A Twisting Heart And Mind

by FangamerBowiextreme

While unbeknown to her, Sarah has succeeded in obtaining the one thing the Goblin King has desired for hundreds of years -power over the Labyrinth. After being hidden for years from his diabolical wrath, Sarah finds herself alone and vulnerable as Jareth's dark desires are finally alowed to rear their ugly heads. As always, the only question is, are things really as they seem?

25. Oubliettes

A/N- Here we go, the rest of (technically) chapter 19 -Another hodge-podge of some scenes and details I wanted to get squeezed in before the big bad wedding. Just wanted to throw out a thanks to all of you. I got some very interesting reviews this time around, a lot of hypothesizing and trying-to-figure-it-all-out-ness, some of which being very clever and well thought out. I appreciate people getting invested into the story like that, gives me inspiration. But, to all of you who are just "dying to know" some of the things said were totally spot on while others...were way out in the back forty. Though reading both sides of the spectrum made me very happy. Either way, regardless of whose intuition knows best, I'm still confident in my ability to surprise and entertain when that time finally comes. Thanks again for the support. Knowing there's just a few people out there who might actually be waiting to find out what happens next kind of makes it worth it.

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Chapter 20, Oubliettes

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"Well? What do you think?"

There was a silence, and it was puzzled...or rather, riddled with puzzlement. It was long, and it was concerned, or maybe...full of.

"Um...Ah..."

It was a difficult thing to wade through, and Marie...Marie just jittered with glee.

"You're quite speechless, aren't you? Oh goody!"

The silence came back, but now it was stronger. It was dubious.

Sarah found herself at quite a loss, her face twisted with odd disconcertion. Her brow was furrowed. Her head was tilted. Her mouth hung open but the words just wouldn't come. She blinked. A lot. And pursed her lips. Marie was right. She was speechless.

"I don't...I don't think I understand," Sarah said, crossing her arms tightly as she eyed the canvas in front of her. Marie smiled so wide all her teeth showed and she fisted her hands and shook them in a little cheer.

"I know! It's simply marvelous. Marvelous! Hehe!"

Sarah withdrew one of her hands and held it out in front of her, a haphazard gesture, the point of which she didn't know.

"But how..." she started to say, her hand turning in mid-air, still not knowing what to do with itself. Mariella dashed over and leaned in next to the painting.

"I know. Perfect likeness, isn't it? No. No it's even better," she said, her lively eyes darting to her portrait and back again. She backed away slightly and ran her eyes over it with great appreciation.

Sarah kept a healthy distance between them, still quite skeptical about what she was seeing.

Marie's portrait...well, it was safe to say it was not the same work she had seen yesterday. This painting, it was...stunning. It was beautiful. It was immaculate; quite simply the most wonderful thing she'd ever seen. Marie was right, it wasn't just a perfect likeness, it was better. It was atmospheric and decadent. Any sign of brushstroke completely blurred. And the colors...What could she even say about the colors? She had no words. They were real, yet they were not. They were uncanny and sublime and...and...

"And you're telling me a goblin did this?" she asked. Marie nodded dramatically.

"Yes! Who would have thought those little creatures were so talented!" she exclaimed, skipping over to stand at Sarah's side once more.

"Huh..."

"You still haven't told me what you think," Mareilla said, nudging Sarah with her shoulder. Sarah could only shake her head.

"What can I say? It's amazing Marie. I'm having a hard time believing it actually."

When Marie told Sarah she had something exciting to show her this morning, she didn't really know what to expect. As it turned out, her excitement was quite warranted. She'd barely given Sarah enough time to get dressed, let alone apologize for abandoning her the day prior, before being dragged out of her room and half way across the castle.

"I know. It took me a moment to believe it as well, but I was just so excited," Marie said. Sarah took a few steps closer now and investigated the detail.

"But how did this happen? This isn't the same painting from before, is it?" she asked. Mariella shook her head.

"Oh heavens no. No, no, that painting has been firmly disposed of," she said, very matter-of-factly. Sarah shot her an eye.

"Oh really?" she asked.

"Yes. It was quite ghastly. All of them really. And to think I sat there for two hours posing for such a thing."

Sarah leaned up and took a step back from the painting.

"Yeah, about that. I want to apologize again for ditching you yesterday. I feel really bad about it," she said, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. She'd apologized twice already, but Marie didn't seem bothered in the slightest. She wasn't expecting that. Mariella pursed her lips and threw her a wave.

"Oh please. I told you before it's nothing to fret about. After my first painting was finished and you still weren't back yet, I summoned one of the guards and asked them where you'd run off to." Sarah rose a brow.

"You did?" she quirked.

"Mhm. They said you were conversing with His Majesty so I thought it best not to disturb you. I was just going to go back inside but it was such a nice day out!" she said. Well, that was a relief, Sarah thought. It seemed that Marie had been worrying over her so much lately that Sarah had forgotten she could in fact take care of herself. Hm, again Jareth was right. Sarah worried her brow then. If the guard knew she was with Jareth, did they also know what they did after the conversing? Oh dear...

"How did you get them to paint this though? They were so against it when we first started," Sarah asked. Mariella shrugged and placed her hands on her hips.

"I simply told them we were going to play a new game. One where they would compete to paint the most beautiful rendering of myself." She made a snooty little gesture with her hand then. Sarah could only laugh. "And the winner would receive one full week of unlimited sweets from the kitchens. Oh, they jumped at that let me tell you. I hope you don't mind?" she asked. Sarah blinked. Huh?

"Um, why would I care?" she asked. Mariella shrugged again.

"I didn't think you would, but I'm not sure it was really my place to make such an offer. Although, I believe the result here is quite worth the reprimand," she said. Sarah smiled and crossed her arms. Yep. It was definitely worth it.

"So who painted it?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, I believe it was Systee. You remember, the quiet one?"

"Really? That little guy painted this?" Sarah asked, bewildered. Systee was barely more than a puff-ball. His hands were so tiny; she couldn't imagine him painting this.

"Systee is a female, actually," Mariella corrected. "And yes, she did. She was so shy. I imagine I scared her half to death I was so excited!"

"Oh, really? I feel bad now. I assumed they were all male. And hey, I don't doubt it. You can be pretty intimidating when you're excited," Sarah said. Mariella turned with a trademark smile.

"Thank you. I take that as a compliment," she said, then turned back to the painting. "I wouldn't bother feeling guilty, though. It's an easy mistake to make. I only knew because the boys started complaining about how the only girl was better than them. Sore losers they were. It did get me thinking though. Since this painting turned out so well, we should definitely commission her to do one of you. Can't you imagine how lovely that would be?"

Sarah forced a smile then. It was one thing messing around in the garden, but having an official portrait like this done? For some reason that made her feel nervous.

"...That would be pretty cool...I suppose," she said, humoring her. Mariella clasped her hands.

"Wonderful. We'll have to rightly compensate her this time. Who knows, she could make a real career out of this!"

Sarah turned then, as the sound of the door opening drew her attention. Marie too peered around, and a new smile came forth as she sprang to her feet and dashed across the room.

"Oh! Master Roldan, good morning!" she exclaimed, meeting him across the room before he could even finish closing the door. She bounced on her toes and clasped her hands together and he visibly recoiled, her excitement clearly over-powering. His brow rose high and he cleared his throat, glancing away from her as he closed the door. She was right up in his face and he had to fight the urge not to simply reach out and push her away. His eyes soon landed on Sarah however, and his wide-eyed expression began to furrow.

"Good morning," he said, eyeing Mariella and her fervor strangely as he stepped around her into the room. "You're both up rather early," he said. It was barely 8 a.m. and never had Sarah been early to a lesson. He wondered why the change, and why Mariella looked like she was just dying to scream something at him.

"Yes, well...Mariella had something to show me," Sarah said from across the room. Yes, the place Mariella had dragged her to so freaking early was indeed the west drawing room, which was rather convenient, as that was where they had to meet Roldan anyway. It had taken her a minute to catch on though. Perhaps she was just groggy, but now that she was awake it made perfect sense. A drawing room would be an appropriate place for a painting.

Roldan scrunched his brow and looked over to Marie. He regretted the moment their eyes met.

"Oh Master Roldan, won't you come see too?!" she squealed, taking him by the arm and actually pulling him across the room. Sarah had to stifle a laugh. She'd never seen Marie this excited and Roldan couldn't have looked more uncomfortable. They finally made it and she set him next to Sarah, and they both watched as his expression changed.

"W-what is this?" he asked. Sarah folded her arms.

"It's a painting. I told you Marie was posing, didn't I?" she asked. Roldan's brow rose high and he exhaled deeply.

"Yes, but...this was not what you were describing," he said. Marie giggled and skipped over to the canvas.

"I know. I changed the rules. I find I like this game much better. What do you think, Master Roldan? Is it not exquisite?"

Roldan took a deep breath and rose a hand to the back of his neck. Sarah eyed him curiously then. Was he...embarrassed?

"It is a fine rendering, yes," he said.

"I believe we should have one commissioned of Sarah as a gift for His Majesty. Don't you agree?" she asked. Sarah wasn't listening, as she was still observing Roldan being awkward, when he turned and glanced down at her. She didn't know why, but when their eyes met it seemed like some deep dark secret had been revealed. He quickly looked away and to Sarah it seemed like his jaw was tensed.

"I think that would be a grand idea," he said. Sarah turned away from him slowly. His arm was now obscuring her view of him and she had a feeling he was doing it on purpose. He wasn't blushing over there, was he?

"Marvelous. Well, now that we've got all that out of the way, why don't we get started?" Marie posed. Roldan lowered his arm and exhaled, his usual scowl returning.

"Yes...That would probably be best. There have been some changes to the ceremony that we need to go over," he said, turning to head back to the table they always sat at. Sarah drew her brow and followed. Changes?

"What do you mean, changes?" Sarah asked, taking her seat across from him as usual. Roldan sat, Mariella beside him, and began flipping through some papers.

"Well...do you remember how I said only the other council seats and their families would be in attendance?" he asked. Sarah nodded. "Well...it seems Jareth has opted for witness by proxy..." He trailed off then, distracted as he read over something. Sarah became confused.

"Huh? What does that mean?" she asked. Roldan flipped to the next page.

"It means that instead of having the actual kings and queens bear witness to your union, each kingdom will send a representative in their stead, probably some manner of soothsayer or thaumaturge," he explained. Sarah just stared.

"What the heck are those?" she asked. Roldan peered up, not expecting such a question.

"A royal...hm...how should I describe this to you...A crown appointed monk who tends the altar of the druid," he said. Sarah just kept staring.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said. Roldan sighed. It was then that Mariella jumped in.

"I believe I may be able to explain," she said and leaned a little over the table. "You see, I'm not sure what you would call an officiant in your world, but here we kneel before the Druids," she said, rolling her eyes as she thought over her words. "Marriages in our world...they are not merely contracts, they are magic, a literal bonding of souls. It is one of our most sacred acts and so must be performed by one who has been anointed by Nature. There are those who have dedicated their souls to Nature, who have in a sense become the facilitators of Nature itself. We call these beings Druids."

"So...like a priest you mean?" Sarah asked. Mariella shrugged.

"Priest? Is that what you call them? As yes, I believe I remember now...In a sense yes. However, druids are...unique. Take for example the unicorn. It is technically material, a living being, but in actuality it is merely a conduit for the forces of Nature. It is not real in the same sense that you and I are real. They are not born, they are simply thus. Pure magic. It is the same for druids. They are manifestations of Nature, however they have been given true consciousness, they are...in a way the link between the physical and spiritual realms, and it is believed they are meant to serve as our facilitators with the forces beyond. Some people believe they are closest things we have to gods. Because of this they are revered and worshipped."

"But are they gods?" Sarah interjected. Roldan rose a brow.

"No," he stated, in a manner that, to Sarah, seemed like it was a topic up for debate. "They are creatures, nothing more. It's merely out of ritual and respect that we continue to worship them, and only because it is a union of royalty that we must even oblige. The ceremony itself it quite primitive," he said. Sarah glanced over when she saw Mariella frown.

"Are you impious, Master Roldan?" Mariella asked, seemingly disappointed. Sarah looked back to him eagerly. This was all quite fascinating. She never really thought about the Fae having an actual structure to their religion. Did they have atheists too?

"It doesn't matter what I think," Roldan said. Mariella frowned harder.

"Oh dear, His Majesty too?"

Roldan shrugged.

"I can't speak to what Jareth believes in; but if I were to ask you, does he seem like the spiritual type?"

"Yes," Sarah said, impulsively. Both Mariella and Roldan looked over to her, and she started to knot her fingers under his scrutiny. "I think...well, he might not be religious per-say, but he definitely has faith," she explained. Roldan's eyes narrowed, as if offended she would dare imply she knew him better than he did. Sarah glanced down into her lap. "He takes customs very seriously. And when he showed me the castle grounds and explained things to me...I don't know, he just seemed very invested in what he was saying, whether it was the different ways Nature manifested or how his people worshipped. Heck, he actually got mad at me when I didn't want to take my shoes off in the garden," she said, rolling her eyes as she thought back to that day. Roldan continued to look more and more disgruntled.

"Oh, isn't that sweet!" Mariella burst out, clasping her hands and turning to Roldan. "See. Even His Majesty is not so cynical." They each waited for his retort but he only rolled his eyes dismissively. With a sense of victory, Mariella turned back to Sarah. "So, as I was saying. Every kingdom has a clergy dedicated to that nation's druid-"

"Is there only one per kingdom?" Sarah asked.

"Well, technically no. You see, druids don't acknowledge things like borders or nations, but they are few and far. When Orpia was originally split, it was taken into account that each new nation should have at least one druid within its borders, so the lines were marked accordingly. A very long time has passed since then however, and it is known that while certain druids have since left this world, others have in fact appeared in new places. We don't really know how or why, that's part of the mystery, but larger nations like Jeju and even the Goblin Kingdom were known to have several druids at one point in time."

"Huh. Interesting. So, back to these changes then," Sarah said, looking over to Roldan.

"Yes, now that that is out of the way...like I was originally saying, rather than the council seats presiding over the affair, each nation is sending an altar representative to summon the druid."

"Why did plans change?" Sarah asked. Roldan waved a flippant hand and flipped through his papers.

"Couldn't tell you. But, if I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with the impression you left at the party the other night."

Sarah became alarmed then. What?

"What do you mean impression? I thought I did well," she said. Roldan shrugged.

"You did. And that's precisely the problem."

Sarah's eyes grew wider and she turned defensive.

