William took Lydia's hand, not knowing where to start. He hadn't thought he'd fall in love with this girl, but she'd caught him with her sweet letters and innocent dreams of her future. Their future if he had anything to say about it. Lydia sat on a chair near the large window overlooking the gardens and would not look at him. Finally she glanced over and sighed.

"William, I don't understand why you didn't trust me enough with this. So I don't know if I can trust you." Her eyes were wide as he came to her side and took her hand. Such a small gesture, but her heart started beating just a bit faster. Part of her understood it was not from fear, but she was confused by so much lately.

"Lydia, you must know that I would never harm you. My family does not openly admit to our heritage for obvious reasons. But believe me, I would have told you of my feelings before you left for home."

"I don't know why I'm surprised. I just wish you would have found a better way to tell me," Lydia said, wiping her eyes. She froze, realizing what else he had said.

"Your - your feelings?" She asked, looking up into his eyes. He leaned in to her and smiled.

"I love - Sarah!" he shouted, running out the door.

"Sarah? What?" Lydia was furious.

"No, no - I love you but Sarah - she's been hurt," William cried, his eyes blazing orange. They rushed out of the house to see Jareth cradling Sarah in his arms, blood staining his armor. She wasn't moving, Lydia thought wildly. She wasn't moving.

"Sarah," Lydia screamed, watching the blood flow onto the ground. Sarah was so still, barely breathing and William sniffed the air, his eyes scanning the skies like a skilled hunter and Lydia flinched. What more did she need to learn about these people?

"Wraiths." Jareth nodded at this and William growled into the air, searching the skies. He looked down at the king holding his precious Sarah and spoke quietly to him.

"They are gone but we must move Sarah inside quickly. The smell of fear attracts them." William went to help lift her but Jareth growled a low warning to him, clutching Sarah tightly to him. She moaned and he stood up with her in his arms, never taking his eyes from her face.

"Wraiths? What are wraiths?" Lydia asked, looking at the sky in terror.

"I will take her to the Under Ground," Jareth insisted and William glared at him, knowing Jareth was not thinking clearly.

"There is no time. I'll call my mother and she'll tend to Sarah until she is stablized to take back with you." Jareth glanced at the blood staining her clothes and moaned softly in fear. There was no time to argue, and he merely nodded at the Fae lord.

They all transported to Sarah's room and Jareth put the girl down gently on her bed. Within moments Lady Selia was there worry on her face.

"William, you are not hurt?" His quick nod assured her long enough for her to look at Sarah. She noticed Jareth hovering and bowed.

"Your highness," she said quickly.

"Heal her," he curtly replied and she looked at the wound with practiced expertise. She glanced up at William and told him to get Lydia out of the room.

"She does not need to see this," she snapped and William led the protesting girl out of the room. Selia frowned, a magical bag of potions appearing next to her.

"Wraiths?"

"Yes." Jareth never took his eyes off the girl, Selia noticed.

"When?"

"Moments ago."

"Hold her down."

Jareth did as he was told and Selia took out a vial of tincture made from gold mixed into a smaller amount of wraith poison. It would counteract the infection, but it would be painful. As the tincture touched her skin, Sarah screamed loudly from pain. Jareth's eyes turned wild and he went to lift her from the bed. He heard Lydia's shouts from outside the room and William's assurances that everything was being done for their friend. He heard Lydia cry as though his Sarah was already in the Fade. His sanity was slipping through his mind like grains of sand and he growled at nothing and everything as he reached for Sarah.

"Majesty, no! This must be done," she said and he grimaced, knowing she was correct. His eyes held all of the pain he could not voice and Selia knew the girl must be special to the Goblin King. She'd heard rumors of course, but living Above Ground - one did not believe rumors.

Sarah's face was pale and her skin was hot. The poison working its way through her system was stronger than a human could possibly stand. Jareth knew that humans usually did not survive an attack such as this, but he would not lose her.

"How do you know this child?" Selia asked quietly, drawing the poison out of Sarah's arm. Sarah gasped, not fully awake and her body trembled under the strain.

"She is my queen," he said in a low voice and Selia gasped. A human child, not yet matured into womanhood. Was he mad? No, he was Fae and he was king - together those qualities made him what he was and she knew that from past experience. This must be the Champion they had heard about, Jareth had somehow convinced the child he loved her.

"Why were there wraiths here, sire?" Selia asked, working quickly. He glared at her then sighed.

"They know Sarah is my chosen one. Orion most likely wishes her as his own to destroy me. Sarah came out of the house to fight them on her own. It was - irresponsible."

"True, she had no business trying to attack them on her own," Seline agreed as she poured more medicine onto Sarah's torn flesh, making the girl scream in agony. Jareth's eyes filled with unshed tears that he ignored, watching Sarah writhe in pain, powerless to do more than hold her hand and love her.

"I meant it was irresponsible of myself to allow it to get this far. I was selfish to think she could survive in my world."

"She is young, sire. She can be taught discretion," Selia comforted him but he stood up to pace.

"No, I must not allow her to come back to our world, Selia - she must not come back where she can be taken prisoner or killed."

"You don't have a choice," Sarah gasped softly and Jareth climbed into the bed to hold her to him, quiet sobs barely held in check. Selia looked at them holding onto each other and stared. He was really in love with the girl, who would have believed?

"She will need time to heal, I suggest you take her to your kingdom where the healers can do more for her than I have."

"My parents, I can't just," Sarah started to say and Selia held up a hand.

"Your parents and Lydia's father are at our townhouse in Paris. My husband will ask them to spend the night before we all come back to the house in the morning. Jareth can take you home long enough to have you properly tended to and reorder time as necessary. But you do need to be seen to by proper healers. I am Selia, by the way. Williams mother."

"Oh - good to meet you," Sarah sighed. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course my dear," Selia answered swiftly. "What may I do for you?"

"Leave the room so I can argue with my fiance in private," Sarah said with a pained yet determined look on her face. Selia saw the anger flare on Jareth's face and agreed.

"I'll let the others know how you fare, Lady Sarah," she said, hiding a smirk. Jareth was in for quite the battle if Sarah's face was anything to go by now.