Chapter 25

(Goblin Kingdom)

Sarah felt a little nervous as she arrived at the castle beyond the Goblin city. She knew there was nothing to fear. There was trip through the Labyrinth to save her little brother. No fireys threatening to tear her head off but still there were the memories.

"Don't worry Sarah I'm here," Ari reminded her.

"That isn't necessarily a good thing," Ari looked at Amador completely caught off guard. "I adore you Ari but you have a habit of making things more difficult for my brother." A snicker was heard and the High prince was certain it had come from Arium.

"I'm just making sure he knows how special she is," Ari retorted.

"I assure you Princess I have not forgotten." The small group looked to see Jareth standing at the top of the stairs to the castle entrance. Sarah immediately curtsied and grabbing her friends arm caused Ari to sort of curtsy. Amador however did not bow. Though he has a prince and not a king being the High Prince actually made him higher in rank.

"I trust you are ready for what may ensue?" Amador teased. Ari glared at him knowing the comment was in reference to her. The High Prince took her hand and bringing it to his lips placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

"Uh huh," she replied and rolled her eyes.

"I thought you didn't know how to flirt?" Sarah commented watching the exchange between them.

"This isn't flirting," Ari replied insistently.

"And my hair is on fire," Sarah retorted.

"You probably want to put that out," Ari quipped. Jareth couldn't stop a chuckle and neither could the other two men standing there.

"If you have no objection Arium I thought I would take Lady Sarah into some other areas of the Labyrinth she did not see during her run. You can of course accompany us or you may look in on us through a crystal."

"I'm supposed to keep an eye on both ladies," Arium reminded him.

"Then I'm sure this will be helpful to you." Jareth produced a crystal and extending his hand toward the tutor the crystal floated until it hovered above Arium. Gently the tutor took the crystal into his right hand.

"Thank you King Jareth. While I have every intention of fulfilling my task, it will be nice to not be in the middle of anything," Arium remarked before glancing toward the Dark Elf Princess.

"Hey I haven't gotten you into anything lately," Ari pouted and crossed her arms.

"Cookie dough," Sarah reminded her.

"Pond," Amador said.

"Waxed floor," Sarah added.

"And the toothpaste incident," Arium said less than pleased.

"It's only been three days since we saw each other last," Jareth remarked.

"Yeah but you weren't supposed to be involved in any of those," Ari protested. "Those were accidents! None of it was directed at you!"

"Yet there I was," Arium said annoyed.

"Yeah okay," Ari said and waved her hand dismissing the incidents.

"Chale will see to any of your needs," Jareth said. Amador barley nodded and his brother disappeared taking Lady Sarah with him.

"Might want to start watching that crystal," Ari suggested. "So Chale what mayhem have the goblins caused lately. I mean without my encouragement." The dark haired captain chuckled and began following the two members of royalty into the castle; Arium following closely behind.

Sarah looked around her new surroundings in amazement. Jareth had transported them to a beautiful garden in an area she had not been during her run. "It's beautiful," she said looking around at all the flowers.

"I thought you would like it."

"If I'd found my way here during my run I might have lost," Sarah commented.

"Then perhaps I should have sent you here instead of the ball," Jareth remarked.

"I liked the ball," Sarah replied. "Well except for the masks."

"I thought you liked Masquerade balls. You used to dream about them often."

"The masks in my dreams weren't evil looking," Sarah told him. She watched as Jareth suddenly looked a little guilty as he looked away. "Is there something I should know?"

"You know your ball was enchanted." The dark haired girl nodded. "You dictated much of the ball but I'm afraid I dictated some of it as well."

"As Ari would say in English," Sarah said.

"My desires may have had an effect on the way your ball….turned out," he hesitantly admitted.

"The masks weren't supposed to look like that were they?"

"No."

"Why am I not surprised?" she sighed. "I was too young," Sarah added and started to walk further into the garden.

Jareth followed after her and taking hold of her right hand he stopped her long enough to walk around and place himself in front of her. "You were young Sarah but not so young that you couldn't feel desire." Sarah started to look away but Jareth caught her chin gently in his hand and turned her chin back to look at him. "Can you deny that if only for a moment you became lost to me in that ball?"

"Jareth…"

"It was brief Sarah but during part of our dance your focus was on me and nothing else," Jareth said knowingly. "There wasn't fear in your eyes. You had uncertainty, curiousness, and even…attraction," he told her and released her chin.

"You had my attention more than I realized at the time," She replied hesitantly.

"I was never sure how I'd lost your attention but I think I do now. The masks changed it didn't it?" the king asked. Sarah gave a nod of agreement and glanced down at the ground. "No masks at your next ball." Sarah looked up at him and smiled.

"Come there is still so much I want to show you," Jareth told her.

