Author's Note: This chapter was much harder to write than I expected. It is made up of shorter scenes that felt 'necessary' to the plot, and move the plot along. That said, they are (I think) a tad disjointed. The next chapter will get us back to UST central :) The next chapter to be posted will be another chapter of the revised 'Love Potion No. 9'. If you haven't seen 'Lucifer' you can watch it via Hulu (I binged watched the whole first season in one day! Tom Ellis is sexy as hell and I could SOOOO see he and Jareth being related!).

As always, please review. I do love hearing what parts of chapters make you laugh or feel sad :))

Ch. 9 Interludes

For hours the celebration at the Glynisfyre farm raged on. Goblyns sang and danced around the bonfire, while still others took to the fields to consummate their mating claims or renew old claims. Those not dancing or mating, lounged beneath the pavilion eating, drinking and entertaining themselves with stories and games. All around the farm, the ancient magic of the land swirled around them, energizing the revelers while at the same time seeming to pull the valley out of the natural flow of time, into the hidden moments between a single heart beat.

Leaning back a bit on the wood pile upon which he was perched, Jareth smiled quietly as he watched the dancers, much as an indulgent father might watch his children at play. These were his subjects and he relished their joy during celebrations like this. True, he could be a hard king when it was necessary, but on the whole he merely wanted for his kingdom to be prosperous and his people to be happy.

With the moon hanging still overhead, Jareth felt the power still thrumming through his blood, as if every part of his being was vibrating. Despite dancing for hours through the circle with Sarah and the others, he was not tired – and from the joyous shouts, singing and dancing around the fire, no one else was either. It was always that way when the magic took hold. Whatever field or farm he visited for the solstice, the reaction of the people was the same. The magic infused them, until they felt a small taste of what he felt through every festival. Being of the Underground and more attuned to magic, they would suffer no ill effect from the temporary magical 'overdose'. And espite the amount of alcohol consumed, there wouldn't be so much as the teeniest niggle of a hangover for them tomorrow. Their muscles might feel pleasantly sore, but no other harm would come of it. In fact, the only long lasting effect of having the Goblin King join the celebration as the conduit between the land, then magic and the people, would be an increase in the number of births in the area in twelve months time – less for the non-Goblyn women.

Catching sight of a swath of brunette hair flying like a pennant amidst the throng of dancers, Jareth smiled, feeling the strange vibration in his chest once more. Sarah was still dancing with wild abandon alongside the others, her arms outstretched as she spun madly through the ring of dancers. He had joined her for some time, twirling through the dancers and stealing kisses whenever she came within range of his lips – which was as often as he could arrange. She was glorious to behold, emerald eyes glowing with the magic flowing through her body and her hair streaming behind her in ebony waves. Even among the chaotic din of shouts and singing, he could pick out her jubilant laughter, light and carefree.

'She'll have a terrible hangover if she continues at this pace,' he mused, her pale eyes flickering golden tracking her progress through the twisting circle of movement. As a human she was highly susceptible to the magic flowing through the air and land, but unlike the people of the Underground, her body would not be used to such a thing and it would likely hit her quite hard when the effects wore off.

Plucking his carved pipe from his lips, Jareth gave a gentle flick of his wrist, sending it flying gracefully into the air where it vanished without a trace. His eyes narrowed, the predatory blink fastening upon the dancing witch. Jareth stepped closer to the spinning ring of dancers, counting the beats of the wild music, as he traced her steps. One…two…three…the music pounding through his blood, his own heart beat thudding in time with it. Then with a quick step forward, he had snatched the hand of his maiden, twirling her into his arms and continuing the dance. Once around the ring…he felt the pull of the music and the magic surge within him, making his Goblyn cry 'To the fields!'. Twice around the ring…and he began to forget just why it had been so to find her, other than to her in his arms once more.

Jareth closed his eyes, his body knowing every step of the dance. As they finished the second turn around the circle, he let the magic flow out of him. One moment they were dancing with the others, the next they were standing on the porch of the farm house.

Glancing up from where she was dozing while the others continued their game of goblin dice, Mama Yan chuckled softly, peering at the Goblin King and the human witch through cloudy grey eyes. "Your Majesty? Come for a game of dice or another game perhaps? Or do you seek something a bit more…private?"

Pursing his lips at the teasing of the old crone, the Goblin King shook his head. Sarah leaned bonelessly against him, her cheeks flushed and her damp hair sticking to the side of her face humming along with the music from the revelers. "I'm returning Sarah to the castle, she has had more than enough revelry for one evening."

Sarah looked up at his words, her face twisted into a petulant pout, as she stomped her foot. "I'm fine. I want to dance more. Don't be a party pooper, Jareth!"

Jerra and Leatha glanced at Sarah in surprise. Hearing Sarah insult the King was one thing, but to hear her use his proper name was a crime that no one else dare commit. Cringing slightly, Jaeme gave his King a quiet smile. "The fiery Goblyn women are best, but we pay for the priviledge of claiming them by accepting the sharp side of their tongues, Sire."

"So I am realizing. And this isn't as sharp as this wench's tongue can be. The magic has dulled her a bit, I fear," chuckled the Goblin King. Twisting from the Goblin King's grip, Sarah wobbled a bit on her feet before heading to the porch stairs. With a long-suffering roll of his eyes and a soft chuckle, Jareth turned and grabbed Sarah by the arm, pulling her back onto the porch. "Are you going to defy me at every turn in the next year, woman?"

Gazing blankly up at him with a vacant grin on her face, Sarah nodded. "Yup!"

"Fine, have it your way." Without warning he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, even as she squealed and giggled with glee. Turning to the others, he gave a brief bow, "Happy Harvest everyone…may you know prosperity and joy for all time."

In a haze of golden flecks, Jareth and Sarah disappeared. The three people on the porch watch as the glitter slowly floated to the wooden floor, before fading out of existence.

"Anyone want to change their bets?" asked Jaeme.