"What do you mean that's a problem?" she asked. Roldan sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"You did well, Sarah, there is no denying that. The problem is that you performed too well. It would have been better if the crowd had ignored you and forgotten all about you by daybreak. But they didn't-"

"They didn't? I don't get it, I thought I was supposed to make them like me!" She was trying not to raise her voice but she couldn't help it. Was there no way of winning anything in this place?

"You were supposed to not mess up. That's all. What you did instead was capture their attention."

"Capture their attention? Is that bad?" she asked. Roldan looked down, down at the papers cast before him and tapped a finger against the desk.

"Sometimes..." his voice trailed off, thinking over whether Jareth's decision had been just. Contained in his file were profiles on both Bezaleel and Maruna...both monarchs had taken a rather perverse interest in Sarah that night, and both were known for their rather insidious hands. It was probably wise of Jareth to not want them physically present at the wedding. Who knew what kind of mischief they might wreak. "To be honest, it's for your safety," he said. "If you were a Fae it might be different, but you're not and a private gathering of so many powerful beings could prove quiet dangerous for both you and Jareth. I think you'll be able to understand when I say that it's bad enough when a Fae finds you unfavorable, but it's even worse when they find you interesting."

Sarah eased back in her chair after that. Yes, she understood him perfectly. She looked down into her lap and frowned. She thought she'd done so well that night, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. Oh well, Jareth was already taking precautions and she had faith that he wouldn't let any of them harm her. She wasn't quite ready when Roldan started talking again.

"So aside from that, everything will be the same. Should we go over it again?" he asked. Sarah peered up.

"No, I remember. I read through all my notes last night," she said.

"And your readings? Have you been practicing them?"

"Yes," she said, with mild irritation. She couldn't stand it when he talked to her like that, like she was a little kid. She only had one reading after all, and it wasn't even long, just your typical "I take this man" kind of crap. But, truth be told, it wasn't even his patronizing tone that was getting to her so much as the conversation in general. All week she'd been trying to ignore it, ignore what it was she was preparing for. But, the more they talked about it, the closer it got, the harder it became to ignore. Her feelings on the matter...she wasn't ready to face them yet.

"Very good. There's just a few more things I'd like to go over and we should be done for the day..."

---

Sarah stared blankly out the window as she ate her lunch. It was barely noon and already lessons were done. She preferred it this way, but couldn't help but be skeptical. She had a feeling it wasn't Roldan's lesson plan that was thinning, but rather his interest in the matter. He couldn't even stick around to have lunch with them anymore, having bolted out the door even more quickly than she usually did.

It was nice having the peace and quiet though, as Marie was far too busy staring at her damn portrait to really talk at the moment.

"So, what do you plan to do with it?" Sarah asked. Mariella turned around and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I think I'll send it back to my father."

"Really? How come?"

"I imagine it would come in handy should any would-be suitors arrive. With a portrait like this, I could have a husband in no-time," she said. Sarah lowered her fork down to the table.

"What? You want to get married?" she asked. Mariella gave her another shrug.

"Not particularly, but I've been a courtesan for about a hundred years now. I have two older brothers who are each wed. I'm the only one left." She glanced up at Sarah then and saw the worry on her face. "Oh, but don't worry Sarah! Because of my elder brothers, my marriage has been less of a priority and I intend to serve as your lady for as long as you'll have me," she said, with a smug little grin. Sarah scrunched her brow further.

"What? No. No, you shouldn't make such big life decisions based on me. I told you before, you can leave my service whenever you want," she said. Mariella's smile widened.

"But that's precisely why I want to stay," she said, which left Sarah a bit...taken back. Mariella glanced back down to her food however, preventing the mood from becoming too serious. "And besides...this place isn't so bad right? If I ever do marry, I don't see why I couldn't still live here."

Sarah eased up a little, relieved, though she couldn't understand why she had gotten so worked up in the first place. Was she actually afraid of Mariella leaving her? Or was it simply the idea of being alone again that frightened her?

"I...think that would be great, actually," she said, resuming her meal.

"I think I'll put it in storage for the meantime however," Mariella said. Sarah peered up.

"Yeah? Where exactly?" Mariella glanced towards the door and pointed with her fork.

"I was helping Master Roldan one day and came across a room," she said, then swallowed. "It was back when he was first preparing your I.D. book, you remember, the one with all the different council etchings? Anyway, we gathered them from this room -I believe it was a storage room. It had some other paintings all bundled up so I figured it could just go there."

Sarah drew her brow. A storage room? Filled with paintings? She'd never come across any storage room. Well, she never really went off searching for one either.

"Huh. Okay. Do you want me to help you? It looks kind of awkward to carry," Sarah asked. Mariella waved her off.

"Oh no, no I was going to have a servant carry it," she said, which made more sense. Sarah went back to eating. It was a little while before she spoke up again.

"Why do you think it's filled with paintings?" she randomly asked. Mariella quirked a brow.

"Hm, I never really wondered. There are a lot of them though."

"Don't you find that kind of strange? Seeing how I don't think I've seen a single portrait hanging in this entire castle?" she asked. It was definitely odd. There were paintings of course, but they were all landscapes, or battle scenes, animals or goblins. Never once had she seen a picture of a person hanging in these halls. Mariella narrowed her eyes as she thought.

"You know...You're right. I believe this is definitely cause for investigation," she said and patted her lips with her napkin. Sarah rose her brow when she then stood and offered out a hand. "Come, it's a sign from the gods. Master Roldan has dismissed us early so we must go snooping," she said, in a very serious manner that had Sarah laughing.

"Yeah? Alright, why not?" she said, taking Marie's hand as she stood from her seat.

---

"So this is the room?" Sarah asked, her eyes running up and down the door that stood before them. She stood with her hands on her hips and turned back to Marie.

"If I remember correctly," she said, wasting no time in pushing the old thing open. It took both her hands to open it, and, given the strength of the Fae, had Sarah wondering why this door was so damn heavy. They were in a wing of the castle Sarah didn't usually venture down, so she wasn't familiar with their surroundings. It made her curious though, as she wondered what other mysteries had yet to be discovered. Mariella had told her there were rooms here Roldan would frequent and could only gather this wing was something of an archive where royal documents were stored. She'd nodded but continued looking around. This hallway was dingier than the others. Low on upkeep. She wondered why.

There was a goblin standing behind them, larger than most, carefully hanging onto Mariella's painting. At one point, Sarah had asked why she didn't just hang it up in her room or something, Marie's response being that she wasn't that conceited. Sarah kept her mouth shut on the matter, realizing it would be pointless to call her out on it.

Mariella entered the room first. It was dark, so Sarah couldn't see, but soon a number of torches blazed to life and a minor hue of gold light revealed their surroundings. The goblin deposited the painting on an empty easel and soon left.

"Geez, is this place dusty enough?" Sarah asked, shielding her mouth so she wouldn't cough. This place reminded her of an Oubliette, like it hadn't seen the light of day in centuries.

"Yes, it is a bit forgotten, isn't it?" Mariella asked, shaking off a cloth cover to drape over her canvas. Particles of dust spread through the air, glittering almost in the dim light. Sarah moved further in, fighting the urge to touch everything in sight. She moved through the room, carefully navigating poorly structured paths. There were racks and shelves and barrels filled with rolled canvases. Large frames loomed high, stacked upon one another, raised on easels, but each covered and packaged carefully. She began to finger through a rack, but it was simply too dim to see.

"Well, there's enough crap in here, that's for sure," she said, turning and squinting at the pitiful torches that lined the wall. "Say, can you make these any brighter Marie?" she asked.

"Oh! Of course. Forgive me, I forgot your eyesight is not as keen as mine. One moment," she said, and precisely one moment later did the lights start to brighten, until visibility became clear as day.

"Oh. Oh wow."

Sarah took a step back and she looked up, and up and up. Like the library, this room just kept stretching higher. Now that she could see, she was made aware that she could not see the ceiling. Paintings hung salon-style, masked in beige fabric up into infinity. She lowered her gaze back to Marie, not sure how to proceed.

"Are you sure we should be in here?" she asked. By this point Marie had found a cord and was in the process of tying it around her painting.

"I don't see why not. This is your castle after all," she said. Sarah pursed her lips and continued pacing about.

"Why do you think these are in here? I mean...there's just so many," she said, slowly growing concerned. Did these painting once line the halls? When were they taken down and why? Was it ordered by Jareth?

"I'm not sure...perhaps we should open a few and investigate," Marie posed. Sarah turned a quirked a brow. It wasn't often Mariella dared to be naughty.

"Hm, where should we start?"

Mariella, now finished, moved to join her by her side.

"Well, the larger paintings will be more important. We could start with those?"

Sarah looked over to her and narrowed her eyes.

"You seem awfully eager for this," she said, with light suspicion. Mariella gaped, shocked, but Sarah's lingering stare said she wasn't falling for any of it. She sagged her shoulders then and glanced away as she smiled.

"There's just no hiding from you is there?" she asked and then sighed. "Yes, I suppose I am eager. I've actually been wanting to come back here for some time now. Can I tell you a secret? I have a rather insatiable urge to find a portrait of Lord Davion."

"Of Davion?" Sarah asked, surprised. Mariella nodded.

"Yes, a younger one perhaps. You see, I've only known him as he is now. Wouldn't it be so funny to see he and His Majesty as children?" she asked, her voice rising with delight. Sarah smiled too, slowly. She never thought of that. Jareth as a child? Could such a thing exist?

"Yeah, that would be something," Sarah said, finally starting to feel some of Mariella's excitement. "Let's start with that one," she added, pointing to a rather large frame resting off to the side. Mariella stepped forward and began to untie all the little knots. "Wouldn't you rather a goblin do that? Your hands will get dirty," she said, teasing mostly. Mariella looked down at her hands and then shrugged.

"I can always bathe afterwards. It's just dust after all," she said, much to Sarah's surprise.

"Here, I'll help-"

The cover came off quite easily, followed by a cloud of dust. It took a minute for the air to clear and for the girls to stop coughing.

"So who's this?" Sarah asked. It was a portrait of a man. No one she recognized, as if she had much reference to go on. He had dark brown hair and fair skin. He wore a heavy amount of furs and jewels, a display of his wealth no doubt, and held a decorated spear in his hand. She turned to Marie for any insight.

"Hm...I'm not sure. Though he does kind of resemble His Majesty Braxton, doesn't he?"

Sarah turned back and tilted her head. Now that Marie had said it, she did kind of see a resemblance...

"Perhaps it was his father?" Sarah asked. She really had no idea. Mariella hummed but she was just as unsure. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against her lips.

"Who can say? Oh well, on to the next?"

They went through a number of paintings together, but sadly neither Sarah nor Mariella knew enough to identity anyone for certain. Most of these paintings, Mariella said, were older than her, and Sarah was just plain useless.

There was one painting that Sarah had been waiting to get to however. It was somewhat smaller than the rest, but it stood out to her. It stood alone on its own easel, barricaded behind a cluster of sorts. She kept quiet about it, until finally they'd managed to carve a path through.

"I think we should open this one next," Sarah said. Marie stopped and glanced back, so small a painting hadn't caught her attention.

"Alright," she said and carefully removed the trappings.

The cloth tumbled gently as it fell from the canvas, and as the layers of dust cracked and dispersed, they both realized it was made of a very fine velvet. This seemed peculiar, especially given the portrait underneath.

Sarah was quiet for a moment; for some reason, she didn't expect what she saw. It was a woman. She was pale and thin. She had long black hair, the ends of which melted into the darkness of her dress and background. Her posture was stiff, forced. She couldn't make out her eye color, or much else for that matter. This painting was old, very old, and not well kept. Whatever had been placed around her had long since faded away, making her stand out and directing all attention to her mona lisa frown. Mariella stood quiet as well, and it seemed to both of them that it was something more than the chipped paint that made this woman look so incredibly lonely.

"Do you know who that is?" Sarah asked. Marie frowned and sighed a little.

"Yes. I believe I do."

Sarah peered over, her brow tightly drawn.

"Who is it?"

Mariella reached out, as if to caress the woman's cheek, but stopped half way.

"That would be...the late Queen Aleigha...His Majesty's mother."

Sarah's eyes widened and turned back to the painting. What? Jareth's mom?

"How do you know?" she asked. Marie was still frowning.

"I've seen portraits of her at Fort Fyrn, Lord Davion's castle. She...has a very recognizable face," she answered, her voice fading to nothing. Sarah's expression went slack, and again she turned back to face the painting in quiet repose. There was something uneasy about it. Something sad. The way she clutched her own hands, it was like she was...afraid.

"There's pictures of her up north?" Sarah asked. Mariella nodded.

"He has portraits of his father too, and a number of other family members. It's strange, I don't believe we've come across any of His Majesty's family until now. Perhaps they're kept further within."

"Really? Why do you think Jareth has them all locked up?" Sarah asked. Mariella shook her head.

"I can't say...although, I do understand."

"Understand?" she asked, then looked away.

Sarah frowned then. She knew both Jareth's parents had died, but she didn't know the details. She never thought to ask and, quite frankly, after Jareth's story about Aurelia she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"What can you tell me about her?" she asked. Her eyes stayed on Aleigha's. They were deep, like pools. So deep you could drown in them. Mariella turned and leaned back against a desk.

"She was...a frail woman. Sickly. But...from what I've been told she was still very kind, and sweet. She loved her children very much."

"She looks sad...But more than that. Afraid even."

Mariella turned to her then.

"What makes you say that?" she asked. Sarah shrugged.

"Well, look at her posture, the way she's staring. It's like she's uncomfortable, uncomfortable to have someone looking at her so closely, you know? She's gripping her hands rather than resting them. Her expression...I don't know, it just seems like she doesn't want to be there."

"Hm...I suppose you could be right. According to Lord Davion, her life was not an easy one."

"No?" Sarah asked, and turned to look at her. Mariella shook her head.

"I've noticed...during Master Roldan's lessons...he seems to pick and choose what to tell you. It makes sense, the Goblin Kingdom's past isn't exactly the noblest, but at the same time..."

"The same time what?" Sarah asked. Mariella sighed and glanced away.

"I may be out of line right now, but it is no secret...just how terrible their father was."

Sarah's eyes narrowed on her.

"What do you mean, terrible?" she asked. Mariella shifted in her spot.

"Well, King Thaelon...was...to my understanding...quite tyrannical. He was vicious and...my father told me a real boor at court. He broke all manner of convention, terrorized his subordinates, bled the land dry. I believe there was even a point when the other kingdoms were considering cutting ties with him, and Aleigha..."

