Sarah awoke feeling refreshed and happier than she had felt since her arrival in the labyrinth. Sarah got out of bed and walked over to the wooden floor to stare out of the balcony window. It was the first time she had properly looked at the city. The Princess's Palace was built at the side of the river, and although Jareth had mentioned it's name on their long journey to Threasedene, she could not remember what it was called. Sarah's balcony overlooked the river, with wide views over the city, which dazzled in the sunlight.
A soft knock on the door heralded the arrival of Danae, who was still in her nightgown, which she clasped in one hand to keep the hem from getting dirty on the floor. "Would you care to join me for breakfast Sarah?" she asked nervously.
"Of course. I'm starving!" Sarah replied, her voice light and cheery.
Danae suddenly smiled before leading Sarah out of her room. In the corner of the ante chamber leading to Sarah's room there was a small table laden with fruit and honey and freshly baked bread. The two girls chattered happily as they ate and they were soon brushing the crumbs away from around their mouths.
After breakfast the two girls were dressed simultaneously by Danae's maids behind screens in the same room. The screens were embroidered with pictures of Fae princess's and their gowns. The room itself was large, oak panelled with many doors leading to many other bedrooms, which according to Danae were very similar to her own room. While Sarah was being laced into her corset, which Danae insisted was necessary while she was spending time at court, she could hear Danae's moans of pain as she was being laced into her own. The only comment that Sarah could get out of Danae on the subject corsets was an irritable "Beauty hurts." And she just thanked her lucky stars that the maids hadn't felt the need to bind her so tightly, she felt restricted as it was. The dress itself was beautifully accentuated by the corset, narrowing Sarah's waist and pushing her cleavage up to an impressive height. The dress was long sleeved and a red, which contrasted against Sarah's dark hair. Lace framed the square neckline around her bosom accentuating her cleavage even more. But apart from that the dress was simple in its beauty, letting Sarah's natural good looks shine through. While Sarah was being fastened into her dress, which had more fastenings than she had ever thought possible, she continued chatting with Danae about the procedures for court that morning. She was then ushered into a chair and the maids started to dress her hair, piling it up on her head, pinning a single red rose in her hair, as her only adornment. Sarah noticed that they were much more skilled in this art than Camille had been. After the two girls were perfectly coiffered, Danae again wearing her crown, they were finally ready to leave. The two girls joined hands and disappeared.
Then reappeared in front of the most elegant, proud building that Sarah had ever seen in her entire life. It was tall, built out of a soft yellowing white stone, which glinted in the sunlight. Stained glass windows shone in impossible colours, regal blues, royal reds and proud greens. Looking behind her Sarah could see the Princess's Palace in the distance and next to it, the river with the sun's reflection making it look like a diamond encrusted snake uncoiling over the land. The goblin palace was situated on the top of a small hill and Sarah could see the entirety of Threasedene below her, large streets, small lanes and tiny ally-ways. Beyond the city lay the grasslands that they had crossed during their carriage journey to Threasedene. And beyond that. A tiny speck on the horizon lay the labyrinth. And beyond that lay the goblin city and the castle. Jareth's home.
The thought of Jareth snapped Sarah back to reality. She looked at Danae and smiled. Danae grinned back "Are you ready?" Sarah tried to reply but the words got stuck in her throat, so she settled for a nod instead. Danae took her hand in her own, gave it a squeeze for luck and the two girls walked up the steps, through a set of massive oak doors, which opened as if by magic and into and entered an enormous chamber. Like the Castle beyond the Goblin City, the main doors of the Goblin palace also opened onto the throne room. It was a large open room with sunlight pouring in from many open windows; the floor was made from black and white marble, set in an intricate pattern.
At the other side of the room, lounging elegantly in a white marble throne, sat Jareth. He was wearing a black shirt, black britches and shiny black boots, his pale skin and hair contrasting sharply to his dark attire. When he saw the two girls enter and walked towards them. He embraced Danae warmly, whispering something in her ear, which Sarah couldn't make out but judging by Danae's burst of laughter was highly amusing.
He then took Sarah's hands in his "If I caused you offence yesterday I apologise, I never meant to do you ill. Believe me I understand how hard the situation must be for you and I'm sorry I acted the way I did"
"Thank you, Your Majesty" Sarah replied graciously. "But I have to apologise too, I was a bit of a wreck yesterday."
"Understandably" he said generously, "But let us put the whole affair behind us. I would like it if you would accompany me to the ball tonight, no doubt Danae will be going with some suitor of hers."
"Of course your highness, if you wish it"
Jareth offered Sarah his arm and this time Sarah took it. After Jareth showed Sarah to her seat which was next to Danae's slightly smaller and more feminine throne, which was in turn to the left of Jareth. As the courtiers started entering Danae passed comment on particular people who Sarah should take note of. A beautiful Fae woman with golden hair approached the throne. Her complexion was as fair as Jareth's or Danae's and she wore a beautiful green dress in a similar style to Sarah's own but with an impossible narrow waist. She eyed Sarah up with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance as her name was announced.
"The Lady Annabel of Hirstead"
"She's cousin to the Queen of Hirstead" Danae whispered "and is determined to make a good match, and when I say good match I mean she has her sights set on my brother. What a disaster that would have been."
