Preface:

Sarah leaned against the headboard of her bed, her fingers grazing lightly over the edges of her book. Her eyes rose and fell as she tried to remain awake. She hadn't got much sleep in the last week, her mind always going back to the Saturday before. And a certain someone in particular at that.

She shook her head, she was re-reading Lord of the Rings and she would be damned if she was going allow herself to be distracted by that man! She tried to focus once again on the words on the page before her and failed miserably as her eyes fell shut.

"You know, why is not surprising that I find you with your nose stuck in some fantasy book?" The smooth voice echoed through the room jolting Sarah awake. All traces of her earlier exhaustion rushing away in the face of the man who now stood before her as though he belonged in her room.

Her mouth moved quickly, opening and closing in an amusing manner, much like fish with its face pressed up against the side of the fishbowl. Rolling his eyes he strode over and easily slipped the book from her hands. He made the pretense of giving it a look over, flipping through the pages and running a gloved finger down the script.

With a "humph" he threw the paperback on the end of her bed and shook his head.

"Never did understand the Mortal idea of the Fae Realm. I can assure you that elves are far from what has been portrayed there. The Fates only know things would be easier if they were. They are a brutish bunch of beasts, I assure you." Jareth shivered at the mere thought of the creatures. They may look elegant, in a savage kind way, but they were warriors through and through. He shoved those thoughts from his head quickly, he had enough to bother with at the moment without the worry of the war nagging at him.

"What do you want Goblin King? Surely you didn't come here just to pick at my choice of reading?" Sarah retrieved the tattered old book, replacing it on the bookshelf. She worked to hide the shiver that ran from her neck to her toes as she passed the striking figure of the fae. It would do little good to et him know he affected her in any way.

"What if I did, my dear Sarah? You once had excellent taste, if I do recall. Makes me wonder why you are reading this drivel." He fluttered his hand in the direction of the bookshelf, his face a picture of boredom.

"Drivel?! It's considered one of the…" She trailed off at the sight of a smirk on the fae's lips. Was he teasing her? Placing her hands on her hips she turned and made her way to her vanity, she would not allow him to bother her.

"Anyway, my tastes have changed. Look around you Goblin King, notice anything different?" Jareth dropped the smirk as his eyes took in the room. Gone were the many pictures of her mother, the posters and stuffed toys. The statuette of himself and the little music box were missing from the vanity top, and the old and worn red book she had carried since a little girl no longer graced her self.

"You've grown up." His voice was flat, he had not thought she would ever remove him completely from her life. But it was there before him to see, she no longer needed him.

"No, I'm growing up. I'm not done yet, but that chapter of my life is over." Silence met her statement, slowly she looked up into her mirror to watch the man behind her. He seemed lost for words, he wasn't the only one. Her parents had been just as shocked when she packed up all her toys, giving many to Toby. But she had not lied, that chapter had been written and played out to its completion. Now it was time to act like the sixteen year old girl was about to become, not the little child she once was.

"Was there anything else, or do you plan on just standing in the middle of my room the rest of the day?" Jareth blinked allowing a soft smile to form. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing, maybe this was how it was supposed to be.

"Actually there was one thing, what I had said I had meant." Eyes wide Sarah watched as the man behind her stood completely tense awaiting her answer.

"What? That if I fear you, you will be my slave?" Jareth's eyes softened as he took a step toward her.

"I believe I also said love me. Sarah I could give you anything you ever could want, every dream, every desire. All you have to do is love me, stay with me." Sarah bowed her head in order to keep from looking at the fae.

"Gobl…Jareth I may not be a child, but I'm far from an adult. I'm not ready for that, it's too much." Suddenly at her side Jareth reached out taking her small chin into his hands. He lifted her face and leaned down slightly.

"I understand, but all I'm asking is a chance Sarah. Just a chance, I'll wait till you are grown if that is what it takes. Can I have that chance Sarah?" She licked her lips unable to anything more as his eyes searched hers.

"Alright, but not until I'm grown." A breath escaped Jareth as he leaned the rest of the way down and chastely laid a kiss along her wet lips. He pulled back and nodded before heading for the window. Sarah ran a finger where his lips had been, without looking over to watch him leave she spoke.

"But we could be friends before then, only if you want I mean." Gloved hand on the window pane, Jareth looked back to gaze softly at the length of brown hair that toppled down her back.

"I….would enjoy that. Goodbye Sarah." With that he shifted into an owl and flew from the room.

"Goodbye Jareth." A small smile rose slowly over her lips.

~ ~ ~

Chapter One {War Clouds}

Jareth walked casually down the corridors of the Goblin Castle, his steps echoing harshly off the stone walls. The castle was mostly empty, as it had been for far too long. Most of the goblins had disappeared a little over a year ago.

Goblins for the most part were rather dumb, but as Jareth knew, appearances could be misleading. For creatures who were as stupid as they were they tended to be rather observant and very self-preserving. At the slightest hint of a war the little cretins up and fled, hiding within the dark forest of the Labyrinth.

War; for years it had loomed over the heads of the Underground rulers. Wars tended to come and go between individual kingdoms, mostly over hunting grounds or boundaries. But what was coming was far from the little disagreements that had come before.

More and more the rulers had become greedy, treaties were broken and kings tried to seize land and riches from other kings. He knew that soon the Underground would be right in the middle of their first world war.

The fae had always before prided themselves on being above the mortals. Mortals killed thousands upon thousands in war after war, the fae tried to avoid war on such a grand scale. But now the fae would wage a war that would put to shame every mortal war with its length and violence.

