"Daor!" Jareth called as a black cat slinked into the throne room. "Transform, you nitwit! I need your report."
The cat looked reproachfully at his king before his limbs elongated and his paws widened. The fur all over his body shrunk back into him revealing pale skin as his eyes turned from yellow to an easy green. The man stood as his hair slowly turned from short fur to dark hair long enough to pull up into a ponytail.
"The girl appears to be a fine candidate, my liege," the cat-man said.
"Fetch her, then," the king ordered dismissively.
"Your majesty, with all due respect, I..." the man trailed off, seeing the murderous look in his king's eyes. "Of course, your majesty, that does seem to be the best course of action."
"I knew you would agree. Off you go," the king said as the man bowed and left the throne room.
Snow slipped back into consciousness far earlier than she would have liked and tried to will herself back to sleep. The bed was so warm and comfortable, even the sheets seemed softer than usual. Sheets?! Snow only slept with blankets and comforters. Her eyes snapped open. This was not her room. She jumped out of the bed.
"Where am I?" she thought aloud. "I'm dreaming!" Snow realized as she willed herself to fly. When nothing happened, she sat on the bed in horror. 'This isn't a dream,' she thought. "So where am I?" she thought again as a knock on the door made her jump out of her skin.
She sat on the bed, frozen, staring at the door like it was rearing to pounce when the knock sounded again.
"Miss?" A voice called through the door, sounding worried, as Snow's eyes widened in fear.
'What if there's supposed to be a lady here and I'm here instead?! What if they think I'm impersonating her?! What if-" Snow's imagination was cut off when the door opened.
A woman, probably in her late fifties, stood in the threshold. The woman donned a gray maid's dress with a white apron. The woman's kind brown eyes filled with concern as she looked on the paralyzed girl.
"Are you alright, dear?" she asked tentatively.
"Where am I?" Snow demanded.
"The queen's chambers, miss," the woman said as Snow realized for the first time the woman was carrying a breakfast tray.
"What queen's chambers? I'm not a queen!" Snow insisted.
"Not yet, dear, but I expect you will be wed soon," the maid said as she approached Snow carefully and set the breakfast tray on a desk Snow hadn't noticed.
"Wed to whom? Where am I?!" Snow demanded again, becoming more panicked by the second.
"The king, of course. This is the castle beyond the Goblin City," the woman explained, as she poured orange juice into a goblet on the breakfast tray.
"The castle beyond the Goblin City?" Snow repeated. "I must be dreaming! Wake up!" Snow shouted, pinching herself and closing her eyes, but when she opened them, the same scene met her eyes. However, this time the maid was looking at her very concernedly.
"Dear, you really should calm yourself, his majesty will be here any moment," the woman told her.
"I'm here now," A voice called from the doorway, causing Snow to jump again. "Ancilla, you are dismissed," the man said as the woman curtsied and left.
"Who are you?" Snow demanded as the man stepped into the room.
"Jareth," the man said, bowing dramatically. "High Heir and King of the Goblins. What can I do for you?"
