A/N: Here's the next chapter in my little saga. I know many of you were hoping to see the tournament in this one. It's going to be in the next chapter…sorry. I hope that this chapter makes up for the delay. Shout outs go to HArleQuin-DIamonD, BuffyMyraRae, I'Like'Cheetos, rowen, RubyDracoGirl, tfstarlight, sandy162, CeliaEquus, BuffyMyraRae, Jareth Lover 16, Goob, LittleMargarita, notwritten, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, TheraSerenity, Full-Empty-Spirit, ShadowHeartofFaith, Her Royal Goddess, wedimagineer, hazlgrnLizzy, gamesofmakebelieve, and scifigeek10 for their wonderful reviews. You guys are really the best. I always love reading your thoughts and ideas. Please keep them coming. They give me the inspiration to keep writing. Remember, reviews make me happy and happy people update faster.
Disclaimer: If you've seen it on the big screen, watched it on the small screen, own a copy of the DVD, VHS tape, or Blue Ray, read it in a book, or saw it on a site other than this one, it's not mine and I don't claim any ownership of it.
Sarah enjoyed a day and a half without the attentions of her suitors. She had to admit, there was a part of her that missed Jareth. A large part. It didn't take much to realize that he was the only suitor she truly missed. Allie had wondered how long she would continue to deny her feelings for Jareth. His absence had answered that question. Sarah knew for certain there was only one suitor for which she had an intense longing.
"Allie, can I tell you something?" Sarah asked as they were getting ready to go to sleep. It was the night before they were scheduled to go before the Gods for the second step in becoming Fae and the girls had turned in early.
"Sure Sar," Allie replied, yawning.
"I love Jareth," Sarah confessed. A bright pink blush stained her cheeks.
"Well, duh," Allie laughed. "Did you just figure that out?"
"Of course," Sarah replied, sarcastically. "For my next trick, I shall finally answer the eternal question: If a man speaks in the woods and no one is around to hear, is he still wrong?"
Allie began to laugh so hard that she snorted. That made Sarah laugh and soon both of them were rolling on their beds and clutching their sides. Their laughter could be heard through the door and down the hall. Several servants shook their heads in amusement at the two mortal girls. With them in residence, life in the castle would never be dull.
"S-seriously," Sarah managed, trying to catch her breath. "I've known for a little while now. I just needed to say it out loud."
"Well, then," Allie replied, finally sobering from her fit of laughter. "Say it again."
"Alright, I love Jareth," Sarah proclaimed.
"Say it loud; say it proud," Allie commanded.
"I love Jareth!" Sarah shouted.
"Whoo hoo!" Allie cheered.
"What in the Underground is going on in here?" Fagan asked, bursting in the room. "I can hear you shouting all the way in my chambers. That's in the other wing, in case you've forgotten."
"Sarah is just excited," Allie explained. "She's finally come to her senses."
"About what?" Fagan asked.
"Why don't you tell him Sar?" Allie asked.
"Alright," Sarah replied. "I…love…Jareth."
Fagan blinked. "This is news?" he asked.
"It is to Sarah," Allie admonished. "Would it kill you to be supportive? She's going to be your sister-in-law soon and your next High Queen."
"But-" Sarah interrupted.
"You're quite right, my pet," Fagan replied. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I wonder if they're going to want to get married before or after us."
"But-" Sarah tried again.
"Maybe they'll want a double wedding," Allie said. "I'll start making the arrangements."
"But-" Sarah tried a third time.
"I'm glad that's settled," Fagan replied. "I promise I won't mention a word of this to Jareth."
"Night Fagan," Allie said happily.
"Night girls," Fagan replied, shutting the door behind him as he left the room.
"But-" Sarah tried again.
"Shhhh," Allie scolded. "It's getting late. We don't want to wake the whole castle. We'll start making our plans in the morning."
Sarah climbed into bed and pulled the blanket up to her chest. She tried to settle into sleep, but she had a burning need to get something off her chest.
"I am NOT getting married!" Sarah protested.
"Whatever," Allie scoffed.
"Night Allie," Sarah replied.
"Night Sarah," Allie said.
"I love him," Sarah whispered to herself, snuggling into her warm blankets.