Mama Yana cackled and leaned forward upon her walking stick, reaching for the dice cup. "Samhain is starting to look like a safe bet."

"At this rate they'll do well to make it to Mea'nF'mhair," Jerra giggled, dropping several copper coins upon the pile on the table.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

"Wheeee!" Sarah giggled as the mists of the veils faded from the two of them, leaving them standing in the bower suite of the Goblin Castle. With one arm around her knees, holding Sarah over his shoulder, Jareth bent slightly and pulled the covers back on the bed.

Setting Sarah, on her feet, he smirked at the way she wobbled a bit, then sat heavily on the bed with a snort."Now are you going capable of getting yourself changed for bed, or shall I do it for you?"

"Hah! Bet you'd like an excuse to see me naked, Goblin Boy!" she giggled, then hopped up. Despite her inebriated state, she was remarkably fast. Before Jareth could turn back from the dresser with a nightgown for her, she had bolted for the bedroom door and was running down the hall. '

"Blasted wench," Jareth growled, dropping the nightgown on the bed and racing after her. The castle goblins in the hall, heavily inebriated themselves thanks to the effects of Goblin Ale, seemed to think nothing of Sarah and the King running down the hall.

"Oi…a footrace! Gooooooo SARAH GIIIIIRL!" shouted Smirt, slapping Burp's shoulder so hard the fat goblin fell over, rolling toward the King such a way that the King had no choice but to hurtle the rotund figure. The other goblins thought this was a most excellent addition to the footrace and began to hurl themselves at the King's feet as well.

"Enough!" roared the King, flinging both hands outward with a burst of golden light. The goblins in the hall disappeared with cackles and screams. "Sarah, stop!"

Still giggling, Sarah turned right, then left at the next intersecting halls, until she burst into the informal throne room. Usually overrun with goblins and chickens, the room was empty save for Alesander who was standing upon the balcony, watching the festivities in the Goblin City below. The sound of footfalls echoed down the hallway, making Sarah giggle and rush toward the throne. She gave a sharp squeal as a pair of strong hands grabbed her.

Throwing the wriggling woman over his shoulder, Jareth chuckled. Gotcha!"

"But I'm not tired," protested Sarah, kicking her feet and pounding her fists upon Jaeth's back. "Put me down! I'm the queen, I order you to put me down!"

"Oh ho…now you want to play at being queen just because it suits you. It doesn't work that way, little witch." Locking her legs securely against his chest with an arm tight behind her knees, Jareth turned to carry her out of the room, only to find Alesander leaning against the doorway of the balcony, watching the scene with a darkly amused grin.

"I see you've wasted no time in returning to the castle with your prize," Alesander remarked dryly.

Ignoring the way Sarah pounded on his back and attempted to kick him, Jareth gave his cousin a sly smirk. "Well, I'm not sure how much of a prize she is at the moment."

"Hey!" Sarah yelped, punctuating her words with a sharp smack to Jareth's bum, the sight of which made Alesander splutter in a stifled laugh. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here, ya big jerk!"

Jareth turned away from Alesander, so that Sarah was now facing him from her position upside down over his shoulder. "Sarah, this is Alesander, my chief advisor, castle steward and cousin. Cousin, this is Sarah Williams. Witch. Goblyn. And general pain in my a…."

Alesander's dark eyes sparkled with amusement as he looked at the woman, who was still poking Jareth's backside in a most undignified manner. "As charmed as I am to meet the new Harvest Maid, I have to enquire as to whether I should call a healer. She appears to be inebriated."

Sarah craned her head upward at an awkward angle and gave Alesander a vacant grin. Glancing from Sarah to Jareth, Alesander cocked an eyebrow questioningly at his King. Jareth merely shook his head, turning to face his cousin as Sarah started humming and poking his bum. Each time she poked him a jolt of energy surged between them, making her giggle and chirp 'zap!'.

"No…but she's 'high' as the humans would put it," Jareth replied, holding her legs firmly and moving toward the door of the throne room.

"I am not!" Sarah squirmed on his shoulder and slapped his bum harder.

Jareth reached up, slapping her sharply on the ass, a purring laugh rumbling in his chest. "Be still wench." Pouting now, Sarah wriggled on his shoulder, then gasped as he swatted her again "Don't argue, Sarah."

"But I'm not drunk or high or anything. I only had the wine that YOU fed me at dinner"

With a long-suffering sigh, Jareth sat down on the throne and pulled Sarah around until she was sitting next to him, his arm firmly around her waist. "Trust me Sarah…you are high, through no fault of your own. Have you tried drugs in the Above, pet?"

"Hah! What do you know about drugs, Goblin Boy?" she giggled, attempting to get away from him but was held in place by his arm.

Arching an eyebrow at her innocent question, Jareth gave her a wicked smirk, purring in her ear. "Darling, I lived in Soho for several years during the 70s…I'll warrant I know more than you do. Now answer the question…have you tried drugs?"

Ducking her head and giving a sheepish smile, Sarah giggled. "Well…um… some hash brownies in high school and half a joint at a party in college."

"Indeed…well, the amount of magic you've soaked up today has given you the equivalent magical buzz of eating or otherwise imbibing a kilo or more of hashish." Jareth had to bite back a laugh at the way Sarah gawped at him. "A magical high is similar to a drug-induced one, you get happy and hungry…"

"Oh…good idea…I'm starving…how do we get room service in this place….I could murder a bacon, pineapple and anchovy pizza," she moaned, managing to squirm away from Jareth and making him lean forward suddenly to grab her and haul her back to the throne.

A snort of laughter echoed in the room as Alesander watched the interaction with great amusement.

"But when it wears off, and it will wear off, Sarah..you will crash and crash hard."

"Meh…I feel great!" she retorted, poking the top of his ass and saying 'Boop' each time she did it.

"Not. One. Word, cousin," Jareth muttered, his eyes narrowing sternly upon his cousin, as he stood Sarah on her feet and rose, taking her hand. Sarah swayed a bit and blinked blearily at him, giving him a cheeky grin.

