Author's note: Hey guys! I'm over my writer's block! :D Glad you all liked the previous chapter. It has come to my attention that - yes indeed, that happened all too fast. Now relationships must build! Hopefully I'll make it sound convincing. :-/ Tips, pointers, or suggestions are welcome!

Shout out to hisoka-ai9! I agree, my story does need more reviews. ;3 Haha. Oh, and to notwritten. :) Thanks goes to almostalyce and I hope I have given you some angst to enjoy. More will come later. lkaplon, can I join you in a rampage against Xuihcoatl? Sounds like fun to me! Lastly, (but certainly not least) thanks you Nekotwilight for reading my story and for giving me such a positive review. I certainly will keep writing. :) 3 you all!

Usual disclaimer goes here. You know the drill. Don't own diddly. (is that a word?)

Chapter 11: Confusion

Vondiva returned to her room early in the morning after the ball. She was tired and in no way in a good mood. Her plans were to get out of her gown and collapse on her bed. When she found Xiuhcoatl waiting for her, Vondiva's plans changed. Glaring at him, she turned to her maids who were waiting off to the side for their summons. Addressing Xiuhcoatl, Vondiva said, "Whatever you have to report can wait until I've gotten out of this dress. Go wait in the hall till I send for you."

"With all due respect, my lady, but I believe that the information cannot wait." The Dragon returned her glare and did not waver.

Lifting her chin, the Fay tried staring him down. "It can and will wait."

Xiuhcoatl scowled and growled out, "Forget your petty comfort and fashion for a few minutes Madame. Do you wish to exact your revenge on Shaylee or not?"

Vondiva's blue eyes snapped to look at her maids. They wouldn't gossip. They knew better than to gossip about her but the fact that they had heard something that should not have left Xiuhcoatl's lips was disconcerting. "Out. Now." The maids scurried out without another word. Rounding on the Dragon, Vondiva slapped him, shaking with anger. "Next time I tell you to do something, you will obey!" She hissed.

"I could kill you for that." He growled again, as he turned his head back to glare at her.

"But you won't!" Vondiva laughed mirthlessly. "If you killed me, then you would be labeled rouge. What would you do on the run?" Xiuhcoatl jerked away and stalked over to the window. The Fay woman settled down on a chair, making sure her skirt wouldn't wrinkle. "Now what was so important that it could not wait?"

He stiffened and remained silent for several minutes. Vondiva waited, albeit impatiently. When Xiuhcoatl spoke, it was in a controlled voice. "I have learned that Shaylee has become - romantically involved - with Jareth." The Dragon hissed the name of the Goblin King.

Vondiva laughed, thinking it all a joke. "Really? That was what you had to tell me? How much wine have you consumed Xiuhcoatl?" He turned and glared dead seriously at her. She sobered instantly. "What?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Anger flashed in her blue eyes. Springing up from her seat, Vondiva's voice rose. "WHAT?" Pacing like a cage animal, the woman railed. "That little hussy! She thinks she can get away with this? I will not allow it! The Seelie Court certainly would not allow a High Fay to marry a Low Fay. Not a Sprite! No matter what family she was born into!"

"Family?" Xiuhcoatl inquired, puzzled at the absentminded statement.

"Just because she was the princess of the Sprites does not mean that she could possibly marry a High Fay king." Vondiva mumbled, ignoring her still present spy. She ceased her agitated movements and narrowed her eyes. "She must be dealt with."

"How?" The Dragon asked, taking in her confession of Shaylee's heritage. That information could be very useful someday.

Turning to finally acknowledge him, the woman tilted her head. "I will think about it. In the meantime, keep an eye on her. A very close eye on her." Turning away, Vondiva missed the scowl that had formed on Xiuhcoatl's face. "Now go retrieve my maids! I am tired. After being left alone on the dance floor by the Goblin King and finding out that that Sprite has returned to trying to move up in the Underground through marriage, I do not wish to speak to another person for a very long time!"

