Disclaimer...the same it's been for the first twenty two chapters...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cerena waved her hand in front of Soron's face again. "Hello? Are you
there?" Cerena frowned he had been like this all morning, she had heard
that something happened last night but no one really knew what happened.
Humming she put both of her fingers on her large pointed ears and
forcefully tug. She was rewarded with a large yelp as Soron's eyes filled
with pain.
"What did you do that for?" Soron batted her hands away and rubbed his
ears. "That hurt."
"You've been staring out into space all day today. Which means you saw
something weird or...you've met someone and your not telling me." Cerena
smiled one of those smiles that made most grown male want to run from.
Soron was no exception to this as he visibly gulped. "I've known you since
we were tiny Soron...now who is this lovely Elven girl that had got you all
out of form."
"She's not elven." Soron looked down at the biscuit sandwich in his hand
and started to wish he got something to drink.
"Ohhhhh so it is a she." Cerena sat back in her chair and brought her
knees up to her chest. "So who is she?"
"Ummm, well..." Soron stated to blush a deep crimson red that would have
made his hair looked faded and worn out. "I mean she probably doesn't even
know. And um..." Soron tried to grasp onto the right words but the look
Cerena was giving him was making his entire mind start to blank.
"Uh huh." Cerena sat back in her chair and just folded her arms. "When are
you going to learn that I find out things Soron?" Shaking her head she
looked up at the clock and raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't Aline and Kullnack
be here by now?"
Soron shrugged and gratefully took this chance to dive back into his
sandwich. She wouldn't ask questions when he was eating would she? No wait
this was Cerena...she would talk and ask questions even if you were dying
on her doorstop. He muffled out an answer when she asked him another one of
a few thousand questions.
"What?"
Swallowing Soron looked up at her and then sighed, "I said wait till I'm
done."
"Oh...well what do you think happened last night? I heard the aboveground
went crazy with her powers and King Jareth had to subdue her." Cerena
leaned back in her chair again after stretching out a pixie wing. She
didn't notice Soron's pained expression as she went to work re-glittering
the weblike wing.
"No it was probably just a nightmare or something and people over react.
Member what happened when Prince and Lord Pain in the Assess nearly fell
into the bog?" Soron chuckled at the memory. "King Bransket was so mad at
Jareth when Jasper came home looking like a 'slum prince.' Personally I
think he deserved it."
"And we all know they should have fallen in. Then we wouldn't have to put
up with them anymore." Kullnack walked in with Aline hanging onto his arm.
Both fairies looked worn out and like they had flown the entire trip
themselves.
"So did horse's go out of style over in your part of the underground?"
Soron looked them over and only stood when Aline was sitting down.
"We wanted to hurry and get here before everyone else." Aline's voice
sounded like bubbles as she folded her wings to her back and took the chair
that Kullnack offered her. "How fares the kingdom of elves?"
"Well and the kingdom of the fairies?"
"It's been better. These festivities should bring everything back up. I
can't believe how many stalls Jareth wanted us to fill with our merchants
alone." Kullnack rubbed his forehead and gratefully accepted both a
sandwich and goblet of sweet peach wine.
"What about our neighbors to the south?" Aline also accepted a goblet but
waved off the food, she didn't want to appear unladylike with even her
closest friends. That and after all the flying she wasn't sure if she could
eat and still be well.
Cerena shrugged, "The pixies have been doing the same. It seems like
nothing changes." Suddenly she smiled and glanced at Soron before blurting
out the very thing he didn't want anyone else to hear. "Soron it seems has
also found someone." She ducked and stuck out her tongue when Soron missed
her with one of the arm pillows.
"Oh? And who might this be?"
"I'm not sure he won't tell me."
"Now ladies, maybe we should leave him be for now." Kullnack barely
suppressed the urge to laugh at his oldest friend's face. It looked like
his skin was about ready to burn off any second. "Besides, I'm sure we'll
meet her later during the festivities." Chuckling softly he stretched out
his legs and only mildly blinked when a small troll came into the room.
"Yes?"
Quig just looked at the four and turned to leave. "Jus lookin' fer Alex."
Quig rumpled the rim of his hat and strode back out of the room turning to
head towards the west wing where Alex's chambers were located.
The four just watched Quig leave. Soron shook his head, "Weird."
"So...you met her...what is Jareth's niece like?" Cerena smiled that
devilish smile again as the red slowly worked it's way back up onto Soron's
cheeks.
