DG went to bed early that night, exhausted after the days events. She fell asleep gladly knowing that much of her grief would be erased in the morning by the land to which she was bound.

Luckily, things seemed to mellow out a little as a few of the more persnickety of the suitors left after finding out about her engagement to Wyatt, and she was able to spend some quality time with her sister (and Wyatt and Jeb) before the rest of the guests arrived at the end of the week to begin the wedding festivities.

"A little bird told me a very interesting story about you, Az," DG said, her voice light despite the nature of her words. She turned to face her sister as they sat on a hill, gazing out over the Labyrinth, "You've been spending a lot of time with Zero, haven't you?"

Az turned back to look at her little sister, "It's not as bad as Mother made it sound, Deej."

"She said you two were found asleep by the morning patrol. How is that not bad?" DG was very confused why her sister would take such a risk with her reputation. No one wanted to marry a 'loose' princess, even if she was going to get the crown one day.

The elder princess turned quickly to look back out at the view. She watched in silence for a few moments as the Labyrinth changed right before their eyes. "He proposed, Deej."

There was a shocker. "And?"

"I said no." Az's voice was soft and sad, and it broke DG's heart to hear her speak that way.

"Why?"

"Because not all of us are lucky enough to be able to marry for love, DG," Az replied, tears glistening in her eyes. Her voice turned to a whisper as she added, "I have to do what's best for the O.Z., little sister. It doesn't afford as much freedom in its future monarch as the Labyrinth does."

"What are you talking about?" Since when did the Labyrinth afford her freedom? Most days it felt like a gilded cage with too many rooms to explore.

"You can go wherever you please, Deej, and no one stops you." It was in the moment that Az began her rant that DG realized how jealous her sister was of her perceived freedom, and how much she needed a vacation from it all.

"I'm never alone, Az," DG said, her eyes matching her sister's for wide sincerity. "I haven't been really alone ever since I was six and managed to clog up the city square fountain with Uncle's back was turned for two seconds to speak with someone."

Az smirked a bit at the picture that was set in her mind. Deej would do something like that. "That's why I have Ding, Bing, and Ring," she continued. "They can change size so they fit easily into my hair when it's up, or they'll just ride in my boots, but I'm not alone and I've never been able to go off by myself like you can. Hell, Az, even the lichen has eyes!"

"I guess I never thought about that."

"Az, I love you, but you seem to have this idea about living here that is almost completely false." DG began to form an idea in her mind then and added, "Why don't you stay here after the wedding? Get a feel for being a Labyrinthine princess?"

She thought about it for some time before saying, "I don't think Mother would agree unless you agreed to spend an equal amount of time in the O.Z."

DG frowned, "I hadn't thought of that. But, I suppose I have to meet Wyatt's parents sooner or later, right? Might as well be sooner."

--

"Have I told you yet that I find that dress simply unacceptable for you to wear? You shouldn't be allowed to wear it in public," Wyatt said, taking in, again, the vision that was DG in a court gown that hugged her figure and was just south of being suggestive.

DG looked down at her dress with a frown, "What's wrong with it? I'll have you know that the seamstresses spent many long hours working on this. On all of my dresses, actually."

He spun her close to him and nuzzled her ear. "Because," he whispered, trailing a hand down her side in a very suggestive manner, "It gives a man ideas."

"Oh," DG said, blushing crimson at the insinuation and the heat that ran through her at his voice. "Would you prefer they stick me in the kind of gown my mother wears?"

"Don't tempt me, darlin'," he replied, pulling back slightly, "Or I'll just have to tell them to do just that."

"STOP following me!" Jeb groused as he rounded the corner to find his father talking to DG. He pointed back at Coriander, who had a smirk on her otherwise impassive face. "She won't stop following me."

DG tilted her head to one side and replied with wide eyes, "That's what a body guard does, Jeb. What were you expecting? That she'd check in on you every once in a while to make sure you're not causing any trouble? That's not very realistic for the future Prince of the Labyrinth."

"Prince?" Jeb and Wyatt questioned simultaneously.

The princess looked at the two in shock, "What? Did you think that after the wedding he wouldn't be made a prince? You're going to be my step-son, Jeb. That will give you certain rights and duties."

"Do I get to wear a crown?"

"Only for state functions, but yes, there is a crown. I can show it to you later tonight, if you like." She looked at Coriander, "Or you could just ask Coriander to show you."

Coriander smirked at the look of utter shock on Jeb's face. She motioned behind them, "Come on, Jeb. I'll take you down to see it."

"Okay," Jeb said dejectedly, hanging his head at the knowledge that he was going to be going to see his crown with his bodyguard.

"No need to be so sad about it, Jeb," DG said with a wry smile, "Cori only bites if you do something really bad. Like clog up the fountain in Goblin City Square."

Coriander raised her eyebrows at DG, "I didn't bite you because you clogged the fountain. I bit you because you refused to let go of my arm as you started crying incessantly after you clogged the fountain."

"You still bit me."

Jeb decided it probably wasn't a good idea to make Coriander upset.

--

Sarah twirled around in her dress, watching it sparkle and shine in the mirrors that surrounded her. The butterflies in her stomach refused to settle down as she thought about what today was. It was her wedding day. She was finally going to become the Goblin Queen. Jareth's Goblin Queen.

"You look perfect, Sarah," Az said when she came into the dressing room to find her aunt and her sister. She turned to DG and added, "You do too, Deej."

