Thank you all for the reviews and comments!

Chapter 29


Sarah sat perched on the edge of the chair with her foot tapping against the stone floor of the council floor. She hadn't seen Duncan since her coming-out party when she was sixteen, which was also doubled as her engagement party. She dressed carefully earlier this morning choosing a dark-green gown with minimal lace detailing and a modest neckline something she saved more for council meetings. Feeling this was not a flashy type of meeting.

She stood up as the door opened; she felt Jareth put a reassuring hand on her lower back as the familiar man made his presence. She could see the similarities between them know; she thought at first; it was because of Keiran, and how much they seemed alike from the portraits. Now knowing the truth it hit her in the face; His face was square, a well-defined jaw line and straight nose. His hair was sandy with a hint of red within it; his eyes a mossy green just like hers with the same deep-set eyes.

"Your Majesty, " Duncan swept into a bow, as Sarah curtsied to him.

"Your Majesty, " she replied. "Duncan, " she added after a moment. "Shall we sit?" She waved a hand at the table. "Tea?" She rambled on unsure of how to proceed with such a conversation as Jareth pulled out her chair for her. She sat down with the men following her; she folded her hands in her lap.

"I am fine thank you." Duncan declined and swept his jacket as he sat down. "You have grown into quite a young woman." He commented his eyes quickly glancing over her with the look of familiar affection. "I hope the children are well? "

She felt Jareth stiffen at the mention of the children. He was so on edge; she placed her hand underneath the table on his thigh giving him a gentle squeeze. "They are well. The twins are growing like weeds and Amalthea is finally leaving the trying stages." Sarah retorted. "Can we just cut to the chase of why we asked you here? "

Duncan chuckled and nodded. "By all means, " he said with a flourish, Sarah nodded and took out the small journals that were of her mothers.

"These were my mothers, " she explained. "I found them in some old trunks of hers while at Dunluce. It paints quite a story, and I want to know your side of the story as you are the only one living that can tell me the truth. "

Duncan took them gingerly in his hands. "What do you know already? "

"That she believed you were my father, that she knew that you were my father, " Sarah said after a moment. "You had an affair while her husband was away and that resulted in me, but Keiran believed that I was his for a time being but somehow got suspicious and sent my mother away and forced her to have another child."

"My brother wasn't pleased when he found out even when their marriage was political. Sahara while she did grow fond of him and agreed to the match it wasn't exactly true love and with Keiran often away we grew to rely on one another, we were running a kingdom as Regents as he was away at war. We knew it was forbidden, but it just couldn't be stopped; she came to me on her own lonely accords, and I let her use me out of my own selfish need of her affections." Duncan spoke honestly; he watched her carefully as he did. The same intense gaze, she often gave Jareth. "When your mother announced she was with child it shocked me, I couldn't question her and my brother was over the moon pleased. It soon became apparent that he had his doubts; he had his minions around the palace. He never outright declared the knowledge but the treatment towards her changed slowly. He moved her shortly after you were born to Dunluce and sent me away. When I heard that, she passed from Keiran's incessant pressure for another child. I was in my half mind to claim you as my own when he was killed."

"But there is no true way to prove it. " Sarah bewilderedly asked, absorbing all this was wearing her down.

"There is when you inherited my abilities." Duncan looked at her with a knowing look; she blushed. "Both your mother and Keiran both had physical magic something you never showed potential in; which lead me to believe that you were my child and not his, though your training must have been atrocious."

"It wasn't exactly easy to learn to control it, but I got the hang of turning it on and off so people aren't constantly in my head." Sarah agreed with him.

"Of course, course they would tell you that, there are other ways of controlling the power without shutting it off completely," Duncan said with a tone of disgust.

"Jareth did his best, " Sarah objected, "It was better than living with headaches and everybody overwhelming me because that was my life as a child."

"Jareth taught you?" Duncan looked towards Jareth. "I am surprised that he took the time, mostly because my plea's and letters were never answered. "

Jareth cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean letters? I sent you monthly updates and even portraits of Sarah to try to establish communication and never got any replies."

"Well I wrote, and the only letter I ever had received was from Sarah inviting me to her 16th birthday," Duncan told him.

"So you are angry that Sarah was raised in my kingdom," Jareth argued offensively. "Which is why for years you've been terrorizing my kingdom! "

"Terrorizing your kingdom? I have done nothing to your bloody kingdom! You might want to look at your own palace to find the culprit! Probably the same person that planned this whole thing from the beginning. Your father dying in his sleep after a superficial battle wound? Shortly after you became of age; Keiran knew if he died, I would expose the truth! He and your mother most likely planned the whole damn thing. "

"Don't you dare bring my mother into this!" Jareth roared.

"Open your god damn eyes man!"

Sarah laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Jareth calm down, " she told him quietly. "So we wrote to you and you never got them, and we never received your letters? Someone intercepted our mail, and you think the Dowager is behind it? I don't understand any of this, I am nothing special."

"Sarah you are a descendant of the wood nymphs; you are the last with a link of the rulers of the old kingdom. Your children are born from two sides of the old kingdoms the sky and earth."

"That is just a fairy tale. " Jareth scoffed. "Fairytale nonsense!"

"Is it?" Duncan looked at him. "Who dares to go against you since Sarah turned marriageable age? What happened to the wars that wracked this continent for centuries?"

"I used to read a fairytale when I was young about the old kingdoms, how they fought and kept to themselves, but two fell in love and peace prevailed until they were torn apart by their families." Sarah recalled her old story books. "They decided they rather be dead than apart. It tore the continent apart and formed the new kingdom we know today."

