Eevan woke me up the next morning, just as the sun was rising and the light filled the room. I had slept in my clothes and Eevan again insisted I change into the new gown he brought for me, but I still refused. He had also brought me breakfast; an assortment of fruit and boiled eggs. I ate at the small table by the window, Eevan stood at the door in silence as I did. Once I was done he insisted I followed him, assuring me someone would come to clean up the dishes.
I paid close attention to the way he took through the palace, knowing it was better to familiarize myself with my surroundings. We traveled up a few flights of stairs, and Eevan led me to a room with two large double doors, painted with a lovely rose pattern. "This, Lady Avery, is your new room." He opened the doors for me, and I walked inside and was absolutely speechless. Everything about this palace I had seen was so bare and boring, everything except this room. There was silk curtains covered the large windows and a beautiful bed with a canopy hanging from the ceiling surrounding it. There were bookshelves completely stocked as well as a large study desk with an adorable purple armchair. A large wardrobe in the corner neat a vanity completely stocked with makeup and perfume. There were fine paintings hanging on the wall and the sweet smell of fresh lavender in the air. There were three-branched candelabrum's one each nightstand table near the bed, as well as a beautiful candle lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was all absolutely stunning.
"I hope you like it Lady Avery, I spent the entire night decorating it hoping it would be satisfactory." Eevan informed me as he stepped into the room after me.
"You did all this?" I looked at him with such shock and disbelief in my eyes. He nodded simply, keeping his eyes on his feet. "Eevan, it's beautiful."
He looked up at me, relief lining his expression as I said this. "I'm glad you like it then. If you'd like I can show you where you can freshen up, and I can take you out for a tour of the city." He seemed to have a certain sense of excitement about him now, I could tell it wasn't every day he received compliments. Even though I didn't really want to go out and see the city, I couldn't say no to him and nodded in a silent agreement as he led me from my new room.
The tub in the "bath room" was rather large and underneath was a small fire put Eevan used to heat the water. He stayed in the bath room with me, but set up a large standing screen in between us so I could have some privacy. "We don't really use things like shampoo and body wash here like you do in your world. We bathe and have similar products, but nothing like those. I did my best to create a few things close to them though, so you'd feel more at home." He informed me as I striped my clothes from my body as took note of all the decorated bottles setting on the little table near the tub as I got into the warm water.
"You really didn't have to go through all that trouble." I told him as I examined each bottle and smelled them all.
"It's not really like I had much of anything else to do." He answered me back simply as I started to wash my hair with a lovely honey smelling concoction.
Once I was all clean and dried off, Eevan gave me a robe to wear for our walk back to my room. He sat me down at my vanity and brushed out my hair and braided it for me. He then did my makeup and picked me out a casual gown to wear out to see the city. I was still hesitant about wearing it, but did as he wished because quite frankly he looked so excited about it.
We left the palace grounds, our arms linked together as he began to show me around. He showed me the armory, the blacksmith, the stables were strange creatures used for riding were kept, the bakery, the market, the tailor, the cobbler, everything you'd expect to see. And then we reached the gates.
"These are the great gates to the Goblin City, only one person has ever been known to breach these gates." Eevan informed me as we looked at the structure.
"Who?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Your sister." He answered me bluntly.
I turned to Eevan with a look of absolute shock, but at the same time understanding. "Sarah's been here?" I asked if I couldn't believe it, but yet it seemed to make perfect sense once I actually thought about it. "When?"
"It is not my story to tell Lady Avery." He sighed as he took my arm and lead me away, but my eyes linger on the gates as I let the thought sink in.
"It's almost time for dinner." Eevan commented as we reached my room back at the palace. I hadn't even realized how long when had been out in the city until I looked out my windows and saw the sun setting. "Change into this." He instructed me, pulling a more extravagant gown from my wardrobe, "King Jareth will want you to join him."
"Will you be there too?" I asked him as I took the gown from his hands. He shook his hand and I felt a sense of disappointment; something about having Eevan around made me feel less uneasy. Seeing the goblins for the first time should have been a much more nerve wrecking experience for me, but with Eevan there it felt very tolerable. I could only imagine how much ease he'd bring him during a dinner with Jareth.
I stepped behind a screen to change and when I was done Eevan insisted I wear a red lipstick to match the gown before he escorted me to the dining hall. When we arrived, the candles were all lit and shined brilliantly, but there was no Jareth. "I thought you said he'd be here." I commented simply.
"He will be. He likes to make an entrance. I need to be on my way, I'll come to your room tonight before you go to bed. Enjoy your dinner Lady Avery." Before I really even had a chance to ask him to wait, Eevan left me alone in the dining hall in a single blink.
I sighed and walked across the room, looking across the table decorated in flowers and silver candles sticks next to fine pieces of dining ware. "Red looks lovely on you." I heard Jareth's voice from behind me, directly behind me. I made a sharp turn on my heel and almost fell over when I realized just how close he was, but of course he reached for me and caught me, helping me regain my balance. "Did I startle you?"
I said nothing to him, simply backed away and out of his hold as I turned my eyes back to the table. "Do you make it a habit to sneak up on people?"
"Not a habit, but it does seem to be a common reoccurrence." He informed me as he moved to a chair near where I standing and pulled it out for me to sit. I looked at him, not totally trusting him with a feeling almost as if he'd pull the seat from under me when I tried to sit. Defeated by my stubbornness, he walked away from the chair and took his own seat across the table, which was when I then took mine.
"Jareth, right?" I finally acknowledged him by name.
"Have I not introduced myself?" He seemed shocked at himself upon this realization, and I only nodded to confirm. "How rude of me. Well, M'Lady, I am Jareth, King of the Goblin City and the Labyrinth."
"The Labyrinth…" I repeated as I recalled the large stone walls I had seen outside my window the night before.
"I could show it to you sometimes, tomorrow perhaps?" Jareth insisted just as the doors of the dining hall opened and a tall, lanky looking goblin with long silvery hair walked in with a rolling cart with two plates of food on it that he presented to both of us before taking his silent leave.
I looked down at the plate, it all seemed rather normal enough, not the sort of odd cuisine I was expecting. I returned my attention back to Jareth as he took a glass a wine from in front of him and sipped it in silence, his eyes also on me. "Actually, I was hoping you could tell me more about my sister."
His face went blank; his eyes clouded as he shifted his gaze down at the table and set his glass back in front of him. "Eevan told you she was here?"
"Should he not have?"
"What else did he tell you?"
"What else is there to know?"
Jareth's eyes turned back to face me now with a certain look of fury. "All those questions, everything you wish to know, will be yours to learn in time. Nothing will be revealed to before you are ready. If you wish to remain happy here, I suggest you abide by that rule or else there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"
I glared at him with such a look of fury; I couldn't even stand it anymore. "I've seemed to have lost my appetite." I stood from my chair, turning my eyes away from him, "If you would excuse me, I'm going to bed." I did not give him a chance to object, or even say goodnight, I simply took my leave from my dining hall and quickly returned to the safety and comfort of my room.
The thought that Sarah had been her before gave me such an odd sense of fear to come to understand. Why had she kept it from me all these years? Had she known my nightmares and this place were connected? She must have known, but why had she never told me? And Toby…Toby had the same nightmares. Had he been here before too? It was so much to take in, so much to process. It made me tremble with such a terrible sense of uncertainty and fear. Is that why they apologized to me? Did they know I was to come here? What part did they play in all this? I didn't want to be patient and wait for tha answers, I wanted to know now.