Chapter Four
* * * * * * * *
You can't turn back the clock,
You can't turn back the tide
Ain't that a shame?
I'd like to go back one more time...
On a roller coaster ride-when life was a game.
* * * * * * * *
A serenity of twilight swept over the town with the subtle shades of purple and
pink, as the sun finally set behind the mountain peaks far in the distance. The grand finale
of orange sunburst roared into the far West of the sky, lighting everything on fire, and then
the calming pastel hues overtook the sky, awaiting the approach of the moon and her
stars.
Shayna silently looked out at this spectacular sunset, her chin resting in her slender
hands. Her eyes lit with the many shades of stunning glory and reflected back against her
dark pupils. She did not say a thing, but merely was satisfied to watch nature, to enjoy it
all as the sounds of the barn continued on behind her.
A gentle, yet persistent tug on the hem of her dress finally drew her attention back
from the sky and the light show which had finally started to be consumed by navy night
heavens. The first crystallized star had broken through, and Shayna wished upon it, as she
had done when she was small, just before turning around.
She smiled at Jareth, and then stepped down from the mounting block that had
served as her perch to the window. He laid in the fresh hay, calmly observing her every
move until he could no longer stand to be away from her. Now she bent down beside him,
and allowed him to hold her close in the recently cut hay.
"Your parents will miss you?" Shayna inquired, running her finger along the silver
buttons that traced the path up the front of his fine, silk shirt. It was opened half-way up,
revealing his alabaster skin.
Jareth shook his head in answer to her question. He had never taken an active role
in his family. Such were the pains of being noble bred. A nanny had raised him, the
stable-hand had taught Jareth to ride, and all else was learned on his own.
"And you, Shay, what will you tell your family?" Jareth asked gently, stroking her
cheek with the back of his hand.
She snuggled up against him, adoring the warmth of his body, the feel of his arms
around her, the sound of his voice as it snaked its way all up and down her body. She
shivered slightly, and gooseflesh broke out on her bare arms.
Her family, she had scarcely allowed herself to think of a tale to tell them,
explaining her absence during supper hour. It was only at that time, when they could all
speak to one another, and hence the reason her Father found it so necessary to gather
together at a strict time every night. She would face some sort of punishment.
"They shan't mind," she replied, and then lifted her face to gaze into Jareth's
tantalizing eyes.
He removed his arm from around her and cupped her lovely face in his hands. She
propped herself up and then bent in, pressing her lips to his, in a searing kiss.
Instantaneously his arms were around her again, drawing her closer, so that they nearly
became one being, one mind, one soul.
Jareth's hands raced down her spine, sliding easily over the soft material of her
dress. He paused at her waist, gently loosing the clasps that bound the garments to her.
Shay said nothing, but merely smiled, breaking their kiss for but a moment. Her bodice
slipped seductively down, revealing more of her body than she had ever offered to a man
before.
"What is ye in there?" Demanded the rough and uncouth voice of the master
stable-hand.
A sudden stream of light broke the darkness that had since then encompassed the
barn. Shay leapt from her position, struggling with her drooping dress as the heavy
footsteps approached ever nearer. Jareth straightened his own clothing, but could not
prevent the sick feeling that overcame his gut, as the light fell on him.
He stepped in front of Shay, wishing only to protect her from this, which had been
his own fault. He had taken too much of a chance with the stable. Now, there would be
Hell to pay for mistakes.
The old man paused suddenly as he realized who it was that had taken up
occupancy in the stable. He scratched his grayed beard and then nodded slightly, before
catching a glimpse at the figure which shivered behind his young master.
"Who do ye have there?" The stable-hand inquired, edging forward with the
lantern held at head level.
Jareth swallowed deeply and continued to keep his body in front of Shay. The old
man was perplexed, and at last set the lantern on the ground, the flame within flickering
slightly at the sudden jerking movement.
"I beg of you Gursby, I meant no harm in my actions. I... I cannot wed... there is,"
Jareth glanced back at Shay as he found no words to explain the wrong he had committed
that had felt so very right.