Unable to hold back any longer, Alesander chuckled helplessly, shaking his head as he watched. "I wouldn't dream of it, Sire. So shall I have the Queen's Chambers prepared…."

"How many times do I have to say it…I…AM…NOT…QUEEN…." Sarah protested, attempting to poke Jareth in the chest with her finger and missing.

Losing her balance, Sarah fell into Jareth's chest and made him grunt, while wrapping his arm around her to hold her up. "As the lady says, she isn't the queen, so prepare the concubine's chambers…."

"I'm not your damn concubine either, Mister Glitterpants…. Wait… you mean you actually have a room for your concubine?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling as she pouted. In the next instant she punched Jareth's chest, earning another startled grunt from the Monarch. "Well she's gonna have to go if I'm queen…I don't share," Sarah sniffled, her green-eyes shimmering with tears.

Biting his lip to keep from laughing further, Alesander cleared his throat. "Um…Sire…you don't have a concubine's quarters."

Sarah perked up hearing Alesander's words, a triumphant look on her face as she shrugged away from Jareth's arm and immediately wobbled on her feet. "hah! Knew it!"

"That's right, the concubine sleeps in my bed…with me…that will do…" Jareth purred, wrapping his arm around her once more to steady her.

Sarah slapped at his arm, jumping away from him with such force that she fell over the edge of the pit in front of the throne, only to land in a heap on the cushions that lay on the floor of the pit. "Hey…wait….no! Can't I sleep where I did last night?"

"I suppose…for tonight at least, until I can get a proper concubine's alcove added to my rooms," Jareth laughed, winking at Alesander while Sarah scowled up at him from the pit. Leaning over, he extended his gloved hand to her, "Come on, you can go to your rooms and get some rest."

"I'm telling you I'm not tired…I feel wide awake. Just hungry," she grumbled, ignoring his hand and throwing herself on her stomach along the edge of the pit, and struggling to get her leg over the edge. Grunting with the effort, she finally managed to get her legs up on the main part of the throne room and sit up, giving Jareth a cranky pout. "Am I a prisoner here?"

Trying to control his own laughter at Sarah's antics, Jareth shook his head. "Of course not, Sarah. You are still an honoured guest,"

"Good!" Without warning she hopped to her feet and ran for the door of the throne room that led to the main entry for the castle.

"Your rooms are not that way, Sarah!" Jareth called after her.

"I know…I'm going to the city. We passed a pub called "Kingy's Knickers' last night and I want to check it out."

Jareth's lips curled into a sultry smirk and he chuckled softly. "Precious, there is nothing to check out…I don't wear any."

"Huh, wha?" Sarah asked, struggling with the heavy door, the meaning of his words completely lost on her in her current state.

"Never mind, pet," Jareth laughed, crossing the room toward the door where she was pushing ineffectively upon it. "You aren't leaving and that is final. Believe me, it will be best if you are in bed when the magic wears off…"

"I'm not tiiiiired…"

"Blast it all, Sarah, why must it always be a fight with you?" he grumbled, his irritation getting the better of him. "Do I have to chain you to my bed to make sure you actually rest, wench?!"

"Oh…kinky!" Sarah giggled, finally grasping the handle of the door and giving a mighty jerk on it.

Jareth's tongue curled around his canines as he debated how best to answer. "You have no idea."

With a final yank on the door, Sarah squeaked in surprise when it opened at last. Ignoring Jareth she strutted into the outer hall, wobbling from one side of the hall to the other in her rush to get to the door leading to the castle forecourt. "Nah… I want some more dancing and ohh… a kebab, with a side of that yummy dipping stuff…and some fried potatoes…do you think the fried dough seller will be in the market square?" she babbled to herself as she went.

"Sharasa minu," Jareth muttered darkly, following the stoned woman into the hall, his boots clicking sharply on the stone floor. Before she reached the door, he reached out and grabbed her, spinning her back against his chest then deftly scooping her back into his arms.

"Hey! Put me down!"

Huffing under his breath, Jareth ignored her protests and tossed her over his shoulder with a great heave, the sound of Alesander's laugher echoing out of the throne room.

"So now what, cousin? Lock her in a dungeon to keep her out of trouble?" Alesander asked, his dark eyes shining with mirth as he watched Jareth try to keep control of the struggling woman.

"You can only put me in the dungeon if you bring that yummy crop…" giggled Sarah, returning to 'booping' Jareth's bum with each step that he took.

Pursing his lips at Alesander, while swatting Sarah's bum hard enough to make her gasp and squirm, Jareth sighed irritably. "The thought had occurred to me but…"

"Let me guess…you gave her an oath that you wouldn't do such a thing," cut in Alesander, quirking an eyebrow at his cousin the King.

"Something like that, yes…."

"Cousin… " began Alesander, only to be silenced by a dark look from Jareth.

"I know…I know….I give my oath too freely to women…." Jareth snapped, marching toward the stairs at the back of the throne room, determined to get Sarah safely tucked away for the night.

Laughing harder, Alesander followed Jareth toward the stairs. "No, Jareth, not 'women' in general – just that woman in particular."

As much as Jareth hated to admit it, Alesander was right.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

'Hmm… so warm and snuggly. Don't wanna get up but…gotta pee,' Sarah thought, snuggling down into the delicious soft cocoon of blankets that were wrapped around her. Groaning, she tried to ignore the insistent ache, but it was too much. With a tug, she pulled her arms out of the lovely warm blankets and gave a feline stretch of her arms and legs, only to moan as the room seemed to give a sudden lurch.

"Fuck…vertigo…." She gasped, burrowing her face back under the covers. The room felt as if it were swaying under her. Gingerly she tried to stretch again and found that there was something heavy and thick around her left ankle. Blinking, Sarah opened her eyes and yawned again as she stared at the ceiling of a bedroom. 'Something…is…different,' she mused, frowning curiously at the ceiling. After a moment of staring at the ceiling, she realized that the floral embroidered canopy was missing - she was not in the bower bedroom. Stretching out her arms, she realized that bed she was in was far larger that the one in the bower room and the ceiling was painted with the royal crest.