"She...she's one in a million."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cerena waved her hand in front of Soron's face again. "Hello? Are you
there?" Cerena frowned he had been like this all morning, she had heard
that something happened last night but no one really knew what happened.
Humming she put both of her fingers on her large pointed ears and
forcefully tug. She was rewarded with a large yelp as Soron's eyes filled
with pain.
"What did you do that for?" Soron batted her hands away and rubbed his
ears. "That hurt."
"You've been staring out into space all day today. Which means you saw
something weird or...you've met someone and your not telling me." Cerena
smiled one of those smiles that made most grown male want to run from.
Soron was no exception to this as he visibly gulped. "I've known you since
we were tiny Soron...now who is this lovely Elven girl that had got you all
out of form."
"She's not elven." Soron looked down at the biscuit sandwich in his hand
and started to wish he got something to drink.
"Ohhhhh so it is a she." Cerena sat back in her chair and brought her
knees up to her chest. "So who is she?"
"Ummm, well..." Soron stated to blush a deep crimson red that would have
made his hair looked faded and worn out. "I mean she probably doesn't even
know. And um..." Soron tried to grasp onto the right words but the look
Cerena was giving him was making his entire mind start to blank.
"Uh huh." Cerena sat back in her chair and just folded her arms. "When are
you going to learn that I find out things Soron?" Shaking her head she
looked up at the clock and raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't Aline and Kullnack
be here by now?"
Soron shrugged and gratefully took this chance to dive back into his
sandwich. She wouldn't ask questions when he was eating would she? No wait
this was Cerena...she would talk and ask questions even if you were dying
on her doorstop. He muffled out an answer when she asked him another one of
a few thousand questions.
"What?"
Swallowing Soron looked up at her and then sighed, "I said wait till I'm
done."
"Oh...well what do you think happened last night? I heard the aboveground
went crazy with her powers and King Jareth had to subdue her." Cerena
leaned back in her chair again after stretching out a pixie wing. She
didn't notice Soron's pained expression as she went to work re-glittering
the weblike wing.
"No it was probably just a nightmare or something and people over react.
Member what happened when Prince and Lord Pain in the Assess nearly fell
into the bog?" Soron chuckled at the memory. "King Bransket was so mad at
Jareth when Jasper came home looking like a 'slum prince.' Personally I
think he deserved it."
"And we all know they should have fallen in. Then we wouldn't have to put
up with them anymore." Kullnack walked in with Aline hanging onto his arm.
Both fairies looked worn out and like they had flown the entire trip
themselves.
"So did horse's go out of style over in your part of the underground?"
Soron looked them over and only stood when Aline was sitting down.
"We wanted to hurry and get here before everyone else." Aline's voice
sounded like bubbles as she folded her wings to her back and took the chair
that Kullnack offered her. "How fares the kingdom of elves?"
"Well and the kingdom of the fairies?"
"It's been better. These festivities should bring everything back up. I
can't believe how many stalls Jareth wanted us to fill with our merchants
alone." Kullnack rubbed his forehead and gratefully accepted both a
sandwich and goblet of sweet peach wine.
"What about our neighbors to the south?" Aline also accepted a goblet but
waved off the food, she didn't want to appear unladylike with even her
closest friends. That and after all the flying she wasn't sure if she could
eat and still be well.
Cerena shrugged, "The pixies have been doing the same. It seems like
nothing changes." Suddenly she smiled and glanced at Soron before blurting
out the very thing he didn't want anyone else to hear. "Soron it seems has
also found someone." She ducked and stuck out her tongue when Soron missed
her with one of the arm pillows.
"Oh? And who might this be?"
"I'm not sure he won't tell me."
"Now ladies, maybe we should leave him be for now." Kullnack barely
suppressed the urge to laugh at his oldest friend's face. It looked like
his skin was about ready to burn off any second. "Besides, I'm sure we'll
meet her later during the festivities." Chuckling softly he stretched out
his legs and only mildly blinked when a small troll came into the room.
"Yes?"
Quig just looked at the four and turned to leave. "Jus lookin' fer Alex."
Quig rumpled the rim of his hat and strode back out of the room turning to
head towards the west wing where Alex's chambers were located.
The four just watched Quig leave. Soron shook his head, "Weird."
"So...you met her...what is Jareth's niece like?" Cerena smiled that
devilish smile again as the red slowly worked it's way back up onto Soron's
cheeks.
"She...she's one in a million."