A/N: Thanks for the favorites and alerts that keep pouring in. You guys make me want to get these updates out as fast as I can. I'm directing Brigadoon right now, so the updates may be longer in getting out. I'll try my best. Shout outs go to: EmeraldAnne and GeeAnnaB. Thanks for the awesome reviews! A special shout out goes to CeliaEquus for correctly guessing that the name of my chapter was taken from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I love that movie! Now I have that song in my head…lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's a little longer than the others. Please review! Reviews make me want to update quicker and give you longer chapters to read.
Disclaimer: Hoggle, please tell me that I own Labyrinth.
Hoggle: Nope, yous don't own nothin but whatcha write. Things ain't always what they seem.
Sarah sat in the library with stacks of books all around her. She was fascinated by all of the information she found on the Fae. At present, she was reading a book on the royal family.
"The High King, Raghnall, began his rule in 503 a.d. (Aboveground Years). He was a young ruler, having taken the throne after his father, King Oberon, died unexpectedly."
Sarah read this over a couple of times. She had no idea that the Fae lived that long. The High King was well over 1500-years-old. Making a mental note to research Fae lifespans, she read on.
"Shortly after coming to power, King Raghnall was expected to marry and produce an heir. In 733 a.d. (Aboveground Years), he married Queen Riona. The heir to the throne, High Prince Jareth, was born in 971 a.d. (Aboveground Years). He was followed by Prince Fagan in 1012 a.d. (Aboveground Years)"
Sarah frowned, thinking about the Goblin King. Jareth was over 1000-years-old! That was hard to believe. He didn't look a day over 35. Her eyes traveled to the opposite page. There was a picture of a couple with two children. The man was a very handsome blond with bright blue eyes. It had to be the High King. The family resemblance was too apparent. There was a beautiful woman with raven hair and deep brown eyes standing next to the High King. Sarah realized that it must be the High Queen. Fagan looked very much like her. Speaking of the Fairy King, she looked at the dark haired little boy with the mischievous grin on his face. Sarah rolled her eyes. He doesn't look like he's changed a bit. Her eyes finally came to rest on the little boy who was so obviously Jareth. His hair was about shoulder length and blond. His mismatched eyes danced devilishly and his customary smirk was evident on his face. He looked to be about 10-years-old. Sarah guessed that their mother had had her hands full with the two of them.
Sarah bookmarked her page in the book and set it aside to return to later. She picked up another book and ran her hand over the gilt cover. It appeared to be a book of rules for Fae life. She opened it up to the back and looked for an index. Her fingers traced the page as she looked for…aha! Sarah found what she was looking for, a section on courting rituals. She quickly found the page and began reading.
"The Courting Rituals of the Fae – In order for two Fae to begin courting, one must give their consent to be courted. Generally, it is the male Fae to ask for consent. In some circumstances, one partner may be of another race or realm. These cases are treated in the same manner as those involving two Fae.
After both partners have given consent to be courted, both Fae must petition the High King for permission to continue on with the courting ritual. At this time, the High King will ask for potential rivals to come forward. If any rivals do step forward, the High King must allow them to also court the prospective mate. Of course, the High King has discretion and must take into account such things as age, previous relationships, and practicality.
If there are no rivals, the partners may begin courting at once. During this time, they are considered in a marital relationship. Although, unlike marriage, the couple may petition the High King for separation if either partner is unhappy with the relationship. During the period of courting, the couple will spend at least three months together, forming a bond. At the end of the courting period, the couple may decide to continue courting, end the relationship, or move forward into marriage. If the couple continues to court, they may reevaluate their relationship every three months. If the couple decides to end the relationship, they must go before the High King who will sever the courtship and the couple will be free to court another. Finally, if the couple decides to marry, they must go before the High King to request approval for their marriage. Please see the section on marriage for more details.
If there are potential rivals, they must gain approval from the High King to simultaneously court the prospective mate. No others may gain approval to court the potential mate once this stage of the courting ritual begins. During a period of no less than three months, the potential mate must spend time with each of the rivals. The rivals may challenge each other during this period to feats of strength and intelligence to prove their worthiness to the prospective mate. After three months, they may go before the High King and petition for sole courting rights. The potential mate must make a choice. They can either choose to continue as they have been, they can refuse one or more of the rivals, or they can refuse all rivals. If there is still more than one rival, they must continue for an additional three months until sole courting rights are granted or the prospective mate severs ties with all rivals. Until sole courting rights are granted, none of the rivals may engage in intimacies outside of a kiss."
