Sorry for such a long wait! My professors decided to assign all of their exams at the same time.
Chapter 7
Sarah's eyes fixated on the wall in front of her, her green eyes still hazy from sleep. Golden sunlight streamed in through the windows and casted itself over the bedroom and the two figures lying on the bed. Even though Sarah had just woken up, her mind was racing as she tried to remember the events of the night before.
She remembered drinking way too much wine, and that Jareth had finally joined her in her bed chambers. But then things got a little hazy after that. She did, however, vaguely remember asking Jareth to spend the night with her. It wasn't the alcohol from the previous night making her stomach churn, it was the thought of embarrassing herself in front of the Goblin King.
Why would I ask him to stay the night with me? She pondered to herself. And why do I feel this way? Her arms went to wrap around her fluttering stomach, but instead they came to a strong arm around her torso. Her eyes widened and her stomach fluttered even more. Oh God, he really is spooning me! Her body went rigid, feeling a warm breath against her neck.
Sarah screamed internally, at least trying to keep it internal. She grazed his hand trying to bring her arms up to her chest. She was surprised at how soft it was. Hmm, that's…actually pretty nice, she thought, relaxing a bit. She reached down again and, very softly, grazed the top of Jareth's hand with her fingers. Her fingers glided over the smooth skin, tracing the knuckles and along the length of his fingers. As she did, she felt her heart flutter. What is this feeling?
Slowly and carefully she took his hand in hers and brought it to her face, examining it. It was the first time she had ever seen it without gloves. He must've taken them off before he fell asleep. She examined the back of it; the alabaster skin, the veins that ran up it, his long and slender fingers… Sarah suddenly found herself caressing her cheek with his hand. As soon as the skin made contact, she felt a spark run down her spine and a jolt in her heart. It didn't hurt her, but instead it felt like a wave of pleasure.
Sarah dropped his hand, replacing it with her own. Woah, what was that? She peered down at his hand again. Hmm, I wonder… she took up his hand again, this time slowly and carefully entwining her fingers with his. The spark hit her once again, only this time it made her sit up. And not only her, but the sleeping man next to her.
Suddenly, with their fingers still intertwined, Jareth pulled gently, making Sarah turn to face him. The intensity in those blue mismatched eyes took her breath away. As they continued to hold hands, the spark just kept hitting her, and with every spark came a wave of pleasure. It took every bit of her not to moan, so she bit her bottom lip, locking the sounds inside her. Sarah could tell that Jareth felt it too, because with each wave that hit, he would squeeze her hand and tense up.
Sarah opened her mouth to finally say something, but was interrupted when her bed chamber doors flew open, and in strolled Griselda.
"Rise 'n shine, Lady Sar- oh," Griselda paused as soon as she noticed that Sarah was not alone in her bed. A single eyebrow shot up and a knowing smirk twisted on the old fae's mouth.
Jareth's gaze held onto Sarah's for what seemed like eternity, but finally he broke contact, taking his hand away from hers. As soon as their skin contact broke, the spark ceased, and the pleasurable waves halted. The intensity from his eyes fading, Jareth faced Griselda with a pleasant smile. "Good morning, Zelda," she stated in a cheery tone.
"Your Highness," Griselda responded, a bit puzzled.
Jareth pulled the blankets away, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "After breakfast please escort Sarah's new handmaidens up here to her bed chamber. I want Sarah ready by six P.M. sharp. We will arrive back here by eleven P.M.," he said, strolling away towards the door.
"Yes, your highness," Griselda responded while nodding.
Jareth turned to regard Sarah. "I will be awaiting your company in the dining hall, Sarah," he said, a hint of a smirk playing at his lips.
Sarah blinked as she watched him walk out of the room, mouth slightly agape. Her eyes finally fixated on Griselda as she moved about the room. "He…I…how…what was…" she sputtered, trying to make sense of everything that happened before Griselda arrived.
Griselda smiled a sweet smile, laying out a red brocade robe on the bed. "Since you fell asleep in the clothes you wore yesterday, after you wash up you can wear this."
Sarah kicked the blankets off of her, suddenly feeling a bit too warm. Groaning, she rubbed her face with her hands.
Griselda looked up from spreading the robe out and cocked her head to the side. "How did you sleep, dearie?"
