Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel
"It wasn't that funny," Karen murmured to herself, watching the council members laughing at her. "Isn't that the way it works?"
"Fool. You shall never replace me. I'm the Fairy Queen," Peraline hissed and Karen looked at her in surprise. "He's mine!" she screamed, clawing at the crystal again. Her voice recalled the others to the present debate and a sudden hush fell over the council.
"We've already decided. She has asked for our permission to replace you and we've agreed," Felanist told the insane woman coldly. Karen shivered at the sudden chill in the woman's voice.
"No! You can't do that! I'm the Queen," Peraline howled into the still air.
"Not anymore you're not," Jareth replied with a satisfied smirk and the crystal containing Peraline shattered. Karen stared in surprise to see the crystal dust floating to the ground though Peraline wasn't there any more. Then, just as suddenly, a power burst into her body and stripped her of all her sense of self.
She suddenly felt like a little girl, dancing in the air above a field of flowers, her wings beating gently as they held her above her field. Then she was two green ladies, racing with a couple of cute pixies through the forest. Another fairy stared gently down at a baby dove until it felt her watching. It looked up in terror before baring it's teeth and preparing to leap into the nest.
'NO! You can't!' Karen shouted mentally and the fairy paused. 'I am Karen, the new Fairy Queen. Please, if you would harm something because the Queen has ordered it, do not. Violence is not nice,' Karen added, hoping to stall the fairy. She felt a murmur in the back of her head as if the council room was full of millions of tiny voices.
'Queen Peraline is gone?' a scared voice asked softly and Karen spotted a shy fairy-child hiding in a mushroom patch.
'I am Queen Karen. I've sent Peraline to her place in Eternity and I will be taking care of you until I am sent on. Please, no more violence. It's not right,' Karen told her and the others softly and they murmured back happily.
'It was like that in the old days. We did not harm anyone when Orintil ruled us but Peraline was greedy and enjoyed pain,' an old voice told her sadly and she saw an elderly fairy watching over a tiny pixie, too young for flight. It cowered from the fairy until she picked it up and deposited it back into it's cradle with a gentle lullaby and flew away.
'Let it be that way now, then. Offer no harm except when you are in danger of being harmed. Please,' Karen asked and she felt all her people agree.
"Is this enough of a spell for you?" Jareth asked and Karen woke from her trance to see Jareth summon a mirror into the middle of the council chamber. She gasped and pressed her hands to her chest in surprise, staring at the delicate ball gown she now wore. Two gauzy wings floated behind her and she wondered how she would ever explain this to Richard. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to alter your body as you need to continue your life above. I promised, didn't I?" Jareth asked from behind her and she smiled at him in relief. Looking up she noticed that most of the council had gone while she was communing with her people. A young man approached and Karen drew back instinctively.
"Greetings, I am Houterence, the King of the Pixies," he said when he was close enough and Karen nodded shyly at him.
"Karen, we must get you back to your husband and children soon," Jareth said blandly and Houterence glared at him menacingly.
"Oh, yes, of course Jareth. I need to make sure Sarah's alright," Karen replied breathily, whirling and holding her hand out for him to take.
"Leaving so soon. Too bad. We could have had some fun," Felanist drawled behind them
"Me? Have fun?" Karen laughed, a little too breathily. "I'm just a stay-at-home-mom, but I'll be happy to introduce you to my teenager. I'm sure you and her will have a blast," she continued and then Jareth took her hand and whisked her into the castle in the middle of the Labyrinth to teach her how to control her magic.
"I'm sure we will," Felanist murmured before disappearing into the woods. Houterence stared after Karen and Felanist in confusion.
*****************************************************
Sarah lay in her bed quietly, her glassy stare directed towards her dad and the principal of her high school, Mr. Eldenburg. 'There really is a reason that small towns have low ditching rates,' Sarah mused with an internal sigh of irritation.
"Elizabeth says that Sarah was out of bed this morning. Surely that means that she's well enough to come back to school," Mr. Eldenburg told her dad and Richard scowled.
"She had another attack last night and we were up until very late taking care of her. Elizabeth and Maxwell came over this morning and woke her with the doorbell. She shouldn't have been out of bed," Richard argued belligerently.
"And what about the childrens' conversation about your wife?" Mr. Eldenburg asked primly.
"That nonsense. They just heard Sarah and Toby playing their game. Whenever Karen leaves for a while, they make believe silly stuff for her to be doing. This time it's her coronation as the Queen of the Fairies. Next time it will be a Fairy Convention or some other such nonsense," Richard explained, rolling his eyes at the man's gullibility.
"It isn't healthy," Mr. Eldenburg started but Richard just gave him the 'what, are you that stupid?' look.
"You know they call it a 'healthy imagination' don't you?" Richard asked him sarcastically and Sarah smiled. It seemed that this newest change in their lives had done wonders for his sense of humor any way. She heard the door open downstairs and exchanged surprised glances with her dad before allowing her eyes to return to that glazed look again.
"I'm home," Karen said, peering into Sarah's room and giving Mr. Eldenburg a thoughtful stare. "Sarah, you feeling better sweetie? Any more headaches?" she asked, crossing the room to check Sarah's forehead.
