After her commencement was over, and Mariah left the hospital to return to her home with Toby, Sarah started spending far more time in the Underground with Jareth. He'd found a way to make certain she could receive important calls in his world, since Irene had started working on planning her wedding. Jareth, with some amusement, had suggested they have a winter wedding, on the eve of the twentieth.
She'd given him a smack for that, but Irene thought that was a lovely idea, and ran with it.
Based on what he'd told her, they'd have to attend a full turn of celebrations after their official wedding, but he wanted them to be able to enjoy some of their time together before being hurled into the Underground's version of well wishing. He especially didn't want her to get into a situation where she accidentally drew power again, before she had total control over the new power.
Summer bled into autumn, and as the seasons grew cooler, the Goblin Kingdom seemed to celebrate more than for spring or Summer. Even Jareth seemed to grow more like himself, enjoying the turn of the seasons more since they were going to be celebrating this one from his own kingdom.
After Beltane, he'd refused to attend another of the balls, since Samhain would be held in his own kingdom and he stated they'd need the time to prepare. Especially since it would start on October thirty first, and run through midnight on November first. He'd decided that it would be a masquerade, which she found both appropriate and ironic. Because she was in the Underground with him, she had the pleasure of helping him prepare for the holiday.
Sarah took great pleasure in helping him plan, using ideas she'd pulled from the above. Jareth insisted that if they were going to do webs, they should use proper ones, and she had to admit that cotton fluff didn't have the same effect. He even made sure there were spiders in them, which weren't real spiders, but a glamour cast on the web. It was still unsettling to look at.
Sarah also introduced the goblins to the tradition of trick or treating, explained how it worked, and she suspected that Jareth was going to be very unhappy about the number of sugar comaed goblins they'd have on the first. She'd ease him into that particular conversation.
Teaching them about pumpkin carving, however, would always be her happiest memory of the time leading up to Samhain.
They'd gotten to the point where they started scooping the innards of the pumpkins out, and one goblin had figured out the pulpy mush could be thrown. At each other.
Jareth had appeared in the archway to the throne room in the middle of the pulp war. Instead of walking in, fully, he stayed mostly in the shadows, watching the mayhem with a bemused smile on his face. Finding his queen in the center of the mayhem did nothing to diminish his amusement. She was laughing and throwing the pulpy mix with the goblins, covered in it.
Once the chaos quieted, Sarah watched as he made his way through the room, his steps careful, to avoid getting any of the mess on himself. She lay on the stone ground, giggling, surrounded by goblins that had temporarily exhausted themselves. She looked up at him, watching as he grinned and sat on the ground next to her.
"Having fun, love?"
Mischief filled her as she looked up at him and she reached up, grabbing him by the neckline of his shirt and pulling him into a fierce kiss, tasting the pumpkin that was smeared on her face. He gave a pleased groan, shifting to lean over her, his hand cupping her pulp covered cheek. She grabbed a handful of the pulp from the ground beside her, raised her hand and smashed that handful of pumpkin mush into his pristine hair. He drew back immediately in surprise, and she kept the contact, smearing it over his face. She bit her lower lip, trying to hold in the giggle that forced its way out of her throat.
"That, precious thing, is a declaration of war," he said, and she watched as he grabbed a handful from beside her, and his grin was on the meaner side of mischief as he smeared it down the front of her dress.
The sound that left her was somewhere between a shriek and a giggle, but it caused pandemonium to break out again, goblins that had been exhausted taking sides, and each one hurling pumpkin at each other until the entire throne room was covered in it.
They continued on like that, and had just started working on a truce that involved Jareth's tongue getting reacquainted with the far reaches of Sarah's mouth, when a sound by the door drew their attention.
"Oh, dear."
Boann's voice met their ears and Jareth and Sarah sprang apart, both of them still flushed from their kiss as well as from getting caught acting like children by Jareth's mother. Sarah managed to find a bit of pulp, sliding in it and almost falling until Jareth caught her around the waist.
The goblins took one look at their former queen and gave shrill giggles, then looked at their current regents before they bolted out of the throne room, using various corners and hides to escape the area.
The look on Boann's face was a patient one that Sarah recognized, and a strangled giggle left the Goblin King and Sarah looked at him, finding he was trying hard to not start laughing. An almost identical sound escaped her, a second later.
"That's the look you give me when you think I'm being an idiot," she said, biting her lower lip to keep her giggles in.
