All I ask of you, is that when I cannot, would you . . .
Celebrate
"I can't believe you would do this!" Karen's angry voice crackled over the phone line.
Sarah sat painting her toenails as her stepmother launched into the fifth rant this week. She had thought three weeks warning would be enough for Karen, but unfortunately, it was too much.
"Karen, you've met Jareth, everyone liked him when he came to Thanksgiving—"
"Yes we did!" she sounded half mollified half angry and Sarah continued doggedly.
"—now I'm visiting him for Yule."
"Yule! Who calls it Yule, it's Christmas! Do they have a tree and presents and—"
"Jareth's family is old and traditional," Sarah interrupted, the Christmas over Yule debate had been a three day fiasco that she did not want to revisit. "They call it Yule, it's a huge family celebration and like you met Jareth his mother wants to meet me."
"What of his father?" Karen asked snippily.
"He died," Sarah said coldly, abruptly tired of this. She had learned that from Sidonie's chatter but as Jareth had yet to raise it, it was not a topic up for discussion; a blissful five seconds of silence descended.
"But Christmas is a family time, you can visit your boyfriend's family any other time of the year, you don't have a proper job you can take vacation any time."
Sarah grit her teeth and counted down from ten, then picked the gaudiest blue nail polish and painted stripes over the neon pink already there, if only because Karen would have fits if she saw it.
"I have a proper job," she managed with dignified civility, unaware of how much she mimicked Jareth at his most haughty, "as a successful author I pay my rent, petrol and student loans. I might not be as bound as you are to the seasonal nature of a job, but I take my vacation at the same time everyone else does. I am going to Jareth for Yule."
"I am most disappointed; this is quite your mother coming out in you."
Sarah almost threw the phone across the room. She saw a group of goblins sneak in through the mirror and waved them over then pointed at the door. They knew the drill by now and delightedly all scrambled out of the window, letting the freezing December air in, and took turns ringing the doorbell.
"Sorry Karen, have to get that, a friend's just arrived."
"You have too many friends arriving just as I'm talking to you!"
"Sorry, can't help that I'm popular, bye!"
She dropped the phone on the couch beside her and then went to let the goblins in. They all sat around the table sipping their reward of hot chocolate and nibbling Oreos as they shivered themselves warm. She was never so grateful that Karen had to work most of the day and could only call in the evenings, but it was becoming tedious. She could only ignore calls two days in a row before she harassed Toby to find out where she was; she owed her brother too much to do that to him. She checked her calendar, two weeks to Yule; this was already beyond a trial.
By the time she stepped through into the Labyrinth on the day of the Yule Celebration, she was singing the praises of magic and the way it did not allow any telephones where she could be reached. Her calendar had little X's counting down to 'No More Nag' rather than anticipating Yule.
Sarah sat bundled up in a quilted cape beside Sidonie as the carriage made its way through the snow covered hill country to Anwath the capital of the Fae Kingdom. It reminded Sarah of the area around Calgary in Canada. Jareth huddled opposite them almost curled up on top of the brazier as he mulishly glowered at a fold of letters he had been working through for most of the drive.
Sidonie had given her the rundown as to what to expect for the three days of the Yule celebrations she would attend. There were twelve days in all, but Jareth couldn't leave his kingdom for that long, so only spent the first three with his family. By the amount of drinking Sidonie mentioned in passing, Sarah figured her liver would thank his royal schedule.
They drove into the city, built of hundreds of wattle and daub buildings with slate roofs and broad highways in a hub fashion rather like Paris. The roads off the highways between the houses were little more than single cart width alleys. People crowded the streets and Sarah stared as she saw every sort of creature imaginable, and then some. Tall willowy wood nymphs with leaves trailing down their hair travelled in groups. They trundled past several wagons packed with merchandise and perched on top of it were dwarves much like Hoggle clad in bright red and gold garments. She saw animal like people of all kinds and thought she spotted a group of terriers just like Sir Didymus, only they rode massive grey wolves.
"Whose invite have you responded to this year?" Sidonie asked as she eyed the file of correspondence he held.
Jareth smiled slowly.
"I've not responded to any, I thought, I would honour my father this year and open the Tower of the Veil Mages."
Sidonie drew an awed gasp.
"And I am to stay with you?"
"Of course," Jareth said, "you are my sister and companion to Sarah, where we go, you go."
"What's special about this tower?" Sarah asked.
Sidonie chewed her lip nervously and eyed Jareth and the Goblin King put away his fold of letters as Sarah felt the excitement morph into solemnity.
"I'm one of the few to gain access," Jareth's gaze drifted out of the window. "My father was the youngest Magician to raise the veil between the worlds of Above and Under; he died the day I was born. He gave me my name, but I never knew him."
"Jareth's special because of that," Sidonie explained, "none of the other Magicians sired children. He inherited a touch of the ancient magic."
"Is that the orbs you conjure?"
