Chapter 22

(Not out of it afterall)

Queen Dahlia couldn't help but feel pleased as she glanced the dinner table over. For once there was promise of pleasant conversation at a dinner that involved Arianna, King Soren and Jareth. Ari hadn't pulled any pranks in two days and wasn't biting everyones heads off. The Dark Elf Princess seemed to be finally accepting what was happening around her.

"Are you ladies getting excited yet?" The queen inquired.

"Excited?" Sarah questioned.

"About the ball." The Queen of the Underground replied.

"Ball?" Ari questioned. She internally groaned as she saw High Queen smile and nod. "What happens at a ball?"

"There is dinner and of course dancing and…"

"Dancing!" Ari said alarmed looking at Master Arium.

"Don't worry Ari, most of the dances we learned in dance class." Sarah assured her concerned friend.

"You learned in school." Ari informed her.

"Ari we all had dance and…" Sarah's words died on her lips as she saw Ari raise an eybrow at her. "It's required."

"Sarah what am I?" The blonde woman replied. The dark haired girl looked at her questioningly. Letting out a sigh she continued. "What was I?"

"High school student?" Lola suggested. She flinched when she saw the tomboy glare her direction.

"Captain of the girl's basketball team." Brandy replied.

"Well yeah but you still had to go to dance." Sarah replied.

Ari cocked her head to the side and gave her an amused smile. "Go yes but dance?"

"How?" The dark haired girl asked suspiciously.

Ari straightened up and said, "I pressed play and changed music."

"NO one gets out of dance!" Lola said firmly.

"Who was the dance instructor?"

"Coach Morris." Sarah replied.

"That's right, the girls basketball coach. Do you really think she'd let her captain get benched for being unable to dance?" Sarah's mouth opened before abruptly shutting.

"Ari!" Jenna and Brandy said in unison.

"I can't believe they…"

"We had a championship to win Sarah!" Ari interrupted. "I was a great TA though!" She offered. The blonde girl actually internally cringed when her four friends glared at her.

"You're not getting out of learning now." Sarah said and crossed her arms in a firm almost mocking way.

"I don't need to attend." The tomboy said quickly.

"Actually you do and will." King Soren replied firmly. "You and Sarah both need to be presented to the court."

"Yes and you will have to wear a dress." Queen Dahlia announced.

"I don't think sneakers will look good with a ball gown. Ari replied, and picked up her glass of water.

"Of course not, you'll where heels." Ari abruptly spat out all the water that had been in her glass.

"Ari!" Lola cried as she dodged the water.

"I don't know how to walk in heels! Hell I've never had a pair on!" She shouted, appauled by the idea.

Dead silence.

"You've never worn heels?" Jenna sked.

"You've know me for years. When have you ever…."

"Never." Brandy interrupted.

"You have one week to learn." King Riodan informed the concerned girl.

Ari glared at him. "That's not possible!"

"Hey I didn't think lerning to play basketball was possible but you taught me." Sarah reminded her. "I'll help you."

"We'll all help." Jenna assured her.

'It's going to be a long week.' Aria thought to herself.

"It seems you will need to add dance lessons to Arianna's learning schedule." Queen Dahlia commented looking at Arium.

The elf internally groaned. 'I just got off her bad side!' He silently complained. Arium's eyes looked toward the princess to see her looking at him. His only consolation was the blonde woman wasn't looking at him with resentment. If anything she seemed to be regarding him with pity. 'It's going to be a very long week.'


Sarah covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle a giggle as Ari slipped and fell for the 32nd time in less than an hour.

"That's it! I am never going to be able to do this!" The blonde woman announced as she threw the heels away from her. "I am just not princess material!"

"Come on Ari you can do this." Sarah said encouragingly. "If I can learn to play bas…"

"This isn't like basketball!" Ari complained.

"Yeah this was easier to learn." Lola commented. "Ahh!" she screamed as a book was suddenly flung at her. "Ari!"

"I need a break." The tomboy declared. Getting up she walked down the hall and out of view.

"Man I didn't think she'd have this much trouble." Jenna commented. "I mean she can do anything!"

