So this became a chapter I never planned on writing but yet it was written anyway. Again I went through my own experiences of writing this.

Also apologies for the mistakes I uploaded the wrong file while I was yawning up a storm last night. It should be decently better now after fixing it to the correct one I'm sure there are still little mistakes but it shouldn't be as bad as before


Anna was studying through her books about the family laws and children. Despite having two weeks off for a break, she was still reading. Tabitha went back to see her son and husband for the Yuletide and to meet her new soon to be daughter in law. Coming across blood bonds when children were adopted. Suddenly aware of her own mortality and status within the kingdom, she had no true family. While she was a ward of the Queen, she was not adopted by them. She did not share their blood, she didn't even remember being offered a choice to become something else than human. Yet every other child that came here 12 and under was converted, those above twelve were given a choice to choose between mortality or becoming bonded with a family.

She barely remembered the early days of being at the castle trying to figure out what was going to happen, potentially finding a family for her. She had been so unstable and unsure of anything. Thinking she would wake up one day and find it all to be a dream that she would be in that house he would be there waiting for her when she came back from buying something from the 7-11 with change left lying around by her mother.

Her Mother, she barely thought of the woman who she once called mommy when she was little, before her father had left them. Then that man came one day, he would give them a place to live she was told as her suitcase was packed with her clothes and a few toys.

The house smelt of smoke and cheap perfume, there was no other children, though a few older girls who came and went. She was kept in that little bedroom near the stairs that was always locked after a certain time each night from the inside as well on the outside, that only opened in the early morning. She remembered being told it was only for a short time, just till they were back on their feet. But that seemed to be a lie as the weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Men coming and going as she looked through the lock on her door at night The bathroom had so many pills and dust on the vanity which she saw her mother take often.

She wiped the tears away from her eyes half hazardously with her sleeve of her dress. She knew what happened to her was bad from the gut feeling telling her to fight back. Her mothers constant warning to stay away from the men, that don't let anyone touch her. She had broken a plate when drying the dish, shattering on the floor, he had knocked her down on the broken glass cutting through her shirt into her back. She cried for hours till another girl took pity of her and cleaned her wounds as she sat there with a small towel covering her small frame at the kitchen table as she used tweezers to pull shards of glass from her skin while her mother was passed out in her room.

She looked up at the sound of the door to the library opening stealing a glance at the clock she realized it was well past her usual bedtime.

"Anna, are you in here?" Sarah called out, spotting the blonde ward sitting in the window with a lamp near her. "Oh sweetie, what's wrong?"

In truth Sarah hadn't remembered ever seeing Anna cry since she had come to the underground. She pulled the child who wasn't much younger than she was to her, as she sat down on the window seat. Taking note of the open books and what she had been reading.

"Why wasn't I bonded with anyone?" Anna asked quietly. "I was 12, I should have been bonded according to the laws."

"We couldn't, royalty is not allowed to bond with children that aren't naturally theirs, the laws of succession forbid it." Sarah replied after a moment. "But surely you knew that, so what is this all about."

"What happened to my mom?"

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, trying to appear unaffected by the question.

"What happened to her when you brought me here? Does she remember she has a daughter?"

Sarah shook her head. "When a child comes to the underground by means of a wish all memories of them are taken away. You know we've never been made you talk about what happened in that house, but sometimes I wonder if you feel less haunted if you talked to someone about it." She said softly to Anna who sighed and sat for a moment.

"Just thinking about my mom just brought things back, she tried to protect me at first, but then she started taking pills and was constantly out of it. I remember shaking her some mornings and she wouldn't wake up. Other girls took pity on me and took me out and got me some second hand clothing one day when they went shopping. Lou was nice, but she didn't stay long, she was the one who helped me when I was punished usually. I came home one day from wandering the park to find her room empty and her things gone. He went crazy that night, I hid in a closet trying to keep away from what was happening I could hear him yelling that I was just another mouth to feed that wasn't earning her keep."

Sarah let out a breath she had been holding. She had put together various explanations of how Anna came to live in that house. She never thought it was a brothel, nor did she picture the child's mother to be a prostitute on drugs.

