Sarah fell to one knee as the High Prefect entered the lower circle. She did as Delphina told her and she kept her eyes to the ground out of respect.

The sound of the horn faded and a voice boomed over the courtroom. "My good people, you may be seated," When everyone had taken their seat, the High Prefect continued, "We are gathered here today to be witness to the charges brought against King Jareth, Ruler of the Goblins and the Labyrinth, by Lord Dartaynian of Tabor Castle. Will the presenter of the charges please come forth."

Dartaynian and Jareth stood simultaneously. Dartaynian looked smug as Jareth stood at full attention for the reading of the charges.

A large scroll was brought to Dartaynian and it was unrolled on his podium. Dartaynian glanced at the High Prefect who nodded for Dartaynian to begin.

Dartaynian took the scroll into his hands and, clearing his throat, began. "I, Dartaynian, Lord Of Tabor Castle present the following charges against King Jareth for the court to hear. King Jareth is charged with displaying affections toward my partner, who is bound to me through courtship." There was an audible gasp and whispering though the crowd. He had just started and Dartaynian was already beaming.

"Silence!" The High prefect called out. The crowd immediately simmered down. Delphina, who sat beside the other Seelie Court members, attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. This already did not look good.

"He is charged with assaulting me without just reason, deception in hiding his feelings for my partner, dishonesty, betrayal, and kidnapping!"

The crowd was whispering like crazy now.

"I will have silence in this room!" The Prefect called out. The crowd grew so quiet it was if they were no longer in the room. "Do you have anything to add, Lord Dartaynian?"

"Yes, High Prefect, I do. King Jareth has broken every rule ever created this time around."

Sarah nearly groaned. Dartaynian was already trying to make Jareth look like some sort of criminal.

"He has even gone so far as to bewitch my lady into keeping company with him. He is dangerous and should be taken care of immediately! It is my hope that the court will see that justice is served."

Sarah gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. Dartaynian was the one who should be considered dangerous.

"That will be all, Lord Dartaynian. You have presented the charges. Let us hear what King Jareth has to say to defend himself."

Dartaynian nodded and the scrolls were taken from his podium. He sneered at Jareth. 'It's over for you, Goblin.'

Jareth stood before the court and crowd every inch the Goblin King. He gazed at the crowd and then the court before speaking. "I stand before this court to defend myself against the charges brought about by Lord Dartaynian. Charges that need explanations before I can defend myself. First, I would like to announce that I did not kidnap Lady Sarah. She arrived at the gates of my Kingdom, beaten, battered and bruised 3 nights ago."

The crowd gasped and the court members whispered amongst themselves, but as quickly as they started, they stopped, before the prefect could order them to silence.

"Perhaps a little later Lord Dartaynian would be so kind as to shed some light on that situation." Jareth's voice was so cold that Sarah shivered.

"And the other charges?" The High Prefect asked.

"I refuse to defend myself against them at this time."

"You refuse to defend yourself?"

"That is correct. I would like to begin asking questions." Jareth declared.

"This is not usually how things are done, but you may proceed." The High Prefect nodded for him to continue.

"Lord Dartaynian, perhaps you would be so kind as to explain how you met Lady Sarah and how you came about to court her so quickly after meeting her?" Courtship was usually a serious matter and did not happen days after meeting someone. The court and the crowd should be reminded of that.

Dartaynian's brows lowered over his eyes. "I met her at your castle, because you had cast her away from you. She came to me, and when I asked if she would be interested in courting me, she agreed."

"That seems a little odd that you would ask a woman you had just met to court you so soon after making her acquaintance."

"King Jareth, please keep to questions and not speculations." The High Prefect told him.

"Did she know the rules of courtship when you asked her to court you?" Jareth asked without missing a beat.

"I fail to see what this has to do with anything." Dartaynian shrugged.

"Answer the question, Lord Dartaynian." The High Prefect ordered.

"As far as I knew, she understood the rules." Dartaynian lied straight out.

Sarah's jaw dropped and the High Prefect did not miss the action. "Lady Sarah, what is your side of this? Did someone explain the rules of courtship to you?"

Sarah stood, not expecting to be called upon so early. Sarah looked into the High Prefect's eyes as she answered, "No, Your Grace."

The High Prefect tilted his head. "I see. And how did you come into contact with Lord Dartaynian?"

"I did meet Lord Dartaynian at Jar-King Jareth's castle." The slip of the king's given name did not go unnoticed by the court. "The King and I were on bad terms. Lord Dartaynian was visiting the castle and I met him in the halls. I did seek his company, but he also poured on the charm to try and win me over."

'How he won you over is not important. Did you agree to court him?"

"Not exactly, Your Grace."

"Not exactly? Either yes or no, child."

"I'm afraid that it isn't that simple, Your Grace." There was a gasp from the crowd at Sarah's near refusal to answer yes or no."

"Not that simple? Explain yourself." The High Prefect's voice was cold. He did not like to be toyed with, especially by a silly mortal child who had caused far more trouble than she was worth.

