A/N: Hello all my lovely readers. I know what you're thinking. What the heck Spartie? You said you finished this one and I've been waiting months for the next installment. I do have an excuse. I wasn't happy with the final chapters and so I set about rewriting them. I'm still working on the last chapter as I don't think it's quite what I want. That being said, I put everything on hold until I got it right just in case I needed to change something else. However, I decided that you've been patient enough and I'm happy enough with this chapter so here you go. Many thanks to Wynni, Tea, K, FlowingSilverDreams, magiconesgirl, scbeauty2525, and VampireMafiaQueen who left a review since my last update.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.


'Jareth, what's wrong?' Sarah asked. Though all she emitted were growls and grunts, he could still understand her perfectly through her thoughts.

"This missive says that we have to appear before the High Court immediately," Jareth explained. His brow furrowed and he massaged the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming.

Sarah tilted her head at him. It would have been amusing in any other circumstance. 'Do you think they know about last night?'

"Well, why else would they summon us?" Jareth snapped. With teeth bared, a deep growl told him that she didn't appreciate his curt tone. "I'm sorry."

Her snort was his only answer. Pacing the floor, he tried to think of a way out of this mess. If only he'd told his father about what had happened. They would still be in trouble, but at least his father would have been able to give him a little warning. To face him now, in disgrace, was going to be tremendously difficult. He didn't like this feeling of fear and, to be honest, he didn't wear it well. There was no way he could lose Sarah now that he had finally found her.

Sarah waddled back and forth in her own version of a pace. Her fear was just this side of panic for an entirely different reason. For the third time, she had tried to return to her true form and came across a block. Her heartbeat sped up as her new body entered into instinctual fight or flight mode. Jareth was so absorbed in the problem at hand that he didn't notice the changes until she reared up on her hind legs with a roar.

"Precious?" he asked, trying to get her attention. When that failed to get a response, he began to feel a real sense of fear. Without meaning to do it, she could seriously injure him in this form. His voice took on a soft tone. "Precious, it's ok. We'll figure this all out. Please, darling, come back to me. Love, look at me. I need you to listen to the sound of my voice. Let it calm you."

Sarah began to come back from the ledge. Though she was still stuck as a bear, she felt her essential self again. 'Jareth?'

"That's it, precious thing. I'm here."

'I'm scared.'

Jareth slowly approached her, mindful of her new body's natural instincts. He began to sing, "I'll be there for you."

'As the world falls down,' she finished. His soothing voice calmed her, but she was still unable to transform back into her true form.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you," Jareth vowed. Once he felt the danger had passed, his mind returned to the scroll in his hand. "Now, why don't you transform back and we'll go face this head on."

'I can't.'

"Come again," Jareth replied, beginning to understand her sudden panic.

'I've been trying to since we got the news, but it's not working.'

"Have you tried swyn-ganeuon o trawsffurfiad?" (roughly translated as transformation spell)

'Of course,' she replied, indignantly. Did he think she was stupid?

Before he could determine what to do, the parchment burst into colorful flame. Jareth dropped it to the ground and stomped it out with his boot. His father certainly had a flare for the dramatic, but, then again, so did he. It was apparent that the High King and Court Elders were getting impatient. They would just have to go to court and hope that his father could help. After informing Sarah of their predicament, she reluctantly agreed. What other choice did she have?


"So, tell me about yourself," Liam said, feeling content to be in the sunshine with Stephanie.

"What do you want to know?"

Liam shrugged and grinned. "How about your favorite color?"

"Teal. Yours?"

"Bronze. Do you have any siblings?"

"I've got an older brother," Stephanie sighed. A bench came into sight and Stephanie took the opportunity to sit down in the midst of the floral beauty. Liam hesitated for a moment before sitting next to her.

"Why do I get the feeling that there is a story behind that?" Liam asked, gently.

"He's a couple of years older than me. Growing up, we were really close. He really had my back, you know?"

"What happened?"

"He went off to college," Stephanie explained. "Since then, I don't really even see him anymore. When he comes home, he usually likes to spend time with his friends or he's out with his girlfriend. It's like I don't even exist for him now."

"I know the feeling."

"Yeah?"