Confused now, she grunted slightly and worked to kick her foot free of the covers. Clank. Clink. Clank. Each kicking movement was met with the sound of soft metal.

Finally freeing herself from the blankets, she felt a slight breeze, sending goosebumps racing down her arms. Looking down she saw that she was wearing the simple, sleeveless linen underdress and nothing else. 'What the hell?!' she wondered, then noticed the padded leather cuff around her left ankle. Wriggling her foot, she watched a finely wrought silver chain bounce and clank against the side of the bed.

"What the fuck?" she muttered and rolled toward the edge of the bed. When her head started spinning and throbbing, Sarah moaned and grabbed her temples, shutting her eyes tight. Once her head stopped hurting, she carefully opened her eyes and glanced over the side of the bed, blinking stupidly at the sight which greeted her. On the floor next to the bed lay Jareth, stretched on his back on a thin pallet. Feeling heat rise to her cheeks, Sarah sucked on her lower lip as she took her time looking at him. He was shirtless, and had one arm thrown over his eyes, the other laying low across his stomach. Across his upper body, the lines of his king-making were barely visible, glowing soft orange in the early morning light. Wrapped low around his waist was a silken sheet, which did little to hide the solid ridge under his light linen sleeping trousers. Even under the sheet, she could see the sizeable girth and length, the sight sending heat to pool low in her belly.

She would have been happy to sit there and stare at him longer, but her bladder was being remarkably insistent. Biting her lip, she sat up and reached for the cuff to unfasten it, only to have the room spin horribly on her. As she leaned over to grab the cuff, her head buzzed and she fell off the bed – straight onto Jareth's chest.

Grunting, Jareth jumped under the onslaught, his eyes flying open in surprise as his arms automatically wrapped around the warm body now laying across his. Her hair was mussed over her face and the skirt of her dress was hiked up high upon her thighs, spilling over his legs. Jareth blinked twice, before registering fully what had transpired, looking down at the equally surprised face of Sarah, he smiled. "Precious, I believe when humans talk of 'jumping' someone, they typically mean the act of having sex, not actually jumping on them."

"I wasn't jumping you…you… glittery git…I was falling…" Sarah squirmed a bit as she tried to sit up, then froze as she felt the firm ridge of him 'twitch' against her inner thigh, an involuntary gasp bursting past her lips. Heat burned in her cheeks at the feeling of him. Ducking her head she placed her palms on his chest and pushed upward, shivering at the jolt of power that coursed through her from the touch.

"Well if you want to fall for me I have no objections," Jareth purred, turning onto his side and propping his head on his hand as he lightly teased his bare fingertips along the top of her thigh.

With a squeak Sarah grabbed the skirt of her dress and tugged it down, before tucking it under her knees until no flesh was showing below her waist. "I…wait…what…no! That isn't what I meant and you know it," she pouted, then glared at him as he continued to laugh. Growling she jabbed him sharply in the chest. "Care to explain how I ended up half dressed and chained to your bed?"

Still lounging on his side, Jareth chuckled as he watched her, his eyes crinkling upward with amusement. "Well I couldn't very well let you sleep in your overdress – you would have been far too warm. And even if I changed you into a nightdress using magic, you would have only accused me of being a cad and taking liberties. Quite frankly, I deserve a medal of honor for the trouble it took me to get your overdress off you in the first place."

"Oh, I was defending my virtue? Good! Serves you right!"

Quirking a steeply angled eyebrow, Jareth gave her a slow, sly smirk. "Not quite, darling. You were determined to head into the city to 'paint the town red' whatever that means."

Sarah nibbled her lip and tried to smooth her hair back from her face, giving him a sheepish look. "Oh…um…and the chain?"

"You are chained because every time I tucked you into the bed you groped my ass, made lewd suggestions about my other 'attributes' or tried to run out of the room to go into the city. It was either chain you to the blasted bed or lock you in the dungeon," Jareth laughed, sitting up and lounging against the side of the bed, leaning one arm lightly on his bent knee. "I assumed that you would be less angry waking safely in my bed, than in a dank dungeon."

"You're lying…I…I'd never..um..grope you…." She mumbled, hanging her head to avoid the amused grin from the Goblin King.

"Oh really? Do think hard, pet. What do you remember from last night?" Jareth purred, snapping his fingers. A delicate crystal appeared balanced on the tips of his fingers, showing images of her from the night before.

Sarah saw flashes of a world turned topsy turvy, with a close up view of Jareth's bum, fabric pulling tight over the firm curve of his buttocks. As she watched, she saw herself poking his bum and giggling 'boop' with each poke of her finger. Sarah groaned as she caught an image of her rolling over and trying to pin him on the bed, as she pinched his bum. "Oh my…I'm…sooooooo sorry! Did I kick you out of the bed for turning me down?"

Shaking his head, Jareth gave her a warm smile. "No, pet. I chose to sleep down here, it was safer."

"Safer?"

"Yes, Every time I got you tucked in and tried to lay on the bed, on top of the covers I might add, you would roll over and attempt to molest me." Seeing the dismayed look on her face, Jareth chuckled, his eyes flickering mischievously. "Well, your exact words were, 'I could ride you like a race horse. Giddyup horsey!'"

At that Sarah hid her face in her hands, then turned and crawled back up onto the bed, pulling the covers over her head until she was completely hidden. "Oh…Gods…I can't believe I did that. I'm soooooooo sorry."

