Very special thanks to DarkAngel-Hotaru and Shunu No Miko. I love you guys
for reviewing when no one else did, and I worked really, really hard on
Chapter 8, too! I wanted it to be perfect, and you two are my driving
force right now. My muse has left me for the time being (as have other
reviewers) so that's why this chapter is so short and maybe not as good as
it might've been. Anyway, here you go!
~*~*~
It was surprising to Sarah that she could smile, but smile she did as dainty Kit ran out to greet the en'tarage, all energy and smiles herself. It was nice to see a familiar, trusted face, especially one that looked so like Jareth.
"Why, if it isn't Katerina, the High Queen of the Shapeshifters," Antony drawled, dismounting his horse in one fluid movement.
"And if it isn't that scoundrel Antony that sets ladies' hearts aflutter and mothers' mouths frowning," she shot back, catching him in an embrace.
"Kit!" Tessika cried. Before the carriage had completely stopped, she was out and running toward the Fae.
"Why, if it isn't my favorite girl!"
"Wait," Antony said, frowning down at the Human. "I was under the impression that you were *my* favorite girl."
"Mommy always taught me to share," Tessika told them, in a reprimanding tone.
"Oh, darling," Victoria said, alighting to the ground. "This bunch has never been good with sharing."
"I should've known that that was yours, Alex," Kit said as the couple climbed out of the loud, starry buggy. She turned to her other brother. "However do you let her make such things, Will?"
"I simply look the other way."
"Why must you always tease me about my taste?" Alex asked, feigning hurt. "You are all worse then I am."
The group laughed as Sarah stood, watching the playful exchanges. It made her think of her own family; however, not even her and Toby had been even remotely like this. A painful twinge to realize and see what she had been missing. Another pang, this one envious, hit her. Such a lucky, close- knot family.
Liam noticed her, standing outside the fray. "I am sure, that of all people, Sarah here can vouch for that."
"Sarah, it is so good to see you again," Kit said, reaching out and grasping the Human's hands. "I have found myself how you are managing living in the same castle with Jareth."
"I'm alive," Sarah replied.
"That you are, and lovely as ever." Lovely, yes, Kit noted, but strained and fragile. Jareth must have told her about Tessika. The poor woman.
"Lovely enough so that she could have any many she desired, and she chose Jareth," Antony scoffed.
"I was wondering about that myself, brother," Will said.
Despite everything that had been revealed over the last twenty-six hours, Sarah broke into a genuine grin, and actually laughed a little. Jareth was right--these people knew how hard this was, and was going to be, and were trying to make it as easy on her as possible. Trying to make her feel like she belonged.
The group ushered her and Tessika inside, chattering away. Small-boned servants--of a lower blood then the family's, it seemed--tailed after them, hauling in trunks from the carriages.
"I will show you to your rooms first," Kit was saying, leading the way through the large arched hallways. "They are all attached by a system of doors, and Aidian and I will be just across the hall. None of the other guests have arrived yet--they will come tomorrow. Many of *their* rooms will be in the other wing. Rambunctious bunch, royalty is." She shook her head and opened a heavy door on the right side of the corridor. "This is the Silver Fairy Room. Will and Alex--you will stay in here."
Sarah only got a peek at the room, but what she saw made her gasp: silver walls with delicate etchings of pixies, deep white carpet, a large bed with a canopy of the palest green--
Alexandra and William disappeared inside, and the door shut. Sarah sighed in disappointment; hopefully hers would be as lovely.
The next door opened into a smaller room--"the Unicorn Room"--done entirely in the most delicate colors. The walls were an iridescent, shimmering color. Prisms hung in the window, shooting rays of color all about the room. This was Tessika's room. The girl squealed with delight.
Alarmed, Sarah spoke up. "We aren't going to be sharing a room."
"It goes against the ways of tradition for a parent and a child to share a room," Kit explained. "In any case, it will not be necessary for you to share a room." She pointed to a set of carved double doors. "That opens into your bedroom."
The next door Kit opened was intricately carved and plated with silver.
"This is the High Goblin Room--all guests-of-honor stay in here," she said.
"I'm a guest of honor?"
Liam laughed. "No. The Masquerade is simply in your honor."