Liam took her hand in his. "I have two sisters who are both younger than I am. I was practically fully grown when my baby sister was born. However, my eldest sister is close in age to me. We were also very close growing up. Now, though, she's engaged to be married and is getting ready to assume a full title. She just doesn't have time for me."

"What's your story? Aren't you a King, like Jareth?"

"Not, yet. I'm heir to the Nymph Throne. My mother is the current Nymph Queen."

"What about your dad?"

"My father passed on several years ago. I see him occasionally."

"Huh?" she asked, bewildered. Liam quickly explained the Underworld. "That's really cool."

Liam smiled. "It is nice to finally spend time with him."

"How do you mean?"

"He spent more time with Jareth as he was heir to the Goblin Throne. See, my father was the Goblin King before Jareth."

"Well, that explains a lot," Stephanie said with a wry smile. "Why weren't you his heir?"

"It's a long story. Suffice it to say, the Goblin Throne is now handed down to the crown-prince of the Underground. I was made heir to my mother's kingdom."

"Well nymphs sound a lot better than ruling a bunch of goblins. Not that they aren't a lot of fun, but, can you imagine how you have to be to keep them in line?"

"Would you like to see my kingdom some time?" Liam asked, barely containing his pleasure at her words.

"Sure," Stephanie replied looking at her companion. The look in his eyes had her blushing madly. It was a look of pure wonder. She averted her eyes shyly. "What?"

"I've never met anyone like you before," Liam explained.

"Really?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, I guess I just have never felt much more than ordinary."

Liam swept an escaped tendril behind her ear. "I think you're so much more than ordinary, if you'll allow me to be so bold."

Stephanie felt her eyelids lower slightly at the sweet words. No one had ever made her feel this way. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest, she felt that he must be able to hear its beat. She could sense the blood rushing into her cheeks in excitement. Though she was an innocent, Stephanie had kissed many frogs in search of her prince. None of those boys ever made her feel so alive…so free to be herself. Perhaps that was the problem. She'd been kissing boys when she really needed to kiss a man. No, maybe she really needed to kiss this man. Their faces drew closer as if pulled by a magnetic force. She was so close that she could feel his breath on her lips.

"Your Highness!"

Startled, they abruptly pulled apart. Liam turned to see one of his mother's subjects holding a parchment. "Yes?"

It was obvious to the beautiful Anthousai that her prince was about to kiss the pretty mortal girl. She giggled at the couple and the very flowers in the garden seemed to laugh with her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but this just arrived for you."

Liam took the missive and began to read while Stephanie looked on in amazement. She'd only read about nymphs in her fairy stories. Thinking back to her books, she tried to remember what they had said about the flirty species. According to her sources, nymphs were all female and tended to be overly amorous. The one in front of her was standing extra close to the Nymph Prince. Looking at her companion, she narrowed her eyes at the flirty flower nymph. A brand new feeling began to overtake the young woman: jealousy.

Before she could dissect this new emotion, Liam interrupted her thoughts. "We have to go."

"What?"

Dismissing the still giggling messenger, he showed her the parchment. "I'm to go before the High King and the Court Elders."

"What for?"

"It doesn't say, which doesn't bode well. We will have to continue this conversation at another time."

"Forget that!" she exclaimed. He looked at her in surprise. "I'm going with you."

"You are?" he asked, puzzled. Why, in the Underground, would she want to come to court?

"Yeah. I'm your friend and you might need me."

"I find that I cannot argue with that supposition."

Stephanie grinned. "So you'll take me with you?"

"Take my hand," Liam directed, not knowing what to think about this new…friend.

Stephanie grasped his hand. "Thank you."

"Why don't you wait to thank me until we find out what is going on," he replied. "You may want to close your eyes."

With one last look at the girl, he transported them into the stone hall leading to the throne room. Stephanie could feel the atmosphere around her changing. When it stabilized again, she opened her eyes and looked around. They were standing in front of large wooden doors. On the other side, she could hear the sound of voices. Looking at Liam, she could see the tension in his body. His mouth was pulled down in a worried frown.

"It'll be ok."

"I hope you're right."

With no more words to say, he opened the door. The couple stepped across the threshold to meet their fate.