Sarah perked up, taking her hands away from her face. "Why do you ask?" she questioned, afraid Griselda may think something happened between her and Jareth.
Griselda shrugged innocently. "You seem tired, is all."
Sarah shook her head. "No, I'm not tired at all. In fact, I feel quite refreshed," she said, trying to convince more herself than the old fae woman. "Did Jareth say something about handmaidens before he walked out?" she asked, trying to change the subject. She lifted herself from the bed and stretched her arms above her head, mewling as her bones crackled and her muscles contracted pleasantly.
Griselda nodded. "Two of the High Queen's Handmaidens will be provided for you to help get you ready for the big shindig tonight."
Sarah lifted her t-shirt over her head and tossed it on the bed. "What shindig?"
"Why, the Elven Ball, of course! 'Ave you already forgotten? King Jareth invited you to be his date for it just yesterday."
Sarah's face fell into her hands as she groaned loudly. "Aw man, I totally forgot! How am I supposed to attend a ball with a King? Especially now?"
"Why especially now?" Griselda asked inquisitively.
Sarah froze, her head still in her hands. What did she mean by that? Was it the spark she shared with Jareth just earlier? Was it the way she felt every time she was around him? The way her heart seemed to flutter out of control and her stomach fill with butterflies. Does this mean…? Her stomach seemed to drop to the floor as soon as the idea came into her head. Do I love the Goblin King? The room seemed to spin around her as she stood there, head in her hands, standing there in her bra and jeans. And as the realization came to her, she finally looked up. I'm in love with Jareth!
Sarah dropped to her knees, brows knit together in deep thought. As she sat there, Griselda watched her with a knowing look in her eyes. Poor dearie, Griselda thought. All of this must be so hard for her to process. She cleared her throat before saying, "Wash up, dearie. You won't want to keep his majesty waiting." With a twinkle in her eye, she smiled and left the room, leaving Sarah to think and gather her emotions.
As Jareth freshened up in his bed chamber, he racked his mind. Last night had been the best sleep of his life hands down. To have Sarah asleep in his arms was one of the best feelings in the world. But what was making him contemplate was one of the feelings he had just earlier.
As Jareth slept, he was having such a wonderful dream. Sarah, in traditional Underground wedding garb, surrounded by golden sunrays that flooded into the throne room from a window. Holding a bundle of white orchids, roses, lilies, and hydrangeas, she stood there, a vision in white lace and satin, a long white veil shrouding her face.
Jareth reached out, lifting the veil and revealing Sarah's blushing face. She was absolutely stunning. Her chocolate brown hair cascaded down her shoulders in big, luscious curls, her emerald eyes that shined bright at him, surrounded by full, black lashes, cheeks blushing a faint pink, and lips that set into a smile as pink as the sun setting sky.
"Jareth," she spoke, her voice soft and melodic. "I love you." As she spoke, her smile grew bigger and bigger, making her eyes smile as well, as if just looking at him would make her explode with happiness.
Jareth mirrored her joy, a crooked smile spreading across his face. "I've always loved you," he responded, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek. When his skin made contact, a sudden wave of electricity shot through him, then leaving him with a wave of pleasure. His brows knit together with confusion. He reeled his hand in, staring down at it. When he looked back up, Sarah was still beaming at him.
"Sarah," he said, quite concerned. "What was that?" As soon as he asked, another wave of shock and pleasure hit him, this time more intense. The feeling was absolutely incredible. So incredible that it woke him from his deep slumber.
When he awoke, he found Sarah holding his hand with quite a grip, her green eyes bugging out and staring down at their clasped hands. When he awoke he also had the strongest urge to wrap her up in his arms and give her the most passionate kiss of her life. He reeled his hand in, the motion whipping Sarah around to face him. Staring at each other now, the intense waves of delightful pleasure still waved through him. He could tell that it was hitting her too, because with each pulsating wave, she would bite her lip harder and harder. But as soon as Griselda interrupted, Jareth let go, releasing them from the sensation.
It was the most peculiar thing, and as he dressed himself it was all he thought about. He had never experienced it before. It made him feel so many things at once: desire, love, and lust. All for Sarah. He shook his head, trying to void his head of anymore thoughts. Whatever it was, he knew not. He would have to take it up with someone far wiser than him. But it would have to be after the ball.
