Disclaimer: Riona is my original character. All the others belong to Jim
Henson, but hey I can dream! ;)
Chapter Five:
True to his word, Jareth avoided Sarah's chamber over the next few days. He would politely inquire after her health when he saw Riona every evening. A casual observer might even go as far to say that he had lost interest in the newest inhabitant of his castle. Of course they would be dead wrong. Try as he might, Jareth could not keep his thoughts from Sarah. He would take long walks around his kingdom, attempting to distract himself, but he would eventually conjure a crystal and spy on Riona and her patient.
Riona was not fooled in the least by Jareth's indifferent façade. She knew he frequently looked in on Sarah through his crystals, since she could sense his magic in the chamber. It did not trouble her in the least, for she had more important things to worry about.
Sarah, though in seemingly good health, refused to talk to anyone or eat the offered food that was brought to her chamber. This did not deter Riona, who would sit by the young woman's side from morning to night, telling stories of the Underground as she embroidered. Her patient would sit silently and stare out the window, lost in her own thoughts.
On the third morning of Sarah's arrival in the Underground, Riona was humming as she rocked back and forth in her chair. A cool breeze came through the window and she heard a faint shiver from her normally silent patient. Riona rose from her chair and draped a woolen shawl over Sarah's shoulders. As she turned to go stoke the fire, she heard a soft voice sat, "Thank you."
Riona turned back and gazed at her, "You are most welcome Sarah."
"Is it true what he said?" Sarah asked. "Am I truly tied to the Underground forever?"
"Jareth did speak the truth, although I would rather he had waited a bit longer before telling you."
Sarah smiled weakly, "He once told me that forever wasn't long at all."
"That in my opinion depends on the circumstances," she handed Sarah a glass of water. "Please drink this."
"Thank you," Sarah whispered and took a small sip. "I believe he called you Riona?"
"Yes, and you are Sarah, although I know much more of you than your name."
A shadow passed over Sarah's face and her voice took on a colder tone. "You were the one who brought me back."
Riona calmly met Sarah's stare and nodded, "Yes, it was I."
Sarah sat up straighter in her seat, "I wonder what you saw when you were with me."
"I saw many things in your presence, including things you have kept so near to your heart. Things that have given you joy," she paused a moment. "Things that have caused you pain."
Sarah drew in a sharp breath and crushed her palm against her eyes. When she looked back up, a small tear ran down her cheek. "Then I suppose you understand why I did what I did?"
Riona's face was calm, yet grave as she replied; "I would be lying if I were to say that your decision was not without good cause. However, you must understand that to me, there is always another alternative."
"Yes, I understand you clearly, even if I cannot agree with you."
The fae woman smiled and stroked Sarah's hair gently. "Understanding is all I feel that I can ask of you at this point. What you do now is in your hands."
Sarah laughed bitterly, "You mean in his hands, surely?"
Riona smiled, "Jareth knows deep down that he cannot control you, as you clearly demonstrated many years ago. He may appear to believe otherwise, but he is no fool."
"No," mused Sarah. "Jareth is many things, but that is not one of them." She sighed, "What am I to do here Riona? My old life no longer held purpose with me, why should the Underground be any different?"
"I wish I knew Sarah, but unfortunately I do not. All I know is that it will most likely be difficult for you to adjust. However, I want you to know that I am here for you and whether you believe me or not, Jareth is also very willing to help you."
"Thank you Riona. I only wish I could take comfort in your words."
Riona shook her head, a bittersweet smile on her face as she gazed into the fire. This conversation in her eyes was progress, small progress, but progress nonetheless.
***************************************************************************
Jareth dropped into the chair at the head of the table in annoyance. That morning when he had ventured to check in on Sarah through his crystals, they were all mysteriously foggy. He was very certain that Riona had clouded them and felt put off by this barrier. On top of this, she was late for supper and Jareth was irked by the delay.
"Go find Mistress Riona and bring her here," he instructed a goblin.