Sarah fell asleep quickly. Her dreams consisted of white dresses, flowers, and a groom with mismatched eyes.
"Come on Sarah," Allie said, shaking her friend. She swore that Sarah was the deepest sleeper she had ever met. She'd been shaking the brunette for the last five minutes with no results.
"Five more minutes," Sarah mumbled.
"Fine Sarah," Allie conceded. "If you miss your chance to become Fae, don't blame it on me." That did the trick. Sarah bolted up in bed, her eyes wide with shock.
"That's today," Sarah said. "How could I have forgotten?"
"You'd better get dressed," Allie commanded. "Fagan will be here soon to escort the two of us to the temple grounds."
"I know," Sarah replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll be ready in a minute."
Sarah ran from the bed and jumped in the shower. After taking the fastest shower in history, Sarah silently wondered if there were a Guinness Record for that, she quickly threw on the white linen gown that had been laid out for her. Allie curled her hair and let it flow freely down her back. Sarah mused that she looked like a virgin sacrifice. The thought made her shiver slightly and she tamped it back down. With not a moment to spare, Fagan was at their door to escort them to stand before the Gods.
"Don't you two look lovely," he said breathlessly. "You are definitely food for the Gods."
"Thank you," Allie replied, blushing.
"Thanks Fagan," Sarah responded, also blushing beautifully.
"Ready?" Fagan asked. Both women nodded. He held out his arms and both took one and allowed him to transport the group to the temple grounds.
Sarah had never seen anything quite like the scene before her. They looked like some of the ruins her mother told her about during her trip to Ireland. Great stone pillars stood in a circle, like fingers coming out of the green, grassy hill. It had a mystical, eerie feel to it. Sarah felt as if she were standing on ancient, sacred ground. Of course, she realized, that's exactly where she was standing. It was awe inspiring. The priest stood in the center of the temple grounds, waiting for the two women to approach. Jareth, Liam, and Gough stood next to different pillars, watching them approach. Audible gasps were heard from each of the suitors as they watched the brunette vision in white approaching. Jareth thought she looked like an angel. Fagan smirked at their reaction and continued to escort the women up the hill.
"You stand before the Gods today to throw off your mortality and petition for the right to become Fae and live for unnumbered mortal lifetimes," the priest proclaimed as they stood before him. Sarah noticed that Fagan took his place next to one of the pillars. Her heart beat quickly inside her chest.
"Aye," the women said in unison.
"Kneel before me," he directed.
The two women kneeled on the linen sheet that had been set before them. The priest dipped his hands into a large chalice of sacred oil. He placed a hand on the tops of each of their heads. Murmuring words in the ancient language, he began his prayer to the Gods. A bright light appeared in the sky and engulfed the two Mortals. Sarah had never felt such comfort and love in her life. The men watched in amazement as the light grew brighter. Soon, it was too radiant for them to continue to look. When the light faded, there was only one woman kneeling before the priest. Sarah was gone.
Sarah felt the pull of the transportation, even though her eyes were closed against the light. She couldn't hear anything and dared to open her eyes to see what had happened. She was in a large, white room. There were sculptures of various Gods all around. Suddenly, two of them came to life. She was now facing the most beautiful beings she had ever seen. They were dressed in white and glowed. It was almost too difficult to look at them. Her heart continued to race in fear and awe.
"Be not afraid, little Mortal," came a voice that seemed to surround her.
"Where am I?" Sarah asked.
"You are in the realm of the Gods," the voice answered. "We are here to bless you, Sarah."
"H-how did you know my name?" Sarah stammered.
"We've known you since the beginning of time," the voice replied. "We were there at your birth and we will be there when you choose to end your reign over life."
"Who are you?" she asked.
"We are the Alpha and Omega. The Beginning and the End. We are the keeper of the Sacred Souls," the voice explained.
"Why am I here?' she asked.
"You, Sarah Williams, are special," the voice informed her. "Your destiny has been foretold."
"What is my destiny?" she asked.
"One should never know too much of their own destiny," the voice replied. "However, we can say that you will be a great Queen. You will rule with patience and kindness."
"Who shall I marry?" Sarah asked.
"The anointed one," the voice answered.
"Who is the anointed one?" she asked.
