Chapter 9
Jareth paced his study, a Fae messenger sitting in front of his desk. Jareth's father wanted an audience the day after tomorrow, and that was good. Leanna showed obvious signs of getting much of her strength back, and Jareth calculated that she should be good as new by then. The only problem was that Zeus wanted to meet the mother. Jareth didn't know how the High King would react to her being mortal. He might not say anything, since Jareth's own mother wasn't completely immortal either, but the High Court would have to agree on Sarah, and Jareth did have his enemies. He had friends as well, but not near enough to overcome his enemies. Maybe his enemies would take into account that even their own High Queen wasn't completely immortal either. But even if she wasn't completely immortal didn't mean she wasn't going to live for the next thousand years. And that was only because she had married the High King and had.... consummated that marriage. Jareth was walking a thin line with Sarah as it was. This would be all too much for her, and she'd probably hate him for the rest of her short life. If she didn't hate him already.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor, sir, if you keep pacing like that.", the messenger said nervously.
Jareth looked at the man for a moment before saying, "Tell my parents I will do my best to bring mother and child with me, though if I must, I will only bring the girl. The mother is... stubborn."
The messenger nodded quickly and, clearly anxious to get out of the room, ran out the door. Jareth sighed and licked his dry lips. He suddenly tasted something. Magic. Magic he knew. He investigated deeper.
What is that boy doing now?Jareth thought. He probed the magic and recognized a complicated healing spell. Jareth cursed. If the boy completed this spell, it would kill him! It might save Leanna, but she didn't nee saving by any white night! She was doing just fine on her own!
Jareth burst from his study and moved swiftly through the halls. He took a shortcut through the Echer room, knowing exactly where he was going, and came out not far from Leanna's room. Jareth burst into the room to find JJ reading a book. He looked up in surprise as Jareth entered with a bang, and he quickly stood up.
"Jareth, what are you doing here?", he asked.
"Don't you dare complete that spell, boy! I've already seen Leanna's energy level coming back. She doesn't need the spell, and you will kill yourself if you finish it!", Jareth hissed, glancing over at Leanna's face. She was smiling slightly.
"Wh-what?", JJ asked.
"Don't tell me 'What', boy! You know very well 'what'!"
"No, I mean, I didn't know her energy was coming back on its own." JJ looked at Leanna for a moment. "But it doesn't mean she doesn't need the spell."
"JJ, if she keeps going like she's going, she'll be awake by tomorrow."
"And what if she isn't? What if she stops regaining her energy? What then, huh?"
"Are really willing to sacrifice yourself for her?"
"Yes." Jareth was slightly surprised at his immediate response. "Damn it, Jareth, I don't care if you want to act over protective father, but I love her!"
"You've only known her a week."
"No. You're wrong. I did the same thing you did with Sarah. Ever since you told me about her, I've been watching her in crystals. For the past 2 1/2 years, I've been watching her. I fell in love with her a long time ago."
This was new to Jareth. "Why does everyone tend to pick up my bad habits?"
"Bad habits are so easy to pick up."
Jareth sighed. "If she starts losing her energy again, I'll help you with the spell. That way, you probably won't die. You're still not immortal."
"Yes, I know, I have to marry a Fae to become immortal. Yeah I know."
"The marriage also has to be consummated. I don't think I told you that part before."
JJ blushed a little, but quickly composed himself. "But there's no Fae who would want to marry a mortal."
"Oh, I can think of at least one who would love to after she gets the guts to tell you how she feels and get over this 'I'm scared' business."
"Well, that's good advice for you." JJ sighed. "Alright. I'll stop the spell for now." He sat back down, picked up his book, and Jareth grudgingly took that as a dismissal. He wasn't used to being dismissed, only dismissing, and Jareth didn't like it that he now knew what it felt like.
He suddenly felt a tug on his mind. A wish was being made. Jareth sighed. He wasn't up for going personally today. Jareth simply granted the wish and would let his goblins take care of it. And that's when he heard all the commotion outside.