"Oh do calm down Jareth," advised a smooth voice from the doorway. Riona breezed into the dining hall, surprising Jareth with her outfit. Normally he saw her clad in more sedate garments, but tonight she had chosen a pretty blue gown with long flowing sleeves. As she sat, he noted the contrast of the dark material with her pale skin, which he observed was nearing the color of her long white hair.
"You look quite lovely tonight my dear Riona. Is there a special occasion or is this you subtle way of telling me that you are willing to consider letting me find you a suitor?"
Riona raised an eyebrow at him as she lowered her chalice from her lips. "Jareth you really must be losing your senses if you think I'd let you arrange a marriage for me."
Jareth laughed, but there was an undercurrent of displeasure in his voice, "I do not see why you persist in delaying the matter. You're a beautiful young woman and I'm certain that many of the nobles would be more than happy to have you for their wife."
"Perhaps I do not wish to be sold to a man who doesn't know my heart!" she snapped angrily. She had been through this conversation more times than she cared to recall and she had no wish to go through it again.
Jareth opened his mouth, prepared to upbraid her for her lack of duty, but fell short when he saw the determined look in her eyes. Try as he might, he knew she would not at this moment be convinced that in this matter he was right and she was wrong. The time would come when Riona would have to marry and then she would understand his side of the argument better. Until then he would allow her to enjoy the freedom she desired so much.
"Tell me Riona, how is Sarah today?" he asked, hoping that the change of topic would placate her.
After glancing at him warily, Riona smiled and replied, "She is well, Jareth, today she spoke to me."
Jareth's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? What did she say?"
Riona observed his attentiveness with an inward smile; "Well she wanted to know if you had told the truth when you said that she was tied to the Underground forever."
"I see," he ran his fingers through his hair. "How is she handling the situation?"
"Well, all things considered, I think she's off to a rather good start. Not that things will be easy, but at least she's no longer silent."
Jareth thought about this for a moment, "That is better than nothing. Riona, in case I didn't tell you, I deeply appreciate your help in this matter."
"I know you do Jareth and you are most welcome."
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your reviews! They make me very happy! Blessed Be.
Chapter Five:
True to his word, Jareth avoided Sarah's chamber over the next few days. He would politely inquire after her health when he saw Riona every evening. A casual observer might even go as far to say that he had lost interest in the newest inhabitant of his castle. Of course they would be dead wrong. Try as he might, Jareth could not keep his thoughts from Sarah. He would take long walks around his kingdom, attempting to distract himself, but he would eventually conjure a crystal and spy on Riona and her patient.
Riona was not fooled in the least by Jareth's indifferent façade. She knew he frequently looked in on Sarah through his crystals, since she could sense his magic in the chamber. It did not trouble her in the least, for she had more important things to worry about.
Sarah, though in seemingly good health, refused to talk to anyone or eat the offered food that was brought to her chamber. This did not deter Riona, who would sit by the young woman's side from morning to night, telling stories of the Underground as she embroidered. Her patient would sit silently and stare out the window, lost in her own thoughts.
On the third morning of Sarah's arrival in the Underground, Riona was humming as she rocked back and forth in her chair. A cool breeze came through the window and she heard a faint shiver from her normally silent patient. Riona rose from her chair and draped a woolen shawl over Sarah's shoulders. As she turned to go stoke the fire, she heard a soft voice sat, "Thank you."
Riona turned back and gazed at her, "You are most welcome Sarah."
"Is it true what he said?" Sarah asked. "Am I truly tied to the Underground forever?"
"Jareth did speak the truth, although I would rather he had waited a bit longer before telling you."
Sarah smiled weakly, "He once told me that forever wasn't long at all."
"That in my opinion depends on the circumstances," she handed Sarah a glass of water. "Please drink this."
"Thank you," Sarah whispered and took a small sip. "I believe he called you Riona?"
"Yes, and you are Sarah, although I know much more of you than your name."
A shadow passed over Sarah's face and her voice took on a colder tone. "You were the one who brought me back."
Riona calmly met Sarah's stare and nodded, "Yes, it was I."