After Sarah washed up, she left her hair wet, wrapped herself in the robe, and tiptoed to the dining hall. After her realization of her feelings, she didn't know how she was going to face Jareth. She didn't want to seem awkward, but now that she knew she loved him it was no going back. She felt like she was in high school again, crushing on the boy in homeroom and trying to avoid any possible contact with him so she couldn't make a fool out of herself. Sarah knew she couldn't avoid Jareth, especially with the ball tonight. She was just going to have to suck it up and try to act normal. But normal for Sarah was not always so normal for everyone else.
Slipping into the room, she found Jareth sitting there in his normal spot. Giving a bashful smile, she slowly made her way over to her seat and sat down, all while avoiding his gaze. As soon as she sat down, the Goblin and Elf servants came out toting plates full of food and a pot full of coffee. Once her food was in front of her, Sarah was quick to pick up her fork and shovel food into her mouth.
Jareth watched her as she avoided his gaze and stuffed her mouth. He recognized this behavior from her first day at the castle. She didn't want to be around him. He guessed it was because of what had happened earlier that morning. Taking a sip of the black coffee that was in his mug, he watched her silently as he also tried to get his bearings together. After a moment of complete silence, he decided he should probably speak up to break the tension. "How was your sleep, precious?" he asked, and then realized she would probably be embarrassed by the question seeing as they had spent the night together.
Sarah slowly looked up from her fork to finally make eye contact. "Um…" she whispered, lowering her utensil to her plate. "It was good," she said in a hushed voice. "You?"
Jareth cleared his throat and took another sip of hot coffee. "It was very nice," he said nonchalantly, trying not to bring up anything about the night.
Sarah heaved a heavy sigh, pushing her nearly empty plate away from her. "Jareth," she spoke in a serious manner. "I'm not the best at confrontation, but if you're even going to avoid it, it must be something of importance." She eyed him from her peripheral vision to watch his reaction.
Jareth clasped his hands under his chin and stared down at the table. This time he was at a loss for words. And that made him quite uncomfortable. He thought he had the answers to everything, but the events of that morning had his head spinning. "It is something of importance," he responded in a just as serious tone. "Of what importance, I do not know."
Sarah's brows knit together with apprehension. "You don't know?" she questioned rhetorically. "But you're the Goblin King, how do you not know?"
"My kingship has nothing to do with the amount of knowledge I hold, Sarah," he said, his voice sounding a little on edge.
Sarah sunk down into her chair. "It was so weird. Wasn't it so weird? I mean, you did feel it too, right?"
Jareth nodded, tapping a gloved finger on his chin, pondering. "Yes, I did feel it. And it I know not of. The sensation has never happened to me before."
Sarah scoffed. "Well it's never happened to me before either! Are you sure it's not just some of your magic trying to do something?"
"I don't know Sarah," Jareth retorted, sounding more and more frustrated. He pushed his barely eaten food away and stood. "We don't have time to be asking each other questions to answers we don't know. We need to get ready for the ball tonight. We can worry about this tomorrow."
Sarah gulped down the last bit of coffee in her mug. "But we're going to my parent's house tomorrow, remember? My mom ever so graciously invited you to my family's annual Christmas party." Sarah stood as well, crossing her arms and popping out her hip.
Jareth cursed to himself under his breath. "Ah yes, the mortal yule celebration." Jareth started to pace the floor. "I'll need to consult with someone before we leave. It shouldn't take long. I'll have Griselda pack your things tonight so that we will be ready to go by tomorrow."
Sarah nodded, a small frown gracing her lips. "Okay well…I guess I'll get going now," she said, starting toward the door. As she walked toward her room, Sarah couldn't help but focus on the tinge of annoyance in Jareth's voice. Is it because I was asking all of those questions? She wondered. Or is it just because he doesn't know the answers? She decided to just shrug it off as she pushed on the doors to her bed chamber and scuffled in.
Griselda was there, talking to two young women who stood side by side with smiles on their faces. Griselda looked back at Sarah when she heard the doors creak open, her lined face twisting into her usual cheery smile. "Good morning, Lady Sarah! I hope your breakfast was to your liking."
Sarah gave a small smile to the old fae woman. "As always, Zelda, thank you."
