A/N: This is for those of you (mainly the kind ones who left reviews) who are reading this.
"I can see why my son is so taken with you."
Sarah gasped as she quickly turned from where she was inspecting a painting that hung over Jareth's fireplace. She had just finished changing into a sleeveless midnight blue gown that fell to her feet. The collar was oval, revealing but not overly so; and there was a white gold cord tied loosely around her waist that accentuated her feminine curves nicely. Keeping her rebellious hair away from her face was a similar cord. In short, she looked like a goddess.
As she realized who it was exactly in front of her, she bowed slightly, "I didn't expect you so soon. Saga told me that she had shielded these rooms from transportation spells."
Wotan nodded, his lanky form relaxed against the bedpost, "They are. It just so happens that she excluded herself, my wife and myself from being subject to that spell. You needn't worry about being interrupted during a bath, my dear. My son may be pig headed but he isn't stupid."
"Which son?" Sarah asked after a moment of silence during which she digested his words. She found it quite odd that he had used the singular form of the noun twice now when it was two of his sons that were trying to court her.
"Jareth, of course," Wotan replied, summoning up a light blue crystal which he proceeded to play with as he continued to speak, "Andvari is still quite rash when it comes to the fairer sex. He has a tendency to become extremely jealous regarding the things his brother has that he wants."
A flush spread across Sarah's face and neck, disappearing under the soft fabric of her gown as the implication hit her. In a sudden need to change the subject she asked, "Who painted this?"
A smirk formed on Wotan's face as he asked, "Do you like it?"
The picture was of the Pool of Sight, a woman standing inside of it, presumably seeing her future as a white owl watched from its perch on the tree that gave shade to the Pool's deep waters. Sarah could tell that whomever had painted the scene had done so with much love and devotion to detail that she could have gotten lost in it – as she nearly had when Wotan had arrived.
"Very much so," she finally whispered.
"It was a gift to Jareth from your mother. She painted it right after returning from the Aboveground," Wotan's voice was soft and musical – so similar to the Goblin King's that it sent a small shiver down her spine.
Sarah glanced back at it, now able to detect her mother's unique brush strokes moving the paint to do her bidding. Her mother had been a great artist Aboveground – that was how she had met Sarah's father and fallen in love with him.
"I have a gift for you," Wotan said suddenly after the silence had stretched out long enough in his mind. He held out the crystal ball toward the half-Fae. At her cautious look he smirked and said, "Don't worry, my dear, I'm not offering you your dreams. Just a token of nobility that befits your station here."
Sarah took the crystal from the High King's hand, causing it to burst and become the most beautiful ring Sarah had ever seen: a white gold band supported what looked like a dragon shaped like a semi-circle, molding into a crescent moon on the other half of the circle. In the center of the design lay a small crystal as blue as the one Wotan had summoned to do his bidding.
"It's beautiful," Sarah whispered as Wotan slipped it onto the middle finger of her right hand. It was also a perfect fit. "What does it mean?"
Wotan caught her green hazel eyes with his own baby blues before he spoke: "The dragon and moon are the crest of the High King. You will find that all servants wear it on their tunics; the crystal in the center is a mark that you are high royalty."
"But-"
"It doesn't matter that you have not chosen which son of mine to marry. Your mother's blood is royal, and it flows through your veins. You saw in the Pool whom to choose and it is one of my sons, is it not?" Sarah blushed and nodded; her eyes adverted from the High King's in embarrassment. "There is no need for embarrassment, my dear. In my thousands of years I have witnessed much more embarrassing moments."
"How old are you?" Sarah asked the High King next as they sat on the chairs positioned to the right of the fireplace.
Wotan chuckled, "I am exactly twelve thousand seven hundred and five years old. My darling wife is less than a hundred years younger."
"And Jareth and Andvari?"
"They were born a little over two hours apart – with Jareth being first, making him the Crown High Prince. They are approaching their three thousandth birthday in the summer."
"Oh." What more could she say? It was shocking enough to find out she was trying to decide between two men whom had seen Leonardo de Vinci paint his masterpieces, she couldn't think of anything else to say.
Wotan chuckled again, "Age is of little importance to the Fae. As long as those we chose to entrust our hearts to are above the age of consent, that is. Jareth was foolish to try to keep you here when you were still so young."
Sarah thought to what she had seen in the Pool and sighed with a nod, "I was a fool not to see what he was trying to tell me."
