The music began slowly and Jareth led Alex into a waltz. Alex breathed a silent sigh. This was very much like the dance she had learned earlier. She kept her head high, but a blush was very apparent on her face. Thank goodness for her mask.
The music remained at a steady pace, and she followed Jareth's lead quite well. Nervously she glanced around the ball room. Everyone was staring at her! Which made her blush all the more. The girls she had spoken to were all smiling and fanning themselves, and Stephan gave her a wink. The Countess Scarlett however was sending her a deadly glare. Alex gulped. But then Jareth, who must have felt her uneasiness, gently tilted her chin so she faced him again. "You needn't worry about her…" he whispered "she's just jealous."
Alex smiled feeling somewhat reassured. By now a few other couples had now joined them on the floor. The music was so heavenly that Alex began to feel lost in it. And when she looked in Jareth's eyes it was as if nobody in the else in the room existed. She no longer felt the gravity holding her to the ground. All too soon the music ended. Jareth took a low bow and Alex curtsied gracefully.
Mary, Jacqueline, and Anne immediately started to huddle around her.
"Alex, I have to attend to my guests. Why don't you stay with the girls?" said Jareth.
Alex nodded "Alright." And she smiled. Jareth smiled back "I'll be back" he said. After he started to make his way to the other side of the room the three women crowded around young girl and all started talking at once.
"Alex you dance beautifully!"
"So graceful! Much more than the countess!"
"Oh! And she brags all the time!"
"You are so very lucky Alex…!"
Alex couldn't help but laugh a little. For all three women were surely older than her yet they acted so much like school girls! But their smiles and enthusiasm was quite encouraging to her. And she didn't feel so afraid of no longer being away from the Goblin King's side. She smiled at the three "You flatter me, Ladies. I'm no dancer at all, really!" she said, not wishing to sound conceded.
"You certainly could have fooled us!" Jacqueline laughed.
"Well, thank you for your compliments. But I'm sure the Countess Scarlett is just as good!" said Alex
"Oh she can dance well enough, true…" said Anne.
"But, she lacks natural grace!" said Mary.
At that moment, Stephen appeared behind Lady Jacqueline, startling her "Well my darlings! What might we be gossiping about tonight? Hm?" he said. Jacqueling laughed as did the others.
"Oh never you mind, Stephan, its Ladies talk!" said Anne.
"Yes, yes it IS rather dull isn't it?" Stephan said with a very exaggerated yawn. And Anne pretended to hit him. Alex laughed until Stephan turned his attention to her "My dear Lady, may I have the pleasure of the next dance?" he asked.
"Oh, of course Sir." She replied and he led her to the floor. She went willingly with him, taking one last look around for any sign off Jareth, for she missed him terribly already! But soon gave up as she and Stephan reached the center of the floor. After all she shouldn't be selfish and keep the Goblin King for herself! It would be terribly rude to the other guests! And she was making such a wonderful impression with them already and had no wish to spoil it.
Another waltz began. Now Alex felt much more confident and she and the conversations she had with Stephan of the floor made her feel more at ease.
"You dance divinely, Lady Alex." He said with a smile.
"As do you, Sir." Alex replied honestly.
"Jareth is quite the lucky one to be your escort, my dear. I'm sure any man in this room would love to be in his shoes."
Alex raised her eyesbrows curiously "Oh? And what makes you think so?"
Unknown to Alex, a pair of hateful eyes was watching from the crowd. Countess Scarlett, seeing that Alex was busy saw the perfect opportunity. She made her way through the crowded (who parted like the red sea as she passed) towards Jareth, who was having a discussion with some of the other men. She stood behind him for a moment ready to make her move.
On the other side of the room, Mary saw what the Countess was up to and Anne and Jacqueline. "Ladies…" she said warningly and pointed. The two of them looked where she was directing.
"Oh dear…" said Anne.
"We better act quickly…" said Jacqueline. The other two nodded. Trying with all their might not to make a scene they pushed there way to the edge of the dance floor and waited. When Alex and Stephan danced close enough to them Anne reached out and grabbed Stephan, pulling him and Alex off the floor.
"Ladies! What on earth…?" Stephan started.
