Strangers 'Til Now - A Labyrinth fan fiction

Chapter 21 - Wedding Preparations

Afterwards, they lie in the bed cuddling together. Neither wanted to get up, both were understandably exhausted.

"Do you truly love me?" Jareth asks Sarah, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers.

"I do," She sat up, the blanket just covering the top of her breasts. "And... I want to get married as soon as we can."

"Do you mean that?" He was a bit shocked she'd said that.

"Yes I do," She slipped out of bed and walked into the closet to get dressed. "I was miserable when you were gone. I cried myself to sleep every night. I kept worrying that something bad would happen to you. I guess I finally realized how much you care, and how much I care." She reentered the room in jeans and a top. "I knew how you must have felt when I left with Toby."

Jareth nodded and thought about his dark years. He was completely irrational when Sarah had initially rejected him. Everyone spoke to him in fear of being bogged, his family even kept their distance from him. The only one who stayed around was Pansy, ignoring his attitude and self pity. In fact, it was Pansy who foresaw the accident and set Jareth's ultimatum into play.

"Mother will be overjoyed," He said.

The two embraced tightly, kissing passionately until a knock sounded on the main door of their suite.

"Mistress Sarah?" Pansy entered the sitting room and noticed Jareth. "King Jareth, you've returned!"

In the blink of an eye Jareth was fully dressed and standing beside the now made bed.

"I am, but not for long. Pansy, send word to mother that we've set a wedding date. We'll journey to Fae tomorrow for the ceremony to be held in 3 days time."

The little goblin squealed in excitement. She backed out of the suite and skipped down the hall, alerting anyone she came across to the impending union.

"I'll just leave the guards to watch the kingdom. I imagine you'd like your friends present?"

The day passes in a blur of preparations. The duo are too anxious and excited to wait so they decide to leave that evening, arriving to the Fae kingdom late into the night. They change into nightclothes and collapse into bed, exhausted.

In the morning, they are woken by Alesia throwing open the curtains and humming to herself.

"Up, up!" She chirps, turning to face the bed.

"Whaa...? Mother!" Jareth scrambles to cover his bare chest. Alesia laughs.

"Really dear, it's nothing I haven't seen before. I gave birth to you, I used to wash your little -"

"Mother!" Jareth cries out in embarrassment.

"Oh alright. I'll leave you two to wake and get ready. Let's meet for breakfast in an hour." She hummed her way out of the room.

Jareth leaned back onto his pillow and glanced at Sarah. He was glad she hadn't heard that exchange, when she opened her eyes and grinned at him. She'd simply been pretending to sleep.

"Oh hush," He chuckled and bent to give her a good morning kiss before getting ready.

Every servant they passed either smiled warmly or offered congratulations. It was the warmest reception Jareth had ever received and he realized it was all because of Sarah. A new rush of affection for her soared through him. She made him better, more tolerable and pleasant with everyone. It was because he was happy.

"My dears, I'm so excited!" Alesia greeted them with hugs.

They sat and were served their breakfast. Between bites, Alesia confessed that she'd already made a majority of the wedding plans and was just waiting on a date to finalize them.

"The dress can be made the day off," She explained when Sarah asked about it. "The same with your suit dear. We'll have them spun from the finest material with such intricate designs that other Fae's will turn green with jealousy!"

The rest of the week passed in a blur of endless activity. It leaves everyone exhausted at the end of each day and they sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows, sometimes still fully clothed.

The night before the wedding, Alesia bustles into the suite. Sarah had just slipped under the covers and Jareth was just about to.

"Yes, mother?" He asks, pulling the covers down.

"Oh no you don't young man," She reprimands and taps his hand away, replacing the covers. "You're following the wedding customs."

"Mother, we have no customs."

"We don't dear, but Sarah does."

"I don't... It's not really. I mean, I don't mind." Sarah protests. She wants Jareth to stay.

"I'll have none of that. We're following the customs she grew up with." Alesia put her foot down.

She ignored their protests and led Jareth out of the room. At the door, he looked back, shrugged his shoulders and admitted defeat. Sarah simply chuckled and rolled over, asleep within minutes.