"Ladies, tomorrow we are going to have guests for dinner."

A ripple of whispers went around the dinning table as the excitement arose in all that were gathered there. The girls waited for Jareth to say more but apparently that was all he was going to reveal for the moment. Dinner was almost finished so the girls hurried their desserts before rushing out as soon as they were excused to speculate over who the guests were to be. Sarah remained behind out of habit, but Jareth rose as the last girl left the room.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to attend our usual discussion tonight Sarah, the visit is at rather short notice so I need the time to prepare."

"May I enquire as to who is visiting?" Sarah asked, continuing the formal manners she always adopted at dinner, no doubt she'd been needing them sooner than expected.

"You may." Jareth said with a mischievous grin. "But I shall have to decline to answer. You'll find out with the rest of the girls tomorrow night."

"Then I bid you goodnight Your Highness." Sarah said, rising and giving Jareth a slight curtsey before going to leave.

"Sarah," Jareth called out to her, waiting until she'd turned before continuing. "I must compliment you on your conduct. At the evening meals you are a perfect lady."

Sarah felt herself blush at his comments. It was true that she now found it incredibly easy to slip into the role of a lady when dressed in such sumptuous dresses and surrounded by finery, but it had not been easy at first. She appreciated the compliment and said so before departing.

As soon as the dinning room door closed behind her though, all decorum left her and she ran as fast as she could in her heels back to her own room, not at all surprised to find Hillevi and Amber waiting there for her. All of the girls had been given their own rooms the previous day, after Sarah had been presented with hers. Amber's room was next to Sarah's, with Hillevi's next to Ambers. Jareth trusted Sarah to not disclose the location of his own room, but even if she should let it slip, he trusted her two closest friends as much as she did. Hannah, Elissa and Kerry had rooms together in the next wing, whilst Miranda and Jenny's adjoining rooms were at the far end of the castle. Complete coincidence of course. Luckily, as none of the other girls knew where Jareth's bedroom was, Miranda had no chance to be jealous of Sarah's proximity or angered at her own distance from it.

Despite having their own rooms, the girls often gathered in each other's on an evening or met up in the 'Rouge Room' as the room they had spent their girly day in had been named. So far they'd managed to keep this room a secret from Miranda and Jenny, so it was still a happy, pleasant place to be. The separate rooms had helped ease the tension in the group slightly, but Miranda had been as vindictive in her comments as ever that day, a situation the Sarah couldn't see changing any time soon.

Nevertheless, Miranda wasn't there now and for that Sarah was extremely happy.

"So, did he tell you who was visiting?" Hillevi asked excitedly as soon as Sarah walked through the door.

Sarah laughed at her eagerness and began to take the pins out of her elaborate hair do before replying.

"No he didn't and you know better than to ask that. Even if he had I couldn't have told you."

Hillevi's face fell at the news but it was no more than she had expected. Her spirits weren't dampened for long though; they were still to have company. The girls spent the remaining hours before bed speculating over who the visitors could be, but Jareth was good at keeping his secrets and they went to bed none the wiser than they had been at dinner. Sleep was very elusive that night for all of them, which wasn't going to help them be at their best the next day, yet none of them could help it. In the entire time they'd been there, between the two months for Sarah and five months for Miranda, there hadn't been a single visitor to the Labyrinth that they'd been aware of. Sarah began to wonder about Jareth's motives. First the ball, now this visit. He'd mentioned the girls being eligible for marriage, but as he'd said, he didn't want them leaving soon as it would negate the reason for bringing them to the Labyrinth. So what was going on?

Her thoughts on Jareth's purposes and curiosity over tomorrow's visitor kept her awake for hours, long after tomorrow had turned into today. In the small hours of the morning, as sleep was finally beginning to take hold of her, she heard footsteps in the hall followed by Jareth's door opening and closing and moments later, his balcony door did the same. Sarah tried her hardest to continue into sleep, but her curiosity was once again ablaze and, with a sigh, she got out of bed, pulled on a thick woollen dressing gown and stepped out into the cold night on her balcony.

She regretted the move instantly, longing for the warmth of her bed, but Jareth had spotted her so there was no retreat. With a quick glance back at her sumptuous bed, Sarah closed her balcony door to keep the heat inside and walked to the low wall that connected her and Jareth's balconies.

"You should have been asleep hours ago." He commented, taking in her dishevelled appearance from hours of lying restless in bed.

"I'm female Jareth, curiosity like this could keep me awake for days." She teased.