Still laughing at her reaction, Jareth sat up next to the bed, sliding his hand under the covers to tickle her spine. "I decided the only way you'd believe I hadn't instigated something to break my oath would be if I slept on the floor." When she didn't move he poked her bum under the covers, making her squeak and scoot further away from him. "Hush, pet. I'm not upset. You were quite amusing for being stoned out of your mind. Although, we will have to take precautions for the other festivals. I can't have you getting a magical high and molesting my subjects. The repercussions for all of us could be disastrous."

A muffled groan came from under the covers.

"I suppose I could just commission a chastity belt for you," he teased, watching the brocade covered lump, as Sarah lifted the edge of the duvet enough to peek at him, her green eyes barely visible.

"That would keep you from getting in trouble too," she said. "Let's do it…"

Still chuckling Jareth stretched his arms above his head, causing his back to snap and crack – while knowing full well that Sarah was watching his every move. "You forget, little witch…my commission, I get the only key."

"Damn…" she muttered, her eyes glued to his bare chest as he got up and wandered toward the bathroom. From the view she got when he stood, he was wearing absolutely nothing under the thin sleeping pants and the ridge she had felt was far more prominent than she thought. From the bathroom the sound of water running filtered into the room. Blushing, she threw the covers up and sat up, then stood. Taking a step she froze as her foot landed in something squishy and cold.

"Arrgh…what the Hell is this?!" she yelped, looking down to see congealed cheese and soggy pizza crust squishing between her toes.

Peeking from the bathroom, Jareth laughed, while Sarah hopped on one foot, glaring from her foot to Jareth, then back again. "That would be the late-night snack that you insisted upon having or you wouldn't stay put. You made me take you to a place called 'Speedy's' and order that foul concoction, while some spotty-faced boy made ham-fisted passes at you and you 'flirted' with him. Then the loathsome boy had the temerity to suggest that I was your father!" Leaning against the door of the bathroom Jareth gave her a wicked grin. "You, my little vixen even gave him your 'number' apparently."

Sarah groaned and hung her head, her foot still held in the air as she looked around for something to wipe the cheese and sauce from it. "Did…did that void the contract?"

Watching her wobble a bit, Jareth snapped his fingers and the pizza box disappeared. "No, pet. Since I was with you and you were clearly not fully responsible for your actions, your honor and the contract are safe." Walking over to her, he unfastened the ankle cuff, smiling at the stunned look on her face when they simply vanished. Then without a word he picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the bathroom.

"Um…what are you doing?"

"You need a bath given that you're filthy from dancing for hours last night. You also reek of garlic and now have that 'pizza' stuff on your foot. I'm not letting you walk through my chambers smearing that foul stuff everywhere," he said, nudging the bathroom door open with his hip.

Inside the room, the bath is full of steaming water, with a sweetly floral scented oil seeming to float upon the surface. Seeing the prepared bath, Sarah tensed up. 'Shit…is he expecting to bathe with me?!' she wondered, frantically looking around.

Sensing her fear, Jareth set her on the counter of the sink and wet a washcloth. "Relax, Sarah. I am only carrying you in here. I have no intention of bathing you myself – not today, at least," he purred, as he gently cleaned the pizza off her feet, before dropping the dirty cloth in a bin by the door. "Now it is time for you to have a bath and eat before you are due to meet Sir Didymus to discuss the legal arrangements."

Sarah nodded and hopped off the counter and walking toward the waiting bath, while tugging to loosen the laces of her underdress. Stopping in front of the tub she turned to face him. "Um… you are going to leave aren't you? I'm not bathing with you watching me. Marriage contract or no!"

Jareth's lips curled in a sly smirk. "No, I am not leaving…this is my bathroom, it is you who is going to leave."

In the space of a heartbeat, he tossed a crystal at her feet and she vanished, appearing with a loud splash, naked in a deep copper bath tub. Blinking she pushed wet hair from face as a Goblyn woman poked her head into the bathroom.

"Oh my…I'm sorry…I didn't know this was your room…." Sarah stammered, shrinking down into the water. "I was with Jar…the Goblin King and…he sent me for a bath and…I guess…he…well..missed."

The Goblyn woman gave her a confused look, then laughed. "The King never misses, m'Lady Sarah."

"Um… so… not to be rude or anything, but where am I and who are you?" Blinking as water dripped into her eyes, Sarah regarded the woman. She had light brown skin, which seemed to be dotted with deep orange 'freckles'. In her arms she held what appeared to be a dressing gown, which was looped around her arm preventing it from dragging on the floor since she was far shorter than any of the Goblyn women Sarah had met earlier.

"This is the Queen's chambers and I'm Lorana, His Majesty sent for me last night to act as your Lady's Maid when you are visiting us. I prepared the bath for you just a few minutes ago after receiving word that you would be arriving – although I rather thought you'd arrive through the door."

Giving the woman a sheepish grin, Sarah nodded. "I think I would've preferred that too. The King just had other ideas."

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

Although the last day had been surprising and far more eventful than he expected, Jareth was inordinately pleased with how things had turned out. True, he still needed to sort out how to punish Sarah and Jerra in a suitable manner that would show he was not being 'soft' on them, but wouldn't result in a lynch mob of subjects coming to Sarah's defense.

Smiling to himself, Jareth picked up the fine porcelain cup and sipped the deep green liquid within, purring at the heady aroma of exotic spices, which only accented the slightly bitter taste of the Hanarush – an Elvish specialty that was similar to Turkish coffee in taste, but more heavily spiced. After the events of the last day, he really needed the extra 'pick-me-up' of the Hanarush this morning.

Jareth hummed quietly to himself as he put down the cup, then picked up a bit of toast in one hand, and a recent inter-kingdom trade request in the other. For two days his thoughts had been on the festival, leaving the running of the kingdom to Alesander, but now that the dark of the moon was coming, it was time to get back to work. He had no sooner signed one missive and finished half a slice of toast slathered with peach marmalade, when his study door burst open, banging loudly against the wall.

"You lousy cheat! You did it on purpose!" Hoggle shouted, storming into the room. His face was red as if he had run the whole way to Jareth's study from the front entry of the castle. "I shoulda known you'd do something like this!"

