Jareth sat in the dining room across from Sara. She seemed so much happier since telling him that she was pregnant.
She was certain that he would be upset. She had been so worried that he wouldn't want the baby. Jareth had really surprised her with his happiness at the news.
"Sweetheart, how do you feel?"
"In the mornings, it's kind of hard- - no, make that impossible, to eat anything. But other than that, not too bad. Of course, according to your mother, it's still very early in the pregnancy. I hope things continue to go this well as the term goes on."
"I'm sure it will, love."
"I'm just worried that people will find out that I'm pregnant and start rumors about us. I don't want that."
"You can let me worry about that. They won't say anything about the baby being conceived out of wedlock because we are getting married and I know this is my baby." He really wanted Sara to be protected from any rumors. He knew that some of the noblemen and women of the Underground could and would be extremely cruel just because they knew that Sara had been raised as a mortal and not a Fae. Hell, she was only one-fourth Fae as it was. But if she was even one-half as powerful as her mother, they had better watch out for her when she became his queen.
"I can't help it. Jareth, how are people going to react to me? I'm not like the other monarchs around here. I'm only one-quarter Fae. Do you really think they'll respond to me the way they do to someone who has been here all their lives? I don't. I don't think they'll just follow me the way they do you. I get the feeling that someone will try something that I can't defend against. What if they hurt the baby? What if whatever they try kills the baby?"
Jareth got up from his end of the table and walked down to where Sara was sitting. "Sweetheart, I'll take care of you. We're getting married in two weeks. Then, we'll be living in the same castle where you will be protected from any harm. Once you start to show, we will stay very close to home and you will never be unguarded. If I can't be with you, my most trusted guards will be assigned to you." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You will be safe. I promise. You know you can trust my word."
"Of course I trust you. I just worry about things like this. Especially when I get tired." She laughed at herself. "Of course, that's becoming more and more often now. I can't seem to sleep enough."
"If it makes you feel safer, I can send two or three of my most trusted guards to take care of you."
"I would rather just be with you." Jareth smiled as she stood and stepped into his arms.
"My love, as happy as that would make me as well, you and I both know that that is not an option. We must spend some time apart before the wedding."
"We have spent six weeks apart. I don't want to wait any longer." Sara's voice was getting a bit shrill.
"I think it is time that I go. Before you get even more upset than you already are. Mother, you will stay with Sara for a while?"
"I am here until after the wedding. I won't be far from her, son. I'll look out for her and call you if we need you."
Jareth stepped away from Sara and toward the window. "I will see you soon, love. I promise. All you have to do is call. I will be here in moments." He kissed his mother's cheek and flew away from the window.
Sara crumpled to the floor crying. All she needed was to have Jareth hold her in his arms.
"Milady, may I present His Lordship Jaslen and the Lady Corlien? They claim to be friends of the Goblin King."
"Thank you, Joran. You may leave us." She sent a quiet thought to Caronara, telling her of the situation, even as she greeted her guests. "What brings you to my castle?"
"We were told the rightful heir had taken their place. Apparently, we were misinformed."
"You were informed correctly. I am the rightful heir to Tarmain's kingdom. I am Sara, daughter of Lindarel, granddaughter of Tarmaine. The queen of this land and the intended wife of Jareth, King of Goblins." Sara's voice had a touch of arrogance to it. She held herself proudly.
"But how can he marry you when he was promised to me? Our parents arranged our marriage years ago."
"King Jareth has made his decision as to who will rule beside him. The Council has approved his choice. I'm sure that if they didn't approve it, I would not be planning a wedding right now." Sara looked up as Caronara gracefully entered the room. "Good morning, Mother. I see you were told of our guests."
Caronara looked at the two gold-digging siblings and allowed all of the hatred she felt toward them show in her eyes. "Corlien, you were told many years ago that the potential for a match between you and Jareth existed. There was no promise. You know it and I know it. Shall we call my husband and your father to confirm it?"
"No, Majesty. I know that there was truly no promise. But there were high hopes on both my part and my father's."
"That would be through no fault of my family or Queen Sara. You will not spring a surprise visit on the queen again. I know why you came. You wanted a chance to drive a wedge between Sara and Jareth. It won't work. They have a love backed by both families. In Sara's case, even her dead mother and grandmother approve of the match between her and Jareth."
"I think my sister and I should leave now. We can tell when we are no longer welcome." Jaslen's atitude was apparent in his tone of voice and the stiff way that he stood up to leaave. Corlien joined her brother and they left.
"Thank you, Mother. I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask them to leave."
"Beware of those two. They simply wish to see Corlien marry Jareth for the sake of gaining power in the Underground. They have been trying to push it for years. I would be surprised if Jaslen didn't try to lure you away from Jareth."
Little did Caronara realize just how badly Corlien really wanted the crown of the Underground.
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A/N: Sorry it took so long to update but I wasn't sure where I wanted to take this story.