"I didn't understand the rules of courtship. I'm not from this world and things were not explained to me. Before I knew what I had been pulled into, I told Lord Dartaynian that I only wanted to be friends. Dartaynian said we could court as friends. I didn't learn until later that there is no such thing as courting as friends. He purposely deceived me."

"And what reason would he have to deceive you?"

"I."

"That's right, you don't know and what you think you know is merely speculation. It is sad that Lord Dartaynian was not honest with you. And while it is a shame you did not understand the rules, that changes nothing. Courtship is courtship." The High Prefect stood. "I would like to ask a few questions now. Lady Sarah, how was it that you became friendly with King Jareth? It has been said that you two were at odds with each other."

"It's true, Your Grace. King Jareth and I were at odds."

"How did you become friends?"

"I became very sick. There was no one to care for me. Lord Dartaynian was away on business."

The High Prefect didn't miss the loathing that dripped from the mortal woman's voice.

"King Jareth cared for me and over time we became friends." Sarah finished.

"Lord Dartaynian, is business what kept you away from caring for your sick partner?"

"Yes, High Prefect."

"King Jareth, why did you suddenly care enough to help this woman when earlier you were at odds with her?"

"I may be cruel, but I am not evil. I did not wish to see her die." Jareth told him honestly. "Our friendship was unexpected, but not unwanted."

"So, you admit that you wanted to be friendly with Lady Sarah?"

"Yes."

"Let us return to the charges. Lord Dartaynian, you claim that King Jareth assaulted you without just reason. Explain."

"I was kind enough to throw a ball in honor of Lady Sarah's return to health. She was ungrateful and became jealous when I greeted one of my guests. She called me deceiving and was rude to me in front of everyone. When I confronted her about it, King Jareth took it upon himself to punch me."

There was a gasp among the crowd.

"Is this true, King Jareth?" The High Prefect asked, ignoring the crowd's reactions.

"Yes, High Prefect, I did hit him."

"And what was your reason for doing so?"

"By the right of being her friend, I could defend her. Lord Dartaynian slapped Lady Sarah across the face in front of his guests."

"I don't believe that was defending Lady Sarah, but an act of revenge on your part. Revenge that did not belong to you." The High Prefect announced.

Dartaynian grinned. Things were already starting to go his way.

"King Jareth, you claim that you did not kidnap Lady Sarah. Explain this situation in further detail."

"After the ball, I comforted Lady Sarah. Dartaynian was enraged and he used his magic to send me back to my kingdom. I did not see Lady Sarah again until my gatekeeper came to my castle and beckoned me to the gates. At his house I found Lady Sarah, battered, bruised and beaten."

"And is your gatekeeper here to testify to this?"

Dartaynian cursed.

"No, High Prefect. My gatekeeper has come up missing as well as two very important witnesses of mine."

Dartaynian smirked. So the dwarf and Lee were missing. Things could not have gone better if he had planned them himself.

"I did not kidnap Lady Sarah." Jareth continued as if he had never stopped speaking. "She practically arrived at my doorstep. Lady Sarah told me that she had been beaten by Lord Dartaynian because he was angry and that he had attempted to rape her." Jareth looked directly at Dartaynian. "If Lord Dartaynian loved this woman, why would he try to rape her?"

The crowd was suddenly whispering among themselves with this new information.

"Lord Dartaynian, kindly shed some light on this."

"After assaulting me, King Jareth fled with Lady Sarah into my castle. I found them later and King Jareth was kissing my partner." Dartaynian cleverly dodged the questions.

The crowd grew louder. "King Jareth kissed her. Friends do such when comforting on occasion. King Jareth claims that he was comforting Lady Sarah." The High Prefect pushed.

"With all due respect, this was not comforting, High Prefect. King Jareth was clearly trying to step in and claim what is rightfully mine."

"Is this true, King Jareth?"

Jareth felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. He had just been ahead of the game. How had the tables turned so quickly?

"It is true that I kissed Lady Sarah."

"And did this kiss take place because you were comforting her or for other reasons not yet known?"

Jareth realized that it had all started because he had meant to comfort Sarah. The kiss as well. "My intention was to comfort her."

"Liar!" Dartaynian cried out. "Your hands were all over her! There was lust in your eyes!" The crowd reacted to Dartaynian's outburst and some shouted death to the Goblin King for touching another man's woman. Others yelled for Dartaynian to sit down and shut his mouth.

"I will have SILENCE in this room!" The High Prefect yelled out. The crowd immediately simmered down. "I would like to return to the subject of Lady Sarah being beaten. Lord Dartaynian did you beat and attempt to rape Lady Sarah?"

"Why would I so such things to my Lady?" Dartaynian dodged the question again.

"Because you're a sick, cowardly bastard!" A man cried out from the crowd. There was the sound of laughter and snickering immediately after the comment was made.

Sarah had to keep herself from smiling. It was obvious that not everyone liked the Lord of Tabor Castle.

Jareth wanted to melt into the floor. He knew the voice that had shouted out. He had told Jasper to please let him deal with things on his own.

"If I hear anymore outbursts from the audience, I will have you ALL removed." The High Prefect warned coldly.

