A rather long chapter, kinda boring, but it is important to get the back
story going here, to lay the foundation as it were. Don't worry, I promise
it will pick up soon with some more lovin', some more fightin', and some
kickin' plot twists. Enjoy.
Standard Disclaimer
Chapter 4: A Clash of Cultures
Sarah sat in the carriage beside Jareth, nervously chewing at her bottom lip staring at the countryside out of the darkened window. The inside of the carriage was huge, being a separate magical chamber, one could stand and even walk around, if only a few feet. It was lushly decorated in rich deep blues and greens, adorned with simple, but comfortable couches facing one another, with a small table in the center and a small cabinet to one side, containing wine, liquors, parchment, and other luxuries. The two benches were wide enough that two people could sleep on one, should the need arise. Jareth sat beside her, reading some documents regarding the court proceedings that he would be asked to attend when they arrived, boundary disputes mainly, and a few new ordinances that would apply across the kingdoms regarding land ownership. Areyne and Xaven rode in a separate, slightly less elaborate carriage in front of theirs, and a royal guard brought up the rear. So deeply was the King of Goblins engrossed in the papers, that he didn't notice that Sarah's hand, which at one point had been resting gently upon his thigh, was now clenching and unclenching the fabric of his waistcoat in a nervous attempt to relax herself as she watched the countryside lazily roll by. The lands here were exquite, and though the early winter had set a frost to everything, the colors on the landscape still shone in the branches of the plants, reflected in the fallen ice.
Sarah, sighed, a wrinkle of concern creasing her otherworldly brow. Her skin sparkled with the slightest tinge of nervous sweat. She had been through hell and back, risked life and soul to be here, so why was the prospect of being introduced at a court full of non-life threatening (or so she hoped) political maneuvering so unnerving to her? It wasn't as if her life was in danger, her mother would be so disappointed. No she thought, she was simply in danger of looking the total and complete fool, of embarrassing the Lord of the fifth kingdom, of falling flat on her face in front of the nobility exposing her knickers to the world or belching at dinner or calling an elf a nome! She sighed, not knowing how she was going to pull this off. This was a far cry from the stage – this, as impossible as it seemed, was real. She didn't know how this world of innately magical creatures was going to accept her. She was still the same Sarah she had always been, and in college there had not been a royal court to impress. Granted, she was the daughter of Illianna and rightful heir to royalty and all that went beside it, but it did not make the idea of being paraded in front of thousands of jealous women and ogling men, at least that was how Areyne had described it, any more comforting.
Areyne had instructed Sarah in the proper conduct, the proper etiquette, the proper titles, the proper movements, the proper bullshit that went along with all of this pomp and circumstance and it was all so overwhelming that she just wanted to scream. She still had so much to learn if she was going to go before the royal courts and prove herself worthy of the ruler of the Fifth Kingdoms grace. It was time to face it, she was scared of not living up to his expectations....words that sounded so familiar. Another sigh escaped her lips, as she delved further into her thoughts. The only comfort to Sarah was that Jareth, Areyne, and Xaven would be there with her, and that Jareth disliked the formality of it all as well, but had explained to her the necessity. Areyne had remarked that he didn't like to be shown off to the royals as some kind of 'most eligible', and now that he was not longer 'most eligible' anything due to Sarah, there was more than likely to be more than a few jealous eyes cast her way, and more than one nasty word whispered....at least before her introduction. Areyne had told her that Jareth had not even looked sideways at another Fae since the moment she had left the Underground the first time. That realization had made Sarah smile, warmed from the inside, knowing that they were one in the same, their souls cut from the same ethereal thread. Areyne had assured her that once the court knew of her place as Jareth's Chosen, and if that was not enough to quiet them, of her heritage as the daughter of Illianna, few would be brazen enough to speak out against her directly. But all of her assurances could not make the butterflies in Sarah's stomach stop fluttering. A large bump in the carriage sent Sarah bouncing into Jareth's lap, her skirts a tangled mess about her, and her cape twisted to lock the two of them very, very closely together. His soft, cultured laugh brought a rose to her cheeks and a matching smile to her lips.