Gursby merely shook his head, and hobbled forward. The stable hand had suffered
many injuries, one which left him nearly crippled. Without a word of question he took
hold of Shay's hand and led her into the light. The young woman went, knowing that she
sealed her fate as she stepped into the open.
"Such a gem. Shayna, I know your parents well in town," Gursby stated, though
his rough voice held nothing of anger nor any disciplinary intents.
Then, he turned, dropping Shay's hand and lifted his lantern once more. Gursby
limped to the door of the stable, and only there did he pause and turn about to
acknowledge the two young lovers. A smile found its way on his deeply wrinkled face,
and lit his eyes with pure mirth.
"Take care of each other well," he whispered and then, glancing briefly over his
shoulder to be sure no one else had heard, Gursby left the stable and slid the massive door
closed.
Shayna was silent, her mouth nearly agape in awe that they had not been revealed.
Jareth's hand found hers, and gripped it tightly. She turned and found him staring lovingly
at her once more. His features were highlighted by the moonshine, streaming in from the
same window through which Shay had observed the setting sun.
"That is precisely what I intend to do," he whispered, and moved in to press his
lips against her forehead.
* * * * * * * *
"Mother, Father, we must speak at once!" Jareth declared as he rushed down the
stairs and into the sitting room.
His parents were presently occupying the two high-backed chairs. They turned in
unison, shocked with their son's abrupt nature. His Mother swiveled back around quickly
and muttered some form of apologies to guests, whom Jareth could not quite see as he
leapt down the rest of the stairs.
His clothing was utterly distasteful, which his Father noted with a scrutinizing eye
of disdain. Jareth's shirt was neither tucked into pants, nor buttoned. It wafted open,
drifting behind him as he quickly made his way into the sitting room, to become the center
of attention.
"Jareth, we have company," his Mother whispered harshly, trying to catch his arm
before he made an embarrassment of himself and his family.
Yet he easily shied away from her, and continued playing with a single silver
button on his cuffs. They too were undone, and flowed over his hands, making Jareth
appear as some small child, in garments too large for himself.
"No, we shall talk...," Jareth broke off as his eyes fell upon the firey-haired
gentlewoman sitting pleasantly across from his mother, "...Adriana."
His mother began uttering countless apologies to the young girl, who merely
shook her head in a brief moment of giddiness. She tittered lightly, pressing a white
handkerchief to her mouth in the process. Her flowing mane of auburn hair was piled
upon her head and then cascaded down in ringlets and curls.
"She came to see you, Jareth, since you have not taken the time to visit her home
as of yet," his father explained, the iciness present in his voice not going unnoticed by his
son.
Adriana rose from her seat with all the grace that had been born and bred into her.
She lifted her full skirts and then crossed over to Jareth. She tenderly took hold of the
button he had been continually messing with and secured it in a fleeting moment. She then
turned her face (which was still a trace too full) up towards him and batted her doe-like
eyes a single time.
"Perhaps Adriana would enjoy being shown about in the full daylight?" Jareth's
mother offered, although it most certainly was not any semblance of a question.
The young noble turned to observe his fiancee with a struggled smile. He casually
plucked at his silken shirt, drawing it together so as to cover his chest entirely. Adriana
watched this, her pouting lips upturned into a pleasant grin. She batted her eyes once
more, thick lashes nearly brushing upon her cheeks.
Jareth had no choice and so, with a sigh, he relented by securing the buttons of his
shirt, and straightening his disheveled attire. He then offered Adriana his arm and nodded
briefly to his parents. The "tour" would only prove to disband his original enthusiasm and
determination to tell everyone that he would not marry Adriana, but rather had found
someone else. Now Jareth doubted that he would ever receive the chance. He could feel
his grasp on his future slipping very quickly away.
"What was it you wished to tell them, Jareth?" Adriana questioned once they had
walked through the doorway.
