Chapter 2

Announcement

A week after telling the staff a Princess was due in spring the Castle was buzzing with excitement, even the goblins were engaged in preparations for the new addition. A ball was set at the end of the new season ( new year). With Christmas decor coming down around the castle the staff was busying themselves with the ball preparations, Elizabeth was more then thrilled with the task of making tiny gowns, she was the only staff member Sarah was able to spend one on one time with, as Jareth held a meeting that their Queen was never to be unguarded, even inside the castle walls. If Jareth couldn't not be with her, his best guards would be. To Sarah it was confining, and taking a toll. So her time with Elizabeth proved to be a welcomed relief, Elizabeth was kind, and soft she understood both sides of the situation and helped ease Sarah's anxiety's, she was proving to be a very loyal friend to the Queen.

Feeling his loves wavering stress, he arranged for Sarah's beloved friends to visit unannounced to Sarah. They weren't allowed for the holidays Sarah had integrated into the underground, do to Jareth's growing fear that Nalan would have heard the news of the unborn princess by now, and used any form to get to her. Didymus, Ludo and Huggle would be the first to suspect as a tool. But their absence was definitely felt by Sarah and Jareth caved, after much scrutiny he allowed them inside, the reunion was blissful, and as always comical with Didymus's unyelding protective nature.

They gathered in the grand sitting room, the fireplace roaring and crackling, tea, hot chocolate, and cakes sat on a tray, and Sarah had a small pile of gifts to give her dear friends, as they had missed her new declared holiday. They enjoyed three hours of uninterrupted catching up, talks of the new addition to the kingdom, and naturally their proclamation to protect the babe. Marcus was stationed just outside the doors, out of Sarah's sight, but she knew better. Just as she was going to scold Jareth for the unnecessary gesture, she felt pain in her abdomen. Jareth had been periodically watching Sarah's visits from his study.

It was when she called out to him and the sound in her voice that he magicked into the room so quickly.

Sarah was dubbed over her friends surrounded

her.

"What happened hawgart?!" Jareth demanded.

" She just cried out and yous showed up"

Jareth kneeled infront of her, "what is it love". Sarah looked at him, pain in her eyes, and he instantly gathered her in his arms and magicked them to the healer. Leaving Sarah's friends sad and concerned.

Iason looked over the Queen with carful examination. Jareth's eyes never left Sarah.

" I'm alright now, what ever it was has passed,"

"What did you consume while in the sitting room?" Jareth barked, letting fear get the best of him. Sarah instantly backed away from his outburst. Protectively placing her hand on her stomach.

"Are you suggesting our staff would harm me? Our child?"

Jareth just stared waiting for his answer. " Hot chocolate your highness, I crave it." She said with spite.

Iason watched the pair as the tension grew. He decided it was a good time to created some calm.

"A normal pregnancy symptom to have cravings, and," Iason took a measuring ribbon circling it around Sarah's growing stomach, "also normal for the pain you felt," He noted the measurement a fit of perplextion, cascaded on his face.

"What do you mean, normal?" Jareth demanded

" It appears the Queens body it preparing for birth, it's perfectly normal to feel false labor pains, however a bit early at this stage, additionally...," Iason looked at Sarah, your weight gain is what I believe to be strickly the child, make an effort to snack more, and stay hydrated, you are a bit dehydrated. Fay pregnancies can go a little differently Sarah," Iason took her hand. "Do take care of your health as well."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked intrigued. She didn't know much about human pregnancies, just the basics. "How is a Fay pregnancy, different? "

"But Sarah is not human, you told me yourself she is fay!" Jareth was now shouting. Sarah was utterly confused.

She felt Jareth's essence shift, and a shiver ran down her spine.

"I am simply running down all the possibilities. The child grows rapidly, you are two weeks into your seventh month, and your body is preparing for labor." Iason gave Jareth a pointed look.

Jareth looked at Sarah, whom looked utterly confused and frightened. "Jareth?" She questioned. He took her hand. "Humans don't survive fay births...it is the law that, a fay child's life trumps a human, the human mother is expected to give her life for the child."

"Jareth, I'm no longer human, my magic grows everyday, it will not happen." She tried to reassure him.

"This might mimic a human, fay pregnancy because Sarah was once living above ground, your highness. The Queen is fay. As is the child." Iason explained, but Jareth was giving into Despair.