"He abused her?" Sarah asked, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Mariella glanced over then, her eyes widened, and nodded.

"Terribly."

"I see..."

Sarah's eyes lowered then, trying to imagine what it would have been like growing up with an abusive parent. While her own mother was estranged, the parents Sarah did have had always been loving and supportive. If Thaelon was as bad as Mariella was making him out to be, how must that have affected Jareth? Did he abuse them too? Was that why he was the way he was? Did the apple not fall far from the tree? And this portrait, was this the fate that might one day await her?

She realized then the gravity of Mariella's words and it made her wonder. Given the Underground's definition of discipline...what kinds of things did Thaelon have to do for even Mariella to consider it abuse?

"They hated him," Mareilla spoke up. Sarah pulled out of her daze.

"What?"

"His Majesty and Lord Davion...at least, that's what Lord Davion told me. Apparently His Majesty...despised him like nothing else. I imagine it must have been quite difficult. I wonder what kind of expectations they faced, being princes under such an appalling despot."

Sarah scrunched her brow then.

"I don't get it..."

"What?"

"If he hated him so much...how could he allow himself to follow in the same footsteps?" she asked. Mariella tilted her head.

"Sometimes it is not so easy to break from that which holds you down. You really think His Majesty has taken after Thaelon?" Marie asked. Sarah frowned harder and shrugged.

"He's abusive isn't he? Violent. Selfish."

"But he is a strong leader, an incredibly hard worker, not merely feared but also greatly loved by his subjects. He is highly respected amongst court and has managed to reverse all of the damage wrought by his father over what is considered a reasonably short reign...To be honest, I hear that after his father passed, His Majesty's coronation was viewed as a bright sunrise after the blackest of nights."

Sarah's frown began to form a scowl.

"So he's a well-functioning member of society. That doesn't mean he isn't his father's son," she said. The more she tried to picture Jareth's parents, the more they reminded her of themselves. She didn't like it. She wouldn't allow herself to become that. But what if she couldn't stop it? What would happen when they did have kids? Would the cycle just continue?

Mariella observed Sarah carefully until her expression softened with sympathy. She should have guessed where her thoughts would go, it was only natural. Now it was up to her to pull her from her funk.

"Perhaps..." she started and leaned up off the desk. "But we all have our demons. Perhaps His Majesty is simply fighting against his father's."

Sarah was quiet. She understood growing up in unfavorable circumstances, but he was still his own man. She wouldn't write off his indiscretions because of it. But maybe...maybe Mariella was right. Things had been getting better lately. Jareth was trying, he was different. Maybe he was fighting. As her eyes found those of Aleigha's, she found herself wishing neither one of them had to fight. At all.

"How did his father die?" she asked. Mariella moved to re-cover the painting.

"A hunting accident I think. He was poisoned."

"Poisoned? They couldn't heal him with magic?" Sarah asked. That seemed strange. Jareth could heal her so easily, she didn't understand.

"I guess not...There are creatures out there that produce toxins that are in fact immune to magic. Nature's way of keeping balance I suppose. The Fae can't be all powerful," she explained, patting the dust off the canvas cover. Sarah pursed her lips and began to pace.

"I see..." she said, then took a deep breath. "And his mother? How did she die?" She took a chance then. It seemed Jareth had quite the colorful past, a past she would have no idea even existed if it wasn't for Mariella and Davion's bedside manner. It made her think, really think. How well did she really know Jareth if she knew so little about him?

"She killed herself."

Sarah's head turned sharply but Mariella was staring at the floor.

"What?" she asked. Mariella had said she was sickly, Sarah had merely assumed...

"Yes. From what I understand it was...quite the tragedy. It took a great deal of time for Lord Davion to open up about it," she said. Sarah turned around and leaned back against the desk Mariella was once at.

"What happened?" she asked.

"From...what Davion said, it wasn't too long after Thaelon passed. He wouldn't tell me much, but I suppose...she just couldn't handle it anymore. With the death of her husband..."

"Of the man who abused her?" Sarah interjected. Mariella glanced over to her, her expression somewhat pitying.

"People's feelings are complex Sarah. We each react differently. It isn't for us to say. Perhaps...through it all, she still found a way to love him."

"Love him?" Again Sarah's voice seemed to be lined with outrage. Mariella let out a low exhale.

"Mhm...sometimes, if you can see the good in someone, if you can hang on to it, it will outweigh any amount of darkness," she said, trying her best to explain without setting Sarah off. Sarah was still young, still unaccustomed to many ways of the world or just how painful, irrational even, our own emotions could be. She should understand one thing however, that sometimes...you just didn't have a choice.

"I don't believe that. Not for one minute," Sarah said, shaking her head as she thought.

"Because you've seen darkness?"

"Because I've seen too much darkness. If I see any more I fear I might end up like her," she said, finally revealing the core of her worry. Mariella glanced back to the painting, covered up as if it had never been disturbed.

"Hm...perhaps that's it then," she mumbled.

"Perhaps what's it?"

"You two do look similar..."

Sarah peered up then. Their eyes locked and then Sarah's widened.

"What?"

"Your bone structure is certainly different...but your hair, your complexion, from a quick glance one might think you were related."

She spoke casually, a finger tapping against her lip as she pondered. Hm, the more she thought about it the more sense it made. Sarah's expression became abhorrent.

"What? WHOA. No. Don't you even."

Sarah stood and backed away, pointing a deadly finger in Mariella's direction. Mariella looked at her curiously, not sure why she was suddenly upset. Was it something she said? Sarah cocked her head and gave her a dangerous eye. She knew exactly what Mariella was about to say and she'd be damned if she stuck around to hear it.

"What? Why are you upset? Is it really so absurd to infer? His Majesty wouldn't be the first to have an Oedipus complex."

Sarah turned around and stuck her fingers in her ears, scrunching her eyes tightly closed as she exclaimed, "No, nonononono, no. Stop it right there. I will entertain this no further."

Mariella frowned and took a step towards her. She had said so herself how similar their situations were...why was she so offended?

"But-Sarah? What's the matter? It would explain a lot, wouldn't it?" she asked, raising her voice so Sarah would hear. Sarah stomped away and shook her head viciously from side to side.

"No. No more conspiracies. As if I could ever entertain let alone even consider the idea that Jareth wants me because I'm like his mom!"

She was moving away from her now, deeper into the room. Marie reached out tentatively and followed after her.

"Sarah. Sarah come now. Stop that," she said, then scuttled along to catch up to her. "Is it really so upsetting? You've been getting along far better now, haven't you? Perhaps he truly does want to rectify all of his father's mistakes." She really couldn't fathom what the big deal was. Wasn't she trying to understand him better? Hadn't she been wondering where his interest in her might have stemmed from? To Mariella, it all seemed rather romantic actually...Finally, she reached out and grasped her by the arm. "Sarah. Sarah, alright. Alright I'm done," she said. Sarah stopped and turned, lowering her hands from her ears.

"You promise?" she asked. Mariella clasped her hands together and bowed a little.

"Yes," she said. Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"Good. I don't want to hear you say that ever, ever again. It's gross," she said. Mariella furrowed her brow as she bowed. Why was it gross? she wondered. She stood as Sarah turned away and realized then that somehow she'd inadvertently lightened the mood. Sarah was shaking her head with a scowl but the doleful sag of her brow had left her. Apparently, creeping her out had stopped her from getting broody, as it was clear these were thoughts she wanted no part of. Mariella tilted her head as she watched her. There were times when she could be just as mercurial as His Majesty.

Sarah turned around and continued walking through the room. They were nearing the back now.

"You know...even if it isn't true," Mariella said, eager to get one more good word in before the subject dropped. "Lord Davion did tell me one thing...that His Majesty took their mother's death hard, and that things became very difficult afterwards. I think that would be reason enough to remove all the paintings," she said. Sarah stopped and looked around.

"...But all of them?"

"Well, think about it. Everyone in His Majesty's line, aside from his brother, has died. Perhaps it's simply too painful for him to see their faces."

Sarah rose her brow to that.

"I find that...hard to believe," she said, turning around in a circle as she tried to evade some pesky cobwebs. Mariella smiled softly, finding it a little funny but knew deep down she was just trying to distract herself from feeling sad.

"So how are things by the way?" Mariella asked, seeing an opportunity to change the subject to hopefully something less gloomy. "You were gone all night. Things go well?" She watched as Sarah struggled and reached out to help pull the bits of dust from her hair.

"He and Roldan were doing archery so I joined them. We had dinner afterwards," she said. Mariella quirked a brow.

"Oh? You say that so blandly. So things really are well? Shall I depart you early this night too?" she asked, teasingly. Sarah stopped then. She was facing away from her, but Marie caught a glimpse of a deep frown marring her face.

"Actually...I'm kind of avoiding him," she admitted and stopped to thumb through a few random canvases.

"Really? May I ask why?" She watched Sarah slouch against a shelf and tap her fingers impatiently. She was reluctant when speaking.

"Um...something kind of...happened yesterday," she said, hesitantly, then reached back and brushed her hair behind her ear. Mariella leaned in.

"What kind of something?" she asked. Sarah gave a gruff sigh.

"The confusing kind."

"Confusing?" Mariella asked. Her eyes glanced down to find Sarah's foot had started to tap.

"Yeah...I don't know...it's nothing really. Jareth just kind of...said something yesterday and I, uh, don't really know how to feel about it," she said, purposefully averting her eyes.

"Well what did he say?" Marie asked, the tension was starting to get to her.

"He...he said-" she started to say, then looked down as a thought played across her face. It was dark and worrisome. She bit her lip and looked up again, but just when Marie thought the secret would be revealed, did her eyes widen and she changed directions completely. "Hey, Marie, look at that frame over there."

Sarah leaned up off the cabinet and walked away. Mariella turned, her eyes viciously following after her.

"Sarah, what did he say?" She asked, practically begging at this point. But Sarah wasn't listening. No, she was busy b-lining it to the other side of the room. Mariella looked ahead and saw what had captured her attention.

Sarah stopped then, standing before them was another canvas, so tall she had to raise her head and lean back just to see it. It had to be...10, 12 feet high? It was huge, the cloth cover barely shrouding it. Parts of the frame stuck out, beautifully gilded and ornate.

"Look how tall this thing is. You said size signifies importance right? I wonder who this is," Sarah said, taking a few steps back. Mariella crossed her arms and pouted.

"Sarah, I think you're ignoring me," she said, a comment which Sarah promptly ignored.

"Marie- come here and help me lift this," she said, moving around the frame to figure out the easiest way to free it. Mariella sighed. It was obvious she was deflecting again, which only made her more curious. What did he say?! What did he say?!

Begrudgingly, she stepped forward and helped Sarah pull the cover down. The cloth that covered this painting was heavier than the rest and fell to the floor with a thud. The dust cloud this time was truly impressive. They both stepped back, Mariella waving her hand through the air to clear the haze.

"Sarah..." she said, determined not to let her weasel out of this; but when the dust cleared she saw her, standing perfectly still, her eyes wide and glued straight ahead. Mariella turned and her expression soon mirrored it. "Oh...oh my."

Mariella rose a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. This painting...she'd never seen something like this before. Never seen anything even remotely like it. She was about to express her awe when she looked to Sarah then and became concerned by the look of clear dismay that had rendered her as stiff as a plank.

It was another woman. The most beautiful woman Sarah had ever seen. Her skin was fair, her hands small and delicate, her heart-shaped face smiling at her so sweetly. Her dress was large, billowing and ruffled and gleamed with all sorts reflective light. Large bows and ties, gems and frilly trim adorned her. She sat in a gilded chair, thick red curtains draping behind her and a small cherubim floated off to the side. The amount of detail was mind-boggling, everything in perfect clarity, from the meager bits of embroidery lining her skirt to the faint beauty-mark that dotted the spot above her right brow. Whoever had created this was indeed a true master, and this their masterpiece. But it wasn't the quality of the painting that bewitched her. No. It was something else entirely. Her hair was long and fell in large curls. And it was blonde. It was golden. The color of the sun.

"My, what a beautiful woman," she heard Mariella say. Sarah looked over, but couldn't shake the awful sense of dread churning her stomach. Yes. Yes she was beautiful. Too beautiful.

"She's perfect," Sarah whispered, and Mariella turned to her after hearing the waver in her voice. Sarah took a deep breath then, and looked deep into her eyes. They were blue. As blue as the sky. This woman...she knew her. She was gentle, she was kind, she was beautiful, and although Sarah had never before laid eyes on her, she knew, without a doubt, that her name was Aurelia.

"...Sarah?" Mariella called, her expression turning wary as she watched her. Sarah was standing too still, trembling almost. And her face, she looked...devastated. "Do you know who this is, Sarah?" she asked. Sarah gulped and fisted her hands at her sides, then took a deep breath.

"Her name is Aurelia, and she was...Jareth's first wife."

Mariella's eyes widened and turned back to the painting. What?

"Aurelia? Are you positive? I-I've never heard of her. You say His Majesty has been married once before?" she asked. Sarah turned to her, her expression most confused.

"You mean you didn't know?" Sarah asked. Mariella gaped and shook her head.

"No...of all the things Lord Davion has told me, he never once mentioned His Majesty having a previous wife...Neither has anyone brought it up in court. I...I dare say I am caught off guard," she said, raising her hand to her lips as she looked over the painting. Well, this certainly was a surprise. And yet, Sarah already knew of it?

"She died," Sarah said, her gaze still locked on the pale beauty's face. "It was...bad. I imagine that's why Davion hasn't mentioned it."

"May I ask what happened?"

Sarah bit her lip.

"She...died during childbirth...they both did."

Mariella stifled a gasp and took half a step back.

"Oh my. How-How horrible," she said. Sarah looked down, deeply disconcerted.

"Yeah...You remember our talk about the statues in the garden?" she asked. Mariella nodded. Sarah looked up and pointed to the fat little cupid featured in the painting. "Well...she was the one who commissioned them. That's...why I got all weird when you were talking about it."

"Oh...I see. Forgive me then. I...I never suspected-"

"It's...It's okay. It's not exactly my burden to bear," she said and shook her head exasperatedly. Mariella worried her brow deeply. How horrible. She had no idea His Majesty had gone through so much. And Sarah...what did Sarah think of all this? It seemed the hits just kept on coming.

"May I ask...how long ago this happened?"