Wotan shook his head, "No, child, you were far too young to understand what he was offering you."
A thought crept into Sarah's mind that she couldn't dispel, "Your majesty?"
"When we are in private I would prefer if you referred to me as Wotan … and maybe one day Father," the king said softly interrupting her question.
A delicate blush crept over Sarah's features again as she took in the implication of his words. He seemed to her the kind of man that took formality very seriously. That he would even consider letting her call him by his first name …
"My apologies, your – Wotan. But, I do not understand: If they are both High Princes then why was Andvari in the Aboveground and Jareth King of the Goblins?" she finally voiced her inquiry.
Wotan's grin reminded Sarah of Jareth tremendously as he said, "A bet." Sarah furrowed her brow and Wotan continued, "My sons have always been competitive – ever since the day they were born. Throughout their childhood they've always made foolish bets about various things – straight from whose horse could run faster to whom could obtain a kiss from one princess or another first."
He sighed and gained a far away look in his eyes as he continued, "They've broken the hearts of many young Fae that way. The goblins have always been an unruly sort of race. Fae have tried time and again to rule over them and failed. Raiders from other kingdoms often found sport in the outlaying goblin villages.
"On their two thousand six hundredth birthday Andvari baited Jareth and made a bet that he could live two hundred years on the Aboveground without his magic while Jareth couldn't last that long ruling the goblins. Jareth had fumed and then claimed that he could rule the goblins for four hundred years as opposed to the two hundred Andvari claimed he couldn't make." The king sighed again, "I found out and made them carry out their bet. They have both returned once a year for the weeklong session of High Court."
"So the Labyrinth wasn't there before Jareth took control of the goblins?" Sarah asked intrigued with the information being presented to her.
Wotan shook his head, "No, my dear, the goblins were quite disorganized. It took Jareth one hundred years to complete the Labyrinth and organize the goblin army and another fifty to reorganize their economy. Before you bested him nearly six years ago no one had managed to get through that maze without his permission or being a denizen.
"I've never seen him so affected by … anything before."
A hesitant knock sounded from the door. "Enter," Wotan said authoritatively.
A feminine head poked through the doorway, clearly uncomfortable in her surroundings, "Your highness," she said with a curtsey as she came fully into the room. "Your majesty, I was sent to inform you that the evening meal is ready and the preparations in the grand ballroom have been completed for tomorrow night's festivities."
Wotan nodded once and the girl disappeared back through the door. He rose from his seat. Turning to Sarah he said, "You will not be required to attend the evening meal – we'll have something brought here for you. But tomorrow evening is the ball that commemorates the beginning of High Court; I believe it would be best if you were to make your presence known to all at that time."
He turned to leave and stopped as he neared the door, "A few servants will be by later to collect your measurements for a gown and with your meal. They will be yours until your stay with us has ended."
"Thank you," Sarah said softly as the High King left and she was once again alone in the regal rooms that belonged to her once-nemesis and enemy. "But no more," she whispered, idly stroking the ring that now adorned her right hand. "No more."
---
After she had eaten and had her measurements taken by one of the three servants assigned to her (she was pretty sure they were dwarves due to height and how similar to Hoggle they all looked) Sarah asked them, "Are there any good places to take a walk around here? A library or garden, maybe?"
They all looked at each other hesitantly before one of them, Eluned, answered, "There are a number of libraries throughout the palace, my lady, as are there a number of gardens. High King Wotan has informed us to take you wherever you wish to go. Perhaps if you would narrow down where that is?"
Enid, one of the other maids, piped up, "There is a lovely rock garden that is new to the palace grounds. Perhaps my lady would enjoy walking there?"
Sarah nodded, "Thank you, Enid. That sounds perfect." When all three of the maids made to follow her from the room Sarah added, "I only need one of you to show me the way. If there are other things to do you don't have to come."
"My lady, we are here only to serve you and keep you safe – High King Wotan would be none too pleased if we were lack in our duties," Eluned said with a smile. She liked this half-Fae: Sarah wasn't as aloof as the other Fae nobility, and she didn't let the fact that she had beaten the Labyrinth go to her head.
"This way," Enid said as she led the way through the halls toward the rock garden. The other two hand maids walking beside their charge.
The third and youngest maid, Epona, kept on glancing at Sarah. Finally the woman said, "What is it?"
