A/N: I own nothing. Such a pity. . .

MAY EVE

The fairies break their dances
And leave the printed lawn.
~A.E. Housman

Chapter 20: Last Dance

There were many pleasantries that had to go with a wedding. As the room around them began to change from ceremony to reception pews were replaced with tables and chairs. Pulpit was replaced with a long table for the bride and groom and their important guests.

A large open space between the long table and the scattered round tables was set up as a dance floor so that all could dance once the meal was over. Most Fae never attended such an extravagant wedding. If there was a wedding it was the ceremony, greetings and well wishes, then they left the new couple alone. Everyone quickly decided it was an Aboveground custom and rather liked it, especially when the four course meal was being served.

Jareth and Sarah had only eyes for each other. The High king and queen sat at the long table along with Toby, Arianna, Ludo, Sir Didymus and Hoggle. Jareth knew that Sarah would have in no other way.

"What a lovely reception, son. You've outdone yourself as usual." Pheona beamed and Sarah grinned.

"He is the sweetest man I know." She said, looking at her husband who smiled down at her with love.

"Everything, Sarah. I would give you everything." He whispered, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "And Mother, thank you for allowing Sarah to wear your lovely dress. It means a lot to me and I'm sure it means the world to Sarah."

"It is my pleasure. Certainly, having it in a box in my wardrobe does nothing for it's beauty. On Queen Sarah it glows."

"You are all too kind. High King Cahal, thank you for coming. I know we haven't been able to get to know each other very well. . ." The king held up his hand to stop Sarah and she frowned. A very slight smile appeared on face and he nodded.

"We have all the time in the world, and if you would please call me Cahal, that would make me very happy. All of this customary pleasantry is annoying to an old man."

"Thank you, Cahal." Sarah blushed.

"Ludo scared."

Everyone turned to look at the giant fluffy, red beast and then looked in the direction he was staring. Keaira.

"Damn." Jareth breathed.

"It's alright, Ludo, no reason to be scared. I'll protect you!" Sir Didymus replied valiantly.

"As will I!" Toby agreed.

"What is she doing here?" Sarah frowned.

Keaira stood there in the doorway frozen, glaring at Sarah. It was like a movie to her, the way this girl stayed still while everything else moved incredibly fast around her in a blur.

"I have no idea, but she'll be gone." Jareth nodded over Sarah's shoulder and heard Ludo move as he headed in the direction of the Princess of Nightmares.

Keaira seemed to care not as she let an evil smile spread across her face. "I will kill you in your sleep. . ." She mouthed and Sarah gasped.

"What is it?" Jareth asked, his hands on her shoulders.

"She just threatened me! How did she even get in here?" Sarah whispered frantically.

"She won't touch you, I swear it, now don't let her ruin our evening." He begged.

In a blink the Princess of Nightmares was before the King and Queen of the Goblins and she smiled serenely. "My, my, what a beautiful bride you make, Sarah dear. I had hoped to make it to the nuptials, but I see I've missed them. I take it no one protested as I would have?" She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"Be gone with you, Keaira." Jareth hissed.

"Tsk, tsk, is that a way to treat a guest? I've come to give the new queen a gift." She said producing a small black box in her hand. "You know that if I were here to harm her I would have never made it through the castle doors. Simply a gift." Keaira kept her eyes on Sarah and Sarah felt as if every hair on her body were standing on end.

"We want no gifts from the likes of you." Jareth whispered. Keaira's face turned dark with hate.

"Do watch how you speak to me, Jareth. If you get me too angry I may do something you'll regret." She seethed. "Take the gift, your Highness, I promise it doesn't bite."

Sarah looked from Keaira to the box, then to Jareth who's face had grown stony. She reached out for the thing wanting for her to just leave. Cupping it in her hand she nodded. "I appreciate the thought." She said, attempting to hide her worry.

Keaira smiled at the new queen and curtsied. "My pleasure, Your Majesty. I do hope you like what you find inside. Go on, open it."

"This isn't the right time for that. . ." Sarah frowned.

