AT LAST, THE REAL CHAPTER ARRIVES!

Disclaimer: No, I don't anything related to Labyrinth (she says as she hastily shoves Labyrinth merch into her closet).

Thanks, as always to the amazing tmwillson3 who is patient and always catches things I never do.

Sarah had hoisted Toby up by his waist so that he could look more closely at the intricate glass figurines while the vendor explained how, with the addition of just a touch of magic, the dolls would come to life and start dancing on their own. Some of them could even dance together.

Neither of the siblings dared to touch the dolls, but Sarah couldn't help taking notice of a little ballerina figure a few rows over from a nutcracker.

When she had asked if the two could dance together, the vendor scoffed at the idea.

"Why in the Underground would a ballerina dance with a nutcracker?"

"Maybe there's no reason in the Underground," Sarah said, trying to keep venom from her voice. "But Above there's an old story about a prince that was turned into a nutcracker, and the woman who saved him was a ballerina."

Sarah knew she'd gotten the attention of both the vendor and her brother. They both turned to look at her, as though waiting for the full story. She had little doubt that the small crowd that had slowly accumulated around them was listening eagerly as well.

The performer in Sarah almost wanted to meet their expectations and at minimum tell them the abridged version.

"You never told me that story," Toby said, staring directly at Sarah as she started to lower him down. Her arms were getting tired.

"Are you sure?" she asked with mock confusion. "I could've sworn I told you that story when you were two."

"Sarah!" the boy said, rolling his eyes. "I don't remember that!"

Sarah giggled as she took her brother's hand again.

"Why don't I tell it to you again tonight before bed?"

Toby's eyes lit up in excitement. Simultaneously, there was a ripple of disappointed from the crowd.

Sarah glanced up at their followers, watching them quickly begin to act busy to avoid suspicion.

Sarah knew that she and Toby were drawing attention. First, the two were probably some of the few humans any of the Goblin Kingdom citizens had seen in a long time. Second, it was no secret who they were. It seemed like the people watching them from afar were just awestruck by their celebrity status.

Briefly, Sarah wondered if this was how her mother had felt after her big break.

Pushing away the thought, Sarah bid farewell to the vendor, who simply went back to looking grumpy.

Gripping her hand lightly as they walked, Toby's head swiveled around, looking at every little thing, trying to decide which stall he wanted to see next.

Immediately around them, there were stands selling fruits, vegetables, fish (most of which Sarah could only name because there was a fish vendor in the elf city that had had a crush on her and given her discounts), and a little further down the way, there was what looked like a liquor vendor.

The sibling's guard yawned behind them.

As Toby started pulling Sarah towards a stall where several people were weaving carpets with magic, Sarah glanced back at the guard.

He had been quiet the entire time they'd been walking around, merely watching them or glaring at the crowd if anyone tried to get to close.

Honestly, he'd barely said a word to her since introducing himself, and if he did, it usually was one or two words at a time. Sarah wasn't sure if he was just reserved, or if he was just very focused on doing his job.

They stopped in front of the carpet stall, Toby watching in awe at the use of magic in such blatant display. Sarah found herself watching the intricate weaving and knotting involved in making the carpets quietly as Toby babbled softly about how cool it was.

Elves weren't much for magic, so the most magic that Toby had been exposed to over the past few years was reserved to a few street magicians showing off magical feats. Aside from the time that Sarah had run the Labyrinth and the showers of glitter she'd been exposed to more than once, Sarah didn't have much knowledge of magic, either.

The colorful strings danced through the air as they travelled towards the looms, carefully weaving themselves into the other pieces as they watched.

Remarkably, Toby was distracted by this display for a good ten minutes, giving Sarah a moment to relax and breathe. Her brother was always going to be a handful, but Sarah loved him nonetheless. She was just grateful for the moment of distraction.

It allowed her a little time to think about her surroundings.

Sarah hadn't anticipated being so… famous. The guard was bound to draw attention to them, but everyone seemed to know who they were without much more than a glance.

