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Jareth smoothed his hands over his head, making sure that every strand of his hair was in place. He turned around, inspecting his cloak to make sure that it would flare out the way he wanted.
Though he always made sure that his appearance was nothing less than absolutely gorgeous, today was the most important. He needed to be perfect today.
For today, he would be asking Sarah to be his wife and queen.
His heart thumped against his chest, and he cursed his body for perspiring when he had just bathed.
They had talked about their future extensively and were sure of a marriage, so he knew what her answer would be. All they really had to do now was to iron down specific dates.
However, in her culture, it became tradition for the man to go on one knee and present his beloved with a ring to begin the official engagement.
As a king, he knelt for no one.
Except for Sarah.
For her, he would do that and more.
Still, she had rejected him once.
He shook these thoughts out of his head. She had been so young when she first came to the Labyrinth, and he had no right to ask her such a mature question.
Now, she was an adult, his equal, and well-acquainted with his world through their years of courtship.
Above all, she loved him. Truly loved him. She was adored by his citizens, and he was proud of her.
With a smile, he made his way to the portal to meet her.
Sarah practically ran towards his arms, her smile the biggest he’d ever seen.
They met with a kiss, ecstatic to reunite.
“I’ve missed you,” Jareth sighed in her hair. “A week is far too long to not hold you in my arms.”
“Took you that long?” Sarah put her hands on his face, admiring his sky-blue eyes.
Jareth hugged her tightly once more before offering his arm to her happily.
“I have such splendid plans for us today.”
She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. “I can’t wait.”
First, they were going to have a light lunch at the Goblin Kingdom’s Botanical Garden.
The garden’s purpose was to showcase the beautiful variety of plants native to the kingdom. The botanists were hard at work with adding new discoveries on the placards and maintaining the plants despite their different environmental needs.
The Botanical Garden’s newest addition was their bistro, which would feature meals made from the very same plants that were displayed in the garden themselves.
What better way to advertise it than to have their very first patron be the Goblin King and the Champion themselves?
They sat on the private rooftop decorated with tiny lights, plants, and a small fire pit overlooking the garden. As it was winter, there were a variety of cold-loving plants in bloom.
Jareth pulled Sarah onto the couch, the two, bright-eyed and full of energy, as if this was their first date and not a couple who had been courting for many years.
He snapped his fingers, lighting the fire and wrapped a blanket over them as they looked over the menu.
A waitress curtsied in front of them, her uniform a light blue dress adorned with a pattern of tiny flowers native to the kingdom.
“Welcome, Your Majesty and Lady Sarah. It is an honor to serve you both this fine day. My name is Imelda. Have you had a look at the menu yet?”
Jareth tried to hide a knowing smile. Soon, she would address them both as “Your Majesties.”
“What a beautiful name, Imelda,” Sarah complimented. “His Majesty and I are quite interested in the ‘Bite Size’ options, as we couldn’t decide what to try. They all look delicious.”
Imelda bowed her head. “I would have recommended the same. Anything to drink?”
“Some tea, thank you,” Jareth chimed in. “Whatever the chef recommends with the meal.”
Once Imelda left, Jareth made knowing eyes to his lady.
“I’ve brought you… a gift.”
“I’ve heard that one before,” Sarah winked. “Will it show me my dreams if I turn it a certain way?”
“Not quite,” he chuckled.
Stretching his hand upright, he made a motion to pull something from above, as if he was reaching for some invisible shelf.
He placed a book into Sarah’s hands.
Sarah flipped it over to observe the front and back.
The book was titled “A Guide to the Goblin Kingdom’s Botanical Garden” with the owl insignia stamped on it.
“Open it, Love,”
Sarah placed her hand on her heart at the dedication.
“Dedicated to Lady Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth, and a champion for those who are in the constant pursuit of knowledge. We thank you for your patronage.”
Sarah hugged the book to her chest, looking at him pointedly.
“You told them to do that, didn’t you?”
Jareth beamed at her with the utmost pride.
“But of course. It is true and they were more than happy to commemorate you. The last time we were here, you encouraged the noble faeries to dedicate their wealth to caring for our world and to learn more about it. They take their immortality for granted. And now, we have a new bistro, alongside resources to care for these plants.”
He opened the book to the section highlighting the winter plants.
“I know you’d have many questions I cannot answer, so what better way than to bring the experts straight to you? This book is still in its early drafts, so what better person to give than to you?”
