Greetings all!

So I added a warning to the story about my characterization of Jareth.

That said, the guest reviews, I can't reply to. I am well aware that Victoria rose above and put the Duchess Victoria in her place. While I haven't read about the Borgias I know the name. Mostly I have stuck to English and few European families along with imperial Russia. Nevertheless, Victoria, Elizabeth the 1st, even the sad stories of The duchess of Devonshire, Marie Antoinette and Elisabeth of Austria they all made best of the situation that was handed to them when dealing with political marriages or pressure to marry. They didn't run away; they couldn't runaway. And while Victoria loved Albert, she had been pressured to marry him from a young age from her family. Either way they are strong extraordinary woman who faced many hardships and heartbreaks.

Why doesn't Sarah run away? Where would she run to? With what money? Running away isn't an option really for her.

As for Jareth and his abusive tendencies. I won't lie, I wrote him like that on purpose, not because I condone abuse. I lived through my own cases of abuse and know first-hand what being a victim feels like. But being controlling, manipulating, is his way of coping. But he gives Sarah a lot more then what women were allowed to do with this sort of time period I have written.

However, This is Jareth. Whether he grows to see his flaws, or stays the same I am unsure as of yet. Maybe realizing that he is the father, will be the breaking point who knows.

Anyway, on to the story.

Chapter 7

Jareth paced the training area Sarah was never late; she usually arrived before him to warm up and stretch before they went into sparring. So Where the hell what that girl! She was always punctual, her need to be on time was almost on par with her need to be tidy. How many times had he walked into the study when he was trying to help her get a grip on her abilities to find her organizing books and papers that were lying around. Some days he left piles for her sort, so he wouldn't have to do it himself as horrible as it sounded.

He been back for a month, and it was the first and only time she was late. He finally spotted Galahan, and the others walking in. "Do you know where Sarah is?" He asked agitated by her lack of appearance while the others seemed not disturbed by her absence.

"She's probably not feeling well," Galahan told him unconcerned about the girls' absence.' She does this occasionally."

"And she sends no word?" Jareth questioned him.

"It was never an issue," Galahan shrugged. "She just showed up when she could, she probably forgot to send a note to tell you."

"I will be back," Jareth told him. "I refuse to be kept waiting without a reason, not feeling well isn't an excuse on the battle field, so it's not an excuse for her." He stalked out of the room.

"Good luck," Galahan chuckled as he watched his king leave.

"He has no idea what he's walking into does he" Seamus, another knight asked with a grin.

"Most likely not." Galahan nodded with a smirk.

"Come, get the young ones sparing."

Jareth stalked through the palace. He was starting to fume at her laziness, not feeling well, was not an excuse he would take. Other half was afraid she may actually ill though which worried him. He found himself facing her door knocking loudly. "Sarah!" He heard a groan as he heard her moan and tell her maid something through the door.

It opened a moment later. "Your Majesty," she curtsied. "Is everything alright?" Jareth just ignored her, stepping into the room. It had the same pink papering on the walls. However gone were the toys and childish things, instead books, trinkets and flowers were spread out around the room. Fur rugs were gathered about on the stone floor while a fire burned in its grate. The bed was larger, covered in dark purple covers and dark-coloured sheets which he found odd and in the middle of the bed was Sarah curled up on her bed reading a book.

"I expected you for training," he started. "And yet I find you lying about in bed, reading nonetheless. I don't appreciate my time being wasted Precious. So unless you are dying, I want you dressed and down in the exercise room."

"Yeah, that's not happening." Sarah told him as she fixed her blankets around her lap.

Jareth walked up close to her bed, his nostrils flaring at her impertinence. He grabbed her book from her, throwing it on a nearby table. "I do not have patience for this Sarah"

"And I don't have the patience to deal with you, let alone the energy to train." Sarah snapped at him through gritted teeth as she bent slightly in pain. Swearing under her breath not caring if he heard or not.

"Are you alright, what's wrong?" Jareth softened as he saw the pain across her face, ignoring her cursing.

"Nothing, please just go, I'll see you at dinner tonight, if not in a couple of days," She pleaded with him, but he was having none of it.

