Applause thundered in the ballroom. Caught in the stares of a hundred eyes, Sarah grabbed a flute of champagne off the silver platter of a servant passing by. She downed the contents dumbstruck and disconsolate.
Why had her luck just now decided to turn? What good was this wish if she could never have her heart's desire? She couldn't fix Jareth or change the past. What would she even use it for? The thought of using it for something selfish like an acting career made her stomach turn. She couldn't fathom making that decision now. Not with everything else balancing so precariously in her hands.
The Dagda approached her, the crowded parting as he walked by. He took her empty hand and kissed it. Sarah looked at Rowan who relieved her of her glass then Daisy who quickly bobbed prompting Sarah to remember to curtsy to the High King.
"My lady, shall we open the ball with a dance?" he asked with a smile that radiated warmth and good cheer.
Sarah took his hand and cast a nervous glance over her shoulder as she was led to the center of the ballroom. Jareth stood with his arms crossed, brow raised with a smugly satisfied smirk stretched across his face. A knowing look that reminded her that without his interference she would have been humiliated as she tripped and trodded over the High King's feet.
The crowd dispersed to the edges of the dance floor, circling the lone couple. Watching them. Waiting. Her heart pounded in her ears, her throat felt as though she had swallowed a rock as flashes of sinister masked faces flashed before her eyes. But she was not a child any longer and no broken glass would save her now.
The High King presented Sarah to the crowd as music coming from nowhere and everywhere began to play a lilting waltz she had never heard yet knew. She recognized it as the longest dance in her mental catalogue of Fae revelry, often used to open a ball which allowed the hosts to be showcased and others to join in order of rank. This gave even the lowest guests time to enjoy the dance. As the two came together, her body moved with effortless muscle memory. Her every step filled with grace and poise.
Jareth watched Ivy dancing in the arms of another. Though he knew it was a matter of formality, his jaw clenched and leather-clad fingers strained against the fabric as they flexed. He needed a drink or a distraction. Other couples joined the High King and the Yuletide Champion, sweeping across the dance floor.
Saoirse approached as her husband whisked a mortal maid into the fray leaving his wife alone and in need of a partner. She clasped her hands together, pushing her cleavage higher as she batted her painted lashes in his direction.
She was the perfect entertainment. It was impossible to deny a request to dance. Refusal was seen as an act of hostility that easily could build resentments, fuel mistrust, topple economies, and lead to war. The Fae were far too preoccupied with appearances. But if Saoirse had not understood him clearly before, she certainly would before the song ended.
"Shall we forget our petty squabbles this week?" she asked, twirling a copper-red curl around her green-gloved finger.
Jareth offered his arm and led her to the floor. She practically preened as he placed his hand on her waist. His eyes caught sight of Ivy across the room and he led his new partner into the swirling current of couples. He stepped into the dance, weaving through the crowd with ease as he tried to keep Ivy within view.
Sarah saw a flash of flaxen and red swirl away from her. Jareth danced with the Fae woman she had seen jumping her horse before The Hunt, the one now bedecked like a gaudy ornament. She was still beautiful although Jareth's face dripped with disdain as the woman smiled broadly, oblivious to her partner's derision. In fact, the woman seemed more concerned with everyone else noticing her than garnering the attention of the King with whom she danced. His eyes glassed over as he went through the motions, taking another turn around the floor until with predatory precision they met Sarah's.
Her breath caught in her lungs as she quickly turned away. The High King's easy smile was still on her. He was a great bear of a man, dwarfing Sarah but he moved lightly and with great confidence. Though the white of his hair and beard gave him the appearance of a kind and gentle grandfather who would have hard candies waiting for you in his sweater pocket, she could tell that should the occasion arise he would be a fearsome opponent.
Sarah struggled for something to say. What does one talk about to a High Fae King? Karen's etiquette lessons never taught her that. "The ballroom decorations are magnificent, Your Majesty."
"I did strive to outdo myself this year," he chuckled. "Yuletide is my favorite season. A time for rebirth and renewal. Where the day balances light and dark. And it is the only holiday I get to share my roasted boar and mead. My queen never will serve them when she hosts our other gatherings. But a never-ending cauldron of mead makes for the best stories later."
The twinkle in his eyes made Sarah smile. It was no wonder Rowan was so charming. He obviously inherited it from his father. "It's a shame the High Queen isn't here. I would have liked to meet her," Sarah said.
"Ah, but then I would have had to open the ball with her and I would have been denied the opportunity to dance with such a fetching and talented partner."
She rolled her eyes at his obvious flattery. "I am sure it would not have been such a loss."
He sighed wistfully, his eyes turned towards the chandeliers with their garland haloed by the candlelight. "It would have been a regret I carried for the rest of my life, I assure you."
Laughing she said, "I don't believe you." Who knew the most danger she would face tonight would be from false flirting with a Fae king? It was a needed respite from her own inner turmoils.
"I would never lie," claimed the High King with mock effrontery as he continued to lead them on their merry dance.
Saoirse turned Jareth's chin, forcing him to face her. "You always were the best dance partner. It seems such a waste that you have yet to find a permanent one," Saoirse remarked.
Jareth ignored her. It was clear to him what her game was. What it had been all week. If she intended to get a rise out of him, she was sorely mistaken. As if he would fall for her attempts to turn the tides of gossip that he never rejected her, that he was pathetically in love with her.
As he spun her around, he spied Rowan and Daisy sipping champagne. Clearly an attempt on Rowan's part to loosen the little maid up. The malevolent gears in his head turned, not yet rusty from his days of tempered behavior. A sinister idea sparked.