Arching an eyebrow, Jareth's eyes darkened as they narrowed on the agitated dwarf. "Like what, Hedgewart?" he asked coolly, picking up his fork and spearing a bite of the bacon on his plate.

Hoggle slammed his pudgy fist down on the front of Jareth's desk, making the cutlery chime against the fine porcelain of the plates. "Ya tricked Sarah! Ya crowned her on purpose!"

At Hoggle's claim, Jareth lay aside his fork and glared at the dwarf. "Watch it Hogsbreath!" Jareth growled, his tone icy. "Do I need to remind you just whom you are speaking to in such a manner?"

Hoggle huffed and leaned close to the desk, his beady eyes meeting Jareth's look with a challenge all their own. "Ah know exactly who I'm talking to…Ah'm talking to the rat that tricked Sarah into marrying 'im. That's who!"

"Is that all?" Jareth shrugged, seeming to dismiss the claim as he picked his fork back up and resumed eating.

Hoggle blinked, confusion etched on his face at the King's reply. "Is that all?! Is that all?! Isn't it enough?" he demanded, pacing in front of the desk, his worn shoes leaving smudges of dirt on the floor of Jareth's study.

"As usual, Hogsbum you have the events correct, but your facts are erroneous. I did crown her as the Harvest Maid, but as per the ritual, I was blindfolded and unaware of who was being crowned." Jareth smeared another slice of toast with more of the peach marmalade and bit into it, returning his attention to the papers on his desk as if that were the end of the matter.

"Bah! Why don't you admit that you tricked her into joining the circle and you cheated to crown her and bind her to you," Hoggle roared, his face a shocking shade of puce.

"I won't admit it because I did nothing of the sort. As is usual for Sarah, she jumped into the circle without stopping to consider the consequences of her actions. A rather unfortunate habit of our dear Queen."

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!"

Jareth quirked an eyebrow at the angry dwarf, his lips curling in a malicious sneer. "Funny, that is exactly what Sarah said last night as I was putting her into my bed. Although she eventually came around to like the idea of the title."

In a show of anger unprecedented for the cowardly dwarf, Hoggle rushed the desk, frantically reaching over it as if to grab the Goblin King. "Why you lousy, no good, cheating bugbladder bogbeast!"

"Sit DOWN!" Jareth roared, his pale eyes nearly black now. A nearby chair slid forcefully across the stone floor and knocked into the back of Hoggle's little legs, forcing him to sit.

The furious dwarf struggled against the chair, but found that he couldn't move. He opened his mouth and shouted curses at the King, only to find that his voice was now gone.

Jareth snapped his fingers and the remains of his breakfast tray disappeared, then fixed dwarf with a deadly glare. "Let me enlighten you about a few things, Higgle. Sarah entered the magical circle of her own free will. I was already doing my part of the ritual when she joined. Not only that, but there is one thing that absolves me from any guilt in this matter whatsoever – when I began the dance I was under the impression she was Lady Charlotte, a simple mortal hedgewitch from the Above. It wasn't until after she was crowned that whatever glamour she used to hide from me failed, allowing me to see the truth of her identity."

At the King's words, Hoggle's struggled slowed, then stopped. Jareth nodded and waved his hand in Hoggle's direction. Gulping Hoggle rubbed his chin and looked thoughtfully at the floor, before finally looking up at his King.

"Yer…yer not just sayin that?"

"Believe me, Higsbum, if I had known I would have made sure she knew just what it would mean to dance in the circle," Jareth sighed, sitting back in his desk chair.

"Well, she didn't know what it meant. Can't ya just choose another Harvest Maid?" Hoggle grumbled, feeling his stomach lurch at the thought that Sarah was now stuck with the rat for at least a year. He was sure Jareth would use the situation to take advantage of Sarah, if he hadn't already.

Jareth shook his head, his eyes fading to their usual pale blue. "Impossible. To do so would default on my oath to the Labyrinth. Do you remember what the kingdom was like before I took over?" he asked, his voice quiet and pensive.

Hoggle nodded. He had been but a wee child at the time, but he remembered the Great Famine and plagues that wiped out the rest of his clan, leaving him foraging for grasses in the desert of the Outlands – a place no dwarf should ever be, much less a child.

"Well, the magic has chosen Sarah as the Harvest Maid. If either she or I try to change that, it means the return of famine, plagues and chaos. Do you really want Sarah to be responsible for the destruction of the kingdom?"

Hanging his head, Hoggle muttered, "Well…no…o'course not. She…she's not like that. She's kind. She cares for us."

"Exactly, Hoggle. Which is why it would make far more sense for you to work with me to show Sarah the beauty of this kingdom, so that she will decide to stay with….us…. forever," Jareth said.

Hoggle's lips worked soundlessly as he argued with himself. While he wanted Sarah to remain, the knowledge that to do so she'd almost certainly wind up married to the rat didn't allow him to rest easy.

"We have a year to show her the possibilities of this land and her people, Hoggle. If she stays at the end of that time, it will be Sarah's decision and solely hers. She will choose whether to stay and what role to take if she does stay. I will not interfere in those decisions, but that won't keep me from trying to show her what life could be like if she did stay."

A pair of beady black eyes watched the King, "Well…what can I do? I'm just a dwarf? I run around trying to keep the castle horde from destroying the place."

"I suggest you put them to work preparing the Queen's Gardens for planting," Jareth suggested, picking up a scroll and unrolling it upon the desk between the two of them. "I've had the Elven gardener of Avalon draw up the plans, and two of his apprentices are in the Above as we speak, gathering the seedlings."

Hoggle leaned over the desk, peering at the carefully drawn out plans. "It's nice and all, but how is that gonna help Sarah want to stay?"

"Because Hoggle, you are going to give her what a hedgewitch needs – her own magical herb garden."

Frowning thoughtfully, Hoggle shook his head. "I dunno, yer Majesty. Doesn't seem like enough to make her want to stay."

