Disclaimer: The Labyrinth, its characters, songs, and phrases are
unfortunately not mine. They belong to Jim Henson Productions. However,
Ione, Apollo, and Isis are my original characters as well as the story.
Please do not use my characters without my permission.
Chapter 7: At Long Last
"These are the living chambers. Apollo and Mother have the adjoining rooms on the left, and I have the one on the right. Father's quarters are at the end of the hallway. I don't think I need to tell you that not even Mother would venture beyond the divider."
Sarah noted the tone of caution in Isis' voice. Isis then led Sarah into her room. Sarah saw that they first entered a splendid parlor fit for the Princess of Wales done in soft feminine hues. Isis' room definitely established Isis' place as her father's little princess. The room matched the parlor in color and was filled with a young girl's every desire. Isis' collection of stuffed animals made the one Sarah had left at home look like a dime store compared to a toy factory. She had many items of jewelry that whole treasure fleets could not have bought. Yet Sarah could see that Isis had not been spoiled by these affections so obviously the gifts of her father. Sarah had to respect Ione for this. The furniture of the room itself was nothing less than dreamy. The bed was of grand size to fit Isis' centaurian body, but it was still canopied with a see-through and silky curtain. There were many resting couches made of the finest woods and silks, which Sarah hardly dared to sit on, but the furniture was intended to sit the equine half of a centauress. Sarah was at a loss.
"Come on in and have a seat," Isis said with a smile as she motioned with her hands toward a beautiful lounge chair designed for humans.
"I hardly feel I should be in here."
"You think this is grand? Ha! I can't wait to see what Father will build for you if you marry!" Sarah laughed with her.
"I suppose you'll be surprised then to learn I was very concerned about messing up your mother's house." Isis nearly rolled off her couch with giggles.
"You'll have some adjusting to do in castle living!"
"Yeah, I guess I will." Isis and Sarah talked for some time before the door slowly opened. Sarah looked up to see Ione standing in the doorway. Isis jumped up and ran over to hug her mother. Ione kissed her daughter's forehead.
"Goodnight, Mother."
Sarah looked toward the window and noticed the sun was almost set already.
"Goodnight, Isis." Isis hugged her mother again and went back to her chair. "Goodnight, Lady Sarah." Following this, Ione left without waiting for a reply.
"Goodnight, Lady Ione." The door paused as it closed, and both girls knew Ione had heard. "She called me Lady Sarah." Sarah looked at the closed door in bewilderment. "She's never called me that before."
"Mother uses the term 'lady' if she's not comfortable on a first name basis." Isis had caught her mother's withdraw as well.
"Jareth was right."
"Yes, I can see how she would feel uncomfortable now." Sarah looked at her oddly.
"What do you mean?"
"I probably should've asked permission first. Mother is telepathic, as well as telekinetic, therefore Apollo and I are as well. I can look at your memory like you used to watch a movie in your old world." Sarah wasn't sure how she felt about this fact. "As I said, I should've asked permission. Mother would be furious to learn I intruded."
"I just wish I knew what she was thinking."
"You terrified her."
"What! How?"
"You made her think she'd embarrassed Father in front of you." Sarah shook her head.
"She really does think of others all the time doesn't she?"
"Yes, she does. I wish I could think of others half as much. Apollo thinks she should've burned herself out centuries ago. Now she's fighting herself. Her heart will remain in a hopeless love, but her nature is to think of the two of you first. When you surprised her, she had just admitted this battle, and it is her nature to not allow others to think of her. She's set a difficult road for herself."
"I'm beginning to feel terrible!"
"Don't. You hardly know Mother. You don't understand her yet, and you couldn't have known how she would react."
Both of the girls went to bed soon after, but Sarah could not sleep. She decided to go for a walk. She walked through the hall quietly, and she avoided passing the divider. A soft melody caught her ear, and she walked towards it. She recognized it. It was the song Jareth had sung to her in her dream, but it was a woman's voice. She looked in the room through the open door and saw that it was a man's room not a woman's. She noticed Apollo was lying down on what she presumed was his bed, and Ione had drawn up a couch to the side of the bed. It was Ione who was singing.
"Sing it again, Mother."
"Apollo, you're a bit old for lullabies don't you think?"
"No. One should never be too old for lullabies. I've loved that one ever since I heard you sing it to Isis."
"Alright."
She sang the song again then leaned over to kiss her son goodnight. Apollo kissed his mother's cheek.
"Goodnight, Mother."
"Goodnight, Son."