"Liar," he said, trying to stand straight and look dignified, and ultimately failing, because he was covered from head to toe in pumpkin guts. As if to mock his attempt, a big glob plopped onto the floor.
Another giggle burst out of them both.
"Are the two of you drunk?" Boann asked, and the tone was mild enough to make Jareth wince.
"No, mother," Jareth said, his eyes shining with mirth and mischief. "As Sarah once so eloquently told me, we're 'cone sold stober'."
"I did not say that!" Sarah objected.
"In fact, love, you did. You were quite drunk at the time, however."
Boann cleared her throat, drawing their attention back to the other queen. She gave them a placid smile, before two mops with buckets clanked to the floor in front of each of them. Sarah bit her lower lip, trying hard to not giggle, and watching as Jareth looked at the bucket with a frown, then he arched a brow at his mother.
"You must be joking?"
"I am absolutely not even in the realm of joking, son. You made the mess of your throne room, and like when you were six and did something like this, you will clean it." Boann's brows lifted a bit, that smile still in place. "However, considering the state you both are in, you need cleaned up before you get started."
Jareth wore a deer in the headlights look of alarm for a moment before they were both blasted with a spray of water.
Sarah wasn't certain where Boann got a pressure washer, but she definitely had to give the former Goblin Queen full marks for her aim with it.
The other queen kept watch over them until Nuada arrived to take her back to Mag Mell. Finding her in the throne room overseeing the cleaning that the current regent and his bride were doing led to inevitable questions. When Nuada finally stopped cackling at the story, and her description of the following events, he escorted his wife home for dinner.
Jareth hadn't quite stopped grinning and Sarah would still occasionally burst into giggles, even as they cleaned up the throne room together. Once his parents were gone, she nudged Jareth with her hip.
"Worth every second of getting blasted," he agreed, a sparkle in his eyes. "Next time, we ought to make certain that my mother isn't here to make us feel like recalcitrant children."
She stood in front of him, leaning towards him as she put her arms around his neck, a mischievous grin on her face. "Or, my lover, we could make sure we drag her into it, next time."
He blinked, looking at her in surprise and a matching grin spread across his face before he leaned close and gave her another stirring kiss, his free arm going around her waist.
Somehow, they managed to get the pumpkin mess cleaned up. For the most part, anyways. Weeks later, they were still finding the seeds in random corners and in cracks of the stones. All of the goblins who participated in that afternoon's mischief were required to have baths before Samhain, and Sarah found that candy was an excellent bribe to ensure cooperation.
As the revellers began arriving Sarah learned that the clean state of the Goblin Kingdom was considered unusual since the ascension of Jareth as the king. He seldom even cleaned up for proper events, and the whispers were that the changes to the kingdom were caused by her.
If only they knew, she thought, amused by the idea.
She may have been the catalyst for the changes, but she and Jareth both knew she was very suited to the Goblin Kingdom and its intrinsic chaos. She knew, just as well as her lover, how to make the chaos work so that it was functional as opposed to mere pandemonium. And even then, she knew how to relax and feel joy in it when it did slip over the line.
Before the Samhain celebration, Sarah and Jareth managed to get the goblins to line up for candy, and towards the end of the line, she felt Jareth's eyes focused on her. Her expression brightened when she saw Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo in the line, and she broke away from her king to hug her friends. Hoggle stayed well away from Jareth, and Sarah knew that he was still afraid of the man she loved. Still, seeing her well seemed to bring her friends happiness, and they were glad to see her, though they didn't stay for long.
After they gave the goblins their treats, the goblins went to cause mischief in the Above, knowing to keep it from harming people, and Jareth escorted her back inside so they could get ready for their party. They got dressed together, with Pan helping Sarah with her hair and makeup again. The fae features she now had in the Underground still faded when she went Above, but now she was having to cover some of the darker parts with makeup. Jareth mentioned that soon she'd have to start using glamour magic to hide them when she went Above.
The gown for this ball wasn't like the others he'd gotten for her. The crimson gown had a far longer train than the others she'd worn, with brilliant ruby jewels sparkling all over the gown, from the lace trim at the v-shaped neckline to the matching trim around the hem of the gown. There were wider straps over her shoulders, made of the same heavy silk as the gown. She didn't recognize it from when he'd taken her shopping, but she could recognize his tastes had been somewhat changed by a more modern aesthetic with the last several gowns.
