Strangers 'Til Now - A Labyrinth fan fiction

Chapter 5 - Training

They entered the corridor Sarah instantly recognized as the one that lead to their suite.

"When mother learns of our engagement, she'll expect us to visit them right away so she can present you to the rest of the underground. She'll insist on throwing a gala in our honor and no amount of refusal will change her mind." Jareth said.

They reached the suite. As Sarah turned to enter the bedroom she stoped short, blushing a bright red. The room instantly frazzled with her noticeable panic. Sensing the sudden change and suspecting why, Jareth stepped in front of her and gently lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes.

"I will hold no expectations right now, my pet. I will leave you to sleep alone in my bed. But know that I am here if you need or want me. I want you to love and trust me on your own terms."

He kissed her on the forehead and used the bathroom before lying down on the couch under a heap of blankets and pillows he conjured for himself.

Sarah followed close to the same routine, taking a lot longer. Jareth was nearly asleep by the time she was finally ready. She stood in the doorway, watching him. Feeling her gaze he opened his eyes lazily and looked her way. She smiled at him.

"Good night Jareth."

"Good night Sarah."

She laid in the huge bed. As comfy as it is, she still had a difficult time falling asleep. When she finally did, Toby's face flit in and out of her dreams. In the morning, she felt as though she didn't sleep at all.

Jareth was already gone when she entered the sitting room. She made up her mind to explore the castle and grounds.

Her day was made even better by the arrival of Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus. They spent the day exploring the Labyrinth until Jareth showed up and announced dinner time.

"I'll not seek you out again," He told her as they enter the dining room. "You're to be here every day at 7 sharp, or you will go hungry."

Sarah nodded her agreement and they began to eat. The food is every bit as good as it'd been the night before. She was shocked to hear that Jareth had cooked it himself.

The meal was relatively quiet until Jareth tells her he'd cleared his schedule to begin her training the next day. Sarah went to sleep excited and wakes ready and willing to learn how to use these new powers she had been given.

They gathered in the throne room after breakfast to begin.

"Do I hold power like yours?" She asked, the excitement lighting up her face.

"My pet, no ones power is as great as mine, though some like yourself seem to think so." He said. "I will teach you all you wish to know and then some. You're going to be helping me rule this kingdom, I can't have you being clueless to the tricks of Fae."

"Tricks? I don't wish to be like you." She spat her words at him.

"I prefer it that way," He said, unaffected by her outburst.

The two set to work, Jareth first tried teaching her to see Toby in the crystals.

It proved to be harder than she thought and by the end of the morning she still had no luck, even under Jareth's persistent tutelage. They took a break to have some lunch, then went right back to training. Jareth tried a different tactic and stopped hiding his irritation. Maybe it would help her work harder and accomplish something.

"Concentrate!" He commanded while pacing the room.

"I am!" She exclaimed before throwing the crystal.

"No, you're not!" He stopped pacing and turned on a heel to face her. "You should have seen something by now. You're not trying."

"It's so difficult! It's not fair!"

"Whats not fair, my dear pet, is that I am wasting my time with a simpleton!" Jareth threw his hands into the air and flopped sideways into his throne, legs dangling over the arm rest. "If you haven't grasped it by now, you're not going to."

Sarah looked at him, hurt that he'd called her a simpleton. She turned away from him to brush off the tears that began to form in her eyes. Then she walked over until she stood directly in front of him.

"Show me again," She says in a firm voice.

Jareth sighed and gazed intently into a new crystal he conjured. White smoke swirled within for a few seconds before Toby's face filled it, laughing at his Saturday morning cartoons. Sarah looked intently before gingerly taking the crystal from his hands. Toby's face lingered a few seconds before disappearing. She groaned in irritation.

"Ugh!" She threw the crystal, adding it's shards to the ever growing pile in the corner. She turned to leave the room, giving up for the day.

"Sarah," She turned toward the King. "We'll try again tomorrow."

She simply nodded before exiting.