Chapter 8

"JJJAAARRRREEEETTTTHHHHH!!!!!!" Queen Navine screamed as quite a few body landed on top of her. Jareth gulped.

"Yes, Mother?" He asked pleasantly.

"Why am I on the FLOOR?" She screamed. "Get me up, Worthless son. And take me to my room immediately!"

"Yes, mother," he said, helping her up and throwing a crystal at her. She vanished, taken to her room in the Royalty Wing.

"This is a disaster," Shenya commented, taking the kids with her and leaving Sarah alone with Jareth.

"I hope I didn't leave too bad of a first impression," Sarah said quietly.

"Sarah, my love, she prides herself on going by first impressoins," Jareth replied. "If I were you, I would pretend to be a meek, obedient queen in a huge dress with lots of finery at dinner. And hope she didn't notice you in all the confusion." Sarah nodded in agreement and went to change.

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"Mercy! Mercy!" Shumack cried as he was shoved, rather roughly, into a tub of hot, soapy bubble bath water.

"Alice, if you want to keep him, he has to pass your father's inspectoin. And he won't do that with all this dirt.

"Yes, Ma'am," Alice said, readying a pink towel and a fluffy pink robe.

"Not pink! Not pink!" Shumack begged as he was dressed in a set of army clothes. You guessed it: pink.

"Oh, come on, Miss Teddy! We have to go meet Daddy, now!"

"Oh, no!" Shumack squeaked. A six-foot tall military sergent came in, his dog tags jingling.

"Daddy!" Alice ran to her father, and he caught her up in a hug. "I found Miss Teddy, Daddy! See?"

The father looked him up and down, then walked around him.

"Well, soldier. Who are you? Rank and serial number. Now!" the sergent yelled.

"I'm not a soldier. I'm a scholar. Second advisor to his Majesty, King Jareth!" Shumack squeaked, then ranted. " Well, I was until I was outcast for treason, but that was only because Dirpeck told me that I could have half the kingdom as my own. my name's Shumack, sir. Can I go now?"

"Quiet! No, you may not go. You obviously do not have any military experiance, so I will fix that for you. You will accompany me to work for a week. Then you may continue with your tea parties and cake." The sergent demanded.

"Oh, thank you, Daddy! Thanks, Thank you!" Alice hopped up and down, clutching onto Shumack and jumping with him. Shumack looked on in fear.

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Queen Navine looked out the rainy window, wishing she could turn into her eagle form an fly far away from here. Jareth always gave her a room with something wrong. This visit it was drafty.

She shut her eyes and remembered the Jareth she had loved. He had been a cheerful boy, with moon-white hair and mismatched eyes. She loved to play with him, no matter what game.

Hide-and-Seek. She remembered that Hide-and-Seek was the game they had played that day. It had been a rainy day like this one, when the messenger had come.

She had cried for weeks over the loss of her husband, King Larsithian of the Goblin Kingdom. He was just Lars to everyone else.

She hadn't had the heart to tell Jareth that his father was never coming back. That he had been killed in a war with gremlin terrorists, just minutes after the peace tratey had been signed.

Nearly everytime she saw him, she burst into tears, because he reminded her so much of his father. eventually, she gave his care up to a nurse and moved to an old castle on her family's land.

Jareth had transformed more everytime she saw him. He never again showed emotion, and became arrogant, and in her mind, untrustworthy. It seemed that now the only way to get him to even notice her was to insult him.

Oh, she hated doing it. But if she didn't, no one would. She thought that maybe her son had changed, on account of his getting married to the same one that beat him at his own game.

But she had been wrong. She no longer doubted the obvious: he hated her. She woud go soon. She knew when she was not accepted.

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Shenya looked hard in the mirror. Was she starting to show, or was it her imagination? No one had said anything, but still. . . . .

What if her aunt found out? She would never hear the end of it! She could just imagine it now. . .

"There's that worthless niece of mine, Shenya. Went and got herself raped and pregnant again, she did. . . "

Shenya snapped out of her reverie as a knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?" Shenya called.

"It's Toby. Jareth said to tell you that it was time for dinner. He wants me to escort you," came the reply. Shenya got to her feet and walked towards the door. On the way to her doom.

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"So, Sarah." Navine began sweetly. "So nice of you to join us. And walking, too. What a surprise." Sarah blushed, but stayed silent.

"And your children. How quaint. They both are dressed formally, as all you are. What, I wonder, is the occaision? Surely not me?" Her voice was sarcastic. Just then, shenya walked in, escorted by Toby.

"Greetings, Queen Navine," Shenya said cooly.

"Greetings, Shenya." Navine tone was no longer sweet, but somewhat bitter. "I see you've grown up from that spoiled brat you were at nine." Now it was Shenya's turn to look down and blush.

Jareth ordered for food before things got out of control. He could see that Sarah was just dying to put his mother in her place. If he could keep their mouths shut with food for the next hour or so. . . Apparently it was too much to ask for.

"So, Queen Navine, why did you come?" Sarah asked nicely.

"Why, Queen Sarah, I only came to see my grandchildren," Navine mimicked her tone.

"Then, Queen Navine, you could have sent a letter. They would have been happy to go to you. Now wouldn't you children?" Sarah's tone left no room for argument, and they nodded their heads quickly.

Navine smiled. She could now see that Sarah was as crafty as she. A good match for Jareth. Jareth and Shnya just waited for the maelstrom that they were sure would come.

"Then, Queen Sarah, I would be obliged to spend time with my grandchildren tomorrow." And they waited. It never came. Dinner finished without further incident.

"Of course, Queen Navine," Sarah replied cooly.

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"Would you like to put the children to bed?" Sarah asked after dinner.

"I'd be delighted." Shenya and Jareth went back to their rooms, thinking on why Navine had acted so strange with Sarah.

For an understanding had come between Navine and Sarah. And they had yet to realize it. But soon, they would. Soon.

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hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been updating as of late, but I have a great idea for an original story. If you want to read it, it's at Also be looking for some of my friends and me in a joint account at

Replies:

Draco's Daughter- Thank you.

normal?- as to your question, yes, Arkus was the guy that had raped Shenya. I have to agree with you on the baby part.

wings- No, sorry. Hell has yet to freeze over. But tere will be plenty more from "Miss Teddy" later.

Moonjava- Thanks a lot.

MorganLeFay99- Sorry it took so long to update. Dido and Alexia (Alex) are Jareth and Sarah's kids, to answer your question.

Jade Limill