"You already know the answer to that question within your heart, young one," the voice said gently. "It is now time for you to return from where you came. Go with our blessings. Be fruitful and fulfill your destiny. When it is time, your Sacred Soul will be returned to live with us for eternity."
"Thank you," Sarah managed before the light faded and she found herself lying in the center of the temple grounds.
"Where did you go?" Jareth asked, running to her and taking her into his arms.
"Do not fear, young King," a voice boomed from the very stones of the temple. "She has been with the Guardians. We have blessed her and anointed her before the Gods." All four men fell to their knees.
"The Gods have spoken," the priest proclaimed. "These two shall throw off the vestiges of mortality. You may go in peace."
"What happened?" Fagan asked, standing to face the priest. "I've never seen anything like that."
"Your Lady has been blessed and will become Fae," the priest explained. He then turned to Jareth, who had joined his brother before the priest. "Your Lady is truly special. She is a Sacred Soul. She has been anointed before the Gods and will be the greatest ruler that the Underground has ever seen. Now, I must go and rest."
The priest walked away, leaving the two men to ponder this latest development. They both turned to look at the beautiful green-eyed woman talking with her friend. Neither could deny that she was special. There had never been another like her in the Underground. Fagan didn't think there would be another like her within his lifetime.
"Hello, precious," Jareth said, walking up to the two women.
"Hi, Jareth," Sarah replied, blushing. He was giving her a look of open adoration. She'd never had someone look at her in that way.
"I'm going to go talk to Fagan," Allie said, excusing herself. "We'll wait for you."
"I need to tell you something," Sarah said, after they were alone.
"Yes?" he asked
"I-" she began.
"Hello, my Lady," Liam interrupted. Jareth shot him a glare.
"Hi Liam," Sarah replied. Her face didn't show the barely restrained anger at the interruption. She'd been so close. "I'll tell you later, Jareth. I should really be going anyway. I don't want to keep Fagan and Allie waiting. I'll see you both later."
"Goodbye, precious," Jareth said, taking her hand and leaving a butterfly kiss on the top of it.
"So long, my Lady," Liam added, copying the gesture. Sarah was glad he never looked up to see the roll of her eyes. Jareth didn't miss it and smirked as he transported himself back to the Goblin Kingdom.
Fagan escorted the women back to their chambers. Leaving them alone, he went to report to his father about this strange occurrence.
"Hey Sar," Allie said. "You ok?"
"It was really strange," Sarah confessed. She went on to relay her tale of what had happened in the white room.
"How bizarre," Allie replied. "It makes sense, though. I've always known you were special."
"Thanks Allie," Sarah said.
"What say you and I take some time for ourselves today?" Allie asked. "We can go get some crazy Fae spa treatments and relax. I think we've earned it."
"Sounds like fun to me," Sarah replied.
The two girls proceeded to spend the rest of the day getting pampered. They went to one shop in the Fairy Kingdom where they were wrapped in strange leaves while pixies sprinkled golden dust over them. When the wraps were removed, both women shined like gold. They went to another shop where they received new gowns. Another Fairy Lady used magic to show them several different hair styles. Sarah and Allie both chose elaborate updos to go with their new gowns. When night began to fall, they returned to the castle. At dinner, Fagan had to admire them both. They were going to make lovely Queens. He and his brother were lucky men indeed.
Two days later, Sarah was walking down the hall. With all the time on her hands now, she was engrossing herself in some fascinating books in Fagan's library. She was reading one as she walked to lunch. Suddenly, she ran into something solid and warm. Arms came around her, steadying her so she wouldn't fall. She looked up into a pair of recognizable mismatched eyes.
"Hello, precious," Jareth said, smirking.
"Hey, Jareth," she replied. "What are you doing here? I thought your father banned you."
"I'm here to see Fagan," he said, innocently. "He never said I couldn't talk to Fagan. If I happen to bump into you while I'm here, then what can he say? It would be rude of me to pass you in the hall without speaking to you. He couldn't argue with that, now could he?"
"You're so devious," she said, laughing.
"Of course," he admitted. "Now what were you going to tell me the other day?"
"I just wanted to say, I-" she replied.