"Compliments all around to the excellent seamstresses on staff," Sarah said, smiling warmly at her niece. It should have been a little weird to have a niece the same age as she was, but then again, no weirder than becoming queen of a magickal realm that wasn't supposed to exist in her world.

"It's more than that," Az replied, "It compliments your beauty."

Sarah blushed and whispered, "Thank you."

"Now, you remember what to expect once this starts, don't you?" DG asked, wanting to make sure Sarah wouldn't tense up half-way through.

Sarah nodded, "You and Azkadellia will walk down first and take your places beside the high priest. Then I walk out, and meet Jareth half way down the isle, to signify the movement of both of us toward compromise. Then we walk together to kneel before the high priest and the two of you. And follow the directions as they come. Blessings are said, promises are given, and we're bound together by the Labyrinth's magick - again."

"Perfect," DG nodded. "Don't forget that you will take Uncle's right hand with your right hand, and you will walk on his right side, your steps in perfect harmony with his. And only kneel once both of you have shared in the sacramental wine."

"Right. Don't kneel before we drink." The bride nodded once in determination. She would not screw this up. This was her wedding day.

--

The ball ending the wedding celebrations was well under way and everything was going as smoothly as could be expected. There was the usual ruffled feathers from the nobles that felt Jareth had wronged them in some small way, as well as the lords who were quite miffed about DG's choice of mate, that had been revealed at the start of the evening. But despite it all, none could deny that Jareth and Sarah looked truly happy as they danced together to the song that he had composed for her.

Nesa watched both of her daughters twirl around the dance floor, gracefully spinning through the other couples like some well worked machine. They looked beautiful; Azkadellia dancing with Ambrose, and DG dancing with Wyatt.

Her heart swelled with pride at seeing how happy both of them were. Ambrose would make a wonderful prince consort for the O.Z. It was fortuitous that Azkadellia had rejected Adrian Zero when he had proposed. The man was so unrefined it grated on Nesa's nerves. She could understand Az wanting what her husband called a 'fling' but she refused to believe that she would be happy with someone so far beneath her.

After the dance was over, DG and Azkadellia made their way over to their mother, their dance partners at their sides. When they were in front of her, DG dropped into a curtsey. "Forgive my rude behavior of the other day, your majesty," she apologized, her eyes downcast. "It won't happen again."

Nesa put her hand under DG's chin, bringing her up to stand again, "All is forgiven. Never lose that spark, my angel. See to it, Colonel Cain."

"I will, your majesty," Wyatt replied with a soft smile toward his bond mate.

DG smiled back at him as her mother continued, "And when will the wedding be?"

"We haven't decided yet," DG responded.

"Perhaps the winter solstice," Az suggested. "It has always been your favorite time of year, DG."

"Perhaps," DG replied.

Suddenly, a pillar of smoke arose in the center of the ballroom. Wyatt pushed DG behind him, instinctually going for the gun he kept on his waist. His motto was: You can never be too careful. Especially with the safety of those he loved involved.

Gasps were heard throughout the ballroom as more and more of the guests recognized the Evil Witch of the East from stories passed down from the days of the original slipper, Dorothy Gale.

"Az killed you!" DG stated firmly with a glare, moving to stand between Az and their mother. The three locked hands and their magicks sparked as they mingled together menacingly.

The witch gave an evil cackle that sent chills down the spines of all who heard it. She stalked closer to the trio, letting a bolt of fiery magick out to crack against the wall of the ballroom in a horrible display of power. "You don't even know how to kill me," she taunted the Gale women as they held their hands tighter.

Wyatt watched as DG held her head up defiantly, unwilling to appear weak before her uncle's guests that surrounded them in the ballroom. He looked at the tray a frightened hobgoblin servant was holding next to DG, and slightly behind him. Water.

His history lessons long past came rushing back to him. Water was how Dorothy Gale had killed the Wicked Witch of the West. There was only one way to tell if it would work against her sister as well. He watched in fascination and horror as the witch let out more blasts of magick above the heads of the guests. It looked like she was planning on letting the guests live long enough to see the deaths of the royals.

"King Jackson was a fool letting you live," the Witch said snidely.

Leaving no time for him to contemplate what he was about to do, and making sure that the witch was occupied with the three women, Wyatt grabbed one of the largest glasses of water, silently thanking DG for insisting on water instead of wine.

As he made his way around toward the back of the witch, he saw DG smile haughtily in a manner that reminded him of her uncle. "You seem to be forgetting something, Witch," she said coldly.

"I believe you're mistaken on that count, you little Gale bitch," the Witch of the East replied, pulling herself up to her full height and gathering ugly green magick around her sickly green skin.

"I don't think so," DG replied a split second after Wyatt threw the water onto the witch's exposed neck. As she began to shriek and melt, DG stepped closer, surrounding her with a shield that would stop any attempts at harming anyone else in her last moments of life. She knelt down beside the melting woman and added, "Tell your sister we said hello."

"This is not the end," the witch shrieked as she melted into a puddle that looked exactly like the one Azkadellia and DG had seen in the cave eleven years before.

Nesa cast her magick out over the puddle, making sure that there was no glamour over it. Finding none, she turned and gave Azkadellia a hug. Wyatt scooped DG up in his arms as he stepped over the remains of the wicked witch.

Jareth looked from the pile remains to his niece and sister. Sarah was held tightly to his side in a protective gesture. "This. Means. War," he ground out.

A/N: So sorry this is coming so late to you guys, but I've had a terribly busy week and didn't really find very much time to write.

Hope you enjoyed the fluff, and the action (although it's probably not the kind you were hoping for - lol).