Of course, it seemed obvious now, but news and gossip had likely travelled from the castle about her arrival. It made Sarah a little anxious.

It was rare for something like gossip to come from the Labyrinth.

In the Elf Kingdom, rumors had travelled like wildfire. Sarah remembered a day when Rínir had fallen face first into a cake, meant for a party, early in the morning. She had had the day off and was visiting Holt and Mira when a patron walked in, laughing about the story, only three hours later.

In a matter of days, a visiting dignitary from the Dwarf Kingdom had asked if the story was true.

Yet, the most information that came out of the Labyrinth was political news. There was only one rumor she had heard about the Labyrinth or the Goblin King, and it was just about a countess that had come to visit the Goblin King and had been blatantly rejected when she tried to seduce him.

Well, unless you counted the endless experiences of runners, but it barely counted, as most runners didn't like to share their experiences.

Finally, Toby grew bored of watching the weavers and began looking around for their next stop.

[18]

"Sarah?"

Sarah and Toby froze at the sound of the voice and turned to the stall owner.

The boy had been dragging her past the stall, chasing after a fire juggler he had seen pass by.

"Rhokal?"

Sarah couldn't believe her eyes. Her friend from the elf city was here? Well, she supposed he was a wandering salesman, but to see him here, looking the same as ever, standing among his wares, with the highest quality spirits tucked behind him and his best sellers on the counter in front.

"Well, I'll be!" Rhokal said, gesturing the siblings over with a warm smile. "I haven't seen either of you for almost a month! I'd heard rumors that you'd moved, but who could have guessed to the Labyrinth!"

Despite herself, Sarah smiled. He was the same as ever.

"Well, I'm sure those aren't the only rumors you heard about me," Sarah said, trying to hide her nerves behind a rueful smile.

"Pah," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't put much stock in rumors."

"Oh come on, Rhokal," she said, teasingly. "Surely there must be some juicy rumors about why I suddenly disappeared?"

"Juicy rumors indeed," the man said with an eye roll as he began to sort through his stock, looking for a particular item. "'Sarah's run away with the Goblin King to be his bride!' 'The Goblin King kidnapped Sarah and her brother!' 'Sarah used a love potion on the Goblin King and disappeared to hide it!' Anyone who has ever known you would dismiss these rumors in a second!"

Sarah fought back a cringe.

Of course all the rumors were connected to the Goblin King. Why wouldn't they?

"Honestly, those are the tame ones, too," Rhokal said, a bit more softly, glancing down at Toby. "There was one that said Toby was the Goblin King's child, and that you'd had some kind of illicit affair with him when you were younger."

A laugh escaped Sarah before she could smother it with her hand.

Rhokal raised an eyebrow at her reaction.

"What does el-i-sit mean?" Toby asked, looking up at Sarah expectantly.

Sarah tried not to groan and glared good-naturedly at Rhokal.

"You keep teaching him words he shouldn't know."

The nymph merely shrugged, his hands coming up with a bottle.

"Hopefully this nice bottle will convince you to forgive me?" he said, holding out for her to see. "It's a bottle of dwarven bourbon. It's been aged for 60 years, and no two bottles are exactly alike, even if the contents are the same."

Sarah sighed and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," said Sarah. "I don't have any money today."

Rhokal's face twisted into a little pout, but he placed the bottle on the counter in front of him.

"How about this," said Rhokal, leaning conspiratorially across the counter. "You tell me what really happened, and I'll give you this bottle."

"I feel like you're getting the short end of this deal," said Sarah, leaning in as well. "You must not be a very good businessman."

"That, or I'm just weak to a pretty face," he said, smiling innocently.

Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said with a huff. "Here's the short version: I met the Goblin King a long time ago; we met again while I was working; he was… surprised to see me after so long. I moved because I didn't want people to think the wrong thing about me, or try to hurt Toby. I made a deal with Goblin King, and now we live here."

