Wheel of Time

Ordinarily, after the fifth set of petitioners who wanted the Goblin King to arbitrate a 'chook dispute', Jareth would have stood up, roared that he would bog the next person who brought forth a complaint regarding a chicken – which would then clear the court of all frivolous goblin suits, leaving only those petitioners who truly needed the adjudication of the King.

But today was different.

After the unexpected twist that came with the festival weekend, and the fact that he got to spend not one, but two nights with Sarah in his bed, the Goblin King was in a fine mood and more than willing to let the goblins prattle on about their beloved chickens. Unfortunately for Alesander, he was so engrossed in thinking through the events of the weekend that he had ceased to give any thought to the Goblin Court Petitioners who were patiently (for the most part) awaiting his judgement.

"Mah chook…she's a gud'un, Sire. And Goblet wanna steal 'er for 'er stew pot!" declared the small goblin standing in front of the throne wearing a colander for a helmet.

"LIES!" shouted the rotund goblin woman next to him, before belting him firmly upside the head with a wooden rolling pin. "She was my best layer and he took her!"

Alesander looked at Jareth who was idly rolling a crystal across his leather clad fingers, only to pause its movement and glance into it, a sly smile curling the corner of his mouth. Without seeing the image, Alesander knew exactly what – or rather who, his King was looking at.

Sarah.

"Sire…" he murmured, leaning closer to throne in a bid to get the King's attention. "Could you bellow at the little cretins and clear the court so we can get on with this?"

Blinking, Jareth looked up and finally seemed to notice the citizens crowded into the room, many holding bags, baskets or cages with chickens in them. He glared at the goblins in front of him, then waved his hand toward Alesander.

"Goblet, see the Court Advisor after court and he will see to it that you get a hen from the castle hen house, to replace the one that Skunksnot took." Narrowing his gaze on the goblin wearing the colander, he growled. "And you, if I catch so much as a hint of you thieving chickens or anything else, I will set you to work scrubbing the bog with a pixie's hairbrush!"

Skunksnot cringed and nodded so furiously that the colander rolled off his head with a loud clang, then thumped and clattered as it fell down the steps leading away from the throne.

"Now then, is there anyone in here who has a case for me that does not concern chickens – dead or alive?"

When no one raised their hands or stepped forward, Jareth rolled his eyes and bellowed so loud the room shook. "THEN GET OUT!"

A casual observer might be forgiven for thinking that the goblins were foolish for giggling as they scampered from the throne room. Considering the way the room shook with the angry roar of the King, one might assume that the assembled goblins holding chickens were running for their lives, but as with most things in the Labyrinth, looks are often deceiving.

With an irritated sigh, Alesander closed the outer door to the throne room with a wave of his hand. "Wouldn't it be simpler to just outlaw bringing chickens and cases involving chickens before the Crown, Sire?"

Jareth stretched across the throne, lazily kicking one leg over the curved arm and balancing a single crystal on the tips of his fingers. Ignoring the crystal, he glanced at his cousin and laughed. "Why? The goblins take bets on when I'll get fed up with them and kick them all out. Why should I deprive them of a bit of amusement that doesn't harm anyone?"

Grumbling under his breath, Alesander checked his watch, then the scroll of items that needed done before answering. "While it may not harm anyone, it certainly does waste time that could be far more productive on other things."

"True, but where is the fun in that?" Jareth chuckled, flicking the crystal into the air and smiling as it vanished. "Fine. You go do the oh-so-important court business of the running the kingdom. I have an important task of my own that can't wait a moment longer and will keep me away from the castle until dinnertime at the very least."

Alensander blinked from his list to the king, shaking his head. "But…I have nothing of the sort on the list that is that so as to take you away for the better part of the day, Sire?"

Waving off Alesander's protestations, Jareth rose and snapped his fingers. His lips curled in a self-satisfied smile as he felt his body wrapped tightly in the Goblin Regalia, the dragonhide leather and elvish diamonique armor creaking slightly as he moved. "It isn't on your list, man. It's on mine," he replied coolly. Sauntering toward the hidden exit of the room that led to his tower, the Goblin King paused to give his cousin a wicked grin. "As our Harvest Maiden requested, I have left her alone for 'at least' 48 hours as of…." he said, flicking his hand toward the thirteen-hour clock on the wall. "As of now. So I shall do the 'honourable' thing and make myself available to her."