“An advanced reader’s copy. Before even the first edition,” Sarah exclaimed with wonder. “Thank you, Jareth. This was so thoughtful of you.”
She kissed him, her heart full.
Jareth sighed into their kiss. Her enthusiasm, freely shown on her face was so unlike the coldness of most of the high fae society. The cold could not touch him when she filled him with such warmth.
Nothing could put a damper on this fine day.
After lunch, they took a stroll.
Sarah had her book out, pointing at every single painted plant she could identify and took notes in the book. She greeted the workers there and thanked them for their hard work.
She was full of grace as a queen should be.
Jareth was just happy to follow behind her. This was the first of three activities he planned for them and already, he was wondering if he should just propose here.
Just then, something caught his eye in the bushes.
Oh no.
“For Bog’s sake,” Jareth cursed to himself, glad that Sarah was in deep conversation with one of the researchers.
He sneakily wandered off, trying to catch the offending creature.
His hand shot out, grabbing a goblin’s arm.
“OWIEEEE!” the goblin whined.
“Blaggerspout, I should have known,” he growled. “What are you doing here?”
“EEEEEK!” Blaggerspout squeaked, pointing to his left.
Jareth’s eyes barely widened when Iglepus and Fibin fell from a tree and onto the walking path, wrestling each other right in front of Sarah.
Blaggerspout scurried away while Jareth was distracted.
“You bit my helmet!” Fibin cried out.
“You ate my potatoes first!” Iglepus regained control, smacking Fibin.
“And you told me that my foot was ugly!”
“Well, it is!”
“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!”
Sarah, snapping her book shut and excusing herself from the workers, running to the offending hooligans.
“Hey, knock it off- AH!”
They knocked her backwards onto her behind, book flying in the air, which was caught by Jareth in one smooth movement.
Sarah tried again, pulling Fibin off of Igleplus.
“What are you two fighting about?”
“He called my foot ugly!” Fibin tattled.
Sarah sat Fibin down. “When was that?”
“Last month!”
Understandably, Sarah was confused.
“But why did you start fighting today?”
Both goblins stared blankly at her.
“Uhhhh?” They mumbled at the same time.
Jareth pinched his nose, doing his best to not kick them straight into the bog.
“What are you two doing here, then?” he inquired.
Fibin scratched his chin. “New fighting spot.”
Iglepus thought it sounded like a great excuse. “Yeah. Shiny tree flowers.”
Sarah pursed her lips together, trying to not laugh.
“You two need to have space from one another. It’s clear that your fighting has brought you two too much anger today. Come on, it’s Yule season!”
“But, Ladyyyy!” Iglepus whined. “He ate my potatoes!”
Jareth stepped in. “I will get you more potatoes later, all right?”
“Really? OKAY!”
And the two trotted off.
“Excuse me?” Jareth called after them. “I did not dismiss you.”
“Uh, can I be excused?” Iglepus asked.
“You mean can we be excused?” Fibin clarified.
“Whatever!” Iglepus groaned.
Jareth waved a dismissive hand. “Yes, yes. And don’t cause any more ruckus.”
“We won’t!”
Sarah raised an eyebrow, dusting herself off after Jareth helped her up. “You relented quite easily with the potato thing.”
She knew him well.
Jareth shrugged.
“It’s Yule. I’ll let their shenanigans slide so long as they stop being such ruffians. We have a big day today.”
Sarah looked around. “Do we have some time to finish the winter plants section at least?”
Jareth took her hand. He would indulge her in any way he could.
“Absolutely.”
The next stop was the Ice Caves.
Sarah had never been, and Jareth knew she would enjoy the beauty and the history of it.
As expected, she was enamored by the beautiful structures. Above them, a frozen river, completed with brilliant blue waves frozen in time, made up the ceiling. Shiny gravel made cracking sounds beneath their feet, and the lines of sediment told eons of history embedded within the rocks. Beams of sunlight made it through the cracks, giving an extra aura of magic.
They were both bundled up in the warmest of clothing. Fuzzy hats and gloves, boots lined with fur, and scarves.
Their private tour guide excitedly gushed on the rocks and the hidden treasures they’ve found over the years. The two learned quite a bit of ancient times when the caves were an ancient volcano that supposedly housed a dragon and the creatures that would dwell in such coldness.
They’ve since found an abundant amount of minerals that would glow in the dark when exposed to light for quite some time.