"Now now Sarah, we must remember proper etiquette." Jareth teased, light dancing in his eyes, his warm breath flowing gently over her face. Even his breath could intoxicate her, but today it was not enough to calm her nerves. "Areyne would be quite disappointed that her tutoring has already failed."
"I thought this was supposed to be a magic carriage, what happened to the magic shocks?" Sarah asked, a little more irritated than she had meant to sound.
Jareth stared at Sarah, intensity growing in his eyes, he had not heard that tone creep into her voice in some time. "What is it, my Love?" Jareth asked, quiet concern edging into his silken voice. "Are you alright?"
Sarah sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's nothing" she was quick to reply, trying to look away, to turn from his burning eyes.
"We made a promise to one another, no lies. I have never lied to you, and I do not think you intend to start now. Tell me what it is, my Sarah. Tell me so I can help. Or I can make you forget it." With his last statement a half smile twisted on the corner of his mouth.
"I just........" she bit her lip, embarrassed beyond all belief that she was even about to confess such a ridiculous idea. Afterall, this was Jareth, how could he possibly understand? And she was a grown woman, why was this so daunting. Sighing, she closed her eyes, hoping to get it all out in one breath, but unable to look him in the eyes as she did so. "I don't want to let you down...don't want to embarrass you. I've only been...whatever it is I am now...for a few months. I am still getting used to it. And.....and damnit" Her voice fell to a whisper "I've never been shown off before, never had to deal with court politics, never had to deal with women staring daggers...." His lips gently covered hers and all thoughts were lost in the softness of the most tender kiss she had ever felt. The soft love that ebbed from his lips to hers, was enough to make any living being weep to be in the presence of such pure love.
"Shhhhhh" he quietly whispered, touching his forehead to hers. "Do you think you could ever disappoint me? We have been over this, my sweetest. Come now, stop this worry. I will be there beside you, at all times. There is nothing that anyone would dare say or do to disgrace themselves in front of me. And soon, in front of you as well." Her eyes met his, still riddled with concern. "Why do you doubt yourself in this, my Love? Are you not the same woman who defeated Stark and brought me back from the brink of insanity? You are your mother's daughter. I love you. The court will love you. And my mother and father will love you." His satin lips again graced hers, but she pulled away, more confusion written on her face.
"Your mother and father? You never mentioned them. I guess I figured you didn't have a mother or a father. Will they be there? What are they like?" She asked, sliding from his lap to sit beside him.
Jareth stopped, had he really forgotten to tell her about them? He supposed they had been a bit busy with other activities, a wicked grin snaking onto his lips at the memories, and history lessons had always did seem to rapidly deteriorate into physiology lessons....He supposed he had neglected to mention his family tree. His thought process changed, if she had been nervous before, the prospect of telling her that his was the ruling family of the Premiere Kingdom could set her even more on edge. He would approach it differently, he decided, tact had always been his strong suit.
"Sarah," he began, "When I say you have nothing to fear in front of the court, I mean it with all of my heart. And have I ever lied?"
"No. Twisted the truth a bit, but..." Sarah stopped, a slight smile playing across her lips as she stared into his devilish features.
"Careful." He teased, nipping at her neck.
"Hey! You were going to tell me about your parents."
Jareth sighed, rolling his eyes, "Now you've gone and spoiled a perfectly evil mood." With mock exasperation he finished untangling himself from Sarah's skirts, and turned to face her. "Sarah, you have nothing to fear, you will not embarrass me, and no harm, political or other will come to you. My mother and father are the premiere rulers of the Underground and as such, mine is the premiere family, none will directly harm or maneuver against them."
A look of confusion came over her face. "Jareth, I know this is new to me and all, but, I thought the first Kingdom was that of the . Am I wrong?"
