A/N- Hey guys! Yes, this chapter is UPDATED. Hopefully with way fewer mistakes and just some more detail. I've been wanting to do this for a while now and I will be going and systematically going back over each chapter. Nothing drastic will change in these chapters. Just maybe a few extra comments, fixed typos, and longer...ness. Haha. My fifteen year old self sucked at writing details lol, so I hope these updated ones will be much better! :D

Duty Bound

Five months. He had been revisiting this very room for five straight months like clockwork. He would never neglect anything...of importance. No, he just needed time everyday to sit- think of her- and regret. It was heartache that was afflicting him, and he was determined to nurse it gently. She had been so perfect in his eyes. She had been so smart, so clever in dealing with him. Her spitfire nature and slight attitude had him hooked before he could even take in her looks. But oh... she was beautiful. Every uncommonly dark hair, every inch of her beautifully slightly tanned skin, and every lash radiating from her mysterious green-hazel eyes had been perfect to him. However, it was her eyes that enchanted him the most.

In the Underground fair hair and blue eyes are the most common and (ironically) most desired, but Sarah…Sarah was so much more than that. She had been epiphany of her creator. He could have had her too. He could be holding her right now. Nevertheless, Fate was a cruel mistress- crueler than he. To say he was bitter was an understatement; he wassour with defeat.

So now everyday he took time to wallow in his resentment and his remorse and his distaste. Unfortunately, the stubborn King didn't understand his wrong. Instead he rationalized with the irrational:

She asked in plea that she take her brother, so he did. In her parent's bedroom, she expected him to be haughty and cruel; as he was! On the windswept hill, she expected him to be slightly mysterious and haunting; he was so! Then in the tunnels she expected to be reprimanded for calling his Labyrinth 'a piece of cake'; he punished her accordingly without harm! In the ballroom, she had wanted to be treated like an adult, so he furnished the room accordingly. Then…Then in the Escher room, after he had sent Toby home, he asked so little in return for his generosity. But no…no she could never be grateful. She could never accept his offer. She didn't even say thank you when he generously let her keep in touch with her friends, and keep the boy.

These were his reasons. He didn't understand why she rejected him, although the answer was simple. She was young, and she was afraid.

However, the young King Jareth could simply not comprehend such a thing. Instead, he continued to wallow in pity of the most selfish variety. Therefore, it was understandable when Jareth didn't notice the magical traces in the air as his father arrived.

Auburnon, who had just recently decided to take a break from his kingdom of Autumn Winds, stood behind his sitting son. Jasper- his eldest- was to inherit the kingdom once he retired, and he thought a trip to his youngest son's would give the budding prince a little time to try his hand at leadership. However, the older King hadn't expected to see his boy so blue... He noticed how the young fae's shoulders slouched, and his back hunched. Taking a closer look, the man also realized how un-fluffy Jareth's unruly mane was. Something was obviously not right here.

Taking things into his own hands, Auburnon walked up to his son and patted him on the shoulder. Then smiling at his boy he said, "Now what's got my goblinboy's hair in a knot?"

Smiling Jareth ignored his inquiry and instead simply recognized his presence with a solemn,"Father."

Auburnon acknowledged him with a nod of his head, and took a seat beside his depressed son. Trying to be as comforting as he could, the man patted his son's back (albeit a little awkwardly). After a few more moments of silence, Auburnon finally cleared his throat and asked again, "Jareth... is there something wrong? I admit, when I came here, I expected a little more...enthusiasm from my son."

Looking at his father now, Jareth realized that he was blatantly sulking in front of his dad. Sighing, the young king didn't know what to say. He couldn't very well come out and say he was heartsick, so he settled it the fae way, with a small riddle. "That which destroys empires, and saves fools. That which melts the coldest heart, and freezes the warmest summer day."

Furrowing his brows, Auburnon understood his son didn't want to tell him, but had given him a clue instead. 'That's my boy,' he thought softly. However, as soon as he recognized the softer emotion, Auburnon stared at his son in disbelief. Was his son, his son, speaking of love? The same little goblinboy that thought girls had cooties and would put stink bombs in their socks? Had his son really grown so fast, he was only around two thousand years old; hardly an adult.

"Boy…are you speaking of…love?" he asked a little cautiously, then with more gusto he repeated,"Has my boy found love?" The older king was very interested to know what woman his son had chosen.

Jareth simply sighed and placed his head back in his hands. His father had guessed it, of course, but a small part of him still hasn't wanted his father to know.

Trying to be comforting, Auburnon placed an arm around the boy's shoulders.

Speaking softly Jareth confided,"Yes…found and lost. The most beautiful brown haired vixen has stolen my heart…and left me with nothing." His tone was heartbroken and tired.

Unnerved by Jareth's cold and tired demeanor, Auburnon cautiously coaxed him to continue. Although reluctant at first, Jareth told his father all about how a young lady had ran wild through his Labyrinth. Then, he told how she bested him at every turn, escaped his dream like clutches, and finally how she refused his offer. He told how he offered himself on a silver platter. He offered to be her slave, and she refused him. He just didn't understand why?

The old fae comforted his son the best he could, reassuring him he had done nothing wrong. Telling him he had been right in his actions, and just with his judgment of her worthiness. Which, honestly, he had been in Auburnon's mind. However, the whole time he calmed his son, the man could do nothing but think of revenge. Although he tried to calm himself down, he simply couldn't. No mere mortal was going to steal his son's heart, and then run off without so much as a thank you.

Jareth continued to vent without knowing his father was only half listening, "And then she had a party wall all of those raggedy creatures she had called friends."

"Jareth?" Auburnon asked soothingly.

Furrowing his brows, Jareth looked to his father, "Yes?"

"This mortal seems...odd- in the most disrespectful way. What was her name? Surly it was something quite befitting of her nature." He had spoken purely to weasel the name from his son. Maybe he could extract some revenge himself on behalf of Jareth...

Confused, Jareth answered, "Sarah Williams..." chuckling without any mirth whatsoever, he continued, "Sarah...it means Princess."

Rubbing his son's shoulder softly the older king stood. "Son, I'm sorry to leave you, but Jasper is taking care of the kingdom, and I should be getting back..." Seeing that his boy was more in the dumps than ever, he added quickly, "but I'll send someone over to keep you company. I promise."

Nodding to his father, Jareth didn't register Auburnon's departure until it became eerily silent in the stair room. However, the older king was nothing but on alert. Maybe he should pay a visit to this- Sarah Williams... and soon.

A/N- Hey! Hope you all like the beginning chapter a little more. I put way more detail in it and added a lot of dialog. Enjoy!