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feedback.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The following morning, Aislinn awoke suddenly to Myra's voice.

"Wake up, my lady," came the Fey girl's voice as she gently shook
Aislinn. "What do you want to wear today?"

"I don't know, Myra," Aislinn replied groggily. "I have to look."

Aislinn sat up, rubbed her eyes, and turned her head to glance at
the clock beside her huge bed. Half past nine... or was it a little
before half past?

'Ugghh, I will never get used to these thirteen hour clocks,' thought
thought as she stretched and went over to her closet. She had no
idea how she was going to choose what to wear; Jareth had given her
so many clothes.

Finally, Aislinn selected a satin, thin-strapped, yellow and red dress
with a flared skirt and a slightly tight bodice. After washing and
doing her makeup, she slipped it on and Crysabelle curled her hair
and piled it on her head. Aislinn slipped on a ruby bracelet and
necklace and headed for the throne room.

* * * * *

Jareth was slumped in his throne with his hand over his eyes, looking
very much like he could desperately use some sleep. He wore a white
frock shirt with a tight black leather vest, black tights, short black
gloves, and his favorite boots. For Jareth, this was quite a simple
outfit. That day, he had obviously decided not to bother trying to
impress Stephan with his attire.

"Your Majesty?"

"Huh? Oh- Aislinn." Jareth sat up and gave her a gentle smile.
"You're quite colorful today."

"Thank you Your Majesty." Aislinn paused, gazing at him. "Um, are
you alright?"

The King looked up at her. "What?" he murmured, trying to sit up
straighter. "Oh, yes Aislinn. I'm just tired, that's all. Really-
don't worry about me." But even as Jareth said it, a look of pain
swept over his face.

Aislinn walked up to Jareth to inspect his face. She hadn't been
able to tell from across the room, but up close she could see that the
King was extremely pale.

"Your Highness, you are absolutely pallor!" she gasped.

"Aislinn, it's alright- I just-" Jareth couldn't finish his
sentence because of the pain rushing through his temples and
sinuses. He moaned and clutched his head in his hands. That was
when Aislinn noticed the Goblin King's breath. It was coming in
short, forced raspy gasps, as if he couldn't breathe properly.

"Your Majesty, I don't care what you say. You're very sick, and I'm
going to go find Talius!"

"No, Aislinn- please," Jareth pleaded as he reached out to grab
Aislinn's arm. "I don't want Talius to know."

"But- but why? You need medical attention, Your Majesty."

"I have to stay here and wait for- I mean I can't-"

Jareth stood up, took one step forward, missed his footing, and went
tripping down the stairs leading to his throne. He fell to his knees
on the throne room floor and squeezed his eyes shut, trying with
increased desperation to endure the horrible aching rushing through
his head, but to no avail. The goblins stared in alarm as their King
finally lost his last remaining strength and collapsed onto the stone
floor, unconscious.

* * * * *

"Stephan, come quickly!" Aislinn yelled towards the Royal Sitting
Room.

Stephan came rushing into the throne room, his long hair a flash of
ebony behind him, and looked around in alarm. "What is it, Ais-"

Stephan stopped short when he saw Aislinn leaning over his brother,
who was lying completely devitalized and motionless on the stone
floor. He had not been able to see him at first because of all the
goblins who had crowded around their king.

"Oh Gods- Jareth!" Stephan gasped and rushed over to where the
King lay, almost completely bereft of color, on the cold stone floor.
"Move, you stupid things!" Stephan yelled as the goblins immediately
cleared a path for him.

Stephan knelt down next to his brother and gently lifted his limp
head, taking in his deathly pale complexion. Glancing at his chest
and from listening, the Eastern Fey King could tell his brother was
not at all breathing properly. "Aislinn! Go find Talius, quickly!"

"Yes, of course, Stephan!" Aislinn ran from the room, found the
doctor almost immediately in the library, for she knew his love of
books from further conversation with him, and hurriedly led him back
to the throne room.

"Jareth- oh, no-" Talius rushed over and knelt down next to where
Stephan was doing the same over the unconscious King. "I knew he
didn't look well last night," Talius said in alarm. "Good Gods- he
is completely blanched," he observed, looking at Jareth's face.
"Stephan, help me get him to his bed."

"Of course, Talius," the Eastern Fey King replied. Together, the two
men lifted Jareth and carried him towards the west wing of the castle,
with goblins following all the way, but they quickly scurried back to
the throne room as Stephan gave them a cold glare upon reaching The
Goblin King's bed chambers.

Once Jareth had been laid gently on his bed, Talius left temporarily
to get his medical equipment and returned to the room in a rush.
Aislinn and Stephan were allowed to stay as Talius examined the
Goblin King.

Talius unbuttoned Jareth's high-collared, white frock shirt and black
leather vest and placed a stethoscope to his chest. His face turned
to a look of great concern. "His heart rate is slow," he muttered.

Aislinn and Stephan stood nervously as Talius took Jareth's
temperature. The doctor gasped. "104.3, he's burning up! Quick,
Stephan, get a cold cloth!" The Goblin King's younger brother wasted
no time in rushing into the huge connecting bathroom. Talius took
the cloth from Stephan upon his hasty return and placed it on the
King's forehead as he listened in great concern to Jareth's gasps for
breath.

Talius turned to Stephan and Aislinn. "Please listen carefully," he
began with a straight face. "Jareth is very ill and is losing
strength as we speak. I must stay here in the castle at all times to
monitor his condition. Now, there is only one thing in the entire
kingdom which can help Jareth. It's a rare herb called Red Chive.
Perhaps you know of it, Stephan?"

"Yes," Stephan replied. Jareth showed me a patch of it once when we
were walking through The Land of the Howlers."

Talius nodded. "The only problem is, that is the only land in the
entire Labyrinth where it grows, and it may be hard to find. Also,
as you know Stephan, for anyone but Jareth, The Land of the Howlers
can be quite a dangerous place."

"Well, I don't care, Talius. If my brother's health is on the line,
I must go."

"I'm afraid it is worse than that," Talius paused and as if trying
to find the strength to complete what he was trying to
say. "Jareth's heart is beating slower than normal. Somehow, a
magically-induced illness has infected his immune system, weakening it
to the point where it will cause his body to shut down. It's the only
explanation to why he became this ill all of a sudden. If we don't
administer the herb in the next thirteen hours, there is a good
chance Jareth could die."