Epona blushed and looked down, "I-is it true that you beat High Prince Jareth's Labyrinth in under thirteen hours?"
Sarah smirked, "I'm not actually sure I had a whole thirteen hours – and I did have a bit of help getting to the end."
"But you're the same Sarah?"
"Yes, Epona, I'm the same Sarah."
All three dwarves eyes were wide as they approached the rock garden to find it occupied with a big beast like creature and a Fae.
"Ludo!" Sarah said with a grin, causing the beast to look up.
"Sawah, back!" he said, walking over to give the woman a hug. "Ludo miss Sawah."
"I missed you, too, Ludo," Sarah said as he set her down. "Did you make this garden?"
The beast contemplated her question for a moment before he answered: "Yes."
Sarah smiled warmly at the beast, "It's beautiful."
"Sawah beautiful," Ludo replied. "Sawah meet Naamah?"
At the sound of the name of the other woman, Sarah turned and found herself face-to-face with a woman straight from her childhood movies and pictures: Her mother. She gasped softly as her mother's piercing green eyes sized her up.
"Hello, Mother," she finally whispered to the Elvin Queen standing before her.
Naamah smiled, pleased that her mortal husband hadn't blocked their daughter's memories of her, "You've grown up so beautifully, Sarah."
A tinge of anger swept down Sarah's spine, "No thanks to you," she said, her eyes cold as she decidedly chose not to care about the shock illustrated on her mother's beautiful features. "Tell me, how long did you debate coming back here and having your powers given back to you over your own daughter? Did it take you all of a minute? Or did you wait a full hour before deciding to leave?"
The harsh words cut deep into Naamah's heart, but she couldn't deny them. Sarah had every right to be angry with her for leaving. "I was hardly given a choice, Sarah," she whispered in reply.
"And yet you didn't find a way to bring me with you," Sarah replied, refusing to let the unshed tears mar her vision. "I grew up for ten years without a mother. You can't justify that no matter how hard you try. The ends do not justify the means."
Naamah hadn't felt hurt like what her daughter was making her feel in ages - lifetimes perhaps. Yes, that was it, lifetimes. She rose to her full height in an effort to keep her emotions at bay. The glint of a ring on Sarah's finger caught Naamah's eye and she took in a sharp breath. "It seems the High King has taken to adopting you, my daughter," she said with unknown emotion.
Sarah glanced down at her hand before replying; "The High King has been generous and kind to me in an unfamiliar place that I should have known for years." She turned to her three maids and said, "I believe one of you said something about a library?"
Enid and Epona looked at each other in confusion, afraid for speaking lest they would say the wrong thing. It was Eluned that replied after glaring at the younger two, "Yes, my lady, High Queen Frigg is quite fond of the Aboveground playwrights and has a vast library I'm sure you would enjoy. This way."
Sarah gave Ludo a loving and soft look, "Goodbye, Ludo. I'll see you soon."
"Goodbye, Sawah," he replied sadly.
Without so much as a glance at her mother, Sarah turned and followed Eluned away from the rock garden and back toward the palace.
---
Andvari felt a vibration in the air around him and conjured up one of his crystals, "Sarah," he commanded quietly. The crystal showed him the confrontation in the rock garden. He paid very close attention to the reactions of all involved, especially that Elvin Queen, Naamah. They had been lovers once … before her exile to Aboveground. Perhaps she would help him win her daughter's heart.
He winced as he watched the scene unfold and had to admit it probably wasn't such a good idea but it was the only one he could think of. He had already courted the bloody girl in the Aboveground and she had already bloody well accepted his question of marriage! What more did they expect from him?
He growled under his breath as he examined Sarah's three maids, trying to decide which one would be easiest to sway. Not Eluned, of course, that old dwarf was far too keen about such things to listen to him … but maybe Enid … yes, that maid would fit quite nicely into his little scheme.
A/N: So? Don't worry, Andvari won't get too into his plan before all goes to hell in a handbasket for him. ...But I would like to know your opinion on whether or not I should introduce Loki (old or less old is up to you as well) in this story as the more central bad guy/trickster? Please respond in the form of a review.
Oh, and for all of you who might think that Sarah acted a bit too harshly, I grew up without my dad for the majority of my childhood (his choice to leave) and even though I thought I had gotten over it, I still hold a lot of resentment toward him for leaving. Sarah's response was what it should be after learning that her mother didn't die, but chose to leave her.