"No," Jareth laughed, "that is our mother's magic, a far kinder and whimsical magic. My father's magic is primal and elemental and its main component is the ability to walk between realms at will. I chose the goblins as a people mostly out of necessity, as there were too few realms walkers to corral them when they caused trouble Aboveground."
"The lightning, the fire storm, the summoning of iron armour and visiting Aboveground!" Sarah realised.
"You've mastered iron summoning?" Sidonie whispered in awe.
"Not without difficulty," Jareth grumbled, but puffed up with pride.
"Wow," Sidonie breathed, "I wish I had half of your talents."
"No, the small magics you have keep you safe, or grandfather would have auctioned you off to the highest bidder when you came of age. Those skills are highly sought and deadly in the wrong hands. Do not mention a word of what Sarah has just said to anyone."
"On my honour and name I swear it," Sidonie said instantly.
Sarah bit her lip.
"Am I not supposed to have said that?"
"I never realised how observant you were," Jareth said ruefully. "Yes, I would appreciate remaining somewhat of a mystery to the court here. It allows me my freedom, which is important, as the Goblin Kingdom cannot be assimilated into the Fae Kingdom. The Emperor understands my position but my grandfather would seek to use me and my people in war if he begins to understand what we are capable of. I would rather avoid that."
Sarah nodded, and they fell into discussion about what things should not be mentioned and what could be discussed.
Sidonie excitedly pointed out landmarks to Sarah as they came up to a snowy park at the turn of the broad street where people played in the snow. An avenue ran off the road and through the park, to halt before a circular tower, some five stories tall, with an onion-domed roof like the Goblin Castle turrets, though these were the dull green of oxidised copper. The central tower had three lesser towers situated around it, which were only three stories high, but their roofs were bright copper and the walls were whitewashed and painted in geometric patterns of ochre and black.
"Jareth hasn't opened it in the past five hundred years. You need elemental magic to do so, and as only Elder's Thesan and Lar have it, but they live out in the desert and on the coast so they are not often at the tower. I've never seen inside it."
"It's a dump," Jareth warned, "don't be too excited."
"It's our private dump with no whispering courtiers reporting our every word to mother," Sidonie declared with bright eyes, "I love it already."
Despite the fact that Jareth had to toss a crystal down every passage they walked, and the fourth floor rooms they were now in, to clear the thick coating of dust, the place was solidly built. The apartments were off a central common room with a large fireplace which Jareth had lit after flinging a crystal up the chimney. They took the rooms which had a view of the castle in the centre of the city. The rooms were more studies than bedrooms, with desks and shelves taking up most of the space and the bed tucked into a wooden cupboard of sorts. Jareth refreshed each one of them and Sarah blushed when her blankets from her bed back home appeared, including the plush owl she had found on a Black Friday sale. He raised an eyebrow at that and Sarah pretended she didn't know what he was asking about.
"Sarah, Sidonie will help you with your wardrobe for the visit to the palace this afternoon, I'm summoning the goblins."
"Oh, is that done?" Sarah was quite sure the goblins had no invitation to the Yule celebrations.
"I'm not sleeping in this tower without them. They would be most disappointed, not to be able to guard me."
Sarah noticed his sly look.
"Let me guess, you want to remind your neighbours that you're not only a magician who can open this tower but the Goblin King."
"Naturally," he preened.
"And they are likely to party up a louder storm than half the city put together."
"Why Sarah, are you accusing me of troublemaking?"
"I know the goblins," she declared, "so yes."
His spun on his toe and waltzed off humming happily.
"This bed had better be sound proof," she muttered to herself.
.
Sarah had just finished helping Sidonie pin her hair when a cough made her turn. Her face broke into a broad grin as at her door stood not only a crowd of Goblins, but Hoggle.
"You came!" Sarah declared in delight.
"Couldn't leave you in the hands of the rat now could we?"
"My brother is not a rat," Sidonie said sternly.
"What's it with females and blind devotion to His Majesty?" Hoggle grumbled. "His actions show him to be a rat, and I ain't calling it anything other than what it is. Sarah, do you know what kind of place this is?"
"A very secure tower?"
"I told Sir Didymus you didn't understand," Hoggle complained. "This deep Underground, Sarah, there's no coming back from it. And she knows it, for all she acts a mouse she'll grow to be a rat."
"At least mice are pretty," Sidonie said imperiously, "I'm going to tell Jareth more than his goblins came through," she strode off in a regal huff.
Sarah sank to the floor as Hoggle and the goblins behind him entered, the goblins scattered about to explore the room as Hoggle joined her.
"Hoggle, you do understand, don't you?" She said so softly he had to lean close to hear. "It's a trade Jareth and I made, he keeps Karen off my back and I help him with his family."
"You don't make trades with the likes of them, Sarah," Hoggle waggled his finger at her, "they'll twist the bargain to their liking, and that's rarely in any mortal's favour. You read us stories, Sarah! Remember what the rat himself told you when you wanted to store furniture at the Labyrinth. And you will be here three days!"