"No my Love, you are quite right." He said, kissing her hand. "But I did not say the First Kingdom, I said the Premiere Kingdom. You see, a very long time ago, a battle was waged for the Underground, my family led the Fae to victory. You see, a race before the Fae and humans inhabited this world. Beautiful creatures, like Fae with feathered wings,"
"Angels." Sarah breathed, engrossed in the story.
"They are called the Fells, fallen from grace. But you get ahead of me, my Love. They coveted the Underground. Some of the Fae fled above, leaving the magical realm, others stayed and two brothers led them to the very center of the Underground. One of the brothers was able to tap into the very magical vein of the Underground, and he sacrificed himself to give magic to all Fae. The other brother led the charge to take their place in their home, to end the slaughter of their kind, to forever extinguish the persecution of the Fae. It was a battle that stained the very ground red with the blood of the Fells. Finally, their leader fell. But rather than kill him, the brother offered all Fells a choice, to live beside them, disgraced for eternity, or to be banished to world of the humans. The leader of the Fells could not bear the defeat, and he killed himself, vowing one day to return. The other Fells, unable to bear leaving the Underground, took their place here. The brother's name was Jaredenth Il Xluden Magistreth. And as such, it is my family's name."
"You mean, your father was the..." Sarah looked at him in disbelief.
"No, Sarah, that was millennia ago. But it is my family line. As such, they were entrusted with the very center of the Underground, to guard and protect the Premiere Kingdom, to which all other kingdoms are tied. To rule over all other Kingdoms that would arise in time, but not as a stern monarchy, rather to set the precedence. All others defer to their judgment."
"And the Fells? Whatever happened to them?" Sarah asked. The idea of living in total disgrace for an eternity did not bode well with her. Jareth could see it in her eyes.
"Sarah, try to understand. Their leader was known by the name Innix. He and his slaughtered women and children ruthlessly. Babes were said to have staked through the mouth, simply because he could not bear the sound of a child. They followed him without reason, at that time, we were defenseless, we had no magic, no way to truly defend ourselves. Our race, and theirs, was nearly wiped out. In his judgment, Jaredenth sought to both punish and protect the Fells. By passing the rite of Eternal Disgrace upon them, the few that remained after that final battle would never again be able to rise up, but by the same token, no Fae, by law, could administer any other punishment, his word was final. They may live in this world, but they are scarred by the past." Still seeing the conflict within her, Jareth continued, imploring her to understand. "Many of them are only one generation removed from the great battle. They are even longer lived than the Fae, my love. Time passes differently here, as you know. Can you understand?"
Sarah looked down. "Are they all marked, um, disgraced? What if one of them were to have a baby? Would that child be hated too?"
"Sarah, they are not hated, they are disgraced, marked so that the past may never again repeat itself. It serves as a reminder to all races. With each generation that passes, on both sides, the burden becomes less. So, to answer your question, no, a babe is an innocent, and would not bear the full disgrace."
"Are these people hurt or abused in any way? I guess I don't get the point of it. Is it just to embarrass them or what? What about forgive and forget and all that?" Sarah asked, so many questions playing inside her head.
Jareth let out an exasperated sigh, it was not so easy to explain a culture that was based on millions of years, where one life spanned thousands, if not more, years. "Sarah, they are simply not allowed to hold places of power within the Underground at this point, and they are not permitted to hide their heritage. And there is some stigma that goes with that, yes, but they are in no way mistreated. It is felt that the disgrace is enough. Any one causing harm to another, of any race, is subject to the laws of the underground. Their history is a brutal and bloody one, I do not hide that. But they are a part of this world. Yes, some Fae are more prejudiced towards them than others, but they are subjects of the community. Besides, there are so few, and they keep to themselves within their communities, preferring solitude, that it is rare that a dispute even comes to pass. I have only ever known one, and she was treated with the highest respect by my family. Does any of that help you to understand? I know that it is a lot to take in, Sarah, but this world is different than yours and you need to try and accept the differences." His voice was stern, but it was also understanding, Sarah shook her head. She thought about it and it did make sense. She would like to meet a Fells though, to make sure there was fair treatment, and no "separate but equal" smoke screens playing out.