"Well, as you know his Highness assigned you a pair of handmaidens," Griselda said, presenting the two girls before her. "These are your ladies in waiting- Delia," the girl on the left curtsied. "And Dimitra," then the girl on the right mirrored.
The girls were spitting images of each other, except for the fact that Delia's hair was baby pink and Dimitra's hair was baby blue. Both of their hair was cut short in a pixie cut, their eyes were as purple as lilacs, freckles sprinkled across their cheeks and noses, and dimples on either side of their smiles. They wore plain linen dresses with aprons wrapped around their torso like Griselda.
"It is so good to meet you, Lady Sarah," Delia said, her voice twinkling with delight.
"It is an honor to serve the King's guest," Dimitra followed up, her voice sounding almost identical.
"They will be helping you to get ready for the ball tonight," Griselda said, shuffling herself towards the door. "You'll be in great hands, Lady Sarah." With a wink and a smile, the old fae woman slipped out of the room, leaving the three young women alone.
Sarah smiled nervously at the twins as they both grinned at her. "So," she hesitated, running her fingers through her hair. "How long have you two been maids?"
"We've been working in the castle since we were small," Dimitra said, then glanced at her sister.
"But we've recently been hand chosen by the Queen to be handmaidens," Delia responded. "But since her highness already has twenty other personal handmaidens, King Jareth asked to borrow us for his guest."
Dimitra's eyes twinkled as she looked back at Sarah. "We've never been in company with a mortal before!" she squealed, her eyes growing big.
Delia rested her hand on Dimitra's shoulder. "Sister, we must not get too excitable in front of our Lady," she said in a hushed tone.
Sarah waved lightheartedly. "No it's fine. I don't want you guys to feel like you have to act someway you're not," she said, an idea sparking in her mind. "We can just cut the formality, really. You can call me Sarah, I call you by your names, no 'Lady' this or 'Miss' that. How about you two just…fix me up for this ball thing and we can just be friends?"
Dimitra and Delia looked at each other, both raising a colorful brow at each other.
"Well, I don't know," Delia stated, blushing down at her shoes.
Dimitra's face was lit up at the possibility of a new friend. "But could we?"
"It's not our place."
"But we could?"
"I don't know…"
"But she said!"
"I know!"
"We will!" Dimitra's smile was beaming ear to ear, looking up at Sarah, awaiting her approval.
Sarah slowly nodded. "Yeah, I mean you guys won't get in trouble if I'm the one who wanted it, right?"
Delia pursed her lips, thinking. "You're correct, Lady- I mean…Sarah," she said, cringing when she corrected herself.
Sarah couldn't help but give a little laugh to herself. These girls are definitely…unique. But then again, who isn't in the Underground?
Sarah took her seat at the vanity in her bathroom as the twins got to work. Dimitra laid out Sarah's dress carefully on the bed, smoothing over the delicate material with a gentle hand. She then retrieved a box, pulling out white satin pumps with crystal embellishment on the pointed toe. Dimitra then pulled out a small, navy blue suede bag from her apron, revealing a silver pendent necklace; in the middle of the pendant sat a polished round crystal. Next, she revealed a pair of dangling crystal earrings to match.
In the bathroom, Delia was making Sarah up. With her hair pushed back, Sarah sat there with her eyes closed tight as Delia swept a sparkly baby pink eyeshadow across her lid. As she did this, Sarah decided to make small talk. "So, what's the Queen like?" she asked, biting her lip.
Delia paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. "Well," she said, continuing her work. "The Queen is…" she hesitated on her words.
"It's okay, you can be honest. We're all friends here, remember?" Sarah said with a supporting smile.
Delia nodded her head, still continuing on her work. "She's beautiful, probably the most beautiful Queen in the Underground. So beautiful but…intimidating. She can be quite harsh sometimes," she said, cringing at the thought of the High Queen hearing her words.
"Yeah," Dimitra said, strolling into the bathroom. "She can be quite insistent on things."
Delia's eye widened and nodded in agreement. "Oh yes, more like demanding. You know she's making Jareth go to the ball as a punishment?"
Sarah's eyelids shot up, looking straight up at Delia. "Punishment for what?" she asked.