“Reminds me of glow-in-the-dark toys in the Aboveground, only those are man-made,” Sarah commented.
“Yes, indeed, My Lady,” the tour guide nodded. “I’ve heard of such toys. How fascinating that there’s enough to make toys and not be used for other purposes.”
“We have flashlights and other ways to make light, so there’s no need to use them at all, as they would be impractical,” Sarah explained. “If you’d like, I can even bring one to show you.”
The guide curtsied in appreciation. “I would love that very much!”
On the way back to the boat that brought them there, the three heard some splashing.
The guide could barely contain her smile.
“It must be the rainbow fish. Quite rare to spot. It must be a good Yuletide omen, as legend says they show themselves to those they want to bless.”
Jareth liked the sound of that, as today should be a blessed day for both, him, and Sarah.
Sarah placed her mitten-covered hand into Jareth’s.
“Have you ever seen these before, Jare?”
He shook his head.
“Never. I’ve only seen paintings of them, and even then, the artists say that they don’t do them justice.”
Her eyes sparkled. The idea that they would be experiencing something so unique Underground together for the first time made it extra special.
Sarah wasn’t sure why she had this feeling that today would hold something life-changing. There was no turning back.
In a way, the thought of change made her feel almost melancholic to the point where she almost missed being in the present.
One look at Jareth and her heart was once again comforted. No matter what, he would be by her side with all the love he could give her just as she would give him all the love that she had in her.
Jareth could feel Sarah’s eyes on him. Gazing in her direction, he was pleased to find her softening eyes and her sweet smile.
There were a plethora of emotions in her eyes that made him want to swoop her up in his arms and kiss her until they were breathless.
He settled for bringing their joined hands to his lips, kissing the top of her bare wrist where the mitten pulled slightly away from her sleeve, causing her to blush.
The guide ushered them quietly, crouching down so they wouldn’t disturb the rainbow fish.
Jareth pointed down the tunnel that would lead to the exit.
“I hear them that way. We must follow them on the boat.”
As it was now evening, the sunlight was faded and replaced with a purple, bioluminescent glow from the small worms that lived in it. While beautiful and fascinating, it made it impossible to see.
Jareth made three crystals, gently letting them float in front of them to give light.
The splashing became louder and louder, adding to the excitement to the three adventurers. Sarah gripped Jareth’s hand in anticipation, the two craning their neck to see…
…Goblins?
The three watched in horror as a horde of goblins in some kind of make-shift boat floated towards them, throwing tiny pieces of the glowing gravel into the water.
One of them spotted the guide’s boat, waving their hands and squealing as their boats crossed paths.
“HI KINGY!!! HI LADY!!! HI OTHER LADY!”
There was not enough room in that tiny boat for them to all fit comfortably. As a result, they nearly toppled over.
The King and Champion instinctively shoved a few goblins back into the boat.
Unfortunately, one goblin took hold of Sarah’s hand, pulling her into the deep, frozen water.
The cold swarmed around her, the shock instantly sent her into panic, and the water flooded her nostrils.
“SARAH!” Jareth shouted, his heart dropped as soon as her face hit the water.
With all the heavy clothing on her, and the below-freezing temperatures of the river, she sank like a thrashing rock.
Jareth didn’t hesitate. He dove in there after her, grabbing her hand, and snapped his fingers, transporting the guide to the cave’s entrance, the goblins to the throne room, himself and Sarah to the infirmary.
The healers had to practically drag Jareth off of Sarah to effectively do their jobs. They eventually kicked him out of the room for being in the way.
“He will be cross at us for forcing him away from her side,” the apprentice healer commented, his eyes knitting together in worry.
The head healer shrugged, more worried about the shivering patient. Besides, she was used to the king’s irritating moods.
“Yes, but we must do our best with our patient. If a loved one is interfering with our work, so be it. It can be a thankless job sometimes. However, His Majesty will come around once she is well.”
They got to work rewarming her, all relieved that there weren’t any signs of frostbite. As worrying as the severe shivering was, the head healer was pleased to see it, for it meant that Sarah hadn’t progressed to more severe signs of hypothermia.
Lack of shivering would mean that her own body could no longer contract to preserve heat and could even lead to issues with her heart.
Considering how cold the ice river was, it was a miracle that she wasn’t suffering worse than this.
“Heat up the room and let us remove her wet clothing.”