The excitement in her stomach abruptly became cold dread, but the sounds of footfalls up the stairs followed by Sir Didymus' voice filtered up to them, and he was lecturing someone.
"...and thus it falls to us to dutifully serve as her pages during these festivities."
"I am her companion!" Sidonie protested somewhat petulantly.
When Jareth stepped into the common room, followed by Sir Didymus and Sidonie, it was all Sarah could do not to laugh at Jareth's flat, almost henpecked expression.
"You are both diligent," Jareth granted grudgingly and even Hoggle perked up at that, "you will ride as footmen on my carriage, but will not enter the palace, you have not been invited."
The mulish stares both her friends shot the Goblin King was enough for Sarah to realise they would get in regardless of orders.
.
Ensconced in the carriage as they drove out to the palace, Sarah could see goblins all over the snowy park around the tower. They were in full holiday spirit pelting those who ventured into the park with snowballs. From the looks of things the goblins were winning. They had built two forts near the entrance and Jareth leaned out the window and tossed a crystal ahead of the carriage. The goblins tried pelting the carriage but the balls all looped up in the air and landed splat directly on the thrower's heads. Jareth sat back smugly watching his handiwork.
"You will never grow up," Sidonie said in a very formal voice.
"Do not use Mother's words on me," Jareth shuddered and Sidonie laughed.
The palace was a place of exceptional beauty. They rode through snow-covered gardens, amidst which stood brightly lit glass greenhouses containing many bright flowering plants. The riot of colour stood out brilliantly against the white snow. They reached the turning circle before the palace gates and Jareth handed them both down.
As Sidonie had instructed, she joined the girl to walk just behind Jareth as they wove through the passages and halls of the palace. There were braziers lit along all the main passages, yet the cold air still seemed to drift in. Sarah could feel the tingle of magic, and how it grew more comfortable and warmer the further into the palace they went, as if the magic itself were trapping the heat.
They came to a junction, and instead of liveried palace servants, ahead of them she saw a crowd of men and women dressed as elaborately as they were. The bright green and blue silks of her dress and shawl no longer felt garish, by the looks of things Sidonie had chosen something very tasteful for their gowns.
"Sarah," Jareth murmured under his breath, "don't go with anyone save Sidoine, you don't know much of the protocol and etiquette."
"I know," she reassured him, they had discussed this. He slipped his arm around her and drew her close.
"Remember you are invited as my beloved, and thus hold a status of that higher than a courtesan, yet lower than a betrothed. They will flatter you dreadfully to get to me. Your presence will deter most women, and as you met and dealt with Ceceille I have no doubt that you will be able to keep the rest of the wolves at bay."
He released her and Sidonie drew her back to walk behind Jareth again, just as they reached the crowd of people.
Sarah smiled as she glided through the crowd, Jareth's presence creating an instant parting among them, and whispers and murmurs followed in their wake. She heard them whispering Jareth and Sidonie's name and then asking about her. It was also just then that she saw a goblin; he thoughtfully tied two ladies dress ribbons together, then slipped away to other mischief. It took all she could not to dissolve in laughter. Jareth was not above petty mischief.
They arrived outside the doors of the hall the crowd was waiting before and Jareth slipped through the doors with a toss of his crystal, and Sidonie looped her arm in hers and pulled her through the misty portal and they emerged in a finely appointed room. The floors were covered in thick silk carpets depicting dew covered grass, and the curtains hung at the windows looked like mist veils and full trees with spring green leaves grew in ornate tubs along the walls of the room, dropping tiny golden flowers onto the floor and furniture. It felt like an outdoor bower amid the woods and the warmth and freshness of the air fooled her senses almost completely. Sarah was glad Sidonie was at her side as she pulled her out of the awe that had caused her to still.
Within the room stood or sat a crowd of very mixed people, though Sarah could see immediately that all the females were related to Jareth. They all had pale hair and certain facial features in common.
"Jareth," a very beautiful woman who seemed to be in her thirties stood from where she had been lounging on cushions on the floor, a gold circlet around head marked her as royalty, "you have come, we have missed your presence."
He strode over and drew her into a passionate embrace, kissing her forehead and then stepping back as if to inspect her.
"You look well mother," he said politely.
"And you look scruffy," she plucked at his wild hair with an expression so like Karen's that Sarah almost giggled.
"Part of the charm of the Goblin King, I'm afraid," he lithely stepped out of her grasp ever so slightly sneering at the displeasure on her face at the mention of the goblins. He drew his sister forward and Sarah almost stumbled when the girl dragged her along.
"My Sidonie," the woman whispered, her voice going like that of one cooing over a tiny puppy, to which Sidonie simply dipped a slight curtsey, "and a mortal guest, Jareth, we have heard whispers, but who is she?"
Sarah fought not to stiffen as the woman all but prowled around her like a panther, twitching at her hair, and tilting her chin to look her in the eyes. She reminded Sarah all too much of the predatory fae in the peach dream.
"This is my beloved Sarah, of the Aboveground realm of America."
At that a whisper rippled through the room.