"A little over five-hundred years ago I think? Way before you were even born. Jareth- he told me...a condition upon taking the throne was to get married, so he married her. They weren't together very long...ten years I think he said." She was staring at the floor now. For some reason, this story always upset her deeply. It was strange to her. Jareth should be the one feeling this pain, not her. Mariella took a step back and sat on the edge of a desk. She looked more torn up than Sarah. Hm, maybe her feelings weren't that odd.

"I see...not long at all then. Perhaps that's why no one's mentioned it. It was but a blink. I doubt many people even remember her."

Mariella's words made Sarah frown harder. Yes, it was a long time but could she really be so forgotten? This room, it was like an Oubliette. It was a place to put people to forget about them. That's what this was wasn't it? A twisted memorial? Everyone in Jareth's life...everyone who was now gone. All that was left of them was in here, shrouded. She began to look around. There was more furniture and less paintings in this part of the room. They were dressers, not cabinets. Were they Aurelia's? Were these the last remnants of her existence? And what of Jareth? Did he even remember this was here? Mariella said Roldan used these rooms often, but these paintings hadn't been touched in ages.

"I...I don't know. Jareth doesn't really talk about it. Whenever I bring it up it...hasn't ended well," she said, which was true, but not for the reason Mariella might have guessed. Sarah would never admit it aloud, but a part of her was jealous of Aurelia. Jealous that she had known a side of Jareth she didn't, a side she never would. She wondered what he was like back then, if he was different. But even with this minor blemish upon her heart, what she wanted more was for Jareth to care. When she brought up their death the other day...she had purposefully instigated him. She regretted it yes, but she had wanted him to get angry, outraged even. She wanted him to show her he cared about what happened, that it had affected him. But all this new information, everything Mariella had told her about his parents...it seemed to change things. Was Jareth just...accustomed to misery? Was he numbed by it? Was that why he couldn't seem to grasp all the terror he'd inflicted upon her? While she told Marie she wouldn't write him off, she secretly wanted there to be a reason behind it. An event that broke him. Father like son wasn't good enough for her. If Jareth was fighting demons, she would help him. What she couldn't help is if he was the demon.

"Sarah? Are you alright?" Mariella asked. Sarah blinked, realizing she'd been zoning out and shook her head.

"Jareth told me he loves me yesterday," she said, out of the blue. Mariella gave another little gasp. Sarah turned to look her in the eye. "I don't know how to feel about it. There's...a lot that goes into it. I don't think I'm ready for Jareth to love me just yet...I don't know what that would mean about our relationship."

Mariella was quiet. She wasn't expecting Sarah to be so blunt.

"I think...that would mean you're making progress," she said. Sarah shrugged.

"Yeah...But it doesn't...feel right. You know...he told me about Aurelia once. He told me she was essentially perfect and that he never loved her. And now I see her right here before me..." Her voice trailed off and she glanced to the side. Mariella frowned at the sad smile that met her. "I have a hard time believing...if he couldn't love someone like her, someone like that-" she said, and pointed at the painting, "then how in the world could he possibly love me?"

"Sarah...you weren't there. You didn't know her, you didn't know him. His Majesty...was probably a very different person back then. Things change. You shouldn't devalue yourself."

"But that's the point isn't it? I don't know what he was like. Has he changed? Has he? Will he? Who is Jareth? How can I really know someone who has lived for so many lifetimes? Who has so many secrets? I keep telling myself that he's lying, that there's no way he couldn't have loved her. But why do I do that? I know why. And it's stupid. I keep telling myself that he must have loved her, that his heart was broken and it broke him. If he's loved before then he can love again and I hate myself for thinking that way, but now that he's actually said it I want to run away. I'm terrified. I want his love but I don't want him to love me. Does that make any sense? Or am I going crazy?" She growled and sagged as she finished her rant, her fingers gripping the rim of the dresser tightly on either side of her. Mariella sighed. She could have guessed what had been going on in Sarah's head, but this was the first time she was actually speaking honestly about it. She wouldn't tell Davion this. She couldn't. She hadn't known her long, but Sarah was already more than a friend to her. And after the pain she'd seen her in, she vowed she would betray her no longer.

With this conviction in mind, she stepped towards her and placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"Sarah," she said, urging her to look up. "Are you sure you're not in love with him?"

Sarah paled for all but a second, and then deep worry turned her face away.

"To be completely honest? ...It's never been about whether or not I love him Marie. It's about whether or not he deserves it."

---

Sarah found it hard to open her eyes. It was bright out today. Too bright. The sound of birds chirping grated against her ears. Was it really morning already? Ugh...she had such a headache.

Groggily, she made her way out of bed. Her head felt heavy, and she lugged herself to the bathroom. Jareth wasn't there. She hadn't seen him yesterday either. She was glad for it though, she was still avoiding him. That would all end soon however. Today was dress fitting day, and Jareth had said so himself that he would in no way miss it.

She sighed heavily as she brushed the knots from her hair. Mariella would be showing up soon. She needed to hurry up and shower. Damn. She hated waking up this early.

Last night had been...odd. She'd had an unexpected heart to heart with Marie, and well, they'd ended up having a regular old girl's night. It was nice actually. She really felt like she could trust Marie, and it wasn't until she finally started to talk about it that she realized just how much this whole "I love you" issue was really bothering her.

They talked about a lot of things, about her insecurities with Jareth's past, about her skepticism about her own, about her trepidation when it came to contacting her friends. It was liberating to get it all off her chest. She hadn't felt at such ease since she'd spoken with Liana. And where was Liana? She'd been gone for so long now, it seemed like forever.

She sighed again as she draped her necklace over her head. She'd worn it every day since she'd remembered it. It felt like a part of her now. She closed her eyes, rose her hands to her forehead and pushed the skin back from her face, taking a deep breath as she tried her best to will away her headache. She wasn't too concerned about it however. A little breakfast would help.

She'd just finished dressing and was busy brewing her daily cup of tea when Mariella came. She knocked quietly, like she always did, and entered with a beaming smile. No doubt Marie knew what today was too, and there was just no stopping that kind of excitement. Roldan better watch out.

"Good morning!" she said, and Sarah winced. Too soon, she thought. Too much energy.

"I take it you're ready for today?" Sarah asked, playfully. Mariella joined by sitting in the seat beside her.

"But of course. I can't wait. You're going to look so beautiful."

Sarah smiled from behind her cup. Her endearments were always so genuine.

"Are you ready? To see His Majesty I mean?" she asked, with a more serious tone. Sarah closed her eyes and set down her cup.

"Yeah...I think it'll be fine. Like I said...I don't think he realized what he said, so everything should be peachy to him. I've had a day to sort it out...I think I'm over it now."

Mariella pursed her lips then and hummed. She couldn't say she liked hearing all the troubles Sarah had to share, but knowing them now helped her to better understand. It had taken her this long to open up about it, so that had to be a positive sign. She was showing trust in her, she was looking towards a future with Jareth. Those were all positive signs. There was something that worried her though. Something she didn't want to say. Sarah was concerned about Jareth loving her in the present...but Mariella was willing to bet His Majesty's affections began a lot earlier than that. After their conversation last night, she wasn't sure revealing such knowledge would be the best course of action. She was having a hard enough time accepting that he might love her now, what would she do if someone told her he'd loved her all along?

"Marie?" Sarah asked. Mariella blinked and looked up.

"Hm? Yes?"

"You've been staring at your toast for over a minute now. You okay?"

Mariella blinked again and smiled.

"Ah, yes. Just thinking about all the beautiful dresses I'll get to see you in," she said, her smile becoming weaker. Sarah didn't seem to notice and glanced away.

"I don't think I'm going to bring it up," she said. "I think I'm just going to pretend it never happened. No harm, no foul, right?" she asked. Mariella nodded. That was probably the best thing, given Sarah's indecisiveness.

"If that is what you feel is necessary," she said. Sarah nodded, finishing her tea and setting down the empty cup.

"I think so. Are you ready to go?"

"Lead the way."

---

Sarah was surprised to find the drawing room arranged much differently today. The table was gone, and everything was shoved out of the way, pushed against the wall. There were clothing racks stuffed with dresses and dress bags. Trunks, boxes and such were stacked and littered the open floor plan. There was a changing curtain off to the side, and in the middle of it all stood Roldan, waiting with his watch in hand. He looked up when they entered, right on time.

"So um...morning," Sarah said, gazing about the room with mild trepidation. It was a bit overwhelming actually. Roldan actually bowed his head to her before glancing away. Really? Sarah noted. He'd never done that before. Huh, he must be in a good mood or something.

"You're right on time," he said, watching Mariella as she quickly navigated towards the dress racks. "We just finished setting up."

Sarah crossed her arms in a nervous manner. This whole wedding thing was really starting to hit her now and not in a good way.

"Excuse me missy! Don't be touchin that!"

Sarah peered over, not expecting a third voice. It was a woman's. A goblin's actually. Mariella jumped back as a tiny old lady pushed through the dress skirts, huffing and puffing with reprimand.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," Marie exclaimed. The woman scowled and shook her head, hobbling her way over to Roldan and Sarah. She bowed once she stood before them. Sarah didn't really respond.

"Sarah, this is Talnah, the seamstress who will be constructing your gown," he said and Sarah's brow rose.

"Oh! A pleasure to meet you Talnah," Sarah said, fighting the instinctive urge to bow herself. Talnah straightened up, groaning when her back cracked and turned away, ushering them over with a wave of her hand.

"Come. Come. There is lot's tuhgo through," she said. Roldan stared down at her disapprovingly, but Sarah smiled. She reminded her of the crone from the junkyard all those years ago. She looked over to Roldan to find him shaking his head.

"She's quite rude, but also the best in the business. I find, when it comes to goblins at least, to just take it as it is," he explained. Sarah chuckled. He really was in a good mood, wasn't he? How refreshing.

Sarah stopped before the dress rack, shy it seemed. Talnah turned and waved her on impatiently.

"Come on, come on. They won't bite."

"Um..." she started, not really knowing what to do with herself. That's when Mariella found her cue.

"Allow me Sarah. I'll pick out a couple things first, and when you want you can start going through yourself," she said. Roldan eyed her silently but made no comment. Sarah waited patiently. "Let's see, let's see...mmm, how about we start with this," she said, and pulled something awfully frilly from the rack. Sarah's eyes widened.

"Um..."

Mariella glanced down and eyed the hanger she held.

"Actually...no. This might be a bit too much I think. Something simpler, then?"

Sarah sighed, relieved when Marie turned back around and gave it another shot. Fluffy was bad. She did not do fluffy.

"Are you doing alright?"

Sarah peered up, surprised Roldan had asked her such a question.

"Yeah, why?" she replied. Roldan's eyes narrowed.

"Not getting cold feet are we?" he asked. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"You kidding me? I've got frostbite up to my knees."

She'd looked away as she spoke, so she didn't catch him smile just then, she did however hear his laughter.

"Don't we all," he said. Sarah was about to turn and face him again when Marie was back with a brand new armful.

"Okay. This time I thought it best to go with some options. I tried to pick what is in style now throughout the different nations," she said, a bit out of breath from the weight of the gowns. Sarah bit her lip.

"Ah...then wouldn't it make more sense to wear something from Goblin Kingdom fashion?" she asked. Mariella blinked. She hadn't thought of that.

"That's...a rather smart idea actually. I'll put a few of these back." And then she was gone. Sarah chuckled to herself while she and Roldan watched.

"Perhaps you should help her. Try to get a little more involved," Roldan said. Sarah shrugged but continued to smile.

"No way. She's loving it right now, trust me." Roldan huffed but said nothing, knowing she was probably right.

When Mariella returned for the third time, she had a bit of a sheen to her forehead.

"Alright. How about some of these?" she suggested, hanging them all up in a row. Talnah scuttled over then, wordlessly smoothing them out so they could be displayed properly. Sarah began to wonder then, when exactly Jareth would be showing up.

"What do you think Roldan?" Sarah asked, looking up to him. He looked caught off guard, but quickly shrugged and looked ahead.

"I think any of these options is fine," he said. Sarah pouted.

"I was asking for an aesthetic opinion," she clarified. Again Roldan shrugged.

"I really don't care," he answered. Like him, Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. Though he was a bit more chipper this morning, Sarah had to remind herself that he was still Roldan and it was clear he felt he had far better things to do than this.

"Alright. I'll pick at random then. Let's go with that one," she said, pointing at the third one in. Mariella pulled it from the display rack and began carrying it towards the changing curtain.

"Come on, I'll help you try it on," she said, and that's when Sarah realized she actually had to change into it. Out here. In front of Roldan. Well, behind a perfectly opaque curtain, but still.

"Oh, um, okay," she said, skeptically skipping over to join her. Roldan rose a brow as he watched her and realized his eyes were still lingering even after she'd disappeared behind the curtain. He turned away with a glare.

"Alright, I'll hold it for you so you can step in. This one has laces so I'll tighten those for you once you're in," Mariella said. Sarah's brow deeply furrowed, feeling somewhat self-conscious as she shucked off her clothes. She changed quickly. A bit of shimmying and it was on. She kept her back straight and stood on her toes while Mariella tightened the laces, surprised to find that it already fit her pretty well. "So? What do you think?" Mariella asked. Sarah let out a slow exhale and tried shifting about.

"It's tight...but comfortable I guess."

"Would you like to see?" Marie asked, apparently there was also a mirror with her behind the curtain.

This dress was deceiving. It didn't look fluffy at first, but on her now she realized just how ballroom the skirt really was. It had a lot of tassels and stuff hanging from it, and there were rhinestones on the bodice, or maybe they were diamonds. She wasn't sophisticated enough to tell.

"This one seems...kind of gaudy, doesn't it?" she asked, turning from side to side as she inspected herself. Mariella nodded.

"I agree. Not nearly elegant enough."

"You having any problems back there?"

She heard Roldan calling from beyond the curtain and turned. Mariella, being far taller than her, stretched up on her tip toes so she could see him over the curtain.

"Nope! Just a dud! Won't bother showing you. On to the next!" she said, which had Sarah rolling her eyes. "Just so you know, this is also popular in Erastor right now, but I don't really like it either," she whispered.

Once the dress was finally removed, Sarah decided it would be easier to just stay behind the wall and let Marie bring her whatever her heart desired. She was trying to stay as detached from this whole experience as possible and didn't want to bother getting invested in anything. This wasn't merely a wedding dress. It was to be the symbol of her permanent entrapment. The less she thought about it, the better.

Marie returned quickly, with something Sarah hoped would be a bit less flashy.