Sarah and Oort appeared in the castle's courtyard. It wasn't much different than before, except it was, slightly, cleaner. The little goblin scurried into the city, shouting, "Lady Sarah back! Lady Sarah back! Kingey no more sad! Kingey no more sad!" There were cheers as goblins of all shapes and sizes poured out of the buildings and into the courtyard. They all seemed to want to shake Sarah's hand or hug her around her legs or, in the very little ones' cases, pick them up.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?!", roared a voice Sarah knew well, "I will not have this! My daughter is sick and trying to rest and all you creatures can do is- Sarah." Jareth had suddenly seen the person the goblins had been shouting about and had now slowed his angered pace. "I take it you got my message then?"
"Yes, Oort did a very good job.", Sarah replied.
"Many thanks, Lady Sarah.", Oort said from the crowd.
"Oh yes, Oort went into great detail."
"Hm, really?", Jareth said, "Goblins aren't really known for detail. Though, the messengers are usually the brightest. That isn't saying much, but it's true." Jareth rubbed his eyes and then looked at all the goblins. "Go back to your knitting, all of you! Go on!" The goblins hurried to obey their king, running back into the city. "Come on, then, love. We have much to talk about." The Goblin King took her hand and started to half drag her towards the castle.
Jareth half pulled Sarah through the labyrinth of halls and stairs. Sarah suddenly saw the hilarity of her own thoughts and she giggled a little.
Jareth looked at her strangely before giving a triumphant, "Aha!", as they came to a door. He opened it. Inside, the boy Jareth had called JJ in the dream was sitting next to a bed, reading a book. Lying in the bed was Leanna, her eyes closed and smiling slightly, as if she were simply sleeping.
"Well, she has definitely overslept.", Sarah said.
"She's in a coma.", Jareth corrected, "She used too much of her magic at one time and spent a lot of her energy."
"Could that be fatal?"
"It could be. Even for a Fae, it's dangerous. But I've seen her energy coming back. She should be awake by tomorrow morning, maybe even tonight, if we're really lucky."
"Somebody Lady Sarah was back.", said a familiar voice at the door.
"Hoggle!", Sarah cried happily, throwing her arms around the dwarf.
"Oh, look, it's Hedgewart.", JJ said.
"It's Hoggle.", Sarah corrected.
"Sorry. There's more of your bad habits, Jareth.", JJ said.
"Yes, yes. Hotdog, what are you doing here."
"It's Hoggle, as ye very well know."
"Whatever, Hedgehog."
"Jareth, you call him Hoggle, or so help me, I will turn you from a rooster to a hen."
JJ snorted. "You have got to stop watching Dolly Pardon on TV, seriously.", he said, smirking.
"How did you know about that movie?" (A/N The movie is 9 to 5.)
"Because I'm from Aboveground."
"Oh. Jareth failed to mention that."
"Alright, alright. Hoggle, what do you want?", Jareth asked.
"I just wanted ter see Sarah. I heard she was 'ere, and I haven't seen 'er in a while."
"Well, then, you've seen her, now go on. We have family matters to discuss."
"Wait a minute." Hoggle looked at Sarah in shock. "Is ther Princess yer daughter, Sarah?"
Sarah sighed and replied, "Yes, she is, Hoggle."
"And his?"
"Yes, Hoggle. We are both her parents. And no, Jareth is not responsible for my actions. I'm afraid my own feelings are to blame." At Hoggle's even more surprised look, Sarah took a deep breath. "Hoggle, this may be hard for you to understand, but I think I love the bloody, no good, egotistical, spoiled, rotten, magic Goblin King."
JJ burst out laughing. "Oh, she's got you spot on Jareth. Man, that was even better than Leanna's, and Leanna usually does a very good job herself."