"For tampering with a mortal's dreams. He gave the mortal pleasant dreams in exchange for the nightmare the human was having," Delia said, dabbing a light pink blush across Sarah's cheeks for that 'just-pinched' look.
Dimitra suddenly gasped, a look a happy realization spreading across her face. "Was that mortal you, Sarah?" she asked.
Sarah hesitated before answering. What do I say? If word gets out to the High Queen that it was me, she'd probably be all over my ass. She clearly has no idea who I am. She swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. "Um," she stammered. "Y-Yeah, that was me…"
Dimitra grinned and clapped her hands excitedly. "I knew it! You're the only mortal King Jareth knows!"
Sarah waved Dimitra away. "Anyway, so why did the Queen make the Elven Ball a punishment?"
Delia cleared her throat and leaned in, as if she had a juicy secret. "No one else knows this in the Underground, but King Jareth and the Elf Queen were intended to be engaged."
Dimitra made an audible gasp behind Sarah as she brushed through her chocolate tresses.
Sarah's stomach fell to the floor and she even forgot to breathe. She finally took an inhale in, waiting for Delia to continue.
"When they looked to be about your age," Delia continued. "The High King and Queen arranged with the Elven King and Queen to have Jareth and the princess to be betrothed. Jareth and the princess tried to make it work, but two months into their engagement the princess called off the wedding and Jareth was forced to take on the crown without a queen. And with much arguing and law changing on the Elf Council, the Elf Queen became the first female monarch to become a queen without first marrying a king." She combed through Sarah's lashes with thick coats of black mascara. "She's a real feminist icon around the Underground, you know."
Sarah's head felt like it was spinning. She felt like she needed to lie down, but Dimitra was in the midst of pinning her hair into tight coils against her scalp. The Elf Queen… Sarah thought, panicking to herself. That's the woman Jareth is waiting to come back to him. He's in love with her… Sarah felt like such a fool. How could such a powerful king be in love with such a weak, stupid mortal girl? She felt like throwing herself onto her bed and crying into her pillows.
Dimitra stopped her progress. "The Elf Queen is hosting the Thane of Hobbits at her palace over the week in the purpose of courtship. He's supposed to be the main guest at the ball. But the High Queen wants Jareth to go to intervene."
The more the twins gabbed on about Jareth and the Elf Queen, the more Sarah fell into the darkest part of her mind. She sank into her chair, arms crossing in front of her. "I don't think I can go to this ball anymore…" she said just above a whisper.
The twins gasped, all 4 eyes on her. "But you must go, Sarah!" Dimitra demanded.
"Yeah, we've already started dolling you all up," Delia retorted.
Sarah bit her lip, starting to doubt herself and why she'd even there. "I'm supposed to be Jareth's date, and I don't want to get in the way of him trying to get the Elf Queen back."
Dimitra pouted her lips out, but then her eyes lips up with an idea. "You can still go, Sarah! There will be plenty of royal bachelors there."
Delia smiled and batted her lashes at the thought of all of those rich, single men. "Can you imagine? Perhaps a fine duke will fancy you and ask you to dance?"
"And then he'll sweep you off of your feet, falling madly in love with you! He'll lead you to the balcony and kiss you passionately in the moonlight!" Dimitra had a dreamy look on her face.
The only thing Sarah could think about was Jareth doing all those things to her. She swallowed hard before saying, "I don't know…"
Dimitra squeezed Sarah's shoulders. "You have to go, Sarah! If nothing else, just to have a good time and make some friends." Sarah watched Dimitra's face in the vanity mirror. Her eyes were wide with wonderment, as if imagining herself at the ball.
Sarah sighed. She knew she had to go. She realized Dimitra and Delia were living vicariously through her. They want details of the ball so that they could dream about it themselves. Being maids, they were probably never going to attend a ball in their life. Even most of the girls from her world could only dream of attending a royal ball. Sarah should be counting herself lucky, even if the man she loved was only going with her to get his ex-fiancée back.
"Alright I'll go," Sarah gave in.
The two girls giggled to each other giddily. "Good!" Delia said, picking up her makeup brush again. "Let's get you all finished up here!"
By the time Dimitra and Delia got Sarah all ready, it was already close to six o'clock. They were running late.
"They're running late," Jareth stated, snapping his pocket watch shut and shoving it back into his jacket pocket.