He merely shook his head in response and then escorted her down the stairs, out to
the dirt road. Several townspeople nodded in welcome towards the couple, their eyes
adoring the look of two that were so obviously noble in birth. They were quite the
complimentary couple, or so it was said.
"Trivial matters, really," Jareth explained, after such a long break from the time
Adriana had asked her question.
She nodded, her spiral curls bobbing around her cheeky face. Adriana tightened
her hold on his arm and lifted a lacy parasol over her head as they walked down the center
of the pathway. Trees lined their walk, as did rose bushes, scenting the air with a faint,
but lovely, perfume.
Jareth's mind instantly went to Shayna, and the aroma that consistently surrounded
her. She was like a fresh spring day, so youthful and jovial, so fresh and lovely. His heart
leapt at the mere thought of her face and he nearly was tempted to leave Adriana standing
in the midst of town to just catch the slightest glimpse of his one truest love.
"Did you hear me?" Adriana's voice broke through his fantasy that had woven
itself about his mind.
Jareth turned to face her and nodded slightly, half dazed still with the thoughts of
Shay dancing in his mind. Adriana waited, almost patiently, and then laughed at his antics.
She brushed a strand of his hair away from his face, drawing his attention once more.
"You seem to be a thousand miles away," she whispered, and then stopped their
strolling, urging Jareth to do the same.
She took his hands into hers and swung them for a moment, slight amounts of
laughter fighting through her full mouth. Adriana waited again, and Jareth knew precisely
what she wanted. However, following the passion he had shared with Shay, Jareth could
not imagine kissing another.
"I just am thinking about you, Adriana," Jareth replied, hoping that the compliment
would satiate her needs for romance.
She grinned a bit more and then turned her face down to look at her feet, acting
like the coy woman, which she most certainly was not. She then peered back up at him,
through those thick black lashes, trying to lure him closer, to bring Jareth into her grasps.
He did step forward, and pressed his lips against hers, only for the slightest of
seconds. He then stepped away, acting the part of the gentlemen, and took her hand in the
crook of his arm. Adriana sighed, her eyes cast in a far-off dreamer's gaze, perhaps
thinking of their future as man and wife; a future that Jareth would not allow to ever
occur.
A single harsh gasp resounded from the other side of the road. The couple turned
in unison to see a fleeting shape rushing down an alley, far from where she had once
stood. Even without seeing the figure's face, Jareth knew very well who it was.
"Shay?" Jareth asked, his heart sunken as he realized that she had seen the kiss he
had shared with Adriana.
He had sworn to her only the night prior that he would tell his parents this morning
about the hitch in their plans. He had already made himself a liar. Jareth started after her,
but only went a single step before realizing that Adriana was standing in the middle of the
path, her head cocked to the side in question as to why he would rush after some stranger.
"Do you know him?" Adriana inquired, walking over to Jareth's side and trying to
take hold of his arm once more.
Jareth shook himself free and then glanced back towards his home. It was near at
hand, which mean that Adriana could easily find her way back and he would not appear
entirely rude. Still, there was no way he could allow Shay to be hurt, especially when it
was him who had begun the entire relationship.
"Yes, I know him. Adriana, my love, please return to my house while I care for
that poor soul. I'll explain further at a later time. Until we see again," Jareth's voice was
lowered to its most rich, intoxicating tones.
He kissed her once and embraced her tightly, and then raced down the alley.
Adriana simply remained still, watching her fiancé leave. She sighed deeply and then took
a few backwards steps, toward his home.
She touched her lips with her fingertips and then smiled. She had begun to believe
that Jareth found her uninteresting, and perhaps had his sights set on another. However,
the way he had spoken, and the passion in his kiss, that proved his love for her. She
shivered just thinking about it.
"I will speak to you very soon, my dear Jareth!" She called, but he was already
long out of sight.
Adriana turned around, dragging the toe of her white boot in the dirt. She looked
up into the brilliant blue sky overhead, and then began humming an old song her nanny
had once taught her. Everything suddenly seemed right in the world.