"Well you're still not getting any answers from me so you might as well go back into the warmth again." Jareth stated good-naturedly, looking up at the dark sky that had begun to snow.

For a few seconds Sarah was tempted, but a quick look at Jareth convinced her to stay. It was almost pitch black out here, but the vague outline of the King that she could see told her something weighed on his mind. With another sigh she pulled one of her chairs up to the wall, wrapped her dressing gown more tightly around her and sat down, tucking her legs up beneath her.

"I'm wide awake, I may as well be of use. What's on your mind?"

With a small smile Jareth pulled one of his own chairs up, then used a crystal to remove the section of wall between them and replace it with a fire. With a smile of delight Sarah leaned towards the very welcome warmth, happier still that she could now see Jareth's face, and indicated that he should begin.

"When the Labyrinth first relayed its wishes to bring back some old runners to help restore and renew it, I welcomed the idea. As time went on, I began to see further possibilities. The Labyrinth is the outcast of the Underground. The goblins are too rowdy and undisciplined for the cultured Fae, my subjects too prone to play rather than work and their manners too unrefined for them to fit in anywhere else. The Labyrinth is home to any who ask and will respect its laws, this has led to many exiles from other countries moving here, a fact that sets us aside even further from the more respectable Kingdoms. Until now this has suited the previous Goblin Kings' purposes, but I grew up in one of the more renowned Kingdoms and the remoteness of this place from the world I knew is sometimes less than desirable."

This fact shocked Sarah as she realised just how little she knew of Jareth's history. She'd taken it for granted that he'd grown up here and cursed herself silently for such a basic mistake. This was not the time for her to pry however, Jareth clearly had something on his mind so she let him talk.

"When I saw how well some of you ladies adapted to the formal dinners, I realised you would fit well in the more refined Kingdoms and I began to hope that you would work as ambassadors for the Labyrinth, bringing it closer to the other lands of the Underground."

To Sarah's mind this was a great idea. She had noticed the Labyrinth's isolation and it had worried her. The idea of a ball had delighted her as it would mean contact with the rest of the Underground, so it seemed her and Jareth's minds were of a similar view. Almost.

"It seems like such a good idea." She said as Jareth fell silent. "And yet you don't look pleased."

"As more time passes I begin to see a distinct split in the group, between those that would help the Kingdom integrate better into the Underground and those that would not."

"I still don't understand the problem." Sarah put in as Jareth's speech lapsed again.

"The problem is," Jareth continued with a sigh. "the ones that would do the Labyrinth the most good elsewhere are the ones doing the best work here. The ones that have absolutely no use as ambassadors are the ones whose work here is already failing."

Sarah knew without him saying who he was referring to. Already Jenny and Miranda's work was deteriorating. They spent less and less time working, more enjoying the perks of the Labyrinth and living in a castle with royalty. They were too rude to give a good impression of the Labyrinth to other Kingdoms and yet their use here was waning.

"I don't know how to advise you." Sarah said after a while.

Jareth's laugh surprised her, but there was still a melancholy to his eyes as he thought over the problem.

"And that is why you are so good as an advisor, you don't pretend to know everything Sarah."

Jareth smiled at Sarah kindly, proud of the woman she had become.

"Well, it's late, and this problem isn't going to be solved tonight. Go to bed Sarah, I'll need you to help out with some of the preparations tomorrow, it'll be good practice for organising the ball."

Sarah groaned slightly at his words, not entirely sure she was going to be able to plan this ball successfully, before wishing him goodnight and retreating to the blessed warmth of her bed. Her mind was still filled with the problem at hand, and curiosity over the visit which Jareth had skilfully avoided talking about, but the warmth of the bed and the lateness of the hour soon won over and she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

All the girls woke late the night morning, dragging themselves to breakfast just before it finished. The dining hall was alive with excitement as they continued their speculations as to who the visitors could be, greatly anticipating the arrival of company. Sarah was whisked away by Jareth as soon as she had finished eating, and although she was kept busy most of the day, her duties were mainly supervisory. Jareth had his own matters to deal with but he didn't trust the goblins to cook the correct meals or clean out the guest rooms properly. Sarah watched over the goblins to make sure their tasks were done in a sensible manner, breaking up a food fight that occurred just after lunch and supervising the clean up to make sure it didn't break out again. She approved the menu for the evening meal and breakfast and lunch the next day, as well as going over the schedule for the visit.

