Hey everyone! I was late on this chapter and I am sorry. Other matters called to my attention and I never really had the chance to work on the story. But, here it is. I don't know if you were anticipating it (note chapter title ::giggle::) but you're getting it anyway. Ha. This one is mild, no language whatsoever. So I guess it is PG. I'll go ahead and tell you that it isn't covering the little dinner yet. That's the next chapter of which I will really try to complete within a week or so. Well, I hope you enjoy and please don't forget to review.

- Monica, blackmajick7

Disclaimer: Jareth and Sarah belong to Jim Henson. Everyone else is my creation.

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CHAPTER FIVE

Once Sarah ascended the stairs up to the correct hall, she found that Siraluei was standing there waiting for her. The fae smiled warmly while approaching.

"I felt that you may need to be shown back to your chambers because I knew that it would be dreadfully difficult for you to find it again," Siraluei said to the mortal. "This castle is just so colossal."

Sarah nodded in agreement with a knowing grin. "Yes, thank you. I didn't really think about that." She joined the fae and they began to make their way.

As the two walked down the long hall, Sarah noted how many doors there were that ran down for what appeared to be endlessly. "There are so many rooms! Just how many visitors does the king receive?" she asked with perplexity.

Siraluei chucked lightly. "Not all of these doors lead to bedrooms. Many just lead sitting rooms and the like. But, things are not always what they seem in the Underground. Others are a kind of passage to other realms and regions. However, those particular doors are locked shut without the use of a key. There is no way in."

Sarah cocked her eye brows and turned her head to the fae woman, still keeping pace. "I'm guessing only the king can enter through those doors?"

"Your guess is correct," Siraluei replied. "Anybody else can try all they want. They will not budge."

Just then, the sounds of senseless laughter and talking filled the air as a couple of small goblins scampered about farther up the hallway. It was the first time Sarah had seen any goblins since arriving and she became amused at their expense. Well, before they came near anyhow. They began to run and jump about like idiots in front of the women's feet, almost causing Sarah to trip over her long gown.

"Shoo, be off and play somewhere else!" Siraluei scolded, lifting her own green dress slightly to avoid falling down.

The two goblins giggled, scurrying around once more and then running past in the opposite direction of where the two women were heading.

Siraluei sighed and shook her head, smoothing her dress out. "The king really must do something about those goblins. They cause a muck everywhere in the castle," she said matter-of-factly when they began to walk again. Sarah could only laugh inwardly although she was slightly disarrayed by their mischief as well.

Once they finally approached to the right door, Siraluei looked to Sarah. "Do you wish to have anything brought to you? You did not eat breakfast earlier."

Pondering the thought for just a second, Sarah shrugged. "I guess I could eat something." Potato chips came to mind, but she figured that the Underground wouldn't supply these. She decided for the alternative, healthier choice. "Could some fruit be brought up?"

Siraluei smiled while nodding and turned to walk back down the hall. Somewhat slowly, Sarah placed her hand on the onyx-coloured doorknob and twisted, opening the polished mahogany door to be yet again awed by the lavender beauty of her room. Silently, she stepped in and closed the door, allowing the bright, sun-lit glow to envelope her in its tenderness. A gentle smile placed upon her lips, she almost skipped to her soft bed and threw herself down on her stomach, mildly disregarding her apparel. There she lay, eyes closed, for twenty minutes, not really thinking about anything and pretending that all was right with everything; that there was nothing to worry about, nothing to suspect, and nothing to look forward to save for just being where she was and what she was going to do there.

A light knock came on the massive door and Sarah unclosed her eyes. "Come in," she called and an unfamiliar young fae woman entered with a tray in her hands.

Sarah watched as the fae smiled slightly after setting down tray on a nearby table. She was even taller than Siraluei was, with even paler skin and blond hair that was braided intricately, reaching down past her back to her hips. Her eyes, with Sarah sitting at least fifteen feet away, shone out a piercing emerald green that seemed to almost mock the mortal.

"I hope that the fruit will be to your liking," the fae offered. "It is similar to that of your world's but it is perhaps a touch sweeter."

Sarah only nodded in return, feeling somewhat tense with her presence. The fae smiled again as if to mock and made her way out, quietly closing the door behind her.

"What is with the fae?" the mortal asked aloud, tiredly picking herself up from the comfortable bed and walking over to the table.

Later...

Jareth sat at his throne, bored with himself and hardly listening to the voice of his friend, Lord Cardoc, as he tapped his riding crop on his propped boot-clad foot. The silly goblins were still causing a racket in the room and he wondered if Cardoc realized that he could barely be heard over their din. The issues in the Underground were not severe or even noteworthy as nothing new in particular had happened since Sarah had been the first to defeat the Goblin King since he inherited the throne. As touched on before, trolls never bothered the kingdom; they were now wary of the king. No other creature was stupid enough to meddle with the ruler; they would have to solve the labyrinth after all. Except, perhaps, other select fae whose power could be challenging. This had yet to happen.