In the throne room, Jareth was the very vision of the menacing Goblin King in fairy tales, clad in black armor as he chastised the ridiculous goblins from atop his throne.
“What in the Underground were you all thinking?!”
They jumped at his booming voice, squeaking as they huddled close.
“You could have killed Lady Sarah today! The water was freezing, and had I not jumped in to save her in time, she could have drowned and suffered worse consequences, like death!”
Little Evie began to cry. “Nooooo, not Lady!”
“Lady is DEAAAAAAD!” cried Pickle.
The distraught goblins sobbed. Not their usually screeching sobs, the quiet, heart-broken sobs that tugged at Jareth’s heart.
“No, no, that’s, oh gods,” Jareth sighed, unable to muster his scary persona any longer.
So much for trying to scare the goblins into obedience.
“Lady Sarah is not dead.”
“Just cold?” Evie sniffed.
“Dangerously cold, yes.”
Slowly, the pieces of his armor faded away with each step he took down the steps from his throne. He knelt by the goblins, putting an arm around the teary-eyed creatures.
“She will recover, but it will take some time to reheat her. Aside from that, what if one of you had fallen in? Huh?”
The fae and the goblins were much more hardy to extreme temperatures than humans, but it did not change his reasoning, as they would be injured anyway.
At his caring, soft tone, they calmed down, remembering that as tough as he could be, he cared deeply for them.
“Sorry, Kingy,” they mumbled.
He sighed, patting their heads.
“I will take care of Lady Sarah. You lot should relax. It is Yule.”
They hesitantly walked off, finding some ale to drink, only relaxing after it was clear that their king was serious about them relaxing.
After sending a message to their tour guide that all would be well and to thank her for the pleasant time, Jareth found Sarah conscious in the infirmary.
The healers moved out of the way as he rushed to her side.
“My love, how are you?”
Sarah touched his cheek, her hand still cold.
“Freezing. I remember reaching out to the goblins one moment and then falling in the water. Next moment, I’m here.”
She looked around.
“Is everyone okay? Did any goblins or the tour guide get hurt?”
The healers smiled knowingly. Such compassion and selflessness was a sign of true leadership.
“You were the only one injured,” Jareth reassured her. “You scared me to death. What am I to do with you?”
“I suggest a warm bath,” the head healer interrupted. “It will raise her temperature. Not too warm, mind you. It would also help for her to have something warm and easily digestible for dinner. Perhaps some kind of soup or stew?”
Jareth did his best to hide his disappointment. He had a splendid dinner planned for them, full of the finest dishes the Underground can offer.
After which, he was going to go down on one knee and give her the most romantic speech while Sarah would surely kiss him with the utmost adoration.
He shook these thoughts away.
This was not about him. It was about Sarah.
He took Sarah’s hand.
“Consider it done. I shall take care of her.”
The healers did a terrible job of hiding their giddiness.
The Goblin King was always dutiful and made sure his guests were taken care of but never took their health into his own hands like this.
They all adored her. She was genuine, kind, knowledgeable, eager to learn, and treated everyone with the respect they deserved. There were whispers within the castle walls that, perhaps, he would ask for her hand in marriage in the near future.
Bathed and dressed in a comfortable green, silk nightgown with a matching shawl, Jareth transported them to their last destination.
“Where have you taken me now?” she grinned, feeling the enthusiasm radiating off her beau.
He slowly undid her eye fold. “Open your eyes, my love.”
Sarah gasped.
They were in the most gorgeous library she had ever seen.
Ornate sculptures were at the head of every bookshelf as patrons of knowledge. Earth tones splashed across the architecture and marvelous artworks lined the walls.
Candles gave the library a romantic glow, the perfect addition with the stars and moon that gleamed from the glass ceiling above.
Interestingly, there were hardly any books, if at all. It was sparsely filled.
Laid in front of them was a couch with warm food, such as curries, soups, strews, bread rolls, custard, pies, and more. For drinks, they had the options of warm cider, hot cocoa, or tea.
The hearth was sure to keep them warm and added more to the romantic setting.
Jareth ushered for Sarah to sit next to him.
“My original plan was to take you around this new library. It is still not finished but that’s on purpose. I wanted your input.”
“It’s beautiful, Jareth,” she sighed. “I do feel a tad underdressed to be here in this library though.”
Jareth eyed her up and down in approval.
“You look quite marvelous in this silk nightgown.”
Sarah playfully rolled her eyes.
