Sarah's Labyrinth

The Arrival

They woke early the next morning, and, keeping to his word, Jareth threw many insults at Sarah as they rode. Though many passed without a second glance, to which she replied with up most zeal, only one phrase bothered her, as it was said by the man who had just kissed her the other night.

"You are nowhere near as beautiful as Jareth would make you seem," he said snidely, his head resting on top of hers as he spoke. "Of course, I would expect looks such as your own from a mere mortal."

His words left her speechless. She knew that he didn't mean it, not that she wanted him to necessarily mean the opposite, either, but it still hurt coming from his mouth. She bit into her bottom lip to keep it from quivering and showing how much it had hurt her.

"Do you have anything to say to that, mortal girl? Or are you just going to stand there and gawk?" After a few more seconds of silence, he sighed. "Sarah, are you paying attention?"

She nodded her head ever so slightly, still unable to talk.

"Then answer me when you are spoken to!"

She remained silent for a second more before she let out a quiet reply. "While you may believe that, you are one comment in a sea of many. I believe beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."

Once again, he sighed in response. "Sarah, if you speak so quietly, no one will understand you and they shall laugh at you." He suddenly paused for a moment and went over the conversation in his mind to see what could have possibly upset her. As realization hit, he suddenly smirked and moved his head so he could speak into her ear. "Does the thought of the Goblin King finding you average in appearance upset you?" he murmured softly, his eyes glued in front of them so he could avoid any trees.

When she didn't answer, a soft laugh escaped his lips, as not to startle her. "Would it change anything in your mind to know that you are one of the most beautiful people I have ever met?" he asked, his voice low and sultry in her ear.

The way he spoke to her sent a shiver down her spine, one that he likely felt. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but it almost did put her at ease to hear him say those words. Still, she shook her head. "No. Just... can we go back to practicing?"

He paused for a moment before returning his head to rest on her own. "You know, I always heard that mortals were awful when it came to intimate moments. To think that they could ever feel anything close to love astounds me."

"Though you may think that, I myself can vouch that love is something mortals feel often."

"Oh?" he asked. "And how might you vouch for that?"

A small smirk appeared on her face. "Ask Jareth just how much a human's love can make a man bend head-over-heel for a girl."

The Goblin King coughed at her comment, not expecting that kind of an answer from her. That answer might just have gotten her gawked at before fury was turned his way for not reprimanding her for such behavior. "Now Sarah-"

"If that isn't enough for you, know that the possibility for a mortal's girl love drove the great Goblin King to kidnap a girl from babysitting her younger brother while she was on Winter Break because, as he would have you believe, she would 'save his home from destruction.'" His head was now gone from resting on her own, so she turned around as best as she could. "While, yes, she may have saved his home, he also hopes for much more from her. How close am I to the truth?"

"Tell me, Sarah. I still have one question I can ask you that you must answer truthfully. Any question, of my own choosing, or did you forget that?" She froze on the spot, remembering the question. "So, dearest Sarah... If the Goblin King loves you, and longs for you, as you say... Then how do you feel about the Goblin King?" He paused for a moment before smirking victoriously at her. "How do you feel about me, precious?"