"Lord Edan sent his notice of his visiting the castle tomorrow at noon," the bronze-haired Cardoc read off a scroll, equally looking as bored as Jareth appeared. He was leaning against a wall near the throne, looking quite laid-back in his surroundings with the goblins roaming about everywhere. There were similarities in appearance between he and the king that were noticeable as they wore the same style of clothing (though Cardoc's not as flashy) and their clean and sharp good-looks. Yet Cardoc had more of a burly build (still thin, mind you), shorter hair that reached to his shoulders, deep brown eyes, and a different look of the face. Though very handsome indeed, he still could not compete with the king's allure.

Jareth scowled in distaste in to the news that Cardoc shared, closing his eyes and feeling a bit of a headache coming on. Lord Edan was not one he wished to see. There was really no particular reason except that Jareth never really trusted the ebony-haired fae. Edan acted and seemed normal enough yet there was a dark, underlying deviousness about him that the king could always pick out. And it had always been there. Jareth had so many times wished to be rid of the fae in the occasional and sometimes periodic balls and meetings between the lords and ladies, yet he could not because he had no sufficient reason for doing so. Also, Lord Edan had been around longer than Jareth, by some 250 years; he had served Jareth's father, Diabhidh. That made him, along with a couple more fae, sort of higher nobility than the rest of the lords and ladies. Although Jareth was the Goblin King and could do as he wished, he could not simply denounce Lord Edan without the proper grounds as he might gain a certain mistrust of the fellow fae.

Cardoc began to step away from the wall as his eyes scanned the scroll. "Lady Silvana is to be arriving sometime in the afternoon toda--" He was cut off abruptly when a particularly dense goblin accidentally bumped into his backside, nearly knocking him down.

Jareth disregarded the incident and he looked to the now rather annoyed fae. "Silvana? Today? What ever does she want?" The last bit was said in sarcasm for he knew what Silvana wanted. After all, he had shared a sort of exclusive relationship with the ravishing though shifty fae before Sarah had captured the king's fancy.

"Nevermind the rest, Cardoc. I'll read it at a later time," Jareth said suddenly, sitting up in the oversized marble throne. His thoughts had swiftly veered to Sarah and he had the impulsive urge to produce a crystal in which to see what she was doing at the moment.

Lord Cardoc, simply nodding, understood Jareth very well. They had been the best of friends since before Jareth had undertaken the title of king. Cardoc, being a little older, always thought the king as his younger brother. When Jareth admitted he really needed someone to talk to (which was unusual and infrequent because of his pride and ego) he had talked to Cardoc. The king confided with him about his thoughts at times and had even talked of Sarah. But, of course, only of his vengeful plan and nothing about his feelings for the girl though it was a bit obvious to Cardoc.

After Cardoc bowed with knowing smile to his king and left the throne room to go about his other duties, Jareth sighed with defeat and laid his right hand out, palm up with outstretched slender fingers, and conceived a crystal. There he saw the raven-haired mortal sitting at her vanity, in all her sheer effulgence and fairness, staring towards the mirror but more-so past it than actually into it. She was in a reverie, as Jareth could observe, and she didn't seem as if she was going to snap out of it anytime soon. The king drew the crystal more near, his vision eagerly devouring her image. Her green eyes conveyed a mixture of emotions, all of which Jareth couldn't read as they were somewhat foreign to him. Yet he could see a tad of confusion. He was curious as to what she was thinking and held himself off at trying to read her thoughts for he already felt as if her privacy was being deprived by his watching her.

The Goblin King pondered if she was happy in the castle, but quickly dismissed the thought as she had only just arrived. She would have to settle into the Underground and its customs. This was only the beginning and there was much more time to get her to love her new world and realize that she too loved the king.

With this lingering in his mind, Jareth flung the crystal, shattering it against wall near some goblins, startling them in fright. Slowly, slouched back into his throne, closed his eyes, and covered them with a gloved hand in an effort to clear his mind of the sudden disgust he felt of his deceitful plan.

Sarah looked fixedly at the mirror as she sat on the vanity chair. She wasn't scrutinizing her visage, however. She was lost in her thoughts again, staring blindly in the dark, consumed in the shadows. That was what she felt and saw because she was confused, curious and content all at once. She found that she really liked it here, and she knew she would be even happier when she met with her friends Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus again. But what then? She speculated on how she would act when she met with the king later that day.

What does he want? she asked herself for the sixth time after she had gotten to her room. Jareth was so hard to read and it was even tougher for her as she had never been through the certain kind of relationship she was mixed in now. Then again, this drew Sarah closer as he intrigued her.