"It's a start, Hogsbottom. It's a start," replied the King, staring out the balcony window, his eyes barely registering the way the Labyrinth shifted and changed at will below.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

While Jareth was being screamed at by an irate dwarf, Sarah was busy being 'mother-henned' by an elderly fox-goblin.

The reunion with Sir Didymus was a happy one. A goblin announced him and led him into the sitting room of the Queen's Chambers. With a flourish he swept his hat from his head and bowed low, leaning heavily on his staff.

"M'Lady Sarah, you have no idea how pleased I was to hear that you are safe and well," he said, giving her a furry smile, before being enveloped in a tight hug from the young mortal.

Within minutes the two of them were settled at a small café table on the balcony, a meal fit for a Queen filling the table. As Sarah ate a hearty breakfast, Sir Didymus went over the finer points of the marriage contract with her. All in all, it wasn't as complex as she had expected, even though Sarah was not entirely convinced that she wasn't somehow duped into things in the first place.

At 1 in the afternoon, Alesander arrived and led them through the twisting halls of the castle to the King's study to complete the negotiations.

"Why must we go through all of this," Sarah grumbled to Alesander. "I thought the King and I sealed the contract last night when we…"

"When you what?" Alesander inquired, giving her an amused look over his shoulder, his dark eyes flashing brightly.

"Um…nothing…" Sarah's gaze dropped to the floor, following the tall hobgoblin's feet as he led her along.

Alesander gave her one last knowing look, before turning down another hall. At the end of the hall is a heavy door. Simple bands of copper wrap the top and bottom of the word door. Sarah frowned and stoppped in the middle of the hall, eyeing the door warily. "What is that, a dungeon door?"

Chuckling, Alesander shook his head, "Lady Sarah, we have been going 'up' in the castle, in case you hadn't noticed. We are currently far above the Labyrinth."

Still frowning, Sarah glared openly at the door now, her green eyes flashing. "So what? A torture chamber?"

"Only for His Majesty," Alesander said with a cryptic laugh, pushing the door open.

Inside the open door Sarah saw shelves of papers and books. Slowly she moved forward before stepping through the door. Three walls were lined with shelves and 'old-fashioned' document drawers, with papers and books covering every surface until it looked like an explosion of paper was imminent. In front of the large balcony doors, was a massive wooden desk, the top of which was covered in more papers. Jareth was sitting at the desk, a quill in hand as he spoke to two Elven advisors about a scroll in front of him. His tone was curt and brusque as he greeted them.

"Please be seated. I'm just wrapping up a few things to make arrangements for today's court session."

Alesander led Sarah and Sir Didymus to a large table, which remarkably was free of papers. Still wondering at the detatched and somewhat cold tone of his 'order', Sarah gingerly sat in one of the padded chairs, her hands folded in her lap. 'It's like being sent to the principal's office,' she mused, only vaguely aware of Sir Didymus settling in the chair next to her, twirling one side of his mustache in one paw.

The steady ticking of the clock and the murmuring of the advisors with the king continued. Trying not to fidget in her chair, Sarah tried to fight the feeling that she had done something horribly wrong. Jareth ignored her, continuing to talk quietly to his advisors and sign paperwork, while leaving her to sit – silent and still at the table. Nearly an hour after Sarah and Sir Didymus had entered the study, the advisors bowed and took their leave. Dropping his quill on the desk, Jareth rose and took a seat at the opposite end of the table, with Alesander on his right. He snapped his fingers and a formal document appeared on the table in front of him, alongside a quill in a holder with a pot of ink. He surveyed the document a moment, before looking up at Sarah.

"You've looked at the contract and discussed it with Didymus? Any questions or items you would like to address?"

'Why is he being so cold and officious?!' she wondered. Swallowing heavily, Sarah nodded, her hands tightening in her lap. "I…I…um just wanted to hear it from you that I don't have to stay here…"

Jareth's face fell momentarily at that, before shifting back to the aloof neutrality he had been showing. "No, Sarah. You don't have to stay here. At a minimum you must be here for the three-day festivals that span each of the eight major holidays. That said, the Queen's chambers will be made available for your use whenever you want to visit – even if there was no festival and you only wanted someplace to escape to."

Silently, Sarah nodded, her tone measured and formal just like his had been. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I appreciate the generosity."

"However, as you plan on remaining Above unless you are required to be here, I should like to send a squad of the Goblyn army to protect you…" Jareth said, only to be cut off by Sarah, her green eyes narrowing on him.

"Protect me from what? The jerk next door who lets his dog poop in my yard? Ja…Your Majesty. I don't need protecting. My home is perfectly safe."

"Why must you defy me at every turn, Sarah? It is a perfectly reasonable request," grumbled Jareth, huffing as he ran a hand through his hair. "You are technically my wife and consort, I must ensure your safety and that you are adequately cared for or I am not fulfilling my part of the contract."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Sarah frowned at him, shaking her head. "No goblins lurking about. Find another way."

Growling he huffed, his pale eyes darkening. "Fine. I want to inspect your lodging personally to determine what protections I can provide for you that will not require goblin bodyguards. Is that acceptable?"

Sarah nibbled her bottom lip for a moment and looked at the table top, her expression pensive. After several moments, she look up at him once more and nodded.

"This means however, if I equip you with protective items that you are supposed to have on you at all times, then you must abide by that," he added, arching an eyebrow as waited for her to object once more. Surprisingly, she didn't.

"Fine. You can check out my house – but you do not have permission to go poking around in all of my things."

"Fine," he snapped back, then his lips curled in a mischievous smirk. "Now, to the matter of intimacy…"

"What?!" Sarah squeaked, her eyes wide as Sir Didymus's whiskers twitched nervously.

Tugging at his mustache, Sir Didymus ducked his head, unable to look at his King. "Um… I am sorry, Sire, but we…well what I mean to say is…um… Lady Sarah did not wish to discuss such personal things with me."

