In the Eyes of the Queen [ Labyrinth ] ✔

Chapter Nineteen

I remain still, but open one eye. Apparently, I nuzzled into Jareth. I lift my head and see that I am in the main room of my apartment. Opening my other eye and stepping back in excitement, I find myself smiling widely.

"You did it!"

Jareth looks smug, but allows me, "In this circumstance, it was not myself alone who accomplished the task," as he hands me my glove.

I give him a mock stern look as I replace the glove on my hand. "Whatever help I lent was by your instruction."

I bend down to my calendar clock. My estimate is correct: it is seven-thirty at night, on the Friday before I am scheduled to return to work. I look around. Everything is in order. Gelda, who has been absent since Jareth's arrival at the castle, must have returned to clean and tidy fully. With a sudden realization, I run over to my small fridge. It is almost empty. Everything that would have expired in the last two weeks is gone. I check the trash. It is empty, with a new bag lining the can. Satisfied, I turn to Jareth, who has seated himself on my sofa. Even in my humble apartment, he manages to look regal.

I walk from the kitchenette to stand before him. "Thank you so much, Jareth," I begin, and decide to sit beside him. "It puts my mind at ease knowing that I can say goodbye and leave my associates with an excuse for my absence so they do not worry."

I look over at him tentatively. We still have not had any of those important conversations. One of which is necessary for the execution of my plan here in the human world.

"I do have another favor to ask of you, though." He glances at me, elegantly if a glance can be elegant, and nods his head slightly, instructing me to continue. "I need an excuse to give my family for my apparently sudden departure. It is not unheard of to disappear, but it has negative associations and therefore is not the best way of leaving. The majority of humans tend to stay in place unless a change of circumstance dictates otherwise: going to a new school, accepting a new job, perhaps changing environment to make a fresh start, or moving to be with family."

Jareth nods his understanding.

"I am finished with university," I continue. "Although I could claim to continue my schooling, that would not be a permanent departure and could be easily disproven. I do not have a job or potential career that would cause me to move away, not believably. I could always say I am leaving to make a fresh start, but everyone would worry about me going without a job or place to stay. That leaves only the excuse of family, perhaps combined with one of the others on the part of the family member, explaining why it is so far away.

"Of course, everyone knows my family, even my biological mother's, enough to know I am lying if I make up anything about them, so I have to use my own family. The only circumstance under which one has their own, disconnected family is by—relationship." I cringe at the rather vague word.

Jareth raises an eyebrow and I know he understands.

But I have to say it anyway. "By relationship I mean a... boyfriend, as humans call it, or a fiancé, or a... spouse. No one would believe me if I said I was running away with my boyfriend, even if he was going to some third world country where I could not contact him unless I was with him. Meaning that I have to pretend to have a fiancé—and only fiancé because I cannot have gotten married without telling my family. And as I mentioned before, it is a good idea to combine that with him leaving to some remote location for the sake of work, school, or something."

"You want me to play that role." It was not a question. It was a statement. An amused statement. Oh, bog, Jareth is always amused. Sometimes I wonder what is so funny. Even when he is upset, impatient, annoyed, arrogant, serious, pondering, or any other apparently opposing state of mind, there is still underlying amusement in his features. Perhaps it is just self-confidence.

"Yes," I answer simply, pulling my mind away from the digression.

"You ask so much, Sarah," he whispers.

And the first thought in my mind is "Not too much?" Did I say that out loud? It is not a question seeking self-assurance, but a question of his word choice.

"For you, nothing is too much."

I stare at Jareth, disbelieving. I made my request of him knowing that it is cruel and, for me, dangerous. After all, he once pled with me be his and I rejected him, and now I am asking him to pretend as if I am his despite whatever pain, sorrow, or anger I left him with.

"But it is cruel," I admit.

A hint of a smirk plays at the edge of his lips. "And I am not?"

I look at the Goblin King. Of course he can be cruel, but for some reason, my mind is blank of all the reasons I had previously convinced myself make him a villain. He once said that we were both cruel and he accepted that.

"Yes. I suppose it matters to you as little now as it did then."

"It matters very much, Sarah, but does not procure the results you expect."

"Well, nothing is as it seems," I quip, rising from the couch and shaking off the awkwardness.

I notice my handbag and the clothes I wore that fateful Monday sitting on the arm of the sofa. I left them in Alice's car. I never even thought of having them moved, but I am glad Gelda (presumably) did. I rummage through it to find my phone.

"I need to call my parents to let them know I am home and see if we can visit tomorrow, then we can talk about the rest of my plan."

I plug in my cell phone, the battery long ago drained. I will have to wait a moment before I can use it. Jareth looks bored.

"The apartment is minute and the view uninteresting, but you should be able to occupy yourself for three minutes in exploration," I suggest, breathing out a laugh. "We can go out if you would like. It is too late to visit anyone, but perhaps we can dine out or go shopping or—"

My phone trills, cutting me off, and indicating I can use it now. I smile apologetically at Jareth and push the speed-dial for Dad's cell phone as Jareth rises to explore.

"Hi, Sarah!" It is Karen.

"Hi, Mom. I was just calling to let everyone know I am back safely from vacation."

"Thank you. We were a little bit worried when you didn't call, but then Alice said you accidently left your phone in her car. It was probably relaxing not to have the demand of everyone calling you, though. I am just glad you didn't leave your entire purse! Still, you could have used a payphone or the hotel's phone..."

"Ya," I reply blandly, ignoring her chastisement. I glance at Jareth, now looking in the refrigerator, and wonder how the cover-story was started. "I had a good time... May I come over tomorrow? I don't know if you have plans, so I wanted to ask first."

"Of course, honey. You are going back to work Monday, right? And full time, too."

"Yes, Mom. Though I don't think I will work there long now that I have graduated," I hint.

"Oh, that's too bad. Everyone there loves you! And it is such a good job for a young adult. Do you have another job lined up?"

"Not exactly," I admit. "We'll talk about it tomorrow," I hint further, "Can I bring over a friend?"

Karen hesitates, probably wondering about the specific definition of "friend" in my question. "Of course, Sarah."

"Good. Thank you. Bye! I'll let him know." I hang up without waiting for her to exclaim "Him!?" with uncontained excitement. I know she is doing so right now, despite the silence greeting her.

"Well," I begin, addressing the room in generalmore than Jareth specifically, "the stage is set."