A.N.- As requested, I've put a bit more info that was lacking in the first chapter here in this one. I'm surprised at how many are following my story, so I'd like to thank each and every one of you! Reviews and critiques appreciated :)

The Otherworld

It was a typical night. Sarah had come over to have dinner with her family after her classes were over. She did this every Wednesday since the rest of her classes and work schedule made her unavailable most of the rest of the week. Her father was always happy to see her, and of course Toby was excited because she told the best bed-time stories. Things had become more strained with Karen lately, but Sarah had long ago accepted that there was nothing she could do to bring her stepmother to like her. Halfway through dinner and an awkward conversation with her father about her love life, or lack thereof, Sarah heard the knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Karen shot up out of her chair, rather too eagerly, but Sarah mentally shrugged to herself, thinking that the woman was just trying to get away from the tenseness that had been building between them.

Sarah heard the door open, and then a strange voice called out, "Well, isn't this a cozy little scene?" The oddness of it all had Sarah, her father, and Toby all out of their seats quickly to investigate. Robert instinctually had grabbed Toby up into his arms as they all went into the living room. And when Sarah saw the person standing there near the entry way, her stepmother nervously walking over to Sarah's father, she knew that magic was somehow involved. For the woman now gracing their home was ridiculously beautiful. She was tall, willowly, with long curly dark hair that had been pinned up with gems, skin that was a pearly color, amber eyes, and slightly pointed ears. And it looked as if she had just come from a very historically accurate Renaissance Faire with her tight, red bodice, complete with a billowy, silky skirt to match. No, this woman, this creature, was not of the human world.

The rest of what occured seemed to go by in a blur, and by the end, Sarah had to leave her home, and the world she'd lived in, forever. Toby had been quiet, though wide-eyed, during the bargain, but when Sarah blew him a kiss good-bye, he'd cried and it had taken every ounce of strength Sarah had not to take him with her...

"Someday," Sarah vowed to herself, as she remembered the details of that night. It had been two years since she'd left home, but she made herself remember it as often as she could. If she didn't, she would eventually forget who she was, even to the point of forgetting her real name. It had happened to the other servants Ravena had acquired, but Sarah refused to lose her identity. Of course, she couldn't let Ravena know that she remembered everything, so she was careful to use the name the Fae had given her and made sure to work hard.

"Neala," came a voice, cutting into Sarah's thoughts, making her turn to the person addressing her. Sarah smiled, recognizing her friend, Keelia, another human woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties, with short blonde hair and blue-grey eyes. Keelia had been there for seven years, and it was from her that Sarah learned much about the Duchess Ravena. It seemed that the Fae realm, which was called Otherworld or sometimes, Underground, had a much different set of rules than the mortal realm. All kinds of creatures which would have been labeled mythical and magical in the mortal realm lived here, and among them the Fae had the potential to be the most powerful. As with any race of being, however, there were some who were more powerful than others, and it followed that the ones with the most power were the rulers of kingdoms. When Sarah had once asked how many rulers there were, Keelia had simply replied that it was better not to ask. But there were several important things about Ravena which Sarah quickly learned. First, Ravena had a decent amount of power, enough to be careful around, but she was not powerful enough to contend with any ruler. Apparently, Ravena wished to make up for this short-coming by marrying a royal Fae. The next thing Sarah learned was that the way Ravena went about acquiring her human servants, of which there were many, was technically illegal according the Fae law. However, none of the servants so far were willing to risk their lives in telling anyone about this fact, for even if they should be freed from Ravena's grasp, there was still the threat of other consequences to them simply because they were human and not meant to live in the Otherworld. There were strict rules about mortals not only coming there, but staying there permanently as well. It was with this initial knowledge that Sarah had begun to form a plan. She knew it would possibly take years to put her plan to the test, but she could bide her time; after all, once taken to the Fae realm, a mortal never aged.

"What is it, Keelia?" Sarah asked.

"The Duchess wanted me to let you know that someone's requested another special order." They both giggled because whenever they said "Duchess" in the absence of Ravena herself, they would say it as if they were addressing the queen of England, mockingly.

"Alright, I'll see what she's got for me this time." When Sarah had first arrived, she'd been put to work as a scullery maid, basically, washing clothes and linens, sweeping and mopping the floors, setting the table for meals, and whatever else Ravena happened to want her to do at the moment. But when Sarah came up with her plan, she pounced when, one day, Ravena happened to accidentally rip her dress, and offered to repair it so that it would look like new. When Ravena doubted her ability to do this, Sarah had explained that she'd gone to school to become a fashion designer and that making and fixing clothes were second nature to her. Ravena had relented, though she did imply that Sarah would be punished if it didn't work. Sarah had asked for the various items needed to make a professional sewing kit and immediately got to work on the dress. In no time at all, she had it looking like it had never been ripped, and Ravena had been so impressed, that Sarah became her new seamstress.

