A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you. The alerts and favorites keep coming and make me want to keep writing. A special shout out goes to whitwhit7, CeliaEquus, and chichi89. Thanks for taking the time to review and say such nice things. As always, if you like what you read (and even if you don't), please review and let me know. Suggestions are always welcome.
Disclaimer: Nope, checked again. Still don't own the Labyrinth.
Liam led Sarah to their assigned seats at the table. Sarah frowned when she realized Fagan had sat her right next to Jareth. She gave the Fairy King an angry glare, but said nothing. Liam held out her chair for her and she sat down. He took the opportunity to give her head a quick kiss. She smelled so good, like lilacs. A blush rose on her cheek and she gave him a smile.
Jareth didn't miss the little display of affection for the benefit of any potential rivals. It took all his strength to restrain himself from jumping up and dealing the Fae a blow. He wondered why he was getting so upset. It wasn't like she meant anything to him. It was all very confusing. Fagan watched his brother with an amused grin. Allison turned her head to see what he was looking at and caught a glimpse of a very unhappy Goblin King. She managed to stifle a giggle.
"Lady Sarah," Fagan said, "I wonder if you wouldn't mind regaling us with tales of your time in my brother's Labyrinth." He didn't miss the look that Jareth shot him.
A servant came and poured them all a glass of wine. She took a quick sip and said, "If I am going to tell the tale properly, I guess I should start where all good stories begin. Once upon a time there was a girl who was unhappy with life. She had a stepmother who always made her watch her little brother. Though the child was sweet, the girl was stubborn and resentful. She wanted to pretend and play, not stay home with a crying baby. One night, she was particularly surly and decided to call upon the goblins to take him away. Of course, the girl didn't really believe that they would come so imagine her surprise when a very arrogant and glittery Goblin King appeared in her parent's room."
Jareth scowled. Sarah smirked, glad for the chance at retribution after what he put her through during her run. The others in the room seemed amused and captivated by her story. A servant put a small salad before her.
"What happened then, my Lady?" Liam asked, taking her hand. Jareth noticed the gesture and said nothing. His frown deepened.
"He offered the girl her dreams in exchange for the little boy," she continued. "When she refused to accept the trade, he said, 'don't defy me' and proceeded to fight her with glamour. He knew she was terrified of snakes so he made sure to throw one at her. She asked again for her brother and he took her to the Labyrinth to go on a quest. She had thirteen hours to get to the Castle Beyond the Goblin City or her baby brother would be turned into a goblin."
"He would not have," Jareth interrupted, angry. "And I do not sound like that."
"Come, come, my brother," Fagan interjected. "I thought it was a very good impression."
"What do you mean he wouldn't have become a goblin?" Sarah asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I only said that he would become one of us forever," Jareth explained. "I never actually said that I would turn him into a goblin. You just assumed I would."
"More tricks I see," Sarah said coldly. "You knew what I would think and used it against me."
"You cannot blame this on me," he returned. "You should have listened better."
The rest of the table was watching their exchange and were highly entertained. This was better than the theater. They couldn't wait to begin gossiping about the beautiful mortal and her infatuated King. It really was quite obvious that he had feelings for the girl. The only question was: did she have feelings for him? Jareth was aware of the stares and let Sarah continue with her story without any further interruptions. He just couldn't wait until the rumors made it back to his father. He was not looking forward to a long lecture from the High King.
Sarah finished her story by the time the main dish was finished. The discussion turned to politics and she listened politely. She suddenly felt something caress her ankle. Looking at Liam, she realized that he had nudged her with his foot. He smiled at her and took her hand again, caressing the top with his thumb. She nudged him back and blushed, making her look even more radiant. Jareth looked at their unspoken affection and was confused for a moment. Discretely, he looked under the table and saw them nudging each other. He felt a sudden wave of conflicting emotions: anger, despair, and disgust. He couldn't wait for this dinner to be over so he could go back to his own Kingdom.
After desert was served and coffee offered, Jareth made a hasty retreat. Fagan noticed how upset his brother had been and wondered if he had gone a little too far this time. He, too, had noticed his cousin and the girl behaving as if they were courting. He liked to annoy Jareth, but he'd never downright hurt the man. An idea came to him in a flash, he was going to have to talk to Jareth. Get him to fight for the girl. Any girl worth loving is worth fighting for. It would give his older brother a quest, just as he had given Sarah. After the guests left, he and Allison went into his study to plan.
