Underground

XIV

"Do you hate me for leaving you?" You timidly asked.

Jareth shook his head. "Not at all. I could never hate you, my dearest."

You sighed, content with how forgiving Jareth truly was. You could never have imagined this moment going so smoothly; you had pictured it to be a shouting match, with Jareth accusing you of leaving him and abandoning him, choosing Harry over all the sweet things he had offered. With the way Harry had painted a picture of Jareth in your mind, you had truly believed that the Goblin King would be cruel to you as punishment.

"The Labyrinth is at ease knowing you are finally in my arms," Jareth mumbled into your ear. You shuddered at how close his lips were to your skin, and you wished for a moment that he would kiss you deeply. "The goblins have been restless waiting for your return."

"They have been waiting for me?" You curiously asked, picturing the various sized creatures that populated the city. You had hardly interacted with them whilst you were here the first time, so you couldn't imagine that they personally missed your presence.

Jareth nodded, his hand returning to your hair and stroking it very gently. He seemed focused on each individual strand, giving every part of you some form of attention. "I was without a queen," he admitted, a hint of bitterness to his voice, which caused your eyes to flutter in surprise. "Then you came along and changed my world, turned it upside down. You're a precious thing. But you left, and I was without you again."

These sweet words were everything you desired to hear in that moment. It was to the point that you couldn't find any reason or sense to not trust everything he was saying.

"You want me to be your queen?" You carefully asked, heart skipping a beat at the thought.

"I want to serve you," Jareth declared, sitting you up so you were still on his lap. You leaned your head back and blinked at him, stunned by his bold choice of words. His hands secured themselves on your waist, ensuring that you couldn't move. "I wish to rule you forever. And I wish for you to serve me and do the same."

Jareth leaned in, his lips brushing against your own. Your eyes fluttered between opening and closing, indecisive of how you should respond. You were tempted to push your lips to his, to steal a kiss and indulge in the moment. But you also wanted to see what Jareth would do or say next.

"I..." you whispered, voice barely audible, but somehow loud enough for Jareth to hear. "I would like to rule and be ruled. I would very much like to remain at your side forever."

"Is that something you desire?" Jareth asked.

"It is something I want."

"Make it clear," Jareth urged. "Say the words properly, and it shall come true."

You were practically lost in a trance. There was something so convincing and hypnotising about his eyes, and it was like you couldn't think for yourself. Perhaps he had somehow gained control of your mind, and he was influencing you to do as he pleased. As a fae, and the Goblin King, that made a tonne of sense, didn't it? He had powers beyond your comprehension, so surely it wouldn't be so far fetched for him to possess something as powerful as mind control.

"I wish..." you breathed out, preparing yourself to make yet another life changing wish. To spend eternity at Jareth's side as his queen, that was... a huge step.

Could you really do that?

"I wish to—"

The doors to the throne room were swung open, shattering the intense moment between you and Jareth. The both of you turned to look as a small group of goblins entered, each looking nervous and rather panicked.

Jareth huffed at them. "What is it?" He asked, sounding annoyed.

The tallest of the goblins was elected to stand forward (or rather he was pushed) and speak. He nervously fiddled with his hands in front of him. "It's the fierys," he explained, his voice nasally and strained, like he had a cold. "They've left the forest and found their way into the city. They... they're trying to take our heads off."

You blinked rapidly at this information. You grimaced at the thought of having your head forcefully removed from your shoulders, and you wondered what these fiery creatures looked like. But, one look to Jareth and he seemed familiar with the issue. He scooped you off his lap and left you to sit comfy on his thrown, straightening his clothes before leaning down and pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"I won't be long," Jareth said, smiling sincerely at you. "Keep yourself comfortable here. You look rather endearing on my throne, hmm?"

You felt your heart skip a beat as his gaze flickered between your eyes and lips. There was a clear temptation to kiss you, and you felt the desire to kiss him too.

But Jareth broke the moment and began walking away, following the group of goblins through the door to deal with the unruly fierys.

And you were left with the sudden realisation that you were seconds away from giving yourself to Jareth.