Shaking his head, Alesander tucked his scroll of items to be done away in his robes. "If you crowd her, you'll push her away, cousin."

"I don't intend to crowd her – I merely want to check up on her. She didn't want goblins standing watch over her and refused to allow me to use crystals to check upon her safety, so she had no choice but to agree to allowing me to drop in unannounced," Jareth chuckled. Pulling a shimmering crystal from the air, he gave his cousin and sly wink, then dropped it at his feet, disappearing in a haze of faintly glittering purple flecks.

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

As the mists enveloped him, Jareth shut his eyes willing them to deliver him to Sarah. When he felt the mists recede from his mind and body, he opened his eyes, only to frown at finding himself in the workroom of Sarah's cottage, with no Sarah in sight. Glancing around, his frown deepened and a wave of trepidation washed through him. It was well into evening in the Above, and judging from the deepening gloom of the room, the sun had been at rest for some time. Yet within the workroom, the lights were unlit and the fire was dark. The room itself was stifling, as was to be expected during the late summer.

Jareth moved toward the large marble counter where Sarah worked and shook his head at the neat rows of pouches, poppets and jars waiting to be labeled.

"Blasted woman. She promised she would rest until I visited her again," he grumbled, taking in the items scattered across the workbench surface. Sitting upon a worktop brazier was a small copper cauldron, the contents still faintly steaming, giving off wisps of mint and rose. 'She would never leave work unfinished,' insisted his inner-self, as his feeling of disquiet grew further at sight of bottles carelessly spilled on their sides, their contents pooling on the worktop and dripping down the far side of the workbench. "Sarah?" he called, his features narrowing. His owl-form crept forward in his mind. In the gloom of the room his eyes shifted until they glowed a deep-amber, as his senses sharpened.

Hearing a movement from the other side of the bench, a low growl rumbled in his chest. Unbidden, a viciously sharp Elven blade appeared in his gloved hand. Years of training coursed through him, his head tilted owlishly, listening for the sound. Droppining his center of balance, Jareth crept toward the other side of the workbench, only to groan at what he saw.

"Sarah!" he gasped. His blade vanished in an instant, as Jareth dropped to his knees beside the prone form. Sprawled on her stomach on the stone floor of the workroom, Sarah's hair pooled darkly under her cheek. For a brief instant Jareth saw the dark tresses as blood and felt ice rush through his veins, until she moved, reassuring him that she was still amongst the living.

Torn between anger at her refusal to obey even a simple command and relief that she was still alive, he scooped her into his lap, cradling her gently. "Granisha Garran, Sarah," he cursed, brushing hair back from her face. A coil of fear settled around his spine at how pale she looked. "You promised you would rest until I came back. I warned you that the magical crash was coming and you shouldn't be expending your own power, just now."

Moaning softly, Sarah cracked her eyes and blinked blearily at him. Her head lolled to the side as she tried to find the energy to sit up – and failed. "I had orders to fill," she rasped softly, her voice like leaves rustling along the forest floor. "They won't make themselves…."

When her eyes fell shut with the sheer effort of speaking, Jareth let a low growl rumble from deep in his chest. "Blast it all, Sarah! The orders were for my… our…citizens. They would be horrified that their queen made herself ill over something so trivial." Shaking his head, he rose and began to carry her toward the main part of the cottage, momentarily glad that he had insisted she show him around when he returned her home following the closing court for Lughnasah.

Feeling the world bob and sway, Sarah groaned, her face pinching at the sudden wave of vertigo which crashed over her. "Where are you taking me," she mumbled, her head heavy against his shoulder despite the fact that she willed herself to lift it – a request her body was categorically ignoring.

"I'm putting you to bed, which is where I told you to be when I left you two days ago," he snapped, then sighed at the pained expression that creased her brow.

"Don't shout," she whispered, her voice becoming a quiet whimper.

Jareth sighed, his voice softening even as his hold on her tightened. "I'm not, Precious. Your senses will be tender with the magical drop. So I am putting you into bed…which is where you should have been already, silly woman." Glancing down at her face, Jareth's lips twisted into a smile at the petulant pull of her lips, her lovely face creased into a frown. "And don't think about getting out of that bed until I say you can, witch," he added, with a sly smile.

