Chapter 2
Sarah only knew this was a dream because she was dressed in a ball gown. She hadn’t worn one since… Him. All of her dreams about Him had been more like nightmares than anything; her running through the ruins of his castle, trying to escape. He always watched her silently, following her everywhere she went like the serial killer in a horror movie.
This time was different. She was in a garden, and beautiful couldn’t even begin to describe it. Everything was in bloom. Flowers of all kinds bigger than her hand boasted vibrant colors, bushes that were neatly trimmed formed a wall on either side of her, so she couldn’t see very far in any direction but straight ahead. Sarah stood there, gaping and taking in all that there was to see for a long while, before holding her skirts in one hand and starting forward to see what this new dream had in store for her.
It wasn’t long before the path opened up in front of her to reveal a large marble fountain. There were more flowers here, large and orange, and they seemed to be even more alive somehow. Through the curtain of water, she could see a figure in a cape. Sarah’s heart flipped in her chest as the figure moved, coming around the fountain…
“Sarah.”
Not Him. It wasn’t Him. Sarah didn’t even have time to figure out whether she was disappointed or relieved because the figure, who turned out to be a woman, was just as gorgeous as the garden they were standing in. Long black hair cascaded in waves around her face, framing sharp features and green eyes brighter than any leaf dared to be. Her dress was a rich purple, and her cape was a dark gray, so dark it might have been black. Sarah knew immediately from her clothes and the way she carried herself that she must be in the presence of royalty. Whether it was her own dress or dream compulsion, Sarah gave the woman a deep curtsy without being prompted.
The lady smiled, and the warmth of it radiated out, hot against Sarah’s skin. “Please stand,” she prompted gently, pausing in front of Sarah. “You are very bright, my sweet.”
Sarah’s cheeks turned pink at the compliment. Up this close, she could see a dainty silver circlet rested upon the woman’s forehead, and under her eyes and cheekbones sparkled with glitter. “It was obvious, your majesty.”
The dark haired woman smile widened with delight. “Because you’ve encountered royalty before. Although, my kingdom is more pleasant than the labyrinth, I think.”
Sarah took a step back, her face scrunched up in a frown. Her obvious discomfort was laughed off. “Don’t worry, my sweet. The Goblin King has no power here, and he is not fool enough to test that. I wonder though…” Green eyes flashed mischievously as pink lips curled up into a smirk. “Do you fear him?”
“No!” Sarah insisted at once, loudly as the red in her face got brighter and hotter. The fae queen laughed again, much more softly this time. “Of course you don’t. You bested his Labyrinth. You’re earned your bravery... And, if I may be so bold, your unearthly beauty.”
“Is that what you want from me then?” Sarah demanded to know, pretending for all the world that her face was not on fire from the unusual compliment. She had played games like these before, and she wasn’t a spoiled child any longer, screaming that it was unfair. She just wanted to find out what this woman wanted so that she could wake up.
It was the other woman’s turn to look displeased. “I have enough of my own, thank you,” she replied coldly, before regaining her previous composure. “If you think I want anything from you, then your time with Jareth must have been simply awful.” The sugary sweet voice had returned, and now it was dripping with sympathy that Sarah doubted was genuine… but it was still very convincing.
“I… had friends.” Sarah was quick to defend those who had helped her through the Labyrinth the first time. They were the only reason that she had won.
The queen sat on the side of the fountain. “Of course you did, my sweet. A girl as lovely as you makes friends wherever she goes. How are they faring? Hoddel, was it? How is he?”
“Hoggle,” Sarah corrected as her stomach tied itself in knots. “I’m not sure. We haven’t spoken in a while.” Not since she had returned home.
A slender hand patted the marble, inviting Sarah to join her. “Why don’t we check in on him? We can see him here.” The queen waved a hand over the water and the waves stopped, reflecting back their images like a mirror. Sarah could see that her dress was a stark contrast to the queen’s, light where hers was dark.
Their images rippled, and when they became clear again, Sarah could see Hoggle. He looked very unhappy, but she couldn’t tell anything about where he was. The rest of the image was too distorted. “Jareth was rather displeased with him after he helped you,” the queen informed her, sounding sad about it. “I hear he’s being punished… but I don’t know how.”
“Is there anything we can do to help him?” Sarah asked in a thick voice. Hoggle didn’t deserve to be punished, not because of her.
The queen waved her hand again, and the image of Hoggle turned back into water and their choppy reflections. “Are you willing to leave your world, to rescue your friends?” she asked seriously. “You would risk returning, and knowing you might not be able to go home?”
Sarah hesitated. She had a life now… which is something she wouldn’t be able to have without Hoggle’s help. “Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered,” the brunette girl quipped.
A fresh smile graced the lips of the queen. “Very good,” she murmured, leaning in towards Sarah. “But first, I need you to do something for me, my sweet…”
“What?” Sarah tried to ignore the fact the smell of the queen’s perfume and the closeness of her face was making her heart pound loudly in her chest.
“Wake up.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sarah awoke with a jolt, sitting up in her bed and covered with sweat. Meanwhile, Mab sat in her garden, grinning to herself. Jareth’s face appeared in the fountain water. He looked livid, but Mab gazed down on him lovingly.
“Sarah’s dreams are mine,” he growled. Mab observed him for a moment. “Then that’s just one part of her that I’ve taken from you already.” The queen waved her hand, banishing her brother’s image from her sight before walking away from the fountain and back to her castle.