The moment they made it to the Forest of Fairies Sarah could feel the power emanating from the leaves, then as she came closer some of the branches reached out to her.
"They recognize you as their Queen." Jareth smiled as he said this, obviously pleased with himself.
"Queen? I thought I was only the Queen of Goblin city."
"Oh, Sarah, Sarah, there are many things you do not know. You are the Queen of the entire Underground. It may not be official but all my subjects view you as such."
"I thought the Fairies were not a part of your realm."
"Technically, they're not, but since you are a thing of such high status they still show you such respect."
"Oh," was all Sarah could say. At first she was extremely offended that he had called her a thing, but she realized the customs here were very different. Maybe she could change
that, she wasn't used to being revered and didn't now how to react when a swarm of fairies placed flower crowns on Jareth and Sarah's heads. Jareth said something in a different
language and bowed. Sarah thought that it would be a good idea to bow as well.
"What do we do now?" Sarah was very confused at this point, were they even allowed to see her sister, or was she still in, what appeared to be, space.
"Now, we wait, your sister needs to decide wether or not she wants to meet you."
"What do you mean wants to meet me? Of course she wants to meet me, I'm her sister,"
"Well, Sarah you'd be surprised, family doesn't mean very much in the Underground, it's more your social ties and jobs that come first, instead of family. The way time works in
the Underground has forced her to age much faster, what feels like centuries to her are more like years to you, currently, until you get accustomed as well."
"Wait, so you're saying that fae actually don't live forever it's actually one lifetime in the Aboveground?"
"Precisely," Jareth was now fiddling with his lopsided crown which had fallen onto his face.
"Here, let me help you with that-" Sarah was cut off when a trail of glowing fairies ushered them deeper into the forest.
"Ah, it appears they have allowed you to see her, I am not welcome so you run along and i'll stay here," Sarah sighed exasperatedly, once again she was being treated like a
child, even though technically she was. Once the line of fairies leading her stopped she looked around, it was just an open clearing, no sign of life for what Sarah could see. After
she'd made a full circle she stopped right where she entered, when she saw a blue light. The light slowly became bigger and bigger until Sarah could not look at it any more.
"Hello, sister," The light twinkled. "I see you have finally made it to the Underground, all my doing of course. I just wish I could have met you before I came here, such a sad
way to finally meet." Althea sighed. Once she finished talking the light took on the delicate figure of a woman, then after a few giggles she looked exactly like the woman from the
painting.
"Haha, that tickles," She chuckled after finally taking her human form.
"What do you mean all your doing?" Sarah couldn't help but feel confused that it wasn't because of Jareth's doing that she was here.
"Well, how do you think, that of all people, Jareth chose a pubescent fifteen year old girl to run the Labyrinth, and let alone actually win?"
"Uh, I guess, I just thought-"
"Thought what? Oh, honey, you're not going to get very far in this world if you can't see how things truly are." She paused to wipe the glitter from her shoulders, "It just
happened that my own sister was the perfect match for the king of the Goblin city. Since it's my job, I had you chosen for the Labyrinth and told Jareth to put up an act to make it
seem like he was cruel but also seduce you simultaneously. Then I spoke with a few of the Labyrinths creatures to befriend you. You don't think he actually loves you yet do you?"
"Well I did," Sarah muttered.
"You must understand, he will come to love you someday, but not today, especially a girl who's not even fully developed yet, I mean if he even does love you it would be a sisterly
love."
"How long will it take for him to love me romantically and as a woman?"
"Hard to say, I'd guess around three years. The sad part is he plans to marry you in six months."
"Six months? That is insane, there is no way i'm marrying him in six months."
"Too bad sweet pea, you chose to stay with him in the Underground, rules are rules, you are to be wed on your sixteenth birthday."
"I- I- what have I done?" She brought her hands to her tear stained cheeks and covered her eyes. Poor Sarah, a fifteen year old girl, betrothed to a king centuries old. She
gathered her thoughts and came up with the best plan she could think of. "Althea, I can't live like this, I love him, but this is not my life. He is not worth any possible chance of happiness I could ever have. Maybe i'll get married someday, but not like this, not in the Underground. Althea, I want to live Aboveground."