Sarah cracked an eyelid, a green eye narrowing suspiciously at him. "Can you read minds? I didn't know Fae could do that."

With a throaty laugh, Jareth snapped his fingers toward Sarah's bed as he entered the room. The blankets slid back, folding themselves neatly over the rolled wooden footboard. "Fae can't, but I can read that devious, Goblyn-wench mind of yours." Jareth gently laid her on the bed, glad when she didn't fight to get up and merely relaxed against the thick nest of pillows he conjured for her.

Sarah sighed, her eyes drifting shut as she relished the softness that cradled her. After nearly a day of laying on the cold stones of the workroom floor, her own bed was heavenly, even if that meant she had to endure the grumbled commands of the Goblin King. "What're you gonna do to keep me here, Goblin King," she grumbled, turning to fluff up a pillow before collapsing on several of them with a weary groan. "Station half the army at the foot of my bed?"

"Hah! As if I'd let those cretins into the queens' bedroom!"

Jareth dropped a crystal in Sarah's lap, relishing the startled gasp she gave when her worn t-shirt and jean shorts disappeared, replaced with a fine linen nightgown trimmed with fairy lace. "And no, if anyone is going to keep the queen in bed, it is the King," he purred, tucking her firmly under the covers.

Pouting fully now, Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed at him. "You have no right to treat me like a child."

Jareth bit back a laugh at the childish tantrum she was on the verge of throwing. "I have the authority on several fronts, Precious. First, I am King and as the Queen, you fall under my rule just like any other citizen of the Labyrinth. Secondly, I am King and you are my Queen, so I have the right to send you to bed should it be to protect you."

"We aren't married," Sarah grumbled, knowing that as far as arguments and protestations went, this one was about as weak as they came.

Jareth arched an eyebrow at her and gave her a supercilious smirk. "Really, Sarah? We've been over this. You are my wife by the right of the festival. You will remain my wife until Lughnasah next year. So the sooner you get used to it, the better – for both of us."

Sighing Sarah reached out and pulled her favourite stuffed sheepdog into her arms, petting his threadbare fur. Silently she watched Jareth spin a crystal from the air, letting it dance effortlessly over his fingertips before depositing it on the nightstand, where it transformed into a silver tray. On the tray sat a huge mug curling with tendrils of steam, alongside a covered plate.

"I won't bother asking whether you've eaten today, since you were wearing the same clothing you had on two days ago when I dropped you home," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Astute observation, Sherlock," Sarah muttered, desperately trying to remain angry at him for meddling and bossing her around, but finding it increasingly difficult to remain awake, much less irritated at him for caring about her well-being. She had dated frequently over the years, but she couldn't remember one person outside of her father or Karen who had ever taken care of her when she was sick – Jareth was the first.

Ignoring her comment, Jareth reached over and picked up the steaming mug and a spoon, then sat next to her on the bed, his armor shimmering briefly before being replaced with simple grey breeches and a loose shirt. Sarah marveled briefly at the golden badge of office hanging upon his chest, then her attention was drawn to the spoon that he held in bare hands. The lines of king-making were clearly visible, twisting from his palm up to his wrist before disappearing under the black silk, only to reappear on his chest when he moved his arm, the deep neckline of the shirt revealing tantalizing glimpses of his bare flesh.

Jareth dipped the spoon in the hot soup and held it to her lips. "Now…surprise me for once and obey me, hmm? Eat."

Shocked by the gentle gesture, even if it was accompanied by a clear command of the King, Sarah opened her mouth and took the bite. She wasn't sure what she expected, but heavenly chicken stew was certainly not at the top of her list of possibilities. Swallowing the bite, she raised her hand to stop him, as Jareth lifted another bite to her lips. "Why are you doing this, Jareth?"

With a tilt of his head, he regarded her quietly a moment, then smiled, his crystalline eyes glittering softly beneath the steeply arched eyebrows. "Humans aren't the only people whose marriage vows include 'in sickness and in health'."

Still marveling at that revelation, Sarah lowered her hand and obediently took the mouthful he offered her. After several more bites, she chuckled. "Are you planning to spoon feed me the whole meal?"

"Certainly not. I'll use a fork for the pot roast."

