As The World Falls Down

Chapter 37

THE NIGHT BEFORE

You stood in the shower and let the warm water pour over your sensitive scalp, over your face and all down your body and hoped that the temperature would help calm the nerves that buzzed in every inch of your body. You knew that there was no real reason to be as nervous as you were; your loving fiancé had spent the past two weeks in an anxious frenzy making sure that everything was set up perfectly for tomorrow's festivities. As much as you were grateful that his persistent tantrums towards the poor goblins organizing it all would be coming to an end, there was a little part of you that would miss hearing Jareth yell "NO CARNATIONS!" and the like from across the castle. You'd also certainly miss him dashing into the room where you were just to hold up swaths of colored fabric so you could choose your favorite, or to dump a bouquet of discarded flowers onto your lap with a kiss before rushing back out. You smiled at the thought as you washed your hair, the gentle lavender scent of the soap soothing you further.

When you finished, you retired to your old green bedroom, keeping with the tradition of not seeing your groom til the ceremony, even though he had protested this notion vehemently. You slipped into your pajamas as you looked at your wedding dress hanging delicately off a hook, your veil bundled gently on the dresser along with your jewelry in a silver music box Jareth had gifted you. When you first opened it, you had bit back a smile when you realized that the plinky tune sounded reminiscent of a David Bowie song, a charming fact that definitely would have resulted in Jareth hurling it out the window if you had told him. Your shoes were tucked next to the seat at the vanity, the last component of your look in place assuring that everything truly was in order. You took a seat and brushed your hair in the mirror with a heavy golden brush, channeling the adrenaline burning in your veins into pinning your damp, clean hair into thick curls at the nape of your neck. You watched your reflection in the mirror and felt an odd, nostalgic pang when you saw the nervous, pretty face staring back. This version of you seemed so incomprehensible to the girl who had stood at the gates of the Goblin City so long ago and stumbled over her own wandering feet right into the king himself. You wondered how the old you would react if you told her that she didn't have to cringe at that awkward meeting because someday she'd be the one wearing the crown. Hopefully. You knew that the day between the wedding and your honeymoon was reserved for coronation, but you hadn't 100% figured out if it was a metaphorical crown or an actual crown. Even if it was metaphorical, that could be changed in a heartbeat if you complained about it to your soon-to-be husband.

Another thing you couldn't quite wrap your head around was the concept of Jareth being your husband. Lawfully, legally, indefinitely bound to your side, 'til death do you part. As much you may have fantasized about it those first few timid weeks, it was still sort of crazy to you. You worried he would change somehow, even though your gut feeling told you that nothing would truly change. It was simply a title that you both knew he had earned. And you were more than certain you had earned the title of wife. Now it was time to make it official.

You crawled into bed, burying yourself under the silk sheets and evergreen blankets, and wondered sleepily if this was the last time you'd ever sleep alone.

Little did you know, down the hall, the Goblin King was worrying about something similar. He was under the covers in his own bed, staring up at the ceiling with his heart racing in his chest under his fine button down pajama shirt. As he lay, his thoughts danced hurriedly in his mind, worrying that the following day would fall to disaster despite his meticulous preparation. The empty space in the bed next to him reminded him how desperately he wanted, no, needed your wedding to go as smoothly and perfectly as it possibly could. He planned to wake up bright and early so he could get things going, but he also realized he may have been doing it so he could spend as little time as he could apart from you. Jareth reminded himself it was only for a single, foolish night, and was certain that if he had anything to do with it, each night until your very last, he would spend it at your side. As he drifted into a shallow sleep, he imagined how you in your white dress would look staring up at him at the altar, and the promise of that was enough to drag him down into unconsciousness.