Blushing, Sarah waited until the group moved on until she stepped inside. She was not disappointed. The room was rich with dark colors, expensive fabrics, and heavy furniture. Not as large as her room back in the castle, and with more furniture, it screamed "Labyrinth". Or, rather, it had the same essence of it. The walls were painted a light, rustic marble brown, which complimented the deep emerald rugs that covered the shiny wood floor. A huge bookshelf, encased in glass, stood next to the equally large fireplace. All the furniture was of a varnished dark wood, and fabricated with creamy satin. The bed was surrounded with gauzy emerald curtains, matching the curtains that framed the large arched window. A screen embroidered with thick thread, showing a vivid scene of mischevious fairy eyes peering out of a forest, was set up in a corner. A large cabinet stood in another, most likely a closet of sorts. The whole room was mysterious and enchanting.
"Do you like it?" a voice asked from behind her.
Sarah turned. "Yeah. It's lovely, Kit. Was it decorated to be like the Labyrinth?"
"In a way. It was modeled after Jareth." Kit trailed tapered fingernails across a painting on the wall--it was of him. "When Aidian and I built this wing, we looked forward and thought, 'Now, who would be a frequent guest-of-honor here?' Jareth. He is, after all, an Overlord, and my brother."
"I'm sure he likes this room."
"Oh, yes. He stays here often. In fact, I do not believe anyone but he has slept in here."
Servants brought in the three trunks that Sarah had brought for herself and set them in front of the cabinet.
"Do you wish for someone to remain and help you unpack?" Kit asked.
"No, but Tessie probably needs someone."
Kit looked pointedly at one of the servants, who nodded and went through one of the doors--the Unicorn Room.
"That door right there goes to Father and Mother's room, and behind that screen is a--how do you Humans say it? Bathroom?"
"Oh. Yeah, I know what you're talking about."
Kit smiled, obviously pleased with herself. "Yes, well, if you need anything, I'll be across the corridor. Feel free to explore. Dinner is at eight, but I will make sure and assign a servant to you to help ready you."
"Okay. Thanks."
The door closed, and Sarah turned back to study the room. Jareth slept in here? Although she had been in the Goblin Castle for better then a week now, she had never seen Jareth's room. Hell, I don't even know where it *is*. Small, hesitant steps took her to the bed. That beautiful creature that took her to bed the night before laid here. Abruptly, she threw herself facedown into its softness. A spicy, yet sweet scent surrounded her, smelling male and clean. Jareth.
Tears sprung to her eyes. Kit was probably trying to make her feel better by giving her this room, but it only made her feel worse. It only made her want Jareth more. Both her lover and the man who held her heart. Where was he? What was he doing now?
~
His powerful wings beat in time with his heart as Jareth rode the wind, mind open. He had been flying for better then two hours now, looking. Faintly, he thought he felt Sarah's grief reached him, but only faintly. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking. By the Underground, he wished more then anything to alight to the dark forest floor. In less then a second he could be with her, in her welcoming arms, and under the spell of her sweet smile. But, alas, it was not to be, and he, of all, had learned this hard lesson well. Duty first. His eyes, sharpened by his inner best, searched the darkness under the trees for anything, *anything* that might give a clue as to who was behind this and where. Beginning to tire, and fearing that the enemy might not be in the hills at all, he wished more then ever that he were with Sarah and Tessika.
And then he spotted the Goblin, hurrying out of the mouth of a cave.
Shocked, his flight stuttered for a moment. Seeing a Goblin in these dark hills was like seeing a fly on a beautiful cake--it didn't belong. Goblins were terrified of the mystery this forest held. So just what was this little rascal doing in these shadowy depths?
Intrigued and a little alarmed, he lighted onto a tree and studied the scurrying little figure. Perhaps he had seen this Goblin before? Perhaps, perhaps not.
The Goblin seemed to be both fearful and pleased as he hobbled along under the trees. He didn't look different then any other Goblin: he wore old boots, a faded shirt under a leather jacket, torn breeches, and a cap pulled low over his face. This cap made it difficult to identify him, but he appeared to have originated from the Goblin City itself. But that couldn't be. What in the Realms would a city Goblin being doing out here in the heart of the western hills?