"Sarah, this is my mother, Princess Julianna."
Sarah gave her well practiced curtsey and was relieved at the smile she received in return.
"I never thought I would see the day, son, a woman who would garner such regard from you," his mother purred. "So when is your wedding day set?"
Sarah had to look down to hide her laugh at the stunned expression of dismay that Jareth rapidly smoothed off his face.
"Your Highness," Sarah murmured, "it is yet early days for us and among my people the courting takes some time."
"Is that so, but you are mortal, there is not much time given to you, how long will this be?" Princess Julianna reached out and smoothed her hair about her face as if she were a particularly precious child. "I do so look forward to grandchildren; I hear mortals are most bountiful with offspring."
Sarah felt her cheeks blush and didn't dare glance at Jareth to get her out of this, he would be smirking up a storm if she knew him. The princess was hardly one to talk with six children of her own, Sarah suddenly panicked, how many did she expect her to have?
It was only when Jareth skilfully lifted his mother's hand from her face and stepped before her that Sarah remembered it was an act. She shivered slightly as she realised there had been magic at work.
"Mother, as this is part of the courtship discussions, and has its place, we have yet to discuss such things, it is poor taste to ask at such an early stage. I must go to greet my sisters—"
"Jareth, you are hasty this day. I would speak with you in private," his mother interrupted with a pleasant smile, yet the way she narrowed her focus to only her son, Sarah almost physically felt the dismissal.
Sidonie grabbed her arm tightly and drew her off to meet the others in the room. Still a little bewildered at the gentle snub, Sarah took a moment to gain her bearings. Yet she saw their heading, she cheered up, as she was especially curious about the man Sidonie approached. Before him sat a woman who looked in her mid twenties, all beautifully painted red lips and summer green and gold dusting her face and eyelids. She wore a circlet of wrought silver leaves, and he wore a silver torc about his neck, but it was the three foot antlers that grew from his scull that impressed her.
"This is my eldest sister Jehanne and her husband Prince Cathal," she squinted up at her brother in law, "you do know you have mistletoe caught in your antlers?"
The man's rather prim expression melted into a smirk of Jareth like proportions.
Jehanne let out a huff and stuck her nose in the air very much like her brother did when irked.
"He's been using it as an excuse to garner kisses from every maiden!"
Prince Cathal gestured from behind Jehanne, and mouthed the words 'she takes the most advantage, there have only been seven maidens!' He immediately pretended serene primness when his wife snapped about to glance up at him.
Sarah was glad when Sidone dragged her away as she was fighting a smile as much as the girl was smothering giggles. She dragged them over to another blond woman seated beside stern man with beautiful dark eyes, and short white hair that looked as soft as a kittens to the touch.
"This is my third eldest sister Etiennette and her husband Prince Peri," she said.
"My dear," Etiennette said in a musical voice, "do introduce this mortal who has managed to shift Jareth's frivolous nature."
"She is Sarah," she announced proudly.
"America is an interesting country, full of adventurous ideals," Prince Peri spoke up then, his accent sounded Scandinavian she thought.
"It is," Sarah agreed, but as she was about to ask a question Sidonie reached out and waved a finger at the both of them. "She's not here for you to test your mortal knowledge on, she's here to celebrate. Come on Sarah, we must greet the charming couple before we can come back here and play your game of twenty questions!"
Prince Peri perked up at that idea and his hopeful smile followed them as Sidonie dragged her over to the last pair.
"This is my second eldest sister Isabeau," she said as she came to a halt before a standing pair, they were both taller than Sidonie or Sarah and were some of the most beautiful people Sarah had ever seen. Isabeau smiled with a slight shift to her lips and her whole form radiated grace. The man beside her, however, was devastating in his handsomeness. He did not wait for an introduction, but stepped forward and grasped Sarah's hand and lightly kissed the air above it.
"King Wren of the Elves, Lady Sarah," he purred and Sarah felt her mind shut down in utter bliss. She jerked into wakefulness when Sidonie tugged her back with a soft hiss of displeasure.
"Her name is Sarah," Sidonie scolded, "and I'm her companion. Don't tease Jareth, Wren, or he'll set the goblins among your corn fields again."
"But she is enchanting," he protested with a soft hurt expression, "there is a natural power about her that sings to any man, it is no wonder he calls you beloved Sarah, you would tempt many."
Sarah shivered as she felt Jareth materialise directly behind her and take the hand that Wren had held to grasp against her chest.
"King Wren, how was the olive harvest this year?" he purred.
"You know very well that it was half spoiled by unseasonable winds," he said stiffly.
"Such a shame," Jareth purred and Sarah found herself tucked behind him and Sidonie dragged her back to Prince Peri and Etiennette once more. Sarah joined them on a nearby scattering of cushions and they ended up discussing the books that had been released that Christmas, and which they were looking forward to reading. They shifted from person to person, but every time she came within five feet of King Wren, Jareth left his own conversations and hovered.