Rolling her eyes, Sarah tried to take the spoon from his fingers. "I can feed myself, thank you very much."

Jareth chuckled, moving the spoon and mug out of her reach. "The fact that you can is not in question, Precious."

Huffing again, Sarah flopped back against her pillows. "So why are you insisting on doing it? Surely the mighty Goblin King has more important things to do that play nursemaid to a human."

His eyes narrowed seriously upon her as he shook his head. "Nothing… and I do mean nothing is more important than the health of the queen, Sarah. The King may be the head of the kingdom, but the Queen is its heart. It cannot truly live without her." When she hung her head at the somber timbre of his voice, Jareth set the mug and spoon aside. Reaching over, he gently slid his fingers along her jaw, then tilted her face upward to look at him once more. "You are the heart, Sarah. Even if only for this year. You are the heart of the kingdom, and as such, it is my duty to protect you – even from yourself."

Sarah nodded silently as Jareth picked up the mug and spoon once more, only frown in confusion when he winked at her.

"Besides, it pleases me to feed you. I can't wait to feed you dessert," he added with a devious grin.

Sarah eyed him warily. "What is it?"

"Peach cobbler."

"Jareth…you're an ass," Sarah giggled, while Jareth smirked at her.

"Perhaps, but according to you I am apparently 'One fiiiiiine piece of ass'."

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

True to his word, Jareth insisted upon feeding her every bite of her meal – even the peach cobbler. Despite her protests that she detested peaches since her taste of the enchanted peach during her Labyrinth run, Sarah had to admit that the cobbler was delicious. Within moments of finishing the last bite, she felt her body become heavy and sluggish, as if she were trying to move under water. Unable to stop the sensation, she felt her eyelids droop then close. Her body seemed to sink bonelessly into the plush pillow nest. And from far away she heard herself mutter, "No fair… you…drugged me. And…you promised…not…to do….tha…" Her voice drifted away before she could finish the thought.

Smiling, Jareth leaned over and tucked the covers back around the exhausted Champion, as he gently shifted her to lay down fully on the bed. "No, Sarah. This is not my doing but your own. You over-extended yourself and need to recover. The fairy food you ate will help, but you must rest for it to have an effect. So stop being obstinate and fighting it. Go to sleep, Precious."

He watched her face pinch as she tried to argue, but the words came out only as a muffled grumble. Within seconds her attempt at an argument gave way to peaceful breathing. As her breathing deepened, Jareth stretched and settled into the easy chair by the nightstand. Propping his feet upon the footstool he leaned back and pulled a glittering purple crystal from the air. "Alesander," he murmured quietly, despite the fact that he was quite sure it would take the entire Goblin Army Choir singing 'Saints Save the Little Chickens' to wake the poor girl up. When Alesander's bewildered face appeared in the crystal, he gave a somber smile. "I will be detained a bit longer Above than I had anticipated. Sarah has, as usual, ignored my instructions and made herself quite ill."

"Shall I send a healer to your location, Sire?"

Jareth shook his head. "No. This is a task I will see to myself. It just means I won't be returning until sometime tomorrow afternoon. I trust you can ensure that the kingdom is still standing until then."

"Of course, Sire. Is there anything else I can do?"

"No. I've got matters well in hand here. I'll check-in with you in the morning," Jareth added, before flicking the crystal upward and letting it burst without the slightest fleck of glitter.

For several hours he kept watch over the sleeping woman, paying more attention to her soft snuffles than the fantasy book he had pulled from her overflowing bookshelf. As the sun began to peek through the heavy curtains, her gentle sleep turned restless. Shifting fretfully in the bed, Sarah began to whimper and shiver, her body shuddering violently with chills and pain. With a frown he lay the book aside and leaned forward, gently pressing the back of his hand against her cheek. Despite the way she shivered, her face felt like it was on fire.

"Damn it all," he sighed, frowning when her eyes fluttered open.

"I…huuu..huu…huuurt," she rasped, her teeth chattering together as she shivered. "So…co…oold."

"I know you do, Sarah. I'm going to make you feel better. I promise, love."

Sarah's head lolled to the side looking at him, as searing jolts of pain forced an inarticulate whimper from her throat. Blearily she watched Jareth kick off his boots and grab the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head and dropping it on the empty chair. Confused, she moaned as he bent over and slid his arms gently under her body, lifting her up against his bare chest. "Wh-what are…you…doing?"