* * * * * * * *
You can't turn back the clock,
You can't turn back the tide
Ain't that a shame?
I'd like to go back one more time...
On a roller coaster ride-when life was a game.
* * * * * * * *
A serenity of twilight swept over the town with the subtle shades of purple and
pink, as the sun finally set behind the mountain peaks far in the distance. The grand finale
of orange sunburst roared into the far West of the sky, lighting everything on fire, and then
the calming pastel hues overtook the sky, awaiting the approach of the moon and her
stars.
Shayna silently looked out at this spectacular sunset, her chin resting in her slender
hands. Her eyes lit with the many shades of stunning glory and reflected back against her
dark pupils. She did not say a thing, but merely was satisfied to watch nature, to enjoy it
all as the sounds of the barn continued on behind her.
A gentle, yet persistent tug on the hem of her dress finally drew her attention back
from the sky and the light show which had finally started to be consumed by navy night
heavens. The first crystallized star had broken through, and Shayna wished upon it, as she
had done when she was small, just before turning around.
She smiled at Jareth, and then stepped down from the mounting block that had
served as her perch to the window. He laid in the fresh hay, calmly observing her every
move until he could no longer stand to be away from her. Now she bent down beside him,
and allowed him to hold her close in the recently cut hay.
"Your parents will miss you?" Shayna inquired, running her finger along the silver
buttons that traced the path up the front of his fine, silk shirt. It was opened half-way up,
revealing his alabaster skin.
Jareth shook his head in answer to her question. He had never taken an active role
in his family. Such were the pains of being noble bred. A nanny had raised him, the
stable-hand had taught Jareth to ride, and all else was learned on his own.
"And you, Shay, what will you tell your family?" Jareth asked gently, stroking her
cheek with the back of his hand.
She snuggled up against him, adoring the warmth of his body, the feel of his arms
around her, the sound of his voice as it snaked its way all up and down her body. She
shivered slightly, and gooseflesh broke out on her bare arms.
Her family, she had scarcely allowed herself to think of a tale to tell them,
explaining her absence during supper hour. It was only at that time, when they could all
speak to one another, and hence the reason her Father found it so necessary to gather
together at a strict time every night. She would face some sort of punishment.
"They shan't mind," she replied, and then lifted her face to gaze into Jareth's
tantalizing eyes.
He removed his arm from around her and cupped her lovely face in his hands. She
propped herself up and then bent in, pressing her lips to his, in a searing kiss.
Instantaneously his arms were around her again, drawing her closer, so that they nearly
became one being, one mind, one soul.
Jareth's hands raced down her spine, sliding easily over the soft material of her
dress. He paused at her waist, gently loosing the clasps that bound the garments to her.
Shay said nothing, but merely smiled, breaking their kiss for but a moment. Her bodice
slipped seductively down, revealing more of her body than she had ever offered to a man
before.
"What is ye in there?" Demanded the rough and uncouth voice of the master
stable-hand.
A sudden stream of light broke the darkness that had since then encompassed the
barn. Shay leapt from her position, struggling with her drooping dress as the heavy
footsteps approached ever nearer. Jareth straightened his own clothing, but could not
prevent the sick feeling that overcame his gut, as the light fell on him.
He stepped in front of Shay, wishing only to protect her from this, which had been
his own fault. He had taken too much of a chance with the stable. Now, there would be
Hell to pay for mistakes.
The old man paused suddenly as he realized who it was that had taken up
occupancy in the stable. He scratched his grayed beard and then nodded slightly, before
catching a glimpse at the figure which shivered behind his young master.
"Who do ye have there?" The stable-hand inquired, edging forward with the
lantern held at head level.
Jareth swallowed deeply and continued to keep his body in front of Shay. The old
man was perplexed, and at last set the lantern on the ground, the flame within flickering
slightly at the sudden jerking movement.
"I beg of you Gursby, I meant no harm in my actions. I... I cannot wed... there is,"
Jareth glanced back at Shay as he found no words to explain the wrong he had committed
that had felt so very right.