Xiuhcoatl bowed stiffly and hurried to exit the room. He was thinking along the same lines as Vondiva. He did not want to speak to anyone either, let alone watch Shaylee with Jareth.

~*~/*\~*~

For the first time since she had arrived and been working, Shaylee did not wake up before anyone else. It had taken one of the other servants knocking on her door to wake her from her pleasant dreams. Now she was hurriedly trying to get dressed before word reached Blythe that the Sprite had not left her room yet. Glancing over at the crystal ball that had rested on her nightstand the whole night, Shaylee smiled fondly at it before picking it up and locking it in her closet where it would not be disturbed until she returned.

Entering the kitchen, she found that instead of Thumble standing in charge of the kitchen - Blythe had taken over the large kitchen. Shaylee smiled sheepishly. Her absence had not gone unnoticed if the Fay woman had been in charge. Blythe noticed Shaylee and smiled reassuringly. "Good morning! Late night?"

"Yes." The Sprite admitted. It was the truth. Shaylee had sat up long into the night staring at the lovely scenes playing out before her eyes in the crystal. "I am sorry for sleeping in. What can I do to help?"

"Well, for starters - you could help me with preparing the brunch for the guests that decided on rising at noon." Blythe sighed as she turned back to giving orders. Shaylee plunged back into the job that she had missed for so many weeks and it almost felt like she had never left. Several kitchen servants asked about her health and her throat. Shaylee assured them all that she felt fine before turning to help with another task.

Trays were set out with plates, cups, mugs, utensils, and a napkin. The process of plating the meals commenced almost as soon as the dish was declared finished. Blythe, ever the taskmaster, shouted orders over the din to the servants that were take the trays to the right room. Turning her brown eyes to look over at Shaylee, who had begun washing the dishes, Blythe moved on to the next order of business. "Here is the list of those who must go about the castle to clean." She rattled off some names, also announcing, "Shaylee! I need you to clean the library."

One of the other girls looked up in shock. "But it was cleaned not two days ago!"

Blythe raised her hands and shook her head. "The king said it needed cleaning. You know how goblins are. Some of them probably decided to burn off some steam and went through there. If King Jareth says it needs cleaning, then it needs cleaning."

"Don't you want me to finish up these dishes first?" Shaylee asked, not turning away from the sink.

"No." Blythe shook her head. "I'll have the scullery maids finish. You need to hurry up to the library and clean it quickly before any of the guests rise from their beds. The king must have plans to entertain someone in there if he wanted it clean."

Shaylee dried her hands on a towel before making her way to get the supplies she would need to clean. She smiled to herself as she wondered whether Blythe's logic were true or if Jareth had come up with this story of cleaning the library in an attempt to meet with her again. After all, she thought, he did wish he could see me today.

~*~/*\~*~

Jareth woke up to the sound of his door closing. Propping himself up on his elbows, he glared at the door only to see that whoever had shut it was long gone. The servants can be quiet as they enter, he thought irritably, but not as they leave! Flipping the covers away, the Goblin King rose from the large canopy bed and made his way over to a table that had brunch laid out for him. With a wave of his hand, Jareth was out of the pants he had worn to bed and dressed in a new pair of trousers and a billowing white poet's shirt that had a deep V that showed off his bare chest. He settled down on the chair, reaching for the glass goblet that had been filled with fruit juice. Sipping the contents, he thought back over the night's events and the dreams that had preceded them.