Equipped with enhanced ears, Jareth realized he could hear the Goblin muttering to himself. He flew lower, careful to remain out of sight.
"I's won't forget this, he says. Yer gonna be rewarded, he says." The Goblin laughed a little and raised a necklace he wore over his head. "Well, Nobbik, ya ole dog, ya got's it made, ya do. Anything I's ever wanted! Don't believe his Highness ever offered's me that." Squinting his eyes, he scanned the forest. "Aye, I'm gonna be rich when this's all over's." With that, he pressed a charm on the necklace into the base of a tree--and disappeared.
If owls could gape, Jareth would've done so. That Goblin--that traitor-- was Nobbik? A somewhat dim-witted, but seemingly faithful and willing Goblin of the castle? For the heavens' sake, this was simply heart stopping. A traitor, so close to him. And his family. And that necklace! Well, that answered the question of what a city Goblin was doing here. Obviously he was using a small portal, with that charm as the key, to relay between the city and this cave. But who was powering the portal?
Yes, now he could sense that this was the place, the lair. What he had been looking for. Before, he had been looking in the wrong places; he had been looking *on* the hills. The enemy was *inside* the hills, coiled and powerful. A rattlesnake.
Only one way to find out. Jareth ruffled his wings, preparing to fly into the mouth of the cave--the belly of the beast, as it were.
And an arrow thudded into his feathered belly.
~
The rest of the night passed in a blur for Sarah. She felt as if she were walking in water. Everything and everyone around her seemed blurry and unimportant, their voices muffled and faint. It took a great effort at dinner for Sarah to look interested in the conversation held by Jareth's family. They smiled, laughing easily, and annoyance nearly overrode her fragile shield. Sure, they could laugh. What did they have to lose? One male, when there were three more to go around. It was easy for them to have a good time. They didn't have to worry about losing a part of their hearts.
It was unfair to judge them, and she knew it. This knowledge didn't stop her, though. The entire evening, she sat in her chair, eyes cloudy, voice thick, and expression faint. Perhaps the only time she smiled was during Aidian's appearance. As the family was sitting down to dinner, a gigantic bear suddenly through open the dining hall doors, lumbering inside. Sarah screamed as it ran across the room and wrapped its huge forelegs around Kit. The rest of the family laughed at her, as if she was supposed to know that the beast Aidian, a Shapeshifter, favored was the bear.
Insensitive asses. But she smiled and forced laughter. Somewhat maniacal laughter, but laughter nonetheless.
And after she tucked little Tessika--a vivid reminder of Jareth--in her colorful bed, she went and cried again in the bed, his scent all around her. Almost as if any moment she would feel his arms encircle her waist and pull her close. But she never did.
~
Kit groaned, once again being tortured by the strong Human in the room across the hall.
"Simply cast a damn spell and be done with it," Aidian grumbled, turning on his side. His wife wasn't the only one being kept up by her powers.
"You know I am not good with spells of the type she needs," she said.
"The hell you aren't."
In answer, her eyes briefly flashed, and the black grief that had been raining down upon her mind immediately began to fade.
"It will not last long."
"Long enough, perhaps, for some closeness?" he asked, trailing a finger along her delicate collarbone.
A tired smile and she pushed his hand away. "I am too afraid for Jareth."
"Kit, darling, you are not supposed to think of your brother while in bed with your husband." A wolfish grin spread across his face.
"It is not right." But she felt her wall begin to break.
"I can help you forget your fear . . . " He trailed hot kisses along her neck.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, accepting defeat. "Aidian, you--"
Suddenly, her body arched up off the bed, tense as a bowstring. Her eyes clenched shut with pain, and whimpers escaped from her tight neck. Every muscle, sinew, and cord in her body seemed to be short with pain.
Alarmed, Aidian reached out to touch her hand, a claw hooked into the bed. "Kit--"
A single drop of blood slid out of the corner of her mouth. "JARETH!" she screamed, eyes opening wide--too wide.
She collapsed back onto the bed and began to spasm.
Heart beating faster then a frightened bird, Aidian began screaming for the others as he held the shaking body of his wife.
