Here's chapter two! Please, please review!
Chapter Two: Makes no sense at all
Sarah couldn't speak for several minutes. When she was finally able to say something, her words came out harshly.
"Let me get this. You love Jareth?"
"I do not!" Angeletta snapped, her fine eyebrows narrowing. "I said nothing of the sort. I'm not prepared to be queen."
"Excuse me?" Sarah gasped.
"I'm the next in line for the throne. If Jareth gets disposed of, I have to take charge of the Goblin City or hand it over to the next in line, Ravis. He's terrible. You wouldn't like him at all if you saw him. He's dark and very imposing. I don't feel as though I should take the throne, therefore, I plead with you to speak in Jareth's defense so that he can remain king."
"Why aren't you prepared? I would think you would enjoy being able to dispense of Jareth and have some power," Sarah said.
"I believe there is a saying in your world, 'Behind every good man stands a good woman.' As a woman, I wouldn't feel comfortable becoming queen without someone to rule at my side. It's not my place to have such power. Jareth has been ruling the Goblin City for hundreds of years, and while I can't stand him at all, he is a good leader."
"A good leader?" Sarah snorted. "He torments his subjects into obedience! They cower before him, afraid that he'll send them into the Bog of Eternal Stench. I should know," she said, pointing a finger at herself, "I was in the Labyrinth for thirteen hours."
"I knew approaching you wouldn't be easy," Angeletta said, and then stood up. "Thank you for the meal, Sarah. It was a pleasure meeting the conqueror of the Labyrinth."
"Wait!" Sarah exclaimed, standing up with her. "That's it! You're just going to leave me here?"
"Do you want me to get on my hands and knees?" Angeletta frowned.
"How about we make a deal?"
"A deal?" Angeletta asked, confused.
"Yes, a deal. You know what that is, don't you?"
"We don't have deals in the Labyrinth. Answers are either yes or no."
"Jareth makes deals," Sarah said.
"Not with me."
"Look. How about I go back to the Labyrinth with you? I don't have anywhere to go or anything to do for the next two months. Then, maybe I'll think about your request."
"You actually want to go back to the Labyrinth? After all you've been through?"
"Well, it would be better than staying here by myself for the Holidays," Sarah shrugged.
"I suppose that might work. You could stay at my father's home with me. It might be nice to get to know the girl who defied Jareth," Angeletta smiled. "Very well then, Sarah. You may come with me."
"Great! Can we go to my house first? I need to get some things taken care of before we leave," Sarah smiled, her eyes sparkling.
"What things? You won't need to bring anything with you," Angeletta said, watching as Sarah paid for her lunch.
"I have to call Dad and let him know that I'll be going somewhere. I won't be able to call him, so I want to make sure he knows I'm safe. I did want to bring one thing me, though, just to keep me sane."
"And what would that be?" Angeletta asked, following Sarah out of the restaurant and back into the sleet.
"Lancelot," Sarah smiled, looking over her shoulder and then leading the way towards her house.
"Who is that?"
"My stuffed bear."
Angeletta didn't say anything, but Sarah could sense that the woman was very curious about her and was eager to learn more. She glanced to the side to look at Angeletta, studying her features. There was no doubt in her mind that the woman was very beautiful. She had a strong, determined look about her, and Sarah was almost positive that she would have made a better ruler of the Labyrinth than Jareth did. She could also, strangely enough, imagine Angeletta standing next to Jareth, and the two Fae looked quite good together.
"It is really cold out," Sarah said as they walked, wincing as sleet struck her face.
"So it is. Here," Angeletta said, flicking her wrist, and Sarah was instantly covered in a thick, warm cloak.
"You have special powers just like he does," Sarah commented.
"You'll find that we have several similarities, but even more differences," Angeletta smiled.
"Are you at all related? I mean, if you are the next claim to the throne, you must be related somehow."
"I am not, I assure you. My father is a member of the high council of Fae. He, as well as several others, is the authority for the Labyrinth and the lands bordering it. Jareth, by birth, became king of the Goblin City and most of the Labyrinth. He is the only blood heir to the throne left. Because my father is the oldest member of the council, I have the second claim to the throne. Then, of course, comes Ravis. He would bring about the destruction of the Labyrinth. He has no standards and no honor."
"And what crime has Jareth committed again?"
"It is a crime to bring anyone from the Aboveground into the Labyrinth. It is even more deplorable for them to be brought by force. He captured both you and Toby and brought you to the Labyrinth, did he not?"
