*Taps microphone and gets feedback*

Ahem. H-hello? Is anyone out there?

Hehe. Soooo... how long has it been since my last update? Yeah. Too long. My bad.

Thanks so much to the people who encouraged/demanded updates! You guys are awesome :3 This one goes out to you!

Disclaimer thing: I don't own any of these shmoopiewoopiekins'. They are totes NOT my brain children!

The lilting voice of the mezzo soprano filled the resonant classroom with rich overtones. Sarah accompanied her student, Mary, at the piano with ease, sight-reading the music while watching her student in the mirror she had propped up next to her. Sarah made mental notes on how to improve her student: where she needed to adjust her vowel sounds, how she can more easily glide up to her high notes, and— I knew she would miss it. It's always the same spot!—where she needed to fix the entrance she always seemed to miscalculate. Despite Sarah's seemingly harsh exterior as a voice teacher, she was quite fond of each and every one that came to her. Sarah lacked the experience a striving vocal student sought for in a mentor, and yet, students still lined up at her door. Sarah had an ear for music no other professor could compete with, and most everybody knew it.

When the student reached the end of the song, Sarah skipped playing the last four measures of piano and jumped right in to her list of things for the student to practice of over the weekend.

"...And when you sing the 'le' in the last stanza of page three, lift the soft pallet and it will come out much cleaner on that high G," Sarah said, skimming through the musical piece at lightning speed one last time to make sure she didn't miss any notes. Once she was satisfied, she bid her student goodbye and went about packing her things to go home.

Sarah was very pleased with finally finishing her long schedule of private voice lessons. Out of all the classes she taught, out of all the lectures she gave, nothing exhausted her more than one-on-one time with her vocal students. Sarah had been going home more exhausted than usual, ever since that visit from King Zander, she thought. She figured it was from the mental and emotional stress he caused her. It's not every day that one is attacked, interrogated, and forewarned of future visits by creepy, royal Fae. At least, she hoped not.

Sarah stopped packing her tote bag when she realized she packed all the wrong musical scores. What is wrong with me? She poured out her tote and began repacking, determined to stay alert long enough to get it right. One score slipped out of her fingers and fell to the ground by her piano. Sarah grumbled and picked it back up. I wish I had my little helper with me, Sarah thought sadly.

For the past two weeks, Sarah attended her voice lessons without Rumor to come and keep her company. Now him and the other goblins are busy with God knows what, and I'm all alone. To Sarah it seemed that the goblins only happened to be home when she was asleep, and "out" when she came home after work. She rarely had the chance to interact with her little friends anymore. If she inquired about their frequent absences from her household, they would tell her "King has jobs for us in castle, Lady Sarah!" and they would run away again. The only constant she had was Hoggle, but he never left the apartment.

Sarah began scolding herself again for losing focus again when a knock came to her classroom door. Odd, she thought. Perhaps Mary forgot something on her way out. Sarah looked at the music stand behind her and saw that it was empty. Oh, well, perhaps not. "Come in, the door is open!" Sarah shouted, and turned back to her packing. This is taking way too long. I should have been out of here ten minutes ago.She didn't bother turning to address the intruder for fear of it taking up even more time.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Williams?" A baritone voice inquired.

Sarah felt she recognized the voice, but could not quite place it. She looked in the mirror beside her, the reflection showing her a handsome, male, college student standing a ways behind her. She didn't recognize him, so she continued packing. "Yes, I am. And, as you can see, I am also leaving. So if you're wanting a conference, I'm afraid I don't time." She made brief eye contact with the student through the mirror. She forced herself to continue packing, despite the familiar feeling he gave her. She would have felt bad for being short with the stranger if it wasn't for her eagerness to get home.

"Well now," the student began, she could almost hear him smirking; "I seem to remember reordering time for you. Can't you find it in yourself to do the same for me?"

Sarah stopped everything. Stopped breathing, stopping blinking, everything; her demeanor immediately went on the defensive. Did he just say…? No. He couldn't have. Sarah looked at the student in the mirror. His expression was innocent and concerned, as if her sudden change of posture startled him. She slowly turned and looked at the student with her own eyes for the first time. But he wasn't there. In the place the boy should have been, now stood the Goblin King in all his dark, menacing glory.

Sarah gasped and threw her body back in an attempt to put as much distance between herself and the intruder as possible, consequently crushing her body against the piano and sending papers and books flying all about her. She felt her body temperature sky rocket. She could hear her quickened pulse pounding in her ears. Her hands, that gripped the piano for support, became slick with sweat. This isn't real! Her mind screamed. This cannot be happening!Sarah spun around and squeezed her eyes tightly shut; trying to pretend what she saw behind her was just her over-worked mind playing tricks on her. You're tired, Sarah. Exhausted. He isn't really there!