Fagan continued to explore the market with his beloved, enjoying one of the few moments they were allowed to simply be a couple in love. Allison had several new gowns that had been sent straight to her wardrobe within the castle. Now, they were simply strolling down the main thoroughfare looking at the other goods for sale. Around them, came the sounds of music being played through pipes and fairy flutes. The notes, like tinkling bells, flowed through the marketplace, contributing to the festive atmosphere.

A painter working on a portrait of the couple pulled Allie's attention. "Look!"

Fagan grinned and followed his betrothed into the tiny market stall. So focused was the artist, he didn't even notice when the king and his lady entered his booth. He knew that if he could capture this vision onto canvas, it had the potential to change his life. The king could see it and commission more pieces. His art could be come renown throughout the realm. Each stroke was made carefully and deliberately. He was so close.

"It's lovely," Allie breathed.

Fagan took a closer look and found that he had to agree. The artist had painted them gazing at each other. Their love seemed to jump off the canvas. Fairies fluttered above them, seeming to give their approval of the new queen. Even the very sunshine appeared to anoint the happy couple as rightful rulers.

"Remarkable," Fagan agreed.

The artist stopped his work, turning to see who would dare interrupt him in the middle of his masterpiece. Immediately, the frown disappeared from his face as he recognized the couple in his booth. "Your Majesty!"

Fagan smirked at the artist's flustered reaction. "Your painting seems to have attracted the attention of my bride."

"I-it has?" he stammered.

"Yes, it has," Allie affirmed. "You are really talented."

"Would you like me to purchase it for you, my love?" Fagan asked, grinning at the artist's blush at her compliment.

"I'd love it!"

Fagan looked towards the artist. "Name your price."

Before the man could speak, a frantic page ran into the booth. "Your Majesty!"

"Yes, what is it?" Fagan asked, slipping into his kingly countenance.

"You've been summoned to your father's court. I've been tasked with giving you this."

Fagan took the scroll, unfurled it quickly, and began to read. He looked up again a moment later. "You are excused."

"What is it?" Allie asked, all thought of the beautiful painting forgotten.

"It's as he said. We've been summoned before the Elders."

"What for?"

"It doesn't say," Fagan said, frowning.

"When do we have to leave?"

"Right now."

Fagan took his beloved's small hand in his as he began to weave his spell. The bewildered artist looked on as the couple disappeared from his booth. With a frown and a shrug, he went back to his work. It was just his luck to be so close to success only to come away with another disappointment. If the Gods smiled down at him, maybe the couple would return. His brush strokes hit the canvas with a greater sense of determination as he sent up a silent prayer. He was certain he was destined for greatness.


A collective gasp was overheard throughout the hall as Jareth strode in trailed slightly by a large bear. The sound of raised voices was almost explosive as the gathered Fae launched into exuberant chatter. Sarah cringed at the cacophony of sound, knowing that she was the source of their bewilderment. For his part, Jareth said nothing. He just continued onward into the chamber towards the throne where his father sat with a look of puzzlement upon his face. Looking into the crowd, he saw his brother and Allie looking at them with twin looks of incredulity.

"Explain," he demanded once his son arrived at his destination.

Jareth took a deep breath and sighed. "This is Sarah. I was tutoring her on her magic. We got the summons to appear here and, in the excitement, she was unable to return to her true form."

The room dissolved into merry laughter as the word spread through the crowd. Raghnall's lips twitched as he tried, desperately, not to join them. Sarah tried to cover her face with her paw, which only made them laugh harder. Trying to console his embarrassed love, Jareth stroked her back. His fingers disappeared into the thick fur as he waited for the crowd to quiet. The arch look on his face was making it all the more difficult for his father to contain his mirth.

Finally, Jareth could take it no more. "Father, please! Can you not do something?"

Taking pity on his son and, he hoped, future daughter-in-law, Raghnall lifted his hand to silence the mirthful onlookers. "I think that having Lady Sarah here in her true form could have its advantages. Therefore, step forward milady."

Raghnall descended his throne as his son's beloved waddled towards him. An amused smile crept upon his face and he made no attempts to hide it this time. Placing his hands on her head, he could feel her fear and confusion. No wonder she couldn't turn back. He lightly patted her fur and began to recite an incantation. Gradually, she began to feel calm and in control.

"Try to change back, now, Lady Sarah. You should find that it will be much easier this time."

