Sarah half opened her eyes groggily. She looked up and could see a face, creased in a frown and looked worried then pulled away. She opened them fully, blinked a couple of times and the world around her started to focus. Danae was lying on the floor next to her, in a similar state of semi consciousness, as was every woman in the room. She tried to sit up, and would have fallen backwards, if a strong pair of arms hadn't caught her and sat her upwards. "Drink this" A soft soothing voice, from behind her, gloved hands holding a goblet and pushing it to her lips. She sipped the sweet liquid, which was warm and tasted of sunshine and exotic fruits. A few seconds later Sarah could feel warmth rushing through her body. Her limbs, which had previously felt heavy and tired, returned to their normal state, and the dizziness that had made her faint vanished.
Sarah watched Danae rise to her feet, and did the same. Danae was speaking to Jareth in hushed tones and judging from the look on his face he was quite amused. Danae laughed "What did you think then Sarah?"
Jareth interrupted "I think it was brilliant Danae, I've never seen anything like it." Before wandering off to restore order to the banquet.
"What was that?"
"A potion engineered to make people faint." Danae replied, smoothly continuing, "It's not dangerous, it was just a diversion, to freak out His Majesty over there" Sarah just stared at Danae gob-smacked. "Last year I made Jareth loose his voice, the year before I turned him into a turkey, which was fine until I couldn't turn him back into a person for five days, I was in trouble after that one. I think this year went rather well" Danae returned to her seat leaving Sarah speechless.
Jareth resumed his speech where he had left off, and to Sarah's astonishment he and the rest of the nobility carried on, acting as if nothing had happened. Sarah was starting to drift off into her own world, as Jareth's speech was rather long, and while it wasn't a boring speech, Sarah didn't really understand what he was talking about, until she tuned back in for the last announcement.
"And finally, My good Lords and Ladies, I am happy to announce a joyous occasion in the Goblin Realm, which is the engagement of Her Royal Highness, The Princess Danae, heiress to the Goblin Throne and to the Baronies of Elgard to His Royal Highness Roland, Third son of Menus, King of Hetsonia.". While Jareth was speaking Sarah flicked her eyes over towards Danae, whose face was lit up with an enormous smile, which matched the face of Jareth.
After the speeches, the party returned to the ball room, Jareth had just stood still when Danae came over and flung herself into Jareth's arms, her eyes were full of tears.
"Thank you, thank you so much" She sobbed into his shoulder, while Jareth chuckled. When Roland came over, Jareth embraced him warmly, then he and Danae mysteriously disappeared but, it was reported, and later that night Sarah heard it confirmed by Danae that she and Roland had been walking in the rose garden.
"Would you care to dance my lady?" Jareth asked her formally, with a smile in his eyes.
"Thank you kind sir" she replied, "But I don't know how"
"It's easy, I'll lead you" Jareth said with a confident air, and Sarah found herself led to the dance floor and in the arms of a handsome goblin king, who was leading her around skilfully, one of her hands held lightly in his while the other held her dress off the floor, while his other hand lay gently on the small of her back, giving gently but firm direction. He made conversation with her easily, and she soon relaxed to his presence, and laughed at his tales of the Goblins during some of their wilder parties. During their dancing Sarah started to feel hot and dizzy, and Jareth, believing it to be an after effect of the potion she had taken earlier escorted her outside for some fresh air.
The night air had a cooling effect on Sarah's warm face, and she soon started to feel better. She found Jareth's presence comforting, though his closeness unnerved her. "It's a beautiful night" she whispered to him softly.
"Yes, very beautiful" he murmured, while looking at her the entire time. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. He smelt sweet, and rich; she stood inhaling the scent, which she simply associated with him, Jareth. She looked up and her eyes met his. He leaned forward until her lips met his.
And suddenly he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. He was soft, yet unyielding. His hands were wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him, while hers were round his neck, tangled in his hair. The world span, for both of them as the kiss intensified. His tongue, probed her lips and she parted them slightly, allowing him better access to her mouth, he tasted like, well nothing she had ever imagined, he tasted smooth, like chocolate, yet spicy and masculine. He moved his hand to stroke the side of her face gently; her skin was so soft and silky.