"I suppose I understand. But it will take some time for me to accept it." She turned and stared out the window, the stark landscape a match to her feelings. Desperate to change the subject, she turned back to him. "Jareth?"
"Yes." He answered, his eyes searching hers, asking her to understand. He found acceptance in them and thus was flooded with relief. She may not fully understand, but she trusted him, and that was all that mattered. A tense moment passed, one that had pitted her against his culture, and their love had once more won. Was there anything it could not overcome?
"Why are we passing through the country, um, coutries? Why not just transport there?" She seemed to have accepted the treatment of the Fells, and moved on, at least for now, she was strong, and he smiled, knowing that in time, she would even succeed her mother as being the greatest queen the underground had ever known.
"Tradition. It is so rare that the rulers of the kingdom do not just simply do just that. This forced caravan was put in place to make them to see the kingdoms within which they rule, and the kingdoms of others, to expose them to peasants, the working class, to the magesty and magic of the realm."
"I wish the congress had to do that!" Sarah exclaimed "That is the most incredible idea!"
"I am slightly confused, but thank you. It was mine." Jareth smirked.
Sarah smiled deeply looking into his eyes. Biting her lip, she moved in closer breathing softly on his neck "And do you have any others?" she whispered into his ear, kissing him softly on the little spot just under his ear.
"Yes," his voice soft as turned toward her, pressing his lips into hers, tangling his hands in her auburn hair. In an instant, the carriage windows were closed and soft candle light glowed from above, basking the room in a gentle glow. Slowly he laid her down upon the large cushioned bench, lying on his side beside her, nuzzling his face into her neck. Three months had passed, and he could not get enough of her. He physically needed her close to him, needed her beside him, and she reciprocated that need in force. If mere hours passed where the two were separated, it was as if the world began to fall down. Their souls would not officially be joined until the ceremony, but somehow, Jareth knew, they already were, and he could feel their link growing stronger with every moment they were together. "I love you, my Sarah, with all that I am, with all of my soul."
"And I love you. You are my soul, my Jareth." The two closed their eyes, and slept, comforted by single heartbeat shared between two chests.
Standard Disclaimer
Chapter 4: A Clash of Cultures
Sarah sat in the carriage beside Jareth, nervously chewing at her bottom lip staring at the countryside out of the darkened window. The inside of the carriage was huge, being a separate magical chamber, one could stand and even walk around, if only a few feet. It was lushly decorated in rich deep blues and greens, adorned with simple, but comfortable couches facing one another, with a small table in the center and a small cabinet to one side, containing wine, liquors, parchment, and other luxuries. The two benches were wide enough that two people could sleep on one, should the need arise. Jareth sat beside her, reading some documents regarding the court proceedings that he would be asked to attend when they arrived, boundary disputes mainly, and a few new ordinances that would apply across the kingdoms regarding land ownership. Areyne and Xaven rode in a separate, slightly less elaborate carriage in front of theirs, and a royal guard brought up the rear. So deeply was the King of Goblins engrossed in the papers, that he didn't notice that Sarah's hand, which at one point had been resting gently upon his thigh, was now clenching and unclenching the fabric of his waistcoat in a nervous attempt to relax herself as she watched the countryside lazily roll by. The lands here were exquite, and though the early winter had set a frost to everything, the colors on the landscape still shone in the branches of the plants, reflected in the fallen ice.
Sarah, sighed, a wrinkle of concern creasing her otherworldly brow. Her skin sparkled with the slightest tinge of nervous sweat. She had been through hell and back, risked life and soul to be here, so why was the prospect of being introduced at a court full of non-life threatening (or so she hoped) political maneuvering so unnerving to her? It wasn't as if her life was in danger, her mother would be so disappointed. No she thought, she was simply in danger of looking the total and complete fool, of embarrassing the Lord of the fifth kingdom, of falling flat on her face in front of the nobility exposing her knickers to the world or belching at dinner or calling an elf a nome! She sighed, not knowing how she was going to pull this off. This was a far cry from the stage – this, as impossible as it seemed, was real. She didn't know how this world of innately magical creatures was going to accept her. She was still the same Sarah she had always been, and in college there had not been a royal court to impress. Granted, she was the daughter of Illianna and rightful heir to royalty and all that went beside it, but it did not make the idea of being paraded in front of thousands of jealous women and ogling men, at least that was how Areyne had described it, any more comforting.
