Disclaimer: I own neither the Labyrinth nor its inhabitants.
EDITED: I realized Jareth was acting too OOC and could not progress the story plot if I did not change this interaction. Hopefully I'll be able to go on now.
"So what happens now?"
"I set out for Elazig," his voice resolute.
"Alone?" Sarah arched an eyebrow incredulously, folding her arms over her chest.
His fluffy eyebrows rose in response as he glanced at her. "Of course. How else?"
Male egos are a fragile thing. So are female egos too, but the breakpoints lie in very different places. And so it came to pass that Sarah made her first mistake in dealing with Jareth. "How can you think of going on your own? What if something happens to you out there?"
Jareth's words and eyes were cold, his teeth bared ever so slightly as he bit out, "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Wonderful, she'd trodden on his already bruised ego, an ego which was usually used to being well-fed. Sarah tried to switch tactics. "A King needs to have some sort of guard with him on the way. Can't you take Hoggle or Sir Didymus or someone?"
Jareth looked down his snout at her pointedly. "And how, pray tell would they serve me as traveling companions? The delusional knight would probably try to ride me all the way there. I think not! And the dwarf? He's in self-imposed exile to the Labyrinth on account of general distaste with everyone, everywhere. I hardly think that he would jump at accompanying me through the intervening lands, not that I would want him to anyways. The goblins are completely out of the picture, not that I want this to be some sort of parade. Part of my duty as King is to ensure that no Goblin sets foot in the Underground outside of the Labyrinth, for the sake of all surrounding kingdoms. No, why spoil the one good thing to come out of this whole mess? An opportunity for a short duration of getting away from all of this rabble."
Sarah was unimpressed. "But what about safety? What if you get trapped in a storm or someone…or something…hurts you out there? What if you get sick? Thirteen days is a long time to be out on the road on foot."
Jareth's look was colder than ever now. "Do not think to preach to me, girl. I have been alone for hundreds of years before even your grandparents were alive. I have traveled this land many times over. Besides," he sneered, "Why the concern? If you keep this up I might begin to think you actually cared. How flattering. But please, spare your thoughts for me. I already have one mother hen."
Heat suffused Sarah's face. She was torn between feeling embarrassed chastisement and righteous anger. What a prick! He could rot in a ditch now for all she would care. But couldn't he see his foolishness? "But that was when you had your magic. You couldn't know what it is to travel without it."
"And you obviously don't know anything!" Jareth snapped, his mis-matched gaze flashing, tail standing straight out with its fur bristled. But some hint of uncertainty had passed for the very briefest second in his posture, only to be brushed off in a quiver of rage. Yes, Sarah had hit on something there, hadn't she? Guilt was starting to win out in Sarah's conscience, but then he continued on. "You insufferable harpy. I can manage on my own without my powers, though there is a matter of some urgency in re-obtaining them. Without my governing the Labyrinth and keeping the goblins in check, they will eventually find their way outside of its walls. This would be a violation of border agreements—possibly leading to war. This is not a matter of ability. This is necessity. And I leave immediately."
With that he stalked out of the room, noose held high, leaving Sarah considering an idea that was completely, irrevocably, entirely crazy.
She did not trust for one minute that the Goblin King would be able to stay out of trouble for the duration of his trip, whether he was a talking dog or an extremely aggravating man or a flying blue elephant. He did need somebody to look out for him, whether he wanted it or not. And she was aghast that more and more it was looking like that person would have to be her.