Griselda looked back at the big clock mounted on the wall of the foyer. "Well, I'm sure they'll be here soon, your highness."
"I told you to tell those girls to have Sarah ready by six P.M. sharp," he said quite snappish.
Griselda was about to tell him that she did, when Dimitra and Delia slipped into the foyer through the massive double doors. "We are sorry to keep you waiting, your majesty," the two said in sync, curtsying in respect.
Dimitra stepped forward excitedly. "But we think the wait is worth the while," she said with a smile and a sparkle in her eye.
The twins reached behind them, grabbing the doorknobs, and pulling them in either direction, revealing what was behind it.
Sarah stood there, swathed in her elaborate dress. Her hair fell in big curls on the bottom and teased into a bouffant on top, two braids on either side coming together to tie in the back. Her rosy cheeks blushed furiously as she watched them all stare at her. "It's too much, isn't it?" she finally spoke.
Jareth was awestruck, and for the first time in his life he had no words, so Griselda was the first to speak up. "Of course not, dearie, you look absolutely breath taking," the old woman said with a warm grin. She stepped close to Sarah, taking her hand and squeezing it.
"I don't remember the last time I wore lipstick," Sarah said with a smile, her teeth shining bright against the crimson lipstick. She finally looked to Jareth. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, approval, attraction, just something other than nothing.
A hint of a smile teased at the corners of his mouth as he watched her. He found her to be absolutely breath taking, but he didn't want to react too strongly. Knowing Dimitra and Delia for being heavy gossipers, he didn't want word going around the castle that the King was smitten with his guest. Especially to his mother. Even though all he wanted to do was take Sarah up in his arms, spin her around, and kiss her all over her face, he found some restraint and admired her from afar.
"What do you think, your highness?" Griselda prodded, raising an eye to Jareth.
"She does look quite 'royal ball material'," Dimitra said, getting an elbow in the ribs from her sister.
"Do not speak out of turn," Delia chastised her twin.
"It's okay," Sarah told the two maids with a smile.
"I'm not saying it was a tough transformation, I'm just saying that it's hard to tell that she hasn't brushed her hair in days before this," Dimitra jested.
Sarah side-eyed her maid. "Okay, watch it," she sneered.
All the women looked toward the Goblin King, waiting for an answer. Jareth raised his eyebrows, searching for his right words. She's as beautiful as ever and no amount of jewelry or makeup can enhance it any more than she already is, was what he wanted to say. But what he ended up saying was, "Very appropriate for a ball." As soon as the words escaped him he wanted to punch himself.
Sarah's face fell flat and Griselda glared at the king.
Clearing his throat nervously, Jareth held out his arm for Sarah to take. "We should be leaving now. It takes about two hours to get to the Elf Kingdom by carriage."
Sarah walked over to him and hesitantly took his arm, her heels clicking on the hard floor. As soon as the two walked out of the huge double doors of the castle, Griselda turned to the two maids.
"That man can be quite stubborn sometimes," the old woman said to the girls.
Delia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"'Very appropriate for a ball', he said! As if she didn't take his breath away," Griselda complained.
Dimitra's brows knitted together with confusion. "Maybe he's just trying to stay loyal to the Elf Queen?"
Griselda was now confused too. "What does that have anything to do with this?"
"He's going to the ball to stop the courtship of the Queen and Thane, right?" Delia asked.
Griselda nodded. "I presume so, Jareth would never allow that to happen."
"Because he's going to marry the Elf Queen!" Dimitra squealed excitedly.
"What?!" Griselda exclaimed.
"You didn't know?" Delia asked.
Griselda shook her head. "King Jareth isn't going to marry Queen Luella, you twits!"
Delia and Dimitra both looked at each other with puzzlement. "But the High Queen said-" they both said in unison.
"King Jareth is in love with Sarah, you gits!" Griselda shouted in frustration at the two.
Delia and Dimitra now turned to each other with astonishment on their faces. "OH!" they both exclaimed. Then they gasped, realizing what they had said to Sarah and realizing what that must have done to her self-esteem. "OH NO!"
"What did you blubbering idiots tell Sarah?" Griselda fumed, the old fae woman going red in the face.
I am so excited to be writing the next chapter! So much is going to happen. And hang in there! The romance will becoming soon! Stay tuned...