"Hush up, Stephan!" said Jacqueline. "We need your help!"
"What's going on?" Alex asked.
Anne tilted her head towards the group on the other side of the room and shifting her eyes so they'd get the idea. Alex looked over to see. Stephan looked as well, and didn't like at all what he saw. The countess had put her hand on the King's shoulder, still trying to get his attention "Jareth, darling…" she said in her sickeningly sweet voice "…it isn't proper to turn down a lady's invitation…"
Alex looked puzzled, and then her face flushed in anger. How dare she!
Eponine walked by with her tray and Stephan immidiatly knew what to do. He quickly grabbed two glasses of wine and handed one to Anne. "You know what to do…" He whispered to her and she nodded. "Alex…" he said turning to her "You follow close behind us…" and he took Anne around the waist.
"Now…" said Anne. Then suddenly she started stumbling and giggling like a ninny. Stephan chuckled and stumbled as well and started dancing with Anne, looking quite drunk, and they made way across the room.
Jacqueline took Alex's arm in hers and started following slowly behind them. "Just play along…" she whispered.
"Oh Jareth, dear…" Scarlett was ready to drag Jareth out of the room! She was so determined she didn't even see what was coming…
Just when they were but a few feet away, Stephan swung Anne around. The girl laughed and tilted back holding her wine goblet way out, in doing so spilling red wine all over Scarlett's fine blonde hair!
"AHHHHHHHHH!" The Countess shrieked.
"Oh…my…" Alex covered her mouth a little to keep from laughing. But it was a loss cause, for most of the ball was now laughing.
"Oh gracious!" said Jacqueline in pretence.
"Whoopsy!" Anne giggled, still "drunk".
"Oh!" Scarlett was of course, outraged "You…you horrid little snipe!" she glared daggers at Anne. "And YOU!" she attempted to slap Stephan but he was too quick and ducked out of reach.
"Now, now my lady, it was an accident…" Jareth said taking her wrist. Even though Scarlett was making a terrible scene in front of his guests he was inwardly smiling.
"An accident? They did it on purpose!" she shouted and pulled out of the King's grasp.
Alex couldn't hold it in anymore. Scarlett's once beautiful, wavy locks was now wet and stringy and an ugly purple color! The sight was just too much! And she was laughing out loud, trying to control herself. Her delightful laugh caught the countess's attention "Wait a minute…You!" she shouted, while pointed an accusing finger "YOU are the one behind all of this, aren't you?"
"Oh! No! O-of course not…!" Alex tried to defend herself, but she wasn't too convincing.
"You ARE! I know it! You pathetic little human…"
Alex finally managed to calm herself "I swear, my lady, I had nothing to do with this…it was only an accident…"
Scarlett attempted to grab Alex throat but again Jareth grabbed her wrist.
"Control your self at once, Woman!" he ordered. He wasn't going to allow her to make a fool of him "Sir Stephan and Lady Anne had simply too much to drink! Nothing more!"
It was then that Anne collapsed onto the floor. Mary rushed over and started fanning her "I warned her to stay away from the wine!" she said.
"Well, Countess, as you can see, Lady Alex had nothing to do with it. Is that not so, Alex?" Jareth turned to her.
"Oh yes. I would never pull such a horrid prank!" Alex said.
Countess Scarlett still wasn't convinced but knew she shouldn't anger the King any further. She trudged out of the ballroom miserably, calling for the chamberlain to bring her, her cloak. She wouldn't stay to be humiliated any longer.
Alex sighed in relief. I thought she was going to carve my eyes out! She thought. Such a frightening woman
Jareth sighed himself than turned to Stephan and the ladies. "Will you all kindly see me in my study?"
Stephan nodded as did the women. Everyone else at the ball had gone back to dancing and drinking and gossiping they didn't notice then head for the door "Alex you will join us too…" Jareth said.
"Alright…" suddenly Alex felt a bit nervous again. Were they in trouble?
Once they were all in the study Jareth closed the door behind him. Then he turned to the five of them "Stephan! What in the Underground were you thinking!" Jareth fumed.
"Jareth, I-" But Stephan couldn't get a word in.
