Mine

One

Just as suddenly, it had felt, as he had left, he was back.

She stared at him for the longest time. He looked back, his eyes soft, apologetic. His back was straight though his stance relaxed. Around them people, goblins, slowly began to notice her silence. His presence. They began to stop chattering, dancing. All eyes on him now. And her. She saw him stiffen slightly, the muscles in his shoulders making them rise slightly, framed beneath his regal, silken black cloak. As if to hide it, the former Goblin King stepped around her subjects, footsteps heavy in the now silent circular room. Yet with a remaining kingly grace, he mustered the modesty to bow at the waist to her. The look in his eyes when they met hers told not of defeat however, but of pending victory. He thought that it fooled her. It made her smile. As if to labour the point, she leaned back into her chair, reclining with Royal belonging.

“Long time no see, Jareth.” She smiled even wider though the fury within beat from her very core, “How have you been?”

She felt the confusion, the apprehension in the air as the focus of the room shifted from her back to him. She felt it and she waited, gaze as cold as she was angry. All around them, the candlelit gaze of eager, fidgetting minions fell over them both yet she paid them no heed, holding his gaze with determined intent. If he had seemed vaguely surprised to find her here, in his kingdom once more, he now certainly seemed taken aback by the cool tone to her voice. He obviously hadn’t expected her to stay this time around. It took him a moment to catch himself. Though he barely flinched, she saw it in the slight flicker of briefly raised eyebrows.

“I believe we need to talk, Sarah.”

The rest of the room appeared to hold its breath but she wasn’t surprised. Not in the slightest. Addressing the new queen so familiarly. Tut tut, Jareth. He knew how these lands - his lands - worked. Yet he had no more come to congratulate her on her recent ascension to the Goblin throne than she believed her own act. Still, she continued it, curious as to what he would do next.

Swinging her legs up and over the arm of the main throne, her throne, she leaned her head on her hand. Her long hair, loose and full trailed the length of an exposed alabaster forearm down to the elbow, slightly darker than he had remembered it to be. Pale green eyes lit upon him fully now, the ghost of amber flecks of intrigue visible to him now.

“So. Talk. Jareth.”

“Alone.”

The response was short, sharp direct. Unusually so. Her amusement grew and with it, that smile turned into an impenetrable grin. As she watched, his veneer of regret began to fall from him. She wasn’t doing as he wanted. Without the safety of his throne, it bothered him. And well she knew it.

“No gift, no tribute, Jareth? How utterly disappointing.”

It was all he could do to hold the snarl in the back of his throat as she mocked him, taking on the tone and timbre of his own voice in her own girlish way. Hell, in his trademark breaches and billowing white shirt, she could have been him. Well, he corrected himself, allowing himself to slowly, completely take in the soft curves she appeared to have garnered over the years since he had first seen her. Her body had changed, he thought, as he took his time in ministering her annoyance. However, some things had not: even as Queen, Sarah was deliciously fun to toy with. And to think, she fancied she could beat him at his own game. Lingering ever so slightly longer upon her full breasts, he pushed every button he knew she had without touching her. Once she looked suitably irked, he met her fading smile with a charismatic smirk of his own.

“None that should be enjoyed in the company of others.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Depending on the lady’s tastes, your majesty.”

The words slid out of his mouth, a slither of ice to rest deep within her heart. It had been several months since she had returned at his behest. Even less since she had bested him a second time - and since he had tried to betray her. In hindsight, it had all seemed a little too easy. And the stakes just a little too high. Expression grave, she bit back a bulbous retort of annoyance in favour of asking him directly: “What do you want, Jareth?”

Seeing the conflict in her eyes, the Former Goblin King spread his hands wide, looking oddly triumphant as he looked around him.

“I love what you’ve done with the place. It always was a tad drab.”

“Thanks.” she said shortly, “Cut the crap and tell me why you‘re here.”

“And what is this I smell? Scented candles?”

She held her head in her hands and counted to ten. “Jareth-”

“Drapes?”

Looking up, Sarah briefly sweeped the room for drapes and found none. Glimpsing a pair of iron clad goblins huddled in the corner looking up from guiltily braiding each other’s swarthy matted hair did nothing to improve her darkening mood. Noticing, Jareth chuckled.

“What do you want?” she asked him again impatiently. “In case you forgot, I banished you-”

“You tried.”

“You were told to stay away.”

“And yet I didn’t.”

“Under pain of death!”

“Silly girl.”