Gursby merely shook his head, and hobbled forward. The stable hand had suffered
many injuries, one which left him nearly crippled. Without a word of question he took
hold of Shay's hand and led her into the light. The young woman went, knowing that she
sealed her fate as she stepped into the open.
"Such a gem. Shayna, I know your parents well in town," Gursby stated, though
his rough voice held nothing of anger nor any disciplinary intents.
Then, he turned, dropping Shay's hand and lifted his lantern once more. Gursby
limped to the door of the stable, and only there did he pause and turn about to
acknowledge the two young lovers. A smile found its way on his deeply wrinkled face,
and lit his eyes with pure mirth.
"Take care of each other well," he whispered and then, glancing briefly over his
shoulder to be sure no one else had heard, Gursby left the stable and slid the massive door
closed.
Shayna was silent, her mouth nearly agape in awe that they had not been revealed.
Jareth's hand found hers, and gripped it tightly. She turned and found him staring lovingly
at her once more. His features were highlighted by the moonshine, streaming in from the
same window through which Shay had observed the setting sun.
"That is precisely what I intend to do," he whispered, and moved in to press his
lips against her forehead.
* * * * * * * *
"Mother, Father, we must speak at once!" Jareth declared as he rushed down the
stairs and into the sitting room.
His parents were presently occupying the two high-backed chairs. They turned in
unison, shocked with their son's abrupt nature. His Mother swiveled back around quickly
and muttered some form of apologies to guests, whom Jareth could not quite see as he
leapt down the rest of the stairs.
His clothing was utterly distasteful, which his Father noted with a scrutinizing eye
of disdain. Jareth's shirt was neither tucked into pants, nor buttoned. It wafted open,
drifting behind him as he quickly made his way into the sitting room, to become the center
of attention.
"Jareth, we have company," his Mother whispered harshly, trying to catch his arm
before he made an embarrassment of himself and his family.
Yet he easily shied away from her, and continued playing with a single silver
button on his cuffs. They too were undone, and flowed over his hands, making Jareth
appear as some small child, in garments too large for himself.
"No, we shall talk...," Jareth broke off as his eyes fell upon the firey-haired
gentlewoman sitting pleasantly across from his mother, "...Adriana."
His mother began uttering countless apologies to the young girl, who merely
shook her head in a brief moment of giddiness. She tittered lightly, pressing a white
handkerchief to her mouth in the process. Her flowing mane of auburn hair was piled
upon her head and then cascaded down in ringlets and curls.
"She came to see you, Jareth, since you have not taken the time to visit her home
as of yet," his father explained, the iciness present in his voice not going unnoticed by his
son.
Adriana rose from her seat with all the grace that had been born and bred into her.
She lifted her full skirts and then crossed over to Jareth. She tenderly took hold of the
button he had been continually messing with and secured it in a fleeting moment. She then
turned her face (which was still a trace too full) up towards him and batted her doe-like
eyes a single time.
"Perhaps Adriana would enjoy being shown about in the full daylight?" Jareth's
mother offered, although it most certainly was not any semblance of a question.
The young noble turned to observe his fiancee with a struggled smile. He casually
plucked at his silken shirt, drawing it together so as to cover his chest entirely. Adriana
watched this, her pouting lips upturned into a pleasant grin. She batted her eyes once
more, thick lashes nearly brushing upon her cheeks.
Jareth had no choice and so, with a sigh, he relented by securing the buttons of his
shirt, and straightening his disheveled attire. He then offered Adriana his arm and nodded
briefly to his parents. The "tour" would only prove to disband his original enthusiasm and
determination to tell everyone that he would not marry Adriana, but rather had found
someone else. Now Jareth doubted that he would ever receive the chance. He could feel
his grasp on his future slipping very quickly away.
"What was it you wished to tell them, Jareth?" Adriana questioned once they had
walked through the doorway.