Breaking her eyes slightly away from the mirror, Sarah focused them to a wall with a very unusual, crystal-like clock. It was half past 3, which was quite logical as she had taken a long nap after eating. Her eyes fell back to the mirror, this time looking at her reflection. Seeing the white, pretty dress on her, she quickly felt stifled in the vestment and had the faint longing for a pair of jeans.

Just then, a knock came at the door and after the mortal proclaimed her consent, Siraluei entered into the chambers, a lavish gown gently hanging from her arms. Sarah's eyes trained on the clothing, she watched as it was brought before her onto the bed.

"What is that for?" she asked dumbfounded, now looking at the taller fae's face, which was grinning.

"For tonight, of course!" Siraluei exclaimed, placing her hands on her narrow hips. She, in fact, was wearing a different dress of a soft lilac with a sort of Chantilly lace that trimmed the three-quarter-length sleeves and long bottom hem in a lovely manner. Her feet were decorated by silk slippers, much like what Sarah wore. The color corresponded prettily with her violet eyes and matched Sarah's bedroom.

Sarah's eyes drifted back to the gown, not being able to disguise the bit of excitement that coursed through her. "It was made for you earlier this noon," she heard the fae mention. "It is made of the silks of the ancient elves from the Western Hills. The nobility of the Underground often wears this material for it is very rich but very lightweight."

The gown was very extravagant, indeed. The silk was a deep, dark midnight blue that withheld a fine glint of shine. Unlike the near innocent white dress Sarah was wearing now, this garment had a tight bodice with a low-cut scooped neckline that ran off the shoulders quite a bit. The sleeves were long but slightly loose and belled. A little below the hip area, the silk puffed out softly and looked as if some sort of pannier should be worn underneath to enhance the width of the dress. It was utterly exquisite but Sarah couldn't see how she could possibly wear it while not looking like a fool. She didn't believe she had the proper shape to fit the gown and she voiced her thoughts to Siraluei, who only shook her head in disagreement.

"Nonsense! You have the curves of a woman and you cannot escape that," the fae said while disappearing into one of the adjoining closets and reappearing with a kind of petticoat and a number of underskirts. "I do not know about your world but here, though young, you are a woman yet."

Sarah sighed at the sight of all the underclothing she would have to bear under her dress while she attempted to talk to the king intelligently without suffocating.

After some time spent talking with Siraluei, the two finally got started in preparing Sarah for dinner. It was half past 4 when she took another bath and shampooed her hair. Then, as soon as she came out, the fae went to work with drying and styling her hair into a complicated up-do held in place with a couple ebony combs, a few wisps of raven purposely left out to hang. Only a little mascara, shadow, and blush were applied as the mortal was already naturally radiant. Though Sarah disliked the layers of undergarments that Siraluei helped her into, she was delightfully surprised at how comfortable they were still. With a different corset tugged on than before, unfortunately, she found this one to be quite a bit too snug and every time she breathed a little more than lightly, she nearly choked on her breath.

"Does this thing need to be so tight," she helplessly carped, a hand placed on her severely squiched stomach.

Siraluei, presently, was carrying the gown to her. "It does if you wish to fit into the dress."

With that, the fae slipped the mystical evening garb over Sarah's head, careful not to mar the intricate hairstyle and makeup. After she smoothed down the gown out over the skirts, Sarah waited as the the long row of tiny, neat buttons was worked up on her back. Anticipation caused her heart to flutter constantly as she spotted the clock and saw it was a quarter past 6. Before when she was taking her bath, she thought about what she would say or do in front of Jareth, and had decided to just act natural. This was rather difficult, however, when the man was who he was and she was so attracted to him the manner she was. And, indeed, she had thoughts of what the king would perhaps try that evening. After all, what sane girl wouldn't?

Once the dress was fastened, Siraluei left the room briefly to another closet and came out with a pair of matching midnight blue, strappy heels. As Sarah examined them more closely, she saw that they were very delicate with jewelling of which was without a doubt genuine. When she sat down and allowed Siraluei to put them on, the strapping was configured in an unusual, elaborate way and tied taut. Standing up, the pretty shoes were concealed underneath the long gown yet she was still all the more proud to wear them.

"You are very stunning, Miss Sarah," Siraluei affirmed with a pleased grin and the mortal stepped to one of the full-length mirrors to view herself. The dress fit nicely in every area it should have, enhancing her figure and making her look regal in every aspect.

Sarah smiled widely, forgetting the now slight discomfort of the corset, setting her mind on impressing the king and causing his own heart to race. Without notice, Siraluei came from behind her with a pair of crystal earrings. The fae placed them on her exposed ears and the two admired the faceted, lustrous beauty that they created in the light.

"I don't see how His Majesty will keep himself composed this evening," Siraluei said with a smirk.

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