Sarah lay on her bed, looking at the artwork on the ceiling. She was smiling as she thought about her night with Liam. He was just the type of man she needed, kind, warm, and affectionate. After dinner, he had escorted her back to her room. He gave her cheek a chaste kiss and bid her goodnight. Sarah had never been out with such a gentleman before. It was enough to make her head spin. She looked over as Allison came into the room.
"Sarah," she whispered, "are you still awake?"
"Yes," Sarah answered. "Where did you go after dinner?"
"Um, I went on a tour of the castle with Fagan," she lied.
"Oh," Sarah said, seeming to accept the lie.
"So," Allison said, "did you enjoy dinner tonight?"
"Yes," Sarah answered, "it was fun."
"It was more than fun Sarah," Allison replied. "I saw what you and Liam were doing under the table." Sarah turned to see her friend smirking at her. "What's more is that Jareth noticed, too."
"What do I care?" Sarah asked nonchalantly.
"He was looking at Liam as if he wanted to slug him or worse," Allison said, laughing.
"Oh, he was not," Sarah replied.
"Was too," Allison teased. "I saw it with my own eyes."
Sarah threw her pillow at her friend, catching her right on the side of the head. Allison picked it up and tossed it back. Pretty soon a pillow fight was in progress. Their screams and laughter could be heard throughout the castle. Both of them looked at the door when it flew open. Liam and Fagan ran inside, worry on their faces. They soon stopped when they saw the two girls with pillows in their hands. Liam averted his eyes, noticing that Sarah was in her nightgown. Of course, not before he caught a sight of her enticing figure in that clinging gown.
"Not that this isn't quite alluring, but what in Hades is going on here?" Fagan demanded.
Both girls looked at each other for a moment before throwing both pillows at him, hitting him on the face and chest. They laughed merrily as he fell backwards. Even Liam was trying to stifle a grin. Fagan stood and bowed, giving them victory. The two women cheered as the men took their leave.
"How dare she choose that...that..." Jareth fumed, trying to figure out the appropriate word in his anger. "...little milksop over me."
The goblins watched with curiosity. He was pacing the floor with fervor. He kicked Squeek and the little goblin went flying through the air, landing on the head of BogDip.
"Well, she'll get hers when she realizes how boring he really is," Jareth said, arrogantly. He threw his head back and laughed. The goblins looked at him, confused.
"Well...laugh," he ordered. They joined him in laughter, even though they didn't really understand what was so funny.
Sarah wandered through the castle, trying to find the kitchen to get some breakfast. Allison had mysteriously disappeared just after Sarah woke up. Sarah assumed that she went to find Fagan and begin the wedding preparations. She was about to give up when she saw Liam walking towards her.
"Boy, am I glad to see you," she said, smiling. "I thought I was going to end up starving to death. Would you be so kind as to direct me to the kitchen?"
"It would be my pleasure," he replied, extending his arm. Sarah put her hand in his arm and the two began to walk towards the kitchen.
"I had a nice time last night," she said, as they walked through the long hall.
"Thank you, my Lady," he replied. "It really was my pleasure. It's not often that one finds themselves dining with a delightful woman such as yourself."
"Thanks," she said, blushing.
"What are your plans while you stay here?" he asked.
"I really haven't thought about my plans," she replied.
"I wonder, if I may, would you care to go on a tour of the Kingdom with me sometime?" he asked.
"That would be lovely," she replied. "Thank you Liam."
The couple turned into the rather large stone kitchen. It seemed deserted. Sarah walked over to the large refrigerator and found eggs, bacon, and milk. She located other ingredients in the cupboards. Placing what she needed on the counter, she began making breakfast for herself. Liam watched, entranced.
"Are you hungry?" Sarah asked, taking out some eggs and breaking them into a bowl.
"I usually don't eat breakfast, but I am getting a little hungry," he replied.
"Ok, I'll make you my specialty," she said. She continued to cook breakfast, chatting with Liam along the way. Finally, she set two plates on the counter in front of two stools.
Liam looked at his plate for a moment before taking a bite. He made a smile of pleasure and said, "This is delicious. What is it?"
"You've never had French Toast before?" she asked, taking her own bite.
"Never," he admitted, taking another bite.
"It's my favorite, I used to make it for my little brother," she said, thinking about Toby. She took a slice of bacon and nibbled it. She wondered what her family was doing right now. Did they miss her?
Liam couldn't help but notice the wistful expression. "What are you thinking about right now?" he asked.
"My family," she replied. "Just missing them I guess."
"That's understandable, my Lady," he said.
"It's just my father, his wife Karen, and my brother Toby," she continued. "My mother left when I was younger and I really haven't seen much of her since. I have a few friends, but I doubt they'll miss me much."
"Oh?" he asked, wondering who wouldn't miss this lovely girl.
