Ch 49
Richard, Karen and Toby found themselves in a large stone room, dominated by a large chair –a throne? Richard asked himself. Toby looked around, disappointed that he didn't see any goblins.
"Where are the goblins, Jareth?" he asked, and Jareth smiled. Imagine being excited to see goblins! But even he had to admit the goblins could be amusing, and he was sure Toby would get along well with them.
"I'm sure they're all keeping out of the way, they know how important today is," Jareth told Toby. He was actually touched as he took a closer look around, and saw how clean it looked. The goblins were making an effort to make the castle look nice for Sarah and her family, and he appreciated it. He reminded himself to reward the goblins later for their good behavior.
Richard and Karen were just standing there, looking rather lost. With a snap of his fingers, their bags were gone. "I have moved your things to your rooms," he told them. "Follow me, and I'll take you there. The wedding is early this afternoon, so I'm afraid we don't have time for any sight-seeing today, but you all are welcome to explore the castle and its grounds." As he talked, he held Sarah's hand and they led her parents down the twisting corridors until they reached a suite of rooms.
Jareth gave Sarah a deep kiss before he left her to get her family settled. "I'll be back in a short while," he promised her.
Sarah grinned as she saw the amazed looks on her parents' faces as they gazed around the room. Jareth had really outdone himself, she thought. Her parents room looked fit for royalty, with it's huge canopied bed and ornately carved furniture. Toby's room connected to his parents, and he was already in there exploring. Sarah kept hearing things like "Whoa, cool!" and "That's awesome!" and she grinned, happy he was happy.
"This is really happening, isn't it?" her dad asked in a rather dazed voice. "We're really in a magical place filled with goblins and fairies and kings and…" his voice trailed off as he looked at his daughter. "And my little girl is going to be Queen of it all."
"Yes, I am, and I can't wait!" Sarah said, trying to cheer her dad up a little. She didn't want him to be sad about this, not when she was so happy.
Karen put her arm around her husband and said, "I think this place is just amazing, Sarah. I can't believe this is your home!"
Sarah laughed. "Yeah, well, you should see the castle Julie got!"
"I knew you liked it better there than here," she heard an amused Jareth say behind her, and she turned to him with a grin. "Oh, shut up!"
Jareth turned to her parents. "I'm sorry to have to leave you, but I must ask Sarah to begin to get ready. It took ages to prepare her for her friends wedding; I shudder to think of the time it will take for her to get ready to be the bride!"
Sarah smacked his arm, and he responded by grabbing her hands and putting them around his waist, so she was hugging him. Even Richard couldn't help but marvel at how in love they looked, and he knew for certain then that his daughter was making the right decision.
"I promise you'll receive a full tour of the kingdom tomorrow," Jareth told Richard, Karen and Toby, and Toby shouted in excitement. "Yay! I get to go in the Labyrinth!"
Karen gave Sarah a quick hug. "Go get ready honey, I'm sure you're going to be a beautiful bride!" Sarah smiled her thanks.
Richard looked at his daughter, unable to believe that the next time he saw her, she would be becoming someone's wife. He smiled at her. "I'm proud of you honey. Jareth's a good guy." Tears surprisingly filled her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away.
"Thanks, Daddy," she whispered as she gave him a fierce hug. Then, with one final smile, she allowed Jareth to lead her out of the room and down the hall to his bedchambers.
Sarah glanced at the huge bed, and she shivered in anticipation when she realized she would be sleeping in this bed with Jareth tonight, as his wife. That title meant she would receive every privilege of being a wife, and she could hardly wait.
Just then, Helma bustled into the room. "My dear, what are you doing just standing there?" she exclaimed. "We've got to get you ready!" She bravely attempted to shoo the Goblin King out of the room so she could get to work.
Jareth looked at Sarah. "Helma will bring you to the gardens when it is time. So, my love, the next time I see you, you will be becoming Mrs. Goblin King." He grinned and gave her a kiss, ignoring the glare he was receiving from Helma for holding her up. With one last look into her eyes, Jareth left Sarah to get ready. She took a deep breath, then turned to Helma. "Okay, I think I'm ready."
Helma smiled broadly at her. "Why, of course you're ready, my dear. It's not hard to see what's between you and his Majesty. We're all mighty happy to be having you for our Queen," she said, speaking for all the goblins.
Sarah smiled at her. "Thank you, Helma. That means a lot." She leaned down to hug the little goblin. Helma harrumphed but allowed the hug. Then she hustled Sarah into the bathroom, where a nice hot bubble bath was waiting.
"Now, you take a nice relaxing soak, and I'll be ready for you when you're through." Helma said, leaving Sarah to undress and slide into the warm, slightly rose-scented water.
She sighed in pleasure and leaned back, enjoying every second of this luxurious bath. After awhile, though, she began to worry about looking like a prune. She didn't want to get married with wrinkly skin, so regretfully she climbed out of the tub. Slipping on a fluffy robe, she went back across the hall.
When she opened the door, she gasped to see the dress hanging off a hook on the wall. It was almost an exact replica of the dress she'd worn so many years ago, at that ball where Jareth had tried so hard to get her to forget her mission and fall in love with him. This dress was strapless, but it had the same intricate, glittery pattern and full skirt. Sarah couldn't believe she would get to wear something so beautiful.
She jumped as Helma spoke. "Come on dearie, sit down here and let me get you ready!"
Sarah obeyed the little goblin, and sat obediently in the chair Helma had pulled. She sat patiently as Helma painstakingly made up her face. When she was finally satisfied, she frowned as she tried to think of the perfect style for Sarah's hair. She played with it for a few moments, twisting it this way and that, before finally letting it fall free. Helma used hot rollers to curl Sarah's hair, so it fell down her back in soft ringlets. Finally, she carefully wove strands of silver through Sarah's dark hair.
When Sarah looked in the mirror, she gasped. She could hardly believe this was her. She turned her head to the side, marveling at how Helma had managed to weave the silver into her hair; it glittered in sharp contrast to her dark locks, and Sarah loved it.
Helma was pleased that Sarah was pleased, and she smiled to herself.
Now there was nothing left for Sarah to do but dress. Helma insisted on helping Sarah into the gown, saying, "We don't want this one to get stuck, now do we?"
Sarah grumbled, remembering her earlier dressing mishap, and concentrated on not ripping the delicate material as the dress slid over her body. Helma took a few moments to straighten everything out, and then stood back, staring at Sarah with a smile on her face.
Slowly, Sarah walked over to the full-length mirror to get her first glimpse of herself as a bride. She could only stare open-mouthed at her reflection. She truly looked like a fairy princess. The dress fit her perfectly, showing off her slim form. The shining silver in her hair complemented the silvery strands of the dress. She slowly twirled around, unable to take her eyes off of her reflection.
Helma allowed Sarah to admire herself for awhile, but then she had to pry her away from the mirror. It wouldn't do for the lass to be late to her own wedding! Sarah took one last look at herself before allowing Helma to lead her out of the room. Sarah's stomach was churning with nervous excitement. She stepped out of the room and almost collided with someone who was coming in. Sarah stared in shock.
"Merelinda! What are you doing here?"