Jareth snapped his fingers, changing out of his boots and tight pants to silk black pants and a silk robe that exposed his chest.
“Now we are both in nightwear. Tonight’s theme will be comfort, Love.”
He started to dish some food for Sarah, insisting that she let him take care of her.
Sarah gratefully took the bowl of curry from him, eyes closing in delight as the soft, spicy chunks of meat and hardy vegetables slid down her throat and into her belly.
“The cooks have outdone themselves.”
“Indeed.” Jareth took a sip of the butternut squash soup, leaning back with a peaceful look on his face.
He pulled Sarah close to him, adjusting the blankets so they were both underneath them. It was an added bonus, of course, that his body heat was used to further warm her up.
“A perfect way to end this evening.”
“Considering the mess the goblins have made, this was the one thing I wanted to be done perfectly for you.”
Sarah took his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers together, doing her best to reassure him.
“It all worked out in the end. Then again, I am saying this as someone who didn’t have to do any of the elaborate planning, but I do want you to know that I had a lovely day. The goblins just wanted to play, although they’re just very destructive. I’m having a good time.”
Jareth huffed at the word “goblin.”
Then, not a split second later, his eyes glazed over, unexpectedly teary.
When he responded, his voice dropped quite softly.
“You know, those cretins were so fearful that you died today.”
Sarah’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yes. I went to yell at them while the healers were onto you, and they started to quietly sob. Not at all obnoxious. They were going into full mourning.”
Sarah gave him a pointed look.
“Let me guess, you couldn’t continue yelling anymore, couldn’t you?”
He feigned ignorance. “How ever did you guess?”
“I know you far too well, Jareth. You’re a sweetheart underneath all that emotional armor.”
He chuckled. She did know him very well.
To the rest of the Underground, Jareth was a stoic king. He cared for his denizens and was dutiful.
Sarah could read him quite well. He allowed her to experience his true self, his kindness that he feared would be taken advantage of by others. Only to her did he show the true contents of his mind.
With a full heart, he kissed her lovingly, chuckling when he accidentally tasted a bit of the curry on the side of her lips.
“I must try some,” he remarked, using his spoon to get some of Sarah’s food.
“Hey, get your own, Mister,” she chastised him, but allowed him to take as much as he wanted from her bowl.
On the banter went, the couple giggling and having the loveliest time with each other on the cold, Yule night. They were having so much fun, they didn’t even notice how late the night was growing.
Sarah’s eyes shone, the firelight reflecting in them.
“Truly, Jareth, today was the most wonderful day. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, Love. I still have a couple more surprises.”
He rummaged around his pockets, unable to find the ring. He must have left it in his chambers.
Then he realized that he had no idea which drawer he saved it in.
Of all the things he could have forgotten, why did it have to be the most important object of all?
It would take too much needless energy to summon it from his chambers without realizing where it was.
“Bullocks. I will be right back, Love.” He kissed her forehead.
“I’ll be waiting, and I have a present for you too,” she winked.
After Jareth left, Sarah fought hard to stay awake. She was doing well in recovering from hypothermia, but she was still quite lethargic and a tad cold.
With the lull of the cozy hearth, her head nodded to the side and she quickly fell into a comfortable sleep.
Meanwhile, Jareth rummaged around for the ring, only to find that he put it in a magical safe where only he could inactivate it.
“Of course. Why would I assume that I would have left something so important in a blasted drawer where anyone could ransack through?”
As quickly as he could, he ran back to the library, heart pounding, as he was ready to ask Sarah the most important question…
…only to find her fast asleep.
He sadly looked back and forth from the crystal ring box to her sleeping face.
Sarah was bundled in the many blankets he brought over, her mouth slightly hanging open. Her eyelashes brushed against her smooth cheeks, her light pink lips plump and full, and her hair was slightly tousled, curled around her neck.
The very vision of beauty.
A small smile graced Jareth’s lips. Not wanting to wake her, he silently placed the crystal ring box on the small table next to them and climbed on the couch next to her.
He adjusted her head so that she would be lying on his shoulder. Still unconscious, Sarah snuggled closer to him.
He kissed her forehead, breathing in the lovely lavender scent from her bath and dozed off with her in his arms.
Just down the hallway, the goblins were in deep conversation.
“Are you sure?” Oatie sniffed, the ale clouding her brain. “Kingy said Lady is dead.”