Things changed once again when Sarah designed and made a gown for Ravena to wear to a noble banquet. The men had asked Ravena to dance all night and the women had all asked about where she'd gotten the beautiful gown. Ravena had been so proud, of herself mind you, that she went to Sarah and proclaimed that Sarah would now be designing and making dresses for anyone who asked. Ravena swiftly came up with a way for Sarah to do this and still keep the fact that she was mortal a secret, for nothing in the Otherworld was ever done without magic and Sarah's sewing kit would be a dead giveaway. Ravena went to a specialty store and got Sarah a magical sewing kit to replace the one Sarah had, though Sarah still kept it under her bed in the servant's house. The magical kit would measure, cut, and sew all with a command from Sarah. At the time, Sarah had been baffled by the "gift", but Keelia had quickly defused any thought that Ravena might be turning nice by reminding Sarah that the Fae was only doing it to keep Sarah's mortality a secret. Not only that, but Ravena would be selling Sarah's talents for a price, and all the money would be going to Ravena of course. Still, Sarah was happy to be doing what she loved, and she got to meet more Fae in the process as well. Soon it was not only Fae women, but men who were asking for Sarah's creations, and soon after that, other types of creatures that could afford the charge came. Sarah always wondered what she looked like to everyone else who wasn't under the Duchess' roof. She once asked Keelia why the other Fae, especially the more powerful ones who sometimes came, didn't see through the glamour that Ravena had placed on the human servants. Keelia had replied that there was no reason for them to look, for they wouldn't expect another Fae to disguise their own servants.

Now, as Sarah walked the hallway which joined the servant's house to Ravena's mansion, she wondered who wished to purchase an outfit. She often pictured who she thought would be waiting in the sitting room, where her clients were always brought. This time, however, she almost lost herself when she came around the corner. For there, pacing in the middle of the room, was a very familiar, disgruntled looking dwarf. "Ho-! Er, I mean, hello, I'm Neala, the seamstress," Sarah said, pulling herself back together, though inside she was shaking with happiness. She hadn't seen her friends from the Labyrinth since she'd spoken to them last through her mirror, which had ironically been the day before she'd left to go visit her family for dinner on that fateful night seven years earlier.

Hoggle hurrumphed and eyed her suspiciously and Sarah was hit with another wave of nostalgia. "Neala, huh?" he asked. "Strange name for a halfling if you ask me."

So that's what Ravena has glamoured me to look like, thought Sarah, giggling to herself at the thought that she looked even shorter than Hoggle to other Fae. She merely shrugged and replied, "The Duchess was kind enough to give it to me when I couldn't remember my own name. So you're here to purchase an outfit?"

"Yes, though it ain't for me. The annual Harvest Feast and Ball is being held in two weeks and His Majesty wishes for you to design several suits for him to choose from to wear."

Sarah could feel the blood drain from her face. "His Majesty?" she repeated. "You mean the Goblin King?" Emotions were swirling into a nauseating mixture inside of her. She'd thought of the Goblin King a lot while she had been here, but she hadn't prepared herself for coming face to face with him again. She wasn't sure if she could keep herself in check, especially because of the more recent, and definitely more mature, dreams she'd been having of him lately.

Hoggle eyed her curiously and said, "Of course I mean the Goblin King. Who else would it be?"

"I just-I thought that your king had a fondness for making his own fashions to these events. I certainly never thought he'd purchase one of my creations."

Hoggle shrugged, replying, "That's true, but he's decided to try something different this time. He's heard a lot of good things about your designs and he wants to see if you are really that good."

Sarah gulped. "Well then, it seems I have my work cut out for me then. When does he wish for me to come and take his measurements?"

"He asks that you be there before noon tomorrow, should you accept his request."

Sarah had a moment's hesitation then. She could refuse the request and avert any possibility that Jareth might recognize her. But the thought of seeing him again was too much to resist. "Yes, of course I accept." Besides, it wouldn't do to refuse a client.

Hoggle nodded, relief showing on his face. "Good. I'll advise you not to be late." With that said, he left.

As soon as he was gone, Sarah stumbled over to a lounge chair and practically fell into it, a stunned look on her face. Keelia chose that moment to walk in. "So..." she started to say, "who's your new client? You seem a bit out of sorts over it."

Sarah turned to her friend and replied, "I'm going to be making some outfits for the Goblin King."

Keelia's eyes grew wide. "Woah, that's...that's great!" A big grin crossed her face then. "Neala, when it comes to powerful Fae, he's pretty damn near the top of the list! Don't you realize that this could be your chance to put your plan into action?" Keelia had been the only one Sarah entrusted her ideas of escape to.

"What? No, it's too risky! Kee, you said yourself that there are too many rules about how and when mortals are allowed here. If something goes wrong, we could all be killed!"

Keelia shook her head. "Yes, but if there's one Fae who could help us, it's the Goblin King."

"Why him?"

"Because, he's the only one who goes into the mortal realm on a consistent basis, when children are wished away to him."

"But I didn't wish myself away."

"No, but I know for a fact that he defends the mortal realm often when the Fae rulers have an issue revolving around it. And when there is a mortal who accidentally finds themselves here, he usually finds a way for them to go back safely."

Internally, Sarah laughed at herself, for she knew that if someone had told her these things when she was fifteen, she wouldn't have believed them. Now, however, was a different matter, for her perception had changed quite a lot. She thought about what Keelia was telling her, then nodded, saying, "Alright, so who could we approach that knows him well enough for us to solidify my plan?"

Keelia smirked and answered, "I know exactly who we need to see."