"So my mother is deranged and has a strange obsession with fairy tales" Jareth rolled his eyes. "This was all ridiculous to have a plan and force Sarah and me to marry because of a fairytale! It still doesn't explain the fires and other things I have dealt with."

"To keep you from seeing the truth?" Duncan suggested. "To keep me looking like the villain of the situation when the reality, she orchestrated the whole thing."

"Well, what do we do now?" Sarah asked curiously.

"We do nothing. " Jareth told them. "We keep this to ourselves; we don't let one that we know anything."

"Is that wise?" Duncan asked. "What about your children?"

"Sarah controls the nursery and my mother only sees them at various tea's and the occasional meal." Jareth retorted trying to ease their minds. "I will deal with my mother, perhaps it's time for her to go on a holiday."

They spoke more at length before the clock struck two; Sarah stood as the men joined her; she pulled a scroll out of the pocket of her cloak and handed it to him.

"Your grandchildren, " Sarah told him quietly. "Odin has blue eyes and Nico has our green eyes."

Duncan nodded and pulled the ribbon keeping it rolled up letting the parchment open. It was a scene of Amalthea with the twins in a large circular chair. The golden hair of Thea was held back with an azure ribbon that matched her dress, that echoed the shade of her eyes. While the twins were dressed in white baby gowns with edgings of lace. Young boys didn't get breeched until the age of three or four, so gowns it was for them for now.

"Amalthea looks so much like your mother." Duncan caught his breath. "Of course, course she has a lot of your husband, but her nose and eyes those are your mothers."

"She is a little terror. " Sarah told him with a wry laughs "Stubborn and tries to bring every animal into the palace she can. Her favourite word for a long while was bunny."

"From what I saw or heard of you, you were no better, " Duncan chuckled. "Though, it seems you have grown out of it."

Sarah flushed and smiled slightly as Jareth let out a barking laugh. "Oh, I knew she took after you!"

She swatted his side lightly and gave him a look before turning to Duncan. "Petra won't be at the masquerade for a prior engagement, won't you come to the party? Bring your wife and your son is more than welcome to join the nursery if needed."

"I will talk it over with Lilac. " Duncan nodded. "I should get back before they wonder where I have gone too."

"Of course, as I have duties to attend to," Sarah nodded unsure how to proceed in farewells as she held out her hand awkwardly as it was customary.

"Can I not have a hug?" Duncan jested as he stood there.

Sarah gulped and nodded moving away from Jareth. The only man she ever truly hugged! She wrapped her arms timidly around Duncan-her father; letting herself open her mind to his unyielding source of light. She loved her children, She understood the notion of unconditional love, but feeling it for the first time left her blown away as she felt streams of tears fall down her face. It was the first time she ever felt the feeling of love directed towards her.


Jareth sat in his study tossing around a crystal in his hand; his mother had been behind this? He thought back to when she told him Sarah would be arriving; he thought back to his father's death how his mother rushed to him on the battle front only to come home to tell him that he did-that he was king now.

How could he not see it?

"Papa?" Thea toddled into his study the nursemaid stood by the door watching her. He noticed she had something in her hand. He waved the nanny off and lifted Thea up into his lap.

"For you, " she offered a scraggly looking piece of parchment.

Jareth looked at it a bit perplexed not knowing what the multitude of colours and lines were supposed to be. "Why thank you!" He exclaimed. "I feel so honoured by your talents, " he added, maybe she would let on what she thought the picture was?

Thea giggled. "That you, " she pointed to a dark blue, badly drawn stick figure. " That me," she pointed to a lighter blue beside him. "That is your horsey and we riding together." She smiled up at him, even if the picture had a non existent horse he still beamed down at her.

"Does that mean you want to go out for another ride?" He inquired as she giggled and kicked her small legs.

"Please!" She bounced as she answered him.

"Very well, go tell Lina to dress you warmly." Jareth told her as he deposited her back to the floor, and not a second later, she was racing across the floor to the door.

Duncan had a point though; what about the children? Were they safe? He grabbed his jacket and headed down to the bedchamber to change into riding clothing.

Sarah was out in the courtyard going over the final preparations for the Yule festival and the ball. He changed quickly and made his way down to her to let her know that he was taking Thea out for a ride.

"It's almost dinner." She objected when she heard his plan.

"I won't be long, just a short jaunt around the paddock, " Jareth gave her a look. "She likes riding Sarah, you can't just forbid it because you are uncomfortable with it; plus, she will be riding with me so you can calm your fears." He leaned in and kissed her cheek despite her huffing. "It looks amazing out here, " he added. "I really don't know how you do it so easily."

"I suppose I just have a flare for it. " Sarah told him before smirking. "Also the tailor will be by tomorrow at eleven for your costume fitting; don't miss it and don't be late because I have no backups to make us matching."

"Duly noted. " Jareth nodded his head as he heard the running steps of their daughter and caught her swiftly up in his arms. "Are you ready?"

Thea nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh! Mama comes?" She looked at Sarah.

"Oh no, Mama doesn't ride. " Sarah shook her head. "But have fun. " Sarah smiled and kissed her on the nose.

"We shall, " Jareth agreed, "See you at dinner," he kissed her once more before heading towards the stables with Thea. They rode around the paddock his arm tightly around her torso holding her close as she clutched at the horse's mane as she giggled with glee. She was everything to him from the moment, he held her for the first time. If his mother did what she did to Sarah, who wasn't even family; he didn't trust her near Amalthea. She had to be sent away without making it seem like he knew.


I keep telling myself only few more chapter but it keeps getting longer. Oh well!

A lot of this is filler and it took me a while to get things how I wanted, and how it would fit into the story. So I hope it's not too boring!

Well onto the next chapter! Should be an interesting party!?

Tina