Carrying her toward the bathroom of the cottage, Jareth tried to ignore the fear that settled low in the pit of his stomach. The amount of magic Sarah had absorbed during the festival was sure to overload her system, so he had naturally expected her to crash when it wore off, - but her insistence upon expending her own magic had made things far worse than he imagined. "Precious, you've got a fever and it's too high. We've got to get it down quickly."

As he stepped into her bathroom he frowned. The cottage was small, and so was the bathroom. For what he needed to do, he needed more room. Snapping his fingers, he let a small burst of magic into the room, watching as the room slowly expanded. Sarah's claw-foot tub sunk into the floor and grew, until it was the size of a three person hot tub. Sarah moaned as she turned her head to look at the tub. "What…did you do? …Are we at…the castle?"

"No, love. I did a tiny bit of remodeling so I can treat your fever." Holding her close, he watched the tub fill with water. All through the water bobbed crystalline balls of ice. "Darling, this isn't going to be pleasant, but I need you to trust me," he murmured, hissing as he stepped into the icy water, the chilled water soaking into his leggings and creeping up his legs.

"Ice?!" Trying to shake her head, Sarah's green eyes welled with tears. "Jareth…please…no…I'm freezing already."

"I know, darling. That is the fever sending mixed signals. You're actually burning up with it. But I'll be right here - every moment." Jareth kissed her forehead, then gradually sunk lower into the icy water, flinching as the water reached his waist, chilling his core. The woman in his arms jerked and cried out hoarsely when her feet touched the frigid water. Tightening his arms around Sarah, Jareth held her close to his chest. "Easy, Sarah. Here we go."

Jareth growled low in his chest and took a bracing breath, before dropping the rest of the way into the water. The sound of Sarah's scream echoed around the room, making Jareth's grip tighten on her once more to ease her thrashing. After several moments, her weak protests quieted to soft sobs. Still gritting his teeth from the icy water, Jareth shifted Sarah until she was sitting in his lap, her back against his chest. Holding her close, he murmured in her ear. "Give it a few minutes to start to work, love," he ground out, his teeth chattering slightly together with the cold. "Then we can get out of this tub."

Whimpering, Sarah nodded, the chattering of her teeth keeping her from answering. Jareth sighed as the water around Sarah started to heat up, drawing the heat from within her. Gradually her skin cooled against him. Sarah's head lolled back against his shoulder as he held her. "Shh… there we go, love. That's better." Despite the discomfort, Jareth held her in the water until he was sure the fever had broken, before lifting her from the water.

The moment he stepped out of the tub, the two of them dripping ice water onto the bathmat, a wave of magic shivered through the room, drying both their bodies and clothing. Jareth carried her back into the bedroom, then tucked her back into her bed.

Seeing Jareth move to the other side of the bed and lift the covers, Sarah pursed her lips. "Wha…?" before sliding into the bed next to her and tucking the covers around her. "Um…what are you doing?" she asked, her voice far weaker than she expected. Trying to sit up, she felt the world swim around her, making her drop back against the pillows.

"The fever may have broken, Sarah, but the magical overload upon your body is still an issue." Gently, but firmly Jareth rolled her onto her right side, then slid in close behind her, molding his body to hers. Sarah gasped softly, a shiver running through her at the feel of heat pouring from his body against hers. "You need magic to combat the drop, Sarah."

"But, magic caused the overload?" Confused, Sarah tried to roll over to face him, only to find herself held firmly in position by Jareth's warm hand.

"True, but now you are suffering from a lack of Labyrinthine magic, which you can only get from the Labyrinth…or myself," he murmured.

Sarah felt the gentle touch of his finger running down her back through the soft linen of the shift, then gasped at the sudden feel of cool air against her bare skin. Squeaking she tried to shift, a bright flush of heat creeping to her cheeks at the knowledge that Jareth had just created an opening down the length of her nightdown. Despite her attempts to move, Jareth's unyielding fingers held her still.

"Shhh… this is the easiest way for you to get the magic you need without risking the direct overload you would with full potency Labyrinth magic."