Sarah rubbed her temples. Who knew that something as simple as dating (or courting, if you were Fae), would be so complicated? At least it sounded as if she would have a choice should she decide to take Liam up on his offer. If it didn't work out, she could always petition for separation. Sarah closed the book and set it on the floor along with the book on the royal family. She was tired of reading and her stomach was growling. She looked up at the clock and realized that it was well after two in the afternoon. Standing up, she stretched her arms to the ceiling. She took the two books that she had set aside and put them on the table. She quickly shelved the other two stacks of books. Picking up her books, she began walking towards the door. A giggle from behind her made her stop and turn. She saw five little goblins watching her.
"Hi guys," she said. "Does Jareth know you're here?"
"Nope. Kingy not know we here."
"Kingy sad"
"Lady courting"
"Kingy not like that"
"Lady make Kingy mad"
Sarah snorted. She made him mad? The Goblin King wasn't anywhere in sight, but she was already becoming furious at him. She had half a mind to tell him where to go. Sighing, she said, "First, I am not courting anyone. Second, I don't really care what Jareth thinks. Third, he makes me mad not the other way around."
"Lady no court man?"
"Kingy make Lady mad?"
"Me hungry"
"Kingy like Lady"
"Me hungry"
"Lady like Kingy?"
"Me hungry"
"WE KNOW"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" a voice roared behind them. Sarah jumped and turned to see Jareth standing there, tapping his riding crop on his thigh. He looked furious. With a wave of his hand, all goblins disappeared.
"Where the hell did you send them?" she shouted.
"To the bog, where else," he said coldly, daring her to say something else.
"You're cruel," she said hotly.
"You're the one with the cruel eyes," he accused, inching forward.
"What in the hell does that even mean?" she said, seething.
"I don't have to answer to you," he replied, taking another step towards her. They were standing face to face.
"Don't be such a bastard," she said.
"Why don't you take a dip in the bog?" he said with a smirk, standing even closer to her.
"Jareth," she said sweetly.
"What?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Why don't you kiss..." she paused, watching the look of surprise on his face. He leaned in to her face and she continued, "my ass?" She brushed him aside and left him staring at her back as she left the room.
Liam caught Sarah as she was hurrying out of the library. She practically ran him down and the look on her face was rather frightening. When she saw him, her face softened.
"Sarah, is everything all right?" he asked.
"Yes, everything is fine," she replied. "Just had to squash a pest."
He looked down and saw the books she was carrying. His smile brightened as he saw one of the books was on Fae rules of law. She was taking his request seriously. The thought of her letting him court her made his heart swell. Unfortunately, she still looked preoccupied.
"I've got to find Allie," she said. "I'll see you later Liam."
"Until later, my Lady," he said, kissing her hand. He watched as she hurried off to find her friend. Liam opened the door to the library and saw Jareth standing there, looking confused. "Your majesty."
"Hello cousin," Jareth said, glancing at Liam.
"So, you're the pest," Liam said, staring at Jareth.
"What in the Underground are you talking about?" Jareth asked, staring back at his cousin.
"I just ran into Lady Sarah in the hall," Liam explained. "She was rather upset and I asked her if she was okay. She said she was fine, but had to squash a pest. You must be the pest to which she was referring."
Jareth narrowed his eyes and walked towards Liam. "I'd watch my tongue if I were you," he growled.
Liam did not back down. "Stay away from Sarah," he said coldly.
"What if I don't?" Jareth returned.
"Gentlemen!" Fagan exclaimed from the doorway. Jareth and Liam looked up at the Fairy King. Fagan breathed a sigh of relief. As much as his brother annoyed him, it looked as if things were about to come to blows. He did not want to have to explain this situation to his father.
"Just remember what I said, Jareth," Liam warned, walking towards the door.
"You just watch yourself, Liam," Jareth called as his cousin walked through the door.
"Whoa! Jareth, my brother, calm down," he said. "For a girl you care nothing about, you're sure acting like a romantic rival."
"It's not like that," Jareth replied. "I just don't like being told what to do."
"Uh huh," Fagan returned. "You just keep telling yourself that."
Jareth glared at his brother before transporting himself back to the Goblin Kingdom. For the life of him, he could not remember why he had gone to his brother's castle. It certainly wasn't to see Sarah. She was the last person he wanted to see. Kiss her ass indeed. Ha! He couldn't stop his mind from dwelling on her soft, round bottom. He'd like to do more than kiss it. He wanted to touch it; to hold it in his hands while he…Jareth hit his riding crop against his thigh as if to beat the thoughts away. He wanted nothing to do with that woman. He was just in a mood.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty," a voice broke through his thoughts.
