Chapter 11

(Castle of the High King)

One minute the girls were in the forest and the next they found themselves in the middle of a large throne room.

The enormous room had vanilla colored walls and gold molding. The floor was made up of cream and gold swirled marble tiles. The window frames of four very large windows were also made of gold. There were two huge gold doors that gave entrance and exit to the throne room at one end of the room. On the far end of the room were two very ornate gold thrones.

"Where the hell have you brought us?" Ari demanded glaring at the High Prince.

"Welcome to Avalon and the castle of the High King of the Underground." The dark haired prince said proudly.

"Why I ought to…"

"Ari Wait!" Brandy said as she and Jenna both grabbed one of the tomboy's arms. "Calm down and think rationally." The blonde girl stopped struggling and looked at the brunette. "Don't freak out till we know what they're going to do."

"Yes it would be a pity if you acted too hastily." The girls looked to see a man with dark brown hair dressed in white robes standing just inside the large gold doors.

"Who are … you're the High King aren't you?" Jenna said, noticing how regal he appeared.

"Very good child." King Riodan replied. Calmly he walked towards the group of girls. While it was calm it was also so graceful and yet powerful, all but Ari had to look away.

Reaching the girls the King looked each of their appearances over. "So you are King Soren's little girl."

"I'm not a little girl." The Dark Elf Princess snapped with narrowed eyes.

The High King raised an eyebrow at her. The blonde haired girl was not what he expected at all. While he was not surprised she was beautiful, he was surprised by her open coldness toward him. "You may want to remember who you are speaking to."

"A tricky Fae. I know what you are."

The High King felt a mixture of annoyance and yet concern at her tone and manner. "I cannot help but wonder where this hostility is coming from."

"You may be blonde but I doubt you're stupid." The tomboy replied. When the High King remained silent she said, "King Soren just ripped my friends and me out of our world and into another without our consent and you are the Goblin King's father and that jerk," She said pointing to the High Prince. "brought us to you!" She explained with showing contempt. "I don't care who you are, Jareth can't just take Sarah! Even if my father did make a deal with him."

"Deal?" Sarah inquired.

"Goblins have been following us and followed us into this world. My father probably made a deal with Jareth. Find me and he'd give him you."

"What?" Sarah said as realization of what Ari said sank in. As much as she may not want to think it, the princess made sense. "Did he?" The dark haired girl demanded. "Wait, can he?"

"Jareth can't take you because of the words you spoke but Soren could. Otherwise why would they wait until the last day to cross to bring us here, knowing we couldn't get back without help?" The princess said angrily.

"Is Ari right?" Jenna asked becoming concerned.

The High King smiled at the young princess. "I must say you are highly intelligent for someone so young."

"Can you send us home?" Sarah asked. She watched as King Riodan let his eyes fall on her. When he didn't speak she knew the answer. "Is it you can't or won't?"

"I will return Jenna, Lola, and Brandy." The High King assured the dark haired girl.

"Why not Ari and Sarah?" The short haired red teenage girl inquired. "Why can't you send us all home?"

"Arianna is a princess of this world. She belongs here with her father." Riodan explained gently.

"No I don't." The tomboy growled. "I don't belong with The Dark Elf King and I'm certainly NOT princess material." To make her point she gestured to her basketball outfit. "You need to send us all home."

"You are home." The High Prince informed her.

"No I'm stuck here at the moment!" She snapped.

"Watch your tone, I am..."

"Don't give me that you're the High Prince crap again!" Ari yelled at the King's son and rolled her eyes. "What do you want an award because you're aPrince? If you haven't figured it out yet, I could care less!" The teenage girl said dramatically flinging her arm to show she wasn't impressed.

"Women…"

"Women what? Fall at your feet? Or let me guess, are less than men here. Guess what, I don't roll over for anyone!" The blonde haired barked at the High Prince.

Hearing a laugh both the High Prince and the Dark Elf Princess looked to see a very amused King Riodan watching their banter. Instantly both scowled and looked away from the other causing the King to laugh once more. Neither lower royal noticed they had both crossed their arms and seemed to be in mirror image stances.

