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Family Help: Chapter 1

Jade meticulously folded her silver halter-top and placed it in the last of three over-stuffed suitcases. Pushing long cinnamon hair behind an ear, she focused her mismatched eyes on the bedroom she would be soon leaving for good. A small smile graced her lips as she relished on her victory over her father. Boy, would he be in for a surprise!

It had been five and a half years since her father, High King of the Fae, had stripped her of her magic and banished her to the Aboveground. All because of Narasef, her father's Chief Advisor. Jade absolutely despised the man. He would always try to corner her in deserted corridors of the palace and make advances on her. He was 500 years older than she was, for goodness sake! That sort of thing was rarely ever seen except in the few arranged marriages with that great amount of age difference. Well, when she tried to convince her father to get rid of him, her father had sided with Narasef and accused her of treason against the throne. Her mother managed to convince him to spare her life and banish her instead of the usual punishment of death. She knew her brother would be of no help; he was nursing his emotional wounds from his defeat.

Now it was payback time, and she planned to help her brother as well as getting revenge with Narasef.

Tilting her head to the side, Jade listened attentively to the storm raging outside. She smiled, knowing it was the perfect conditions for her plans. She sat down on the bed, crossed her legs underneath herself, and faced the open window. The light purple carpet was soaked underneath it.

Jade spoke in a clear, arrogant tone that was common among the members of her family. "I wish the goblins would come and take me away…right now!"

There was no dazzling flash of lightning, no overwhelming roar of wind, no snowy owl raging around the room. He just appeared out of no where, dressed in the black she remembered him always wearing since the girl had beaten him at his own game. His usually light and fluttering blond locks hung limp about his shoulders, and he was deathly pale. Paler then usual, actually. He had gotten worse; before she had been forced to leave, he had at least gone outside, roaming the hill around the Labyrinth on horseback, brooding. His mismatched eyes were filled with a profound sadness and loneliness.

Jade locked eyes with her brother and softly said, "I see you haven't regained your flair for the dramatic."

He smiled slightly, which made him look like an amused corpse. "And I see you finally found the loophole I set up, Jade. I was beginning to worry that father had damaged your memory and intelligence when you were banished."

Jade laughed lightly. "Simply waiting for the right moment, Jareth. I wanted him to revel in the misguided idea that he had out-smarted me."

His smile widened ever so slightly. "You know he's going to have a fit when he finds out he was wrong. He was rather proud of himself after the first year you were gone. Didn't let anyone forget he did it, either. Every other day I got a note talking about it."

Jade sighed. "That's father for you. Always lording his accomplishments over others."

Jareth pulled his gloves tighter over his hands. "You should know I knew about the hassles Narasef was giving you. I'm sorry I didn't come to your defen-"

"It's okay, Jareth," Jade interrupted, getting up and squeezing his hand. She hoped he would lead her to the information she needed. "I know how much you loved the girl, and how you were devastated when she rejected you. You weren't in any frame of mind to focus on anything else."

Jareth pinched the bride of his nose with his free hand. "I still love her, Jade. You know how the Fae are when they love someone. They never stop loving them."

Score! Jade thought. My plans are going exactly like I hoped they would! I had hoped it wasn't just a passing fancy. Jareth deserves to spend the rest of his life with Sarah; they were destined to. I just need to give fate a little nudge. She went over and dragged the three suitcases next to her twin brother. Anyone could see they were; they had the same height and thin frame. They even had the same mismatched eyes. "Ready?" she asked.

Jareth nodded once, and the siblings locked eyes. There was a swirl of glitter, and they were standing in the center of the court of the High King and Queen. "You're gaining that flair back, brother. You're making progress!" Jade whispered, cocking an eyebrow in his direction. He smiled slightly again. "Thank you. Having my sister back helps."

Jade smiled satisfactorily as a hushed murmur swept through the members of the court. She turned to the throne, arms crossed over her chest, and smiled at her parents. Blowing a bubble with her gum, she popped it loudly in her mouth and said, "I'm back! Surprised?"