"That prank may have worked well when we were children but its not…"
"Jareth, it wasn't his fault!" Anne stepped in "It was my idea, my doing!" she claimed.
"Anne?" Jareth raised an eyebrow.
"No it was me…" said Mary.
"No!" Jacqueline jumped in.
"Hold on!" Jareth put up his hands "Stop!" and everyone fell silent.
Alex sat down on the couch and stared at them. She really didn't know what was going on anymore…
"Now…" Jareth said once he composed himself "One at a time…"
Stephan and the three women looked at each other for a moment. Then Mary stepped forward to speak.
"I saw what the Countess Scarlett was up to, Jareth…" she said calmly.
"And then she told me…" said Anne "…and I couldn't help myself…I had to do something!"
Jareth suddenly realized what had happened tonight. "Alex, Mary, Jacqueline, you three may go. We'll be along in a moment."
"Yes…" said Mary and she took Alex hand and led her out the door. Jacqueline followed after them. Alex still couldn't understand what was going on between them all. Anne had addressed Jareth by his name, not his royal title. What was going on?
When the door closed behind them, Jacqueline tried to listen to the conversation going on inside, and was trying to peek through the lock "Oh I can't hear anything!" she exclaimed.
"Ladies…" Alex said. "What exactly is going on? I'm afraid I feel quite lost…"
"Oh, Lady Alex I am so sorry…" said Mary "Its quite a story…"
"Oh I see…" Alex said looking from one woman to the other "You wouldn't mind telling me, would you?" she asked.
"Not at all!" Jacqueline replied.
"You see, Alex, we, Jacqueline, Anne, Stephan and I, we've all known Jareth for many years." Mary explained.
"Since childhood!" said Jacqueline "We were all tutored together!"
"And we always looked out for each other. Stephan and Jareth were always there for us." Mary continued. Alex was now beginning to understand. So all of them were best friends to the Goblin King!
"Yes, and we were always there to get the boys out of scrapes. Oh we've all gotten in quite a lot of trouble as children!" Jacqueline laughed at the memories. "But now that Jareth is King, we have to watch out for him more than ever! It is now, that he is looking for a queen to rule by his side…"
Alex's eyes widened with interest. A…a queen? Her thoughts raced. C-could that mean…that I…?
"Oh and though we quite trust his judgment in women, he still needs help every now and then…" Jacqueline smiled.
"Especially when it comes to women like Countess Scarlett…ever since she's heard that Jareth was looking to marry she hasn't left him alone!" said Mary, spitting out the Countess's name like it was an awful wine!
…So that's why she's…oh dear…
"Does…does Jareth have any sort of interest in her…as well?" Alex asked, a little afraid of what response she would get.
"Oh no! Quite the contrary, he greatly dislikes her…She's much too selfish and rude." Mary replied.
Alex heaved a sigh of relief, not realizing she did it so loudly! Mary and Jacqueline both looked at her. Alex realized that they noticed her great relief and blushed terribly. She quickly held up her ball-mask to hide it.
"Why, Lady Alex! Is that a blush I see?" Jacqueline smiled.
"No…" Alex again started to feel quite timid.
Both women giggled, knowing she was lying.
"Am I really that obvious…?" Alex asked, bringing her mask down again.
The two women nodded.
"Oh…" she lowered her head as her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.
"My Lady, you fancy our Jareth…" said Mary.
Alex nodded, smiling a little "I do…"
"We had hoped so!" said Jacqueline.
"Really!" Alex looked up at them in surprise.
"Mm-Hmm!" Mary smiled. Just then laughter could be heard from inside the study. A moment later the door opened and Stephan stepped out with Anne, till laughing.
"Ha-ha! Admit it Jareth!" Stephan said turning and looking back into the study where Jareth still lingered. Then he stepped out as well.
"Alright!" the King said "You two saved me…Are you happy now?" he smiled.
Alex smiled seeing that Jareth was in better spirits now.
"Alright…we best get back to the ball before everyone starts missing us!" said and held out his arm to Alex. She smiled she took it.
(A/N: OMG! I'm sooo sorry this took so long! I've been updating Degrassi so much I've been neglecting everything else! Again I apologize to all of my faithful readers! I love you all! Please Review!)