Areyne had instructed Sarah in the proper conduct, the proper etiquette, the proper titles, the proper movements, the proper bullshit that went along with all of this pomp and circumstance and it was all so overwhelming that she just wanted to scream. She still had so much to learn if she was going to go before the royal courts and prove herself worthy of the ruler of the Fifth Kingdoms grace. It was time to face it, she was scared of not living up to his expectations....words that sounded so familiar. Another sigh escaped her lips, as she delved further into her thoughts. The only comfort to Sarah was that Jareth, Areyne, and Xaven would be there with her, and that Jareth disliked the formality of it all as well, but had explained to her the necessity. Areyne had remarked that he didn't like to be shown off to the royals as some kind of 'most eligible', and now that he was not longer 'most eligible' anything due to Sarah, there was more than likely to be more than a few jealous eyes cast her way, and more than one nasty word whispered....at least before her introduction. Areyne had told her that Jareth had not even looked sideways at another Fae since the moment she had left the Underground the first time. That realization had made Sarah smile, warmed from the inside, knowing that they were one in the same, their souls cut from the same ethereal thread. Areyne had assured her that once the court knew of her place as Jareth's Chosen, and if that was not enough to quiet them, of her heritage as the daughter of Illianna, few would be brazen enough to speak out against her directly. But all of her assurances could not make the butterflies in Sarah's stomach stop fluttering. A large bump in the carriage sent Sarah bouncing into Jareth's lap, her skirts a tangled mess about her, and her cape twisted to lock the two of them very, very closely together. His soft, cultured laugh brought a rose to her cheeks and a matching smile to her lips.
"Now now Sarah, we must remember proper etiquette." Jareth teased, light dancing in his eyes, his warm breath flowing gently over her face. Even his breath could intoxicate her, but today it was not enough to calm her nerves. "Areyne would be quite disappointed that her tutoring has already failed."
"I thought this was supposed to be a magic carriage, what happened to the magic shocks?" Sarah asked, a little more irritated than she had meant to sound.
Jareth stared at Sarah, intensity growing in his eyes, he had not heard that tone creep into her voice in some time. "What is it, my Love?" Jareth asked, quiet concern edging into his silken voice. "Are you alright?"
Sarah sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's nothing" she was quick to reply, trying to look away, to turn from his burning eyes.
"We made a promise to one another, no lies. I have never lied to you, and I do not think you intend to start now. Tell me what it is, my Sarah. Tell me so I can help. Or I can make you forget it." With his last statement a half smile twisted on the corner of his mouth.
"I just........" she bit her lip, embarrassed beyond all belief that she was even about to confess such a ridiculous idea. Afterall, this was Jareth, how could he possibly understand? And she was a grown woman, why was this so daunting. Sighing, she closed her eyes, hoping to get it all out in one breath, but unable to look him in the eyes as she did so. "I don't want to let you down...don't want to embarrass you. I've only been...whatever it is I am now...for a few months. I am still getting used to it. And.....and damnit" Her voice fell to a whisper "I've never been shown off before, never had to deal with court politics, never had to deal with women staring daggers...." His lips gently covered hers and all thoughts were lost in the softness of the most tender kiss she had ever felt. The soft love that ebbed from his lips to hers, was enough to make any living being weep to be in the presence of such pure love.
"Shhhhhh" he quietly whispered, touching his forehead to hers. "Do you think you could ever disappoint me? We have been over this, my sweetest. Come now, stop this worry. I will be there beside you, at all times. There is nothing that anyone would dare say or do to disgrace themselves in front of me. And soon, in front of you as well." Her eyes met his, still riddled with concern. "Why do you doubt yourself in this, my Love? Are you not the same woman who defeated Stark and brought me back from the brink of insanity? You are your mother's daughter. I love you. The court will love you. And my mother and father will love you." His satin lips again graced hers, but she pulled away, more confusion written on her face.