Sarah was only too relieved that after two hours the doors were opened and the room seemed to expand to hold the people waiting in the halls. Sir Didymus and Hoggle were among them, as were several goblins, all of them up to mischief. Sir Didymus picked his targets well, and cornered the likes of King Wren with several long minutes of discussions about his kingdom that the Elven king could not ignore. Hoggle was the worst, and to Sarah the most amusing as he found the least important people who hovered at the edges of the conversations, and enthusiastically chatted them up. Once his target was caught, he dragged them across to Jareth with a grand introduction, then hurried off to leave Jareth to scramble to pick up the abruptly ended conversation and to excuse his last. This meant that Sidonie and Jareth circulated more swiftly than others did, which saw that Sarah wasn't the main topic of conversation barring a remark about her mortality, or that Jareth had chosen a beloved.
.
They returned to the tower over lunch. As Sidonie left the room to go and play in the snow with the goblins, Sarah sidled over to Jareth who stood at the window to watch the mayhem below.
"Sorry I could not distract your family as we had hoped," she felt bad about how it seemed her presence had allowed his family to make assumptions about them.
Jareth's eyes crinkled as he chuckled.
"You did wonderfully. You're the distraction! Don't you see? I'd have been harangued about the Goblin Kingdom the entire time, had you not been there."
"That's the problem?" Sarah said in surprise, she had thought his problem similar to hers.
Jareth did not reply, but a wistful expression came to his eyes as he watched the goblins in the snowy gardens about the tower.
When Jareth seemed not to want to discuss it, Sarah took an afternoon nap amid a heap of goblins and Sir Didymus who had decided her bed was definitely soft enough to share. That evening they attended a far more elegant ball, though Jareth firmly warned Hoggle and Sir Didymus to wait with the carriage, but they had a contingency plan, which she only discovered when she saw Sidonie's partner.
.
Jareth himself escorted her this time, and Sidonie cheekily brought Snigget, one of the hairier goblins, and one Sarah had frequently seen about her home.
"He'll look after you," Hoggle assured her and shot Jareth a most mistrustful stare, but not where the king could see him. "The mouse isn't so bad, she worries about you too."
The goblin wore a new black and silver tunic and waved at everyone to whom Sidonie introduced him. By the whispers this was really not done, but by the uncomfortable looks they flicked at Jareth, no one was going to voice the fact.
They danced two lively reels, then Jareth led them back to the refreshments, to mingle and gossip. Sarah got the impression that while he did not enjoy such large gatherings, he loved to tweak peoples noses.
"Jareth, do you think we can dance—" Sarah began, then fell silent as the couple Sidonie had pointed out as her grandparents were suddenly in their path. For fae to have grey hair, they must be ancient, though their faces were smooth and their eyes clear. Sarah dipped a deep curtsy as Jareth gave his bow and kept her eyes on the ground. She didn't trust the King at all, he looked as Elvish as Wren and there was something about Elvish magic that made her take leave of her senses. After a brief enquiry as to their health, the Queen examined Jareth much the same as her daughter had done, twitching at his hair as if she wished it were in the sleek style her husband wore.
"So Jareth," she purred, "I hear you're staying in the Tower of the Veil Mages, why haven't you taken the mantel of the Forest Magician yet? You now have a wife, your children must be taught the duties," she said sternly.
She felt Jareth stiffen below her light hand on his arm.
"You are mistaken my Queen," he said with exquisite politeness, "she is as yet my beloved; such things cannot yet be discussed."
Sarah felt Sidonie tug at her arm just as Jareth carefully slipped his out from under hers. Sarah let the girl drag her away.
"You're cheeky sometimes," Sidonie whispered, "and my grandfather is stern, best not to tempt fate."
Sarah chuckled wryly knowing her luck. They fetched snacks and followed Sidonie and Snigget into the courtyard where several fae were ice skating on the open rink. They stood to watch, but their moment of peace was interrupted by a gasp and a shrill "you!"
Sarah turned to find Ceceille hanging on the arm of a rather vapid looking young man, pointing at her and gawking.
"What are you doing here, strumpet?"
"I could ask the same as you," Snigget the goblin piped up from beside Sidonie, taking his role of defender seriously, "we have our invitations, did you have to buy yours?"
"What's a goblin doing here?" Ceceille demanded, scandalised.
"Dancing, eating, having fun, all it looks like you're doing is being cross. Go dance, then you'll have a reason to look so red in the face."
Sarah had to hold her breath and beside her Sidonie shook with laughter. She crouched down and kissed the goblin on the head, which was the last straw for Ceceille.
"You, you…" she turned abruptly and dragged her young man off into the main ballroom.
"You're amazing, Snigget!"
"She's horrid to Kingy," Snigget said stoutly and folded his arms to glare after her. "Oh look, she took the bait I'll have this next dance, Sidonie?"
"Sarah can you wait along the wall for us to return?" Sidonie asked, gleefully eyeing an opportunity to annoy Ceceille.
"By all means, go!" Sarah laughed.