Sarah used all of her concentration to find her true form. Like before, she felt as if nothing was happening. Her heart dropped and she began to lose hope. Then, she felt it. Her form started to ripple and her sense of being changed. She could tell that she was reverting back into her Fae body. Closing her eyes, she allowed the transformation to take over.

Jareth watched her open her eyes and smile at him. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back," Sarah said with a laugh. She turned back to her savior. "Many thanks, Your Majesty."

Raghnall grinned and nodded before returning to his spot on the throne. "Now that we have that out of the way, it's time to turn to the business at hand. We have received a troubling report from an anonymous source that cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until all of the players are here before we go any further."

An instant later, the doors opened again. A determined Stephanie stepped into the hall with Liam right behind. Jareth's eyes narrowed at the sight of his cousin and knew that, whatever had happened, the other man was at fault. Raghnall saw the angry set to his son's jaw and knew that this situation had the potential to be explosive. Calling up a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening, he hoped that this meeting wouldn't result in anyone's unfortunate demise.

Once all involved were before him, Raghnall began the procedure. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I'm deeply disturbed by the news that we received today. You are aware of the penalty for denying a rival full courting rights, correct?"

Jareth swallowed hard. "Aye."

Liam seemed equally nervous. "Aye."

"If that is the case, then how is it that I have come to learn that Lady Sarah spent the night with the Goblin King?"

A united gasp from the crowd seemed to have left the room devoid of oxygen. All at once, the room burst into excited conversation. Everyone knew what the penalty was for denying due courting rights. The offending parties could have their rights revoked, be publicly shamed, suffer banishment, or worse. Many wondered what would happen to the pretty mortal-born Fae. Would her transformation be revoked? It had been many centuries since there had been such drama at the High Court.

Raghnall motioned everyone to come to order. Looking expectantly at the two offenders, he said, "well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"What can we say?" Jareth hedged.

"Am I to understand that these allegations are true?" Raghnall asked, his face flushed with anger.

"Sarah did spend the night at my castle."

"In her own room?" Raghnall prodded.

Jareth frantically tried to come up with an answer that could evade the question. Under his father's hard stare, he found he couldn't lie. "Not exactly."

"WELL, WHAT EXACTLY?" Raghnall shouted, becoming exasperated with his eldest.

"Jareth, it's not going to work," Sarah interjected. "We're just going to have to tell him."

Jareth looked for a moment as if he wanted to argue with his beloved. Realizing he really didn't have any choice, he decided to just heed her advice. "Last night, we were entertaining some family and friends at my castle. There may have been a little bit of alcohol flowing and, this morning, we found ourselves waking in bed…together."

Raghnall closed his eyes to gather himself. This was worse than he thought. "Found ourselves?"

"We don't remember anything from just after our party until the morning," Sarah explained. "We still don't know how this happened."

"At the risk of being indelicate, were you intimate?"

Jareth took Sarah's hand and stroked the back softly. "We don't know. Though we don't remember anything, we were certainly dressed for the part."*

Giggles and snorts were heard throughout the gallery. Raghnall coughed and then sighed. "To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. If it were up to me, I'd horsewhip you both. However, it is not. What say you Aiden of the High Court Elders?"

Aiden stood and looked to his king. "Because of the severity of this issue, we are going to take a recess to discuss this matter and come to a decision. We shall reconvene tomorrow at noon."

The Court Elders exited the hall to begin their conversation. Jareth watched them for any signs of their fate, but, like his father, they gave nothing away. Turning his attention to the High King, he noticed a troubled glint in his eyes before his carefully crafted look of indifference slipped back into place. Jareth's heart sank, if his father was that concerned, it didn't bode well for the couple. The spectators were, at last, dismissed from the gallery. All around, there were whispers and allegations. Jareth could feel his ire growing by the moment. It was enough to be caught in this position, but the public humiliation was too much to bear. Looking towards Sarah, he could tell that she felt the same way.

Raghnall left his throne and joined his son. "I would like to speak to you both. Now!"


* I got the inspiration for this line from Witch Nova's Guardian Angels. If you haven't read this fic, I'd highly recommend it.

**For updates, thoughts, and more, check out my homepage (the link is on my profile).