Jareth swallowed hard as he thought on the months to come. News of military groups forming in the east and south created panic throughout the kingdoms, forcing the hands of their rulers to amass their own armies.

He stopped his steps just outside of a large wooden door, the room within had seen more activity in the past year than in the thousands of years since its creation. Wiping the look of anxiety from his face he entered, watching a tall man as he ran his hand over the huge map covering the northern wall.

"Any news Lysander?" Lysander, a darker toned fae, turned to look back at his king. His face was thin and long, with deeply set brown eyes. Jareth had known the man as a child, both growing up within the Goblin Castle together. While Jareth was fair skinned with willowy flaxen hair, Lysander had skin the color of burnt umber and hair a mass of ebony curls with just a hint of copper that toppled down his back.

"Sadly yes. Gudrun and Hamnet have pulled their resources together. It seems as though King Odin and Queen Lorelei have put aside their differences, at least for now." Jareth snorted, it was more along the lines that Lorelei had used her charms as a way to enlarge her army. Once the war was over, if Hamnet still stood, the harpy would celebrate by disemboweling Odin and taking Gudrun Castle for herself.

"Jareth I'm afraid that this war is not only going to happen, but it is going to happen even sooner than we had predicted." Somehow that came as little surprise. Every ruler knew this war was inevitable, and knowing so each worked hard to build their armies first. Now it was only a matter of waiting for who would make the first strike.

"How long do we have?" Lysander ran one long fingered hand through his hair, the dark curls bouncing as he let them go.

"A month, maybe less. The only other kingdom besides ourselves that are remaining neutral would be Aroha." A small smile curled the ends of Jareth's lips. He had lived many years in Aroha, while Lysander stayed in the Goblin Kingdom in order to apprentice under his father, the Army Master. Jareth had retreated to the Northern mountains to live with the Priestesses of Nimue in order to train in crystal magic. It was a tradition amongst the Goblin Royal Family, one he hoped to continue with an heir of his own one day.

"Not surprising. The Priestesses abhor violence. They utilize force when necessary, but outright violence has no place in their teachings. They will remain as neutral as we shall. It will make it easier at least that we are not the only ones refusing to participate in this bloodbath." Figures moved back and forth along the enchanted map, their movements recorded on a scroll across the room. While Jareth had no plans to join in the war he knew the importance of being prepared. Remaining neutral would automatically make the Goblin Kingdom an enemy to every party that wished to gain his cooperation. And he knew there would be many.

Besides the fact that he was one of the few fae who had not taken vows to the Order, that had been taught to use crystal magic, he also possessed a particular talent that only the Goblin King could use. The ability to reorder time. Such a power could tip the tides of a war, it was a powerful weapon if used wrong.

"Who do you think will make the first strike?" Lysander watched as the figures on the map began to settle down, an indication that the men were retiring for the night.

"The army in Bodil has been restless as of late. Look there, the General is once again in his chambers and pacing. I may not be an Army Master, but…" He let his statement lie knowing Lysander would pick up the thought where he had left off. He did not disappoint.

"Yes, I have been thinking the same thing. He is nervous, obviously about more than just the impending war. I don't suppose it would be easy to make the first strike, it would be forever recorded that it was you who had started a bloodbath such as this.

"Plus the men have been in the practice fields almost non-stop lately, even after sundown. But where they will strike is one thing that eludes me. Bodil has made many enemies, both through their actions as well as the actions of others." Jareth nodded his head, Bodil had in fact been in bad graces with the Goblin Kingdom for many a year. Their king was prideful and a bastard. To think he actually believed I would give him the wished away children for slave labor! Jareth had never killed before, but the statements made that day had almost pushed him over the edge.

"I think that we have had enough talk of the evils of our race for the day." A bright smile lit the face of the darker fae, there was one other subject he was eager to discuss.

"I have to agree. So I hear we may have a new Queen soon?" Jareth lifted a brow, he wasn't fooling anyone. Lysander knew about Sarah, in fact it was his friend's incessant nagging that had finally convinced Jareth to return Above to talk to her a week after she had beat him.

"You know full well the answer to that. I have waited so many years, it is almost a dream to think she is finally of age." After they had talked he had tried not to get is hopes up too much after her last statement. But he needn't have worried. For years the two had spoken both through the mirror and in person, building the friendship she had mentioned.

She was out of school now, in just a few days time she would be twenty years old. Old enough, she said, that she would be ready for what he offered.

"So when will you go to her?" Jareth moved towards the door knowing Lysander would follow without any instruction.

"The day after her twentieth birthday." Lysander looked upon his friend, the man who he considered a brother. He had pushed him to speak to the girl. At the time the Underground had been a state of peace, now a war was looming over the horizon. He wished he had never convinced him to explain his feelings.

"Are you sure this is the best thing Jareth? The Goblin Kingdom with be a target because of both your neutrality and your talents. This could end up putting Sarah in danger." This was not something Jareth had overlooked. If he was a target so would his bride be. But there were ways to safeguard her should that happen.

"You know as well as I that this war could last hundreds of years. Sarah is mortal at the moment, she does not have that long. I will not loose her because I am afraid." A sigh came from beside him, soft ad drawn out.

"And what if you loose her to death in this war?" Jareth shuddered, he could not even bear to think of her dead.

"Than he who slain her will perish by my hands slowly, and the Underground will realize what power I truly hold." Lysander felt a cold shiver run up his back, friend he may be, but he would never anger Jareth for fear of the strength of this man.