The goblin's work on her hair was more sleek than previous styles, a simple, elegant updo and the combs that were clipped into her hair had a long, sheer, crimson piece of fabric that hung as long as the train of the dress. Her makeup was neutral except for the bold red of her lips.
When she'd asked Pan why, her assistant pointed out she didn't need more, because she had their face and luminescent skin. The mask she was given was red lace, vaguely birdlike in design, and was pinned into her hair so it wouldn't fall off during the evening.
After Pan left, Sarah took a moment to take in Jareth's appearance. She started a bit, recognizing the fine cut of a modern tuxedo blended with his typical style of dress. There was red lace at his breast pocket and she smiled a bit, getting to her feet and moving towards him.
"You'll certainly have everyone talking, tonight," she said, admiring the cut and fit of his finery. "I didn't expect you to dress in Aboveground fashion, too."
"I'm not the one they'll be looking at, love," he assured her with a smile, and with a wave of his hand, a jeweler's box came to rest on his hand. When he opened it, revealing the stunning necklace and earring set, she looked up at him, her expression turning soft and wistful.
"Are you always going to spoil me like this?" She asked in wonder, hesitating to touch the rubies and diamonds sitting in the velvet. He set the box on the dressing table, lifting the earrings, slipping them into her ears, his expression reminding her of when he'd done the same with the earrings he'd given her for Christmas. When the second earring was set in her ear, he turned her head so he could view them, a shine in his eyes that made her heart stumble again.
"Count on it," he said, his voice low and quiet, but warm. She watched as he lifted the necklace from the box, and he leaned close. She felt the weight of it around her neck as he clasped it, and his fingers trailed over it as he straightened, and she saw the soft smile on his face. "Remember? I like spoiling you as much as you like me doing it."
She slid her hand along his arm, taking his hand, and she felt her smile take on an edge of mischief. She knew the moment he saw it, because his pupils started to dilate, and his brows lifted.
"I wonder, what are the social implications of the hosting king being late to his own party?"
He gave a rough laugh, his free arm going around her waist and pulling her close to him.
"If tonight weren't quite so important, I'd be happy to find out." He growled, and as usual, that sound stirred her libido and she bit her lower lip. "However, tonight is the one night we can't afford to be late."
She looked up at him, in confusion as he reclaimed his hands, and he lifted them to the crown of her head, and she felt weight come to rest on it. Blinking, she turned towards the mirror and saw an elegant crown resting on her head, the same elegant design as the rest of her jewelry. She turned back towards him, looking up into his face in surprise. He gave her a warm smile, his hands cupping her face.
"I think it's time for those rumors at court to be made official, Sarah."
Her heart stumbled, skipping several beats in her chest, and she took his hands, holding them against her face as she met his gaze and then, she nodded in agreement, her heart choking her for a long moment. She thought she might cry, feeling the tears misting in her eyes.
"Then we'll save that mischief for the after party," she said, and she grinned when she saw his eyes sharpen with interest.
"I'll hold you to that, minx," he growled, deep in his throat.
"And if I defy you and make you wait longer, does that mean I'm getting a spanking?"
A laugh escaped him, and he put his arm around her waist as he escorted her from his bedroom. "Precious thing, if it's a spanking you want, that would absolutely earn you one."
She gave him a broad grin in return, but she didn't smack him. A surge of pleasure went through her as his eyes became nearly black as his pupils swelled further. She knew that they needed to get away from the bedroom before they both decided social implications and announcements be damned. She lifted a hand to his face, brushing her knuckles against his cheek for a moment, smiling for him.
"Then we'll see if I'll do that, tonight."
He understood the message, and coughed a bit, escorting her towards the ballroom. Along the way, several goblins crept into the hallway to get a peek at their king and queen, before giggling and rushing back into the dark, knowing that they were about their mischief Above and throughout the Underground.
Sarah paused before they entered the room, and Sarah leaned close to her lover, a wide grin curling her lips.
"So, if anyone annoys us, tonight, what do you say to slinging pumpkin guts at them? It might be less diplomatically problematic than dumping them into the Bog of Stench, right?"
Jareth gave a laugh as they cleared the entrance of the ballroom and she tried for a look of innocence, knowing that she probably crashed and burned miles away from it. The looks of the fae attending the party at seeing Jareth in stitches was priceless, and she decided it was absolutely worth whatever punishment she ended up getting later for rendering the Goblin King to the point of giggles just before they were in public.