"No. No, no, no, no, no.", Jareth said, "Sarah, you have no idea-"
"How good it feels to get that off my chest.", Sarah finished, "That little 'fact or fiction' argument has been haunting me for years, Jareth. I'm glad I finally got it solved. I have Leanna's spectacular dream-making to thank for that. And who I suspect is her teacher as well." Sarah looked to JJ for confirmation, and he nodded. Sarah grinned. :See? There. Now everything's solved."
Jareth swallowed visibly and finally said, "Nothing is solved." He took the letter from his father out of his pocket and handed it to Sarah. "Here. I have to present Leanna to the High Court for her to be my heir. But they also want... Well, you read it."
As Sarah read, her eyes widened. They wanted to meet the mother?
"But what'll they say when they realize I'm not Fae, or not even that I'm not immortal?"
"Sarah, even Fae aren't completely immortal. And there is a way to make humans have a prolonged life, a thousand years or so. But you won't like it, and you'd never agree to it. Even with your former... proclamation." He shifted on his feet uncomfortably.
"What is it?", Sarah asked.
JJ, who had gone back to his book, didn't even look up from the pages when he said, "You have to marry a Fae and consummate the marriage. The former might be torture; you don't even want to know about a Fae's marriage ceremony. But the latter, I wouldn't worry too much about. They say Fae are the best."
Sarah felt a blush creeping up her face. "And who is they?", she asked.
"Mostly me. But think about it: They've had thousands of years to practice, why shouldn't they be the best at-"
"Shut up, JJ.", Jareth hissed through gritted teeth, "And who are you to be giving any kind of advice? It's not as if you would know."
"Coincidentally, how many women have you been with over the centuries?", Sarah asked Jareth, raising an eyebrow.
"328, including you.", came the answer from the bed.
Everyone turned to look at Leanna. Her eyes were barely open, but she was smirking.
"Everyone really ispicking up your bad habits, Jareth. Just look at that rotten smirk, would you?"
Jareth chuckled. "Yes, I have noticed a bit of resemblance."
"I think I'll take another nap.", Leanna sighed, and she closed her eyes. After a few minutes a small smile started playing on her lips. She was out of it again.
"I wonder how she knew that. I mean, I never kept count.", Jareth muttered.
"I can hear you.", Sarah said.
"Ah, well. For the past 27 years, I haven't been with anyone but you, you precious thing. Not since I first saw you chasing a dog in a park. Sarah, you have no idea how long I've been in love with you."
"Pervert.", JJ muttered.
"Jareth, are you required to have a queen?", Sarah asked suddenly.
"I'm required to have a queen if I have an heir. Or an queen-to-be. But don't worry. I'll deal with the court. I'm sure we can bend the rules."
"You won't have to."
"Why not?"
Even JJ was interested in the conversation now; he had looked up from his book with a raised eyebrow.
"Because, I didn't go through all this discussion about not coming back and whatnot with Toby just to go back."
"Sarah..." Jareth was trying to warn her, but by the tone in his voice and the look in his eyes, Sarah knew only half his heart was into it.
"Come on, Jareth.", Sarah said, grabbing his wrist and starting to pull from the room, "We're going to have a very big surprise for the High Court when we get there..."
Okay, so, my best guess, I have maybe two more chapters to go after this one: The next one, with the High Court scene, and the last one... will there be a marriage or won't there. Oooh, I have such a surprise for all of you-
Jareth: *suddenly appears* Ooooh, what's going to happen?
Lp: Sarah's going to leave you standing at the alter.
Jareth: *pouts*
Lp: I'm kidding.
Jareth: Yay! Hey, can I kill Highead now?
Sarah:*suddenly appears* NO! And it's Hoggle!
Jareth: Phhht, whatever.
Leanna:*suddenly appears* I thought you hated that word.
Jareth: Not when it benefits me.
Sarah: It won't benefit you for long. Don't forget about the nice 9 to 5 quote.
Jareth: *runs away screaming like a girl*
JJ: *suddenly appears* I only wanted to hear him scream like a girl once... But twice is awesome. *laughs at Jareth*