Disclaimer: Riona is my only character as of yet. Jareth and Sarah belong
to Jim Henson. So there! See, I'm not in denial!
Author's Note: Okay, rather than this fic just be about Sarah and Jareth, I have decided to also write about Riona's adventures...misadventures? Anyway, it will be about her too, but in a more secondary manner. I hope this doesn't bother anyone, but there's this little fuzzy plot bunny who is tap dancing and screaming "Riona!" ala Stanley in "Streetcar Named Desire."
Chapter Seven:
"I don't understand why I have to go," protested Riona as she walked down the hall at Jareth's side.
"You must go, Riona, because an ambassador must be sent from our kingdom and as you know, I'm not exactly in Talrond's good graces. Besides, you are the only person that I trust enough to do this."
"Don't try to flatter me!" she fumed. It isn't my fault that you wouldn't marry his sister, yet I am the one being punished for it! And you seem to have forgotten that I have a patient!"
Jareth shook his head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Now Riona, do you really think I would neglect Sarah in your absence? You will be leaving her in very safe, capable hands."
She raised an eyebrow, "I don't know why, but something tells me you're up to some mischief." He simply stared at her with a smile that revealed nothing, so she threw up her hands and cried, "Fine. I'll do what you ask, but understand that you are now twice in my debt."
He smirked, "Of course, how could I forget?" He opened the door to the library and stepped inside. "All of the arrangements have been made, Riona. You will leave the kingdom at dawn." Jareth closed the door and grinned when he heard her curse his name through the door. ************************************************************
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked worriedly as she watched Riona cross the room from the door.
Riona rolled her eyes. "To the North Kingdom to meet with Lord Talrond."
"But why so soon?"
She smirked, "Because Jareth told me to. He enjoys forcing me to do things. It amuses him."
Sarah frowned, 'The last thing I want is to be left alone with him,' she thought. "Couldn't I go with you, Riona?"
Riona shook her head, "I'm afraid you aren't up to traveling yet. Besides, Talrond is an incredible bore and I wouldn't dream of subjecting you to his presence. Do not worry, Jareth will take care of you."
Sarah's face paled and Riona laughed, "Oh come now, he isn't that bad! Don't tell me you're afraid of him?"
"No of course not," Sarah stammered.
"Well then there's no problem," Riona said cheerfully. She took hold of Sarah's hand, "I won't be gone for long, a week at most," she said soothingly.
Sarah looked up at her and smiled, "I will be fine."
"Wonderful!" Riona exclaimed. "Now then, I'm sure you're tired of being cooped up in this room. What do you say to a tour of the kingdom? We have a lovely rose garden..."
"Oh no!" cried Sarah, surprising Riona. She blushed, "That is to say, would it be possible for you to show me around the castle first, so that I may be more familiar with my new...home?"
Riona grinned, "Of course, that's a fine idea." She turned to go fetch a shawl for Sarah. "Perhaps while I'm gone Jareth will escort you to the rose garden." Had her back not been turned she would have seen the look of anxiety on Sarah's face at that statement.
************************************************************
"This is the gallery," Riona explained as she pushed open the doors to a long corridor. The carpet was a deep forest green and sunlight streamed in through the tall arched windows. Thick green velvet curtains obscured the paintings from their view.
"May I?" asked Sarah, looking curiously at the gold silk curtain cord nearest her.
"By all means," Riona said with a smile.
Sarah took the cord in hand and was about to pull it when a voice from the doorway startled her.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Sarah whirled around to see Jareth leaning against the frame of the door, arms folded across his chest.
"Lord, Jareth, you shouldn't creep about like that, you nearly frightened her out of her skin!" Riona admonished.
Jareth sneered slightly at Riona; "I never creep about as you put it." He walked a few steps toward Sarah, a smile on his face. "How wonderful to see you up and about, Sarah. This is your first time out of your room since you arrived, is it not?" His eyes glinted and he gazed at her, obviously enjoying himself.
"Yes, you are correct, your highness," she said softly in reply, avoiding his eyes.
"Oh no, that will not do at all."
"What will not do?"
He smiled, "You must not address me so formally. Please, feel free to call me.Jareth."
Riona rolled her eyes, "My, how magnanimous of you, Jareth."
Jareth glared at her, "Shouldn't you be preparing for your journey?"
"You said it yourself Jareth, this morning, that all the arrangements had been made."
"Ah yes. How like you to use my own words against me," he muttered in annoyance. He turned back to Sarah and gave her a large smile, "No matter. Sarah, if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask me." With flourish he took her hand and kissed it lightly. When he released her hand a crystal appeared in her palm.