King Riodan couldn't help but be amused. Arianna was clearly not like other princesses of the Underground. She was very strong, opinionated, and not staring at his son like a deer caught in headlights. The girl was completely unaffected by Amador. At the same time he was amused by his son's shock at the girls dismissive behavior toward him. The High Prince clearly did not know how to handle a sparring of words with the girl. He was used to women wanting to do anything to be in his good graces. Ari was something completely new.

"What are you going to do now? What happens to Ari and Sarah?" Lola asked. Ari instantly looked toward the High King.

"My son Jareth should be here soon and what shall become of Sarah will be decided then." The King said becoming serious again. "Soren will come here for Arianna. She is a princess and will need instruction as such."

"I don't want to be a princess." The very annoyed blonde teenager grumbled.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? No one cares." Prince Amador taunted.

That did it. Ari leapt at the prince ready to pound him into the ground. Jenna and Brandy tackled her just before she clobbered the High Prince of the underground.

"You sure you want us to leave?" Jenna asked. "You're son might need body guards in place first."

"I do not!" Amador said hotly.

"The only reason you're still standing is because they stopped me!" Ari said glaring at the now smug looking prince.

"Are you two finished?" King Riodan inquired with a grin on his face. "It's time for you three to return home." The King waived his hand and leaves filled the room.

"Are we supposed to be home?" Jenna asked as the leaves disappeared and the High King looked shocked to still see the other three teenagers in the room.

"Father?" Prince Amador asked. "Why are they still here?"

King Riodan blinked. "I don't know." He confessed, not hiding his confusion.

"I know I'm not a rocket scientist but that was supposed to send us home right?" Lola remarked.

"Yes." The High King looked the three girls over. "I do not know why but for now I cannot send you home. It appears for the time being, you are all trapped here."

"Lucky for you." Brandy commented looking at the High Prince.

"You can't send any of us home?" Sarah questioned. "How can that be? You're the High King! You should be able to do anything!"

"I don't know why Lady Sarah, but no I am not able to send any of you back." The High King confirmed.

"Guess that makes it handy doesn't it?" Ari said her voice laced with accusation as she got up from the floor. The king looked at her and almost groaned. "Interesting you are supposed to be the most powerful being of the Fae and you suddenly can't send three mortal girls home before your son comes to collect another human girl stolen from the mortal world."

"Careful girl. It is not wise to accuse me of anything."

"Wise or not, I am." The princess dared. "You Fae are all the same."

"Why do I sense your grandmother has not spoken kindly of our kind?" Prince Amador sighed and looked at his father. "How do you wish to handle…" The prince left the rest of his sentence unsaid as he gestured to the group of teenage girls.

"Have Aleese set up rooms for our guests." The king announced. Turning his attention to the blonde tomboy he said, "I do not know why I cannot send your friends back to the mortal realm but I will find out. I am no more pleased than you are about this. As for Lady Sarah, that will be decided after Jareth arrives here which should be in about eight hours."

"Eight… someone is running the Labyrinth?" The dark haired girl inquired.

"Yes. Otherwise I can assure you he would already be here." Turning the High King left the room. There were questions he needed answers to.

"What do we do now?" Jenna asked from her seated position on the floor.

"Rooms will be prepared and I'm sure I can have someone give you a tour." Amador said. "I will return, wait here."

Ari rolled her eyes and watched as the King's son left the throne room. "I don't like him." She announced and walked away to a large window to her left.

"They say opposites attract." Lola said.

"Yeah but when dealing with Ari it might mean opposites may kill each other." Jenna quipped.

"Lock them in a room and see what happens?" Brandy suggested.

"Not yet." Sarah said. The girls looked at her surprised and she smiled. "Did you not notice they looked the same when the High King laughed? It was kind of cute." The four girls snickered and glanced at the blonde haired tomboy standing at the window oblivious to their conversation.

"They may need help." Lola said.

"Well we don't have anything better to do." Jenna said running a hand through her red streaked black hair. The girls nodded each getting a mischievous smile.

Author's Note: Next chapter will bring Sarah and Jareth face to face for the first time since their final confrontation.