Jareth looked up and saw his father's messenger. He rolled his eyes. Word sure travels fast in the Underground. He sighed and asked, "when does he want me to be there?"
"Within the hour, Your Majesty," the little man replied. He disappeared in a cloud of maroon glitter. The goblins ran to play in the floating shiny substance.
"Pretty, pretty"
"Put some on chickens"
"Make chickens pretty"
Jareth glared at his subjects. "Shut up," he yelled finally, when the noise became too much to take. He walked to his chambers to find something else to wear to court, ignoring the mess. Once he was gone, the goblins began playing again.
"Kingy mad"
"Kingy always mad"
"Kingy needs a woman"
"Where BogDip?"
"Where else?"
"Bog!"
Sarah found Allie on her bed in their chambers. The blond woman was lying on her back and humming to herself. She appeared to have headphones on her head. Sarah tiptoed in, an impish grin upon her face. She silently made her way to the side of her friend's bed. She poked her in the side and yelled, "hey Allie!"
Allison jumped about a foot into the air and screamed. She turned to see Sarah laughing heartily. Sitting up, she gave her a punch on her arm. "Sarah! You about gave me a heart attack," she cried.
"Sorry Allie," Sarah apologized. "I just couldn't resist. What have you been up to today?"
"Fagan and I discussed the courting ritual," Allie replied. "It sounds complicated."
"It is complicated," Sarah said, showing her the book she got from the library.
"Why Sarah," Allie teased. "Thinking of courting our friendly neighborhood Goblin King?"
"Hell no!" Sarah exclaimed. "Liam asked me to consider letting him court me."
"Wow Sarah! That's awesome!" Allie squealed.
"Hey," Sarah replied. "I've got to show you something." She put the gilt book on the table and opened the book on the royal family. She showed Allie the picture she found. Both the girls began giggling as they looked at the eight-year-old Fagan.
"God, he hasn't changed at all," Allie said.
"Look at Jareth," Sarah said, laughing.
Allie looked at him and laughed. "I'll bet their mother had her hands full," she replied.
Sarah flipped through the pages of the book, looking for more pictures. Her eyes came to rest on one a little further in the book. She held it out to Allie and the giggling began anew.
"Prince Fagan Defeats A Dragon," Allie said aloud, reading the inscription. The picture showed a 12-year-old Fairy King with charred hair. He was standing next to a small dragon, holding a sword, and smiling triumphantly.
"L-look at his hair," Sarah stammered, trying to breathe through her laughter.
"What is so funny in here?" came a voice in the doorway. Both girls turned to see Fagan standing there. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. He stepped closer, confused. Then he saw the book and he rolled his eyes, smirking. "I see you've found the family book. I did look rather dashing fighting that dragon."
"Y-you l-looked rather bedraggled fighting t-that dragon," Sarah said, laughing harder.
"You really aren't one to talk Sarah," Allie teased. "You should see her when she wakes up in the morning. Her hair reminds me of Medusa's."
Fagan laughed at that thought and Sarah gave her friend a glare. "If you like this picture let me show you one you'll really appreciate." He took the book and flipped through, looking for the picture he was thinking about. "Ah! Here it is."
The women looked at the book and burst into more laughter. Sarah was holding her stomach. "N-no m-more," she stuttered.
The picture showed a teenage Jareth sitting in the mud, looking furious at a laughing Fagan. Fairies were landing all over the future Goblin King. He looked like a complete and total mess.
"Paybacks," Fagan explained. "He set that dragon on me and told it to burn off my hair. It took me years to get it to grow back in completely."
Sarah looked up and saw Liam standing at the door, watching them with a puzzled expression. She beckoned him in with her finger and pointed at the book, unable to speak. He walked in and looked at the picture. A smile crept over his face.
"You two were always getting into trouble," Liam said to Fagan.
"It's not as if you never got into your share," Fagan returned. He grabbed the book and began looking for another picture. When he found it, he showed the book to all of them. Laughter began again. It was a picture of a young Liam standing next to a broken vase with a fencing foil in his hand. A young Jareth stood to the side and appeared to be laughing, while Fagan stood by and smirked.
"I remember this," Liam remarked. "Jareth challenged me to a duel in the hallway. When I went to give him a winning thrust, he transported himself to the side. I hit the vase and it went over. Your mother was so mad at me."
