Chapter 42: A Few Observations in the Observatory
Someone stopped Sarah on her way back to her room. Thinking rapidly, she recognized him as Duleith, one of Bev's manservants. "Yes, Duleith, what can I do for you?"
"My mistress wishes to speak with you, ma'am, if you'd be so good as to spare her a minute." He was small and grey, but neatly dressed. Sarah suspected he was a gnome.
"Of course. I'd be happy to speak with her."
"Thank you, ma'am. She's in the observatory, if you'll come with me." Duleith led Sarah through some of the less populated areas of the castle until they got to a tall, round room surrounded by stairs. "You'll see a lovely view of the stars from up there, m'lady," Duleith grunted as they climbed and climbed.
"I should hope so, after all this effort!" Sarah laughed as she followed him up the last few stairs.
"This is it, Lady Sarah," he said, indicating a tall wooden door at the top of the stairs.
Sarah thanked the servant, who bowed and headed back down. Sarah rapped lightly on the door and then pushed it open. "Bev?" she called.
The tall, brown-haired woman by the window turned with a welcoming smile. "Sarah! Thanks for coming. How are you?"
"I'm tired!" Sarah admitted with a rueful smile. "All this dancing and celebrating has got me worn out. Not to mention the stairs!"
Bev smiled. "And such a big decision to make tomorrow, as well," she said shrewdly.
Sarah nodded. "And that," she agreed. "But I'm sorry. I didn't come up here to complain. Duleith said you wanted to speak to me about something?"
"I don't know how you can remember the names of all those servants," Bev commented with a smile. She glided over the door, closed and locked it. "Actually, I thought you might want to talk to me," she said. "You must have a lot on your mind, with no one to talk to about any of it."
"Thank you," Sarah said slowly, frowning, "But I think this is one thing I'll just have to wrestle through on my own."
"Alone, eh? That's true, isn't it? You don't even have your family here to help you, do you? Tell me, will you ever be able to see them again, if you accept the goblin-king's offer of marriage?"
"I… I don't know. I assume so."
Bev came closer to her, with a thoughtful look. "Sarah, tell me something. Haven't you ever found it strange that the goblin king would suffer bitter defeat at your hands, completely ignore you for twelve years, and then start coming on to you so strongly all of a sudden?"
"What are you getting at, Bev?" Sarah demanded.
"Why, simply this: have you ever considered that the goblin king is only doing this to have power over you again, so he can get you back for defeating him?"
Sarah raised her chin. "No. It has not," she said, biting each word off sharply. "Bev, what's going on?"
"Why, nothing, Sarah dear! I'm just looking out for your best interests!" Bev protested. "You don't even know if you can trust this man, and in the space of a fortnight he's asked you to give up your family, your schooling, your career goals, everything – in order to marry him and let him rule you. I'm just making sure you're ready to make such a decision, that's all."
"If I make that decision, then that'll mean that I'm ready to," Sarah said simply. "Now I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? What do you mean, Sarah?"
"I am asking," Sarah said, squaring her shoulders and meeting the woman's gaze head-on, "Which of Jareth's admirers is so jealous of me that she would take the chance of angering not only me and my friend Bevelyn, but the goblin king and even the unicorns, by putting on a glamour to look like Bev and try to talk me out of accepting?"