“He said she isn’t,” Evie reiterated. “He said she could have died.”
Honestly, was every other goblin besides her existing without a brain?
“What’s the difference?” Reiu sobbed.
“Umm, one means she’s dead and one means she’s not?” Blaggerspout offered.
He was not at all concerned about Lady. If something was wrong, Kingy would have probably kicked all of them to the bog by now. “Let’s get snacks.”
“I want to see Lady!” Oatie threw herself on the ground, smacking her fists on the floor.
“Stop being noisy!” Evie chastised, tired of her fellow goblins being obnoxious.
Suddenly, a creaking sound startled the group.
“Eh?” Iglepus pointed at an open door. “What’s that?”
In Jareth’s haste, he forgot to not only lock the door to the new library, but to close it.
Iglepus, Reiu, and Pickle walked towards the door. The three peeked inside, jumping up and down for joy.
“Lady and Kingy are there! They are sleeping!”
“Lady isn’t dead?” Oatie blew her nose quite loudly.
“Nope! But she looks cold,” Reiu whispered.
Indeed, she did.
“Aww, poor Lady,” Evie frowned. “Well, she is with Kingy. She is all good.”
“Let’s help them!” Iglepus suggested. “Make her even warmer!”
“Yeah!” The other goblins cheered.
“That’s not- Oh nooooo,” Evie groaned.
Sarah smelled something odd. Perhaps it was barbecue? She had no idea why she would smell it in the castle.
She didn’t even get a chance to register that Jareth was laying beside her when she saw a goblin streak past them, its behind covered in flames.
Panic rose in her chest. She shook her beau awake.
“Jareth!”
Jareth groggily sat up. “What?”
When his eyes adjusted to the chaotic scene, he wanted to forfeit the ability to use his eyes.
“WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODDESS DANU?!”
He threw the blanket off himself, finding a giant hole in the rug that was being consumed by fire, and Blaggerspout running around with his pants on fire.
The other goblins were screeching, someone pouring soup to put out a few smaller fires.
The Goblin King doused every bit of fire by summoning water in a mass of crystals.
“FIREEEE!” Blaggerspout screamed, his pants no longer on fire and his behind wet with water.
With one hand, Jareth grabbed him by the back of his collar to stop him.
“A bit too late for that, don’t you think?”
Blaggerspout looked at his now charred pants. “Oh, it’s gone!”
Evie face-palmed.
Jareth just about had it.
He loved these goblins, but his patience was gone.
Could they not be normal for one measly day?
Just as he was about to declare that it was National Goblin Bog-Swimming day, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Sarah rubbed his upper back. “Let me take care of this.”
He hesitated. “But you are unwell.”
“I’m well enough, Jareth. You are about to blow a fuse. Go sit down and take a breather. You’ll be right here if I need you, right?”
He nodded, knowing that she was correct.
He retreated to the couch, head in his hands as he took deep, calming breaths.
Sarah knelt down by the goblins. “What happened?”
“You were cold! So, I made a fire!” Iglepus justified. “It just went too far.”
“There was already a fire in the hearth,” Jareth grumbled from the couch.
“And you were dead, Lady!” Oatie cried again.
“Shh, shh,” Sarah pleaded, pulling her in for a hug. “I am fine, see? Very much alive and not dead.”
“I want a hug too, Lady!”
“Yeah, me too!”
She embraced all of them, letting them hold her hands to see that she was not only alive, but well.
“You’re not sick, Lady?” Evie questioned, leaning against her shoulder.
Sarah shrugged.
“A little. Extremely tired and weak, but otherwise unharmed. I’ll be fine. Did the king not tell you all that there’s a strict no fire rule in the castle?”
“Yeah,” they sheepishly answered in unison.
“If you need a fire, you ask, right?”
“Right.”
She patted all of their heads.
“Now, you all see that I’m fine. Tell the other goblins if they’re worried. I need some time alone to recover and the king will help me, all right? Go enjoy the rest of Yule.”
They reluctantly let her go, but were happy that no one was going to get bogged.
Sarah got up, avoiding the puddle of soup on the flour that was used by the goblins to douse the fire, and sat on Jareth’s lap. He put an arm around her waist, stabilizing her so she wouldn’t fall over.
“Some cider?” Sarah offered.
Jareth nodded. “Sure.”
She poured a cup for each of them.
“Cheers, Jare.”
He snarled. “To what, Precious? Today was a disaster already.”