"Mom said I was just a child to leave me alone, I remember him laughing saying he could get good money for me, and I think he hit her because I heard her fall. He must of known where I was hiding because next thing I was being dragged him from my hiding place. I didn't know what was happening, I tried to fight him, but he was just too heavy."

"Was that the night you called to me?" Sarah asked quietly as Anna shook her head looking down. Sarah took a deep breath, her arm tightening around the girl's shoulder.

"I tried my best to stay away from him, I tried to lock my door but he just barrelled through it. The other girls tried to keep his attention, but it never worked. Then one night I just cried in a daze and asked someone, anyone to help me and you showed up." Anna told her.

Sarah hugged her. "Come on, let's dry your tears and get you into bed, and thank you for confiding in me. I'm always here. I know I get busy and will likely be even more when this one comes. But if you ever need to talk I am I here, I will work it out and never tell another soul besides Jareth. But you can't keep things hidden away to fester. You were never at fault, you were just put in a horrible situation."

Anna nodded. " I am happy here, you know that right?"

"I know," Sarah smiled and taking Anna'a hand pressing it into her stomach. 'This one is saying hello."

"Do you think it will matter to a boy about my past?' Anna asked shyly as she felt the baby kick her hand though Sarah.

"If they held it against you they are not worth your love." Sarah reassured her. "No man or boy if they truly loved you would ever hold it against you. Why is there something you wish to tell me?"

Anna blushed and shook her head. "Does it kick you a lot?" She asked changing the subject. As they walked down the halls to the family wing.

"Depends on the day or what I'm doing," Sarah answered truthfully. "Now off to bed, Amelia I'm sure we'll be here bright and early your day together."

Anna nodded and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her.


Sarah turned to go back to her own room, finding Jareth in bed was Rosalea curled up next to him. She raised an eyebrow at him before speaking.

"I thought we were through with this stage?"

"So it seemed but she screamed bloody murder every time I tried to get her to stay in her crib." Jareth replied as he fixed the blankets over Rosalea. "You found her then?"

"She was in the library reading about blood bonds and adoptions. Everything was so whirlwind in the beginning I don't don't we ever truly explained we couldn't officially bond with her because of our status." Sarah responded as she undressed and threw on her nightgown. "It made her think of her mother, oh lord Jareth that poor child, she told me about her life in that house."

Jareth looked at slightly surprised as Sarah continued on.

"Her mother was a prostitute Jareth, she lived in a brothel. Not that she knows that, I think. She spoke of other girls who lived there would look after her when her mother was passed out." Sarah said quietly as she pulled their daughter into her as she settled onto the bed as Jareth wrapped his arm around his girls.

"She asked me if it would make boys not love her Jare, obviously I told her that anyone who ever tried to use it against her or make her feel bad about herself was not worthy of her love."

"While we try to keep promiscuity to minimum in younglings for logical reasons, no one will consider her spoilt, this isn't the medieval times anymore." Jareth spoke as he rubbed her arm adding a small joke to try and make her smile. "Should she tell anyone, it will be more anger and disgust of a man who would do that to a child. We alone will not tolerate it, the penalty is death, which I am sure you have read about by now in your studies."

Sarah nodded solemnly. "I'm just glad she's opening up, keeping that in can't be healthy. I alone know how terrifying it could be when someone ignored your opinion."

Jareth looked at her sharply, causing her to sigh.

"Nothing happened, just when I was dating that boy we were in the back of his car one night and it took a few no's to get through his head before he stopped trying to get his hand down my pants. That was the night I broke up with him."

"I knew I never liked him." Jareth stated thinking back when they ran into him at the concert. "Did you ever get the album from your step mother?"

"Hmmm not yet," Sarah yawned. "I'll ask her about later."


Sarah convinced Jareth to let her throw a New Years get together for a house warming party inviting majority of their friends and family to view the new Palace. He wasn't completely sold on the idea at first but relented to a small party of games and dancing as long as she didn't over exert herself and retire before he found her asleep in her chair.

Anna had invited Amelia over for the day leading over into a sleep over, and as Sarah thought she arrived before her friend even finished her breakfast. They spent the morning touring and running about the palace. Before the retired to her room where the lounged about on the bed, deciding what to wear for the evening.

