A/N: Thanks for the support and the great reviews. I'm suffering severe lack of writing will power. So I am incredibly sorry for the long delay in updating.

Sariya woke up and stretched. She felt the warm body of Jareth next to her. She turned to face him and rested her head against his chest. This movement woke him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"Somehow I feel the battle has just begun," she sighed.

"It might be, and yet we are able to breathe freely for the first time in 500 years."

"500 years?"

"Yes, your former father has been king for the last 500 years, since then he has caused many wars, deaths, and destroyed many lives."

"And I was the first born, how can that be."

"Well I have only heard rumors, your mother was his eighth wife. He was very abusive, and many of the women would lose their babies before they were born. When this happened he would have the woman executed for not fulfilling her duty."

Sariya gasped at this news. "I have such a difficult time believing that he was so cruel."

"My love, why do you think he was waging war on our formal wedding day. It was so that he could destroy the one thing that held him back and that would be you."

She snuggled tight to him.

"There are many more of his followers, so this may not be over yet, but I think the worse is over."

He gently lifted her head and kissed her.

"Now how about we have a masked ball within a month."

Sariya smiled. "Yes I think that would be wonderful."

She smiled happily for what seemed the first time in weeks.