"Except wear heels." Brandy said with a confused look on her face. "I don't see why this is so hard for her."

Hearing footsteps the girls turned to see Queen Dahlia approach. The queen scanned the four girls faces and sighed. "Something tells me things aren't going very well."

"Ari's fallen 32 times in less than 45 minutes." Lola informed her. The queen blinked at the redhead and then looked at the other girls.

"As much as I hate to say it, she's having a really hard time with this." Sarah replied.

"I think her entrance will be memorable at this point but not in a good way." Jenna remarked.

"Where is she?" The queen inquired. The girls pointed down the hall and the dark haired woman headed off to find the Princess of Dark Elves.


Ari walked outside and made her way over to a small pond. Sitting down she slipped her aching feet into the cool pond. "Sure I wanted to embarrass my dad before but…not so much now and not myself." The girl sighed.

"Lessons not going well?"

"I'm a disaster on two legs in heels."

"You can't be that bad." Amador said sitting down next to her.

The blonde woman turned blue eyes on him. "I fell 32 times in less than 45 minutes."

"I'm sure the first hour…."

"First hour I stopped counting after 50." She laughed as Amador's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You're improving." The dark haired prince offered. Ari glared at him and then looked back at the water her feet occupied.

"Here." Amador reached into the water and taking out her left foot he began to message it.

"Ouch!" She said. A series of cracks followed and she cringed. "Thanks." She added as she began to feel some relief.

"You're welcome." The high prince replied continuing to rub the sore foot. "Try to relax." He said encouragingly. "I've seen what you can do so I don't believe for an instant that you can't learn to walk in heels or dance."

"It's just so hard!" Ari pouted, crossing her arms like a child and looking down.

Amador reached over and gently lifted her chin. "You don't strike me as the kind of girl to let anything stand in your way. You're not really ready to give up are you?" She watched him but didn't reply. "I'd be disappointed if I didn't get at least one dance with the only woman to ever humiliate me."

She couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face at the reference to the prank she'd pulled. "I wasn't trying to humiliate you exactly just….get my way?" The tomboy offered.

Amador laughed and smiled at her. "You are an interesting girl Arianna."

"You can call me Ari." She told him as he began to rub the other foot. When her foot let out a series of cracks they both laughed.


Queen Dahlia walked out but seeing the tomboy and her son together she stopped. Instead she stepped back out of their line of site but so that she could watch. A smile graced the queen's face as she watched the two interact.

'Good. Get closer.' She liked Ari and even though the girl could be very stubborn she also found Ari to possess great strength. Ari could make a very good queen for her son. If they could just pull her a little more toward the feminine side.

"Gods and goddesses help us. We'll need it." She said looking up towards the sky. She wasn't sure but it seemed like a gentle wind that had begun to blow was letting out a light snicker.


Sarah walked out onto her balcony and looked up at the stars. It was a beautiful night and the air felt warm. She looked down at the white banister and thoughts of her family filled her. She couldn't help but wonder if they were okay.

"Missing your family?"

Sarah looked over to see Jareth on the right side of the balcony. "I'd like to know they are safe."

Jareth took out a crystal and instantly an image appeared. It was Toby and Diane. Diane was sitting on the bed next to where he lay reading him a story. "They are safe, precious."

Sarah nodded but the king knew it was hard on her. "You're not alone Sarah." He told her gently.

"I know Ari and the others are here but…"

"I'm here too." Jareth reminded her. Gently he stroked a hand down her cheek. She went to speak but he reached down and kissed her softly.

Sarah wanted to push him off but found she couldn't. While part of her missed her family another part had missed the Labyrinth and the Underground far more than she realized. She let her arms travel up around his neck and began to kiss him with the same passion he kissed her.

Jareth was silently ecstatic to have her responding so well to him. 'She's going to be my Queen.' He thought to himself. He held her close reveling in the feel of her in his arms. At the ball he'd make sure there was no doubt who Sarah belonged to or that she held his heart. It would be a ball to remember. A ball that would introduce her as his intended. Come hell or high water he'd marry this green eyed beauty.

Author's Note: Next Chapter will be the ball.