By this time she had reached the foot of the throne and stood next to Narasef, who had been giving a report before the court before she popped in. Suddenly a guard dropped his spear in front of her, blocking her path. "Bow, insolent girl! This is the high King and Queen your are approaching!" Narasef smirked at how she was being treated in the palace she grew up in.

Jade rolled her eyes and smacked her gum. "Look, Rambo. You must be new around here, so I'll brief you on the family bloodline." She draped an arm around his shoulders. "First, you obviously know the High King and Queen; you're part of their personal guardsmen, right?"

The guard nodded, moving his spear back to his side. "Good; you're not as stupid as I thought you were. I was beginning to think their Royal Majesties had grown senile while I was gone. Anyway, you know Jareth is their son, right? Good. You should know that he has a twin sister, right?"

The guard nodded. "She committed an act of treason for declaring Chief Advisor Narasef was trying to do un-gentalmenly things to her, which is absolutely absurd. He's the most respected man in the court. She was stripped of her magic and sent Aboveground. Everyone knows the story; she cannot come back. Why are you asking me this?"

Jade held the palm of her hand to her forehead and winced. "Rambo, Rambo, Rambo. You know that Princess Jade was the most cunning woman, right? Her cunning matched her brother's, which says a lot for her. Do you really think that a little banishment spell could keep her away?'


"No, I suppose not," the guard said, wondering why she kept calling him "Rambo." "Where is this going?"

Jareth strode over to them, and Rambo bowed graciously, his armor squeaking. "I suggest," Jareth said icily, "That next time you call my sister 'insolent,' you call her 'insolent Princess.'"

The guard creased his brows in thought, trying to understand what he was told. He stayed like that for a few minutes before Jareth quietly spoke to Jade. "Father's started hiring humans as guards. He wipes their memory, which includes everything, even their intelligence."

Jade frowned at this news. "Rather cruel, father. I would have expected better of you. Has my absence traumatized you so much?"

"ENOUGH!" the King roared, slamming his fist down on the arm of the throne. "DO NOT forget who you are talking to, young lady! Could you explain exactly HOW and WHY you're here?!"

"Yes, your Highness," Narasef purred, his eyes flashing dangerously, which did not go unnoticed by the twins. "Do tell."

"Well…" Jade dragged out, looking at her fingernails. "I managed to find a loophole on how I could get back. I think you know my brother and I are pretty good chums, right? Well, for him bringing me back, I am making a proposition to him, and the whole court." She stopped, waiting for a response. Jareth looked at her warily. She was known to make strange propositions, but she stuck to every one of them.

"Well?" her father said, impatiently.

Jade smirked. "For me to do this, I need my magic back. I won't tell until I have it."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" her father yelled, slamming his fist again. "You know that you committed treason! I shouldn't even be listening to you right now, but I am giving you the courtesy since you are my dau-"

Her mother laid a hand on his arm. "Charles, just give her the magic back. What could it hurt?"

His jaw clenched tightly. "Lariana, yo-"

"Charles," she said admonishingly. "If you don't I will."

Her father's thin face clouded over with the iron mask that her brother wore so many times. He put his face in his hand and waved reluctantly at his daughter.

Jade felt the rush of energy as magic soared through her, making the hair on her arms stand up. She was enshrouded in a bright golden light, and then she stood in a lavender dress that clung to her upper body and hung around her long legs. Her hair was intertwined on a tiara that signified that she was the heir to the throne, a day that many people longed for. She smiled brightly at her mother who had given her the cinnamon hair she loved. Lariana smiled and winked at her daughter.

Charles looked up from his seat. "Out with it. What's this proposition you keep telling us about?"

Jade looked over at her twin, whose features where the exact opposite of her cheery, gleeful face. He was again overcome with the sadness that wouldn't go away. Then she looked up at her parents with a serious look on her face.

"I can get Sarah back."

Okie dokie, R/R, please! This isn't my first fic, so if you feel the need to flame me, I will use it to make smores. Thankies!

Peace & Giggles!

~Dragon Queen (aka "Stickybun")