"You'll pay for that, later," he growled low against her ear, laughter still in his tone.
"I'm looking forward to it," she said, as he handed her into the throne on the dias and took his seat at her side. He gave her a pleased look from beside her, his lips quirked up into that smirk.
The music cued up, and several couples Sarah didn't recognize approached them to introduce themselves to the new queen, and she listened to Jareth's comments as they walked away regarding how near Jareth would station them to the bog given the choice. She managed to maintain her composure during it, although a few did result in a giggle that was a little louder than she should have allowed.
When Boann and Nuada approached, Sarah rose, moving down the stairs to greet them, not waiting for Jareth to join her. She and Boann exchanged kisses on the cheeks, and when she turned and did the same to Nuada, he looked surprised to receive the affection.
"Dare I ask what you were laughing about when you entered the room, son?" Nuada asked, giving Sarah a look that was a little more knowing than she cared for, even as she took her place at Jareth's side.
"That depends entirely on how frisky you're feeling, today, father. Sarah has very Goblin ideas regarding how to deal with annoying guests," Jareth said, his eyes sparking with amusement.
"If any of this involved pumpkin seeds, I swear -" Boann started, her voice a combination of tart made sweeter by the laughter in it that told Sarah that she wasn't serious.
"Can I plead the fifth?" Sarah asked, biting her lower lip and grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, Stars," Nuada managed, laughter leaving both former regents of the Goblin Kingdom. "You really will fit right in."
Though they'd been invited, Oberon and Titania were not in attendance, which didn't surprise either of them. They were both still pissed off that neither she nor Jareth had been 'sufficiently punished' for what happened in their kingdom. Not even the high courts would touch the situation with a damn pole.
Georgine, on the other hand, was. She approached the dais with caution and didn't approach further until Jareth gave her a nod. They both rose as she moved towards them, and seeing the way the woman trembled, Sarah finally moved down the dais towards her, taking her hands and giving them a squeeze.
The queen of Gwales didn't seem to expect that, and she looked up at Sarah in surprise. After a moment, she bit her lip and lowered her head. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and sad.
"I wanted to apologize for what Titian did. I had thought he had better sense than that, but it seems that I was wrong. I heard what he did at Beltane, as well. Perhaps I was too lenient with him at my court -"
"Don't you dare take the blame for him, your majesty," Sarah said, shaking her head, and giving her a smile. "No harm came to me that couldn't be handled. Besides, Titian is an adult, and is responsible for his own actions. You shouldn't need to babysit him to keep him from doing foolish things."
That much acceptance surprised the other queen, and Sarah realized after a moment that the woman was very young. Then, the other woman nodded. "I wasn't at Beltane, I refused to attend, since Oberon and Titania are still curious about my decision to divorce their son."
"Their loss, we're glad to have you," Jareth said, and Sarah thought she saw a bit of pleasure in the other woman's expression. She sank into a curtsy and when she straightened, Sarah smiled at her.
"Enjoy your evening, Georgine."
Once the other queen left them, Diarmuid approached them and Sarah felt an idea take root in her that blossomed as she listened to him speaking with Jareth, a somewhat hunted look in his eyes. Before he backed away from them, he turned and bowed before her, and she felt a grin curving her lips.
"You know, it's my understanding that Queen Georgine is here this evening without a plus one." Diarmuid looked towards her at her words, surprise in his eyes. "She might be willing to accept the company of a handsome man willing to help shield her from unwanted suitors."
The young lord looked surprised for a moment, and then a smile curved his lips. "Might she?"
"If you approached with caution and respect for what she's endured of late, I think she just might," Jareth said, and Sarah saw a bit of a grin on his face as well.
Diarmuid gave them both a modest bow and Sarah watched him turn and when he found Georgine, she watched him head in her direction.
"Playing matchmaker, love?" Jareth asked, lifting her hand to his lips, looking terribly amused.
"I don't know what you're talking about, your majesty," she said, feigning being mystified by his question. "I just think that them both being here this evening without a plus one is awfully convenient. So, if they can shield one another from unwanted suitors, they might settle in and have a nice time."
A laugh bubbled out of him, drawing the attention of those nearest to them, and when it died, he looked at her, his eyes shining. "Convenient, is it?"