"If you can't tell me what ails you, then I expect you to get up and train." Jareth barked at her, grabbing the edge of her blankets pulling them back, yanking her up as he did so she stood in front of him. The scent of iron wafting into his sensitive nostrils, he scrunched up his nose. As he took in the dark coloured drawers, she wore with her thin cotton camisole tucked in the waistband. He backed away from her, turning his head catching sight of the tell-a-tale pail near the changing screen that leads into her bathing room. He looked back at Sarah, who was back in bed tucking herself in with the blankets while she was profusely blushing.

"My apologies," he stammered. "Take as long as you need." He left her room mortified over what happened, knowing if Galahan was used to Sarah's absences it meant he knew most likely of why Sarah wasn't there and sent him anyway, which meant he was going to pay for this.

He sped quickly back to the training area; it hadn't occurred at all to him that her cycle would be the reason. He knew women had them of course, but for some reason, it never dawned on him that Sarah would be going through it. Of course, of fifteen and a half, it would be expected, considering the council deemed her old enough to marry.

"You are an asshole!" He shouted as he saw his head knight. "You know that right?"

Galahan howled, "If she doesn't show its most likely her women's time, after a few months of her random disappearances, a few men put it together after having sisters who often lounged about during those days." He tossed Jareth a sparing staff which he caught with ease.

"How is she almost 16 already?" Jareth groaned getting into position.

"Because children grow," Galahan told him honestly. "She's a lovely girl, if you weren't so against her, you may realize that."

Jareth gave him a look not taking his impertinence. "How about I arrange a marriage for you and see how you like it?"

"Then all means do so, if it saves me from having to do it for myself." Galahan laughed egging him on. "I'm too married to work to find a wife, might be nice having someone to warm my bed without having to bargain for it."

Jareth scowled at the response, making him strike at his knight. "She is beautiful Gal, but I left a child, and I come back her! Yes, her letters showed me how much she has grown intellectually. However, to see right in your face, it is entirely different."

"So you're afraid?" Galahan shielded himself with his own staff.

"She was raised in my palace, Gal; I taught her how to control her abilities. I carried her to her room when her sick," Jareth retorted. "Do you understand how fucked up this is! To make matters worse, Mother goes along with it because she was raised the same way. It's sickening, looking at her sometimes at this moment makes my stomach roll, knowing that I'm attracted to her." Jareth shouted in frustration using his staff heavy handedly causing Galahan to stumble, blocking Jareth last second.

"Well, forcing her to learn to ride isn't a great way to get her to like you" Galahan told him truthfully.

"If she wants freedom outside of the palace, she needs to get over her fears. Trampling over the forest by herself isn't safe." Jareth explained, throwing his staff aside.

"She is safe; everyone watches over her, Jareth," Galahan gave him a look.

"Yet she managed to train without the Dowager knows, and sneaks out to the shore without guards?" Jareth laid out the facts.

"So she's sneakier than we thought." Galahan laughed. "But no harm has come to her, and it's not like she is hidden away! Give the girl a break, and maybe you won't fight all the time, or worse comes to worst bring her some chocolate, they love that stuff."

"No she is not hidden but it doesn't stop the fact that some of her family did not wish for her to be the payment." Jareth admitted. "Her grandfather brought her to us because her Uncle refused. The grandfather snuck her out of the palace and brought her here because he refused to break tradition and honour that came with asking for our help that Sarah's father asked for. Her uncle refused all contact with me, and my mother about Sarah that we sent to them out of courtesy."

"Heavens sake, " Galahan said under his breath. "And she has no idea does she?" He asked as Jareth nodded his head in confirmation.

As he walked into the dining room for dinner that night, he found Sarah at the table, dressed with her hair down. Something he hadn't seen from her in a long while as it was either in a braid or pinned up. She dressed in a simple dress, and from the looks of it, she wasn't wearing a corset as he could see the natural fullness of her chest, that wasn't contained and pushed up by the stiff fabric and steel. He watched her pull her shawl closer together that sat on her shoulders as she felt his gaze.

He hoped she had her mind turned off, because his emotions were running rampant as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath she took.

She looked at him blushing before averting her gaze down to her plate. his mother glanced between them; seeing her sons gaze and awkwardness with Sarah from earlier that morning. "What happened now?" She asked the two.

"Nothing!" Sarah piped up quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Nothing mother, I just went to make sure Sarah was feeling alright earlier after being late for our lesson." Jareth answered. "I caught her incidentally in an inopportune moment, but it is fine now." His mother watched him as he spoke, then looked at Sarah, putting two and two together.