"Yes and no," Sarah said, stopping at the door to her house and rummaging in her pocket for her keys. "The truth is, I wished Toby away and Jareth gave me a chance to get him back."
"Then you will be able to defend Jareth!"
"Why would I want to?" Sarah growled as she opened the door and stepped inside.
"He brought you to the Labyrinth to help you, didn't he?"
"He also let me fall into an oubliette, nearly drown in the Bog of Eternal Stench, get chased by weird red things, eat a poisoned peach, and almost get cut in two by some bronze giant. I think he deserves everything he's getting," Sarah murmured as she shut the door behind Angeletta.
Sarah turned away from the door to find Angeletta blocking her way, the woman's eyes glowing mysteriously in the dim lighting of the room.
"Jareth is my sworn enemy, Sarah. I understand that he deserves everything he's getting, but I cannot take charge of the Goblin City. Were it not for that fact, I would gladly see Jareth banished from his kingdom. I have come to you for the sake of the goblins, not Jareth. Believe me, if I had any other way to help the Goblin City and get rid of Jareth, I would do it."
"Would you really?"
"I would love to see Jareth dunked in the Bog of Eternal Stench, but right now he's needed for his kingdom."
"I see," Sarah said gently. "Due to the way your eyes are burning into me and the harshness of your voice, I believe you. You don't really care for Jareth at all. I still need to think about this."
"I understand," Angeletta said, moving out of Sarah's way. "If you could, Sarah, we need to get to the Labyrinth as soon as possible. The council meeting is tomorrow morning and I must be back before then. My father wants to discuss some things with me."
Sarah nodded and then went into the kitchen and picked up the telephone. She called her dad and began to talk to him, letting him know that she would be spending the Holidays with a friend who would take good care of her.
While Sarah spoke on the phone, Angeletta gazed about the living room, looking at the Williams' pictures. She didn't say anything, but walked quietly from one picture to the next, her boots making soft muffled sounds against the carpet. She didn't touch anything but occasionally moved closer to the pictures and squinted to study the people in them better. She smiled when she recognized Toby. He had grown quite a bit in two years, and Angeletta shuddered when she thought about how he would have looked had Jareth accomplished his threats and turned him into a goblin.
"Angeletta?" Sarah asked, stepping into the room and seeing a look of concern on Angeletta's face.
"Yes?"
"Everything is all settled with my dad. Are you okay?"
"I am," Angeletta nodded, taking a deep breath and turning to Sarah. "Are you prepared to leave?"
"I just need to make sure the doors are locked and all the lights are off. I also need to get Lancelot."
"Let me assist you."
Angeletta and Sarah turned off the lights, locked the doors, and then made their way upstairs to Sarah's room. Sarah immediately walked over to where Toby had left Lancelot lying on the floor and picked him up gently. She turned to see Angeletta gazing at a small statue on her vanity.
"May I touch this?" Angeletta asked, a strange expression on her face as she gazed at the small statue of a man dressed in a dark blue coat with wild white hair and a crystal orb in one hand.
"Yes," Sarah nodded, and watched as Angeletta carefully took the statue in her hands and held it up where she could see it better.
"But what no one knew," Angeletta said quietly, gazing into the statue's eyes, "was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and had given her special powers. Quite an imagination you have, Sarah. Did you think that those words would actually come true when you spoke them?"
"No," Sarah shuddered as Angeletta gently put the statue back on the vanity.
"He was angry after you left, Sarah. His short temper became even shorter, and he became even more dangerous. He was cruel before. He is more cruel now. Perhaps it will do him some good when he sees you again. I am sure he would be especially pleased to hear you defend him. Yet, I don't expect you to. It is a big request that I ask. Unlike him, I do not 'ask for so little.' I ask you for forgiveness and self-denial, two things that are very difficult to give."
"You speak as though you are already queen," Sarah said quietly, putting a hand on Angeletta's shoulder.
Angeletta pulled her gaze away from the statue and smiled slightly.
"Are you prepared to leave now?"
"Yes."
"Good. Unfortunately, I cannot cause crystal orbs to reappear, as Jareth can, so we shall have to enter the Labyrinth by another means. Step closer to the vanity, Sarah."
Sarah did as she was told, a shiver of anticipation and excitement shooting through her. Even though she was seventeen years old, she felt like a small child again, and she clutched Lancelot tightly to her chest.