She had hoped her duties would give her a clue as to who was coming, but it was mostly generic things. The only knowledge she gained was that it was a single noble person visiting with a few servants by the class of the rooms that were assigned to be cleaned. By peeking into the wardrobe of the first class suite she deduced that the visitor was male but other than that she was as clueless as the rest of the girls.

The visitor was due to arrive just before dinner. Sarah was to greet him with Jareth and show him to his suite before going to her own to dress for dinner and then return to the guest's suite to escort him to dining hall. As the time for the meeting approached, the excitement around the castle increased, as did Sarah's nerves.

Once she'd finished with her side of the preparations and double checked the goblins hadn't spoiled anything, she retired to her room to put on a formal day dress as her current clothes were ruined by the day's activities. She dressed too early and so had time to fidget and pace and generally get herself worked up before the summons came from Jareth to meet him at the gates to the castle. Surprisingly as soon as the summons came, Sarah's nerves ceased and a calm descended over her. She knew her duties and was determined to perform them well.

Without hurrying, Sarah made her way to the castle entrance to find Jareth stood in the open doors. He too was wearing his more formal clothes. He wore his ever present leggings and boots, but they were black and somehow smarter than his everyday wear. His shirt showed none of his chest and had minimal lace but his jacket had more of his usual 'flair' about it: floor length black leather, waist length around the front, large, elaborate collar and cuffs, multiple gold and silver buckles on the front. It was pure Goblin King design, yet gave him a more elegant, regal look than he usually had. Silently Sarah took her place by his side just in time to see an elaborate carriage come around the corner of the castle. Immediately her heart began to race with anticipation but outwardly she showed no sign of it.

The carriage reminded Sarah of an enclosed British horse drawn carriage. Indeed it was pulled by a team of four glossy black horses of unnatural size. The carriage itself was made of such dark wood that it looked almost black in the fading light of day. It was decorated with minimal gold ornamentation, but it clearly signified wealth. The wheels were the traditional two large at the back, two small at the front with the same dark wooden spokes and thin gold piping. Two gold lanterns adorned the front of the carriage, already lit for the dark winter days and a driver in expensive livery sat at the front of the box, while two footmen in similar attire stood on the footboard at the rear of the carriage. Sarah was speechless just seeing the carriage, never mind its occupant who remained hidden behind black velvet curtains.

As the carriage stopped one of the footmen jumped down and opened the door. Sarah felt her breath catch as a face appeared in the doorway before a man stepped out. His dress and bearing denoted nobility just as Sarah had suspected. His clothes were much more traditional than Jareth's, although there were similarities between the two. The visitor wore light grey breeches for a start, far too tight for modesty, which Sarah was used to by now. He wore a ruffled white shirt and a dark blue velvet overcoat, buttoned at the front at the waist that brought to mind early 19th century British dress and Sarah could guess that such Aboveground fashions had been adopted in the Underground over time.

The clothes did not hold Sarah's attention for long though. The man had the same fair skin as Jareth, no doubt a Fae trait, and the same blonde hair, although the stranger's hair was straight and pulled back into a sleek pony tail. His features were elegant but not the traditional eleven features that Sarah had imagined, more angular, although he was no less beautiful for it. Sarah found herself staring at him in awe, but she recovered as soon as Jareth took a step forward to greet his guest.

"Niko, it's good to see you again." Jareth said, shaking the guests hand before foregoing decorum and hugging him.

"And you too." The visitor said warmly, hugging the King back.

"May I introduce you to Lady Sarah?" Jareth said, indicating Sarah. "Sarah, this is King Niko, my brother."

Shock thundered through Sarah but she kept her face schooled and pleasant as she gave the visitor, the King, a curtsey. Niko smiled at Sarah before giving her a slight bow and pronouncing his pleasure on meeting her.

"May I show you to your suite?" Sarah asked, mindful of her duties even as her mind tried to assimilate this new knowledge of Jareth's family and mentally berating him for not giving her prior warning.

Niko nodded his assent and followed Sarah through the castle, giving Jareth a conspiratorial smile unseen by Sarah as he went. Once Sarah had shown him to his room she left for her own to change into a more suitable gown for dinner, delighted to find only one dress in her wardrobe as she was far too distracted to have made the decision by herself. The dress was simple but very elegant. The neckline was off the shoulder but with an added halter-neck giving it a more modern feel. It was made from red satin and fitted to her torso and hips before draping gracefully to the floor. Although the wardrobe tended to provide more traditional dresses, obviously today Jareth felt she would better suit a more modern look, and Sarah had no doubt it was Jareth's choice of dress. She dressed quickly, put her hair up in a more formal style and applied minimal make up as was appropriate to the evening meal.