Ione rose and walked to the door. Sarah escaped to the shadows so she would not be caught eavesdropping. She noticed the sudden presence of Jareth a moment before he appeared. Ione was not surprised either.
"What is it, Jareth?"
"Apollo was worried about you," Jareth said as he faded into her vision.
"Yes, he asked me to sing to him tonight at least four times."
"He loves the sound of your voice though I can hardly blame him."
"Used to it is more like it, Jareth." Ione was a modest being and she often downplayed her voice even though it rivaled that of the fabled sirens. They both laughed, and Sarah absently marked how pleasant both of their laughs were. Ione's brightness faded dramatically as she thought of her next question.
"Have you asked her yet?"
"No, I have yet to work up the courage. We only just reunited today, Ione."
"Courage has never really been a problem for you, Jareth. If I understand a female heart, and I should, then I believe she has been ready for a couple years for your proposal."
"You may know a woman's heart, Ione," Jareth replied with a shake of his head. "But I will never understand you."
"We're not meant to be easily understood, Jareth. After all, you have an eternity to understand her."
"I'm not that hard to understand," Sarah said as she stepped out of the shadows. "I already told you, Jareth, that you knew what my answer would be. Would I have come back if I was not sure?" Ione immediately began to back away. "No, stay Ione. If nothing else you may be our chaperone. We do not need to be alone every time we're together." Ione stayed but she was silent. Jareth took Sarah's hand in his own.
"Sarah, would you be my queen?"
"Yes, Jareth. I would be more than honored."
Jareth smiled, and Ione looked away as they kissed each other. As they parted, Sarah glanced down and saw a ring had appeared on her finger. The ring was antique silver with Celtic symbols on the band. The band circled around to form two hands that held a clear crystal.
"It's beautiful!" Sarah whispered. Looking towards Ione she smiled. "Ione, I would love it if you and Isis would be my bridesmaids. Apollo also needs to be the bestman." Jareth laughed quietly.
"I believe my son woud prefer to be the best centaur!" Sarah and Jareth laughed together, and Sarah looked again to Ione.
"I would be honored, Lady Sarah, to serve as one of your bridesmaids. My children shall answer for themselves, but I don't anticipate any hesitation." This said, Ione slipped into her room.
"She's so distant now, Jareth. She is still hurting over what happened today."
"The woman works hard to keep my image clean on her end. She will be better with help." Sarah nodded.
Chapter 7: At Long Last
"These are the living chambers. Apollo and Mother have the adjoining rooms on the left, and I have the one on the right. Father's quarters are at the end of the hallway. I don't think I need to tell you that not even Mother would venture beyond the divider."
Sarah noted the tone of caution in Isis' voice. Isis then led Sarah into her room. Sarah saw that they first entered a splendid parlor fit for the Princess of Wales done in soft feminine hues. Isis' room definitely established Isis' place as her father's little princess. The room matched the parlor in color and was filled with a young girl's every desire. Isis' collection of stuffed animals made the one Sarah had left at home look like a dime store compared to a toy factory. She had many items of jewelry that whole treasure fleets could not have bought. Yet Sarah could see that Isis had not been spoiled by these affections so obviously the gifts of her father. Sarah had to respect Ione for this. The furniture of the room itself was nothing less than dreamy. The bed was of grand size to fit Isis' centaurian body, but it was still canopied with a see-through and silky curtain. There were many resting couches made of the finest woods and silks, which Sarah hardly dared to sit on, but the furniture was intended to sit the equine half of a centauress. Sarah was at a loss.
"Come on in and have a seat," Isis said with a smile as she motioned with her hands toward a beautiful lounge chair designed for humans.
"I hardly feel I should be in here."
"You think this is grand? Ha! I can't wait to see what Father will build for you if you marry!" Sarah laughed with her.
"I suppose you'll be surprised then to learn I was very concerned about messing up your mother's house." Isis nearly rolled off her couch with giggles.
"You'll have some adjusting to do in castle living!"
"Yeah, I guess I will." Isis and Sarah talked for some time before the door slowly opened. Sarah looked up to see Ione standing in the doorway. Isis jumped up and ran over to hug her mother. Ione kissed her daughter's forehead.
"Goodnight, Mother."
Sarah looked toward the window and noticed the sun was almost set already.
"Goodnight, Isis." Isis hugged her mother again and went back to her chair. "Goodnight, Lady Sarah." Following this, Ione left without waiting for a reply.