"What, no details?" asked Rhokal. "Just the barebones?"

"You didn't say you wanted details. You just wanted the story. But I'll tell you what, you can keep the bottle if you do me a favor."

Rhokal glanced down at the bottle next to him, but indicated for her to continue.

"When you get back to the Elf Kingdom, could you tell anyone who asks that I moved to the Troll Kingdom?" asked Sarah. "Tell them I don't know the Goblin King, that it was a misunderstanding. Please?"

"May I ask why?"

"I'm just trying to protect my brother."

Rhokal glanced down at the boy, who smiled brightly at him.

"I would have done that, even without a deal," the nymph said, standing straight. "So you may keep the bottle. And," Rhokal carefully reached under the counter, "the young man may have a piece of candy for being so patient."

Toby's eyes lit up, and he began bouncing excitedly.

Just as Rhokal placed the small sweet in the child's hand, Sarah felt a strange tingling sensation on the back of her neck.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw her guard stiffen. When Rhokal looked up to her, he froze, took a step back, and bowed.

And he wasn't the only one. As Sarah began to turn around, she couldn't help but notice that most of the crowd had stopped to bow or curtsy and murmur.

So she wasn't the least bit surprised when she found herself face to face with the Goblin King, a familiar smirk gracing his lips.

[18]

At the sight of the Goblin King, Sarah wasn't quite sure how to react.

Her first instinct was to ask why he was here; though she suspected the reason was standing next to her, probably trying to hide the piece of candy without being noticed.

Instead, Sarah followed the crowd and curtsied to the King.

Jareth raised an eyebrow as she dipped down, almost as though he wasn't expecting it.

"Hello, Your Majesty," Sarah said, her voice calm.

"Hello, Sarah."

Silence hung in the air between them as the crowd moved around them, though they all watched carefully. The noise of the crowd had softened with the arrival of the king, but there was a persistent murmur that seemed to flow through the throngs of people. Just enough noise to make the silence deafening.

Despite her unease, Sarah continued to make direct eye contact with Jareth. Toby's hand in hers was what kept her grounded.

"You're not going to ask why I'm here?" the Goblin King asked, tilting his head slightly.

Sarah was immediately reminded that Jareth could turn into an owl. It seemed he had a few bird-like quirks that transferred over.

"I didn't think I needed to," she said. "You're the king, after all. You must have your reasons."

Jareth chuckled, placing his gloved hands on his black-clad hips.

"I've come to escort you and my heir back to the castle," he said, a gleam in his eye that Sarah didn't know how to identify. "It seems you stole him away from his lessons without permission."

"Heir?!" Rhokal whispered behind her. His voice was urgent and confused. "What is he talking about?"

Sarah turned slightly so that her attention was divided between the salesman and the king.

"It's part of the deal I made to live here," Sarah explained to her friend, her voice soft enough that the straining ears couldn't hear her. "It's – it's complicated. Basically, Toby's his heir, and we're both living in the castle."

Rhokal looked like he was straining to keep his jaw from dropping.

"What kind of deal did you make?" asked Rhokal, clearly concerned.

"Nothing dangerous," she assured him.

At least, that's what she hoped.

Honestly, Sarah didn't know what to expect from the Goblin King. She knew she had rules coming. Things she'd have to do in exchange for living in the Labyrinth. With any luck, they wouldn't be anything that would… compromise her.

Rhokal glanced past her to the Goblin King, assessing the fae's reaction to Sarah's words. He gave away no obvious emotion, only keeping his eyes trained on Sarah face.

"Alright," Rhokal said, his tone serious.

Then, like a switch had been flicked, Rhokal smiled brightly and attempted to hand Sarah the bottle of Dwarven bourbon.

"Well, then," he said cheerily, "shall I wrap this up for you? Or would you prefer to just carry it to the castle?"

"Oh, no, that's fine, I don't–"

"What does she owe you for the bottle?" Jareth asked suddenly.