~*~*~
PS. To DarkAngel-Hotaru: I don't even know Bryon Adams was the original singer of "Heaven," but I'm a big fan of his, and I already had another song of his for another chapter. So if I continue this story, and get to that chapter, I'll dedicate it to you.
~*~*~
It was surprising to Sarah that she could smile, but smile she did as dainty Kit ran out to greet the en'tarage, all energy and smiles herself. It was nice to see a familiar, trusted face, especially one that looked so like Jareth.
"Why, if it isn't Katerina, the High Queen of the Shapeshifters," Antony drawled, dismounting his horse in one fluid movement.
"And if it isn't that scoundrel Antony that sets ladies' hearts aflutter and mothers' mouths frowning," she shot back, catching him in an embrace.
"Kit!" Tessika cried. Before the carriage had completely stopped, she was out and running toward the Fae.
"Why, if it isn't my favorite girl!"
"Wait," Antony said, frowning down at the Human. "I was under the impression that you were *my* favorite girl."
"Mommy always taught me to share," Tessika told them, in a reprimanding tone.
"Oh, darling," Victoria said, alighting to the ground. "This bunch has never been good with sharing."
"I should've known that that was yours, Alex," Kit said as the couple climbed out of the loud, starry buggy. She turned to her other brother. "However do you let her make such things, Will?"
"I simply look the other way."
"Why must you always tease me about my taste?" Alex asked, feigning hurt. "You are all worse then I am."
The group laughed as Sarah stood, watching the playful exchanges. It made her think of her own family; however, not even her and Toby had been even remotely like this. A painful twinge to realize and see what she had been missing. Another pang, this one envious, hit her. Such a lucky, close- knot family.
Liam noticed her, standing outside the fray. "I am sure, that of all people, Sarah here can vouch for that."
"Sarah, it is so good to see you again," Kit said, reaching out and grasping the Human's hands. "I have found myself how you are managing living in the same castle with Jareth."
"I'm alive," Sarah replied.
"That you are, and lovely as ever." Lovely, yes, Kit noted, but strained and fragile. Jareth must have told her about Tessika. The poor woman.
"Lovely enough so that she could have any many she desired, and she chose Jareth," Antony scoffed.
"I was wondering about that myself, brother," Will said.
Despite everything that had been revealed over the last twenty-six hours, Sarah broke into a genuine grin, and actually laughed a little. Jareth was right--these people knew how hard this was, and was going to be, and were trying to make it as easy on her as possible. Trying to make her feel like she belonged.
The group ushered her and Tessika inside, chattering away. Small-boned servants--of a lower blood then the family's, it seemed--tailed after them, hauling in trunks from the carriages.
"I will show you to your rooms first," Kit was saying, leading the way through the large arched hallways. "They are all attached by a system of doors, and Aidian and I will be just across the hall. None of the other guests have arrived yet--they will come tomorrow. Many of *their* rooms will be in the other wing. Rambunctious bunch, royalty is." She shook her head and opened a heavy door on the right side of the corridor. "This is the Silver Fairy Room. Will and Alex--you will stay in here."
Sarah only got a peek at the room, but what she saw made her gasp: silver walls with delicate etchings of pixies, deep white carpet, a large bed with a canopy of the palest green--
Alexandra and William disappeared inside, and the door shut. Sarah sighed in disappointment; hopefully hers would be as lovely.
The next door opened into a smaller room--"the Unicorn Room"--done entirely in the most delicate colors. The walls were an iridescent, shimmering color. Prisms hung in the window, shooting rays of color all about the room. This was Tessika's room. The girl squealed with delight.
Alarmed, Sarah spoke up. "We aren't going to be sharing a room."
"It goes against the ways of tradition for a parent and a child to share a room," Kit explained. "In any case, it will not be necessary for you to share a room." She pointed to a set of carved double doors. "That opens into your bedroom."
The next door Kit opened was intricately carved and plated with silver.
"This is the High Goblin Room--all guests-of-honor stay in here," she said.
"I'm a guest of honor?"
Liam laughed. "No. The Masquerade is simply in your honor."