She resisted rolling her eyes.
“For the rest of the night to not be interrupted.”
He mulled over the suggestion, then clinked his cup to hers.
“Cheers.”
Sarah took a sip, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
“Peach cider?”
“Of course,” Jareth smirked. “Only the best. Do you have any objections?”
She swirled the cider in her cup. “Sneaky. But no, no objections.”
They finished their ciders in companionable silence. After a few moments, Jareth spoke.
“I am sorry for the disaster of a day-“
“It’s not, Jareth,” Sarah interrupted.
“It was,” he insisted, still furious.
“I wanted today to be relaxing, to be fun for the two of us as it’s been a while since we’ve spent the whole day together. It is also Yule, an incredibly important holiday for me. Perhaps you didn’t have high expectations, but I did.”
He set down his cup, chewing the inside of his cheek. “
Then again, I’m not quite sure why. I am the King of the Goblins, after all, a powerful position but there’s a reason that it is considered an unsavory task.”
He sighed, all the frustrations and sadness expelled in a single breath.
“I just wanted one calming day with you. Instead, all that did was prove how insanely chaotic my life is and how it will always be. My patience is quite thin today and often is.”
Sarah set her cup down next to his. She made sure Jareth was looking into her eyes as she held his face in her hands.
“I’m sorry, Jareth, that you didn’t have a good day. I know you worked really, really hard to make me happy. And you succeeded! I didn’t have to do anything, just showed up and enjoyed the day. You did all that work for me, and I don’t want you thinking that it all went to waste.”
She adjusted herself, now one arm around his shoulders to stabilize herself and another on his heart.
“You are such a wonderful man. I had the best time at that bistro, the garden, the ice caves, and dinner here, in the library. Yeah, maybe the goblins were crazy and we had to skip out on dressing fancy and couldn’t eat the fine food we had originally planned, but this was so, so lovely. Jareth, I know that life with you is chaotic. I ran your Labyrinth, remember? We saw each other’s unsavory sides and also each other’s best sides.”
She kissed the top of his head.
“And, when you were at your wit’s end today, I helped take over. When I’m at my wit’s end or need extra help, like the ice caves, you took over. We’ll help each other and keep the balance by working as a team. I’ll help relieve your burden as you promised to relieve mine. The goblins are loveable and wild, and we will do this together. As the world falls down, right? It goes both ways. I love you, Jareth. More than you know. I want to be with you and I know what that all entails. You’re a king with an unsavory job because you actually choose to make the lives of the residents in your kingdom better. You are a good man, and I am happy to go through the gritty realities of life with you rather than some hedonistic faerie man of the High Court who doesn’t have any responsibilities. I want to go through life with you, for as long as I breathe.”
Jareth hardly blinked the whole time she spoke, his vision rippling from unshed tears. He stopped holding them in, letting them fall freely, and touched when Sarah wordlessly took a clean napkin to dab under his eyes.
Allowing himself to cry in front of her was still something he was getting used to. She let him set the pace and to figure out what he needed from her.
He held her close, head resting on her shoulder to gather himself and to let her words really sink in.
He slowly pulled back, gazing into her eyes again.
“I have something important to ask you,” he whispered.
Sarah caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. “Ask away, Jareth.”
She expected him to ask her something about putting up with him or his kingdom. Perhaps he needed reassurance, as he often did. Whatever it was, she would give it.
That was how much she trusted him. He would never ask her something that would be unfair for her to give.
He swallowed, lifting her slightly so that she was no longer in his lap.
He was at ease when he found that the crystal box was still on the small table and not knocked over or taken by the harebrained goblins.
Walking back, he stood in front of Sarah then went down on one knee.
Sarah gasped as he opened the crystal, revealing a beautiful ring inside.
Jareth took her hand, hope filled his countenance.
Sarah was completely focused on him. Not the library, not the ring.
Him.
It further affirmed that her affections for him could not be bought by flashy jewelry or his fantastical powers, that they were real and true.
“My Precious Sarah. The love of my life and the one where my heart resides. I adore every bit of you. I love the way you closely read the plaques on museum exhibitions to learn more. I love the way you close your eyes with a calm smile when you drink a good cup of coffee. I love how you are making sure your friends or anyone else around you is well and having a good time. I am in awe of how you understand the pain of loneliness and include everyone and yet, you understand the need for solitude and know when to give space. I admire the goodness in you, despite the hardships you grew up with. I enjoy your mind when we banter and your intelligence to learn more, so that you can make the world a better place and to learn more about it. You are humble and never treat anyone less than yourself, no matter their station in life.”
