Chapter One: Barren
"How does a ball sound?"
"Absolutely not. If you want a ball, have it at your own damn castle."
"I actually liked the idea." A third voice ventured.
"Of course you do. You love the chance to show off."
"Jareth, that's not being fair." Stephan cautioned.
"You're damn right it's not fair!" Cassandra snapped. "And rude to boot. Just because you hate to socialize doesn't mean the rest of us should be doomed to boredom as well."
"Then you go with Stephan and plan parties every day for all I care!"
Stephan was silent, but watched his brother with a thoughtful expression.
Cassandra, however, stood up from the dinner table and fixed Jareth with an angry stare. "If you hadn't kept me here maybe I could!"
"You forget it was Stephan who kept you from saying the words!"
"But it was you who made me miserable!"
"Miserable?" Now Jareth stood up. "If you have been miserable, that is your own fault."
"My fault? All I have for company is you and your damn goblins." She moved around the table to stand in front of him. "Frankly, I enjoy the goblins better!" With that said, she pushed past him and ran from the room.
"Cassandra, come back here!" He yelled after her. She did not answer. Turning back to see his brother he mumbled. "Damn."
Stephan watched his brother with a slight smile. Yes, it was there all right. All he had to do was get them both to realize it.
"If not a ball, then how about a nice dinner?"
"What?" Jareth had not heard his brother, thinking instead about how angry Cassandra made him. Miserable indeed. What had he done? For that matter, what had he not done for her? He had done everything for her!
"I said, if you won't have a ball, then a small dinner party. We can invite a few close friends, and hold it, oh, say a week from today."
Jareth raised an eyebrow. "On Valentine's day?"
"Why not? We can even exchange valentines, like when we were younger."
Jareth remembered the custom. Everyone would pick a name from a hat, write a valentine poem, and place it in a box. On Valentine's day evening, everyone would pick out their respective valentines and read them aloud, trying to guess who wrote it.
Jareth frowned. "I suppose…"
"Wonderful!" Stephan stood and walked over to his brother, clasping his arms. "I'm so glad you agree, I'll start preparing at once. I'll leave it to you to ask Cassandra."
"What?" Jareth stared at his brother.
"Well, you do have to apologize."
"I do not!"
Stephan shook his head. "You never learn."
With that he also walked out of the room. Jareth frowned deeply. Kings were not normally dismissed in such a manner. It would do him good to marry that damned girl off to his brother. Then perhaps, he could live in peace.
And sleep in peace, without dreaming about her stormy eyes.
* * * * *
"How does a ball sound?"
"Absolutely not. If you want a ball, have it at your own damn castle."
"I actually liked the idea." A third voice ventured.
"Of course you do. You love the chance to show off."
"Jareth, that's not being fair." Stephan cautioned.
"You're damn right it's not fair!" Cassandra snapped. "And rude to boot. Just because you hate to socialize doesn't mean the rest of us should be doomed to boredom as well."
"Then you go with Stephan and plan parties every day for all I care!"
Stephan was silent, but watched his brother with a thoughtful expression.
Cassandra, however, stood up from the dinner table and fixed Jareth with an angry stare. "If you hadn't kept me here maybe I could!"
"You forget it was Stephan who kept you from saying the words!"
"But it was you who made me miserable!"
"Miserable?" Now Jareth stood up. "If you have been miserable, that is your own fault."
"My fault? All I have for company is you and your damn goblins." She moved around the table to stand in front of him. "Frankly, I enjoy the goblins better!" With that said, she pushed past him and ran from the room.
"Cassandra, come back here!" He yelled after her. She did not answer. Turning back to see his brother he mumbled. "Damn."
Stephan watched his brother with a slight smile. Yes, it was there all right. All he had to do was get them both to realize it.
"If not a ball, then how about a nice dinner?"
"What?" Jareth had not heard his brother, thinking instead about how angry Cassandra made him. Miserable indeed. What had he done? For that matter, what had he not done for her? He had done everything for her!
"I said, if you won't have a ball, then a small dinner party. We can invite a few close friends, and hold it, oh, say a week from today."
Jareth raised an eyebrow. "On Valentine's day?"
"Why not? We can even exchange valentines, like when we were younger."
Jareth remembered the custom. Everyone would pick a name from a hat, write a valentine poem, and place it in a box. On Valentine's day evening, everyone would pick out their respective valentines and read them aloud, trying to guess who wrote it.
Jareth frowned. "I suppose…"
"Wonderful!" Stephan stood and walked over to his brother, clasping his arms. "I'm so glad you agree, I'll start preparing at once. I'll leave it to you to ask Cassandra."
"What?" Jareth stared at his brother.
"Well, you do have to apologize."
"I do not!"
Stephan shook his head. "You never learn."
With that he also walked out of the room. Jareth frowned deeply. Kings were not normally dismissed in such a manner. It would do him good to marry that damned girl off to his brother. Then perhaps, he could live in peace.
And sleep in peace, without dreaming about her stormy eyes.
* * * * *