A smile graced his features as he recalled dancing with Shaylee underneath the moon lit sky. She had sung for him. The pleasant expression disappeared as he recalled the trace of tears that had been evident on her face. He had been so caught up with the song and the fact that she had been thinking about him, Jareth had not asked about them. A frown creased his brow. What if the only reason any of that had happened last night was because he had been caught up in the song? Caught up in the rush of returning magic? Had he meant any of those sentiments? Had she? Jareth set the goblet down on the table and gazed out the balcony at the Labyrinth's expanse. What did he know about the woman? She had a beautiful voice and she was pleasant to look at. She had been a slave and later a confidant for Lady Vondiva. Shaylee now worked in his castle as a servant in the kitchens, and when there was a child, she worked in the nursery. Jareth had rescued her from some vindictive Fay. He ran a bare hand through his mess of hair and sighed. He was just so confused. Perhaps he was suffering from unseen side effect of the spell Sarah had cast?

Glancing up at the clock on his fireplace's mantel, he realized it was getting late in the afternoon. Jareth rose from his chair, leaving a majority of his meal untouched, and walked over to the walk-in wardrobe. He had managed to change the schedule so Shaylee would be working in the library. He could always break off any connection while speaking with her then. Jareth paused as he reached for one of the gloves that he had worn the night before. His mind recalled holding Shaylee's hand resting on this very glove, this glove on his hand running through her hair. Perhaps, he mused, getting to know her and she me, would help us both to understand just what are feelings are. Be they friendship or - something else.

Jareth dressed in one of his more simple outfits before taking the quickest routes to the library. He appeared in the large room and stood still, listening for the tell tale signs of Shaylee's presence. She should be here by now. He stepped onto the carpet and looked around. She should be here. Why isn't she humming or singing? Jareth frowned to himself. Walking further into the library, he came upon one of the lounging areas. A basket of cleaning supplies sat on the floor beside one of the chairs while a head with curly auburn hair rested on the armrest. Jareth walked around the chair to find Shaylee had curled up to take a nap.

Smirking, he said, "Well, well! Sleeping on the job. What would Blythe say?"

She jerked up and looked around with a sleepy yet startled look on her face. When the Sprite's eyes found his face, she smiled sheepishly. "She would either scold me or send for Elder Panui to find out if I was still feeling unwell."

"Are you unwell?" Jareth asked, concern inflecting his voice.

"No." Shaylee yawned as she unfolded herself from the chair. "I merely stayed up late last night."

"Doing what?" The Goblin King mentally chuckled at the blush that colored her cheeks as he settled down in a chair opposite her own.

"Aren't you full of questions today." The girl quipped cheerfully, avoiding the answer. "You - wanted to see me?"

Jareth looked at her long and hard before asking, "Why were you crying last night?"

Shaylee gave him a startled and slightly puzzled look. "I - I was -" Stopping, she looked down at her hands that were twisting her apron. "Someone - said something I didn't like."

"Was it true?" He pressed, wondering if he should inquire who this person was. Shaylee shook her head emphatically. Jareth tilted his head and continued his scrutiny of her. "So you ran away from the festivities?"

"I was running away from him." She whispered. Looking up, she gave him half a smile. "It's not important if it wasn't true. Let's talk about something else - please."

Jareth leaned back in his chair. She was trying to change the subject. What would he do if she and Blythe ganged up on him? He normally could chase Blythe down verbally to give him an answer, but Shaylee seemed to have such a strange vulnerability around him - or it felt that way to him - that Jareth could not think about making her so uncomfortable. He gave her one of his imperceptible nods, giving her the lead in whatever topic they would discuss. Shaylee visibly relaxed as she looked around at the shelves of books, searching for something to say.

"How was the Ball?" She turned her attention back to him, smiling expectantly.

"Like any other that I have attended." Jareth replied dryly. "Droll. The conversation was vapid and the company tiring."

Shaylee's demeanor sagged. "Oh. So - there was nothing that you enjoyed about the ball?"

He smirked as he recalled the last dance he had left unfinished before leaving for the gardens. "There was one amusing incident." Jareth watched the young woman brighten, nodding that he continue. "I realized a little too late that I was dancing with Lady Vondiva." Shaylee glanced away. "I made up an excuse and left her without a partner on the dance floor in the middle of the dance." His smile widened when she whipped her head back to stare at him in shocked silence.

