"What now?"
The servant tensed at the sound of his voice, and tore his eyes away from the dusty room long enough to look at the broken and troubled king who sat with one leg thrown over the arm of the chair while the other was firmly planted on the floor. His hand hid his face from the world. Balor stood in the doorway, hands nervously fidgeting behind his back as he cautiously stepped forward.
"She's not coming back," said the wizard servant softly, turning his attention back to the dusty room. He made a mental note to have some maids pay more attention to their cleaning instead of chatting away about matters that didn't concern them. "She has moved on with her life, as should you."
He didn't hear the servant move toward him, but he felt the warm comforting touch of his aging hand on his shoulder. "Listen to Andromeda, she could help...?"
"No." His voice was sharper than he'd intended, and he forced himself to soften it. He stood up, walking over to the window which overlooked his kingdom. "Why should I? There is no evidence to support her supposed identity. I cannot help her crazed mind. I cannot even help myself!"
"Maybe she is," said Balor. "Maybe what she said was correct and they fled to a far part of the Underground and hid. Could you handle the consequences of refusing to help a dying race?"
Balor's words struck a chord in Jareth's heart. Could he live with it? She had given no evidence that she was indeed a Forest Fey. Though she definitely was a Fey, of that he had no doubt. If what she said was true then it raised the question of how they had survived without being seen. He turned his attention to his seer servant, the old man scanning the room–most likely noticing the sheer neglect. Jareth's eyes narrowed as he met his servants gaze.
"What might you have me do?" He asked, feeling a soft vibration coming from the pockets of his jacket. His crystal balls hummed, zoning in on all of his thoughts and most likely bringing up the likeness of the mystery Fey.
"Keep her here for a few days...let's say a week. Use what you know about the Forest Fey. " Balor instructed.
"I know only myth and legends about them."
"Then find a quality that is unique and only unique to their breed."
Jareth thought long and hard, leaving the room void of any noise. Forest Feys were known for their dancing, singing and fighting skills. They held many festivals and even had one specifically for their mating season. However there was always one thing that set them apart from all the other races of Fey. Forest Fey were known to shape shift in moments of high stress or tragedy. That would be the defining trait. With a knowing glance the King huffed in frustration.
"That will take months do."
"Try, your majesty. I should think you of all people know how to push buttons." Balor hinted daringly, earning a glare filled warning from the king. Jareth didn't like her hearing the truth, but often found that he needed to hear it. He mused again over this, clearly perturbed by the predicament. He was running his fingers through his feathered hair when an idea crossed his mind. "A-ha!" He exclaimed, pointing a finger in the air and turning back to his butler. Balor merely raised an eyebrow at the king.
"I'll make her a simple handmaiden and I'll force her to do the lowliest of tasks. The stress of the position alone should be enough to get her to change." He reasoned, shedding light onto his grand epiphany.
"That may very well work, sir. However, lest not forget that Fae in general are extremely resilient."
"Perfect. She can do the hard work that the Goblin's can't seem to manage. My castle gets cleaned, her alleged race will be saved. It's a win-win I should say." Jareth sniffled, plopping back down onto his thrown and re-established his previously bored position. His fifteen seconds of productivity met their quota and had seemingly run out, though the thoughts in his head still surged. He didn't fail to notice how becoming she was, or how shapely her body was compared to most other Fae women. She had possibly been the most attractive Fae that he had laid his eyes on in a while. And though she was no Sarah, she would most certainly make an exceptional bedmate. He could seduce her, he found his fortunate good looks made it easy for women to fall into bed with him. Just as well, he had also decided that it would do him no harm to actually have her on his arm at banquet that was scheduled in a few days.
"Very well your majesty." Balor agreed, bowing his head and began to saunter out before he was stopped.
"Oh, and another thing."
"Sire?"
"Her chambers will be next to mine." He said dully. Balor's eyes widened at the kings command. He had known Andromeda since she was a babe, and giving her a room next to the king was not a settling matter for the butler's stomach. He knew what it meant, and although he couldn't tell the king 'no,' he could do everything in his power to come between his plans. The Forest Fae were a proud folk, she'd never be able to return to her village had she mated out of union. He couldn't let him ruin her reputation. Simply nodding he continued on his way, opening the doors with a frustrated yank and closing them with a rougher click than normal. He'd begun to walk away when he saw the crystalline bubble floating down the hall. It must have slipped through the door when it wasn't looking. No doubt it was on its way to her, which meant he'd better hurry in preparing her room.