"Here, this one has a lot of complicated ties. It might be a hassle to figure out."

And she wasn't kidding. This one was indeed far different from the last, but Sarah soon realized that didn't make it any better. Actually, it was worse. Far worse. It was thin, made of only a few layers of silk and clung to her body just barely. The top spun into intricate braids that formed thin straps that then criss-crossed, weaving with others to form a rather complex pattern down an open back. The rest was rather plain, a simple cut. What bothered her was the way it hung, exposing a bit more of her flesh than she was comfortable with. Good thing she was full chested or there may have been a problem, but even still. This looked more like a negligée than a wedding gown. It was short in the front, exposing her thighs, and drifted to only about her knee in the back. Mariella assured her this was perfectly appropriate. In fact, it was preferred in warmer climates like the Goblin Kingdom.

"Do you plan on coming out? Or is my presence here completely pointless?" Roldan called again. Sarah made a very uneasy expression. There was no way she was going to let Roldan see her dressed in something like this.

"Coming!"

Sarah turned to Mariella with a glare, resisting the tug on the arm she then gave.

"Hey- I don't know about this. I don't really like it. Can we try something else?" she asked. Mariella waved her off.

"Oh, don't be silly. This dress suits you far better than the other one, and besides Master Roldan is waiting so patiently. I thought you wanted his opinion?" she said, trying again to pull her out from behind the curtain. Sarah dug her heels.

"I highly doubt Roldan actually has any interest in seeing me," she said. Mariella turned then and shot her a naughty eye.

"Feeling self-conscious are we? Master Roldan is still a male, I'm sure he can help perk up some pride in you," she said and with a surprise tug, yanked Sarah out from behind the curtain and into the light of day.

"Ah, damn it Marie!"

Roldan looked up at the sound of distress just as Mariella had come around the corner. It was hard to ignore. He was impatient as it was and ungodly bored. He didn't know why Jareth insisted he be here for this. Make sure she is dressed appropriately, he said. Please, as if Mariella couldn't take care of that herself. No, Jareth was probably punishing him again, but for what he didn't know. It didn't matter in the end. He was here, listening as those two girls giggled and fussed behind the curtain. He'd tried his best from looking over. He knew there was nothing to see anyway, as if he was even interested in the thought of Sarah undressing. However, he was still a man, and every moment or two a giggle would pass his ears and the flicker of a shadow would cross his peripheral and he simply couldn't help himself.

Mariella had just come around the corner and not soon after a very startled and embarrassed looking Sarah followed her.

It was more than a glimpse this time. This time, he couldn't look away. For a moment, just one, one shameful disgusting moment, he found himself immobile. He felt his breath hitch and his heart- by gods had it actually skipped a beat? He took a deep breath and blinked furiously, clearing his throat roughly and pretending the reddening of his face was a result of the cough.

He'd been caught off guard. He hadn't expected her to look so...beautiful. But more than that, he hadn't expected himself to regard her as such. She stumbled out, her first glance going directly to him and her cheeks immediately enflamed. Her eyes went wide and she straightened up, standing awkwardly yet tall as she darted her eyes away. She turned in an effort to conceal herself, but only revealed the dramatic plummet of her back-line. He felt his ears tense and his jaw locked. The way the silk clung to her frame was... Mariella stood giggling off to the side, but he could do nothing but ignore her. Sarah turned again, and he realized far too late that Mariella was in fact walking her towards him.

He furrowed his brow deeply and angled himself way, unable to believe he'd had such a visceral reaction to her. He tried to play it off but his eyes betrayed him. They couldn't help it. They were glued to her, from her rosy cheeks all the way to her squirming toes.

"Well… What do you think Master Roldan? Is this dress a keeper or what?" Mariella asked, absolutely loving the moment. Sarah was too embarrassed to notice but Mariella could see Roldan's reaction plain as day. My, Master Roldan, what a hypocrite he was.

He opened his mouth to speak but gulped the words back down instead. Sarah kept her eyes lowered from him and tried her best to distract herself by smoothing out any wrinkles in the silk. She shouldn't have done that. Now his eyes were on her chest.

"I...don't know about this...it's kind of...revealing," she said, then finally gave in to look up to him. Their eyes met, and it was clear she was pleading for him to agree, to tell her it was too inappropriate and to take it off immediately. He said none of this however. He just stared.

"You...you look-"

"Absolutely stunning."

Roldan nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand at his shoulder and turned fractionally to find Jareth looming over him. He'd finished his sentence for him, thank the gods, but the panic only increased. He took a heavy breath and looked away, screaming at himself to get his fucking heartbeat under control.

Sarah paled, her eyes going wide with surprise. She wasn't expecting him to pop up just then. She needed time to mentally prepare. Why couldn't he just use the door?

She took half a step back when he stepped around Roldan, who looked plain terrified himself. Mariella, knowing more now than ever, pursed her lips and stepped aside.

She stood stock still as Jareth approached her, his smile wide and his eyes roaming all over her. He reached out and ran a gentle hand down her side, then pulled forward one of her hands and bowed as he kissed it.

"You look unbelievably breathtaking," he said, softly, and she could feel her pulse start to quicken. He straightened and turned back to Roldan then, his smile a proud one. "Doesn't she, Roldan?" he asked. Roldan darted his eyes away and cleared his throat again. This was not the time to lose composure.

"Yes...she looks -you look- lovely. Truly," he said, that being the first real compliment he'd ever given her. Sarah's eyes widened as her brow furrowed, as if just now realizing she wasn't the only one flustered.

"Seems I made it just in time," Jareth said, a gloved hand toying with a tendril of her hair. She tore her eyes from Roldan and brought them back to Jareth nervously. There were a lot of emotions in her head right now, but to Jareth it was all so simple. She tried to hold on to that, play off his ignorance and just roll with it.

"I wasn't sure you were coming," she said, her voice uneasy. Jareth smiled again, his gaze completely lost on her figure. His hand moved lower and splayed around her hip.

"I told you I would make it. I missed you quite dearly," he said, sweet and seductive-like. Her eyes darted to Roldan again, conscious of their surroundings. He was still watching her, though trying his best not to.

"Well...here I am," she said, not knowing what else to do. It was awkward with so many people watching. Why couldn't he have walked in when she was wearing the poofy dress?

"So is this the one?" he asked, inspecting her closely. He seemed excited -obviously. She tried not to recoil.

"Um...no. I've only tried on a couple...and I think this one is a bit too...risqué," she said, glancing away in shame. Jareth's grip on her hip tightened.

"I see...Leave us," he commanded, his voice deeper, more stern. Sarah peered around with a furrowed brow, an expression which matched Roldan's perfectly as their eyes met yet again. Jareth glanced back just slightly, just enough for Roldan to see the sharpness of his eyes. "Now," he said, and with that Roldan looked away. He hesitated for a moment, but Jareth's dark glare soon had him on his way. He wasn't the only one feeling hesitant, though. Mariella paused, waiting for a signal from Sarah before she left to join him. Sarah looked over and nodded subtly, and she too, along with Talnah the goblin, was quickly out the door.

The rumble of the door closing shut put Sarah on edge, causing her to stand on pins and needles as Jareth continued to inspect her.

"I think you should choose this one," he said, his hands getting a little more greedy now that they were alone. Sarah tried to pull away.

"Well, now I can't. Haven't you heard? It's bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony," she said, trying her best to stave his hands. It was bad enough he had to go all alpha male and order everyone out. It was embarrassing, knowing what they must all be thinking as they waited patiently in the hall. She was too distracted to register Jareth bending down or reaching around her legs to lift her up and set her around his hips.

"I told you, I don't believe in luck," he said, and she gasped. Her legs constricted tightly around him, her arms instinctively going around his neck.

"Well, there's no point in wearing it anyway, if you're just going to sully it now," she said, her hands sneakily stroking the back of his hair. Jareth smiled and let his hands move to support her rear.

"I like the way you think," he said, jokingly, and took a step forward. Sarah looked around, curious to where he was going.

"Did you have to send everybody out like that? You know what they must be thinking, Roldan especially..."

"And what is that?" Jareth asked, kneeling down to set her atop one of the large trunks. He remained kneeling, his arms held possessively around her.

"That we're doing something dirty," she said, as dryly as she could. Jareth laughed and his smile curled on one side.

"And why would Roldan think that especially?" he asked, teasingly. Sarah looked away.

"Because he already thinks I'm a vulgar little...what's the term he uses? Hellion? I'm sure he's going to give me one hell of a lecture afterwards, blaming me as usual for actions that are completely your own," she said, eyeing him impatiently when he only became more amused.

"I don't think any of them will have anything to say, especially Roldan," he said.

"What?" she asked. It was strange, she was so worried about seeing him after her meltdown with Marie, but right now just felt so...natural. Maybe she could just ignore it.

Jareth withdrew his hands and brought them to her thighs, running them up and down her legs as he leaned in and took a deep breath in her bosom.

"Really? You honestly didn't notice? Hm, interesting," he said, running his nose along the silk covering her breast and moving up until he could kiss what was exposed. She couldn't stop the flare of heat that hit her.

"Notice? Notice what?" she asked, trying her best to pull him from her cleavage and actually talk to him. Jareth smiled again, this time it was mildly agitated and he shook his head.

"Oh nothing..."

"Huh?"

She was staring down at him, but his gaze was caught on her thighs, on the way the silk of her skirt moved higher and higher with each undulation of his hands.

"You're talking too much," he said, closing his eyes as he leaned down and kissed the inside of her thigh. She gulped and her legs spread. He kissed her again, higher and higher. She took a sharp breath and held it; his lips were so close, she could feel herself growing hot already. She saw him smile against her skin, keeping her in dreadful anticipation. "Quite frankly Sarah...I can't imagine a single man who wouldn't completely ravage you given the chance." His breath was hot against her sex, his tongue running along her femoral artery. She shifted away from it but he held her legs in place.

"I'm sure I could name...a few," Sarah said, leaning her head back when his tongue touched her again.

"It wouldn't matter. You'd have the right, you know. One day. You could take any man. Even Roldan if you so wanted. I don't think he would be as opposed as he pretends to be," he said, his voice muffled from under her skirt. His tongue had started to dip past her underwear and she gripped the edge of the trunk tighter.

"Wha? No-I don't...see him that way...and I told you...I...respect...monogamy," she said, her breathing becoming a bit strained. This was far from appropriate. The longer they stayed like this, the more embarrassed she would be when they eventually came back in.

"So you say," Jareth said and plunged his tongue inside her. She moaned softly and opened up to it. He pressed his face closer, his hands gripping her thighs tightly.

"I thought you said we were talking too much? What's the matter? Getting worried? The big day is...right around...the corner. Wouldn't want you getting cold feet...or anything," she said, starting to pant. She leaned her head back further and closed her eyes. Jareth pulled back slightly, enough to peer up at her.

"Are you kidding? I've got frostbite up to my knees."

He winked at her and her look of impassion twisted into a scowl. She scooted away from him as best she could.

"Whoa. Were you spying on me?" she asked, angrily. She tried to pull her legs away from him but an open hand on her knee was enough to pull them back down.

"Only a little," he said, teasingly. She kept up her tough facade but in actuality she became quite worried then. She always knew Jareth could, and did, spy on her but she'd forgotten about it recently. If he was still watching her, did he know about what she found in the storage room yesterday? ...He seemed normal enough.

"And how often do you do this exactly?" she asked. She gave up on struggling now and resigned to just sit there. She felt his hands start to snake under her skirt again.

"Only when I'm lonely," he answered, cheekily. Sarah drew her brow on him, much more invested in the conversation than he was.

"Could you not?" she asked, reaching out and grasping his wrists, impeding their journey upward. Jareth smiled wryly and tilted his head, one brow rising as he responded.

"I could...not," he said, bringing his eyes back to hers and finding such amusement in her annoyance.

"Okay, will you? Not?" she clarified. Jareth looked away and shrugged, pushing past the weak hold she had on his hands and their intention to explore further.

"...Probably...not," he said and failed to hold back the smile. Sarah sighed roughly and tried to push him away.

"That isn't funny Jareth," she said, stomping away from him when he actually let her go. He turned and stood with her, quickly reaching out and yanking her back. His arms constricted around her waist, holding her too close for comfort, and she struggled against it with mild aggravation.

"Why? Were you planning on doing something naughty?" he asked, nipping on her ear as he spoke. Sarah growled and pushed against his hands but it was no use. He lifted her up a bit until she could barely stand on her toes.

"No," she said, roughly and turned back to glare at him. Their eyes met only a few inches apart and her nose brushed against his. She took in a sharp breath, but thankfully it went unnoticed.

His eyes, so bright and smoky, narrowed on hers deviously.

"Or maybe...you've already done something naughty," he said, his voice a low drawl. Sarah's eyes widened but she forced herself not to appear any more guilty. If he found out what she had been snooping through yesterday it was sure to ruin the mood. She snarled a bit and tried to evade his hold again.

"I have done nothing of the sort," she said, flailing her feet as they no longer found support on the ground. "If anything...I think you're the one...who's being...naughty," she said, her jaw tensed as she squirmed.

"You haven't seen me naughty," Jareth said, laughing as he carried her away.

"Oh I think I have," she retorted, leaning forward in an attempt to knock him off balance.

"Alright then. What do you plan to do about it?" he asked, suggestively. Sarah growled again.

"I don't know. Take a note out of your book and punish you."

Jareth stopped then. She wasn't sure where he was going in the first place, but he stopped. She continued to squirm, and was surprised when he set her down effortlessly. She turned to face him and began viciously smoothing out her dress, a huge wrinkle marred the spot where his arms held her.

"What? Are we there already?" she asked, sarcastically. Jareth didn't say anything so she looked up to him. His expression was...curious.

"You intend to punish me?" he asked. Sarah's brow rose.

"What? No. No, I...I was just saying..." Actually, what was she saying? Why the hell did she say that? It's wasn't like she was being serious. She grew concerned then, there was a brightness to his eyes that shouldn't have been there.

"So...you do plan on doing something naughty," he said, and a large smile spread across his face. Sarah backed away and rose her hands between them.

"No. No. Don't go making assumptions. I was just being sarcastic," she explained, but knew deep down that her bed had already been made.

Jareth took a step forward but then paused, some knew scheme playing across his face.

"You should know by now how powerful words can be Sarah. You should think things through before saying them," he said and took another step forward. Sarah retreated and then glanced towards the door.