"Of course. She gets a handsome specimen of a man who can pretend to be her lover and chase off unwanted suitors, and he gets a lovely young divorcee who can do the same for him. They both enjoy themselves, and stop looking so hunted." She looked at him with a grin on her face. "And wouldn't it be nice to normalize romance in the Underground?"
He took her hand with a wide smile, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it, mischief in his eyes.
The party hadn't gone on for long before a strange tension tilled the air and Sarah blinked, turning to look at her lover, taking a sharp breath.
"What are the chances that someone's about to wish away a child on Halloween, at our first official function together?"
She barely managed to ask before the sound echoed through the ballroom, above the music and the din of the dancers.
"I wish the goblins would take you away."
"I'd say about a hundred percent," Jareth said, a wry expression on his face. He got to his feet, and she watched as his handsome tuxedo changed to the imposing armor of the Goblin King. Everyone in the ballroom had stopped what they were doing and were looking up at them. Jareth gave her a smile and extended his hand to her. She set her hand on his and rose as well. As she did, her gown gave way to black leather fitting her just as well as his own did. Looking down at herself, she found they matched quite well. She gave him a smile as he took a moment to feast on her with his eyes, before turning towards the partygoers with a broad smirk. "Do continue to enjoy yourself. However, my lady and I apparently have an immediate appointment."
They vanished from the ballroom, and went to collect their new goblin.
Sarah found them standing in her brother's home, in a small nursery that was littered with toys. Three cries met her ears and Mariah stood in the middle of the room, with a barely born child at her shoulder, shaking with the force of her tears.
Jareth relaxed his grip on her waist and Sarah took a deep breath to steady herself. She knew that she and Jareth were both deep in thought for a long moment, remembering after her commencement, when Mariah had decided she wanted to keep her child, loving it too much to give it up.
She looked up at her lover, and she set her hand on Jareth's chest. He waved the goblins away, and Sarah approached the young mother of three. She set her hand gently on Mariah's shoulder, and the other woman turned towards her. Whatever she expected, it wasn't what she got.
"Sarah?" Mariah whispered in surprise, looking her over in shock. Then her eyes moved to the man behind her and she swallowed hard.
Sarah wrapped her arms around her sister in law, holding her close to her chest, stroking her curls, letting the woman cry for a long moment.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I can't do it," Mariah gasped between shaking breaths. "It's just too much." She handed the child to Sarah, but almost immediately burst back into tears, reaching for the child again, torn between loving her child, and being so overwhelmed that she couldn't manage three at once.
Jareth stepped forward, setting his arm at Sarah's waist and drawing her close. "And you've said your right words, but it's clear that you love the child and don't mean it, or the goblins would have taken him before we even arrived."
She gave a sob, and fell to her knees. "I don't know what to do. Toby has been doing more, but tonight it was just too much. I can't manage all three, and Toby's in classes. Everything is a mess. It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Jareth crouched beside her, his fingers hooking under her chin and tilting her face up. There was an exasperated smile on his face. "You didn't think to call us to help you? I know you know the truth of who I am, Mariah. You could have called at any time."
That resulted in another bout of sobs, and Sarah sunk to her knees with them, cradling the wailing infant to her chest. They spent the time they were there helping Mariah calm down, and once she'd stopped the heart-wrenching sobs, Jareth started helping the children settle as well. Once everyone had calmed, Jareth brought the other two children with him, and sat on the ground, looking perfectly comfortable as he'd been in the throne in the ballroom.
"Alright, I've been thinking about this situation for some time and due to you being family, I've some leniency in this," Jareth said, chucking Mariah under the chin, and giving her a grin.
"Jareth, what are you talking about," Sarah asked, frowning a bit. She wasn't aware that there were allowances. She certainly hadn't gotten any.
"Due to her relation to you through Toby, Sarah, she's related to the regents of the Goblin Kingdom." Jareth said, his voice filled with mischief, as if he knew the reason for her confusion. "She also didn't put enough heart into the wish in order for the goblins to obey it without question. I think your heart has been influencing them a bit."
She felt a flush rush to her face and she whacked his arm a bit.
He chuckled. "Here is what I propose, Mariah. We all give it an evening, my lady and I talk, and you take some much needed downtime. If you wish, rather than turn this child into a goblin, we might have alternatives we can explore."
They got to their feet, and Mariah brushed the tears from her face, looking ashamed of herself. "I should have called you two sooner. I just...hate being a bother."