"We can test it sire, we should have years ago"

"Test?" Sarah inquired.

"No!" Jareth shouted. And Sarah searched him for answers.

"Do it." Sarah said simply. The room seemed to freeze.

"As your queen, I'm telling you, to the test." She hated using her title to get what she wanted, but this was a serious situation.

"Sarah you don't know what this will do..." Jareth pleaded.

"And you should have told me, I am your wife and Queen of this kingdom, one which expects me to die, and leave you to raise our daughter. Now proceed with the test!"

Iason nodded his head and left the exam room to retrieve a bowl, inquisitively Sarah looked on. Iason then opened a cabinet full of different sized bottles. He grabbed a black one. Jareth sighed heavily. Iason gloved his hands a pored the liquid in the bowl. He then pulled out a long silver strand, soaking it in the liquid. Iason made Jareth step back, the closer he approached Sarah with the silver, the faster her heart raced, odd the fear she was feeling from what looked like a long necklace. Jareth could feel her fear, her rapidly beating heart, and to his surprise, another hummingbird bird like heart. "Stop! They are scared" Jareth shouted.

"No complete the test!" Sarah commanded.

At this point he took the silver chain a tossed it at Sarah, It looped around her wrist and the remaining silver landed in her abdomen.

She screamed out, as it burnt like a red hot rod. She took her other hand using her magic to get it off, her magic reacted so violently when she flung the silver across the exam room, it was embedded into the stone wall. She felt drained and cried hot tears.

"Heal her!" Jareth screamed. Iason was still recovering from what he witnessed.

"No don't touch me!" She cried. Her first concern was the burns on her abdomen, she could feel the baby moving around wildly. She hovered her hand over her stomach and healed the burn. Jareth and Iason looked on in horror and fascination. She was able to heal herself?

Shortly after making sure the burns to her abdomen were healed, she fell back in exhaustion. Sweat beads glittered on her forehead.

"Iason her wrist..." Jareth snapped as he rushed to her.

"What, the hell was that?" She asked breathlessly.

"Iron... and pure silver. Fay are allergic, the iron burns, the silver is stronger then any bound, it is not easily broken"

"Thanks for the warning." Sarah said as she closed her eyes for a moment.

Jareth let out a nervous laugh of relief, kissing her forehead, while Iason healed her wrist, leaving a small raised impression of the loop that wrapped around her wrist.

Sarah opened her eyes when she felt the baby move again. "So I take it, I passed" Sarah said weakly.

"Indeed, highness. You are fay" Iason looked at Jareth. Her other magic could be explained, her abilities to not only remove the silver, but to heal herself were in need of explanation. Jareth lifted Sarah off the exam table, magicking them to their chambers. Rest now. Questions later.

He placed a deep sleeping spell on Sarah and made Sure she was comfortable in their bed. He then walked out to their balcony to process everything. His wife was not only fay, but more powerful then himself and any fay he knew. He looked up thanking the stars and damning them. Thankful, Sarah would most definitely survive their first borns birth, but damning them for making the target on her larger. What could he do to insure her safety?

"Jareth?" He heard from behind him. There stood his Queen looking so beautiful his heart beamed. "A sleeping spell huh..." she dismissed his attempt, walking out to the balcony wrapping her arms around him, he smiled pulling her closer. "My dear King," she whispered in his ear. "Though I give you power over me," She intertwined her hands in his hair. "I demand you join me in our bed."

"Sarah" he was silenced by her kiss. "Through dangers untold and heart ships unnumbered" she pulled him into the room. Heading toward the bed. He grabbed her wrist pulling her back to him, kissing her passionately. "Your will is as strong as mine precious" he lifted her up hold her legs around his waist. " And our kingdom is great." She said between hungry kisses. "I want you, now Jareth"

He magicked away his clothes, sending a thrill of chill bumps up the back of Sarah's neck. She began kissing him wildly all around his neck, moaning and whispering his name. She lifted the night gown off herself and threw it to the floor with a little giggle. Jareth immediately began sucking on her breast and massaging the other. She wrapped her legs around him and tossed her head back to moan. Jareth kissed her throat all the way up to her lips where when met the passion could not be held back by either party,

" I love you my precious thing" and she let out a cry of joy as he thrust into her over and over.