"Thank you Jareth," she said politely, staring at the crystal with curiosity.
"You are most welcome." He turned to Riona and embraced her briefly, "Safe journey to you dearest," he said as her kissed her forehead lightly. With that he nodded at the two ladies and walked swiftly from the room.
"Riona, what exactly is your relationship with Jareth?" Sarah asked curiously.
Riona seemed startled by the question, but then grinned widely. "Pull on the cord nearest you," she said cheerfully.
Sarah took hold of the cord's golden tassel and gave it a quick tug. The green curtains parted to reveal a large painting. Sarah gasped slightly at the sight; "It's beautiful."
At the center of the painting, a woman reclined on a couch. Her hair cascaded over the arm, a sea of white, streaked with blue. In her arms lay a child wrapped in a small red blanket and there was a look of complete happiness on her face.
To her right knelt a handsome man with dirty blonde hair. He had a moustache and a beard and appeared to be laughing at a young boy who was trying to reach a crystal that was being held over his head.
The young boy was laughing and as she stared at the painting, Sarah felt a wave of recognition wash over her.
"Is that Jareth?" Sarah asked in disbelief.
Riona grinned, "The one and only."
"And who are the others?"
"Well, that handsome man holding the crystal is the former King Naroth and the woman on the couch is the beauteous Queen Waneira."
"And the baby?"
Riona placed her hands on her hips, "Why, none other than the beauteous Princess Riona! The most skilled healer in the Underground and baby sister to the noble King Jareth," she stood there for a moment with a stoic look on her face, then doubled over with laughter.
Sarah shook her head, "I should have known. You two certainly fight like siblings."
Riona nodded, "Well, someone has to put him in his place. If I wasn't around, he'd be unbearable."
"I can believe that," Sarah said dryly.
"So don't let him get to full of himself while I'm gone." She winked, "It could take me weeks to reverse the damage."
"I'll try, but I can't promise anything."
"That will do for now, I suppose. Now come this way, and I'll show you where the dining room is."
As Riona turned away, Sarah looked up at the painting before pulling the curtain closed. 'They look so happy,' she thought wistfully.
Author's Note: Heehee! Another chappie done!!! I luv you all so much!!!! *Bats eyelashes* Magical gingerbread cookies for all! Blessed be and have a very happy holiday!
Author's Note: Okay, rather than this fic just be about Sarah and Jareth, I have decided to also write about Riona's adventures...misadventures? Anyway, it will be about her too, but in a more secondary manner. I hope this doesn't bother anyone, but there's this little fuzzy plot bunny who is tap dancing and screaming "Riona!" ala Stanley in "Streetcar Named Desire."
Chapter Seven:
"I don't understand why I have to go," protested Riona as she walked down the hall at Jareth's side.
"You must go, Riona, because an ambassador must be sent from our kingdom and as you know, I'm not exactly in Talrond's good graces. Besides, you are the only person that I trust enough to do this."
"Don't try to flatter me!" she fumed. It isn't my fault that you wouldn't marry his sister, yet I am the one being punished for it! And you seem to have forgotten that I have a patient!"
Jareth shook his head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Now Riona, do you really think I would neglect Sarah in your absence? You will be leaving her in very safe, capable hands."
She raised an eyebrow, "I don't know why, but something tells me you're up to some mischief." He simply stared at her with a smile that revealed nothing, so she threw up her hands and cried, "Fine. I'll do what you ask, but understand that you are now twice in my debt."
He smirked, "Of course, how could I forget?" He opened the door to the library and stepped inside. "All of the arrangements have been made, Riona. You will leave the kingdom at dawn." Jareth closed the door and grinned when he heard her curse his name through the door. ************************************************************
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked worriedly as she watched Riona cross the room from the door.
Riona rolled her eyes. "To the North Kingdom to meet with Lord Talrond."
"But why so soon?"
She smirked, "Because Jareth told me to. He enjoys forcing me to do things. It amuses him."
Sarah frowned, 'The last thing I want is to be left alone with him,' she thought. "Couldn't I go with you, Riona?"
Riona shook her head, "I'm afraid you aren't up to traveling yet. Besides, Talrond is an incredible bore and I wouldn't dream of subjecting you to his presence. Do not worry, Jareth will take care of you."
Sarah's face paled and Riona laughed, "Oh come now, he isn't that bad! Don't tell me you're afraid of him?"
"No of course not," Sarah stammered.
"Well then there's no problem," Riona said cheerfully. She took hold of Sarah's hand, "I won't be gone for long, a week at most," she said soothingly.