She leaned against the wall and was smiling at the sour expression on Ceceille's face when she realised she would have to dance with a goblin when a young man settled against the wall beside her. He was slightly taller than Jareth, had bright violet eyes and hair as black as night that he wore in an elaborate braid down his back, his clothes were of the finest silks and she was sure he was one of the many royalty here tonight.
"Miss Sarah, the escort of our enigmatic Goblin King," he smiled at her, "I am Shu, how are you finding the festivities?"
"Wonderful so far, the politics are bewildering, but that is true to any outsider."
"And you are more an outsider than most here, we do not often have mortals at our gatherings, and Jareth is more than showing his mischief in bringing you here, unattached as you both are."
Sarah blinked and gaped at him, and realised she had completely given the game away. He only smiled disarmingly, with a low gleeful chuckle.
"I know Jareth of old," Shu smirked, "he's tried this sort of thing over the years when life is particularly fraught amongst his family. Yet, you're the only one he has introduced as his beloved, which for him is telling in its desperation."
"More like mutual protection," Sarah defended him, not liking how Shu made it sound, "he strategically saved me from my stepmothers haranguing at the Aboveground holiday of Thanksgiving this year."
Shu laughed out loud at that, he had more pronounced canines than Jareth did, and the same disarming comfort about him. She had never met any of Jareth's friends, and she decided that she quite liked Shu.
"So," Sarah said, eyeing Jareth and his grandparents who were on the far side of the hall with their backs to them, "what can you tell me about him if you know him that well? You have to have one embarrassing childhood story for me."
"Oh, do I have stories," Shu grinned with knowing mischief in his violet eyes, "the best one, is when Jareth was particularly drunk and asked a stone troll to dance through the May fires with him. Do you know the custom?"
Sarah laughed, depending on the region; such a thing could be a simple blessing or tantamount to marriage.
"What happened?" she asked eagerly.
"She, being considerably larger and drunker than he, just swayed where she stood and he swung like a loose line as she flung her arm around. Yet that did not deter him! He even tried kissing her! Her father was furious!"
Sarah laughed beside him as he told a few others, then raised his glass to her as Jareth looked around the room and his eyes settled on them and his eyes widened almost comically in shock.
"Here he comes, I had best make myself scarce, tell him I quite heartily approve of you."
"Do come visit us at the Goblin City," Sarah said as he stepped away.
"I will," Shu smiled then slipped between the people even swifter than Jareth's rapid approach and suddenly he was gone.
"Sarah!" Jareth took her hand and peered at her, then seemed to relax when he saw nothing was wrong, and peered out at the crowd again with a frown.
She smiled at him.
"I like your friend Shu, he saw right through our act, but says to tell you 'he quite heartily approves of me.'"
"Shu?" Jareth croaked, "he told you to call him Shu?"
"Why? What's wrong, Jareth?" Sarah asked, alarmed "he knew some funny stories, isn't he your friend? I invited him to visit us at the Goblin City, was that wrong?"
"You did what?" Jareth choked and coughed, then grabbed a glass of wine from a waiter and downed it in three elegant slips.
"I'm officially worried now," Sarah said in a low voice, "who was he?"
"The Emperor," Jareth breathed, "and he's never at these sort of celebrations, he must have come especially to see you."
"Oh," Sarah said and then caught sight of the smirking young man who raised his glass to her on the far side of the room before stepping out of the ballroom. "Well then, we might have to actually sweep the throne room before he visits, and maybe mop the grog spills."
Jareth began to laugh weakly.
"Only you, Sarah," he said with a shake of his head, then a keen smirk came over his face, "and everyone saw him toast you just now, so let's go and mingle and be horribly enigmatic as to how a mortal knows the Emperor personally."
"I don't know him!"
"Ah, but they think you do, and think of all the fun we'll have with that."
The frantic beat of drums made Sarah's blood dance in its rhythm and her body swayed to the same. It was only the second day and she was lost, tired and desperately fought her way through the swaying mass of bodies to the side of the road. She tucked her slippers into her gown belt, hiked up her skirts and tied them into her belt as well, then climbed the stone wall of the house. There was one alarming moment where she almost fell, but she pulled herself over the edge of the balcony and flopped onto the floor. Now above the revellers she could see everyone. Hoggle, Sir Didymus and the goblins were somewhere in the crowd causing minor havoc, she had last seen Hoggle an hour ago with a tankard in each hand, serenading three appreciative older dwarf ladies. Ah, there he was, the oblivious idiot. Jareth was dancing amid sylphs dressed in fluffy plumes and nothing else. Sidonie was over by the fountain, trying to climb the haughty Queen at its centre to peer over the crowd as she was doing. Sarah waved when Sidonie looked up and the fae girl saw her and almost slumped with relief. By her signs she wanted Sarah to stay where she was. Sarah had no yen to move. Yule, she had thought, would be for family. And it was, but after the formal soiree and ball all Jareth's family seemed to do was party for as long as they could stand upright, then sleep where they fell, only to wake and dance where they stood on the morrow.