Had the world turned upside down at that moment, Jareth couldn't have possibly noticed. The usually attentive Goblin King was completely caught up in the beautiful mortal girl who was kissing him back as passionately as he was kissing her. As his attention was elsewhere, he didn't notice two figures approaching, until a man cleared his throat and he heard a young girl giggle, he would have recognised that laugh anywhere.
"Danae" he muttered under his breath as he and Sarah sprang apart. Sarah flushed red and Jareth's facial expression was that of a guilty teenager.
Roland decided to break the awkward silence "My Lady Sarah, could you please excuse me, I have to borrow your good escort, for a moment. Your Highness"
"Jareth, after all Roland my boy, you are practically family now."
"Jareth, my father requests and audience, about the upcoming nuptials. As you can imagine he's anxious to set a date."
The two men walked off into the ballroom and out of sight, Sarah looked at Danae and blurted out "Aren't you going with them? After all it's your wedding"
Danae laughed "Goodness no, it's all political at the moment, Jareth and Roland's father have to negotiate terms and set a date and a dowry and it's generally best if the bride-to-be keeps well out of the way."
"I don't blame you" Sarah laughed.
The two girls went back into the ballroom and collapsed on a pile of cushions. Danae ordered them some wine and when it arrived they drank it rather quickly, on account of their slaking thirst.
Danae grinned "So you and Jareth?" Sarah made no reply and Danae didn't feel like pressing the matter "Yuck, Sarah you have an awful taste in men" Sarah laughed at Danae's comment. The crystal goblets kept being refilled and the more Sarah drank, the better she felt about the whole Jareth situation
"You're not upset about it are you?" She asked quickly, recalling Aldous's tale.
"No it's fine with me, why?" And when Sarah failed to answer Danae suddenly understood. "You heard about Jareth's previous relationship? From Aldous, I presume?" Sarah nodded.
"Look Sarah, what you and Jareth do is your own business, unless you're about to break his heart, or are claming to love him when you don't, it's up to him who he has relationships with."
"Relationssships?" Sarah suddenly began to slur her words, "We aint having a relationship, ok there was the whole kissing thing, but that's as far as it goes"
"So you're not madly in love with him, wanting to marry him and have his babies? Because that's normally Jareth's effect on women."
Sarah burst out laughing, uncontrollably at this point, and seeing Sarah laugh, Danae started laughing too. Almost an hour later Jareth and Roland reappeared in the company of Aldous, most of the guests had trickled out and the Palace staff had begun to tidy the ballroom, and they found Danae and Sarah having a serious debate about whether or not they could build a tower out of goblins and whether or not it would smell.
"Nonsense Sarah" Danae announced firmly, as she stood up. "The goblins do not smell at all, in fact they are very clean creatures with impeccable hyy hyy hygene hygienicness." She then half sat half fell back down next to Sarah, who was laughing at her."
"More wine" Danae called to the passing servant, and Sarah again laughed, finding this most amusing.
Jareth cornered the servant, instructing him that no more was to be given to the two girls. Turning to the two girls with a smile on his face "Perhaps you two girls should go home?"
Sarah stood up and lurched towards him, "Yes, home is good, which way is home?" she asked Danae, spinning round so fast she fell, strong arms caught her and held her back on her feet as she was held by Jareth. "I'm good, I'm fine, and you can let me go now." He relaxed his grip, and Sarah wobbled over to where Danae was now standing.
"Come on Sarah," she said holding out her hand. "Let's go home"
"Wait" Jareth instructed "Aldous, could you escort them home please, because I don't want them ending back at the Labyrinth, you remember last year."
Aldous took the two girls hands, and a second later Sarah found herself in the parlour of the Princess's Palace. Sarah's next conscious memory was being woken up by the sunshine pouring in through the open curtains.
