Jareth returned to the castle, dejected and angry and still feeling the effects of the evening's alcoholic rampage. Arian was not in the castle, and in truth why would she be. Not that he was going to admit he was wrong or anything, as a parent he had every right to do what he did. He just couldn't help feeling a little worried over the girl's rather unusual disappearance. Arian did not fly off the handle very often, and running away was a little out of character to say the least, especially since she had become queen and started taking her duties more seriously. And something just felt wrong about that evening, her magic seemed darker than usual and less controlled, less elegant than his daughter's usual work. Almost as if the spell had been cast by a completely different person.
To say the penny dropped, was a bit of an understatement and instead it plummeted towards the hypothetical earth and made a small crater by Jareth's feet. Gods be damned! Someone had taken her!
"You know just because you took my pen away doesn't mean I won't destroy you." said Arian defiantly.
"And how do you plan to do that?" said the dark figure on the other side of the bars of the cell she was now imprisoned in. Arian couldn't see his face but the annoying nasal voice gave away exactly who her captor was. "Your father cannot save you this time and soon the only magic you will be able to wield will be under my control."
"Oh, come one Theo! Do you honestly believe, putting some ancient golem curse on me is going to work? I'm insulted."
"The same curse has you restrained like this. It seems to be working fine to me." said Theo triumphantly. "And once our marriage is consummated tomorrow, the curse will take it's full and did I mention permanent effect."
"Oh no! There will be NO consummating! Not on my watch!" the girl shouted.
"You're opinion really doesn't matter." said the young prince and swiftly left the dungeon, leaving the girl with her own anger.
"SO! Who could have done it?" shouted the elderly woman Jareth had the misfortune to call his mother.
"Mother, she's a valuable asset to any kingdom, who knows who did it." said the Goblin King angrily.
"Are there any prime suspects?"
"Ethon is the only kingdom I can think of with a big enough motive, but they couldn't even catch a cold let alone my daughter."
"Then we must go there first and make haste." said Erestine "Whatever magic they used was pretty powerful. Arian could be in real danger."
The young ambassador sat among the various courtiers that were scattered around the temple. Only a few could make it to the wedding which had unusually only been announced the day before. While he was not acquainted with the finer points of Ethon society, he knew that a day long engagement was rather suspicious. However it wasn't his place to intervene, and it probably had a perfectly reasonable explanation, young love and all that.
Each of the guests rose to their feet as the doors flew open and the traditional wedding march began to play and the bride slowly stepped towards the altar dragging her feet a little. Certainly not the most enthusiastic looking bride in the world. She was good looking enough, but her hair was a little strange and the dress really didn't suit her.
Arian reached her assigned place at the alter. She didn't seem particularly unhappy but the sweat on her brow told a different story. Theo looked at her with astonishment, was this the same girl who had attempted suicide less than twelve hours earlier? Maybe a little blood loss had brought her to her senses. Either way, there were guards at the door, in case she tried anything. The ceremony began as the priest warbled the necessary but utterly boring prayers of the kingdom's traditional wedding.
"You seem in better spirits, my dear." he said under his breath "I'm glad my doctors were able to fix you up so quickly."
"Shut it." the young bride spat.
"But I just saved my fiancé's life, I can't help but be a little concerned."
"You didn't save my life, you ruined my death!"
"They do seem a happy couple don't they, Ambassador Keiro?" said a one of the nobles next to him. "Must be quite different to the wedding your used to."
"Yes, but err, wedding ceremonies from western kingdoms are becoming quite popular there now." said the ambassador quietly. He hated small talk, and his English really wasn't good enough for it. The woman who had been talking to him did not reply however as from the moment the prince said "I do" the entire temple lost consciousness, as if they had all been drugged by an unknown substance and everyone was sleeping soundly where they fell.
Everyone that is except himself and the bride…