"Your mother and father? You never mentioned them. I guess I figured you didn't have a mother or a father. Will they be there? What are they like?" She asked, sliding from his lap to sit beside him.
Jareth stopped, had he really forgotten to tell her about them? He supposed they had been a bit busy with other activities, a wicked grin snaking onto his lips at the memories, and history lessons had always did seem to rapidly deteriorate into physiology lessons....He supposed he had neglected to mention his family tree. His thought process changed, if she had been nervous before, the prospect of telling her that his was the ruling family of the Premiere Kingdom could set her even more on edge. He would approach it differently, he decided, tact had always been his strong suit.
"Sarah," he began, "When I say you have nothing to fear in front of the court, I mean it with all of my heart. And have I ever lied?"
"No. Twisted the truth a bit, but..." Sarah stopped, a slight smile playing across her lips as she stared into his devilish features.
"Careful." He teased, nipping at her neck.
"Hey! You were going to tell me about your parents."
Jareth sighed, rolling his eyes, "Now you've gone and spoiled a perfectly evil mood." With mock exasperation he finished untangling himself from Sarah's skirts, and turned to face her. "Sarah, you have nothing to fear, you will not embarrass me, and no harm, political or other will come to you. My mother and father are the premiere rulers of the Underground and as such, mine is the premiere family, none will directly harm or maneuver against them."
A look of confusion came over her face. "Jareth, I know this is new to me and all, but, I thought the first Kingdom was that of the . Am I wrong?"
"No my Love, you are quite right." He said, kissing her hand. "But I did not say the First Kingdom, I said the Premiere Kingdom. You see, a very long time ago, a battle was waged for the Underground, my family led the Fae to victory. You see, a race before the Fae and humans inhabited this world. Beautiful creatures, like Fae with feathered wings,"
"Angels." Sarah breathed, engrossed in the story.
"They are called the Fells, fallen from grace. But you get ahead of me, my Love. They coveted the Underground. Some of the Fae fled above, leaving the magical realm, others stayed and two brothers led them to the very center of the Underground. One of the brothers was able to tap into the very magical vein of the Underground, and he sacrificed himself to give magic to all Fae. The other brother led the charge to take their place in their home, to end the slaughter of their kind, to forever extinguish the persecution of the Fae. It was a battle that stained the very ground red with the blood of the Fells. Finally, their leader fell. But rather than kill him, the brother offered all Fells a choice, to live beside them, disgraced for eternity, or to be banished to world of the humans. The leader of the Fells could not bear the defeat, and he killed himself, vowing one day to return. The other Fells, unable to bear leaving the Underground, took their place here. The brother's name was Jaredenth Il Xluden Magistreth. And as such, it is my family's name."
"You mean, your father was the..." Sarah looked at him in disbelief.
"No, Sarah, that was millennia ago. But it is my family line. As such, they were entrusted with the very center of the Underground, to guard and protect the Premiere Kingdom, to which all other kingdoms are tied. To rule over all other Kingdoms that would arise in time, but not as a stern monarchy, rather to set the precedence. All others defer to their judgment."
"And the Fells? Whatever happened to them?" Sarah asked. The idea of living in total disgrace for an eternity did not bode well with her. Jareth could see it in her eyes.
"Sarah, try to understand. Their leader was known by the name Innix. He and his slaughtered women and children ruthlessly. Babes were said to have staked through the mouth, simply because he could not bear the sound of a child. They followed him without reason, at that time, we were defenseless, we had no magic, no way to truly defend ourselves. Our race, and theirs, was nearly wiped out. In his judgment, Jaredenth sought to both punish and protect the Fells. By passing the rite of Eternal Disgrace upon them, the few that remained after that final battle would never again be able to rise up, but by the same token, no Fae, by law, could administer any other punishment, his word was final. They may live in this world, but they are scarred by the past." Still seeing the conflict within her, Jareth continued, imploring her to understand. "Many of them are only one generation removed from the great battle. They are even longer lived than the Fae, my love. Time passes differently here, as you know. Can you understand?"