Would have been? Sarah mused, did that mean at one point the girl and Jareth had been involved? She made a mental point to ask Aldous later. The courtiers continued to trickle in for the next hour, when everybody was finally seated Jareth stood up and began to speak. It was a language that Sarah didn't understand, beautiful and melodic, while powerful and elegant. Later when Sarah began to learn the high speech of the Fae is was explained to her that it was only ever used in very formal situations. When Jareth had finished he simply disappeared in a cloud of glitter, to which Danae muttered "Show off". Then to Sarah's surprise all over the room other members of the room other members of Fae nobility started to vanish as well. "To a council regarding the war" whispered Danae "They will be in there for the remainder of the afternoon."
"What will we do until the ball?" asked Sarah
"I think a stroll around the palace gardens would be nice, then preparations for tonight's ball will be necessary."
During their walk through the beautiful palace gardens Sarah was introduced to many of the Fae nobility and to be truthful she found the whole ordeal of being under the scrutiny of so many strangers unpleasant at best, but they were curious about the mortal girl who had been sitting among the royal family. But throughout the afternoon there was one face who stuck out in her mind and that was the Lord Roland, Prince of the Nether Counties, a small kingdom, near Jareth's borders. He was the 3rd son in his family, making it unlikely that he would inherit the throne, especially as his eldest brother's wife had just given birth to a healthy baby boy. Roland was very handsome, tall, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, which glinted with laughter and merriment. His voice was smooth, velvety and everything he said was utterly charming, but at the same time completely sincere. What Sarah would remember most about Roland in years to come though was Danae's reaction to his presence. While they were speaking she looked blissfully happy. Her smile was radiant and her eyes shone, when he asked her if he could speak to her in private during the ball she remained calm, though after he left, she nearly hyperventilated with the excitement of a young girl in love.
On their return from the gardens there were packages for the two girls containing their gowns for that evening. Sarah's contained a note on smooth pale brown parchment, the seal containing the royal three pointed symbol.
Sarah
As I said a suitor will be accompanying my sister to the ball, I would like to reissue my services as your escort. However I will be unable to my perform my full duty and accompany you from the Princess's Palace, however I have asked Aldous to perform this task in my stead. I will meet you on the balcony by the rose garden.
I hope you like the dress
J
Danae wasn't very surprised "I expected this morning he would ask you to accompany him to the ball" Danae smiled when Sarah showed her the note and only passed comment on how much her brothers handwriting had improved.
The next four and a half hours were spent getting ready for the ball. The maids prepared the two girls a bath which was the size of a small swimming pool filled with steaming scented water and rose petals floating on the surface. While the two girls bathed they chatted amicably until the Topic of Roland was brought up, and Danae became starry eyed and dreamy. However when Sarah broached the subject of their involvement she went quiet "I don't know if Jareth will approve the match. And everything depends on Jareth's approval."
"But if you love him, surely Jareth will approve."
Danae smiled sadly "It's not my love of Jareth would disapprove of. He likes Roland, they have known each other since childhood. It is only the political match which is my concern."
Sarah looked at Danae, almost horrified "So you cannot marry for love."
"Don't feel sorry for me Sarah, I've always known that making a politically sound match would be my fate. As it was my mothers. She married my father to create a peace between the two kingdoms, a peace I may add that has lasted for nearly 400 years."
"But not marrying for love Danae, that's terrible."
"No" replied Danae softly "What would be terrible would be if I married solely and selfishly just for love with no regard for how my marriage could affect the political climate. I will be a queen someday and the wrong match could throw the country I'm set to inherit, my husbands country and even the Goblin Realm into a war. Hundreds if not thousands of lives could be lost." She paused sadly.
"My happiness, even from marrying the man I love could never be worth that high a price."
"I never thought of it like that" said Sarah quietly
"But Roland is from a good family there is every chance that the match could be approved."
"Well I hope for your sake that it is" Sarah smiled warmly/
After the bath the next three hours were spent primping and preening the two girls in preparation for the ball. After she had dried off Sarah was laced into her undergarments, which consisted of another uncomfortable corset, with Danae's promise that she would soon get used to them and a silk underskirt. Then Danae's ladies in waiting began a skilful process of hair curling, pinning and decorating, then powdering Sarah's face and chest, lining her eyes with smoky kohl and rouging her lips and cheeks ever so slightly. Before finally being fastened into her beautiful dress
The result was dramatic Sarah's hair had been pinned off her face and the rest cascaded down her back in artful ringlets. Tiny gems had been braided into her hair, making her head glitter and dazzle when she moved. Her green eyes sparkled behind black eyelashes, her cheeks flushing slightly and her lips had an entrancing waiting to be kissed look, which Sarah never could have managed alone. Her dress was a simple affair held up by small straps with a low cut bodice and a flowing skirt which emphasised her waist and ample, thanks to the corset, cleavage. When Sarah walked down into the parlour, where she found Aldous waiting for her.
"You look very beautiful my dear, he said kissing her friendlily on her cheek."
Sarah took Aldous' arm and found herself at the palace.
