When Sarah arrived at the ballroom, she froze for a moment, awed by the enormity of the space. This room was at least ten times the size it had been when last she'd seen it, and gorgeously decorated. Despite that, it was nearly full of fae, all of whom turned to regard her. She felt the weight of their curiosity, and lifted her chin proudly, claiming her place and title among them. As if her royalty were not plain enough, Neesk had left his assigned place on the dais – where he had remained at attention through the entire coronation, a feat for which Sarah intended to reward him handsomely later – to ride on her shoulder. Sarah was not just any queen, she was Umardelin's queen, goblin page proudly at her service.

Jareth took her hand, and began walking down the short flight of steps into the ballroom itself. Sarah moved with especial care, wary of the voluminous skirts … yet with each step, they grew more svelte. She could feel the weight of the gown changing on her body, and glanced down to see its myriad-toned purple lighten, then its sudden opalescent rose color darkening as well. From lavender, to royal aubergine, to the rich gunmetal blue that was Jareth's preferred color, and matched his own doublet.

"Of course you'd dress me in your colors now," she murmured, smiling, as her gown transformed into something still regal, yet more suitable for mingling and dancing, without ever moving from her an inch.

"I chose purple," he replied under his breath, "the blue is Umardelin's work. Blue and silver are our colors, after all."

There was no time to be surprised by that, for his parents waited for them, and Thiel bowed to his son as Della curtseyed to Sarah. Jareth and Sarah returned the courtesy, and Della stepped forward to kiss each of them on the cheek. "Magnificent, darling," she whispered in Sarah's ear, then drew back.

Toby was off to one side of them, a trifle shy. Sarah shot him a grin, which he returned, and he shrugged one shoulder up at Neesk. "Come hang out with me," Toby said, "I need the company. And Sarah's gonna be dancing, that'll make you dizzy."

"Sure!" Neesk chirped, and hopped across as Sarah hugged her brother.

"Thanks, Dorklord," she whispered in his ear, and Toby laughed.

Despite all her fears that this would overwhelm him, he managed to sound normal – the touchstone to her other life which she needed, in the midst of magic. "You're welcome. You look pretty awesome, Queen of Tights."

She thanked him, and then Thiel was speaking, Toby stepping aside slightly. "Sarai, my son, please permit me to introduce you both to Asternon the Fleet, the High King's Duke of Summer." Another fae man stepped forward, giving the slightest bow, which Jareth returned more deeply and Sarah was wise enough to answer with a deep curtsy.

"It is my great pleasure to attend this coronation," he told them, his eyes lingering on Sarah. "Sarai of Umardelin, it is plain that your kingdom welcomes you."

"My lord, I have loved this land since I first perceived it, many years ago," Sarah replied honestly, remembering all too well what Jareth had told her about runners. Unless they lost, and remained as its creatures, Umardelin was never seen to them again. Ever. And yet, the kingdom had left a back door unlocked and open for her. Her land had known her heart even then. "It is my very great honor to be entrusted with its crown and its love. I shall strive to be worthy of Umardelin."

Her response must have pleased him, because he favored her with a very slight smile. "I am certain you will, your majesty."

There were many other introductions to be made, old friends on one side and Toby on the other. Della and Thiel kept near to hand as well. The names began to blur, as Sarah was introduced to representatives of kingdoms far and wide, most of whom looked at her very curiously.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" she whispered to the others with a curious frown, after the queen of Brigolla had all but stared her down while curtsying. At least the princess of the same realm had been more polite, offering them a genuine smile.

Della chuckled. "No, Sarah dear. Every sorcerer in the throne room knew the moment Umardelin claimed you for her own, and not only because your eyes turned solid gold. All of us felt that, and our own kingdoms answered."

That earned an embarrassed wince, Sarah feeling herself color at that and suddenly wanted to sink into the floor, before Jareth murmured, "I am quite jealous, love. Umardelin did not welcome me so eagerly."

"You were thrust upon her," Della pointed out. And then, with a wicked gleam in her eye, she added to Sarah, "Be glad she chose the moment of your crowning. Etaron was not so discreet."

Sarah knew better than to ask, she knew it, but couldn't resist in the end. "All right, fine, I'll ask. You didn't get your kingdom with your crown?" she asked.

Della leaned close to answer. "I was not crowned independent of my husband. My marriage to him made me Queen of Etaron."

Well, that made sense, as heredity had made her Princess of Astolwyr, so she would have to marry to share his title. "Oh, so in your case, you got all that at the wedding," Sarah replied.

Another chuckle. "Not quite. A wedding ceremony is just that, a ceremony. It is not binding until the consummation."

The implications of that hit Sarah all at once and she could feel her cheeks burn. In the realm of things she did not need to know… "Yikes. That … must have been … eventful."

Della's grin was positively salacious, and she lowered her voice so only Sarah could hear her whisper. "Quite. I came, he came, Etaron came, and every mage in the kingdom knew of it."

It was everything she had not to bury her face in her hands while Jareth groaned. "Mother, please, I do have your hearing. Pray don't horrify Sarah."

"Are you still telling that story?" Thiel groused. "Ye gods, woman. It was bad enough we brought down part of the guardhouse roof, I had no idea I'd be hearing about it for five centuries. Next thing I know, that'll be in the damned song too."