Sarah had to fight off a jump. The Goblin King had moved closer to her while she'd been talking, and was now only inches away from her.

"Oh, nothing, Your Majesty," the salesman said quickly, holding out the bottle for Sarah to take. "She just traded some harmless information."

Jareth raised a suspicious eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

When Sarah reached for the bottle, intending to force Rhokal to lower it back onto the counter, Jareth stayed her hand by grabbing it softly with his own.

Ignoring the proximity, Sarah looked up into the Goblin King's eyes again.

"What exactly did you tell him?" he asked softly, his voice barely a murmur.

"I only told him the barebones of how we ended up here," Sarah explained, suppressing the shiver that went down her spine and waiting for Jareth to let go. "Nothing more."

The fae continued to look down at her for a few moments, like he was considering what she had said.

"Very well," the Goblin King announced, taking the bottle from the salesman, releasing Sarah's in the process.

[18]

Sarah was surprised Jareth's transformation wasn't a peacock.

It hadn't escaped her notice that Jareth's outfit was different. Again.

After seeing her own closet, Sarah didn't even want to think about how many clothes the Goblin King had. At the very least, Sarah found comfort in the fact that Jareth was predictable. He never seemed to wear the same outfit twice.

However, now that the Goblin King, the Heir, and the Champion were all walking together, the crowd had more than doubled.

Sarah pretended not to see the crowd that followed them as she walked between Toby and Jareth, her eyes locked forward.

One of Sarah's hands, as ever, was gripped firmly in Toby's as he practically skipped along, trying to entertain himself by watching the faces of their admirers. The other hand was lightly tucked into Jareth's offered arm.

Sarah had already adjusted to being watched by a crowd. This was very likely going to be a common occurrence now that she was back in the Labyrinth. Even so, the crowd was almost oppressive now that all eyes eagerly watched their every move, and each body moved in a bow or curtsy as they passed.

Since they'd bidden their farewells to Rhokal, barely a word had been spoken between the three of them, and it made Sarah nervous. She felt like her whole body was tensing, bracing for whatever was coming.

The air felt oppressive, but Sarah didn't dare speak first. Even if she had been willing, Sarah didn't know what she would say. What could she say to him?

Jareth watched Sarah quietly from the corner of his eye as she attempted to keep a straight face. Yet, despite her efforts, Sarah was not good at hiding her thoughts.

"I'm impressed at how you handled yourself today," Jareth said softly so only she could hear him. The sound of his voice caused her to jump slightly and her gaze shifted to him.

"Oh?" she asked, her voice almost sounding like she was waiting for a challenge. "And why's that?"

"You refused everything offered to you freely," he said, casting the hint of a smile her way. "It's rare for humans to refuse a gift."

Sarah crinkled her nose, suppressing an unladylike snort.

"It's not my first fae market," Sarah stated. "I know better than to accept anything free. Unless there's a special occasion like a birthday, never accept anything called a gift. It will always come with a price."

Jareth chuckled.

"True enough," he said.

Once again, the adults lapsed into silence.

[18]

The crowd finally started to dissipate after they'd left the main marketplace, and Sarah allowed herself to relax a little bit more.

By the time they arrived at the castle, Toby was starting to complain about being hungry, so Jareth escorted them both to the dining hall where he left them to eat. He had work to return to, but before he left, Jareth kissed Sarah on the back of the hand like a gentleman and told her that he had a few things to discus with her after dinner – which he made clear she would be joining him for.

As Sarah got Toby ready to eat, making sure he sat correctly in his chair and had a napkin in his lap, a memory floated up into the front of her mind.

It was something Irene had said, something close to what was in that little red book.

Sarah shoved the thought away as quickly as it came.

It simply wasn't possible.

More than that, she didn't want to believe it.

[18]

OKAY! OMFG This chapter took me three hours to get to accept it! Seriously! Three hours just to get the chapter into a document format! UGH!

That said, enjoy the chapter. I'm too tired to say anything else.