Sarah leaned against the stone railing. She had never really thought about the idea of fairyland, for all she knew Jareth existed. Jareth, with his British accent and his near human mannerisms was a comforting act, she knew now. The real Underground, the one she hadn't glimpsed in her visits to the Labyrinth, was simply alien. Oh, it was unnervingly enough like the human world that she could almost understand it, but so close as to be elusive. The uncanny scraped her mind raw and her ignorance of the customs that made her an outsider just made her feel lost in her own empty bubble of space while everyone flowed passed her in community.
Sidonie dropped onto the balcony beside her and Sarah tried to ignore the way she licked at the blood on her scraped palms like a wounded cat.
"Where's my brother?" she asked.
Sarah pointed at the sylphs and Sidonie sniggered and produced a crystal. It was a misty half formed one and by the amount of concentration quite difficult to hold in that state. The girl stood on the balcony and with unerring accuracy threw it. It splashed all over Jareth. Sarah could feel the brush of cold magic from where she sat and the ice frosted in Jareth's hair. He yowled like a drenched cat and spun about in fury. They both fell about laughing. The next moment he was crouched behind them. He grabbed them into his now wet and cold embrace.
"Yow, that's freezing!" Sarah shuddered as Sidonie squeaked, elbowed him and wriggled out of his grasp.
"That'll teach you!" he said haughtily.
Sidonie stood upright and shoved him with her dainty slipper.
"We lost Sarah, Jareth! What if they found her alone?"
Jareth sobered up instantly and the ice vanished. Sarah found herself in Jareth's far too possessive hug.
"They would not dare," he breathed and cast a malevolent stare out at the crowds.
"Oh look, isn't that Marguerite and Faurel" Sidonie pointed at decorated horse scull on a pole that was making its way through the revellers, "let's go and sing, Jareth, please? Marguerite's wanted to meet Sarah since I told her I'd met her."
Jareth looked on the point of refusing when a graceful blond woman, who followed the horse scull procession, turned to them and pointed up at them. At her side an ugly almost dwarf like man grinned a mouth full of sharp teeth.
"Too late, she's seen us!" Sidonie declared happily. "Do take us down, Jareth. I am sure Sarah could do with a meal again. Mortals like to eat more frequently than we do." She leaned around her brother and smiled winningly at Sarah. "Marguerite is our mother's fifth child, about five hundred years older than me. Her husband is a Spriggan, a general in King Wren's armies. Be careful of him he can scare even Jareth."
"He does not scare me," Jareth said haughtily.
"I've got a crystal that says otherwise back at the tower," Sidonie danced away as Jareth physically tried to silence her.
Sarah laughed at their sibling antics, oddly that brought a semblance of calm to her. As strange and overwhelming as everything was they were people to whom she could relate despite their strangeness. She slipped her shoes back on and stood.
"She wasn't at the soiree," Sarah reflected.
"No," Jareth looked serious, "she is not on speaking terms with our grandmother, so avoids the palace."
"Grandmother tried to arrange her marriage," Sidonie's eyes were wide with mischief. "The moment she heard she ran away, and eloped with Faurel. Jareth says it was the scandal of the century. I'm glad you're here, you've distracted mother and grandmother from gossiping about Marguerite."
Jareth eyed the procession and his sister with an odd tension about his shoulders. Sarah then remembered she had to remain in character for the act. She slipped her arm around his waist and he relaxed ever so slightly.
"I'm strong enough to handle the gossip, and bonus, I don't even live here."
Jareth laughed silently at her last comment.
"Let us join them!" he declared, as his energy for the party returned. "Just put whatever words you like to the tune, we're going to sing for supper!" He grasped the two of them and they were gone from the balcony and back in the thick of the street party.
It was the third and final day and Sarah's feet ached from having traipsed the markets all morning. Sidonie had acquired a seemingly bottomless bag, and bought anything that Sarah looked twice at. The girl was having such fun that Sarah didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't take things like continuously opening and closing flowers that floated back to Aboveground with her. Sir Didymus had followed them on Ambrosius with a damp towel across his forehead, and they had left Hoggle to snore up a storm with the majority of the goblins back at the tower. The sun neared the horizon as they finally reached the upper balcony of the palace where Marguerite, Etiennette and Jehanne stood with their baskets already hung from the railing. Sarah helped Sidonie to hang theirs and then they searched the courtyard below where Jareth was seated on a black charger in his armour, and several goblins on the scariest hounds Sarah had ever seen paced around him. Sir Didymus and Hoggle had joined him, Hoggle on a huge wolfhound, and for a moment Sarah could see him as the soldier he claimed he had been in his youth.
Sidonie waved her handkerchief and Sarah, who had chosen the gaudiest one she could find, waved hers, it glittered with the amount of silver sewn into it.
The courtyard was filled with other riders in their gear, and more hounds of various shape and size, and Sidonie tired to guess their identity by the understated crests and followers they had gathered. She easily picked out all her brother's in law, as well as her ever so graceful sister Isabeau who rode alongside King Wren.