"Goodnight, Lady Ione." The door paused as it closed, and both girls knew Ione had heard. "She called me Lady Sarah." Sarah looked at the closed door in bewilderment. "She's never called me that before."
"Mother uses the term 'lady' if she's not comfortable on a first name basis." Isis had caught her mother's withdraw as well.
"Jareth was right."
"Yes, I can see how she would feel uncomfortable now." Sarah looked at her oddly.
"What do you mean?"
"I probably should've asked permission first. Mother is telepathic, as well as telekinetic, therefore Apollo and I are as well. I can look at your memory like you used to watch a movie in your old world." Sarah wasn't sure how she felt about this fact. "As I said, I should've asked permission. Mother would be furious to learn I intruded."
"I just wish I knew what she was thinking."
"You terrified her."
"What! How?"
"You made her think she'd embarrassed Father in front of you." Sarah shook her head.
"She really does think of others all the time doesn't she?"
"Yes, she does. I wish I could think of others half as much. Apollo thinks she should've burned herself out centuries ago. Now she's fighting herself. Her heart will remain in a hopeless love, but her nature is to think of the two of you first. When you surprised her, she had just admitted this battle, and it is her nature to not allow others to think of her. She's set a difficult road for herself."
"I'm beginning to feel terrible!"
"Don't. You hardly know Mother. You don't understand her yet, and you couldn't have known how she would react."
Both of the girls went to bed soon after, but Sarah could not sleep. She decided to go for a walk. She walked through the hall quietly, and she avoided passing the divider. A soft melody caught her ear, and she walked towards it. She recognized it. It was the song Jareth had sung to her in her dream, but it was a woman's voice. She looked in the room through the open door and saw that it was a man's room not a woman's. She noticed Apollo was lying down on what she presumed was his bed, and Ione had drawn up a couch to the side of the bed. It was Ione who was singing.
"Sing it again, Mother."
"Apollo, you're a bit old for lullabies don't you think?"
"No. One should never be too old for lullabies. I've loved that one ever since I heard you sing it to Isis."
"Alright."
She sang the song again then leaned over to kiss her son goodnight. Apollo kissed his mother's cheek.
"Goodnight, Mother."
"Goodnight, Son."
Ione rose and walked to the door. Sarah escaped to the shadows so she would not be caught eavesdropping. She noticed the sudden presence of Jareth a moment before he appeared. Ione was not surprised either.
"What is it, Jareth?"
"Apollo was worried about you," Jareth said as he faded into her vision.
"Yes, he asked me to sing to him tonight at least four times."
"He loves the sound of your voice though I can hardly blame him."
"Used to it is more like it, Jareth." Ione was a modest being and she often downplayed her voice even though it rivaled that of the fabled sirens. They both laughed, and Sarah absently marked how pleasant both of their laughs were. Ione's brightness faded dramatically as she thought of her next question.
"Have you asked her yet?"
"No, I have yet to work up the courage. We only just reunited today, Ione."
"Courage has never really been a problem for you, Jareth. If I understand a female heart, and I should, then I believe she has been ready for a couple years for your proposal."
"You may know a woman's heart, Ione," Jareth replied with a shake of his head. "But I will never understand you."
"We're not meant to be easily understood, Jareth. After all, you have an eternity to understand her."
"I'm not that hard to understand," Sarah said as she stepped out of the shadows. "I already told you, Jareth, that you knew what my answer would be. Would I have come back if I was not sure?" Ione immediately began to back away. "No, stay Ione. If nothing else you may be our chaperone. We do not need to be alone every time we're together." Ione stayed but she was silent. Jareth took Sarah's hand in his own.
"Sarah, would you be my queen?"
"Yes, Jareth. I would be more than honored."
Jareth smiled, and Ione looked away as they kissed each other. As they parted, Sarah glanced down and saw a ring had appeared on her finger. The ring was antique silver with Celtic symbols on the band. The band circled around to form two hands that held a clear crystal.
"It's beautiful!" Sarah whispered. Looking towards Ione she smiled. "Ione, I would love it if you and Isis would be my bridesmaids. Apollo also needs to be the bestman." Jareth laughed quietly.
"I believe my son woud prefer to be the best centaur!" Sarah and Jareth laughed together, and Sarah looked again to Ione.
"I would be honored, Lady Sarah, to serve as one of your bridesmaids. My children shall answer for themselves, but I don't anticipate any hesitation." This said, Ione slipped into her room.
"She's so distant now, Jareth. She is still hurting over what happened today."
"The woman works hard to keep my image clean on her end. She will be better with help." Sarah nodded.