Blushing, Sarah waited until the group moved on until she stepped inside. She was not disappointed. The room was rich with dark colors, expensive fabrics, and heavy furniture. Not as large as her room back in the castle, and with more furniture, it screamed "Labyrinth". Or, rather, it had the same essence of it. The walls were painted a light, rustic marble brown, which complimented the deep emerald rugs that covered the shiny wood floor. A huge bookshelf, encased in glass, stood next to the equally large fireplace. All the furniture was of a varnished dark wood, and fabricated with creamy satin. The bed was surrounded with gauzy emerald curtains, matching the curtains that framed the large arched window. A screen embroidered with thick thread, showing a vivid scene of mischevious fairy eyes peering out of a forest, was set up in a corner. A large cabinet stood in another, most likely a closet of sorts. The whole room was mysterious and enchanting.
"Do you like it?" a voice asked from behind her.
Sarah turned. "Yeah. It's lovely, Kit. Was it decorated to be like the Labyrinth?"
"In a way. It was modeled after Jareth." Kit trailed tapered fingernails across a painting on the wall--it was of him. "When Aidian and I built this wing, we looked forward and thought, 'Now, who would be a frequent guest-of-honor here?' Jareth. He is, after all, an Overlord, and my brother."
"I'm sure he likes this room."
"Oh, yes. He stays here often. In fact, I do not believe anyone but he has slept in here."
Servants brought in the three trunks that Sarah had brought for herself and set them in front of the cabinet.
"Do you wish for someone to remain and help you unpack?" Kit asked.
"No, but Tessie probably needs someone."
Kit looked pointedly at one of the servants, who nodded and went through one of the doors--the Unicorn Room.
"That door right there goes to Father and Mother's room, and behind that screen is a--how do you Humans say it? Bathroom?"
"Oh. Yeah, I know what you're talking about."
Kit smiled, obviously pleased with herself. "Yes, well, if you need anything, I'll be across the corridor. Feel free to explore. Dinner is at eight, but I will make sure and assign a servant to you to help ready you."
"Okay. Thanks."
The door closed, and Sarah turned back to study the room. Jareth slept in here? Although she had been in the Goblin Castle for better then a week now, she had never seen Jareth's room. Hell, I don't even know where it *is*. Small, hesitant steps took her to the bed. That beautiful creature that took her to bed the night before laid here. Abruptly, she threw herself facedown into its softness. A spicy, yet sweet scent surrounded her, smelling male and clean. Jareth.
Tears sprung to her eyes. Kit was probably trying to make her feel better by giving her this room, but it only made her feel worse. It only made her want Jareth more. Both her lover and the man who held her heart. Where was he? What was he doing now?
~
His powerful wings beat in time with his heart as Jareth rode the wind, mind open. He had been flying for better then two hours now, looking. Faintly, he thought he felt Sarah's grief reached him, but only faintly. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking. By the Underground, he wished more then anything to alight to the dark forest floor. In less then a second he could be with her, in her welcoming arms, and under the spell of her sweet smile. But, alas, it was not to be, and he, of all, had learned this hard lesson well. Duty first. His eyes, sharpened by his inner best, searched the darkness under the trees for anything, *anything* that might give a clue as to who was behind this and where. Beginning to tire, and fearing that the enemy might not be in the hills at all, he wished more then ever that he were with Sarah and Tessika.
And then he spotted the Goblin, hurrying out of the mouth of a cave.
Shocked, his flight stuttered for a moment. Seeing a Goblin in these dark hills was like seeing a fly on a beautiful cake--it didn't belong. Goblins were terrified of the mystery this forest held. So just what was this little rascal doing in these shadowy depths?
Intrigued and a little alarmed, he lighted onto a tree and studied the scurrying little figure. Perhaps he had seen this Goblin before? Perhaps, perhaps not.
The Goblin seemed to be both fearful and pleased as he hobbled along under the trees. He didn't look different then any other Goblin: he wore old boots, a faded shirt under a leather jacket, torn breeches, and a cap pulled low over his face. This cap made it difficult to identify him, but he appeared to have originated from the Goblin City itself. But that couldn't be. What in the Realms would a city Goblin being doing out here in the heart of the western hills?
Equipped with enhanced ears, Jareth realized he could hear the Goblin muttering to himself. He flew lower, careful to remain out of sight.