"I had one last night but I'm a bit better now Mom," Sarah replied, being careful to keep her voice weak and breathy.
"When did Sarah start calling you Mom?" Mr. Eldenburg asked in surprise and Sarah winced, making Karen scold him and hurry him out of her room. Mr. Eldenburg was surprised to find himself suddenly outside with his coat and hat and little recollection of Karen's naggings as she chased him away. He left the house uneasily, resolving to have Sarah talk to the councilor as soon as she came back to school.
Back inside, Karen closed the door behind Mr. Eldenburg with a sigh of relief.
"Don't you like the man, Your Majesty? He was just concerned for Lady Sarah?" one of her fairies asked, popping out from Karen's pocket. Once she'd begun practicing using her magic in Jareth's castle, several fairies and a few pixies had shown up to watch. Five had decided to remain with Karen wherever she went and so these became her ladies-in-waiting. The others peaked out from where they'd hidden in their Queen's clothes at their new home.
"He was being nosy. Sarah's fine. Give her a few days of healthy breakfasts and rest and she'll be good as new," Karen replied absently, running her hand through her hair.
"It's partially her fault," Richard said from the hall and Karen smiled at him happily, running to his arms and burrowing into his embrace. Richard smiled and held her close, stroking her hair softly. "Maxwell and Elizabeth decided to pay a visit this morning and give Sarah her homework. I chased them out but they hung back by the door and listened to Sarah reassure Toby that you'd be back as soon as you could after the coronation. Then I noticed them still standing there and made them leave," Richard explained after a minute of holding his wife. She sighed and snuggled up against him.
"Eww, get a room," Sarah laughed from the top of the stairs and Karen smiled up at her.
"Feeling better?" Karen asked contentedly and Sarah nodded, belting her bathrobe over her pajamas as she came down the stairs.
"How 'bout you? How are you feeling?" Sarah asked pointedly, glancing at the flowers on the table. One of the fairies had decided to explore the large vase.
"Oh, fine. No problems at all. It was a little boring actually," Karen replied dismissively and Sarah looked her over curiously. Karen grinned at her broadly, the pale jewel of mischief lighting up her eyes. Richard laughed and kissed her lightly.
"You know how parents roll their eyes and mutter about the abnormalities of children?" Sarah asked the nearest fairy who giggled and nodded. Karen and Richard laughed and Richard twirled Karen around, making her clutch him close. "Parents," she muttered, shaking her head and turning and heading back upstairs to her room.
"It wasn't that funny," Karen murmured to herself, watching the council members laughing at her. "Isn't that the way it works?"
"Fool. You shall never replace me. I'm the Fairy Queen," Peraline hissed and Karen looked at her in surprise. "He's mine!" she screamed, clawing at the crystal again. Her voice recalled the others to the present debate and a sudden hush fell over the council.
"We've already decided. She has asked for our permission to replace you and we've agreed," Felanist told the insane woman coldly. Karen shivered at the sudden chill in the woman's voice.
"No! You can't do that! I'm the Queen," Peraline howled into the still air.
"Not anymore you're not," Jareth replied with a satisfied smirk and the crystal containing Peraline shattered. Karen stared in surprise to see the crystal dust floating to the ground though Peraline wasn't there any more. Then, just as suddenly, a power burst into her body and stripped her of all her sense of self.
She suddenly felt like a little girl, dancing in the air above a field of flowers, her wings beating gently as they held her above her field. Then she was two green ladies, racing with a couple of cute pixies through the forest. Another fairy stared gently down at a baby dove until it felt her watching. It looked up in terror before baring it's teeth and preparing to leap into the nest.
'NO! You can't!' Karen shouted mentally and the fairy paused. 'I am Karen, the new Fairy Queen. Please, if you would harm something because the Queen has ordered it, do not. Violence is not nice,' Karen added, hoping to stall the fairy. She felt a murmur in the back of her head as if the council room was full of millions of tiny voices.
'Queen Peraline is gone?' a scared voice asked softly and Karen spotted a shy fairy-child hiding in a mushroom patch.
'I am Queen Karen. I've sent Peraline to her place in Eternity and I will be taking care of you until I am sent on. Please, no more violence. It's not right,' Karen told her and the others softly and they murmured back happily.
'It was like that in the old days. We did not harm anyone when Orintil ruled us but Peraline was greedy and enjoyed pain,' an old voice told her sadly and she saw an elderly fairy watching over a tiny pixie, too young for flight. It cowered from the fairy until she picked it up and deposited it back into it's cradle with a gentle lullaby and flew away.
'Let it be that way now, then. Offer no harm except when you are in danger of being harmed. Please,' Karen asked and she felt all her people agree.
"Is this enough of a spell for you?" Jareth asked and Karen woke from her trance to see Jareth summon a mirror into the middle of the council chamber. She gasped and pressed her hands to her chest in surprise, staring at the delicate ball gown she now wore. Two gauzy wings floated behind her and she wondered how she would ever explain this to Richard. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to alter your body as you need to continue your life above. I promised, didn't I?" Jareth asked from behind her and she smiled at him in relief. Looking up she noticed that most of the council had gone while she was communing with her people. A young man approached and Karen drew back instinctively.