Sarah felt his warm fingers lightly push the back of her shift open. A low moan slipped past her lips at the first feel of his bare chest against her naked back. Trying desperately to control her racing heart, she found herself fascinated by the feel of the raised lines of kingship now pressing into the skin of her back. Her muscles tensed as her mind raced, overloaded with the feel of his body pressed so completely against hers. "Um…how long…do we have to do…um… this?" Hear Jareth's low purring, chuckle near her ear, Sarah bit her lip to contain the groan that threatened her.

"A few hours I should imagine would do the trick. Now settle down and rest, Precious. Your body is weak still."

'Hah! Who can rest with that hunk of delicious male curled around you!' crowed her libido, while running an ongoing slide-show of all of the ways she could take better advantage of Jareth's bare flesh against her own. "So…you're just going to lay there and what… hold me?"

"That's the plan," Jareth replied, his words tinged with amusement at her reaction. "If you weren't so weak I could think of far more enjoyable ways to have skin-to-skin contact, but we'll just save those for a time when you aren't so fragile." Smirking, he watched Sarah's face burn hotly at his suggestion – sure that this was a fever of a different nature. "For now, I suppose I could tell you a story to entertain you… or you could do the sensible thing and sleep."

"I'll take the story."

Jareth rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Of course you would. I suppose I shouldn't be surprise that you would continue to ignore my suggestions. Very well then…Once upon a time, there was a very spoiled girl, whose step-mother always made her stay home with the baby…."

Jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow, Sarah grumbled. "I've heard that one before. The villain is a total jerk. Try another one."

Still laughing, Jareth nodded, his lips lightly teasing along the tender flesh under her ear. "Once upon a time… there was a very willful young lady, who made a rash decision and found herself to be the Queen of the Goblins…quite unexpectedly. Luckily for her, the Goblin King was a devilishly handsome fellow who was well versed in how to please a woman…."

"Oi! I want a good story, not some Mills & Boone wanna be romance-porn thing," Sarah giggled, resting her head against his shoulder.

Feeling her snuggle back against him and relax, Jareth simply smiled. "Goodness but you are picky. Fine…but this is my last story attempt, if this doesn't suit you, then your Highness can just lay here quietly and be consumed by her own thoughts with no story." Settling her more comfortably against his shoulder, Jareth began again. "Once upon a time…."

"Why do you keep starting like that?"

Jareth sighed. "Because that is the way all good stories start. Now, are you going to hush and listen, or do I have to gag you?"

"I'm good thanks. Besides, gags would lead to bondage, which would lead to all kinds of things…and I'm sick, remember?"

Blinking in surprise, Jareth looked at her and laughed. "Agreed, but rest assured we will discuss that little argument at a later date." Jareth leaned his head against the pillow and tried once more. "Once upon a time, there was a very spoiled young woman who always had to stay home with the baby. But in a twist of fate she learned that she really did love the little lad. And she had a marvelous adventure in a magical world. But the course of her adventure changed not only her love of the little lad, but also herself. She learned that things are not always that they seem….that the villain is not always the villain….and that a life without magic is barren. All of these lessons helped to change the girl, and as a result she grew into a beautiful woman. One who was kind-hearted and true to her friends…." Hearing the soft, gentle breathing of the woman in his arms, Jareth smiled and gently kissed her sleeping cheek, then whispered in her ear, safe in the knowledge that she was drifting deeper into sleep. "And in an odd twist of fate, she found herself once more faced with her villain. Little did she know, that when the storybook said that he had fallen in love with her, it had been true. A rash decision on the young woman's part not only gave him power over her, but bound her to him for a year and a day. This made the young King's heart swell, both with adoration and pain, knowing that despite his love for her, she did not love him. So he vowed to use his time wisely, so that when the year and a day were done, she would see not only how much she was adored by the citizens of his kingdom, but by the King himself. She was not just the heart of the kingdom – she was also his own heart."

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

Stretching lazily, Sarah rolled onto her back and smiled as the warm sun poured into her bedroom. "I don't know what you did, but I had the most lovely dreams," she sighed, turning to look at Jareth as he lay beside her. She felt her cheeks turn pink to find he was watching her with intense eyes.