The sound of a throat being cleared brought Sarah back to reality. She cracked one eye open and peered in the glass of her mirror once more, hoping with all her might that what she saw would be gone. There stood the student, anxiously waiting for the insane woman to get a grip on whatever episode she was currently having. "Are you alright, Miss?" The student looked as if he was ready to run for his life.

Feeling guilty for freaking the kid out, Sarah attempted to cover up her mental break-down. "I'm sorry, for a moment I thought you were someone else." She turned around again. "I guess I must be tir—WAAAHHH!" There, again, before her eyes, stood the Goblin King. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Sarah screamed at the top of her lungs. "What did you do with the kid that was here a second ago?" Sarah felt sick with what could have happened to the poor, innocent boy.

"Calm down, Sarah dear. There is no boy." The Goblin King laughed at her, obviously amused with something she didn't understand. "What you saw was a glamour. Nothing more." The Goblin King placed his fists on his hips and cocked his head to one side, still very amused with Sarah's frazzled state.

"B-but, he was there—here!—a moment ago! He looked so real!" The nervous woman searched the large classroom for any sign of the kid she just saw. Part of her worried there was a kid, and the king before her had harmed him in some brutal way. The rest of her worried the kid was never there, which would leave her alone in a sound-proof room with the menacing man before her. Sarah started to hyperventilate; the Goblin King's presence overwhelmed her more than she felt possible. She sat down on the piano bench next to her, all the while keeping her eyes trained on the king before her. "What are you doing here?" She demanded.

The Goblin King's amused face fell. "I'm afraid I have some rather urgent matters to discuss with you, Sarah." He sighed, and, for a moment, looked just as tired as Sarah felt. Something deep within her felt sorry for him, but she quickly squelched the feeling. Anger took its place. The king made a show of checking out her body before saying: "You look ravishing by the way." His sultry tone sent unwanted chills down her spine. The woman glared. The king smirked. "I understand that you have questions for me, Sarah. And I intend to answer all of them. But our situation is a difficult one. You are going to have to… trust me about what I have to say."

Sarah scoffed. "Like hell. Why on earth would I trust you? All you have ever done is send me running for my life through a freaking death trap! That doesn't exactly scream 'trustworthy!'"

The Goblin King rolled his eyes. "I only ever did what you asked of me. That is beside the point anyway." He walked toward her. Sarah cringed away slightly. "You need to trust me now because you are in danger," he said with complete seriousness.

Sarah gaped at him and sputtered "I can't just do that! I can't just give you my trust! Do you know how impossible that sounds?" Sarah threw her arms up in frustration. "This whole situation is ridiculous!" she cried. "You show up after—what, twenty-five years?—and think you can just waltz into my life? The life that would have been normal if it wasn't for you?" The king cringed at her words. "I know you had something to do with my not being able to age!" Sarah stood from the seat, but didn't move any closer. "Was this your revenge? Because I beat your stupid, little game?"

The Goblin King reacted to Sarah's strong accusations. "No. I did not act out of revenge like some petty fool. What I did was necessary." His tone grew harsh. "Yes. I did act without your consent. I did do something that is considered an unthinkable crime in the Underground. But I am not in the least sorry." His hand rose to halt Sarah's retort. "I am here to answer your questions, Sarah. I am not here to fight with you," he said adamantly.

Sarah bristled under his statement. His self-righteous tone made her feel rather childish. Of course she wanted to fight with him! All of her anger and frustration finally had a victim! Sarah reluctantly admitted to herself that the Goblin King had a point. Fighting was useless in his case. He would only cooperate so long as she did.

"Fine," Sarah said. "No fighting." I can be civil, she thought heatedly. "What did you do to me and when?" She crossed her arms and scowled at the man across the room from her, waiting for her answer.

"The moment you defeated me, twenty-five years ago, I placed an… enchantment of sorts on you." The Goblin King was obviously choosing his words carefully. "To put it lightly, I made you Fae."

"You… what?"

"Yes. That's exactly what my father said when he found out," The Goblin King mused at the memory.

"Can you take it back? Undo it or… something?" Sarah felt sick. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. To be Fae would be terrible! She just wanted to live a normal life, for God's sake. This can't be real, she thought, horrified.

"Sarah, I am afraid I cannot do that. What has happened to you is permanent at this point. Even if I did have the power to change it, I know for a fact I would not even consider it."

Sarah quietly took in everything she was hearing. She felt her pulse quickening again. "So then, at one point, this wasn't permanent? I could have been normal?"

The king sighed, and appeared to struggle with a way to explain. "…Not exactly. You were never normal, Sarah. What you are now, I am almost positive you were destined to become sooner or later. Naturally, I preferred the sooner." The Goblin King smiled, obviously very pleased with his handy work.