"Greetings, I am Houterence, the King of the Pixies," he said when he was close enough and Karen nodded shyly at him.
"Karen, we must get you back to your husband and children soon," Jareth said blandly and Houterence glared at him menacingly.
"Oh, yes, of course Jareth. I need to make sure Sarah's alright," Karen replied breathily, whirling and holding her hand out for him to take.
"Leaving so soon. Too bad. We could have had some fun," Felanist drawled behind them
"Me? Have fun?" Karen laughed, a little too breathily. "I'm just a stay-at-home-mom, but I'll be happy to introduce you to my teenager. I'm sure you and her will have a blast," she continued and then Jareth took her hand and whisked her into the castle in the middle of the Labyrinth to teach her how to control her magic.
"I'm sure we will," Felanist murmured before disappearing into the woods. Houterence stared after Karen and Felanist in confusion.
*****************************************************
Sarah lay in her bed quietly, her glassy stare directed towards her dad and the principal of her high school, Mr. Eldenburg. 'There really is a reason that small towns have low ditching rates,' Sarah mused with an internal sigh of irritation.
"Elizabeth says that Sarah was out of bed this morning. Surely that means that she's well enough to come back to school," Mr. Eldenburg told her dad and Richard scowled.
"She had another attack last night and we were up until very late taking care of her. Elizabeth and Maxwell came over this morning and woke her with the doorbell. She shouldn't have been out of bed," Richard argued belligerently.
"And what about the childrens' conversation about your wife?" Mr. Eldenburg asked primly.
"That nonsense. They just heard Sarah and Toby playing their game. Whenever Karen leaves for a while, they make believe silly stuff for her to be doing. This time it's her coronation as the Queen of the Fairies. Next time it will be a Fairy Convention or some other such nonsense," Richard explained, rolling his eyes at the man's gullibility.
"It isn't healthy," Mr. Eldenburg started but Richard just gave him the 'what, are you that stupid?' look.
"You know they call it a 'healthy imagination' don't you?" Richard asked him sarcastically and Sarah smiled. It seemed that this newest change in their lives had done wonders for his sense of humor any way. She heard the door open downstairs and exchanged surprised glances with her dad before allowing her eyes to return to that glazed look again.
"I'm home," Karen said, peering into Sarah's room and giving Mr. Eldenburg a thoughtful stare. "Sarah, you feeling better sweetie? Any more headaches?" she asked, crossing the room to check Sarah's forehead.
"I had one last night but I'm a bit better now Mom," Sarah replied, being careful to keep her voice weak and breathy.
"When did Sarah start calling you Mom?" Mr. Eldenburg asked in surprise and Sarah winced, making Karen scold him and hurry him out of her room. Mr. Eldenburg was surprised to find himself suddenly outside with his coat and hat and little recollection of Karen's naggings as she chased him away. He left the house uneasily, resolving to have Sarah talk to the councilor as soon as she came back to school.
Back inside, Karen closed the door behind Mr. Eldenburg with a sigh of relief.
"Don't you like the man, Your Majesty? He was just concerned for Lady Sarah?" one of her fairies asked, popping out from Karen's pocket. Once she'd begun practicing using her magic in Jareth's castle, several fairies and a few pixies had shown up to watch. Five had decided to remain with Karen wherever she went and so these became her ladies-in-waiting. The others peaked out from where they'd hidden in their Queen's clothes at their new home.
"He was being nosy. Sarah's fine. Give her a few days of healthy breakfasts and rest and she'll be good as new," Karen replied absently, running her hand through her hair.
"It's partially her fault," Richard said from the hall and Karen smiled at him happily, running to his arms and burrowing into his embrace. Richard smiled and held her close, stroking her hair softly. "Maxwell and Elizabeth decided to pay a visit this morning and give Sarah her homework. I chased them out but they hung back by the door and listened to Sarah reassure Toby that you'd be back as soon as you could after the coronation. Then I noticed them still standing there and made them leave," Richard explained after a minute of holding his wife. She sighed and snuggled up against him.
"Eww, get a room," Sarah laughed from the top of the stairs and Karen smiled up at her.
"Feeling better?" Karen asked contentedly and Sarah nodded, belting her bathrobe over her pajamas as she came down the stairs.
"How 'bout you? How are you feeling?" Sarah asked pointedly, glancing at the flowers on the table. One of the fairies had decided to explore the large vase.
"Oh, fine. No problems at all. It was a little boring actually," Karen replied dismissively and Sarah looked her over curiously. Karen grinned at her broadly, the pale jewel of mischief lighting up her eyes. Richard laughed and kissed her lightly.
"You know how parents roll their eyes and mutter about the abnormalities of children?" Sarah asked the nearest fairy who giggled and nodded. Karen and Richard laughed and Richard twirled Karen around, making her clutch him close. "Parents," she muttered, shaking her head and turning and heading back upstairs to her room.