"Um-Um-Hey! You guys can come back in now!" she hollered. Jareth's dastardly smile turned into a glare but she returned it with a grin. There. How's that for thinking things through? She looked over to the door then, desperately. There was a pause but then it opened. Jareth ceased his encroaching and glanced over his shoulder, sighed, then turned back to Sarah once they started reentering the room. Her eyes were wide and her breathing just a little bit frantic. He debated whether or not to simply reorder them out of the room again, but then a small grin curled his lips.

"You realize now...I'll have to retaliate," he said, dangerously. Sarah pursed her lips.

"Don't you have work to get back to?" she asked, eyeing Marie as the band gradually joined them. They looked awkward. She could sympathize with them there. Jareth stifled a chuckle then reluctantly turned away from her, the prospect of round two starting to excite him.

"Hmph...If that is your wish," he said and then paused before walking away. His smile left him and a thought played across his face. He glanced back just slightly. "Those flowers," he added and she drew her brow on him. "The ones you keep in the box in your room. You should wear them...in your hair perhaps. I think that would look lovely." His eyes flickered up to hers just briefly and he looked almost nervous before dismissing whatever strange thought he'd had and started to walk away again, just like that. So mercurial...she thought, her look of apprehension softening. He was surprised when she called out to him.

"Um, Jareth?" she asked. He turned.

Her eyes darted to the floor then and she pressed her knees together. She hadn't expected his tone to be so...winsome, or herself to be so charmed by it. He began to raise a brow.

"You should come by my room tonight," she said, then rose her gaze to meet his. "You can retaliate in there."

Jareth's brow rose with surprise and he cracked a rather incredulous smirk. Was he hearing her correctly? What was that look she was giving him? Was it by chance actual bashfulness? He thought she didn't want him, though it seemed she simply didn't want him in here. He shook his head then. Unbelievable. This woman. He stepped towards her and was about to say something when the rest of the gang appeared.

"Would you look at this!"

Sarah and Jareth both looked down, the mood shattered, just as a very unhappy looking Talnah staggered her way between them. She started huffing and puffing, ignoring Jareth completely and began pulling at the ends of Sarah's dress.

"All me hard work, an' for what? Look at the mess yee've made! This is Parlnese silk!" the goblin exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air and shaking her head. Sarah teetered back, feeling a little bit guilty. Jareth cleared his throat and the goblin looked up. "Oh, sorry Majesty. I didn't see's ya there. Good mornin'," she said, politely bowing and then turning away once more. Jareth rolled his eyes. If she wasn't the best seamstress he knew of he would have given her quite a reprimand. She was an old woman however, and had served the crown since he was a boy. He remembered her speaking the same way back then too. Perhaps that was why he gave her a bit of a bias.

He looked up to find Sarah firmly distracted and so turned as if to leave. He stopped when he saw Roldan however, like a good little dog standing a few feet away. He walked closer to him and met him in the eye.

"So, have I made my point?" he asked. Roldan scowled but stood straight.

"A point you had no need in making," he replied, his arms tightly crossed over his chest. Jareth's eyes lowered and he smiled.

"Oh, why do I find that doubtful?" he asked, mockingly. Roldan scowled harder and looked away. He knew that he'd been found and that there was no way out of it. Damn it, he was probably watching him the whole time. It wasn't often Jareth treated him like this, if ever, actually. He was marking his territory again. How tiresome. "I say, I believe you had the same expression as last time. So typical. You always were a sucker for women in white," Jareth continued, with a false laugh. Roldan scowled further.

"What can I say? White is my favorite color," he responded, dryly. He glanced away then, trying his best not to grumble. Jareth's sly gaze peered to him and he smiled wickedly.

"No it isn't."

Roldan turned around sharply and glared.

"Alright. Fine. Your bride is very beautiful. You caught me in a gander. Are you satisfied?" he asked, his voice raising against his will. Jareth's smile broadened. He was so much fun to tease, especially when it actually mattered.

"Yes," Jareth said, smugly, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I suppose you've had this in the works for quite some time now. You're really quite obnoxious sometimes, you know that?" Roldan asked, turning away to hide the flush that was steadily building in his cheeks. Jareth started laughing then.

"Haha my gods, are you actually embarrassed? How hard do you flog yourself at night?" he asked, an accusation that got an immediate rise out of Roldan.

"What?" he asked, his tone escalating from annoyed to outraged. His glare only intensified as Jareth continued to chuckle.

"My, my, do watch your temper. Have I hit too close to the mark?" he asked, holding Roldan's gaze in confidence until the shameful Fae was forced to look away. This was ridiculous, Roldan thought. He was just plain ridiculing him now. He crossed his arms tighter and clenched his jaw.

"Please. You insult me," he said, petulantly.

"Yes, I do."

Roldan glanced back at such a simple response, though his gaze was precisely what Jareth was waiting for.

"And now that you've finally admitted that Sarah isn't all bad, I don't want to hear a single complaint from you on the matter ever again," he said, the playfulness leaving his voice and his gaze taking on a familiar sharpness. Roldan's brow furrowed, but Jareth continued on before he could respond. "As we've just established, I see the way you look at her. I also know that denial is your breakfast, lunch and dinner." Roldan's chest puffed up in protest, but Jareth wasn't finished yet. "Oh, but don't get me wrong. I don't give a damn about the way you look at her," he continued, waving a dismissive hand through the air. "In fact, you have my blessing to carry on. Flog yourself to your heart's content. My only demand is that you stop lying about it, or at the very least, stop wasting your breath and my patience while you try to cover up the matter."

The amount of disgruntlement on Roldan's face was reaching new heights, but they'd come well past the point of embarrassment; he might as well save some dignity and simply move on from it.

"Fine," he said, and sighed roughly. "I'll cease my nagging."

Again, Jareth stifled a chuckle.

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising a naughty brow. "Or should I have let you watch what I did to her while you were standing in the hall?"

This time Roldan didn't even bother with a glare. He just narrowed his eyes.

"You're despicable," he said, standing stiff when Jareth then reached out and shoved him with his elbow. His laugh had become nefarious when he muttered,

"Don't forget it."

He turned away then, his smile quite menacing as he casually left the room.

---

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I swear the wrinkles will come out. I promise you."

Sarah begged and pleaded with the lady, trying to do whatever she could to get her to just calm down. She looked to Mariella, but she wasn't much help. She just kept staring over at Jareth and Roldan with a very perplexed expression on her face.

"Oh they better little missy! This material here is some'uh the finest in the world, and you've gone an' near ruined it with your shenanigans."

Sarah nearly gasped.

"Ha? Shenanigans? There were no shenanigans, I promise you! Why don't I go take this off and give it back to you? I'm sure with enough steam it'll be good as new," she said. Talnah grumbled but soon fell silent and scowled, narrowing her eyes on the girl that would soon be her queen, and then sighed begrudgingly.

"Fine. Fine. Yes, yes, do take it off," she said, ushering her away with her hands until Sarah found herself scooting towards the curtain.

"Hey, uh, Marie? Could probly use your help!" she called. Marie twitched and then looked over, her look of confusion immediately replaced with a smile. Sarah grew suspicious, then. She knew that type of reaction and looked over to where Roldan and Jareth were talking. To her surprise, Jareth had left, but now Roldan stood alone -looking grumpier than ever. Great.

"Oh, forgive me Sarah, I must have been a bit dazed," Marie said, quickly joining her side. Sarah narrowed her eyes and whispered to her.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Were they arguing or something?"

Mariella replied with a worrisome look, hesitating as she nibbled her lip.

"Ah...A minor head-butt...nothing you should concern yourself with," she said, reassuringly. Sarah remained skeptical but soon let the issue go.

"Oh...kay... You sure?" she asked, raising her arms so Marie could pull the gown up and over her head. Jareth had mentioned something odd to her...about Roldan? Marie bit her lip again, but Sarah could no longer see her expression.

"Yes. No need to fret. Just a bit of testosterone I would say," she said. Sarah nodded. They bickered often and Jareth did love to tease him, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something. "So, which dress would you like to try on next?" Marie asked. Sarah looked over herself in the mirror and let out a long breath. No point in fretting about it now. It was probably nothing.

"I'd have to say, definitely something...conservative."

---

It was relatively late by the time Sarah got in, around 8 o'clock. After Jareth had left, it took about another hour to decide on a dress. It was kind of awkward actually. Roldan, who was once in such a fine mood, couldn't even bring himself to look at her. She felt bad. What Jareth had said...she tried to think over it but in the moment she really wasn't listening. She thought Jareth just meant to pick on him, but from the way he glowered off in the corner, it seemed like some real sparks had been stirred.

She went over to him once, told him that if he really didn't want to be there then he could go. There was no reason to keep him. He looked at her then, but strangely directed none of his gloom at her. So...he was mad, but it wasn't about her? She found this somewhat alarming and almost asked him what was going on. She didn't however. She was too intimidated.

Even with her permission, Roldan still didn't leave. While he never rejoined them, he took a seat off to the side and watched silently. Now that was out of character. Whatever Jareth said must have really put him off his game. But, eventually, a decision was finally made, measurements were taken, the room was cleared, parties dispersed, and Sarah gave a huge sigh of relief to finally be out of that clusterfuck of a room.

As usual, she spent the rest of the day with Marie. She wanted to keep herself as busy as possible with no more thoughts of weddings or anything even remotely related to them. It helped not to think about it too seriously. She might end up backing out if she did and she knew that really wasn't the best thing for her. She took Marie to a game room, knowing that time passed quicker there.

But now the sun was starting to set. Now she was on her own.

She entered her room and took off her shoes, debating whether or not to slip right in to her pajamas. That's when she remembered she'd told Jareth to come. She'd never done that before. It felt brazen. Naughty. She smiled as she toyed with that word. He had been so playful, how could she worry when he smiled like that?

Shaking her head, she paced towards the seating area and the fire kicked on. She moved around to sit on the couch and gave a little jolt when she saw it was already occupied.

She stared at him for a moment, wary. He didn't look up however, looking completely emotionless as he gazed into a crystal.

"Hey," she said, joining him on the couch as casually as possible. She sat on the far end however. Old habit. He didn't respond, merely turning his crystal as he gazed. "You okay?" she asked. He twitched then and lowered the crystal into his lap.

"Peachy," he said, and Sarah frowned at how ornery he sounded. In an effort to break the ice, she scooted towards him playfully.

"What were you looking at?" she asked. "Spying again?" Her smile was impish, but Jareth hadn't bothered looking up to see it. His brow furrowed and he sent the crystal away.

"Something like that..."

Sarah frowned. She had expected him to be a bit more enthused; but she wasn't about to let him bring her down. Simple distractions, she told herself. Hm, maybe she'd take a cue from the other day and come to him.

She surprised him by suddenly moving in and straddling his lap. He sat up a little straighter and rose his brow at her.

"You know, I was expecting firm retaliation here, but it's no fun if you're gonna be grumpy," she said, smiling cheerfully. Ok, she was really going out on a limb here. If he didn't look at her soon she was probably going to slap him.

Jareth smiled slightly and huffed through his nose.

"No fun, eh? Forgive me, the last thing I want is to bore you," he said, and looked up to her with a more lighthearted expression. Sarah narrowed her eyes. That still wasn't good enough. She reached out and placed her hands on the lapels of his jacket.

"Yes. That would be bad," she said, something in her voice seeming to test him. He held her gaze and leaned his head back, taking a deep breath as he reached up and undid a tie at the front of her dress. She held her breath when his fingers then moved along her neckline.

"In that case, perhaps I should be punished," he said, his expression listless as his hand gently pulled at her right sleeve, exposing her bare shoulder. She recoiled slightly, from the cold air if nothing else, but his hand stayed on her arm, gripping her firmly as it moved down to her elbow, his eyes following. She could feel her dress being tugged all the while, an enticing amount of her bosom now exposed. She gripped his jacket a little tighter.

"Do you want me to punish you?" she asked, not sure if it was fear or excitement that lined her voice. Jareth cracked another smirk and tilted his head, watching absently as his other hand then moved to tug at her left sleeve.

"You already do," he said, pulling at her sleeve harder than before. She flinched a little from the surprise of it, but her eyes stayed glued to his face. "In fact...you're punishing me right now," he added, his chest rising a little as his eyes glossed over her. Sarah pursed her lips. This slow burn he had going on wasn't something she was anticipating but it invigorated her all the same.

"How so?" she asked, swallowing hard when his hands found her hips.

"If you could see what I see, then you'd know how torturous it is just looking at you," he said, starting to shift the skirt of her dress up her legs.

"Laying it on pretty thick tonight aren't you?" she asked, nervously. Jareth grinned and removed his hands from her to pull away his gloves.

"I could retaliate, if you prefer." His voice was low and soft, a rumble almost. It did things to her. Dangerous things. Her hands moved lower, surreptitiously teasing the frill of his collar as it fell low on his abdomen.

"So I guess...we've both been kind of bad today," she said, with an innocent shrug. Jareth's smile widened. She was still so shy.

"I believe the term you used was naughty," he corrected, and Sarah gulped again, his accent making the word seem...well, naughty. He reached out and pressed his thumbs against the inside of her thighs, dipping under the lace hem of her underwear, and she felt a little jolt go through her. He tilted his head again as he caressed her and his smile became a bit more lively.

"That too," she said, briskly, and tried not to reveal too much of a reaction. This was pathetic. He was barely even touching her and she was already getting worked up.

He leaned forward suddenly and she flinched back, her mouth open, anticipating a kiss. He kept himself from her however, his smile shrewd. She leaned up a little and felt her hands go around his neck when his moved away.

"What do you say? Shall we discipline each other?" he asked, sweetly, softly, seductively. She could feel his hand leaving her thigh and soon felt it again on a much more tender spot. Her fingers curled in his hair, though she tried not to fidget as his began to touch her, harder.

"I think...you've been...naughtier than me...today," she said. He kept his eyes locked on hers as she spoke, but his fingers were not so patient. She took in a sharp breath when two of them slipped inside her and thrusted deep.

"Oh?" he asked. Sarah nodded.

"Roldan seemed...bothered, when you left...You didn't...antagonize him, too...did you?" she asked. Her mouth was hanging open, her arms constricting around him more tightly, pushing them closer. Their eyelids were heavy as they stared at one another, neither wanting to make the first move.

He smiled a little and hooked his fingers deeper.

"Hm...I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, not bothering to disguise the sense of mischief in his voice. He brought his face just a little bit closer to hers, his mouth open, his chest expanding, but stopped just out of reach. She was waiting for him to kiss her and he was determined to make that wait excruciating.

