Sara was sleeping soundly in her bed when Queen Caronara came to check on her the next morning. The High Queen smiled to see Jareth sitting next to her with his long legs stretched out in front of him.
The queen pulled a blanket from the trunk at the foot of Sara's bed and draped it over Jareth's lanky frame. She then made sure that Sara was tucked in well. Heading back toward the door, Caronara turned to look at Sara and Jareth one more time before pulling the door shut behind her.
"How is she, Caronara?"
"Sleeping quietly. And our son as well. On the chair beside her bed."
"That is good to hear. Jareth needs the rest almost as much as Sara does. Ordinal just sent word that Alamorn is in the custody of Seelie Court. They would like us to bring Jareth and Sara as soon as possible."
"You explained how weak Sara is?"
"Of course. They were quite understanding. They said we may have four days.
"I hope that will be enough."
Sara rolled over in the bed and opened her eyes to see Jareth sound asleep in the chair beside her with his arms crossed in that self-assured way on top of a blanket.
He looked so - - not innocent. Not childlike. She wasn't sure just how to describe him.
While she was pondering the question, Jareth opened his eyes and found her staring at him. She smiled sleepily and stretched out a hand which he took, smiling back.
"I wasn't dreaming. You DID find me."
"Only because you used what you believed to help you escape. Otherwise I might not have found you until it was too late."
"You would have found me. I know you would have."
"I'm glad to see that you have so much faith in me. I'm just not sure I have as much." At the question that filled her eyes as she sat up, Jareth was quick to reassure her. "It's not you. I have ultimate faith in you. After all, you did call on me when you needed help."
"But I ignored you for five years. When, all along, you were all I ever needed." Sara was on the verge of tears.
"It wasn't your fault. The last time you were here, you were just a child. You needed time to deal with your feelings. To grow up." He brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You have indeed become a beautiful young woman." He stood up and kissed her forehead. "Get some more rest. I need to go talk to my parents."
Sara curled up under the covers and was sleeping again before Jareth closed the door behind him.
"Mother?"
"Yes, Jareth?"
"Has there been any word from Seelie Court?"
"They have Alamorn in custody and would like us to bring you and Sara as soon as possible."
"They know of Sara's condition?"
"Yes. They are giving us four days to bring her back to health." Caronara paused. "How is she?"
"Sleeping well. She feels safe here."
"How is she dealing with having taken animal form?"
"We haven't even discussed that yet. She woke up for a while and we talked about how much faith she has in me compared to how much I have in myself. She told me that she was always certain that I would find her and save her." He stopped for a moment. "Mother, how did I inspire such trust in her when I have failed to protect her twice?"
"You always trust the ones you love. She loves you just as you love her."
"I do love her, mother. I would give my life for her."
"Then, just continue to be there when she needs you." She watched, smiling, as her son conjured a crystal to check on Sara. "Is she sleeping still?"
Jareth shook his head. "She's awake. Crying." He banished the crystal with a wave of his hand. "I need to go to her." He spun on his heel and left the room.
"Sara, are you alright?"
"Dristeria, what's happening to me? How was I able to take an animal form? And why an eagle?" Sara cried.
"The how part is easy. Your will asserted itself and, you being part Fae, that was enough for the power to come to the fore. The why is a little more complicated. Each of us takes the form which most resembles our own personality. You, like your grandmother and mother, are proud and strong. Just like an eagle. Jareth takes the owl because he is wise and quick. Father usually takes the bear. Strong, loyal and fearless."
Having calmed down a bit during the explanation, Sara had another question. "What form do you take?"
"A swan. Of course, Jareth always teases that I'm not graceful enough to be a swan. He remembers all of the times that he saw my knees black and blue. I was forever tripping and falling when I was little."
"You still do, little sister." Jareth's teasing voice came from the door where he was lounging against the doorframe. "Sara, are you alright?" His voice changed when he asked the question. He had been glad to see that she wasn't crying anymore.
" I feel better now. Especially now that Dristeria has explained a few things to me. I just feel bad that my animal form seems so much more powerful than yours."
"Don't. Most women have the more powerful animal than men. After all, women do have a power men can't touch. You have the power to bear children, to create life."
"Most men wouldn't see it that way. At least, most men in the Aboveground."
"All Fae men would see it that way. We realize that without women our race would die."
Sara was growing uncomforable with the conversation. She decided to change the subject. "How did your talk with your parents go?"
"Seelie Court has Alamorn in custody. They have given us four days to get you back to a state of health. Then, we must appear. Of course, the sooner we appear, the sooner this is over with."
"Then, maybe someone had better tell me when dinner is. I'm really hungry."
"We'll bring you a tray of food to tide you over until dinner. We just finished lunch," Dris said. She jumped off the bed and ran out of the room before anyone could stop her.
Jareth laughed. "She's always so full of energy. I'm surprised that her animal form isn't a hummingbird or some other fast creature."
Sara looked up at him and timidly asked, "Jareth, will you sit down here with me and hold me?"
"Of course." He sat down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard just like the night he had told Sara and Dristeria about Sara's family history. She curled up against him. That was how Dris found them when she brought in the tray of fruit and cheese. Sound asleep.
