Sarah's face split into a huge grin as she read through the letter the goblin had just handed her. She turned to look at the…unusual servant and said, "Go get the King. Tell him that I need to see him." Bowing low, the young male goblin rushed to do his queen's bidding.
"I see you've gotten a letter from Kiana," said a smooth, amused voice from behind her.
Sarah could hear the smirk, plain as if she'd seen it. She whirled. "Can't you ever come in like a regular person?"
The smirk got wider, and his expression turned haughty. "Regular, Sarah? Why should I aspire to be normal? I am a King, and a Fae one at that."
Sarah's laughter was rich as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "You are far too conscious of those facts, you know," she teased.
Smiling, his blue and brown eyes sparkling, he purred, "I'm also gorgeous…would you like to see?" as he traced a gloved finger around her lips and down her throat to rest lightly at the point her low-cut bodice began.
Sarah shivered at the delicate caress, perhaps remembering all the times his touch had quickly grown into something with a life entirely of its own. She smiled up into his eyes, stepped backwards, and held out the letter with mock solemnity. "Why don't you read what your daughter has to say?"
One eyebrow raised, Jareth took the letter from her and quickly read it. His mildly curious expression turned into a smile, then a frown as he reached the end. He looked up at Sarah. "A boy? She's bringing a mortal boy here?"
Chuckling, she poked him in the stomach. "You'll recall that I'm mortal, won't you? And that you had to bring me here since you couldn't very well reside above-ground?" She grinned at him. "Besides, you completely overlooked the most important part. She's coming home, Jareth. She said she'll be here by" Sarah calculated the difference in times between the two realms "tomorrow evening." She sighed. "It's been a year and a half since we've seen her."
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Jareth spoke quietly. "She needed to see the world, Sarah; you know that. She could never be effective in her position as my heir if she knew nothing of anywhere but here." He bent and kissed the top of her head then gently pushed her towards the chamber door. "Tomorrow evening will come very soon, and there are a million things I'm sure you are wanting to have ready for her." He grinned, knowing her propensity for laziness when she didn't have to do something. "Perhaps you should begin, else it will all still be waiting when she gets here!"
Laughing, Sarah nodded. "You're right of course; you always are." She kissed him and sighed into his chest. "She's finally coming home."
Pudgy little hands reaching up for her amidst folds of lavender lace; angelic little face with her daddy's eyes and her mamma's dark hair smiling up at her.
Shrieks of laughter as Jareth chased a naked two year old around the bedchamber, trying to get her wrapped in a towel after her bath.
A breathless ten year old rushing into her arms to tell her that she'd finally gotten the transportation spell right.
A teenager crying in her lap because the boy she'd been interested in had told her he wouldn't see her because she was only a "half-breed".
A smiling young woman hugging Jareth before going by herself into the world that Sarah'd tried so hard to keep her out of.
Sarah's mind wandered as she baked Kiana's favorite pie. She saw all the precious moments of her daughter's life as though a movie reel was playing behind her eyes.
"If you knead that dough any longer, it will become very tough, will it not?" Jareth spoke quietly as he touched her shoulder.
Startled, Sarah dropped the dough onto the table and then turned to smile at her husband. "It will, yes. I probably should have had the cook prepare it anyway." She dusted the flour off her hands and wiped them on her apron.
"You should change into whatever you wish to be wearing when they get here, because it will shortly be time to meet this beau of hers."
Startled anew, Sarah peered at the clock hanging above the arched doorway. "Gracious! I hadn't realized it had gotten so late while I was in here reminiscing." She hurriedly hung the apron on a hook beside the oven and rushed out to put on a decent set of clothing.
Grinning, Jareth pulled an apple out of the prepared pie filling and ate it while he finished putting everything together.
Sarah watched Jareth. Dressed in his most imposing formal outfit he was stunning as well as frightening. His blonde hair, wild at the best of times, seemed to form a lion's mane around his face. He had put some sort of coloring on his eyes and cheekbones to make them more angular and the dark blue, high-collared cloak seemed to swirl around him like a living thing. The tight breeches emphasized the power in his seemingly slight frame, and the white, lace-up shirt clung to his muscular chest.
Stepping closer to him, Sarah teasingly trailed a hand down his back to trace in little circles over the sensitive skin on his lower back. She stood on tip-toes and breathed into his ear "Don't scare the poor boy too much darling, it would upset your daughter."
Jareth, never taking his eyes from the place he knew they'd be appearing in, growled low in his throat and reached out to pull Sarah roughly against his hard, aroused frame. In a dark green, flowing gown with very low bodice and embroidered silver accents, her hair away from her face but flowing in gentle curls down her back, she looked fully as impressive as he did. She looked like the queen she was. "Tonight," he said, very quietly, "I will repay your teasing a hundred-fold." He grinned briefly as she breathed in deeply and a becoming flush crept up from her chest. His grin widened as he glanced lower and saw that her nipples had tightened in anticipation.
Suddenly his attention was riveted in front of them, and though he kept hold of her, she knew that he had momentarily forgotten about her. She smiled to herself and turned to greet their daughter…
And held onto Jareth for all she was worth as she saw the young man standing beside Kiana. She looked up at Jareth for confirmation of something she couldn't be sure of. When he nodded, tears slipped down her face and she whispered, "Toby."