"If it's anything like this I can't wait," Sarah replied. Jareth smiled and taking her hand to his lips he kissed. He slipped her hand through his arms and they began to walk through the Labyrinth.

Ari was laughing as she watched a couple of goblins try to free themselves from some yard they had managed to unravel and then get tangled up again. A glance at Amador revealed he was every bit as amused.

"How's our girl?" Ari asked looking to where Arium sat well out of the way of any possible impending disasters. He was sitting on a chair near the balcony.

"They are behaving," he replied.

"I regret I shall have to call his Majesty back," Chale announced entering the room.

"Why?" Ari inquired.

"Lady Gwendalyn has just arrived."

"Let them be. I will see to her," Amador told the captain.

"Who's …"

"A woman that would very much like his majesty's attention," Chale replied.

"Oh really," Ari said getting up. "Well then we should make her feel welcome. Right Rolly?"

Rolly let out a giggle, "fun…yes fun."

"Uh…" Ari looked at Arium. "Just don't get me in the middle of it."

"Sure thing Master Arium," she said rising to her feet. Looking toward Amador she said, "I believe it's time to teach you how to deliver a prank properly."

"Properly? What do you mean?" The High Prince asked innocently.

Ari let out a smirk. "Nice job on Nala." Turning she headed out the room. "Come on goblins we have work to do." Amador looked at Arium but the elf only chuckled. Giving a shrug the prince headed off after the mischievous princess.

"Master Arium…"

"If I were you Chale I would not put myself in a position to become her target," the elf suggested. "Once she's through, you probably will not have to see to Lady Gwendalyn for quite some time."

"I was not available."

"Chess?" Arium suggested.

"In the library perhaps?" Chale replied. "Less chance of being found."

"Agreed." Arium rose to his feet and they quickly began making themselves scarce. If Ari was going to entertain herself they wanted no part of.

Lola sighed as she enjoyed the quietness of the water gardens. "Isn't this nice? No pranks to be played. No screaming from anyone. Just a nice afternoon in the sun."

"It's almost too quiet," Brandy commented. "I keep waiting to hear a loud crash." Jenna laughed and nodded.

"I wonder how things are going in the Goblin Kingdom," Jenna said.

"Who cares let Ari cause utter havoc without us for once," Lola told her friends. "I consider this to be our recovery period."

"Yeah well if Ari ever gets a recovery period look out," Brandy said. "I don't think giving her time to recharge is good for anyone. She gets way too many ideas."

"Yeah like painting the principles dog green," Jenna said.

"I think it was the green bay packers emblem painted on his dog's back that really made him mad," Lola said. "He hates the Packers!"

"True but I meant when she super glued the office doors shut," Brandy told them. "Took them hours to get the office open. What was that we used again?"

"I think it was some industrial grade cement or something," Jenna said. "Who knows what and where Ari gets half the stuff she does. I still want to know where she got the miniature rocket from."

"I'm glad I don't know anything more than she tells us," Lola said. "Then I can honestly say I don't know anything."

"Yeah then we all won't end up expelled," Jenna teased. Lola laughed and nodded. The dark haired girl looked over to see Brandy seemed to no longer be paying attention. Instead the brunette looked focused on a tree trunk. "Brandy? You okay?"

"Sorry," she said snapping her attention back to her friends.

"What's wrong?" Lola asked.

"Nothing I just…why do you think we're still here?" Brandy asked. "Why can't the High King send us home?"

"I don't know," Jenna said with a shrug. "But it's been entertaining."

"Yeah but all fun aside Brandy has a point," the redhead said. "I mean it's not like we've ever been here before."

"What if we have?" Brandy asked. Lola and Jenna looked at her. "What if we have been here before and we just don't remember?"

"What would that matter?" Lola asked.

"I suppose it depends on how and why we were here," Jenna told her friends. "I mean if we were ever wished away or anything…"

"Wouldn't Jareth know that?" Lola asked.

"I don't know. How long has he been king?" Brandy asked. "There's a way to find out though." Jenna and Lola nodded and getting up they headed inside. Queen Dahlia would be just about done with her meetings with Princess Nala and King Averins.

Sarah and Jareth walked through the Labyrinth hand in hand. He'd shown her several gardens, a lake and waterfall and shared an enchanted picnic while watching fairies dance.

"The Labyrinth isn't so scary now, is it?" Jareth asked.

"No. It's wonderful," Sarah agreed. She walked over to a stone fountain and turning sat on the edge. "What happens now?"

"I think we should probably join everyone for dinner," He told her.

"No Jareth. I mean with us," she replied calmly. Jareth didn't move keeping his eyes fixated on Sarah. "I know at… Jareth usually men ask a woman to marry him rather than declare it. Will I ever be allowed to see Toby and my family again?"

Jareth didn't respond to her right away. Instead he walked over to where she sat and taking a seat sat next to her. "Once we are married you will begin to go through some changes."