A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had a little case of mental block. It's better now though. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Especially to you Anyastazya.
The queen pulled a blanket from the trunk at the foot of Sara's bed and draped it over Jareth's lanky frame. She then made sure that Sara was tucked in well. Heading back toward the door, Caronara turned to look at Sara and Jareth one more time before pulling the door shut behind her.
"How is she, Caronara?"
"Sleeping quietly. And our son as well. On the chair beside her bed."
"That is good to hear. Jareth needs the rest almost as much as Sara does. Ordinal just sent word that Alamorn is in the custody of Seelie Court. They would like us to bring Jareth and Sara as soon as possible."
"You explained how weak Sara is?"
"Of course. They were quite understanding. They said we may have four days.
"I hope that will be enough."
Sara rolled over in the bed and opened her eyes to see Jareth sound asleep in the chair beside her with his arms crossed in that self-assured way on top of a blanket.
He looked so - - not innocent. Not childlike. She wasn't sure just how to describe him.
While she was pondering the question, Jareth opened his eyes and found her staring at him. She smiled sleepily and stretched out a hand which he took, smiling back.
"I wasn't dreaming. You DID find me."
"Only because you used what you believed to help you escape. Otherwise I might not have found you until it was too late."
"You would have found me. I know you would have."
"I'm glad to see that you have so much faith in me. I'm just not sure I have as much." At the question that filled her eyes as she sat up, Jareth was quick to reassure her. "It's not you. I have ultimate faith in you. After all, you did call on me when you needed help."
"But I ignored you for five years. When, all along, you were all I ever needed." Sara was on the verge of tears.
"It wasn't your fault. The last time you were here, you were just a child. You needed time to deal with your feelings. To grow up." He brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You have indeed become a beautiful young woman." He stood up and kissed her forehead. "Get some more rest. I need to go talk to my parents."
Sara curled up under the covers and was sleeping again before Jareth closed the door behind him.
"Mother?"
"Yes, Jareth?"
"Has there been any word from Seelie Court?"
"They have Alamorn in custody and would like us to bring you and Sara as soon as possible."
"They know of Sara's condition?"
"Yes. They are giving us four days to bring her back to health." Caronara paused. "How is she?"
"Sleeping well. She feels safe here."
"How is she dealing with having taken animal form?"
"We haven't even discussed that yet. She woke up for a while and we talked about how much faith she has in me compared to how much I have in myself. She told me that she was always certain that I would find her and save her." He stopped for a moment. "Mother, how did I inspire such trust in her when I have failed to protect her twice?"
"You always trust the ones you love. She loves you just as you love her."
"I do love her, mother. I would give my life for her."
"Then, just continue to be there when she needs you." She watched, smiling, as her son conjured a crystal to check on Sara. "Is she sleeping still?"
Jareth shook his head. "She's awake. Crying." He banished the crystal with a wave of his hand. "I need to go to her." He spun on his heel and left the room.
"Sara, are you alright?"
"Dristeria, what's happening to me? How was I able to take an animal form? And why an eagle?" Sara cried.
"The how part is easy. Your will asserted itself and, you being part Fae, that was enough for the power to come to the fore. The why is a little more complicated. Each of us takes the form which most resembles our own personality. You, like your grandmother and mother, are proud and strong. Just like an eagle. Jareth takes the owl because he is wise and quick. Father usually takes the bear. Strong, loyal and fearless."
Having calmed down a bit during the explanation, Sara had another question. "What form do you take?"
"A swan. Of course, Jareth always teases that I'm not graceful enough to be a swan. He remembers all of the times that he saw my knees black and blue. I was forever tripping and falling when I was little."
"You still do, little sister." Jareth's teasing voice came from the door where he was lounging against the doorframe. "Sara, are you alright?" His voice changed when he asked the question. He had been glad to see that she wasn't crying anymore.
" I feel better now. Especially now that Dristeria has explained a few things to me. I just feel bad that my animal form seems so much more powerful than yours."
"Don't. Most women have the more powerful animal than men. After all, women do have a power men can't touch. You have the power to bear children, to create life."
"Most men wouldn't see it that way. At least, most men in the Aboveground."
"All Fae men would see it that way. We realize that without women our race would die."
Sara was growing uncomforable with the conversation. She decided to change the subject. "How did your talk with your parents go?"
"Seelie Court has Alamorn in custody. They have given us four days to get you back to a state of health. Then, we must appear. Of course, the sooner we appear, the sooner this is over with."
"Then, maybe someone had better tell me when dinner is. I'm really hungry."
"We'll bring you a tray of food to tide you over until dinner. We just finished lunch," Dris said. She jumped off the bed and ran out of the room before anyone could stop her.
Jareth laughed. "She's always so full of energy. I'm surprised that her animal form isn't a hummingbird or some other fast creature."
Sara looked up at him and timidly asked, "Jareth, will you sit down here with me and hold me?"
"Of course." He sat down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard just like the night he had told Sara and Dristeria about Sara's family history. She curled up against him. That was how Dris found them when she brought in the tray of fruit and cheese. Sound asleep.
A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had a little case of mental block. It's better now though. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Especially to you Anyastazya.