Angeletta focused all of her attention on the mirror, and within seconds, the glass had become transparent, showing a brightly lit hall on the other side.
"We will have to step through the mirror, Sarah. Never fear. It won't hurt. I will go first to show you," Angeletta said, and then stepped towards the vanity.
Sarah was amazed to find that Angeletta walked right through the wood of the vanity and then stepped through the mirror. The beautiful woman turned around to face Sarah and smiled, beckoning with one hand for Sarah to follow her.
Sarah took one last gulp of air and then stepped forward, cold sweat clinging to her forehead.
"Lancelot," she whispered, clutching the bear as tightly as she could.
She then stepped right through the mirror and stood directly in front of Angeletta.
"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Angeletta smiled, giving Sarah's hand a squeeze before she turned and began to walk down the hallway.
"Where are we?" Sarah asked, gazing at the beautiful room.
"The hallway in my home that leads to my father's study," Angeletta smiled. "You might like to see the view. Let us stop for a moment."
Sarah and Angeletta stopped, and Sarah looked about her. To her left was a great golden wall with several candles held up against it, not yet lit, for it was still daytime. To her right were huge windows, and Sarah stepped closer to them to look out. She gasped when she saw the view. There, stretched out as far as she could see, was a great city. Beautiful homes decorated with flowers and different shades of paint met her eyes and brought a smile to her face.
"This isn't where the goblins live, is it?"
"No," Angeletta said, stepping to her side. "This is the City of the Fae. It is approximately two hours away from the gates of the Labyrinth. Beautiful, isn't it?"
"It is. This place shines in comparison to the Goblin City!"
"I believe that too. Come, my father is expecting me. I want you to meet him."
Sarah reluctantly pulled her eyes away from the amazing view and followed Angeletta to the golden doors at the end of the hallway. Angeletta knocked once and then, after hearing someone speak, she opened the doors and stepped inside, Sarah directly behind her.
"Hello Father!" Angeletta said cheerfully, leaving Sarah standing just inside the doorway and gazing about her in wonder.
"This is Sarah, Father. The one who defeated Jareth," Angeletta said, walking over to a large chair in front of an immense fireplace and leaning down to gently kiss an elderly man on the cheek.
Arylyn Forgae was a tall Fae, although one couldn't tell because he was seated at the moment. He had completely white hair, spiked slightly in different places, and cool, piercing periwinkle eyes. One could see, deep within those eyes, that he had a great love for his daughter, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and reassuring, reflecting that love.
"It is so good to see you back, Angeletta, although truly, you shouldn't have gone. I am glad that Sarah agreed to come. Sarah, it is a pleasure to meet you," Arylyn said, standing up and moving to Sarah, his hand outstretched.
"You are Angeletta's father?" Sarah asked shyly, placing her hand in his.
"I am," Arylyn smiled, bowing and kissing Sarah's hand quickly before he stood up again. "We have been hoping you would come. The trial is tomorrow, but we must have a celebration of your return. Angeletta, please bring Sarah to an empty chamber and then summon one of the servants to send out invitations to everyone that there is to be a banquet and dance this evening. We must honor our guest."
Angeletta's face fell, and she put a gentle hand on her father's shoulder.
"Might I have permission to appeal, Father?" she asked timidly.
"Of course, Angeletta."
"If we are to have a dance, then as a rule, I must dance with everyone. Could we perhaps simply have a banquet? I haven't the desire to dance with Ravis."
"My child," Arylyn said soothingly, putting a hand on Angeletta's cheek, "It is customary to have a dance in honor of a guest, especially one who has escaped from Jareth and defeated him. Considering you are to become the queen, possibly tomorrow, it would also do your reputation a good turn if you danced."
"Yes, Father. I suppose I can dance with Ravis," Angeletta sighed, bowing her head.
"You will have to do more than dance with Ravis," Arylyn smiled. "You shall have to dance with Jareth."
Angeletta's head shot up, and a sudden angry look appeared in her eyes.
"Jareth? Oh Father, I cannot do that! Why must he come?"
"Because whether or not he has committed a crime, he is still a prince by birth. He is, when it boils down to it, the last royal blood of the Fae and goblins."
"Father, can we please only do a banquet? Dancing with Ravis is one thing, but dancing with Jareth…that's entirely another! He's my enemy! We have loathed each other ever since we met! We can't meet without exchanging rude comments or mocking each other! If we were to have a dance, I would have to dance with him and behave like a lady!"