"I's won't forget this, he says. Yer gonna be rewarded, he says." The Goblin laughed a little and raised a necklace he wore over his head. "Well, Nobbik, ya ole dog, ya got's it made, ya do. Anything I's ever wanted! Don't believe his Highness ever offered's me that." Squinting his eyes, he scanned the forest. "Aye, I'm gonna be rich when this's all over's." With that, he pressed a charm on the necklace into the base of a tree--and disappeared.
If owls could gape, Jareth would've done so. That Goblin--that traitor-- was Nobbik? A somewhat dim-witted, but seemingly faithful and willing Goblin of the castle? For the heavens' sake, this was simply heart stopping. A traitor, so close to him. And his family. And that necklace! Well, that answered the question of what a city Goblin was doing here. Obviously he was using a small portal, with that charm as the key, to relay between the city and this cave. But who was powering the portal?
Yes, now he could sense that this was the place, the lair. What he had been looking for. Before, he had been looking in the wrong places; he had been looking *on* the hills. The enemy was *inside* the hills, coiled and powerful. A rattlesnake.
Only one way to find out. Jareth ruffled his wings, preparing to fly into the mouth of the cave--the belly of the beast, as it were.
And an arrow thudded into his feathered belly.
~
The rest of the night passed in a blur for Sarah. She felt as if she were walking in water. Everything and everyone around her seemed blurry and unimportant, their voices muffled and faint. It took a great effort at dinner for Sarah to look interested in the conversation held by Jareth's family. They smiled, laughing easily, and annoyance nearly overrode her fragile shield. Sure, they could laugh. What did they have to lose? One male, when there were three more to go around. It was easy for them to have a good time. They didn't have to worry about losing a part of their hearts.
It was unfair to judge them, and she knew it. This knowledge didn't stop her, though. The entire evening, she sat in her chair, eyes cloudy, voice thick, and expression faint. Perhaps the only time she smiled was during Aidian's appearance. As the family was sitting down to dinner, a gigantic bear suddenly through open the dining hall doors, lumbering inside. Sarah screamed as it ran across the room and wrapped its huge forelegs around Kit. The rest of the family laughed at her, as if she was supposed to know that the beast Aidian, a Shapeshifter, favored was the bear.
Insensitive asses. But she smiled and forced laughter. Somewhat maniacal laughter, but laughter nonetheless.
And after she tucked little Tessika--a vivid reminder of Jareth--in her colorful bed, she went and cried again in the bed, his scent all around her. Almost as if any moment she would feel his arms encircle her waist and pull her close. But she never did.
~
Kit groaned, once again being tortured by the strong Human in the room across the hall.
"Simply cast a damn spell and be done with it," Aidian grumbled, turning on his side. His wife wasn't the only one being kept up by her powers.
"You know I am not good with spells of the type she needs," she said.
"The hell you aren't."
In answer, her eyes briefly flashed, and the black grief that had been raining down upon her mind immediately began to fade.
"It will not last long."
"Long enough, perhaps, for some closeness?" he asked, trailing a finger along her delicate collarbone.
A tired smile and she pushed his hand away. "I am too afraid for Jareth."
"Kit, darling, you are not supposed to think of your brother while in bed with your husband." A wolfish grin spread across his face.
"It is not right." But she felt her wall begin to break.
"I can help you forget your fear . . . " He trailed hot kisses along her neck.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, accepting defeat. "Aidian, you--"
Suddenly, her body arched up off the bed, tense as a bowstring. Her eyes clenched shut with pain, and whimpers escaped from her tight neck. Every muscle, sinew, and cord in her body seemed to be short with pain.
Alarmed, Aidian reached out to touch her hand, a claw hooked into the bed. "Kit--"
A single drop of blood slid out of the corner of her mouth. "JARETH!" she screamed, eyes opening wide--too wide.
She collapsed back onto the bed and began to spasm.
Heart beating faster then a frightened bird, Aidian began screaming for the others as he held the shaking body of his wife.
~*~*~
PS. To DarkAngel-Hotaru: I don't even know Bryon Adams was the original singer of "Heaven," but I'm a big fan of his, and I already had another song of his for another chapter. So if I continue this story, and get to that chapter, I'll dedicate it to you.