"What makes you think you have a say in my destiny at all, you bastard? You have no power over me, remember?" She was so confused! So frustrated! How dare he manipulate her life to suit his needs, whatever the hell they were?

"Yes, dear. You are quite right, dear." He smirked at her. She wanted to hit him for patronizing her. "I cannot answer all of your questions now, and for that I am sorry." He paused. "Because of what you are now, whether you like it or not, you are becoming a danger to yourself and those around you." He waved his hand and a plush chair appeared right in front of Sarah. Sarah jumped back and wobbled off balance. She landed on her bum right in the middle of her piano bench. The Goblin King gracefully descended in to the plush seat. He continued, "You have magical powers, Sarah, that are developing deep within you. Powers that the majority of the Fae population would kill to have." His velvet voice became even softer. "However, if you are not careful, the darkness of our world, the Unseelie side, will consume you." Sarah felt fear grip her heart. Although it wasn't visible in his eyes, Sarah knew the king feared his own words. "I can teach you, just as I was taught, to tame the magic within you. You have the choice to be either Seelie… or Unseelie."

Sarah nodded her head to show she understood what she just heard. Sarah never thought she would have to make such a ridiculous decision. She was still trying to convince herself that this was all an elaborate dream her exhausted mind created! Is it possible that she just passed out on her piano? Or could she even be at home in her comfy bed, dreaming this whole scene? As badly as she wanted either of those things to be true, Sarah knew in her heart that what the Goblin King was telling her was the truth, and he seemed to be awaiting an answer.

"Ok… So I am like you now." She felt sick toward her own admission. "And I have magical powers. And there is a chance that I can tame my powers before I become some big, bad Unseelie thing." Her statement curled more into a question at the end. Of course she didn't want to be Unseelie. What she learned as a young girl, whether from bedtime stories or fairytale books, Unseelie was dangerous magic. No, she didn't want there to be a chance that she could become a hazard to anyone or anything. She gulped.

"Of course," the Goblin King confirmed. "We can begin your training immediately." His mood brightened abruptly as he clapped his gloved hands together, causing Sarah to whip her head back in surprise. "I shall take you to my castle where we can—"

"NO!" Sarah shouted, cutting off the kings planning. "No, no, no, no. No. No. Out of the question." She jumped out of her seat and grabbed her half filled tote. "I have changed my mind. I'll fight this darkness on my own. I am not going anywhere with you." She passed the king's seated figure, barely acknowledging his chuckling movements, and strode toward the door. "Be sure to turn off the lights on your wa—YAHH!" She screamed right as she walked face first in to a wall. Well, it felt like a wall. It was actually the Goblin King's chest. The force of her impact was enough to send her staggering backwards. "How did you…? Oh, nevermind! Step aside, please. I am going home." Sarah said sternly. She thought for a moment he would actually comply. But she chanced a glance at his face and was struck by his dazzling beauty; made immobile by his enchanting, mismatched gaze. She felt her body become warm, and her stomach tightened with unfamiliar fluttering. Her breath hitched when his face ducked down closer to her eye level. He is so tall, she thought. Now his heavenly scent was even more intense as a result of his close proximity.

"I heard you have been invited to a wedding, my dear." He said silkily, his sweet breath blowing cool air in her face.

"I'm sorry, w-what was that?" He did just say something, didn't he? She sighed mentally.

The Goblin King chuckled and Sarah tried to clear her mind of the daze he put her in. "I said, 'I hear you have been invited to a wedding, my dear.' Too bad you cannot attend," he tisked, "what with your… questionable appearance and all." The Goblin King shook his head, his hair moving about his smirking face. "Such a pity."

Sarah finally realized what he was saying to her. She felt her face grow hot with her heightening anger and decided to play dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now move out of my way." She tried to shove him aside, but the moment her arm became airborne, the Goblin King caught her dainty hand and held it in his tight grasp.

"Wouldn't you love to see your family again? To see Toby?" He implored with sincerity. His words alarmed her. Why is he bringing this up? What's his aim?

She tried to rip her hand from his hold. He held it tighter. She grew more nervous. "What's it to you? Why are you bringing that up?"

"Because I know you miss them. How long has it been Sarah? Think of all the holidays and birthdays you have missed. And now this! How could you even consider missing your only brother's wedding?" Every word that fell past his lips grinded down on her guilty conscience. He hit the nail right on the head.

"Because I look like this! Because of what you made me! You know I can't let them see me this way!" She felt the tears well up in her eyes, threatening to overflow. She tried again to take back her hand, but to no avail. Sarah settled on hiding her face from the Goblin King.

He gripped her chin and forced her gaze to meet his own penetrating one. "It does not have to be this way, Sarah." His voice was surprising gentle; a strong contrast to the accusing tone from before.