"It's the perfect time." She smiled, but her eyes burned with hate. Sarah shivered but decided not to make a scene. As she slowly opened the box - assuming something would strike out and kill her - she sighed. It was simply a black onyx choker - so she believed.

"It is quite beautiful." Sarah said, unable to say anything distasteful about the stunning thing in her hand. Keaira smiled genuinely now.

"It is a rare thing, that necklace. It goes with anything, you should wear it as soon as you can." She said and then nodded to Jareth. "I shall leave you two now to enjoy your evening. Good night." And with that she was gone as if she had never even appeared in the first place.

Sarah couldn't stop staring at the thing in her hand and Jareth became a slight bit worried. "Sarah, Love, perhaps we can set that aside until later. We have much still to do tonight." He winked and she frowned.

"I'd rather wear it. Putting it aside could just cause it to be stolen." She replied.

"Sarah, please, let us not worry about a silly trinket like that. I could buy you ten more if this is stolen, come now."

"No!" She snapped and some of the guests closer to the couple stopped and stared. "I want to wear it now, help me." She said, taking it out of the velvet box. Jareth sighed, but to keep people from staring he removed the jewels around her neck and with a flick of his wrist sent them back to where they belonged. Taking the black stone choker out of Sarah's hand he quickly secured it to her throat where it seemed to fit perfectly as if it was designed especially for her.

With a sinking feeling he realized it probably was. "I think we should take this off, Sarah. I don't feel right about this necklace. Please, let me have it looked at and then you can have it right back.

"No, Jareth. I love it." She smiled and he looked her over quickly. Seeing nothing to be worried about he smiled and nodded.

"Forgive me, Love. I just want to make sure you are absolutely safe."

"I know, I love you." Sarah grinned and hopped up on tip-toes to kiss him softly. "Might my King like to dance?"

"I would love it." He said and at the movement of the King and Queen of the Goblins music began to play.

They danced as if no one else was in this large ballroom. As if they were alone, in their own time and space. Never losing eye contact it wasn't until much later that they realized they'd been dancing late into the night. "Most of the guests have left." Sarah observed as she looked around and blushed. "How rude of us!"

"Nonsense. We have every right to pay little attention to anyone else this day. What say you, hmm? Shall we retire?" His eyes burned into hers as thoughts of Sarah naked in his bedchamber - their bedchamber - ran through his mind.

"I'd love that, husband." She whispered and in an instant they were transported. He had already begun to work on her dress and she on his between passionate kisses. When Jareth had removed every scrap of fabric from his queen he went to remove her necklace and she froze. Dropping his hands, not wanting to upset her, he ran his now bare hands down her bare back.

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen." He whispered, his lips ghosted over her shivering flesh.

Once he had helped her - by magic - remove the rest of his garments he picked her up and carried her to the bed. "Something of carrying my bride over the threshold?" He smirked and Sarah giggled.

"I love you." She sighed, her eyes welling with happy tears.

"As I you." He replied, his eyes full of such promise as he slowly entered her, filling her completely. Joined and as close as any two soul mates can be they made love calling out promises and begging for release.

As Jareth watched his wife writhe beneath him, milking him for all he was worth he thought he saw something change as he shuddered, empting himself deep inside of her. Sarah's eyes closed and the black onyx he thought was around her neck seemed to imbed in her flesh and as it began to glow a crimson red, trails of black stretched out from where the stones encased themselves. "Sarah?" He asked, scared that his worst nightmares were coming true. "Sarah, can you hear me?" He shook her, frantic with worry. "Sarah, please answer me, love."

Sarah's eyes flew open and they were no longer green orbs but solid black, and lifeless. "Jareth. . ." She smirked and shimmied under his weight. "I've waited so long for you. . ."

A/N: MUWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA! *choke* HAHAHAAAAAAA! *ducks from flying objects* Seriously, though. Never saw THAT coming did you? (Thanks to Ree923 for the help getting me out of a writer's block) PLEASE! Review! All of you - even you lurkers! Think we can get to 100 reviews by the next update? If so I'll be the happiest little goblin in the world!