"Changes?" Sarah asked.

"You'll become fae," Jareth explained. "Once you've learned to control your magic you will be able to move between the realms, Precious." He saw the look of hope in her eyes and the smile cross her face. "You cannot stay in the mortal realm but you will be able to visit it." Sarah nodded she understood.

Jareth kept hold of her right hand as they sat in silence for a moment. "To ask a question allows a choice and…"

"You won't give me the choice," Sarah finished disappointed. It wasn't that Sarah didn't have feelings for Jareth. It wasn't even that part of her didn't want to marry her. The green eyed woman just wanted him to give her the say he wasn't. Sarah knew he feared rejection but felt if he truly loved her he would give her the final word.

"I can't lose you Sarah." Jareth released her hand and rising to his feet stepped away from the fountain.

"How do you know you'd lose me?" Sarah asked him; watching him. "You don't know that."

"I take a chance with every decision I make," Jareth said and turned to face her. "My chances cost me you before and I will not make a repeat mistake," he said firmly. "I cannot…"

"How do you know I won't say yes?" Sarah asked getting up as she became frustrated. "You aren't holding my brother over my head this time. You said it yourself Jareth you affected me then. Do you really think you don't now?" Sarah walked around to the front of him so he'd have to look at him. "Do you have so little of faith in yourself?"

Jareth looked at her. He wanted to give her the choice but she'd walked away once before. His heart would shatter if she did it again. "We need to meet everyone for dinner." He took a gentle hold on her arm and they disappeared.

"I wonder if…of hi," Ari said seeing the king and her friend appear. "So how did it go?"

Jareth was about to answer when a noodle suddenly fell from the chandelier in the throne room. He watched in pure confusion as it hit the ground. Slowly he turned his mismatched eyes toward Ari. Normally he'd immediately blame the goblins but with the mischievous princess present anything was possible.

"What happened?" Sarah asked.

"Ah man we missed one," Ari complained and crossed her arms in a pout.

"Does…Do I want to know what has taken place in my absence?" Jareth asked carefully. While part of him wanted to know what had taken place another part of him screamed it was best if he didn't.

"You had a visit from Lady Gwendalyn," Amador informed his brother.

"Who is…"

"A chick that wants to get her hands on Jareth," Ari replied. "Not to worry. I think it will be a while before she comes back around here."

"Yes her highness made her feel… very welcomed," Chale remarked.

"I bet you did," Sarah said as a second noodle fell.

"Rolly!" Ari called. It was only a moment and the little goblin rolled into the room. "Can you get crawly? We missed a few noodles."

"I get, I get." He said and rolled away.

"He's so cute," Ari said pleased.

"Bottomless might have been a better choice," Jareth commented. "He's never full."

"He is now," Amador commented. Jareth's eyes went wide. "There were a lot of noodles involved."

"Not to mention the spaghetti sauce, meatballs, pie, popcorn, and marshmallows," Chale added.

"Don't forget Amador's berries," Ari chirped. She looked over at the High Prince and said, "I'm so proud of you!" reaching over she kissed his cheek.

"We're better off not knowing," Sarah said. "That's all you had to say."

"Come on Sarah!" Ari said jumping up to her feet. She grabbed her friends hand and quickly began leading her out of the throne room.

Queen Dahlia had never been so glad to be out of a meeting. She did not enjoy dealing with quarrelling lords. Hearing a knock on the door the queen looked up to see Lola, Brandy, and Jenna. "Hello girls. Did you need something?" She asked.

"Actually we were thinking and just wondering if maybe uh…"

"What Lola is trying to ask is how long has King Jareth been King of the Goblins?" Brandy translated.

"Many years," she replied.

"Is there any chance we could have been wished away or something?" Lola asked. "We're trying to understand…all of this."

"Jareth searched his records but there is no record of any of you being wished away."

"Well it was worth a shot," Jenna commented.

"Just because you weren't wished away however does not mean you haven't been here before," Queen Dahlia told them. "There are ways that you could be trapped here if you had been here before."

"How?" Brandy asked.

"If you have been here before and in some cases left without permission a second trip here or a return to the underground would make it so that you could not leave," Queen Dahlia replied. "My husband is currently checking into kingdoms that we know had a short time of unauthorized departures into the mortal realm. He will be home in a few days and perhaps he will have found something."

"Alright. Thanks Queen Dahlia." The queen nodded and she watched as the young women gave her a curtsy and then departed her presence.

"We want to know as much as you do," she commented once they had left her presence.

King Riodan looked at the document in his hands with wide eyes. "This explains why one of them is still here," he said. "It seems Jenna should never have been in the mortal realm."

"Indeed," Gueni replied. "Shall we visit another kingdom Majesty?"

"Yes. It's time to learn what we can about Brandy and Lola." With a wave of his hand they disappeared.