A ball of fire slammed into the wall, not too far away from Jareth's ear. He looked up from the papers on his desk to stare at the large white wolf in front of him. He raised a questioning eyebrow and put down the piece of paper in his hands. The wolf looked pissed off, judging by the slight snarl on her muzzle.

"What is it, Takibi?" Jareth asked rather tiredly.

"The goblins have filled my room with the Castle's waste." She said, rather flatly and bitterly.

Jareth looked slightly amused, curious as to how they had managed that.

"They brought most of it in buckets." Takibi said, as if she had read his mind.

"Well then, you'll just have to sleep in the throne room." Jareth simply.

"What about a room?" She asked, it was obvious she had lack of sleep even on the so called 'soft' bedroll.

"We're having guests tomorrow." Jareth explained. "You'll have to make due with the pillows in the pit in the throne room. Just sleep there, it isn't as uncomfortable as it looks."

The wolf snarled, audibly, before turning around to trot out of the room. Jareth merely smirked, the goblins had successfully filled out his orders for the first time in decades. He leaned back in his chair, the pen on his desk floated in the air to land on a stack of papers. It automatically began to sign each one as it flew into a clean space on the table, creating another pile.

"One step closer." He muttered as he stretched.

One step closer to what? A voice that sounded a lot like Takibi's rang in his head. Remember, I'm a wolf demon. I can hear things you say, even on the other side of the room. Then the voice left and Takibi's steps resounded outside of his door. Jareth had stiffened, hearing his and grew very quiet and uncomfortable. 'What if she can read my thoughts?' He wondered to himself before standing. 'Better get ready for the guests tomorrow...'

''''''

"This castle is spotless, George. It's better then ours." A very high classed voice rang throughout the halls as a woman dressed heavily in layers of expenisve silk walked through the castle.

"It's fantastic, Jareth. How do you do it?" A man was escorting the woman down the hall by the arm.

These were the rulers of the nearby world, Haven. The world was a lot like England during America's revolution. The two rulers were rich, shown in their very high classed, layered, garments. Jareth, however, merely wore the pants he was so famous for and a loose white shirt overlapped with a black leather vest.

"Let's just say I have a couple of faithful servants that like to...clean shall we say." Jareth said, simply. He made no effort to make his accent thicker or higher like the others. He kept his voice moderate and never spoke louder then he needed to.

"I'd like to meat these servants, if you don't mind. I might buy them off of you." The Queen snickered a laugh, causing her husband to follow suit.

Jareth, however, didn't find this amusing and continued to walk. He really didn't like this couple, but he needed allies. The Underground stuck out like a sore thumb. The goblins couldn't fight, and he needed at least some protection from the surrounding kingdoms. So far, three had agreed to him and now patrolled the outskirts of the Labyrinth weekly. He'd feel much safer if they went daily, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"They aren't for sale." Jareth said simply as Takibi stepped next to Jareth and merely walked at the same pace. "This is Takibi." He introduced. "She's a pet..." He made a look that said 'play along'. Reluctantly, Takibi wagged her tail and cocked her head.

"She has a well kept coat, and looks seemingly spotless." Was all the Queen said. The King however, went over to Takibi to scratch behind her ears.

"She's a beaut," the King seemed overly pleased as he examined her teeth and eyes. "Her eyes are a bit dull, and she's looking a bit skinny. She might be lacking attention and isn't getting enough food." The king seemed to know a lot about dogs for he examined her again. "By golly." He looked her over once more. "She's a wolf!"

"George, get away from her, dear." The Queen said, fearfully.

"Don't worry, she doesn't bite." Jareth said calmly.

"Still, I don't want to risk it. She might have a disease." At this, Takibi growled. "See! She just growled at me!"

"She was offended by what you said. This wolf is different. She understands our language and has been with me for two years. She has never bitten anyone and I'm sure she has no disease." Jareth said, a bit cooly.

Takibi was confused. 'Did Jareth just stick up for me?' She wondered to herself as she continued to walk.

"Anyways." The Queen said, adding a 'humph' to Jareth's comment. "We're here to negotiate, aren't we?" She asked, flipping out her fan to blow air at her powdered face.

"Yes, and to enjoy a ball in a couple days." Jareth said, his back had stiffened slightly and he seemed to walk a bit funny.