"Yeah," she replied. "Allison is my best friend, but she's here. There's Diane, Stephanie, Jolene, and April, my other roommates. They're so busy with their own lives that I don't think they'll notice for some time that I'm not there. James might miss me, if he comes to get his stuff."
"James?" he asked, suddenly worried. "Is he your intended?"
Sarah laughed. "No," she replied. "We went out for a while, but he had other plans for our relationship. I didn't share those plans and so he found someone else to satisfy him."
"Sounds like a cad," he said.
"I guess," she replied. "In all fairness, I didn't really love him anyway. It would have ended eventually so it's better that it was sooner rather than later."
"So," he started, trying to decide how to ask the question that had been on his mind since he met the girl. "You aren't being courted by anyone presently?"
"No," she replied, looking at him curiously.
"Would you, um," he stammered, "consider being courted by someone in the Underground?"
"I don't know," she replied, her heart beating fast. "I've never thought about it before."
"If you met a gentleman that wanted to court you," he said, "would you consider letting him?"
"If he was a nice gentleman and I was attracted to him, I'd consider it," she replied, beginning to feel a blush cross her cheeks. She had some idea of where this conversation was leading.
Liam's heart soared. He hoped with everything within him that she would allow him to court her. "Would you consider letting me court you?" he asked.
"Can I think about it for a while?" she asked. Before she would commit to something like this, she wanted to research Fae customs surrounding courting. For all she knew, by saying yes she could be agreeing to marry the man. "Ever since my time in the Labyrinth, I don't like to enter into things without really giving it serious thought."
"Sounds reasonable, my Lady," he replied, only slightly disappointed. She hadn't said no, after all. "I shall await your answer." He took her hand and kissed it. Standing, he said, "I must be getting on with the day. Thank you for your wonderful breakfast and company."
"You're welcome," she said. "I'll see you again soon, Liam. Thanks for having breakfast with me. I will consider your inquiry and I'll have an answer for you as soon as I can."
He nodded and walked out of the kitchen, smiling. Sarah cleaned up her dishes and put everything back in its place. She left the kitchen with the intent of finding the library. There had to be some books on Fae courting rituals there. Once she had some knowledge, she'd be able to better understand his offer.
"I don't understand why you won't fight for her Jareth," Fagan said angrily. He'd been at it for an hour with his stubborn brother.
"What do I care who she sees?" the Goblin King asked, frowning.
"Oh come on, brother," Fagan returned. "Everyone can see that you still love the girl."
"I do not," Jareth snapped.
"Fine," Fagan replied. "If you truly will not fight for the girl, then maybe it's better this way."
"You act as if she is already being courted," Jareth said. "Our cousin would never be so bold as to ask her for courting rights."
"Then you do care," Fagan replied, triumphantly.
"I never said that," Jareth returned.
"While, I think you may be right," Fagan said, "you should still fight for her. No one knows what the future may hold."
"So philosophical, my brother," Jareth replied sarcastically.
Just then, a bunch of goblins came into the room. They seemed rather excited.
"Kingy, Kingy"
"We has news for you"
"Yes," Jareth said, bored. "What is it?"
"Remember the girl we weren't supposed go to"
"The girl who hate the peach and forgot everything"
"The Champion"
"Come out with it," Jareth snapped, losing patience.
"We were in the Fairy Kingy's kitchen"
"BogDip smell yum yum"
"We follow yum yum smell"
"See girl eating breakfast"
"So?" he asked. "You'd better not say she's here again."
"No, we no go near Lady"
"She eat breakfast with friend"
"What friend?" Jareth asked.
"Kingy cousin"
"And what did they say?" Fagan asked. He knew the goblins would have stuck around for leftovers. Jareth needed to know what they heard and Fagan knew he probably wouldn't like it.
"Hi Fairy Kingy"
"Talk about family"
"Talk about friends"
"Talk about courting"
"What?" Jareth yelled. "Are you sure? You'd better not lie to me or else you'll wish for a day at the bog with what I'll do with you."
"Yes, yes Kingy"
"She say she not courted"
"He ask if she want be courted"
"She say maybe"
"He ask can he court"
"What was her reply?" Fagan asked. This was a fortuitous turn of events.
"She say she think about it"
"She tell him later"
"That is all," Jareth said, waving his hand to dismiss him. He sank into his throne and put his hand over his eyes, thinking.
"Think about what I said, Jareth," Fagan said. "She's a beautiful woman. If Liam doesn't court her, someone else will."
With a flick of his wrist, he returned to the Fairy Kingdom. Jareth was left alone to think.
