“What!” It was a statement, spoken grumpily.

“Are you OK? Is it the baby?” Jareth was beside her, his worried eyes looked into hers.

“For Heaven’s sake Jareth!” Sarah burst out. She loved him so much it hurt, but since falling pregnant his attentiveness has annoyed her, the cruel side to him had diminished, he no longer tormented her, no longer held her at his whim. At first their relationship had been all that was promised, passionate and forbidding, Jareth had never hurt her, but left her in no doubt that he could, if he so chose. He had taken her to heights of pleasure she had never known existed, but brought her back with a crash, he indulged her with gifts and toys, but denied her the freedom she wanted, that was the deal, his love or her freedom. She chosen to stay, she had lived above the underworld without him and craved him every moment. Now she had him, and he had changed.

“Sarah!” he looked hurt, which outraged her, to have spoken to him like this she expected punishment, the cruel grip of his hands as he kissed her into obedience, igniting a fire only he could and then laughing as he left her frustrated.

She pushed him; he gave no resistance and fell onto the bed, bewilderment crossing his face.

“Why are you so weak?” she taunted “Oh powerful Goblin King! You are yielding and pathetic! I used to fear and love you in equal measure!” Sarah’s voice rose to a scream “And now I laugh at you! Where has my commanding King gone? Who is this pathetic creature who cowers before a WOMAN?”

“Sarah what is wrong?” his soft tone drove her over the edge. She flew at him, desperate to glimpse his power, her love was dwindling and she was becoming bored with this new Jareth, she loved the tender side of him, but only because it had been rarely given to her, and only when they were alone, and she always had the impression that he hadn’t wanted her to witness it, that he had let the mask slip slightly. Her own feelings confused her as she attacked him with her fists, she had tried to see more of that side, although he was tender and gentle at times, she wanted to witness his total submission to her more often. Now she had it, she didn’t want it. She laid into him over and over as he struggled to subdue her without hurting her.

“Damn you Jareth you fucking coward!” she screamed in his face “I will leave! I will take our child! You are worthless as a coward! You will be giving out thank you notes to the Goblins next!”

Jareth lost his temper, heedless of her being heavy with his child he threw her on the bed bodily.

“I’ve had just about enough of your shit!” he ground out, the eyes boring into hers glittered with a rage that she had not seen for what seemed like an eternity, it excited her.

“What are you going to do?” she taunted “Take my sweets away?”

Sarah gasped and her hand touched her cheek where a handprint rapidly gathered, he had slapped her!

“You need to learn some manners you ungrateful bitch!” He kneeled on her legs, his hands now pinning her to the bed “I have given you everything, I have denied myself to give you love and understanding as you carry my heir, to not provoke you, to try and give you all you want!” his face close to hers was white and drawn, and dangerous, Sarah felt a flicker of fear – and excitement.

“You have become my doormat” she had to push harder.

Jareth stood suddenly and walked away from her, she followed and he turned on her again, his strong fingers crushing into her face “You will not leave this room” he commanded “And I will not return to you, you will leave here when the baby is from you, never to return, I have been generous Sarah, now as you request I will be cruel” with that he left the room, he knew that to banish her from him would crucify her, and he was The Goblin King, he could not allow any subject to treat him as she had, even if she was The Queen.

Sarah collapsed where he had left her, sobbing.

“No…” she whispered, she had wanted to make him angry but not this angry, she had wanted the old Jareth back, this was a polar opposite of a few moments ago, he would take her child and banish her.

Jareth sat in his state room, looking into the crystal he had conjured, he smiled the old wicked smile as he watched Sarah sob, he had made a mistake, softening to her, she didn’t like it, she truly loved him for who he was, and he now had to punish her to assert his dominance again. He would never banish her, that would cause him too much despair and darkness, but she had believed him and that was what counted; he would leave her until the child was born. He would love it whatever it turned out to be, his child, but to add weight to his dominance he would punish her further if the baby was a girl.

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The serf stood nervously as King Jareth tortured the Goblins before him, laughing as they squealed in pain at the slap of his whip “Majesty?” he whimpered, The King turned, whip raised.

“What?” the serf cowered further

“It is The Queen, she labours Majesty” the serf stumbled backwards and fell over a prostrate Goblin.

“I will be back!” he growled at the goblins. He had missed Sarah terribly; she had been beside him since the day she called him once again, this time to take her back to the underworld. They had never spent a night apart, until the night she had attacked him. Now she was about to give birth to his child, and against convention he intended to be there, his court advisors had warned that it was no place for a King, that he should wait until the Queen was recovered before visiting her, but he had not heeded them. He had not seen her since that night, two weeks ago, although through their combined powers she had called, he had not answered, sufferance was what she wanted, and what she got.


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Jareth cradled the new born in his arms, stroking the soft downy hair. He looked at Sarah, keeping his gaze cold, the only thing that betrayed his distress at her suffering that he had witnessed was a tightening of his jaw. The room had cleared as the Queen and babe were settled, leaving the new family together.

“You have done well Sarah” he spoke softly devoid of emotion “Delivered me a healthy son and heir, now you are no longer needed you are to leave and go into the Labyrinth” he smiled “For eternity”

Sarah was too exhausted to speak, the labour had been long, Jareth had tormented her, calling her pathetic and weak as contractions threatened to rip her body apart, refusing to use his magic to ease her pain. This thought spurred her into speech.

“I hate you” she whispered.

“You do not” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed “You adore and love me, and that is why this will destroy you, I will take our son and banish you”

“No” she whispered “I love you” she looked down, unable to meet his gaze.

“I know” he replied, putting the baby in his crib, he settled next to her on the bed “But it is as you wished, you wanted me to be cruel and I am, I have always given you what you want Sarah”

“Than let me serve you as your Queen again” she begged

“You have shown me the ultimate disrespect Sarah, I’m not sure I can allow that” he smirked, Sarah felt the love rise more, he was here, the King she loved.

“I will make it right” she turned to him, stroking his face “I fear and love you Goblin King”

“Then you may stay, until I tire of you” he said, his face relaxing as she stroked the skin, he smiled and kissed her softly, she returned his kiss tenderly “You silly girl” he sighed and wiped away her tears “Did you think I could banish you? That it would not kill me as it would kill you?”

“I thought you would” she sobbed with relief

“Sarah, you must stop these tantrums as one day it might be your last, I am cruel and I although I love you and worship you as my Queen, these arguments cannot continue, I will lose patience one day and forsake you” he smiled again “However, this time we are reunited and I am delighted that you have yielded, as soon as you are able I will show you just how much I have missed you”

She snuggled closer, her head resting on his chest as he stroked her hair, both relieved that their relationship had retained its equilibrium.

“Do you like your new son?” she asked sleepily.

“My darling, he is perfect, just like his mother, but he must have a name soon, so he can be sworn into court” he yawned, he had slept little being parted from Sarah “But now we will sleep, our son will want your attention soon enough and you must be rested to keep him strong and healthy”


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