"She's a better rider than he; only don't let him know I said that."
As the sunset a horn blast sounded and Sidonie lifted open the flap of the basket, as did others and out streamed a flock of silvery birds the size of finches. They flocked around the courtyard as the horns sounded a formal tune of readiness, and then they were off into the skies glittering like their namesake. The horses galloped along the streets and the moment they came to the parade grounds they too took to the skies. Some circled back, the men caught favours from the ladies, some tugged them into the saddles with them. Sarah tossed her handkerchief to Jareth as he passed, and he made quite a show of tucking it into his breastplate.
"Get on with you, they'll leave you behind!" Etienette cried, laughing at him. He rose up in his stirrups and shot off through the skies at a gallop.
Sarah leaned over the end of the balcony to wave; it was heady with the trumpets sounding their music below and the cries and hollers of the hounds and men. The next thing she knew someone snatched her up by the back of her dress and she was tugged into place in front of an armoured man and dragged into the night.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" She yelped as Sidonie screamed her name. She struggled around to give the fae a resounding slap when she found herself looking into a pair of very familiar violet eyes.
"Your Imperial Majesty," she squeaked and meekly stopped struggling.
He laughed.
"So he told you, did he? Let's join his hunt, he'll never let you ride it if he knew you were here. Take my cloak; it will spare you the worst of the cold."
"Um, Emperor Shu, why are you doing this?" Sarah asked as he bundled her in his cloak and then settled his arms to take the reins more comfortably.
"Because it amuses me to tease Jareth, he's wonderfully prickly and leaves very few opportunities for me to do so."
"We're not that way, you know," she said, now that she was warmer, the ride was rather thrilling.
"Oh, I know, but I do need an excuse to join his hunt rather than taking the lead were my identity to be discovered."
"So that's it," Sarah said understanding, "Jareth had the most gleeful smirk hidden behind a polite façade that entire evening after you left with how he hinted at nothing and everyone fell for it. You're the same, hinting at nothing and frustrating the gossip mongers."
"It keeps us amused," he declared and guided his horse between others, until he rode directly behind Jareth. The Goblin King still stood in his stirrups and crouched over his horse, leaving a spectacular view of his shapely backside. She made a private note to send Emperor Shu a very nice bottle of wine for this favour; she would remember it all her days.
"Ah, Emperor Shu," Sarah said, with a sudden apprehension, "this hunt, it's not the Wild Hunt, is it?"
He laughed a deep chortle at that.
"No, nothing so spectacular, we seldom venture into mortal lands." He sounded almost regretful and she wondered how old he was. "This riding is to deliver the Fae King's bounty to the three vassal cities on the coast, the desert and the forest. Should we discover any good bounty on our way there, we will capture it and deliver it to the nearest city."
"What counts as bounty?"
"Mortal females," he declared with aplomb, and Sarah elbowed him then winced as she hit his breastplate, making him laugh again.
"Herds are set aside and we drive them through the skies, it's why the Kings, princes and greater magician's do it, flights like these are not easy to conjure, but there are enough so skilled gathered at such an event to manage it. What do you think of joining those who catch the cattle that stray?"
"Like a cowboy?"
"Like a cowboy!" Emperor Shu affected too good an American accent not to have watched movies.
"Why not?" Sarah marvelled, she rode a horse through the skies with the Emperor of all faerie and he wanted to play at being an American cowboy, who was she to stop him?
She spent the next few hours laughing at his attempts at American cowboy slang, and he had most of it right. When she asked for the fae equivalent, he gave her similar commands in various languages, some of which made her head float with glorious images of herding mist deer and flittering starlight mares.
It was as they turned for home that Emperor Shu rode up beside Jareth and slapped his arm for his attention.
"This is yours," he yelled over the wind.
Jareth did a shocked double take at both the Emperor and Sarah.
"I'll be sure to collect my cloak when I visit," he told Jareth as he handed Sarah over, then he let his horse fall back into the hunt and vanished into the hazy twilight.
"You, he, you," Jareth managed then hugged her tight. "Why is he so interested in you?" he whispered in her ear.
"I think he wanted me to crit his American cowboy technique, honestly, he behaves worse than you, how old is he? Seventeen?"
Jareth snorted.
"He was ancient when the Pharaohs walked Aboveground, and don't be fooled by his charm, he's got twenty wives and his great wife is ferocious." He settled her more comfortably before him and he hummed with amusement. "And now everyone knows that he rode the hunt with you, only to return you to me. He was making a statement that you were mine and he approved before some of the most powerful kings in under his rule. That is some fairly spectacular protection, Sarah, very few would dare touch you now for fear of crossing him."
"Including you?" She asked pointedly.
"You did that all on your own with your book and your words, little mortal, don't look so smug. Now settle down or you'll fall off the horse."
"There is one thing for sure," Sarah said as she watched the valleys and rivers below flash past with their dusting of snow giving outlines to fields and roads, "Karen is never going to believe what I did for Yule."
Jareth just smirked.