Author's Note: My mother doesn't want me to be on the computer so much, so new chapters will be posted whenever she lets me get on. Sorry, I'm not too thrilled about it either! Oh, and Adina's song(gee, she has a lot of 'em) is "O Silvery Moon", or "Song to the Moon" from the opera Rusalka. And the reason it doesn't rhyme is because it's English translated from Czech. Thanks for reading and being patient!
Chapter 19: O Silvery Moon
The guests gasped as one upon hearing Adina's announcement. Who did this brash young girl think she was, with such a bold statement? "Disgraceful!" they murmured. "Well, she is a Faerie, after all." "Heathen!" "Shh, she's speaking."
Heathen, hmph! I should be insulted, Adina mused. Wait 'til they hear this! She turned to Jareth, who was smiling politely in contrast to his guests' shocked faces. "Your Majesty," Adina began, "in my kingdom it is the custom to open a ball with a much cherished song. May I?" To her amusement, he quickly nodded. Apparently the Goblin King had no desire to dance with her either. "Then I will begin," she continued. "This song is my mother's, the Faerie Queen's, favorite." Adina closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and began singing in a clear, beautiful voice:
"Moon high up in the sky
You light up vast distances
You wander through the wide, wide world
Looking into the homes of men
Stay awhile, moon,
Tell me, oh tell me where my beloved is!
Tell him, silvery moon,
That my arms embrace him,
So that at least in his dreams
He may remember me!
Shine for him in far away places,
Shine for him,
Tell him, oh tell him
Who is waiting here!
If he dreams about me,
Let that remembrance waken him!
Moon, don't go away, don't go away,
Moon, don't go away!"
And when she had finished, silence reigned in the castle, followed by a storm of applause and cheers. Even the goblins in the castle whooped and clapped. They were not very intelligent, but they knew when something they heard was lovely.
At the back of the crowd, one of the guests bowed his head and wept, memories rekindled. He gazed at the Faerie princess, who was in the middle of a low curtsy. She seemed rather stunned by the reaction, looking at her guests' facial expressions. The guest smiled and joined in the applause, thinking all the while, I need to speak with her soon. Then I will be sure.
Jareth tried not to stare at Adina, but this was a losing battle. And where did that come from? He thought incredulously. She didn't sing that well the entire time in the labyrinth! Maybe I shouldn't dislike her so much. Looking again, Jareth noticedshe was now moving through the crowd, stopping to speak to a few people, but was seemingly distracted. For a brief moment, she disappeared, then went out onto a balcony.
Why am I so tired? Adina thought, leaning on the railing. She was stunned with herself-never before had she sung that song so well. I learned it from Mother, but she always told me it was too hard, no matter how much I tried it out before her. A wave of loneliness and longing for her mother washed over Adina, until she heard footsteps. Turning, she saw a tall middle aged man standing there, staring at her.
He realized she had noticed, and quickly bowed. "Your Highness, forgive this intrusion, please!" he stammered, eyes averted down. This was hard to do, since the Princess was so lovely. "Don't worry," she replied, putting him at ease. "What's your name?"
What could she possibly be doing out there? Jareth thought. It had been a long time since Adina had left, followed a few minutes later by a tall masked fellow. I know him…..but from where? Just then, Adina reentered, smiling. Well, that's good. I wonder what happened between them. Now then, time to make peace…… With a big smile, he strode over to her. "Your Highness! Would you care to join me?" Jareth asked, offering Adina his arm.
Oh boy, what does he want? Adina groaned. She was completely unprepared for the Goblin King's actions: taking her hand, and kissing it, then offering his arm to her. "Princess," he exclaimed warmly, "your song was beautiful. Thank you, a thousand times."
Adina's eyes grew wide, and she was startled to realize he truly meant it. "You're welcome. As I said, that is my mother's favorite song. She sang it to me, when I was a child." Odd. That guest, just asked me about it……..
"Adina," Jareth spoke again. "I realize we haven't gotten along very well. Starting now, can we try to reverse that?"
This is a day of surprises! Adina thought, utterly shocked. This might be a trick…… but if he really means it……… "I would like nothing better, Your Majesty," she finally responded.
"Please, Adina, call me Jareth," the Goblin King corrected her. "Okay then……Jareth."
In the corner, the tall man who'd talked with Adina smiled, seeing her and Jareth together. "One step down," he grinned, turning to leave, "and now for another."
Well, Adina and Jareth are getting along for the time being, but who's the tall guy? Hopefully we'll find out soon! Please review!