"You're not a bother, Mariah. You're family."
She gave her a watery smile, and Jareth gave a grin that was nothing but mischief.
"Speaking of bothers, where if your husband, by the way?"
Mariah gave a watery laugh at that, and brushed her tears from her cheeks. "He's at classes."
"Good, then he won't miss you for a few hours," Jareth said, a grin curving his lips and he rolled his hand, a crystal forming on it, and tossed it into the air, dropping all six of them directly into the ballroom they'd left only a short time, before. Sarah gave a bit of a gasp, looking at the gown that Mariah's pajamas had been changed into.
Mariah looked down, staring in wonder in the deep burnished gold gown she now wore, face partially hidden behind a gold filigree mask, her kinky curls loose around her shoulders, moons and stars woven into her hair. The look suited her, and made her look like a queen, as well.
Jareth gave her a grin, but Mariah barely had the time to notice before she was swept up into the dancers, spun around the room.
"She won't end up spellbound?" Sarah asked, as he led her back to the dais, both of them still dressed in their dark armor, holding Sarah's nieces and nephews.
"Everyone here, this evening would have seen her arrive with us. Anyone who touches her knows they risk the considerable wrath of the Goblin King and Queen, and we do not show mercy to those who harm us or ours. Do we Matthew?" He bounced the boy a bit, his expression bright with amusement. Emily reached for his hair, tugging a few of the strands in delight. "Let her have a bit of fun. If she's been pushed to this point, then she'll be better for the few hours we keep her home, and we'll have her home before Toby notices that she's been gone."
Sarah sat in her throne, cradling Sebastian, running her hand over the baby's back, looking at her husband, lips curving into a smile. "So, you said you had ideas. Let's hear them."
"First of all, due to his relationship to you, he could be considered an heir to this kingdom. So, if she decides she truly can't handle having this number of children, I thought we'd adopt the tyke. He'd make an excellent goblin, true, but this would keep him in your family. She wouldn't be forced to bear the guilt of wishing the child away, and it would be easier to protect the families from heartbreak."
"I thought they wouldn't remember?" Sarah asked, keeping her voice quiet, so the revellers wouldn't hear them.
"They wouldn't, not really. There would be holes in their memories, the certainty that there's something they've forgotten, but the inability to remember what it is they've lost. Pain tied to memories that should be happy." He looked towards her, a complicated smile on his face. "They wouldn't remember why the pain was there, but when a parent loves a child and loses it, the Labyrinth's mercy isn't entirely merciful. Magic can only do so much."
Sarah looked at him for a long time, and reached over, setting her hand on his arm, her other hand cradling the baby's head against her chest. "If she's open to the idea, then so am I."
He smiled. "I thought you might be, darling. You care for Mariah, and your parents, and even if your brother is a pain in the ass, you care for him as well. You care for the children. I think I know you well enough to suspect how you'd feel regarding this."
She returned the smile, her expression warm, and they watched the dancers for a long time, before Jareth decided it was time for them to gather her now tipsy and relaxed sister in law, and tuck the woman and children into bed. They returned to the Above, got the babies tucked into bed, and Sarah found goblins doing the dishes, and straightening up the place. She smiled, looking at Jareth as he tipped her bleary-eyed sister in law into bed.
She suspected he was playing with time, but when they left, the apartment had been cleaned, before the scrape of the key in the lock told them to get out of there, everyone was sleeping and at peace.
Their own party was winding down, and when they arrived, she and Jareth took to the floor, sharing the final dance before the ball officially ended. They turned on the floor in their leather armor, her cheek nestled against his shoulder. As they danced, she looked up at him, a smile on her face. "So, do you think she'll want to do that?"
He turned her on the floor, grinning a bit, and after a moment, shook his head. "I've decided that she's going to get a few goblin assistants. Just to handle the work that she can't handle. They're under strict orders to stay away from your brother - I'm not sure he could handle that just yet, and you haven't decided if you want them to know the truth. They should help her handle the strain. I also reminded her that she and Toby should take that cruise soon, and that we would take the children while they were away. So I think she'll make it through. Our own children can come later, when we're actually settled into ruling and are ready for that step."
"And regardless of when that is, think of all the fun we'll have trying."
Jareth's head rocked back and he laughed, the evening ending how it had begun, with the fae looking at them while her king laughed, until he caught her behind the neck, pulling her into a passionate kiss.