Sarah looked down. "Are they all marked, um, disgraced? What if one of them were to have a baby? Would that child be hated too?"
"Sarah, they are not hated, they are disgraced, marked so that the past may never again repeat itself. It serves as a reminder to all races. With each generation that passes, on both sides, the burden becomes less. So, to answer your question, no, a babe is an innocent, and would not bear the full disgrace."
"Are these people hurt or abused in any way? I guess I don't get the point of it. Is it just to embarrass them or what? What about forgive and forget and all that?" Sarah asked, so many questions playing inside her head.
Jareth let out an exasperated sigh, it was not so easy to explain a culture that was based on millions of years, where one life spanned thousands, if not more, years. "Sarah, they are simply not allowed to hold places of power within the Underground at this point, and they are not permitted to hide their heritage. And there is some stigma that goes with that, yes, but they are in no way mistreated. It is felt that the disgrace is enough. Any one causing harm to another, of any race, is subject to the laws of the underground. Their history is a brutal and bloody one, I do not hide that. But they are a part of this world. Yes, some Fae are more prejudiced towards them than others, but they are subjects of the community. Besides, there are so few, and they keep to themselves within their communities, preferring solitude, that it is rare that a dispute even comes to pass. I have only ever known one, and she was treated with the highest respect by my family. Does any of that help you to understand? I know that it is a lot to take in, Sarah, but this world is different than yours and you need to try and accept the differences." His voice was stern, but it was also understanding, Sarah shook her head. She thought about it and it did make sense. She would like to meet a Fells though, to make sure there was fair treatment, and no "separate but equal" smoke screens playing out.
"I suppose I understand. But it will take some time for me to accept it." She turned and stared out the window, the stark landscape a match to her feelings. Desperate to change the subject, she turned back to him. "Jareth?"
"Yes." He answered, his eyes searching hers, asking her to understand. He found acceptance in them and thus was flooded with relief. She may not fully understand, but she trusted him, and that was all that mattered. A tense moment passed, one that had pitted her against his culture, and their love had once more won. Was there anything it could not overcome?
"Why are we passing through the country, um, coutries? Why not just transport there?" She seemed to have accepted the treatment of the Fells, and moved on, at least for now, she was strong, and he smiled, knowing that in time, she would even succeed her mother as being the greatest queen the underground had ever known.
"Tradition. It is so rare that the rulers of the kingdom do not just simply do just that. This forced caravan was put in place to make them to see the kingdoms within which they rule, and the kingdoms of others, to expose them to peasants, the working class, to the magesty and magic of the realm."
"I wish the congress had to do that!" Sarah exclaimed "That is the most incredible idea!"
"I am slightly confused, but thank you. It was mine." Jareth smirked.
Sarah smiled deeply looking into his eyes. Biting her lip, she moved in closer breathing softly on his neck "And do you have any others?" she whispered into his ear, kissing him softly on the little spot just under his ear.
"Yes," his voice soft as turned toward her, pressing his lips into hers, tangling his hands in her auburn hair. In an instant, the carriage windows were closed and soft candle light glowed from above, basking the room in a gentle glow. Slowly he laid her down upon the large cushioned bench, lying on his side beside her, nuzzling his face into her neck. Three months had passed, and he could not get enough of her. He physically needed her close to him, needed her beside him, and she reciprocated that need in force. If mere hours passed where the two were separated, it was as if the world began to fall down. Their souls would not officially be joined until the ceremony, but somehow, Jareth knew, they already were, and he could feel their link growing stronger with every moment they were together. "I love you, my Sarah, with all that I am, with all of my soul."
"And I love you. You are my soul, my Jareth." The two closed their eyes, and slept, comforted by single heartbeat shared between two chests.