"Very well, just don't make a habit of it. We don't need the maid talking and spreading rumours."

"Of course not," Jareth agreed in a stately manner as he watched Sarah pick at her plate. "I wouldn't ever put Sarah's reputation at risk." It seemed his mother was happy with that answer as she continued on.

"Now the guest list for a party Sarah I have your friends, of course, Jareth; I assume the Knights, the General obviously, but if you have a list it would be lovely."

"What about my family?" Sarah spoke up, ever since he spoke of her family, she began wondering about her heritage. Her uncle was now the king; she knew that, but there must be others. "Would they not wish to see me?"

"Your Grandfather passed not long after you came here, but your uncle on your father's side you may invite if you wish it." Jareth stepped into the conversation, ignoring the look of horror on his mother's face who knew the whole story of Sarah's arrival.

"Jareth that is probably not wise." Petra warned him.

"And why not?" Sarah asked curiously.

"It's not nothing, dearest." Petra brushed it aside.

"No mother, Sarah is old enough to understand," Jareth spoke clearly, silencing his mother. "Your Uncle refused at the time of your father's death to repay the debt saying his brother would never have used you as collateral. Your grandfather on your mother's side being bound by the tradition and honour; snuck you out of the palace during the night when they refused to follow the law and brought you here to repay his son-in-law's debt. Your uncle, who now removed himself from being our ally has cut off all ties when you came here. We tried to send updates of your growing up and even portraits that you sat for, we even told him he was welcome to visit, but he refused." Jareth explained. "Though if you wish to invite him and his wife you may invite them, but I don't see them accepting Precious." Sarah nodded, he could see her thinking and drawing in the information that had been on her mind for a while now.

She was picking at her food barely eating, talking about the engagement party left her quiet and sullen. "Eat Sarah," he told her quietly but sternly, which resulted in a death glare.

"I don't have much of an appetite," she was trying to keep calm as she stabbed a carrot. They never fought in front of the Dowager, it just was not done.

He titled his head before raising his wine glass for a sip, before grabbing another glass and pouring her a small amount of wine. "Here," he spoke, handing it to her. "Drink some of this it will help you." Sarah looked at him curiously, you had to be out before alcohol was technically allowed.

"Go on, you're practically sixteen." She took it carefully from him, taking a small sip of the red liquid, making a face at the aftertaste. She hesitantly took another small sip as she felt it burn through her stomach. "Slowly," he warned her. "And eat so you have something in your stomach." Jareth told her.

"Jareth-" Petra spoke to her son.

"It's just wine mother, she will be required to have some of the party might as well build up her intolerance so she doesn't get intoxicated from one glass." He put the end to his mothers worries of society rules. Petra huffed, but remained silent. Sarah picked at her salad while drinking small sips of the wine, her head beginning to buzz.

Finally, they retired to the drawing room where Sarah sat quietly with her feet tucked under skirts working on her sampler, he paced the room catching the design of what seemed to be a maze. He must have been caught looking at her as he heard her speak to him.

"I have dreams of running in some sort of Labyrinth. I remembered once for the fall harvest festival you had one built for the children of the tenants. I was so angry when it had been destroyed, I wanted it to stay forever." She explained quietly.

Jareth nodded as he sat across from her and opened his book. When his mother retired when it was nearing ten, he saw Sarah asleep on the lounge. He shook her wake, "Come, I will escort you to your room." She nodded sleepily as she stood up carefully, fixing her skirts they didn't speak as they walked the halls and stairs. Her maid was waiting by the door as he dropped her off, he bid her Goodnight and left to go to his study that was waiting with paperwork for him.

He sat back in his chair running his hands through his hair, he wrote down a note for the royal gardener and architect for a meeting later on that week. He signed the needed document before deciding to take a nightly flight as he morphed into his owl form before hopping up on the windowsill and flying off. As he passed Sarah's room he watched for a moment as she lay in her bed. Her cheeks still flushed from the wine as she brushed her hair out, in the candlelight. The familiar guilt sickness washed over him, he noticed her to look towards the window in confusion as her brow furrowed causing him dash away knowing she must have felt him.

Ahh the lengendary man vs periods. Nothing makes a man run away more then a menstruating woman.

i feel Jareth was less snarky, maybe a tad more gentlemanly this chapter.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading!

Tina!