He paused, his voice wavering, only continuing when Sarah gave him an encouraging nod.
“You have changed my life. Whenever we embrace, I feel the pain and sorrow leech out of my body. When I see your smile, it reminds me that the world is a beautiful place. When I had resigned to being alone, you are there to remind me that I am, in fact, not alone and you’ll be by my side, accepting me for who I am and my work as king. When I am with you, I am complete. I had no idea that for years, my heart had been waiting, all this time, for you.”
He lifted the ring up higher.
“I will not ask you to fear me, because I want you to know that you are always safe with me. I will not ask you to let me rule you or to do as I say, as I want you by my side as my equal, which you have proven multiple times even after becoming the Labyrinth’s Champion. I will not even ask you to love me, because I already know that you do, and I only want your love if you continue to give it freely as you have. I ask you, to marry me, and to take your rightful place as queen, although I will still be your slave if you ask it of me, because I love you.”
He pressed his forehead to her hand.
“I vow to take care of you, through every trial and tribulation. I vow to be your equal and to ease your burdens and your pains. I vow to never leave you lonely and to be yours until the end of time. Most of all, I vow to prove to you over and over that my love for you is as eternal as the stars.”
Sarah nodded, dissolving into a crying mess as he slid the ring onto her.
She wiped the tears away, still holding his hands.
“Yes, yes, Jareth! I will marry you. You are my dreams come true. You mean everything to me.”
He stood, Sarah following suit.
The couple kissed with all the passion they had been holding inside, Jareth lifting Sarah up and spinning her around in circles. Their happy laughters rang across the library.
Jareth gestured to the ring, amused.
“You hardly looked at it, and I had it custom made.”
Sarah laughed. “Oh! Well, I was just so excited to be married to you. The ring is a bonus.”
She lifted her hand up, admiring the way the firelight caught against the gemstones.
The golden band was styled like tree branches interweaving. The leaves had tiny gems made from moondust and the center was an emerald stone, the color of her eyes.
“It’s beautiful, the perfect ring,” she smiled.
“I designed it myself,” Jareth preened.
“I have no doubts, dear. No rainbow fish today, but I still say that today brought the best omen,” Sarah sighed happily, leaning into Jareth’s chest.
“I’m sure we will meet it some other day,” he chuckled. “There is one more thing I forgot to tell you.”
“Oh?”
“This library is empty for a reason. I was hoping for you to decide what books go in here as I intend to name it the Queen Sarah Library. A wedding present from me to you.”
Sarah could hardly believe it.
“Jareth, that is one of my dreams to have such a grand library. Never did I imagine that it would be named after myself.”
Her eyes lit up. “The first book to be added by me is my copy of A Guide to the Goblin Kingdom’s Botanical Garden.”
“I think that is a fantastic choice,” he approved.
“It makes my presents pale in comparison,” Sarah shook her head. “You’ve outdone me.”
Jareth raised his eyebrows. “I want to see. You must show them to me right now.”
“You are so impatient!” she laughed.
Back on the couch, she gave him two wrapped presents.
“Open them!”
The first was a light green handkerchief that Sarah embroidered on her own. It had his coat of arms and his owl insignia brightly displayed.
Jareth couldn’t get enough of it.
“Love, it’s beautiful. I shall wear it during tournaments. It will be like wearing your colors.”
She clasped her hands and leaned against him smugly.
“That’s the idea. Shoo all those other faerie women away.”
He chuckled. “They don’t have a chance. Now, let me see the other present.”
This was far larger and had him quite intrigued with the way Sarah was bouncing up and down excitedly.
“Oh, Sarah…”
It was a photo album of them, with captions detailing the dates and the events.
The two took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing over all the good times and looking forward to the countless adventures they would have in the future in front of the cooling embers of the hearth.
Right outside the door, a few rambunctious goblins were straining their ears, trying to listen.
“He said ‘queen’ and ‘marry!’” Evie squealed.
“Are you sure?” The other goblins squealed.
“He said… ring! And marry!”
“ALE to celebraaaaate!” Blaggerspout decreed.
“Lady is going to be Queenie!”
“YEAH!”
They all rushed to the throne room to spread the wonderful news to the rest of the goblins.