"If you didn't want songs sung of your prowess, Thiel my love, you shouldn't have seduced the loveliest woman of our generation," Della replied sweetly, while Jareth rolled his eyes at her.

Sarah had to tune out the ensuing muttering over exactly who had seduced whom, because another fae man had approached them and held his arms open to her king. "Jareth, you wretch, you always did have all the luck. Trust you to find yourself a beautiful queen whom the kingdom accepts so gladly, and not even tell any of your friends about her."

"I was much too busy sulking over how she'd beaten my Labyrinth, and then had to audacity to return in her dreams, for any of that," Jareth laughed. He hugged the stranger and accepted a peck on the cheek before stepping back to introduce him to Sarah, who watched this with honest interest. "Sarah, love, allow me to present King Thorvald of Yborithien, a very old and well-trusted friend."

Sarah smiled and offered her hand, which King Thorvald bowed over, placing a kiss on her knuckles. He was a very handsome man, and something of a standout among the fae, being the only person in the room other than Thiel who sported a beard. His was long and silky, bound like his chestnut hair in complicated braids and silver charms. Up until this moment, she had yet to meet anyone that Jareth would actually call a friend, which was fascinating entirely of itself. And by the way Jareth spoke of him, and the casual manner he greeted Jareth, this was more than a friend. At least Jareth had excellent taste. "Pleased to meet you," she told him.

"The pleasure is mine, dear lady," Thorvald said with a slightly rakish grin. "And allow me to extend an invitation for you and your king to visit us in Yborithien, with all possible luxury. My lady queen Alethia and I would be delighted to welcome you."

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, happy to agree, and Jareth cut in. "Thorvald, I must warn you, she will not accept in the spirit you offer. Sarah and I are strictly exclusive." Only then did Sarah realize exactly what luxuries this king meant to offer. That widened her eyes and got a startled, but flattered, laugh from her. Life amongst the fae just grew curiouser and curiouser.

Thorvald sighed, but his expression was more playful than anything else. "Well damn. I never thought you of all people would make such a commitment. It's been much too long, Jareth, and you know how Alethia loves the dark-haired ones."

Jareth clapped his shoulder affectionately. "Sarah is worth it, old friend. And I hope you haven't shocked her."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, your majesty. I knew you had exes in half the kingdoms," she shot back, smirking at him, only to shoot a friendly smile at their guest. "That said, I didn't know they were quite as handsome as Thorvald here."

"It's the beard," Thorvald said, stroking it possessively. "Many may sneer at such obvious proof that dwarf blood runs in my veins, but even the purest-blooded fae ladies adore the beard."

Sarah laughed again with genuine amusement, already liking this one. Fae men were entirely too charming. "I see. You have your father's beard, then?"

"My mother's, actually," Thorvald replied, his eyes dancing with mirth as her eyebrows went up. "Rather the scandal for some time, that my father the crown prince wed a mountain dwarf. But she did save his life, when they met, and he fell so deeply in love that he would accept no other. It helped that she was of royal lineage, herself. And she braided her beard in ribbons of our kingdom's colors for the wedding."

That mental image won him a large grin of appreciation. No one could say there was no diversity amongst the fae. "I bet there's a song about them, too. Is there anyone among Jareth's set who didn't have epic parents?"

"My parents do have a song, but it's not the ballad that his parents have," Thorvald replied, nodding toward Della and Thiel. "Most of our little coterie were ordinary, for fae. The spoilt children of powerful nobles and royals, getting in trouble as those who only think themselves adults often do."

Jareth cut in with an arched brow. "You can only say that because you were out of the thick of it. Your mother wouldn't allow you to go Above with us. We were a bad influence."

Sarah couldn't help a little snicker, thinking of Karen's commentary on her choice of friends at times. It seemed some things were the same in every world. But Thorvald's next words sobered her again. "She wasn't wrong," he said with an apologetic shrug.

Jareth too turned somber. "And we all paid the price. I am glad that you, as heir apparent, were spared."

Thorvald glanced around, looking for the High King's representative, then decided to stick with a safe reply. "Perhaps if I had been, I could've been the voice of reason. But it is a century and a half too late to speculate on what might have been, old friend."

"Aye," Jareth replied quietly. "I only regret the fate of the others. I was the best-served, in the end, for Umardelin decided to accept me. It could have ended very badly for me, if not for that, and for Sarah. Without her I would be cursed again, to despair."

"Don't be melodramatic," she told him, nudging his side with an elbow. Any time Jareth talked about how he might've lost his mind and his life, a shadow fell over her. In the last moments of her second run, if she had chosen differently, if she hadn't leapt toward what he couldn't quite promise her … no. It didn't happen. She was here, and neither of them was going anywhere.

Thorvald lightened the mood by patting her arm gently. "Sarah dear, he cannot be anything else. Do you remember, Jareth, the time you tried to magic your hair black for a dance, and made it all fall out? I think we heard the wailing all the way inYborithien."

Jareth looked utterly affronted, which only made Sarah laugh yet again and twice the harder. "If you must speak of such atrocities, Thorvald, I will take my lady queen and dance away the memory," he said haughtily, but there was a twinkle in his eye that told Sarah he wasn't truly offended.

And thus, when they stepped out onto the dance floor hand in hand and the music started, the great ball truly began.