Chapter 28: Decisions

The next morning Sarah found a profuse bouquet at her door. She sighed and added it to her collection.

"Elaine, this cannot continue! There won't be any room for me soon!" Sarah complained.

"Sarah, face it. You like it! You are enjoying having a secret admirer!" Elaine smiled innocently as Sarah gave her a look of death before both dissolved in giggles. Both were startled by a knock on the door. Elaine went to answer it since she was after all the servant. "Your Highness!" she exclaimed.

"Hello, Elaine. I came to see if I might escort the Lady Aranel to breakfast."

"Sarah, I mean Aranel, it's for you," Elaine announced with a triumphant smile.

"Elaine, this is my room of course it's for me," Sarah said with a laugh that sobered as she saw who was at her door.

"May I have the honor of escorting you to breakfast, Lady Aranel?" Jareth asked with a bow and a kiss of her hand. Sarah was slightly shocked, but she curtsied.

"The honor would be mine King Jareth," Sarah replied formally. She took the Goblin King's offered arm. She missed Elaine's smug smile as she walked down the hall on the arm of the Goblin King.

"At last we've found the man that captured your heart!" the girl muttered to herself. She could not remember ever seeing Sarah so defenseless and yet fully guarded all at once.

"And why exactly does my wife look like the cat that got into the cream?"

Elaine's smile spread further as she turned toward that well-loved voice. "Only that Sarah just walked to breakfast on the King's arm. I do believe I know who has been leaving her flowers now."

"He seemed especially happy this morning. I would say he's somewhere in the roundabouts of cloud nine."

"So what I wonder has him so pleased?" Elaine asked innocently. "Hey!" She flinched when Joe's hand gave her a small smack on her rear end.

"You shouldn't meddle so much in other's affairs my dear. You know the Lord's admonitions against gossip."

"But I'm not gossiping am I? I'm not telling a soul. I'm just contemplating how to get them together more!" Joe merely shook his head in wonderment. His wife never ceased to amaze him. She would never change in some ways.

Jareth led Sarah to a balcony that overlooked the expansive gardens of the castle. A table for two had been set up. Sarah looked to Jareth in surprise.

"We aren't going to the dining room?"

"No, Aranel, I wished to speak with you privately over breakfast for I have something to tell you. But first let us be seated and we can begin the meal."

Sarah nodded slowly and allowed Jareth to pull out her chair for her. She still wasn't used to him being such a gentleman. Once she was seated, Jareth took his own seat. He watched her bow her head to say a prayer over the meal and listened to her quiet words. When she was done she waited until Jareth began eating before she started as well. It was proper decorum to wait, but she was also curious what was so important that it could not be said in the presence of others. Jareth allowed her to get some food in her system before he said anything. He watched surreptitiously with amazement for Sarah was able to handle salt in her food. Because it was a deterrent to magic, most Faye ate naturally flavored foods that did not necessitate the addition of any salt. But it was one of Sarah's gifts that she was able to handle it having been brought up in Aboveworld. She was resistant to iron and to salt.

"Aranel, I wanted to let you know something," Jareth began. Sarah put down her fork and waited expectantly. "I was talking to Joseph yesterday and he left me with some things to think on. I found that they would not leave me alone. I could not sleep last night for those ideas he left me with kept replaying in my mind. Then I remembered some of the songs you were singing to your sons one night. They began to make some sense in light of what Joseph had discussed with me."

"Jareth, what are you trying to tell me?" Sarah asked looking him in the eye as if to look into his very soul.

"Aranel, I prayed to your Jesus last night... I have never felt so at peace! So long had I labored over how you could be so at peace when I certainly did not make you very comfortable in the beginning. Now it seemed I understood. It seemed last night that I would burst for lack of anyone to tell! I felt an incredible... freedom such as I had never felt before. Does that make any sense to you?" He looked up at her following his news and found her with one hand covering her mouth and her eyes brimming with tears. Yet as her hand fell from her lips to take his own he could see she was smiling and that her tears were tears of joy!

"Yes, it makes perfect sense, Jareth. I felt the same at my own salvation. Praise the Lord for His goodness!" She laughed a musical and sweet laugh it was, and her hands raised to the heavens in sheer joy. "Oh, Jareth, there is so much to know! Now we can learn together!"

Since they were seated somewhat side by side instead of opposite each other her next movement was possible though unexpected. In her joy Sarah took Jareth's face in her hands and planted a joyous kiss on his lips. Realizing what she was doing she quickly backed away with many an apology for her forwardness, but she had shocked Jareth beyond speech. Her lips had been so sweet! Still staring at her in amazement Jareth took her face in his gloved hands and returned the kiss. It was longer and just as sweet as the first. Again it was Sarah that backed away first.

"We're moving too fast," she said breathlessly. Inside her heart begged to have him, but the glaring fact remained that she hardly knew this man. He had just made a life-changing decision. She wanted a chance to get to know Jareth as he really was.

Jareth nodded with a sigh. "Less than a day ago I may have argued that point, but now I can see you are right."

"Friends first, Jareth. I believe I've had enough scars in my life. I would hate to rush into anything.

"Then may I ask your permission to court you, Lady Aranel," Jareth asked raising her hand to his lips.

"What exactly would that entail?" Sarah asked with a brow arched in question.

"Oh, perhaps that I can continue to send you a mountain of flowers every morning and..."

"No!" Sarah nearly shouted. Both laughed at the sudden response.

"Indeed Aranel, in the Underground, courtship would be two people binding themselves to be true to each other with the intention of marriage."

"Jareth, I am not ready to think about marrying you just yet. I suggest we be friends for now. If courtship comes to us, then so be it. But for right now, we both have some learning to do as far as we're concerned. I've only just met this side of you. I'd like to see more of it, but neither of us are ready for commitment just yet." Jareth nodded his assent. He understood although he was feeling extremely spontaneous right now.