Sarah sat up straighter in her seat, "I wonder what you saw when you were with me."
"I saw many things in your presence, including things you have kept so near to your heart. Things that have given you joy," she paused a moment. "Things that have caused you pain."
Sarah drew in a sharp breath and crushed her palm against her eyes. When she looked back up, a small tear ran down her cheek. "Then I suppose you understand why I did what I did?"
Riona's face was calm, yet grave as she replied; "I would be lying if I were to say that your decision was not without good cause. However, you must understand that to me, there is always another alternative."
"Yes, I understand you clearly, even if I cannot agree with you."
The fae woman smiled and stroked Sarah's hair gently. "Understanding is all I feel that I can ask of you at this point. What you do now is in your hands."
Sarah laughed bitterly, "You mean in his hands, surely?"
Riona smiled, "Jareth knows deep down that he cannot control you, as you clearly demonstrated many years ago. He may appear to believe otherwise, but he is no fool."
"No," mused Sarah. "Jareth is many things, but that is not one of them." She sighed, "What am I to do here Riona? My old life no longer held purpose with me, why should the Underground be any different?"
"I wish I knew Sarah, but unfortunately I do not. All I know is that it will most likely be difficult for you to adjust. However, I want you to know that I am here for you and whether you believe me or not, Jareth is also very willing to help you."
"Thank you Riona. I only wish I could take comfort in your words."
Riona shook her head, a bittersweet smile on her face as she gazed into the fire. This conversation in her eyes was progress, small progress, but progress nonetheless.
***************************************************************************
Jareth dropped into the chair at the head of the table in annoyance. That morning when he had ventured to check in on Sarah through his crystals, they were all mysteriously foggy. He was very certain that Riona had clouded them and felt put off by this barrier. On top of this, she was late for supper and Jareth was irked by the delay.
"Go find Mistress Riona and bring her here," he instructed a goblin.
"Oh do calm down Jareth," advised a smooth voice from the doorway. Riona breezed into the dining hall, surprising Jareth with her outfit. Normally he saw her clad in more sedate garments, but tonight she had chosen a pretty blue gown with long flowing sleeves. As she sat, he noted the contrast of the dark material with her pale skin, which he observed was nearing the color of her long white hair.
"You look quite lovely tonight my dear Riona. Is there a special occasion or is this you subtle way of telling me that you are willing to consider letting me find you a suitor?"
Riona raised an eyebrow at him as she lowered her chalice from her lips. "Jareth you really must be losing your senses if you think I'd let you arrange a marriage for me."
Jareth laughed, but there was an undercurrent of displeasure in his voice, "I do not see why you persist in delaying the matter. You're a beautiful young woman and I'm certain that many of the nobles would be more than happy to have you for their wife."
"Perhaps I do not wish to be sold to a man who doesn't know my heart!" she snapped angrily. She had been through this conversation more times than she cared to recall and she had no wish to go through it again.
Jareth opened his mouth, prepared to upbraid her for her lack of duty, but fell short when he saw the determined look in her eyes. Try as he might, he knew she would not at this moment be convinced that in this matter he was right and she was wrong. The time would come when Riona would have to marry and then she would understand his side of the argument better. Until then he would allow her to enjoy the freedom she desired so much.
"Tell me Riona, how is Sarah today?" he asked, hoping that the change of topic would placate her.
After glancing at him warily, Riona smiled and replied, "She is well, Jareth, today she spoke to me."
Jareth's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? What did she say?"
Riona observed his attentiveness with an inward smile; "Well she wanted to know if you had told the truth when you said that she was tied to the Underground forever."
"I see," he ran his fingers through his hair. "How is she handling the situation?"
"Well, all things considered, I think she's off to a rather good start. Not that things will be easy, but at least she's no longer silent."
Jareth thought about this for a moment, "That is better than nothing. Riona, in case I didn't tell you, I deeply appreciate your help in this matter."
"I know you do Jareth and you are most welcome."
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for your reviews! They make me very happy! Blessed Be.