Not long after she'd finished getting dressed, Sarah received a crystal that told her King Niko was ready and so she made her way to his suite to take him to dinner. She was stunned again by his appearance when he opened his door to her knock. The more traditional shirt and overcoat were gone, replaced by clothes that resembled Jareth's wardrobe more closely. Niko caught her looking at his attire and grinned at her.

"In my own Kingdom, the more traditional clothes are appropriate. Whilst here, I can let loose my less formal side."

"It's like playing dress up as a child." Sarah stated jovially before really taking time to think of what she was saying and groaning internally.

Niko only laughed in response though.

"You're exactly right Lady Sarah."

Sarah grimaced slightly at the Lady part, she hadn't gotten used to it yet.

"Would it be entirely inappropriate to ask you to just call me Sarah, Your Majesty?" She asked, wishing to remove some of the formality but not wanting to be rude.

"Not at all, if you'll please call me Niko." He replied, pleasantly.

Sarah couldn't help but smile back, he had a way about him that put her instantly at ease.

"In private, I'd be honoured." Sarah said. "In a more formal setting…"

"Protocol must be adhered to." Niko finished for her. "Shall we?" He continued, offering her his arm.

Sarah took it happily and led him to the dining room, anticipating the other girls' reactions when they met him. She wasn't disappointed. When Jareth introduced his brother more than one mouth fell open in shock, only Hannah remained calm enough to keep her visage straight. The girls were too disciplined after months of training to begin whispering now, but Sarah could see the curiosity eating at them. Gracefully she took her usual seat next to Jareth, more pleased than she should have been as Niko held her chair out for her before taking the seat next to her. Underground protocol demanded table settings be male-female-male-female when it was possible. As Sarah was standing in as host in the event of Jareth not having a wife, she got to sit at his right as usual, and the guest of honour was then seated next to her. Amber was on Niko's other side and Hannah was across from Sarah, the rest of the girls sat in their usual formation, with Miranda and Jenny at the far end of the table. A quick glance down there showed Miranda was furious, just as she'd expected, but Jareth had set the places and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Thankfully the evening held enough distractions to delay any unpleasantness just then.

First off, there were the goblins. When the door to the kitchen opened and the first goblin came out, Sarah had to refrain from wincing. Up until now, the visit had gone perfectly, all manners and protocol, but the goblins were an unruly bunch and Sarah dreaded their usually entertaining antics would ruin the setting. So it was with no small surprise that she saw the goblins walk out wearing tuxedos. Even Sarah's strong composure failed her at this and her mouth dropped slightly in shock. The rest of the girls let out some swiftly stifled giggles before attempting to school their faces. The surprises weren't finished there though. The goblins walked with their usual fast paced gait, but they didn't spill a thing. There was no rowdiness, no shouting, no singing, no pranks, they acted like perfect waiters. Sarah glanced at Jareth in suspicion to find him grinning back at her.

"And all it took was please." He whispered to her conspiratorially, throwing her words of a few days ago back at her.

Sarah couldn't help but laugh quietly at the realisation that all it took to keep the goblins organised and quiet for a time was simple politeness. She could see Niko looking confused between them at Jareth's comment, even more confused at the behaviour of the goblins, clearly he'd been to a meal here before.

"So Jareth, things certainly have changed here. I would never have thought you'd manage to control the goblins like this, but here you prove me wrong." He said, once the soup had been served and they'd commenced eating.

"I'm afraid I can't take any credit for that." Jareth answered, smiling. "A small wager with Sarah showed me that being polite can get the best results. Earlier today I asked the goblins to please act like civilised waiters and you can see the effect it's had."

"Well Sarah, it looks like I shall have to pass my compliments on to you, this is truly a commendable achievement."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Sarah answered, shocked to find herself blushing from his words but truly pleased to hear them.

"Sarah has made a tremendous difference both inside and outside the castle." Jareth continued. "All the girls have made some tremendous changes to the Labyrinth."

"Then you must show me some of your work." Niko said, turning back to Sarah. "If you have the time, of course."

"Of course Your Majesty, it would be my pleasure."

And she meant it. She looked forward to spending more time with this pleasant stranger, and she was always eager to show off the improvements to the Labyrinth, although she found herself wondering just how much of her was leaning towards the first reason and not the second. Especially as she found it took more than a few seconds for her to tear her eyes away and go back to her soup.