A smile broke out slowly on Shaylee's face and then a laugh escaped her lips. "I would have enjoyed seeing her expression." She laughed again, just imagining Vondiva standing alone - dumped by the Goblin King. Jareth chuckled along with her. Shaylee stilled abruptly and tilted her head to the side.

Jareth watched her curiously. "What is it?"

She stood up and gathered the cleaning supplies. "I have to go now. The clock chimed and I have to be down in the kitchen to help Blythe."

Waving his hand, Jareth produced a clock and looked at the time. She was right. The clock had chimed somewhere. How she heard it - Jareth sent the clock away again as he too rose. "It was a pleasure speaking with you again." Did that sound too stiff?

Shaylee smiled. "Perhaps - another time?"

He nodded slowly. "Perhaps sooner than you would expect."

~*~/*\~*~

Shaylee busied herself in the servant garden. She needed to get the weeding done now that the heat of the day was past. Humming to herself, she pulled up one very stubborn weed. "Yer good at that." A gruff voice spoke up. Turning slightly, the Sprite spotted the dwarf that had lit her candle at the Festival.

"Hello again - Higgle was it?" Shaylee smiled pleasantly.

"Argh! It's Hoggle! Don't go messin' up me name like he does!" The little dwarf stamped a foot on the grassy ground.

She gave him a sympathetic look. "I am sorry. I'm not always very good with names - and we just met last night."

"Yeah whatever." Hoggle grumbled as he waddled over to one of the benches. He sat down and just stared at her for several silent minutes. Unsure if he was going to continue talking to her, Shaylee turned back to the weeds. Hoggle glanced from her to the castle walls, then back again at her. "So - he rescued you from some lady, right?"

Shaylee stopped her chore again and turned to look at him. "Yes. How did you know that? Only the king and Elder Panui know that detail - as far as I am aware."

"I was the one who sent for the elder." Hoggle stated. "An' I think Jareth's adviser, Reus, knows too." He shrugged and fell silent for another lapse of time. He waited again until her back was turned and she had begun weeding again. "You was talkin' with that Dragon fellow last night too."

Sighing, the young woman turned around again to look at him. "Xiuhcoatl. Yes, I was."

"He's not the sorta person you should be with." Hoggle nodded as if this were some sagely advice he was offering.

"I realized that last night." Shaylee replied, turning back to the weeds and hoping that this dwarf was finished speaking.

"I also heard that you met with him last night." The dwarf continued slowly.

"Who?" She did not turn around, not really paying him any mind.

"Jareth." Hoggle answered, glancing around to see if the Goblin King himself would appear at the mere mention of his name.

Shaylee nearly fell backwards from the force she exerted on pulling out the weed and the shock from knowing someone knew about her late night meeting with Jareth. Turning around to stare at the dwarf, she asked in a shaking voice, "H-how did you-?"

"The little fairy you fed last night. I overhears her talkin' 'bout you and him." Hoggle answered. "Stupid little fairies were in my turnip patch again." He eyed the shaken girl closely. "You loves him?"

"I - I -" She bit her lip and looked down at the grass. Did she? It had been so sudden last night - the kiss and all. He had been so kind to her but - was it only that? Pity? "I don't know." Shaylee answered truthfully, miserably.

Hoggle sighed and let his head drop with a sad shake. Hoping down from the bench, he addressed the Sprite one last time before leaving. "He's changin' back to how he was. Dunno if that's good news fer ya or not. Whatever happens, just - don't let him hurt ya. Don't hurt him neither." Hoggle tapped his chest with a finger then waddled on out of the garden, leaving a very confused Sprite behind.

Awww! Hoggle does care. Haha. Oh the plot thickens. Shaylee=princess what? o_O I really wasn't sure about adding that in there... what do you all think? To cliche? Cause I'll rewrite this chapter if ya don't like it. Review! XD