"Uh-huh...sure," Sarah said, her voice turning breathy. There was so much tension in the small space between their mouths. It was awful. She licked her lips but did nothing else. Her hips started to move with his hands and she clung to him even tighter. "You said something about not noticing...what did you mean?" she asked.

"Is Roldan really what you want to talk about right now?" he countered, his spare hand moving up her back, cradling her possessively. Sarah pursed her lips and took a forced breath. She was starting to feel things. Wicked things. This slow burn was steadily consuming her. When she opened her mouth again she let out a soft pant.

"I think...you're just trying...to distract me," she murmured, closing her eyes as she focused on the pleasure. Their foreheads were pressed together now, and even Jareth was beginning to lose concentration.

"Like you distract him..." he said. His lips brushed against hers just barely but it felt like a spark. She swallowed hard and nibbled on her lip, forcing herself not to succumb just yet.

"What is that...supposed to mean?" she asked. Her hands were tightening in his hair now, his around her back. He added another finger and his thrusts became more severe.

"Sarah..." he started, his voice a low drawl, and she moaned a little from it. "Have you really not realized...the reason he is so antagonistic towards you...is because he is in fact incredibly aroused by you?"

He heard her laugh between heavy breaths and she shook her head a little.

"You're funny," she said. Jareth opened his eyes but his vision was hazy. He could see her lips, wet and glistening. He wanted to bite them.

"I'm serious," he said, and leaned in. He gave up. He wanted her, to taste and bite and suck on her. He would have lost their game just then if she hadn't pulled away, though she'd only succeeded in stirring his longing.

"I think...you're just being paranoid. There's no way...he could possibly...have the hots for me," she said, as sternly as she could. She removed her hands from his hair and ran them down his front. A heat was building in her chest and she needed something more. She clung to his lapels and gripped them tightly, not sure if she wanted his coat to go or stay.

"It's really not that hard to believe," he said, angling himself downward so he wouldn't be tempted by the heat of her breath. "I told you...any man...would ravage you, if given the chance." The word ravage passed roughly over his tongue, for he was one such man, one who was restraining himself fiercely. He felt her hands press down his chest and pull the ends of his shirt loose from his pants.

"I don't believe you. We can barely stand each other," she said, slowly unknotting his belt and pulling it free. She cast it away and wrapped an arm around his neck, holding herself steady as she reached down to touch him through the confines of his pants.

Jareth's eyes closed and the hand at her back reached up into her hair, and he grimaced in reluctant enjoyment as she massaged him, growing harder with each movement. He forced himself to laugh then and took a deep breath in the effort to get ahold of himself.

"Heh, He's never been very good with women," he said, his own words becoming strained. She was touching him with such consideration. It was driving him mad. "Especially the one's he's attracted to," he finished, pulling his fingers from her and clamping them around her hand, forcing her to grip him harder. Yes, he was getting greedy now, but her subtle teases were getting the better of him.

She held onto him tightly, letting him guide and force her hand. His breathing was getting heavier, his hand in her hair beginning to pull, and she loved it. She reached down and undid the button on the fly of his trousers.

"And talking about this isn't...killing your mood?" she asked. Jareth smiled and reached down to pull her hips forward.

"Not hardly," he said, pushing her hand beneath his pants and forming it into a fist around his erection. He held her hips suspended, just barely out of reach, and pushed into her just slightly each time she pumped him. She began to make little noises then, little anxious moans that yearned for him to penetrate her.

"Should I be flattered?" she asked. Jareth smiled, tilting his head back to look up at her once more.

"Are you?"

"I don't know," she said, stroking him harder just so he would moan. She smiled when he did, when he couldn't help but let her have her way. She could feel the head of his erection growing wet and pushed her hips just a little bit lower. "I mean, you were upset enough to call him out on it, I guess. And here I thought you didn't get jealous-"

"I am not jealous," Jareth interjected, sternly. Sarah ran her thumb up the length of him, coating her fluids all over as she massaged the tip. His voice staggered then as he groaned and closed his eyes tight. She was getting so bold now. He was finding it harder to endure.

"Why not?" she asked, playfully. "He is handsome...has a nice build...If he lost some of that attitude then who knows?" She meant her words jokingly and nothing more, as if she could ever take the idea of an affair with Roldan seriously. Still, she wasn't prepared for the hard thrust of Jareth's cock as it slammed inside her.

His hands were still on her hips, she'd near forgotten they were there, but no sooner after her words were uttered did they lock, like vices, and pull her down sharply.

Sarah moaned in surprise and let go of him. His breathing was uneasy and arduous as he held her there. She looked to his face, suspicious his action was in reaction to what she'd said, but her concern was fleeting. He moaned, and when he opened his eyes their gazes locked, and it was like an actual pound coursed through them. She felt a heat rise to her cheeks and enflame her entire body and she knew he'd felt it too. She wondered why, why their connection was so palpable. She took a deep breath and, for a moment, it seemed there might be something other than passion on his mind, but before either had time enough to suspect, caution was thrown to the wind and they launched upon each other raggedly.

Their faces crashed, their mouths hot and open, one devouring the other with corse form. Jareth's hand fisted tightly at the back of her head and pressed her close. His eyes screwed shut as he bit her. She gasped and moaned and curled her tongue behind his teeth. Her arms went around him and her fingers clawed into his shoulders. She rose her hips and thrust them down again and again, riding him hard as he thrust up into her, over and over.

He leaned back into the couch and took her with him, his free hand splaying on the small of her back as he guided her rhythm. He couldn't explain how it had happened, where the impulse had come from, but it was there, tearing them to pieces.

Sarah's moans were high, starved and craven. She moved her hands to either side of his face and bit his lips, then threw her head back and pushed him lower. His grip in her hair pulled, arching her back and thrusting her chest towards him. He bit at the swell of her breasts, her dress inching lower and lower the more they moved.

His hand on her hip left to grope at her breast, pushing it higher as he kissed, until his tongue found her nipple, already taut with anticipation. He sucked and kissed and left a trail of hot saliva that turned to a chill the moment he pulled away. His heart was pounding so quickly. Her moans were growing louder but for some reason he...he needed to slow down.

He pulled away from her and straightened her up, pressing their foreheads together as he guided her hips slower. She took heavy breaths and he stole them right back. Their eyes were closed, so he inhaled deeply.

"Sarah..." he whispered and closed his eyes tighter. "Let me smell you."

Sarah furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"What?" she asked, caught off guard. Jareth took a deep breath and slowed their rhythm further, keeping himself pressed deep as he rocked her hips in slight, painstaking arcs.

"You've been so good at...keeping the door closed. But now I...I need to smell you," he said, which only made his request seem stranger. Sarah looked at him, trying to understand, but their faces were still touching and his eyes were still closed. She was too close to really see anything.

"Why?" she asked, and he let out a slow exhale. Why indeed.

He thought she sounded nervous and indeed she had a right to be, but he was greedy. Steadily, day by day, she'd been getting better and better at keeping that wonderful smell of hers concealed. That wonderful smell that actually drove him mad. The only time she slipped up was when they were in the throws, and even then it was only the faint scent of arousal. Before she knew what to do, she would throw everything at him all at once, not just her urges but her emotions. Raw, pure emotions. She couldn't lie to him back then, and it was that kind of truth he had taken for granted. It's what drove him wild, it's what filled the emptiness in his heart. It's what inevitably drove him to hurt her over and over again. But...if he could only smell her now...he would know how she truly felt. If he could smell her now he would be sure to lose himself and he wanted to, desperately. If only she knew.

"I want...I need to feel you," he said, but it only made her more uncertain. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow deeply.

"I...I'm not sure how. I've been concentrating so hard on keeping it closed...I don't know how to open it," she said. She wasn't quite sure what he was asking of her, but she was able to recall past instances, instances when he was completely enthralled by nothing but her smell. But was it something so simple? Had she really gotten so good? Could he no longer smell her at all?

"It's okay," Jareth said, his tone becoming softer, more tender, and he rose his hands to hold either side of her face. "Just relax. Envision it. Let it flow out of you and directly to me."

She closed her eyes and her brow twisted further. This all seemed a bit strange to her but she nodded in accordance. She tried to focus, to do as he'd said but it was difficult. She couldn't concentrate. Not right now.

Worry nibbled at her lip and she scowled intensely. Jareth saw this and kissed that lip, drawing it out until he took her worry with him.

"Please..." he whispered, pleaded actually, and pulled away to wait for her, patiently. Sarah became reluctant then, wondering why he needed her to do this.

She let out a shallow breath and relaxed, her arms embracing him as she rocked her hips steadily. She wasn't sure what he was looking for, nor how much she could give him, but she would try.

Jareth remained still as she rocked astride him, focusing on the air around them. He regretted ever teaching her how to control her pheromones, for she'd given him a thirst he could no longer quench. He felt hints of it, when she was angry, when she was active, when he was inside her, but nothing compared to those first few days.

He held her close and both their breathing escalated. He inhaled and a subtle flutter warmed his chest. His embrace on her tightened, silently encouraging her. She started to moan and the sensation increased. He gave himself to it but wanted more, always more. He started to pant, layers of her smell beginning to loom in the air about them. It wasn't much. It wasn't everything. It was just a taste, but a taste was all he needed.

He moaned low in the back of his throat and thrust up into her. She gasped and all of the sudden he was back in control. He focused his senses on her, everything. He could sense so many things, yet they were each indiscernible. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, but it was no use. If she had his senses it would be clearer. If she could only understand the way she made him feel...He never restrained anything from her, ever, and it pained him that she had not the ability to perceive it. His own pheromones were running wild but to her...to her it was nothing.

He pulled away and kissed her with a new desperation. He'd been feeling...different lately. He couldn't place when, but it felt like something between them had changed, become stronger. When he looked at her, his heart did not fight itself. In fact it opened, it bloomed for her. He'd never felt such liberation. He wanted to tell her...to tell anyone at all, but still he just...couldn't. Not yet. But this...this he could do. This was as close as he could bring himself to telling her. He couldn't say it, but he showed it to her every time. But...if she could sense him she might know. If she could sense him he wouldn't have to say anything at all. This was as close as he could get before losing it. He hoped, no he prayed that she knew, that somehow she could feel it too.

That's when he realized...he didn't have to pray.

His thumbs caressed her temples as he pulled away from her lips. She opened her eyes, uncertain, but the haze about his gaze was confirmation enough.

"Would you like to know...how it feels?" he asked, his voice drifting. His eyelids were lowered, his gaze glossy. Sarah recognized this look, though she wasn't sure what to say.

"How...what feels?" she asked. Jareth smiled and leaned back, resting against the couch.

"What it's like to feel someone...the way I feel you," he explained. Sarah frowned, hesitant.

"You can do that?" she asked. His smile humbled and he nodded. She was quiet, her lips pouting with reluctance. He brought a hand to the side of her face and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. Her expression was skeptical, apprehensive even. Her eyes scoured his, full of misgivings and yet, after a moment, she nodded slowly. Her eyes stayed on his, blazing as he rose his hand to her forehead. She bit her lip, closing her eyes tightly when he pressed his thumb down the center of her forehead. He pulled away and she was surprised to find that was all it took. She opened her eyes and then something...unexpected happened.

It started with heat. Her eyes, they were warm. She blinked them repeatedly but found her vision was starting to change. This confused her and she became worried. Wasn't she supposed to smell something? It came on slowly but was soon to escalate. She opened her mouth, doubt lain clear on her face, but she asked no questions. Jareth moved, pulling back the hair from her neck and kissed her there softly.

She closed her eyes, but the warmth stayed. Now it was spreading. Now it made her skin tingle and a pressure formed around her as if the air itself was vibrating. She gasped and one of his hands sprang up to clutch her neck, his kiss turning to a bite. She could feel...something now. Like a fog. Like a weight in her chest. Her chest expanded with each breath until her bosom heaved. Her eyes were now open wide and...they just couldn't focus. A wave of vertigo hit her and for a moment she went limp, and it became clear then precisely why Jareth was supporting her the way he was.

She panted heavily and tried to move but her limbs were weak and wobbly, her fingers still tingling as she tried weakly to clutch them around his back. She swallowed hard and again tried to pull away from him. This feeling scared her, like she'd been thrust into a drunk stupor.

"You can smell it, can't you?" Jareth asked, pulling away to look up to her. He held his hands around either side of her jaw, holding her upright as she fought to gain equilibrium. Sarah frowned but panted even heavier. This feeling...it was spreading lower. She could feel it in her abdomen, twisting her in knots each time Jareth rolled his hips. It was...different. It was almost painful. And yet, she knew that her moans were as loud as screams.

"Jareth- What-" She tried to speak but she was quickly overwhelmed. There was alarm in the back of her mind, but she was in such a trance she couldn't do anything about it. Jareth closed his eyes and brought their faces together.

"Do you feel it? Do you finally understand?" he asked, slowing down so he didn't completely overpower her. Sarah gulped and relaxed into his hold.

"Are these...my pheromones?" she asked, boggled. She could barely maintain motor function, the room seeming to spin around her.

Jareth took a deep breath and moaned. The more she opened up to him the more he was able to take from her. Her scent flushed his senses and he fought to retain enough clarity to not consume her whole.

"No," he whispered, lowering his hands from her neck when he was sure she wouldn't fall. "They're mine."

She closed her eyes then, her breathing starting to shallow, her body going lax, and she realized suddenly that it had been tension rather than numbness that had rendered her immobile. She embraced him tightly then, holding his face in the crook of her neck. She felt...wrought with things, with emotions and sensations, so many she couldn't label them all. So this is what it was like? This was the way his people communicated? It wasn't a smell at all. It had nothing to do with one sense or another. It was everything. It was completely its own. It was something she...couldn't fathom.

"Is this...how you feel...when you smell me?" she asked. She wasn't sure if they were moving fast or slow, but the immense pleasure inside of her only continued to grow. She couldn't describe it. She'd never felt anything like it.

"Yes...Only...imagine it...tenfold," he replied, turning sharply and laying her out against the couch. The gesture, while minor, was like a whirlwind to her and she gasped as she landed, her mouth opening wide as another surprise shriek of pleasure escaped her. He could go deeper now, sink into her, slowly. She could feel every bit of him inside her, feel as he pushed and stretched every part of her. It was so acute, so...so...

Her back arched and she screamed.

"Ah! J-Jareth!" she called his name, her hands clawing around his biceps as he held himself above her. Her toes curled, her knees bent, twisting and turning as she fought to accommodate whatever the fuck was happening to her.

