I have many excuses, which I will not list here as the time is not quite right. Needless to say, however, the reasons will all become clear in the new year.

Third Midwinter.

"Hello, Precious." Sarah looked up from her book at the sound of his voice, he sounded exhausted.

"You're here!" She exclaimed happily, setting the book aside and moving so that he could sit next to her on the bed. "I'd begun to expect Hoggle with another letter," she told him. The hour was late and in truth she had been almost ready to lie down for the night. The room was illuminated only by the soft glow of her bedside lamp and she had already clambered under the blankets against the winter chill of her room.

"It was a near thing," he sat next to her, the bed barely dipping under his weight and she noticed how much more pale he was than the last time she had seen him, and he had been pale to begin with. "There are many responsibilities that come with being king, Sarah, and they often take priority over even my personal preferences."

"But surely kings can do whatever they want," she challenged, curious.

"Of course," he replied, lifting his still booted feet onto the bed and leaning next to her. His rich scent filled her nostrils and she had to resist the urge to inhale it as deeply as she was able. "But the good kings will always endeavour to do the best for their kingdom instead of what is preferable to themselves. I take my responsibilities very seriously."

"Does that include everything?" She asked, glancing at his hands and noting that they were, as always, clothed in black leather.

"I do not understand," he replied, looking at her intently.

"I mean, will you marry in the interest of the kingdom?" She elaborated. It was a question which had been plaguing her since the last time she had seen him, a time when she had not been able to stop thinking about the way that he had come when she had asked and helped her when she had so desperately needed it. "Or will you marry where your heart wants you to?"

"That, Sarah, is a very personal question," he answered and watched her blush under his scrutiny.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," Sarah apologised. "I was just curious and what better way to learn about a king than from one? It's none of my business and you're probably already married anyway."

"I am not," his voice was soft and his eyes did not leave her face even though her embarrassment caused her to keep her gaze diverted. "One day I hope to be but by my people's standards I am young yet. I have high hopes that when I do marry the interests of my heart and my kingdom will align. You seem troubled by that, Sarah." She was frowning up at him but there was also something very disappointed in her eyes.

"I just can't help but wonder what will happen if they don't" was her response and internally he smiled. For her to be so interested had to mean that she felt some attraction towards him, no matter how small. He could work with that.

"My kingdom will come first," he told her, "as it always should."

"That's depressing."

"Yet necessary," he kept all emotion from his voice, not wanting to reveal just how deeply the thought affected him in even her presence. Still, he felt her draw away from him and he knew that he had to explain further. "Do not mistake my acceptance for cold heartedness, Precious. I assure you that should I ever have to make that choice between my heart and my throne it would likely drive me to my knees. I truly do hope it never comes to that."

"So you're a good king?" She asked and he had to wonder how she had reached that conclusion from his confession that he could not afford to marry for love alone.

"I try to be," he chuckled. "Not all of my subjects make that goal an easy one and occasionally my frustrations get the better of me; as they do all of us."

"It seems so foreign for one person to make all the decisions that decide the future of an entire country."

"And nor do I," he drew a crystal out of the air, running it along his fingers to help him gather his thoughts so that he could explain his role to her more clearly. "There would not be enough hours in any day for me to make all the decisions, which is why I have a multitude of advisors and counsellors who assist me in that capacity. It is only in the most difficult of decisions that my word is final. In the day to day running of the kingdom it is best to let a man who has an amount of expertise in an area deal with it. I have a great deal to do, but I certainly do not do it alone."

"It must be difficult to have all that responsibility, though," she seemed mesmerised by the crystal. "My mistakes would only affect a handful of people at most but yours…"

"Could start a war," he finished. "Truthfully it is exhausting and my position as the Guardian of the Wished Away is more precarious than most. My throne is a desirable one, in spite of the complexities it comes with and I have many enemies."

"Doesn't that scare you?"

"No," he took his eyes off the crystal to look at her. "It makes me wary of the intentions of others, I will admit, but no life can be lived in constant fear."

"Sounds lonely," she was gazing into his eyes now, understanding and sorrow brimming within them and he nodded.

"It is," he sighed. "Of all the people around me the only one I can truly trust is my sister." He paused. "And, perhaps, you."

"Me?" It seemed to surprise her.

"Yes, Sarah, you. I doubt you would ever intentionally betray me."

"Of course I wouldn't!" She insisted. "I'm your friend!" He hid his wince at her choice of words and misinterpretation of his explanations, again. Silently he realised that he was going to have to find a way of being clearer with her in the future.

"As I said," he reiterated, "never intentionally. Your trusting nature and ignorance of the politics of my world would work against us, however."

"Well, excuse me!" She flared.

"The fault is mine, Precious," he soothed, "not yours. I was by no means criticising you."

"Then why bring it up at all?" She demanded.

"Let us just say that my visits here have not gone unnoticed," truthfully he was surprised that it had not been brought up before now, "and not everyone who has taken note of it is my friend."

"You make it sound so ominous," she whispered. "Jareth, am I in danger?"

"No." The crystal was still in his hands now and he touched her cheek, using a finger to ensure that she did not look away and break eye contact. "I intend to keep it that way." The weightless crystal was replaced, rather abruptly, with the weight of several books, their bindings old and their pages yellowed. "I had hope to persuade you to read these."

"Homework?" She asked after glancing at them.

"Preparation," he countered. "The right knowledge will do much to protect you from the wrong attention. I know it is a great deal to ask of you, but the thought that you might be hurt because I have chosen to visit with you troubles me greatly." He had dropped his mask by now, knowing that she needed to see the truth of his words.

"You will keep coming, won't you?" She asked softly, taking the books from him. "I like talking to you."

"To stop now would be quite impossible," he assured her, "and highly inadvisable. Once again my time here is limited." He said ruefully. "In fact I must leave in the next few minutes or I will be trapped here." Yet it seemed to get harder to leave each time.

"Would that be so bad?" She asked him, sounding a little breathless. Her eyes had not left his and they were sparkling in the lamp light.

"It would be a disaster, Precious," he replied. "Promise me that you will read the books."

"I promise."

The words had barely left her lips when he felt the Labyrinth wrench him away from her side and back to the safety of his kingdom. No matter what he had told her, the strange being at the heart of the massive structure would never allow him to lose track of time and become trapped in the Above.