Anna looked into the mirror slightly hesitant of what Amelia held in her hands. "Mama says all proper young ladies need a proper age appropriate corset." Sarah had ordered some new clothing as she grown again. It wasn't a full waisted corset but had more support and rigidness then her corded stays she wore on a daily basis. They gave her support but at the same time didn't alter her actual shape unlike a waisted one. But still they were tighter then she was used to as Amelia tied her in.

She chose her new blue dress that matched her blue eyes. Cornflower blue with white lace trim, a far departure from her usual pink. It reminded her of when she found a book about Alice in Wonderland. Amelia was dressed in a lavender dress with matching dress braid for embellishment.

They sat demurely as Sarah greeted her friends, before introducing them to the crowd. They stood and curtsied swishing their skirts as they did chorus together it was a pleasure.

They sat over tea drinking their cambric tea quietly as they ladies chatted about their families and the latest gossip while being mindful of the two young girls in the room.

"Why don't you play something on the piano for us?" Sarah spoke to the girls who nodded going to the instrument picking out a duet.

"They grow so fast, I remember seeing Anna few months ago and she looks so much older." Talia spoke as she looked at the girls.

Sarah nodded. "It seems every time I buy her clothing she out grows it within a week, the same with Rosa she just grows like a weed. I swear she's going to be as tall as her father with those long legs."

"And where is the little one? Is it nap time?" Another lady asked curiously.

"Indeed it is, my maid will be bring her when she awakens and dressed." Sarah smiled.

Dinner was a pleasant affair, Francis and Amelia's parents arrived shortly before dinner along with a pretty brunette who hung off Francis's arm and every word he said.

"Clarissa, I would like you to meet my sister Amelia, "Francis smiled shoving her forward when she did move to greet his friend. "Say hello Amelia."

"Good evening," Amelia smiled with a small curtsy.

"Oh she is adorable, I dare say your hair is just about the same shade of red!"

"Yes, but it changes over time so who knows what will happen, and this little blonde is my latest pupil."

"I am not little." Anna mumbled under her breath while she curtsied to the young woman.

"Pupil, my whatever in the world do you teach her, don't tell me maths and all that mambo jumbo you try to explain to me!" Clarissa laughed.

Francis chuckled, "Anna has a keen mind, very bright and intelligent,"

"He speaks of you often, I thought I should be jealous at first the way he went on about you. Then of course I found out you were just a child."

"I am 13 on Tuesday," Anna retorted annoyed with being called a child.

"My mistake," Clarissa laughed. "Come Francis your promised me a dance."

"What does you brother see in her?" Anna asked her friend after the adults left. "She's so superficial."

Amelia shrugged, "Maybe she's good in bed?"

Anna looked at her with wide eyes, looking down at the floor blushing.

"Francis is a few hundred years old it's not like he's a monk." Amelia shrugged. "But she is annoying for sure, so she must be doing something right for him. Come lets go get some sweets."

Anna nodded and followed her over to the dessert table watching Francis and Clarissa dance in the corner of her eye. He promised her a dance last week but with his current companion he likely forgot.

She was standing near the window looking out into the lit of up gardens with 10 o'clock fast approaching which meant she would be sent to bed. She turned as someone tapped her shoulder.

"You didn't think I would forget did you?" Francis smiled at her holding out his hand to her. She took it gingerly as he leads her into the dance.

"You seemed quite preoccupied tonight." Anna said after a moment. Not admitting whether he was right in his assumption or not.

"You need not be so diplomatic." Francis laughed holding her waist which seemed much more rigid than usual he noted.

"She seems like a harpy." Anna told him.

"A Harpy," Francis laughed. "I think we need to broaden your mythology readings."

Anna smiled wryly. "I am sure she is a lovely lady, It is ten." she stated at the chime.

"I will escort you and Amelia to your room." Francis offered.

"It is fine." Anna shook her head. "Sarah is waiting for us." She curtsied at the end of the dance. "Thank you for the dance."

Francis stood there slightly bewildered at her behaviour. Young girls were so peculiar that was for sure. He went back towards his date, passing her a glass a wine.

"You know if I didn't know better, I would say you little pupil has a crush on you." Clarissa laughed. "Everytime I looked her way, I saw her intently glaring at me,"


I hope that whatever I tried to write was conveyed. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I tried to leave it on a happy note.

tina