Jareth let out a hoarse moan and screwed his eyes shut. The way she was shrieking for him...he'd never heard her make such beautiful noises. And she writhed, in euphoric torment. Yes, this was what he felt for her. This was how he agonized. If she could not understand him now then all hope was lost. He gave her everything he had, made sure she felt everything. She grimaced and pushed her head back into the couch, her knees tightening around his hips and bracing. It was too much. She couldn't take it, but she would. He would never hold back from her. Not ever.

"Jareth!" she cried again, her voice a wailing falsetto. She couldn't -this feeling -it needed to stop. Jareth gasped and groaned and thrust his arms around her, engulfing her as he pushed her shoulders down, allowing her no buffer as he pounded into her. Her hands went beneath his jacket, her nails digging into his ribs through his shirt as she clawed at him mercilessly. He called out in pain, but it was outweighed by another terrible scream from her. She lifted her body against his and it locked as the tremors hit her, leaving her quaking yet petrified as she experienced the most severe orgasm she could possibly imagine. Jareth's arms buckled as a flood of her aroma washed over him. He reached down and wrapped an arm under her leg, holding her taut. This was it. This was what he was waiting for, what he had been craving. It was just like before, when she could do nothing to hold back. Gods, it'd crashed into him so profoundly, he didn't even have time to sort through what he was sensing when he came inside her, loudly, violently. She took from him everything he had until he was left with delirium. But this was a madness he craved, a madness he was sure he would never, ever be rid of.

The sound of their breathing was raucous and their prostrated state unkempt. He leaned above her, and a wave of fresh cool air washed over her. Her chest still heaved and sweat clung the ends of his hair to his face.

He leaned up a little further and achingly removed his coat.

Sarah rose her arms above her head, anything to help cool herself down.

"What...the hell...was that?" she asked, rolling her head back as she took slow deep breaths. Jareth, just as exhausted, nearly fell on top of her once his coat was tossed to the side. He lowered his stomach to hers and reached up to play with the hair that framed her face.

"That...is what it feels like to truly be with someone," he said, stroking her temple as he regarded her. She looked away and took a deep breath.

"Well then...touché," she said, recalling the speech he'd once gave her, how he'd described what it meant to truly be with someone. She didn't understand what he meant until now. Though it seemed he hadn't been as egotistic as she'd thought. "Jareth?" she asked, her eyes falling shut. "I think I'm going to pass out." It was getting harder for her to keep her eyes open and her body, it just felt like a dead weight. Jareth smiled and stroked her cheek.

"You very well might," he said, and rose a knuckle to brush away a tear she didn't even know was there. "It's overwhelming, isn't it?" he asked. Sarah struggled to peer back to him.

"This isn't going to be...permanent or anything, is it?" she asked, with minor dread. She couldn't imagine feeling like that all the time, and that's what he claimed to feel from her? Every single time? She felt kind of bad for him actually.

"No, that charm was only temporary," he said, and she focused her eyes on him when he sounded somewhat let down by the fact.

"Oh?"

"Yes...More than simply heightening your senses, I added one. Making it permanent would be considered an unnatural change, and could in fact have a detrimental effect on your body," he explained and she became suddenly worried. He smiled again, her expressions had become so dramatic; she no longer had the energy to keep her emotions coy. "Don't worry. It's perfectly fine in small doses," he assured her, leaning forward and kissing her swollen lips before she had the chance to nibble them.

"Ah...I see...Alright then..." She was starting to doze off, her breaths long and labored. She laid the back of her hand against her forehead and glanced towards the fire. "If I happen to fall asleep like this...you better not do anything nasty," she said, her eyes drifting shut.

Jareth cracked a smirk then, watching her silently; but after a moment, he withdrew himself from her. She flinched uncomfortably, letting him know she was indeed still awake. He leaned up off of her and removed his shirt, reclining against the couch and closing his eyes as he relaxed. He never imagined getting to experience that with her, for some reason the thought had never before occurred. An unbidden exchange of pheromones was to be considered an extremely intimate act, and in all actuality he'd only ever done so maybe a handful of times over his entire life. And to think, he'd done so with a human.

He inhaled deeply through his nose and sagged a little into the couch. Should he tell her how significant their actions were? Should he tell her how much it meant to him? He'd sensed something...right at the end, something she'd kept buried beneath all the rest. He couldn't discern it, not with everything else going on, but it was...recognizable. He tried to think but he couldn't for the life of him recall what it was.

He rolled his head and glanced back to her, spread eagle as she sprawled along the couch. Her breathing had calmed but he had a feeling she was still awake. One of her knees was bent while the other leg dangled to the floor, her dress falling high up her thighs. She was such an odd vision like this, caught somewhere between cute and alluring.

"What is the name of that device...the one that captures images and puts them on pieces of parchment?" he asked, turning his head back to look at the ceiling while he waited for her eyes to open.

"You mean a camera?" she replied, and he rolled his head back with a grin.

"Yes. That. I wish I had one of those this very moment," he said, and she rose a haphazard brow as she struggled and failed to look over herself, and shrugged with indifference.

"Eh, wouldn't that be nice," she said, sarcastically, and let her head drop back to the couch cushion. She heard a click then, and the very familiar sound of a shutter.

Suddenly, she found the energy to lean up.

She opened her eyes and scowled.

"What-the...you've got to be kidding me," she said and threw herself back down exasperatingly. "Where did that even come from?" she asked. Jareth smiled as he lowered the odd contraption and pulled the polaroid from its slot. She peered back to find him waving it at her teasingly.

"Ask and you shall receive," he said, grinning smugly at his own handiwork. She wondered how in the hell he even knew how to use one of those things.

"I didn't know you could conjure things from the Aboveground," she said, something that she would have liked to know much, much earlier. Jareth huffed through his nose as he watched the picture slowly develop.

"I can conjure anything you desire. From this world or the next," he said and let his attention drift away from her. Sarah saw this, saw his expression as it shifted the longer he stared at the photo.

"You're grinning like a fool over there, can I see how it turned out?" she asked. Jareth shook his head.

"No. Definitely not," he said, with a dastardliness that had her struggling to sit up. "Ah, ah, ah," he said, sending the picture away with a little poof. "Something like this is far too scandalous for such delicate eyes," he said, raising a brow at her when she glared.

"You're a real gentleman, aren't you?" she asked. Jareth's grin broadened.

"Now, who ever told you that?" he asked and leaned forward to set the camera on the coffee table. Sarah eyed him warily. He seemed to have much more energy than her.

"No one. Absolutely no one." He smiled to himself and leaned back in his seat, and when it seemed like he was in fact still tame, she too fell back and relaxed. It was so strange...she was still aware of everything she'd learned from Marie, but being with him today had only felt...relieving. Now that couldn't have been good. She felt her eyes growing heavy, the light of the fire starting to blur. "I mean it Jareth," she said, and he looked over curiously. Her eyes were closed again, the urge to sleep hitting her unexpectedly. "Nothing...nasty..."

---

Sarah awoke to find herself tucked quite carefully, her face nuzzling into her favorite pillow. She blinked slowly and scowled. Her head felt fuzzy and it was a strain trying to remember how exactly she'd gotten there.

She sat up a little and immediately realized she was naked beneath the blanket, clad in nothing but her necklace. Her brow wriggled still, as she could have sworn she had also been wearing a dress. She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand and let out a low exhale. She was still tired.

She didn't know what time it was, but neither did she care, content instead with simply falling back asleep. She pulled the blanket back over her shoulder and rolled over, then stopped, with not much surprise at all.

She'd wondered why she was on the far side of the bed when usually she slept in the middle. But it would seem the middle was occupied today, by a very unwanted guest.

She scowled deeply then. She was willing to brush off the missing clothes, but this she couldn't ignore.

Why did he always do this? Why could he not just sleep in his own damn room? Actually, her anger was unwarranted for this was in fact the first time Jareth had slept in her bed. The days he'd invaded her dreams, she was fairly certain he'd come in the morning, and the time he'd made her cry...well, he claimed not to have slept at all...as if sneaking around her unconscious body was better under any circumstances.

He was faced towards her, one arm outstretched as he laid on his side. She followed that arm and realized it had been under her favorite pillow all along. He shifted and she saw his hand flex, his arm curling up as if expecting something to be there to latch on to.

She scowled harder. Jareth was most definitely a cuddler and that was perhaps the one thing she swore not to do with him. It wasn't much of a principle, but it was the easiest one to live up to.

She thought about simply getting up for the day, but she could tell by how pale the sun was that it was still fairly early and damn it, it was her bed. She would sleep in it if she wanted to. She looked back to Jareth, her eyes narrowing on him suspiciously as she tried to imagine all the things he could have done to her after she'd fallen asleep, but she couldn't remember anything. She recalled he'd taken her picture and then...nothing.

She found she was actually glaring at him now, her fingers tapping impatiently. What would be the best way to handle this? she wondered.

Jareth let out a long exhale and groaned, scowling into his pillow as he reached out and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her back down.

"Stop looking at me like that," he grumbled, his arm constricting tightly around her abdomen. Sarah landed with an oof and immediately tried to sit up. She'd fallen over his waist, laying perpendicular to him as he held her there, and, aside from the simple need to escape, it really wasn't all that comfortable.

"You're awake?" she asked, struggling and failing. His arm was like a vice, his strength just plain stupid.

"No," he answered, grumpily. Sarah gave in to lay there for a minute, then tried shifting to a more comfortable position.

"I take it you put me to bed then?"

"No, after our talk I thought it would make more sense to have Roldan do it."

She would have lunged to her feet just then if it weren't for his blatant sarcasm.

"That's not funny. I can't remember a thing," she said. Jareth took a deep breath and relaxed a bit, though Sarah found his grip hadn't changed.

"I figured you wouldn't."

Oh, now that worried her.

"Oh really? Anything I should know about?" she asked, accusingly. She might not have been so defensive if she wasn't in such a compromising position. He had her laid across his lap after all, and while he did have the decency of a blanket, she didn't.

"Not particularly..." and his voice trailed off. She wasn't sure if it was just because he was tired or because of something else.

"You didn't do anything nasty, did you?" she asked, with warning. She saw him crack a smile and tried to sit up again.

"I guess you'll never know," he said, playfully, and rolled over onto his back. He switched arms, holding her with one while the other went behind his head.

"Great. That's just great. Could you let go of me?" she asked. Jareth smiled then released her, his fingers sifting through her hair as they pulled away. She sat up and lifted the blanket to cover herself, surprised he had cooperated so easily.

"Relax. I was a proper gentleman," he said, his smile betraying him. Sarah glared and crossed her arms.

"Pf, yeah, as if I'd believe that," she said and looked away. Jareth rose his arms to stretch and then brought both of them to rest behind his head. Her eyes peered back then, stealthily. His position made his arms flex and she couldn't help but appreciate it. For being so lean, he had a surprising amount of muscle on him. Damn it, she shouldn't be checking him out. She was trying to be adverse.

"Come now, must you be so skeptical? I carried you to bed, found your gown was stuck to you in sweat and thought you might better cool down without it," he explained, but Sarah's eyes stayed narrow.

"And I suppose I invited you to stay too?" she asked. He looked away then, a fun little smile lighting up his face that she really hoped had no right being there.

"Actually, I believe your exact words were, fine I'll allow you to put me to bed but if I sense any funny business I'll kick your royal ass all the way back to Kansas." He snickered a little as he mocked her, raising a smug brow in her direction as he waited for her reaction.

Sarah recoiled a bit. There was no way she'd said that. She didn't remember it at all. Sensing her reluctance, Jareath continued on.

"When I asked where this Kansas was, you glared at me quite viciously and said, somewhere over the Goddamn rainbow. I tried to tisk you, but then you went on to lecture me on all the ways to be a gentleman and encouraged I take strong heed...Oh, what was the phrase you used...happy wife, happy life?"

Sarah's face turned beat red then. There was no fucking way she'd said that. Not in a million years. She didn't care if she was over tired and half cocked.

"I don't believe you," she said, with a grave sense of dread. Jareth glanced away and shrugged.

"You don't have to. You merely asked, so I answered," he said, casually. Sarah turned away then and tried not to huff, taking her blanket with her as she stood and left the bed. Jareth's eyes followed after her, half tempted to pull her shield away before she got too far out of reach.

"Uh-huh. Gotcha," she grumbled, heading towards the washroom. "If that's how it works then can I ask if you're coming to the lesson today?"

"Would you like me to?" he countered. She paused with her hand on the bathroom door, glancing back to him with a raised brow.

"We need to rehearse the ceremony, and I do believe we're running out of time, so yeah, I would," she answered, turning back around to open the door. She heard him speak from over her shoulder.

"I suppose that would be wise, considering it's tomorrow."

Sarah stopped then, freezing for just a moment.

"What?" she asked, fighting not to turn back around. Jareth, oblivious, leaned back and sprawled across the bed.

"The ceremony. It's tomorrow. Good thing you brought it up...one of us may have forgotten," he said, carelessly, not realizing the effect his words were having.

Sarah gripped the knob tighter. She wasn't expecting...yes, yes she had indeed forgotten. She knew the wedding was soon, but not that soon. She'd been telling herself not to think about it too much, so ardently that in fact she must have lost some of her attention on the matter. She couldn't remember what day Roldan had said it was, just that it was only a few days away. Wow, he must have said that a few days ago. Damn it. She'd told them countless times to get her a damn calendar.

She couldn't help the feeling of dread that gradually pooled at the bottom of her stomach. It was stupid, she shouldn't be panicking now. She'd known about this...

No, she would not break now. She'd been doing so well, just one more day. She shook her head and shoo'd it all away, turning the knob with determination as she went to take a step inside.

"...Roldan would never let that happen," she said, biting back her scornful tone. Jareth picked up on it nonetheless, and looked towards her a bit more attentive. He didn't really believe the smile she glanced back at him with. "Besides...how could I ever forget?"

She forced her smile as she stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door gently behind her and letting out a swift exhale. Her toes felt frigid treading bare across the floor and she shivered as reality hit her. She was getting married tomorrow. She was being coerced into getting married tomorrow. And Jareth...no, she couldn't even factor Jareth in right now.

She stepped towards the tub and stood waiting as it filled, her feet fidgeting anxiously. With an impatient sigh she sat down. Dipping her toes into the warm water, she hoped it would sooth her goosebumps. It didn't. Not at all. She sighed again and chided herself.

Cold feet, she thought, how appropriate.

---

A/N- I hadn't planned for there to be another sex scene in this one, I swear...