Before the High Prefect could once again ask Dartaynian if he had raped Sarah, Dartaynian spoke. "Lady Sarah disappeared from my castle, High Prefect. I was alone with her when I was attacked. I later learned that Lady Sarah had disappeared and several of my horses had been stolen. If my Lady was indeed battered and beaten, even though I see not a mark on her, it could have very well happened out on the road. She may have fallen from her horse, or been beaten or nearly raped by a thief or a highwayman."

Sarah's eyes widened at all the lies.

The High Prefect glanced at some scrolls on his desk. "King Jareth has brought along with him a healer who attended Lady Sarah's injuries. Would Galyon, please step forth."

Sarah and Jareth watched as Galyon was escorted to stand in front of the High Prefect. The healer bowed on one knee before the Prefect and then stood.

"Galyon, you are a healer and you have attended Lady Sarah's injuries. Could she have been raped or beaten on the road?"

"It's possible, however very unlikely, High Prefect." Galyon told him, making an effort to help Jareth and Sarah.

"Explain."

"Lady Sarah clearly remembers being beaten by Lord Dartaynian."

"What were her injuries?"

"Many bruises, her most severe injury was 3 broken ribs, one of which nicked her lung. She could have died. "

"Yet, she didn't. Could the pain from these injuries have clouded her decisions? Could they have made her think Lord Dartaynian was her attacker when in reality it might not have been him?"

Sarah gripped the podium to keep from falling to her ground. Her knees wouldn't stop shaking. It seemed as if the High Prefect wanted to prove that she and Jareth were wrong.

"It's possible, though she was awake and aware of everything around her when I saw her."

"Could her injuries have been caused by a fall from a horse?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"That is all, Healer." The High Prefect nodded to a man who escorted Galyon away.

Delphina covered her mouth with one hand. The High Prefect was already starting to make decisions. And no doubt his judgment was based on past broken laws and not seeing that truth or justice was served.

"I think there is one question that we should all like to know the answer to. Perhaps once it has been answered we might have a better understanding of what has truly happened." The High Prefect glanced briefly at the other Seelie Court members, his eyes drawn to Delphina who sat with her hand covering her mouth. A slight grin twitched at the High Prefect's lips. He then turned to face Jareth. "Do you love Lady Sarah?"

There was complete silence as soon as the question was asked.

Jareth wanted to close his eyes and disappear right now. The High Prefect was determined to see him destroyed. It was revenge for cheating death the first time around, Jareth was sure of it. Jareth had been wrong in believing that justice might be served today. The Prefect was asking him right now to admit the truth and in doing so, Jareth's life would never be the same. Glancing down for the briefest moment, Jareth had an idea to gain him some time.

He reached into his shirt and carefully lifted his pendant. It gave off a brilliant glow that sparkled in everyone's eyes. Dartaynian smirked when he saw it. The Goblin King was doomed now and Dartaynian would win.

"I think that this speaks for me." Jareth told everyone.

Sarah felt her heart pound in her chest as she saw the pendant. It was glowing brighter than she had ever seen it glow before.

The High Prefect nodded when he saw the pendant. "Very well."

Dartaynian's eyes widened. No! This was not yet finished. Jareth could still get away without saying the words. "High Prefect, if I may?" He didn't wait for the Prefect to answer. "I'm sure that not all understand the significance of the pendant and the reason that it glows. And who is to say that the spell upon it was not tampered with? A man's words are believed to be honest and true. Words bind many things and with words we will learn the real truth here and will not be relying on a trinket that could have been tampered with."

The High Prefect seemed to be thinking carefully. He glanced at the Goblin King. Jareth wasn't moving. He had let the pendant rest on his shirt and was standing tall. He looked fierce, a force to be reckoned with, his face was expressionless.

The Prefect knew that if he ordered Jareth to speak that the curse would take full effect. The Goblin King would be crippled and great changes would take place in the Underground. No one could take over as Goblin King, because Jareth did not have an heir and the throne could only be passed by blood. The Labyrinth would fall into ruin and there would be no one to collect unwanted mortals. The cycle of countless thousands of years would change. Yet Jareth had broken the rules again. He had fallen for another man's partner. And the Law should not be broken no matter what.

"We shall require that you speak the answer, King Jareth. Do you love Lady Sarah?" The High Prefect appeared cold and heartless as he re-asked the question.

Jareth wanted to panic. How had this happened? Why was he being forced to speak his feelings out loud? Not only was this such a personal matter, he was unsure of what would happen once he said the words. Everyone would see the reaction the curse had on him. Everyone, including Sarah. He had told Delphina that he wanted to remain strong for Sarah. How was he to do so, when before he had even spoken the words, he was trembling inside?

Jareth noticed the growing silence. He had to answer. There was no way around this. He knew he should look at the High Prefect when he answered, but he did not. He turned to Sarah. Her brows were furrowed and she was shaking her head at him. She didn't want any harm to come to him.

Oh, Sarah. . This declaration was meant for her ears alone and hundreds would hear it spill forth from his lips. Jareth cursed Dartaynian, he cursed the High Prefect and he cursed his youth.

Jareth's cold, hard expression softened for a moment as he glanced over Sarah's form. His eyes locked with hers.

His voice was loud and clear as he spoke, "I love you, Sarah."