"Oh? And what makes you think I had anything do with that? I gave my oath not to bespell you, darling. And to this point, I have kept it," he murmured, reaching over to brush hair from her face. "However, now that you are awake and feeling better, I must take my leave." Seeing her face fall, he leaned over and tenderly kissed her forehead, his heart swelling at the look of disappointment on her face. 'Perhaps there is hope yet,' he thought, caressing her cheek with his fingertips. "While Alesander is perfectly capable of keeping the kingdom standing for extended periods, there is High Court Council meeting I must attend this afternoon."

"Oh…I see…" Sarah muttered, pulling the covers up around herself as she nodded. Plucking at a bit of ribbon sewn into the comforter, she avoided his searching gaze.

"I will check in on yor this evening, Sarah. But I want you to stay in bed and rest today." Seeing her open her mouth to argue, Jareth silenced her with a gloved finger against her lips. "No arguments. This is an order from your king. And to ensure that you do as you are instructed, this time I am setting a guard to make sure my orders are followed to the letter."

Hearing heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, Sarah frowned, her lips pursed. "Great…you really are going to station the Goblin Army in my bedroom."

"Not quite..." Jareth laughed, as he slipped from the bed. His casual clothing flickered momentarily only to be replaced by black breeches, boots and a sleek black shirt topped with an asymmetrical leather jacket of glistening red dragon-hide. "I thought the Queen's Advisors would receive a better welcome," he added, pulling the door open.

Sarah gasped, her hand flying to her mouth at the sight of diminutive Sir Didymus in the doorway, flanked by Hoggle, looking uncomfortable in a formal chamberlain's uniform. Behind them stood Ludo, giving Sarah a dopey grin over the top of Sir Didymus's feathered cap.

"My Lady!" chirped Sir Didymus, scooping his hat from his head and folding himself into a flowing bow, despite the infirmity of his lame leg. "We are here to ensure your continued rest and well-being."

Winking at her, Jareth turned his stern gaze upon the three advisors as they entered the room. "See that she remains in bed until sunset tomorrow. Jerra will be along to see to her bathing and other needs. And for the love of the seven veils, do not allow any of the castle horde in to bother her! Any that show up here are to be sent to the bog immediately," he growled, handing Sir Didymus a glowing red crystal. "Just throw that at them and it will dispatch them post haste." Glancing back at Sarah, he smiled warmly. "As for you. For once, will you do me the favor of obeying me and stay in bed."

Unable to resist, Sarah returned his smile, a faint flutter twitching in her chest at the warmth in his eyes. "Yes, Jareth. I promise."

"Hah! That is what you promised last time. This time I want your oath."

Rolling her eyes, Sarah held her hand out to him. Jareth pulled his glove off and took her hand. As the center of the kingmaking lines on his palm touched her skin, she felt a silvery sizzle of magic slither into her hand. "I…Sarah Williams… Harvest Maid and Queen by Rite of the Ancient Magics, swear to remain in bed and rest, until such time that my King grants me leave to return to my work."

Surprised, Jareth squeezed her hand, his eyes darkening. Giving her a sly smirk, he chuckled. "You know words have power in my world, Sarah. And by your own words, I could conceivably keep you in bed indefinitely."

Sarah returned his sly grin with one of her own. "Yes, you could, but that would be breaking your oaths to me by cheating. So, I know that you won't abuse the power I've given you."

Leaning in, Jareth kissed her forehead, then whispered in his ear. "Believe me, love… I won't abuse that power…much."

Before she could reply, Jareth vanished, leaving Sarah flushed and Hoggle staring grumpily at the red speckles floating in the air.

"And ah 'suppose it's us that's gotta clean that mess up," he grumbled, only to gasp and splutter madly as a torrent of red glitter rained down upon him from the air over his head.

Seeing the glitter erupt from the air, giggles bubbled out of Sarah in a riotous burst. Gasping for air, she shook her head. "Jareth… that was mean…"

"Ahh…but it made you laugh…now rest woman!" came the ghostly order of the King, as the red glitter shimmered upon the air, before vanishing without a trace, leaving Hoggle red-faced and angry.

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

Author's Note: Okay…I'm not 100% happy with this, but it will do. Next up… Mea'n Fo'mhair (aka. Feast of Avalon)…so expect more fluff and general UST. ;) Not sure which story will get the next update as my muse seems to have gone 'walkabout' again. We'll just have to see where my muse decides to direct me.

As always, please review… my life is absolutely crazy these days (I was in the hospital again this week), so reviews help me get inspired to write