"Ahh, shall we discuss privately?" The queen asked. Jareth nodded and led them into a room. He had shut Takibi out but she sat attentively at the door. She heard more doors close and she couldn't hear anymore.

Sighing, she laid down and fell asleep.

She was awoken by a sharp pain in her side. Her eyes snapped open and she found that the Queen was nudging her with the very sharp point of her shoe. The King was trying to gain control of his wife, muttering things about how short a wolf had patience and that they felt pain too. Takibi yelped, at that moment as the tip buried itself into her skin and beyond her ribs. She jumped to her feet, bleeding from where the shoe had been.

"Oh, so it is awake." The queen merely shrugged as she passed by the now wounded wolf.

Jareth quickly went over towards Takibi once the others had left. He healed her wounds and straightened before jerking his head to the side. She sighed and followed Jareth as they caught up with the royal couple in front of them. Her eyes narrowed with hatred towards the Queen. The King didn't seem as spoiled as the Queen so she held her loathing towards her instead.

Jareth paused slightly as they passed the throne room. Takibi could take a hint and left them to go to the 'pit' in the center of the throne room that had been asigned to her as her 'bed'. She sighed and laid down, curling into a ball before falling asleep.

She awoke to a slight shove, not enough to hurt. She opened her eyes sleepily to find Jareth staring back at her. She stretched before sitting up, acting as if she was paying attention to Jareth as he began to speak.

"Look." He began, kneeling in front of her. "The ball is in two days. I need someone to dance with and I really rather it not be anyone other then you. Not that that means anything, it's just that...I'm suppose to be looking for a wife. The Counsel has decided that all kings must have a wife or else their kingdom gets taken away. All the Fae woman out there that could even be possible in being my wife are all idiots and rather stupid." He explained, under his breath.

Takibi had fullen awoken and was staring at him with narrowed eyes. Yet they widened slightly as his words sunk in. I'll dance with you, but I'm not sure I'm ready to be anyone's wife. She told him in his head. She didn't say no, but she didn't say yes either. She figured that even if she did marry Jareth her life would be the same. If she didn't marry him, they would have an idiot in second in command of the entire Underground. She could already imagine a mall where the Bog of Eternal Stench had once been. She shuddered, she didn't want that to happen.

"Good, but you have to think about becoming my wife." Jareth said, almost desperately. It was obvious he didn't want an idiot in second in command either and almost looked like a puppy begging.

I'll think about it, Jareth. No promises. She told him, laying back down to fall asleep. Jareth ruffled her head, he had never touched her before. Well...When she was a servant at least. She sighed and curled into a ball before falling asleep.

She awoke, once more, to Jareth staring back at her. He began to walk away and she followed, knowing that he had something to say. What? She asked him. Just think something, I'll be able to hear what you think since I've opened up a a mind link. She explained.

We need to make you, as a wolf, disappear and have you, as a human, appear. He thought to her, looking around before pushing her into an empty room filled with seamstresses that were obviously from a different kingdom. I'm not going to watch you shift back, but you need to choose a ball gown for the ball. He explained. And you can't be a wolf for a while. With that, he left the suprised wolf alone.

She sighed and morphed into her human form. The seamstresses seemed quite use to this and began to hold up pieces of cloth to her skin and began to ask questions. She merely answered them as best as she could, she really wasn't happy at the moment. But at the back of her mind, she felt excitement.

The Ball

It was an hour before the ball. Takibi was getting dressed, the seamstresses poking her with pins and what not as she admired herself in the mirror. A corset, which labored her breathing quite a bit, was tied tightly around her. A black dress, with no sleeves that clipped to the corset as to not fall down, not that it would with her bust, clung to her curves and flared out at the waist slightly. The dress wasn't exactly her choosing, but she had to deal with what she had.

The skirt hung from her waist, yet it would flare out once the dancing began. With each twist, the skirt would lift itself slightly to reveal a dark red material underneath. The dress was made of silk. Jareth wanted her to look at least a bit rich as to please the members of the Counsel. The Counsel were a group of kings and queens that held rule to the magical kingdoms. Earth was not one of these.

The Counsel was seated behind a large elegant table in the ball room. Jareth's seat was at the center, Takibi's right next to him while the rest of the Counsel branched out to their left and right. Takibi was rather nervous to meet the Counsel. They would watch her every move, to be fit if she could be Jareth's queen. She sighed, closing her eyes tightly as the seamstresses fussed with her hair.