"You would have to behave like a queen," Arylyn chuckled. "Don't worry, Angeletta. This will be a good political move for you and it won't be as bad as it seems. Now go on and show Sarah to a chamber."
"Yes Father," Angeletta answered, once again bowing her head. "Forgive my outbursts."
"You are forgiven. Now go, my dear."
Angeletta led Sarah out of the room and let out a great sigh as she closed the doors behind them. She then began to walk through the corridor, boots resounding quietly on the ground as she stepped firmly. Sarah could feel Angeletta's irritation, even though the woman's facial expression remained calm.
"Do you really have to dance with Jareth?" Sarah found herself asking as she followed Angeletta out of the room and up an intricate staircase.
"Yes. As the only woman of the house, I must. If I were married, it would be different, but alas, I am not, and so I must."
"He's not really a bad dancer," Sarah said gently, and Angeletta spun around quickly to face her, glaring.
"I don't care if he's the best dancer in the entire Labyrinth! I loathe the very thought of his hands, be they gloved or not, touching me! His touch is insulting!"
"I wonder if he feels the same way about you," Sarah couldn't help but grin.
"Oh, he does. Now enough about Jareth. Here is your chamber let me show you inside," Angeletta said, coming to a stop before a brown door with intricate designs cut into it.
Angeletta opened the door and stood aside, allowing Sarah to walk into her room first. A feeling of warmth surrounded Sarah as she walked in, gazing about her in wonder. The room was huge, with an enormous bed, several plush pieces of furniture, a beautiful vanity, a full length mirror, and a large wooden wardrobe. A large carpet covered the floor, and the colors decorating the room were light purple and blue. A large bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase were placed on the vanity, and Sarah walked over to them, admiring them. The flowers looked a great deal like white roses, but each petal was splashed with a different light color.
"These are gorgeous!" Sarah exclaimed, putting Lancelot down next to the flowers and leaning in closer to get a smell of the flowers.
"Aren't they? They are also very dangerous," Angeletta smiled, walking to Sarah's side and picking up one of the roses. "The thorns have all been cut off, Sarah, but if they hadn't been, you could be in a great deal of danger."
"How is that?" Sarah asked, awed that such beautiful flowers could be dangers.
"If you were to prick any part of your skin on one of the thorns, you would have to grant a wish for someone else. That's why these roses are called Traitorous. Your enemy could give you the flower, slip and make you prick your finger, and then you would have to fulfill one of his or her wishes. You needn't fear, though," Angeletta smiled, putting the rose back in the vase. "All the thorns have been removed. What do you think of your room?"
"It is so big and beautiful!"
"I regret that you don't yet have any clothes, but I shall be certain that you have a good deal by tonight. You will need to look your best for the banquet. Oh, and I thought this room would be good for you because of the view. Come here," Angeletta gestured, moving towards a large opening at the far end of the room.
Sarah followed her onto a large balcony and gasped when she saw the view.
It seemed that the immense house was on some sort of cliff, for before Sarah's eyes stretched out the open ocean. It was a deep, dark blue, and just the sound of the waves lapping up against the wall of the cliff soothed Sarah's heart and mind.
"I believe this room will give you plenty of opportunity to think," Angeletta said, bringing Sarah out of her musings. "Therefore, I must once again bring to your mind the events of tomorrow. You will be called before the council to testify against Jareth. They want you to tell them that Jareth captured you and your brother, therefore sentencing him to give up his right as king. You have already told me that he didn't necessarily capture you, therefore, please, for my sake, don't fight him. Let him win the case. It is the greatest thing you could ever do for me. I don't want to leave my home and the people I love to take care of a dirty goblin city in the place of a king that was far better as a ruler than I can ever be. That is the only compliment Jareth will ever receive from me, Sarah, so please don't think that I speak these things lightly. I beg you to help me," Angeletta pleaded, bowing her head before Sarah.
"Angeletta, you have been so kind to me. I couldn't possibly do anything to harm you. I would only do what's best for you," Sarah smiled and then enveloped Angeletta in a great hug.
Angeletta was startled at first, but then hugged Sarah in return and then stepped away.
"I must see to it that the banquet is announced. Clothes shall be sent to you shortly. You are free to roam about the castle as you wish. You are no longer a prisoner trapped in a strange and confusing world," Angeletta said and then left the room, leaving Sarah to pinch herself and determine if this wasn't all a wonderful dream.