At that moment a crash sounded down at the far end of the table and Miranda began yelling at a goblin who had knocked over her glass of wine as he'd gone to fill it up and spilled a bit of it on her dress. She rose to her feet in anger, yelling at the top of her voice, immediately upsetting the mood of the entire dinner party. As her voice rose in volume and her words became less and less lady like, the goblin stood there, cowering, not daring to even run away. The fear in the goblins eyes went straight to Sarah's heart, but it was not her place to do anything. This was the King's dinner party and the goblin was his subject, yet doing nothing tore at Sarah's heart.

Jareth tried civilly to calm Miranda down, not understanding how she could get so worked up over such a little thing. A quick flick of his wrist had removed the stain from her dress, but her anger went much deeper than this one incident. Since the day Miranda had arrived, she had harboured a dangerous desire for the Goblin King. She wanted his power, wanted to be queen, wanted the handsome man that he was. She'd made no progress with him over the months but would have been content until Sarah came along. Where Miranda failed, Sarah succeeded. Sarah's friendship with the King was proof that it was possible for the King to get close to someone, showing that she herself was unworthy of him. The resentment had grown, fed by Sarah and Jareth's growing companionship and Sarah's repeated triumphs in their work. Now, seeing how well Sarah got on instantly with Niko, another royal male that Miranda would quite easily have set her eye on, was just another slap in the face.

Months of rage came pouring out and a few civil words from Jareth, regardless of their underlying threat, was not enough. That he would chastise her for reacting to the ruin of her dress by a lowly goblin only goaded her on more. Fortified by the support of his King, the goblin gained the courage to take a step backwards, a step that only infuriated Miranda further. As Sarah watched with horror, Miranda raised her arm, clearly intending to strike the goblin. Instantly Sarah was on her feet, as was Jareth. She could watch a goblin be shouted at, though it hurt her greatly, but she would not stand by and watch Miranda physically hurt one. Her anger over Miranda's treatment of Gree still lingered in her veins, ignited further by this new show of brutality, driving her into action.

"Don't you dare hit him Miranda!"

Sarah's voice thundered across the room, stopping Miranda's arm dead as she turned to face the woman she classed as her foe. Even Jareth turned to watch Sarah, curious as to how she would handle this situation.

"And who are you to stop me?" Miranda shouted back. "Queen of nothing, with your airs and graces. Sat at Jareth's side you think you're his queen! You order the goblins about and now you order me about!"

What happened next seemed to Sarah to go in slow motion, although it only took seconds. Incensed by Sarah's involvement, Miranda turned her full anger on her, and her violence too. Reaching down she picked up the nearest thing to hand, unaware of what she was doing, only intending to relieve some of her anger on Sarah. It wasn't until the steak knife had left her hand that she realised she was throwing a very sharp knife at the girl. Miranda's mouth dropped open in horror at the same time as Hillevi screamed. There was no time for any true reaction, the knife had left her hand before Jareth had even seen her pick it up and it flew so fast that he could not pull his thoughts together quick enough to use magic. Sarah reacted on pure instinct, throwing her hands up in front of her to ward off the danger, but the knife never hit home.

Three full seconds passed before Sarah dared open her eyes, full of wonder at the lack of searing pain and the sudden silence that had enveloped the room. Lowering her hands she saw the knife in the air before her, point towards her, a foot away from her face. It was not floating, more it seemed to be stuck in the air, much as it would had it been thrown at a tree or wall. Sarah stared in disbelief, as did everyone else, only to have her shock break the spell she had unwittingly cast to save her from danger. The knife became unstuck in her shield and dropped to the table with a clatter, breaking the silence of the room, followed by the audible exhalation of relief from the girls who'd watched the terrifying spectacle.

Now the immediate danger to Sarah was over, Miranda sensed a new danger towards herself and her eyes shot to Jareth, just as his, full of fury, turned to her. No words were spoken, Miranda's plea was silent, obvious in the fear in her eyes, but Jareth was passed caring. This was no longer petty rivalry, no longer jealous anger. Miranda had threatened one of his subjects and put Sarah's life in danger. For those crimes he had no tolerance.

Raising his hand, a crystal appeared there, and, without a word, he hurled it at the woman at the far end of the table. As soon as it hit her she disappeared, along with her place at the table and, unknown to everyone present but Jareth, all her belongings within the Labyrinth. Shocked silence reigned for a few more seconds before Jenny gathered her wits enough to speak.

