The Taming of the Goblin King

Chapter 9

Jareth quickly summoned the carriage and the trio were soon on their way back to the Goblin Castle. If the return journey seemed shorter, Sarah didn't seem to notice. After they pulled up to the castle door, Jareth helped Sarah down, his hands lingering on her momentarily. Once again, Sarah noticed the strange gleam in Jareth's eyes she had seen the night before. Reluctantly, he released her and took her arm to escort her into the throne room.

Almost immediately, they were greeted by a loud bellow.

"Sarah!"

Sarah looked up in surprise to see Ludo and Sir Didymus waiting in the throne room.

"Ludo!" she cried. "Didymus! Oh, how I've missed you!"

Instantly she ran over to hug her two friends and had to fight back tears of joy at seeing them again.

"I say, Lady Sarah" Didymus said." We did not mean to give you cause for tears."

"Oh, don't worry." Sarah assured them." I'm just crying because I'm so happy to see you!"

"Sarah back! Ludo happy! Sarah friend!" her large friend bellowed over and over as he practically squished Sarah with the strength of his hug.

Sarah even bent down to hug Ambrosius who had been wiggling so hard in excitement that he nearly fell over.

Behind Sarah, the Goblin King watched the reunion with mixed emotions even though it was he who had brought Didymus and Ludo back to the Goblin City so quickly. Hoggle's message had not even had time to reach them yet. While it pleased him to make Sarah happy, he couldn't deny that he was envious of the affections Sarah was showering on her long lost companions. Jareth had to mentally reign in his own Fey nature at viewing the emotional scene. He only wanted Sarah to show such affection to him alone! He was actually jealous of a giant hairball, a talking dog and his furry, canine mount! Caught a bit off guard by the ferocity of his reaction, Jareth maintained his distance from the little group.

After the three had talked for a moment, Didymus informed Sarah that it was the Goblin King himself who had brought them back from a far corner of the kingdom where the pair had been off adventuring. Smiling in gratitude, Sarah turned to Jareth.

"Thank you, Jareth." Sarah began. "Once again, you've been very kind to me. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

Jareth looked at Sarah and her friends, his heart still in turmoil. Though he wanted her happy, he found himself at that moment, suddenly struggling to maintain his composure. The powerful conflicting emotions coursing through him made him feel the sudden need to withdraw to sort out these new sensations. It wouldn't do to sabotage their previously perfect day by losing control now with Sarah and her friends.

"You're welcome, Sarah." he replied rather distracted. "I'm afraid I need to leave you now. Enjoy your visit with your friends." With that, he suddenly vanished.

Watching him go, Sarah was definitely perplexed. Their day had been going so well. Then, Jareth had abruptly withdrawn emotionally and physically. What could have happened? Shaking her head in confusion, Sarah turned back to her friends.

In his private study, Jareth sat deep in thought, his emotions in chaos. Just when he had thought things were going so well, the Goblin King had been ambushed by the ferocity of his own emotions and reactions concerning Sarah. First, he had had to force himself to release Sarah after helping her down from the carriage. Then, he had been almost overwhelmed by jealousy at seeing Sarah embrace her old friends. Jareth realized his emotions where Sarah was concerned were growing ever stronger and more chaotic. Though she had only been in the Goblin Kingdom for two days, Jareth was already having trouble controlling his reactions to her very presence. Brooding, he spent the next few hours pondering this new dilemma.

Fey, by nature, were generally creatures of magic and emotion. Both were tied intimately to every part of their existence. Unlike many Fey, the Goblin King had always maintained a firm control on his inner nature, but he had never before experienced such powerful emotions as the ones Sarah invoked in him. As Jareth's feelings for Sarah grew, so did his own emotional responses and desire for her. Unchecked, these emotions were the very reason Fey-human relationships were complicated and often fraught with danger to both parties. Though desperate to give Sarah time to learn to trust him, Jareth knew he might be forced into action soon. Now, he was not only struggling to earn Sarah's trust, but waging an internal battle against his own inner desires.

Sarah was now sitting on her own bed, brooding a bit herself. After Jareth had departed so abruptly, Sarah had been extremely disconcerted to say the least. Still, she had tried to be upbeat and spent several hours enjoying a reunion with Didymus, Ludo and the nearly recovered Hoggle. Like Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo harbored no lingering resentment toward Sarah; they were merely pleased she was reunited with them now.

Finally, Sarah had returned to the Royal Chambers, only to find them empty. Disappointed, Sarah had at least expected to see Jareth at dinner. When Atta brought a tray to her room, Sarah couldn't hold back any longer and asked Atta the Goblin King's whereabouts. Reluctantly, Atta informed Sarah that the Goblin King had locked himself in his study with strict instructions not to be disturbed for any reason.

Perturbed and dejected, Sarah had eaten her lonely dinner in her room before eventually retiring to bed. She couldn't help but be shaken by the Goblin King's abandonment and began to wonder what had gone wrong them so suddenly. Was it possible that he truly didn't care for her as much as she imagined? Or had he merely decided that a relationship with her wasn't what he wanted? Though it was probably a bit foolish, Sarah couldn't stop her imagination from wandering away with itself as she imagined all sorts of reasons that Jareth might have come up with for ending their time together.

Worn out, she fell into a fitful sleep, only to be plagued with disturbing dreams. Though her dream began with the wonderfully familiar ballroom, it soon deteriorated into a nightmare with her endlessly seeking Jareth among the terribly debauched revelers who had populated the peach induced dream on her first trip to the goblin kingdom. But, unlike the peach dream, when Sarah found Jareth this time, he callously dismissed her, grabbing and kissing one of the many well endowed masked women surrounding him. Sarah jerked awake, startled and shaken by the powerful nightmare.

For the first time, she began to question the wisdom of her complicated plan, wondering if it might have backfired horribly. Disconsolate, Sarah let tears fall for the first time since her mother's death, unsure if she had made a terrible mistake by coming back to the Goblin Kingdom.