Conscious that she was now leaning forward, both feet on the ground, Sarah realised that she was practically yelling. In contrast, Jareth spoke softly, long tendrils of light, silken Fae hair shifting slightly as he lifted his chin to gage her reaction. He hadn’t come back to repent, she realised in one foul moment. He wasn’t even a little sorry. No, he had, as she feared come back to challenge her. He had hurt her and she had reacted, there was no doubt about that. And she had missed him, the lump in her throat told her. It had been an empty threat and one she hadn’t entirely expected him to take seriously. In fact, she had fully expected an audience with Jareth sooner or later. She had hoped however, that it would be later. As he watched her, she instantly knew why it had been so soon.

He knew for certain she couldn’t do it. She opened her mouth to speak, feeling the weight of her subjects watching from all around. As he began to circle her, Sarah stared straight ahead, finding the words.

As it turned out, she didn’t have to.

“Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered,” he began, voice smooth as silk, echoing all around them, “I have fought my way back to the castle, beyond the Goblin City…to take back the throne that you have stolen.”

“I stole nothing! It was you who-”

She began to stand. Hands on her shoulders held her in place. This time, none moved even without her signal. As she looked around, their pinched, comical faces told a story: Jareth might no longer be King but he still had dominion over them. They were scared. From behind her, he continued over her.

“As I did not steal your brother. As I did not steal your heart, Sarah. They were wished away to me.”

She said nothing, listening.

“My will is stronger and my kingdom is not yet wholly yours,” he hissed into her ear, beside her now, “You have no power over me.”

“I’m Queen now. As such, I am just as powerful as you, Jareth.” Sarah shot back, though he noted the quiver in her voice. Interesting.

“Then, Queen Sarah, I ask you: allow me to run your Labyrinth.”

That she hadn’t expected. And it showed on her face. Encouraged, he pressed the issue.

“If you are indeed just as powerful as me, Sarah, then let us see if we are evenly matched.”

Around him, the goblins sniggered.

“Quiet!” he barked before Sarah could. Speaking to her again, he cocked his head, “Thirteen hours of your eternity or mine is surely nothing if not a pleasant way to pass the time, my queen.”

He was up to something, Sarah though. Chiding herself, she amended that he was always up to something. Yet she met him full on as she always had.

“Twelve. You have twelve hours in which to run the Labyrinth.”

She fancied she saw Jareth’s eye twitch. It amused her.

“Or?” he asked, sounding bored.

“You become one of us forever.” And with that, she gestured to herself.

The gesture was met with raised eyebrows.

“One of-” he started as his quick mind finished for him, “Human?”

A soft nod from Sarah. She fancied she saw his resolve waiver for a moment in the hesitation that followed. She was wrong.

“Very well. Though if I am to play your role in this, I fully expect you to play mine.” he said evenly.

“Meaning?”

Jareth laughed openly. A rare and not altogether pleasant experience when on the receiving end. A chill ran through the young queen’s body as it rang out.

“Well, well this shall be pleasant,” he said, smiling a little crookedly at her, “What is it you once said ‘a piece of cake’?”

Surprising him, a quick hand gesture summoned a small, transparent crystal. Holding it between her fingers, she did not toy with it as he might, merely allowed it to rest there. Quite frankly, he admitted to being impressed even by her ability to summon it. Dare he think it? Proud, in fact. Seeing it plainly on his face, Sarah relaxed once more.

“A lot has changed here, Jareth.” she said, examining the crystal this way and that, “I hope you’re ready.”

Watching her fondly, Jareth pondered the mystery of the young woman in front of him. Cocky, arrogant, self assured. Yet fragile. Inexperienced. Even at twenty three, Sarah was but a child compared to one such as himself. And a wilful one at that. And yet she was part of why she had returned, most of why he had returned in fact. The girl was (like himself) beautiful, stubborn and remarkably enchanting. She was intelligent enough to have solved the Labyrinth, brave enough to stand against him not once, but twice and attractive enough to lure him back here. She was also smart enough to know that he was up to something but not intuitive enough to ‘her’ realm to know just what. As she sat upon his throne, in a cage of his own design, she fancied she was free. As she enjoyed her small victory, hesitating long enough to watch him there, waiting to spirit him away to begin his trial he revelled in the knowledge that she was not.

This dalliance would prove brief at best, he thought to himself as she stood. Both she and ‘her’ kingdom would be his soon enough.

And then he could get her out of those frightful clothes.

“I’d ask you turn back but I’m really looking forward to this,” Sarah said lightly, raising the crystal.

As he looked into it and the winds around began to rush into the chamber, Jareth grinned back at her.

“Not as much as I, my Queen.”

And just like that, he was gone.