"Where is she?" She asked, her voice timid, afraid now that the woman she hid behind was gone.

"She's gone." Was Jareth's succinct answer.

"Where?"

"Back Aboveground. I will not have anyone here who endangers the life of any of my subjects."

His words and tone brooked any argument that the case would have been different had Miranda attempted to hurt anyone else. Sarah may be the King's friend, but he would have done the same for any of his subjects, he loved them all.

"All her memories of her time here have been erased and she has been returned to the meaningless existence she lived before I brought her here. I offer you the same fate Jenny. You followed in her footsteps, your attitude matched hers though you had not the courage to exert it as she did, and your work was failing. Either you stay here, learn to behave like a proper Lady and bring your work back up to the level I expect, or I shall send you back too."

Jenny's immediate thought was to insist she stay, to promise whatever it was he demanded and do it with all her heart, but one look around the table made her breath catch in her throat. She had no friends here. Hannah's face was full of pity, but she would not back her up, Sarah's was still masked in shock, Hillevi's held tears and the rest, only anger. Should she stay, it would be a very lonely existence. All the joy of the Labyrinth had suddenly been sucked out of her. Without Miranda to hide behind, she would never be happy here. With a resigned sob, she bowed her head and a crystal soon sent her back to the life she had been so happy to leave only a few months before.

For a while, silence followed, each girl trying to come to terms with what had happened; the threat to Sarah and the subsequent removal of two of their party. Sarah and Jareth both took their seats again silently and as Jareth raised his spoon, the rest of the party returned to eating. Sarah ate mechanically, still in shock over the attack and how she'd managed to avoid being hurt. None of the other girls had used magic before, but Sarah had just assumed it was because they didn't have a crystal like she did. Now, however, the crystal was back in her room, she shouldn't have been able to shield herself against the knife.

A tug on her skirt brought her mind back to the room and she looked down to see the goblin that Miranda had yelled at looking up at her.

"Thanks Lady Sarah." The goblin said in a quiet voice. "Miranda weren't nice and I's glad she's gone, but I's sorry she tried t' hurt ya."

Sarah smiled kindly at the little goblin and he grinned back before running back to the kitchen. The rest of the meal continued quietly, the girls subdued by the loss of two of their own. They knew Miranda deserved it, and they were glad both her and Jenny were now gone, but the attack had been a shock and the new group dynamic would take a while to get used to. After dessert had been cleared away, Jareth suggested the girls get an early night, which was welcomed by them as they were no doubt eager to begin the gossip, and Sarah wasn't the least surprised at being asked to stay behind. She was surprised though, and a little disappointed, when Niko stood up to leave, excusing himself as tired after his journey, but all knew he was excusing himself to be polite and nothing more.

"Well that was an interesting display." Jareth said once everyone else had left the room.

"I had no idea I could do that." Sarah put in hastily, worried he would think she'd been hiding things from him. "I don't even know how I did that."

"No doubt." Jareth said before pausing to think. "Most people who live here are not given magic. It's not unheard of, but it's extremely rare."

The words he spoke were true but he was holding back more than he was saying. Neither of them were ready for those words to be spoken yet.

"So what happens now?" Sarah asked, worried as to what this might mean.

"We monitor it, let me know if you discover any other way you can use your magic. I've seen you use the crystal I gave you to watch other parts of the Labyrinth, now you can conjure a shield on your own. If any other powers manifest, you must inform me at once."

His words only made Sarah all the more nervous. She had fit into this life well, to suddenly be singled out so significantly was not comforting. Jareth saw the downcast expression on her face and laughed quietly.

"Do not fear Sarah, the Labyrinth gives power only to those it sees fit. It's an honour, but it's always best to know as much as you can about these things."

Sarah's anxiety lessened, but it was not eased completely. Seeing the remaining nerves, Jareth swiftly changed the subject, complimenting her on the day's work and her courtly manners and going over the schedule for the next day. An early night was called all around and Sarah was surprised to find her room empty when she got back. She'd expected Amber and Hillevi to be waiting up for her, but clearly they'd anticipated her need to be alone. Sarah thought she would lie awake for hours, but her lack of sleep the previous night and the shock of her attack that day overwhelmed her and she was asleep before she had time to begin dwelling on it.

A/N So here's a long chapter to make up for the delay last week. I hope you've liked it. Please let me know what you think, I'm grateful for all reviews.