"Queenie, Queenie"
"Hi Kingy"
"We play game now"
"Tag"
"You it"
"Oh damn," Sarah muttered. "I forgot that I promised them a game. I'll tell you later. Have fun with Fagan."
Jareth watched as she ran after his subjects. He wondered what she was about to tell him. He could see that it was something important. With a sigh, he set out to find his brother to discuss the arrangements for his part of the tournament. In only a few more days, they would be fighting to continue their courtship of this most amazing woman. Jareth knew that the competition would be fierce, especially with what happened on the temple grounds. Still, Jareth was confident that he would come out victorious. He pushed away any doubts he had and joined Fagan in his study.
A couple days before the tournament, Raghall had arranged for Sarah to join him at court. By now, most of the Underground had heard about what happened to Sarah. They looked at her in awe and deep respect. She felt uncomfortable under their adoring stares. It had been a long day under their scrutiny. She had sat by his side, listening carefully to the different petitions and trying to ignore the looks she was receiving. When it was all done, Raghnall took her to his study for her opinion.
"So, Sarah," he began. "What did you think?"
"I think you don't need me at all," she replied. "You do well enough on your own."
"That's very kind," Raghall said. "But, surely, there must have been something that bothered you."
"There was one thing," Sarah admitted.
"I thought there might be," Raghnall replied. "What was it?"
"Why were most of the petitions brought forward by men?" Sarah asked. "Even ones that affected women were brought up by men."
"Most women are not property owners," Raghnall replied. "Therefore, they have fewer rights to petition the court."
"That's awful," Sarah chastised. "Women should always have the same rights as men. We're just as good as men."
"I agree, my dear," Raghnall said, smiling. "Unfortunately, even I don't have the power to change things alone."
"Who does have the power?" Sarah asked.
"The council," Raghnall replied.
"You mean the one that consists of all men," Sarah sighed.
"That would be correct," Raghnall confirmed.
"How do we go about changing their minds?" Sarah asked.
"We?" Raghnall inquired.
"Of course," Sarah replied. "You don't think I'd let you fight this alone? I want to help."
"You, my dear, are definitely one of a kind," Raghnall complimented. "We need to show them that women are capable of speaking for themselves. I suggest you contact the female rulers and see if you can form a group. There is strength in numbers, you understand. Once you have a strong alliance, you should petition the court for rights."
"I'll do it," Sarah vowed. "It may take some time, but I promise that I won't stop until we're victorious."
"Wonderful," Raghnall replied. "Let me know if you need any help."
"I will," Sarah promised. "I need to get back to the Fairy Kingdom to finish up the preparations for the tournament. Are you coming this weekend?"
"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Raghnall declared.
"I'll see you then," Sarah replied. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the study. Raghnall watched her go and admired her courage.
"Hey Jareth," Sarah said, spying the familiar blond leaning against the wall. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see my father about something," Jareth replied with a smirk. "Enjoy court?"
Sarah looked around before answering. "It was boring as hell," she said in a low voice. He laughed and she joined him.
"While we have a moment, what were you trying to say the other day?" he asked.
"I was trying to say that I-" Sarah replied.
"Jareth!" Raghnall interrupted. "Come on in."
Sarah sighed and said, "Never mind, it wasn't that important. I'll tell you sometime."
"See you this weekend, precious," he replied. "Maybe you can tell me then."
"Perhaps," she said. "Goodbye."
Sarah watched as he disappeared inside Raghnall's study. Why was it so difficult to tell someone you loved them? With a sigh, she went to find Fagan and Allie, who waited for her. They transported back to the Fairy Kingdom. Allie and Sarah spent the next couple of days making plans to contact the women rulers and demanding rights for women. It was quite empowering.
Soon, it was the night before the contest. Sarah couldn't sleep. Her nerves were creating great waves of fear rolling through her. What if Jareth lost? What if Gough won? She refused to rig the contest one way or another. She would have to just trust in the Gods to see this through. Earlier this afternoon, she and Fagan went over her part of the tournament. He praised her for her brilliance. Together, they finished the preparations. Whatever happened, Sarah knew she did her best to create a contest that was both fair and informative. Finally, with thoughts of victory in her head, she fell asleep on the eve of the day that would change things forever.