Try to get the next chapter up soon.
She was certain that he would be upset. She had been so worried that he wouldn't want the baby. Jareth had really surprised her with his happiness at the news.
"Sweetheart, how do you feel?"
"In the mornings, it's kind of hard- - no, make that impossible, to eat anything. But other than that, not too bad. Of course, according to your mother, it's still very early in the pregnancy. I hope things continue to go this well as the term goes on."
"I'm sure it will, love."
"I'm just worried that people will find out that I'm pregnant and start rumors about us. I don't want that."
"You can let me worry about that. They won't say anything about the baby being conceived out of wedlock because we are getting married and I know this is my baby." He really wanted Sara to be protected from any rumors. He knew that some of the noblemen and women of the Underground could and would be extremely cruel just because they knew that Sara had been raised as a mortal and not a Fae. Hell, she was only one-fourth Fae as it was. But if she was even one-half as powerful as her mother, they had better watch out for her when she became his queen.
"I can't help it. Jareth, how are people going to react to me? I'm not like the other monarchs around here. I'm only one-quarter Fae. Do you really think they'll respond to me the way they do to someone who has been here all their lives? I don't. I don't think they'll just follow me the way they do you. I get the feeling that someone will try something that I can't defend against. What if they hurt the baby? What if whatever they try kills the baby?"
Jareth got up from his end of the table and walked down to where Sara was sitting. "Sweetheart, I'll take care of you. We're getting married in two weeks. Then, we'll be living in the same castle where you will be protected from any harm. Once you start to show, we will stay very close to home and you will never be unguarded. If I can't be with you, my most trusted guards will be assigned to you." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You will be safe. I promise. You know you can trust my word."
"Of course I trust you. I just worry about things like this. Especially when I get tired." She laughed at herself. "Of course, that's becoming more and more often now. I can't seem to sleep enough."
"If it makes you feel safer, I can send two or three of my most trusted guards to take care of you."
"I would rather just be with you." Jareth smiled as she stood and stepped into his arms.
"My love, as happy as that would make me as well, you and I both know that that is not an option. We must spend some time apart before the wedding."
"We have spent six weeks apart. I don't want to wait any longer." Sara's voice was getting a bit shrill.
"I think it is time that I go. Before you get even more upset than you already are. Mother, you will stay with Sara for a while?"
"I am here until after the wedding. I won't be far from her, son. I'll look out for her and call you if we need you."
Jareth stepped away from Sara and toward the window. "I will see you soon, love. I promise. All you have to do is call. I will be here in moments." He kissed his mother's cheek and flew away from the window.
Sara crumpled to the floor crying. All she needed was to have Jareth hold her in his arms.
"Milady, may I present His Lordship Jaslen and the Lady Corlien? They claim to be friends of the Goblin King."
"Thank you, Joran. You may leave us." She sent a quiet thought to Caronara, telling her of the situation, even as she greeted her guests. "What brings you to my castle?"
"We were told the rightful heir had taken their place. Apparently, we were misinformed."
"You were informed correctly. I am the rightful heir to Tarmain's kingdom. I am Sara, daughter of Lindarel, granddaughter of Tarmaine. The queen of this land and the intended wife of Jareth, King of Goblins." Sara's voice had a touch of arrogance to it. She held herself proudly.
"But how can he marry you when he was promised to me? Our parents arranged our marriage years ago."
"King Jareth has made his decision as to who will rule beside him. The Council has approved his choice. I'm sure that if they didn't approve it, I would not be planning a wedding right now." Sara looked up as Caronara gracefully entered the room. "Good morning, Mother. I see you were told of our guests."
Caronara looked at the two gold-digging siblings and allowed all of the hatred she felt toward them show in her eyes. "Corlien, you were told many years ago that the potential for a match between you and Jareth existed. There was no promise. You know it and I know it. Shall we call my husband and your father to confirm it?"
"No, Majesty. I know that there was truly no promise. But there were high hopes on both my part and my father's."
"That would be through no fault of my family or Queen Sara. You will not spring a surprise visit on the queen again. I know why you came. You wanted a chance to drive a wedge between Sara and Jareth. It won't work. They have a love backed by both families. In Sara's case, even her dead mother and grandmother approve of the match between her and Jareth."
"I think my sister and I should leave now. We can tell when we are no longer welcome." Jaslen's atitude was apparent in his tone of voice and the stiff way that he stood up to leaave. Corlien joined her brother and they left.
"Thank you, Mother. I was hoping I wouldn't have to ask them to leave."
"Beware of those two. They simply wish to see Corlien marry Jareth for the sake of gaining power in the Underground. They have been trying to push it for years. I would be surprised if Jaslen didn't try to lure you away from Jareth."
Little did Caronara realize just how badly Corlien really wanted the crown of the Underground.
///////////////////////////
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update but I wasn't sure where I wanted to take this story.
Try to get the next chapter up soon.