January 23rd

" Edie, edie" Jareth called out the their chosen nurse maid. " Where is Sarah? I haven't seen her since breakfast" Edie was in the birthing room constantly charging crystals, producing protection spells and preparing the room for Sarah. " your majesty, breakfast was only an hour ago..." she informed cautiously, knowing the king was bound to be on edge, for tonight was the announcement ball and Jareth strictly asked Sarah not to be alone for a moment. Jareth was growing impatient. " I just left her in the nursery not thirty minutes ago, Marcus is with her, per your request and at the Queens disapproval." Edie continued to place large crystals around the room.

As soon as he got the information he need he blinked himself to his chambers. And headed to the door adjoining the nursery. He stopped for a moment listening to Sarah sing.

" I can't let go, you're every part of me

This space between is just a dream

You will never be alone, I will always be waiting and I'll always be watching you..."

Jareth's tears fell freely, Sarah voice was angelic as she sang to their unborn baby. He spied her sitting in a lush chair she magicked to rock easily for future lulling, she protectly kept a hand on her growing belly and yealded magic in her other, placing, purple, pink and golds around the nursery. But most astonishing was the wooden cradle, placed in the middle of the room, carved in the Wood was the most beautiful meadow filled with lilies, violets and wildflowers. On the walls were muted Murals of woodland animals and fairies, and of course stuffed versions of Sarah's dear friends collected in the corner atop feathered pillows not far from a book shelf of fairytale stories they'd read to the babe. By all efforts, Sarah had told her story in their child's room. And it was breathtaking. Now she placed both hands on her stomach smiling. " I know you're going to love it here my precious Violet, your father and I love you very much"

Jareth smiled. She looked so beautiful, glowing, her ebony hair softly curled naturally. The silk purple gown she wore shimmered in the light as she moved ever so slightly.

"You can join us you know..." Sarah said in a song like voice. Jareth smiled " but the view is so beautiful, how could I interrupt." Jareth walked over to her. Placing a hand on her stomach. "Violet huh?" He said softly.

"I thought it fitting... besides she told me first..."

" She told you?!" Jareth mused.

Sarah produced a Crystal handing it to Jareth, he peered inside. First he saw a tiny baby in his arms, dressed all in lace with a matching bonnet, then he saw a giggling toddler, she had her mother's ebony locks only ringlets, her eyes were her fathers one the most crystal blue and the other green with a ring of violet, she was running towards him in the gardens, then he saw a little girl dancing in a purple dress to ballet music and the crystal filled with purple myst.

" She's beautiful love, absolutely beautiful, how did you do this?" he referred to the crystal which now burst and disappeared.

She showed me... like when I went into your thoughts that day" on the last words she drew to a whisper. She was still haunted by that day. And now that ball was vastly approaching, hours away. Sarah sighed and traced her finger over the scar on her wrist. "Do you think he'll..." she met his mismatched eyes. Tears in hers.

Jareth took her in his arms. " I'll be right by your side. My love."

He paused. " Where is Marcus? I was clear in my orders."

" He just left." She said softly. Jareth began to protest. " As soon as I felt you near I Relieved him. I was never truly alone" she explained. Jareth ease at her explanation.

Jareth stood up holding his arm out, "Queen Sarah of the Underground, Princess Violet," Jareth talked to her pregnant belly addressing their daughter. "Your father," he looked up at Sarah "and husband wish for your company in the gardens."

"If you so wish it..." Sarah smiled. Glad to be going outside.

They took there time in the gardens enjoying the cool out doors, Jareth lead Sarah to a path which opened to a field and a large weeping willow tree, nearby was a river, the water flowing through it, its ambient noise soothing.

Under the willow tree a picnic was set up. Didymus, ludo, and huggle we're setting out the snacks. " you did this?" She asked Jareth. " well, your friends rather insisted, and possibly protested, apparently I was holding you captive, that's according to the little yappy one" Jareth scoffed at the insult that he'd harm Sarah in anyway.

Sarah was overjoyed to be out of the castle, and to be spending time with her friends, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she was having. She gave her belly a gentle stroke, looking down. "Will you please stay?"

" I have every intention of staying with you and your friends love." Sarah smiled brightly.

The friends, King and Queen enjoyed their time together, it was a nice escape from all the new developments and a great distraction for Sarah.

"It's time precious, we have a big night to prepare for." Jareth helped Sarah up. She turned back to her loyal friends. " I shall see you tonight" They wordlessly curtsied. Sarah silently waved with a half smile.

Please let me know what you think! -K