Chapter Sixteen

The words dove to her heart and slashed  into it's pool which had long been
stagnant. It stirred the murky depths, and caused something to glow, to 
shine with such brilliance that she thought she would die from the joy of 
it. There were no words to express the total encompassing warmth of it, the 
sudden realization that she was not alone. Here, holding her tenderly, was 
the embodiment of all that she had been searching for for so long. Someone 
with which she could share her hopes and dreams, her disappointment and 
sorrows. She saw spread wide before her the twisting path of the future, 
sometimes dark and forbidding, sometimes bathed in a golden glow. The road 
that looped behind her was grey, desolate, and dreary. She had walked it 
alone and she could see her solitary footprints in the dust. But now, 
another set of footprints appeared beside hers. She would never walk alone 
again. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him. Her lips trembled.
"I know you." She said, placing her hand on his cool, tear-stained cheek. 
"And I could never forget...." The same words as the beginning. They had 
come full circle. All that was needed was the closing of that long 
unfinished sentence "That I love you. I have always loved you." The tears 
poured forth as if from a broken levee, but for the first time in her life, 
they were tears of joy.

The guillotine vanished, along with a weight that had so long bore down 
upon him. She loved him. After an eternity, he had found someone who loved 
him. Not for his power, not for his kingdom. For himself. Someone who was 
not afraid of who he was or what in entailed. He had found happiness. And 
for what it was worth, he wouldn't take back a moment of torment or pain 
that had finally brought them to this point. For what were such petty 
complaints against something as wondrous and all encompassing as love? In 
his elation he lept to his feet, bringing her up with him and twirled her 
around as one would a child. She laughed, the most beautiful sound in the 
world to him, and her green eyes sparkled like emeralds. "I love you!" It 
was a proclamation, called out with the confidence and brashness of one 
madly in love. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful. His voice echoed across 
the Labyrinth, and every creature stopped and turned it's head towards the 
castle. The world seemed born anew.

The pair received strange looks as they waltzed through the castle's halls, 
running like school children into the gardens. They fell panting into the 
green grass in the center of the rose garden laughing together, trying to 
catch their breath. Then they grew quite, lying on their backs, gazing up 
at the azure sky. Jareth rolled onto his side, propped up on one elbow. He 
looked down on Amalthya, twirling her hair playfully with one finger. "Did 
I mention I love you?"

"Only about a million times." She laughed and smiled up at him.

"Gods, I must have lost my mind!" He laughed as well. He sat up and brushed 
grass from his clothing. She did like wise.

"It's a view I've long held." She smirked. He lunged at her but she danced 
away sprightly as an imp and laughed before running down a near-by garden 
path. He followed and she led him on a merry chase, always one step ahead, 
always just out of his reach. He played along for awhile but grew impatient.
He transported himself  directly in front of her path, and as she rounded 
the corner, she ran smack into him. "No fair. That's cheating." She replied 
indignantly.

"Would it be cheating  if I taught you how?"

She seemed to consider it for a moment before a smile broke out on her face.
"Okay. What do I do?"

"Take my hands and close your eyes."

She did as he instructed. "Okay...Now what?"

"Concentrate on a place. Picture it in your mind."

"Got it."

"Now, go there."

"What?"

"Don't open your eyes! Keep concentrating. Just will yourself there."

She scrunched her face up in concentration, trying her hardest to make it 
work. The air seemed to tingle around her body, and suddenly the ground 
beneath her feet changed from soft grass to hard stone. She opened her eyes.
They were standing in the middle of her bedroom. "Wow. That was so cool. 
You didn't help me?"

"No. I merely transported myself along with you. I doubt you're strong 
enough to move both of us. It's a difficult thing to do. Interesting choice
of locations, by the way." He smirked.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." She teased. "I didn't get any sleep last 
night. I'm tired," Amalthya pulled a twig out of her hair and wrinkled her 
nose in disgust. "and in need of a bath. I suggest you do the same." She 
reached up and pulled some blades of grass from Jareth's hair.

"Hmm, I agree." He vanished with a spray of glitter. Amalthya had the 
goblin servants draw up a bath for her. When she was clean and dry she put 
on a fresh dress of blue silk and left the bathroom. To her surprise, 
Jareth was sitting on her bed, back against the headboard, long legs 
crossed in front of him.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked suspiciously.

"Come sit here." He patted the bed next to him. "I promise to behave." She 
crossed the room and sat next to him. He wrapped one arm around her and she 
rested her head on his shoulder. He sighed and inhaled the clean scent of 
her hair. She snuggled closer. And within minutes, they were both fast 
asleep.


End Chapter Sixteen