Jareth glared at Sir Didymus in disbelief, his lips pursed in a stern line. "You've had eight kits, Didymus. You are well-versed in the pleasures of the flesh and you let her get away with such timidity?"

Sir Didymus coughed softly, and shook his head. "Well…yes… I suppose, Sire. But I did not wish to make my Lady uncomfortable."

Turning his attention back to Sarah, Jareth's lips quirked in a sly smile. "You didn't seem so reticent and shy about such things last night when you were slapping my bum and suggesting that you'd like to see just what my trousers hinted at."

Sarah's cheeks flushed crimson at Jareth's teasing, while Alesander made a quiet choking sound and rushed out onto the balcony. From the balcony door, the faint sound of chuckling could be heard. Alesander tries to keep a straight face, but fails, standing up and walking out on the balcony as he chuckles. Sarah flushes crimson and hangs her head.

Hanging her head, Sarah muttered, "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"No," the Goblin King laughed, his eyes sparkling wickedly. "Now then…intimacy. Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No…but I fail to see what that has do with things! I've been too busy to date!" Sarah grumbled, staring resolutely at the table top rather than face the laughter in Jareth's eyes a second longer.

"Good…that simplifies things."

"What? How?" she asked, her nose wrinkling as she tried to follow the logic.

"It is quite simple really, Sarah. If you had a boyfriend you wouldn't be able to keep him and still abide by the terms of the magical contract, so you would've had to break up with him. Far better not to have to deal with that at all," Jareth said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "When was the last time you were 'intimate' with someone, and our 'intimacies' of last night don't count."

Sarah's face burned hotly again, as she frantically looked at Sir Didymus who coughed and looked uncomfortable by the whole discussion."We didn't DO anything! It was only some kissing, I swear!"

"You're the King's consort…it is no business of mine if you did, m'Lady," Sir Didymus mumbled, wishing that he was still in his quiet bog, or anywhere but where he was.

Laughing merrily, Jareth grinned at the embarrassed Sarah and the clearly uncomfortable fox-goblin. "Come come, Sarah Precious…we did go for a lovely roll in the hay…."

"No. We didn't! It was in the barn…But we were actually just rolling down the ramps of fresh hay!" she protested with an outraged squeak.

Tapping his quill upon the papers in front of him, Jareth's mirth died down. "Sarah, the question…."

"Huh…what…Um… I don't know, I went on a date a month ago…it was horrible, but I did kiss him, I suppose."

Jareth smirked, is eyes glittering darkly at her. "Pet, I don't care about kissing. I need to know if you took him to your bed or joined him in his. In other words, is there any chance that you might be with child?"

Sarah felt her cheeks stinging with heat as she glared at Jareth, his cheeky grin grating upon her already frazzled nerves. "What kind of woman do you think I am?!"

"Goblyn of course, hence the question," he quipped, then tilted his head, watching he reaction intently. "Am I to take your indignation to mean that there is no chance of such a thing?"

Shaking her head miserably, Sarah sighed, her shoulders hunching. "No… I'm most definitely not pregnant."

"Ahh…that is fortuitous as well. So that there will be no need for either of us to renege on the contract. Do you have any last minute questions or concerns regarding the contract?" Jareth watched as Sarah sucked on her lower lip in a way that made him want to do it for her. Even in the short time he had been around her he knew that meant she was thinking deep thoughts.

"And what about sex?" she finally asked, her words making Sir Didymus cough so violently he got up and rushed out onto the balcony, leaving the King and his consort in the study by themselves.

"What about it? I'm wholly in favor of it on principle," the Goblin King chuckled, giving Sarah a lecherous smirk and waggling his eyebrows.

Sarah pursed her lips firmly, trying to remain angry at him, but failing in the face of the ridiculous wiggling of his eyebrows on the over-the-top attempt at a smouldering look that he gave her. Giggling, she shook her head. "You know what I mean, Goblin King."

Smiling warmly at her, Jareth nodded. "Yes, Sarah. I do know what you mean and my oath to Lady Charlotte still holds – I will not abuse your trust in me in that way. If you seek intimacy, it will be on your own terms. I am content to wait…although my Goblyn side would have claimed you last night if I'd let it."

Sarah felt her face burn once more. 'Damnit…will I never stop blushing around him?!' she thought irritably.

"Okay then, I agree formally to the contract," she said, watching Jareth sign the document with a flourish, before handing her the quill and the scroll. Taking a deep breath she dipped the quill in the ink and signed her name – wondering at the sudden feeling that she was signing away her first born or something equally binding.

"Excellent," purred the Goblin King, his eyes dark and sultry as he smiled at her. "Now then…let's discuss the matter of punishment."

"Punishment?" she murmured, cringing at the breathless sound in her voice, while her heart raced.

"Now now, darling…. While I'm quite sure you'd like my crop applied to your delightful bum, that is not the punishment I was referring to," he chuckled, his grin broadening at the way the pink flush of her face extended downward over the top of her breasts. He curled his tongue around the points of his teeth as he watched her. "There is still the rather significant detail regarding Lady Charlotte's extremely public lie to the Crown and the people of the Goblin Kingdom."

Gulping, Sarah winced. "I don't suppose you could just chalk it up to girlish stupidity?"

"I could… but where would the fun be in that."

At the mention of fun, Sarah sucked on, her lower lip, biting it lightly as she considered her options then she looked up, her green eyes glowing briefly. With hooded eyes and a seductive purr, she batted her eyelids at him. "Well, you could punish me privately and tell the Court all is forgiven."

Jareth's eyebrows shot up briefly at her bold words, then his lips curled in a devilish smirk. "I think we can come to an…agreement… that would be mutually appealing, darling."

Seeing the positively hungry look in her eyes, Sarah had to wonder if her mouth had just written a check that her ass wasn't ready to cash.

Translations:

Sharasa minu: (Goblyn) roughly translates to 'Bloody hell!'.

As always, please review :))