Sarah's Choice

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sitting in the warm water, Sarah watched Aurea put things away. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Her and Jareth had talked for hours, but not really about anything. He wasn't the same. There wasn't any tricks or illusions. But she was marrying Jason in a few weeks. So why was he the only person she was thinking about him and not her fiancé? Sarah sat up and opened her eyes. Aurea was gone. She had left Sarah a nightgown on the bed. Sarah dunked her head under the water. She opened her eyes as she came up. After a few more moments, Sarah got out and dried herself off with a towel before getting into the nightgown.

Sarah sat down in front of the mirror on the vanity. As she began to brush her hair, Sarah mind wandered. Ever since she had started dating Jason a year ago, she had dreams of him. He had haunted her every waking moment and in her dreams. She had painted the painting in hopes the dreams would stop, but it only made things worse. It had made her feel as if he was always watching over her. Sarah shook her head and looked at herself in the mirror. "Think about Jason not him. He's not the guy you're marring in a few weeks."

Jareth sat in his bedchamber looking at his empty bed. The dark green and brown covered bed didn't call him to rest. His mind was on Sarah. Was she thinking of him or her fiancé? He held a crystal orb in his right hand. The orb remained motionless in his grip. He leaned back in the armchair and closed his eyes. Just to be near her again made him feel alive again. The darkness of his room surrounded him as he rose. He walked to the window and opened the drapes. Jareth looked out at the labyrinth. It surrounded him his whole life, but it wasn't a prison. It wasn't a tool to earn a woman's love. It was something to protect his kingdom and Sarah if she stayed. He closed the drapes and laid down on the bed. Looking up at the canopy above, Jareth closed his eyes. He had reached her, but would it be enough.

Sarah sat on the bench in the garden with Ambrosius. She followed Jareth's rule of no goblins. Since Sir Didymus was helping Hoggle with something, she had taken Ambrosius and come to the "Secret Garden." Her clothes had yet to return so today she sat on the ground in a light blue every dress. It was light and if wasn't that bad compared to the evening gowns. Ambrosius ran around as Sarah watched. She'd asked around the castle, but no one had seen Jareth for a few days. Sarah tried to push him out of her mind. Jason had to be worried. Her dad and step mom wouldn't be worried about her and Toby missing. His mom barely paid attention to him. She had all but raised Toby herself. Sarah looked at the doorway and saw Hoggle standing there. She stood up and went toward him. "Hoggle, what are you doing here?" He looked at Sarah. "Something has happened, Sarah. We need you're help." Sarah walked over to him. "What is it? How did you know about this place?" Hoggle looked up at her, as she got nearer. "I've always known about it. I'm not allowed past the doorway. It's not Toby. It's Jareth. He's returned, but he's unconscious. They're taking him to his bedchamber." Sarah looked down at him. "Where's his room?" Hoggle glanced down. "His chambers are the ones to the right of yours, Sarah." She watched as Hoggle began to walk away from her. He was right beside her the whole time.

Sarah stood at the entrance to Jareth's room. Goblins ran in and out. An older one came out and looked at her and smiled. "He'll be fine." He walked away. Sarah walked inside and stopped. Around her the room spun, it was her room just without all the feminine touches she had added. She walked over to Hoggle who sat on a stool looking at Jareth. Sarah stood beside him and then looked at the Goblin King. He looked like a corpse. His skin was white and his hair didn't look like his. Sarah sat on the bed. Hoggle watched as Sarah touched Jareth's un-gloved hand. Slowly he got up and walked out leaving Sarah alone with him. Sarah sat there for hours waiting for him to wake up. She ate her dinner in his rooms. All the servants and goblins stayed away. The only improvement was he was looking better, but he hadn't woken up.

Slowly he awoke. He didn't know where he was. Jareth felt something on his brow. He could hear someone singing. Slowly he opened his eyes. At first he realized he was in his bedchamber. Then he looked to see who was beside the bed. Sarah looked back at him with drowsy eyes. She had stayed with him. He tried to sit up, but stopped when the pain came. He laid back down and looked at Sarah. Sarah got out of the chair and walked out the door. Jareth laid there thinking and smiling to himself. Sarah did care about him. He heard a sound outside the door and hided his smile, but instead of Sarah returning it was the Healer Goblin.

Sarah sat on her bed. He had finally woken up. He'd smiled at her when he saw her. The Healer Goblin had chased her out when he had woken. "You need your rest, Milady. I will come and get you personally if anything changes." Now she sat in her nightgown trying to figure out her feelings. She hadn't thought about Jason in two days. Her only thoughts had been about Jareth. Jareth. Sarah ran the name in her mind. She hadn't called him that before. Sarah laid back and looked up at the canopy above her. She only called him the Goblin King or him. But calling him Jareth at least in her mind felt right. Besides he needed someone now. The fact her wedding was weeks away didn't cross her mind as she fell asleep. Only a handsome dark king with mismatched eyes.