He merely shook his head in response and then escorted her down the stairs, out to
the dirt road. Several townspeople nodded in welcome towards the couple, their eyes
adoring the look of two that were so obviously noble in birth. They were quite the
complimentary couple, or so it was said.
"Trivial matters, really," Jareth explained, after such a long break from the time
Adriana had asked her question.
She nodded, her spiral curls bobbing around her cheeky face. Adriana tightened
her hold on his arm and lifted a lacy parasol over her head as they walked down the center
of the pathway. Trees lined their walk, as did rose bushes, scenting the air with a faint,
but lovely, perfume.
Jareth's mind instantly went to Shayna, and the aroma that consistently surrounded
her. She was like a fresh spring day, so youthful and jovial, so fresh and lovely. His heart
leapt at the mere thought of her face and he nearly was tempted to leave Adriana standing
in the midst of town to just catch the slightest glimpse of his one truest love.
"Did you hear me?" Adriana's voice broke through his fantasy that had woven
itself about his mind.
Jareth turned to face her and nodded slightly, half dazed still with the thoughts of
Shay dancing in his mind. Adriana waited, almost patiently, and then laughed at his antics.
She brushed a strand of his hair away from his face, drawing his attention once more.
"You seem to be a thousand miles away," she whispered, and then stopped their
strolling, urging Jareth to do the same.
She took his hands into hers and swung them for a moment, slight amounts of
laughter fighting through her full mouth. Adriana waited again, and Jareth knew precisely
what she wanted. However, following the passion he had shared with Shay, Jareth could
not imagine kissing another.
"I just am thinking about you, Adriana," Jareth replied, hoping that the compliment
would satiate her needs for romance.
She grinned a bit more and then turned her face down to look at her feet, acting
like the coy woman, which she most certainly was not. She then peered back up at him,
through those thick black lashes, trying to lure him closer, to bring Jareth into her grasps.
He did step forward, and pressed his lips against hers, only for the slightest of
seconds. He then stepped away, acting the part of the gentlemen, and took her hand in the
crook of his arm. Adriana sighed, her eyes cast in a far-off dreamer's gaze, perhaps
thinking of their future as man and wife; a future that Jareth would not allow to ever
occur.
A single harsh gasp resounded from the other side of the road. The couple turned
in unison to see a fleeting shape rushing down an alley, far from where she had once
stood. Even without seeing the figure's face, Jareth knew very well who it was.
"Shay?" Jareth asked, his heart sunken as he realized that she had seen the kiss he
had shared with Adriana.
He had sworn to her only the night prior that he would tell his parents this morning
about the hitch in their plans. He had already made himself a liar. Jareth started after her,
but only went a single step before realizing that Adriana was standing in the middle of the
path, her head cocked to the side in question as to why he would rush after some stranger.
"Do you know him?" Adriana inquired, walking over to Jareth's side and trying to
take hold of his arm once more.
Jareth shook himself free and then glanced back towards his home. It was near at
hand, which mean that Adriana could easily find her way back and he would not appear
entirely rude. Still, there was no way he could allow Shay to be hurt, especially when it
was him who had begun the entire relationship.
"Yes, I know him. Adriana, my love, please return to my house while I care for
that poor soul. I'll explain further at a later time. Until we see again," Jareth's voice was
lowered to its most rich, intoxicating tones.
He kissed her once and embraced her tightly, and then raced down the alley.
Adriana simply remained still, watching her fiancé leave. She sighed deeply and then took
a few backwards steps, toward his home.
She touched her lips with her fingertips and then smiled. She had begun to believe
that Jareth found her uninteresting, and perhaps had his sights set on another. However,
the way he had spoken, and the passion in his kiss, that proved his love for her. She
shivered just thinking about it.
"I will speak to you very soon, my dear Jareth!" She called, but he was already
long out of sight.
Adriana turned around, dragging the toe of her white boot in the dirt. She looked
up into the brilliant blue sky overhead, and then began humming an old song her nanny
had once taught her. Everything suddenly seemed right in the world.