Sarah looked up at her and smiled, "I will be fine."
"Wonderful!" Riona exclaimed. "Now then, I'm sure you're tired of being cooped up in this room. What do you say to a tour of the kingdom? We have a lovely rose garden..."
"Oh no!" cried Sarah, surprising Riona. She blushed, "That is to say, would it be possible for you to show me around the castle first, so that I may be more familiar with my new...home?"
Riona grinned, "Of course, that's a fine idea." She turned to go fetch a shawl for Sarah. "Perhaps while I'm gone Jareth will escort you to the rose garden." Had her back not been turned she would have seen the look of anxiety on Sarah's face at that statement.
************************************************************
"This is the gallery," Riona explained as she pushed open the doors to a long corridor. The carpet was a deep forest green and sunlight streamed in through the tall arched windows. Thick green velvet curtains obscured the paintings from their view.
"May I?" asked Sarah, looking curiously at the gold silk curtain cord nearest her.
"By all means," Riona said with a smile.
Sarah took the cord in hand and was about to pull it when a voice from the doorway startled her.
"Well, well, what have we here?" Sarah whirled around to see Jareth leaning against the frame of the door, arms folded across his chest.
"Lord, Jareth, you shouldn't creep about like that, you nearly frightened her out of her skin!" Riona admonished.
Jareth sneered slightly at Riona; "I never creep about as you put it." He walked a few steps toward Sarah, a smile on his face. "How wonderful to see you up and about, Sarah. This is your first time out of your room since you arrived, is it not?" His eyes glinted and he gazed at her, obviously enjoying himself.
"Yes, you are correct, your highness," she said softly in reply, avoiding his eyes.
"Oh no, that will not do at all."
"What will not do?"
He smiled, "You must not address me so formally. Please, feel free to call me.Jareth."
Riona rolled her eyes, "My, how magnanimous of you, Jareth."
Jareth glared at her, "Shouldn't you be preparing for your journey?"
"You said it yourself Jareth, this morning, that all the arrangements had been made."
"Ah yes. How like you to use my own words against me," he muttered in annoyance. He turned back to Sarah and gave her a large smile, "No matter. Sarah, if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask me." With flourish he took her hand and kissed it lightly. When he released her hand a crystal appeared in her palm.
"Thank you Jareth," she said politely, staring at the crystal with curiosity.
"You are most welcome." He turned to Riona and embraced her briefly, "Safe journey to you dearest," he said as her kissed her forehead lightly. With that he nodded at the two ladies and walked swiftly from the room.
"Riona, what exactly is your relationship with Jareth?" Sarah asked curiously.
Riona seemed startled by the question, but then grinned widely. "Pull on the cord nearest you," she said cheerfully.
Sarah took hold of the cord's golden tassel and gave it a quick tug. The green curtains parted to reveal a large painting. Sarah gasped slightly at the sight; "It's beautiful."
At the center of the painting, a woman reclined on a couch. Her hair cascaded over the arm, a sea of white, streaked with blue. In her arms lay a child wrapped in a small red blanket and there was a look of complete happiness on her face.
To her right knelt a handsome man with dirty blonde hair. He had a moustache and a beard and appeared to be laughing at a young boy who was trying to reach a crystal that was being held over his head.
The young boy was laughing and as she stared at the painting, Sarah felt a wave of recognition wash over her.
"Is that Jareth?" Sarah asked in disbelief.
Riona grinned, "The one and only."
"And who are the others?"
"Well, that handsome man holding the crystal is the former King Naroth and the woman on the couch is the beauteous Queen Waneira."
"And the baby?"
Riona placed her hands on her hips, "Why, none other than the beauteous Princess Riona! The most skilled healer in the Underground and baby sister to the noble King Jareth," she stood there for a moment with a stoic look on her face, then doubled over with laughter.
Sarah shook her head, "I should have known. You two certainly fight like siblings."
Riona nodded, "Well, someone has to put him in his place. If I wasn't around, he'd be unbearable."
"I can believe that," Sarah said dryly.
"So don't let him get to full of himself while I'm gone." She winked, "It could take me weeks to reverse the damage."
"I'll try, but I can't promise anything."
"That will do for now, I suppose. Now come this way, and I'll show you where the dining room is."
As Riona turned away, Sarah looked up at the painting before pulling the curtain closed. 'They look so happy,' she thought wistfully.
Author's Note: Heehee! Another chappie done!!! I luv you all so much!!!! *Bats eyelashes* Magical gingerbread cookies for all! Blessed be and have a very happy holiday!