'I don't know if I want to be the queen or not. It would be for the better good of the Underground. I'll make sure no changes would happen to the Underground and I'll just live my normal life of cleaning after that. No differences. Surely no love or any romance just a ring around my finger and having the title of Queen...' She sighed and rubbed her forehead, a seamstress hissed for Takibi had rubbed a bit of powder off. But it wasn't noticeable. The makeup on her face was few and it was only skin tones instead of white or a bright pink or something insane like that.

"It's time, Takibi." Jareth called from outside. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard his voice. Her eyes narrowed and she sighed.

The seamstresses pulled out their pins and did a finishing touch to her hair which was pulled into an elegant bun. Wisps of hair fell out of place to carress her face and add a touch of her personality. She sighed and opened the door. She found that Jareth was wearing a rather spectacular suit with blue beads and sparkles here and there. His jacket held a low cut, a piece of ruffled cloth filled the missing place as well as a black opal attached to a piece of cloth wrapped around his neck.

"You look extroadinary." Jareth said, and it was obvious he meant it as he offered her his arm.

"You do too." She said, fighting back a blush, for there was nothing to blush about was there? She slowly took his arm and he led her down a flight of stairs and into a large room filled with dancers and tables. She saw that most of the Counsel had been seated, they were talking to themselves but quickly stopped when Jareth led Takibi over and pulled back her seat for her.

She sat down, watching her plate which was lined with gold on the expensive laced table cloth. She felt every one of the Counsel's eyes on her as she straightened and tried to look polite as Jareth sat next to her. Once the two sat down, food appeared on the plates. Everyone had different types of food. It seemed that the plates held each persons favorite dish. Takibi had Steak, mashed potatoes, and cooked asparagus. Everyone else held rich foods from different places. Jareth had a strange looking meat with an equally strange looking black vegetable.

A couple of the Counsel memebers were looking at her steak as if it was from outer space. Yet Takibi was looking the exact same as she looked at what they had. Slowly they began to eat. Takibi smiled as she went back home as she took a bite out of her steak. When she finished, she found that some of the Counsel members were looking at her approvingly. She had managed not to get food on her lap, and she seemed to have eaten politely in their minds.

Jareth was talking, rather arguing, with a Counsel member who sat beside him. They were arguing on which colors looked best against a woman's skin. Takibi held her hand to her mouth to stiffle a laugh. Both of them stopped to look at her. Jareth seemed a bit red at the cheeks and the Counsel member was blushing rather badly.

"No worries. My dad use to do the same thing." She told them while she sipped her drink. She blinked when she found it was Apple Juice that looked a lot like wine. Again, the counsel members looked approvingly. They all had wine.

"Interesting trick." Jareth whispered in her ear, she almost dropped her glass as he had spoken. "I believe it's time for us to dance."

The two stood up. Takibi really didn't know how to dance as he led her out onto the floor. She seemed uncomfortable but Jareth merely smiled as he put a hand on her waist and took her other hand in his. She unconsciously placed her free hand on his shoulder as he led her into a dance she couldn't place a name on. Once more the Counsel members watched the two. When they saw Takibi follow easily and not step on Jareth's feet, they relaxed and began to talk. Takibi had a feeling they were talking about them.

When they finished dancing, she felt Jareth bring her in close. She looked up at him and he looked down at her before his eyes glanced towards the Counsel. She opened up a mind link. We have to convince them... And with that, his kissed her so passionately that she fell against him. The only thing holding her up was the kiss and him holding her close. She heard a Counsel member speak to his freind.

"Are they ever going to stop? It's been almost five minutes..." He muttered, his companion merely chuckled.

Jareth finally let her go, he smiled slightly and Takibi couldn't help but smile back before he led her over towards the Counsel table but didn't sit. He had an arm around Takibi's waist and was holding her rather close as he whispered something into one of the member's ear. The man nodded and Jareth led her out of the ball room and towards the room that Takibi had once had, nine years ago.

"This is your room, for now. You don't have to work for a while, I want you to think about...Being my queen." He said, facing her.

She nodded and he brought her into another kiss before he was gone. She blinked slightly before opening her 'new' room. She plopped herself on the bed with a rather giddy smile on her face before she undressed and buried herself deep under the covers before falling asleep.

AN: Yeah, I guess you could see there is two chapters in this one...Sort of. Thank you, everyone, for your reviews