She jerked her face and hand away. "What do you mean?"

"If you agree to my terms, I can teach you everything you need to know about controlling your glamour before mortals." Sarah cringed at the discriminating word: mortals. She still didn't want to believe she was not also a mortal.

Sarah crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her left foot. "Not happening. I don't like your terms." She paused. "How do I know this isn't a trap, anyway?"

The handsome king's posture relaxed and a smile graced his otherworldly features. He twisted his wrist and began playing with a conjured crystal. "Believe it or not, Sarah, but I have your best interest at heart. I only want what is best for you." Another crystal appeared. He began twirling them in the same hand while focusing on her face. "Consider: you have barely a month before Toby's wedding. That is, barely a month that you would have to spend with me in my castle. And all that time would be toward your benefit." Another crystal joined the others. Sarah continued listening to his offer, all the while watching his graceful movements in rapt fascination. "You could learn how to control yourself from becoming an Unseelie Fae, learn how to protect the ones you love, and gain the ability to visit said loved ones." The crystals in his hand flashed, their gleaming surfaces shimmered and emitted a bright light of beautiful colors before dimming and transforming into a single crystal. The very colors Sarah shielded her eyes from appeared to be captured within the crystal the Goblin King now held about her eye level. "You were not destined to be alone forever, Sarah." He said, even more gently, "After all… You are no ordinary girl."

Sarah looked in to the face of her once-upon-a-time enemy. His gaze held something… soft. Something not unfamiliar to his face. Sarah thought she could remember where she saw that same expression of… hope if she thought hard enough, but she didn't have time to analyze him at the moment. She was too busy calculating his offer. Can I really be considering this? Sarah didn't trust the Goblin King, not by a long shot, but he did have a valid point. If she didn't take the risk and allow him to help her, she might end up hurting her family. Hurting Toby! After all she went through to protect him, she was not about to go back on all her efforts. It would only be until the wedding. And then, I'm on my own.She looked up toward the Fae king with a determined expression.

"Have you made your decision?" The Goblin King's voice was filled with barely-contained excitement, apparently having already deciphered her expression.

"Yes, I have." Be strong, girl, she pepped herself. "I will allow you to train me in your castle. You will teach me how to shoo away the darkness and how to control my appearance so I can see my family. But after the wedding, our lessons come to an end, got it?" Take that, Goblin King.

The free hand that was not holding the crystal began stroking his chin in contemplation. He snapped his fingers. "There is the chance that you will not accomplish both of your goals in the allotted time, Sarah. And that simply will not do. No, your lessons may end when you are ready."

Sarah stamped her foot. "Not a chance! Do you realize how disgustingly vague that sounds?" He really is trying to trap me there forever!

"You are right. It needs something…" The king hummed in thought. He began tossing the crystal up and down in his right hand. Up and down. Up and down. Up and—suddenly, the crystal paused in midair, as if tethered by a string. Sarah gasped when the crystal did not immediately obey the laws of gravity and looked at the king. His face was alight with mischief. Oh no.

"Alright, Sarah. Because you are determined to be rid of me so quickly, I have a solution that will satisfy us both." The crystal continued to hang in the air, even after he moved both arms behind his back. His face handsome face was smug, the perfect picture of arrogance as he bounced lightly on the balls of his boot-clad feet. "When you have perfected the glamour, can safely maintain your Seelie magic, and create a crystal just like the one you see there—"he pointed toward the floating orb—"then our magic lessons will end and you may return to your home. Sound satisfactory?"

Sarah pondered the implications of his words, looking for loopholes, while eyeballing the crystal before her. "I may return home… for good?"

He nodded once. "For good."

"And you will answer all of my questions?"

"As soon as I can, as best as I can."

Sarah sighed. This is happening so fast, it's making my head spin. She pointed at the glassy crystal and asked "What is that, anyway?"

The Goblin King scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Magic."

Good enough for me. "Ok," she said slowly as she pushed her right hand out for a handshake to seal their deal. "Deal?" She asked expectantly.

The Goblin King's smile was infectious, even Sarah couldn't quite keep herself from smiling along with him. He threw his right arm in to the air, arching it and scooping the crystal in to his cupped hand, and brought it back down to meet Sarah's outstretched one in a single, fluid motion. The crystal shattered between their fused grips; shards rained from above their heads like glitter. Sarah's hand tingled from the tips of her fingers to the crook of her elbow.

The Fae woman shivered.

The Fae king laughed heartily.

"Deal."

Meh. Did you like the way they met? Not exactlyyy what I had in mind, but I'm just following their lead, I s'pose.

Welllll... I'm not going to get down and BEGGG for reviews, but you know. Leave me a lil' sum-sum if ya feeel like it ^_^