"That she was," Fagan said, laughing. "I'd love to stay and reminisce, but I need to be going. I came to ask if you would like to accompany me to my father's castle. It seems that I've been summoned, but I thought you might like to meet him after my meeting."
Allie looked at Sarah, who shrugged. Allie nodded to Fagan.
Liam took Sarah's hand in his. "I have also been requested to come to see my uncle. Would you allow me to escort you there Lady Sarah?"
"Ok Liam," she said. Allie took Fagan's arm and Sarah took Liam's. The four of them transported to the High King's castle.
The two Fae men dropped off the women to one of the guest chambers and went to the Throne Room to meet with the High King. When the door opened, they were announced and stepped forward until they were right in front of the High King. Both of them bowed respectfully. The High King nodded his head and they stood in front of him. The doors opened and Jareth was announced. He repeated their gesture and stood next to Fagan.
"Gentlemen," Raghnall intoned. "It has come to my attention that there are mortals in the Fairy Kingdom." He looked right at Fagan and the Fairy King flinched slightly before nodding.
"I went to the Aboveground, father," he admitted. "I met a young mortal by the name of Allison. She is my mate, father. I want to make her my queen."
Raghnall narrowed his eyes, searching his son's face for something. "Have you asked this young lady what she wants? You know mortals have a tough decision to make once they begin courting."
"Yes father, she wants to be with me," Fagan replied. "I have explained to her that once we begin courting, she would have to give up her mortal life and become Fae. She knows that the transformation can be dangerous, but would like to go through it anyway."
"If she truly wants this," Raghnall said. "Then I will not prevent it. You must bring her before me during the next full court tomorrow to petition for courting rights."
"I will, father," Fagan replied. "Thank you."
"Now onto a more serious matter," Raghnall said. "Did you not also bring her friend to this realm?"
"Um, yes I did father," Fagan replied. His father made his feel as if he were a young boy about to be punished for one thing or another. It was the effect he always had on him. Perhaps it was because he always seemed to be getting into trouble.
"What would possess you to do something like that?" The High King asked. "You did not even have her consent. Now I hear you won't send her back until the Summer Solstice, which is a little over three months from now."
Fagan squirmed a little under the piercing stare of his father. "I'm sorry father, but it was just too fortuitous. She is the Labyrinth Champion. You know Jareth is in love with her, but would never have brought her back to court her on his own. He's too stubborn."
"I am not in love with her!" Jareth exclaimed.
"Are too!" Fagan replied.
"Am not!" Jareth returned.
"Gentlemen!" the High King cried, ending the childish argument. "So it is Lady Sarah in your Kingdom. I had heard rumors, but had scarcely believed them. Has she given consent for you to court her, my son?" He looked pointedly at Jareth.
"I do not wish to court her father," Jareth replied.
"I wish to court her uncle," Liam said. All the men turned to look at him.
"Has she given her consent?" the High King asked.
"Not yet," Liam admitted. "She wants to think about it first."
"Smart girl," Raghnall said, admiration showing for the Champion of the Labyrinth. "If she does consent, you must explain the risks before you petition the court."
"Yes sir," Liam said.
"You may be dismissed," the High King said to Fagan. The younger Fae bowed and hurried away to find Allie. Things had gone better than expected. Perhaps his father had given him a break due to the fact that he was intrigued by Sarah as much as the rest of the Fae.
"You two," Raghnall said, pointing at Jareth and Liam. "I have heard some disturbing rumors coming from the Fairy Kingdom. What is this I hear of a rivalry? You two have been seen in the castle almost coming to blows. What have you got to say about this?"
"There is no rivalry," Jareth said. "Liam wants to court Sarah and I don't. He threatened me to stay away from her so I lost my temper. I don't like being told what to do. He can court her, marry her, or do whatever he wants to her. I don't care."
"I apologize, my cousin," Liam said, begrudgingly.
The High King watched his son carefully. 'Who does he think he's fooling?' he thought to himself. 'Maybe he's just trying to convince himself. He's just so stubborn. Takes after his mother in that regard.'
"You two behave yourself," Raghnall ordered after a moment. "I want to meet this Lady Sarah. You two are dismissed."
Jareth and Liam turned and walked out of the room. Liam went to get Sarah to bring her before the High King. He ran into the two girls walking with Fagan towards the Throne Room. He explained that the High King had requested a meeting with Sarah. Fagan nodded and escorted them towards the Throne Room. Liam turned and walked back towards the guest chambers.
Sarah gulped and stood before the door. What exactly was she supposed to say? The doors began to open and she stepped through to meet the High King.