Disgusted by Saoirse's attempts at banter and mimicry of a delightful conversation, Jareth stopped. Her eyes bulged as he stepped away from her. The vein in her forehead branched out as it pulsed rage from her heart to her brain. Turning on his heels, he left her standing in the center of the ballroom alone for all to see.
A triumphant smirk graced his face as he strode across the floor and bowed to Daisy. "May I have this dance, my lady?"
The scowl and reddening face of Rowan more than made up for the stammering acceptance he received from the mortal. He took her flute of champagne and handed it to Rowan whose grip nearly shattered it.
Leading Daisy away from her protector, he noted the nervous frown creasing between her brows. "You have nothing to fear. Had I wished to harm you, I would have acted during my many previous opportunities with a fraction of the witnesses."
"Is that supposed to comfort me?" Daisy said, hesitantly placing her hand on his shoulder, praying her year of practice with Rowan would not be for naught. He had tried so hard and had so much patience in teaching. It would be distressing to bring shame on him now.
"Didn't it?" he asked a slanted brow raising.
Daisy almost stepped on his foot. He was teasing her. The Goblin King was teasing her. A wave of relief washed over her. "Actually, I do believe it did." Daisy smiled as she met Jareth's eyes directly.
Feeling her relax, he allowed himself to return the gesture feeling as though he had won a small victory by gaining her trust. Strange that it would feel more gratifying than achieving her fear.
"Ivy must have had a bad influence on you. You used to have more sense," he said. He scanned the room having lost sight of Ivy for a moment.
Daisy bit her lip, peaking up from him through dark lashes, and said, "Or maybe she had a good one on you."
Jareth's heart slammed against his rib cage. The little mouse could not have cut more deeply to his core had she been wielding a knife. "Perhaps," he said with a wry grin.
Sarah saw the redhead being pulled off the dance floor by her husband. She instinctively glanced around trying to locate Jareth and found him in the arms of another. Smiling down at Daisy who beamed back at him. Just as they should be. He looked relaxed. Happy even.
The relief she expected to feel never came. This was right. This was what she wanted. But jealousy and guilt were quick to wind themselves around her heart like intrusive invasive vines, choking out what happiness she should feel for her friends.
"Have you thought of your wish?" asked the High King bringing her attention back to his presence
What good was a wish to her? She couldn't use it to save Jareth. She'd already wasted so many trying. She glanced once more at him in the arms of his would-be soulmate. His golden hair contrasted with her dark. They made a striking couple. Beautiful. She wanted him to be as he was now. Happy, healthy, and loved.
But she desperately wanted it to be her. This stung greater than any previous rejection. Though she was able to shake off being passed for parts, dumped for other girls, and fired from so many jobs, she wasn't sure how she would ever overcome the sickening longing that had settled into her very soul.
"Is it possible to wait?" she asked. "I need some time to really consider something so important."
The Dagda's eyes narrowed, lips pursing in quiet contemplation. "Yes, I think we can. I could suspend it, linking it to your soul. When you make a wish and truly mean it, it will come true whenever that may be."
"I will think of a good use for such a generous prize," she said. At least, this could buy her some time.
The Dagda watched her eyes wander the ballroom once again, clearly searching for a certain someone. "You've captured many a Fae's attention and curiosity this week."
Sarah's cheeks warmed at the reminder of her utter lack of discretion. "Completely unintended, I assure you."
He chuckled genially at her chagrin. "However unintended, you will be remembered for years to come."
"Surely, no one would remember someone like me. It's not like I'm a famous playwright." How could a nobody compare to someone like Shakespeare? Surely, someone else would come along to overshadow anything she ever did.
"Ah," he said conspiratorially, "but he was not famous until he made his wish."
"Really?" She tried to imagine Shakespeare as a lowly nobody like her, using a wish to achieve his dreams. It seemed so preposterous. But here she was dancing with the second Fae King in her short life.
"Oh, yes. He wanted to be the most famous playwright upon his return. And he was. Is still revered by your people, I believe. Such a strange little man." The Dagda's sentimental smile creased the corners of his warm gaze. "What will you do when you go home?"
"I don't know. I'll probably just try to start fresh. Take some time to figure out what I want." Or what she could actually have since she knew everything she wanted was impossible. She'd been forcing herself to avoid actively thinking about it. All she could do was concentrate on her immediate goals, none of which actually affected her future.
He sensed her unease and indecision as she tensed in his arms. "You don't have to leave. Not many humans can return to the mundane world above after learning magic exists."
Hearing the same words she spoke to Daisy directed at her startled her as though the High King knew her thoughts and feelings deep down. Thankfully, the song ended before she had to respond. As she curtseyed and weighed the High King's words, a light tap on her shoulder stoppered her thoughts.
"May I have the next dance?" a deep voice asked.
Sarah feigned a smile to hide her disappointment when she was met with Rowan who bowed gallantly then offered her his arm.
Jareth kept an eye on Ivy as he pulled Daisy into another dance. She was an adequate partner only lacking confidence. He needed to get to Ivy before she did something to ruin his plans, like a wish for a wealthy husband or a career on the stage. However, gaining his revenge Rowan intercepted her first. If that was what Rowan wanted, so be it.
Two dances in a row, it meant something in the arcane currents of gossip. He smiled and focused his gaze on his partner in a calculated attempt to rile his familiar rival. Shifting his eyes quickly, he met Ivy's gaze across the room once more. His eyes glinted, mouth hardened as he watched her look away, holding hands, and linking arms with another man.
Daisy stumbled over her own foot causing Jareth to pause. This dance had always been too fast for her. Rowan tried his hardest to teach her, but her feet always struggled to keep in time with the steps. "Ivy makes it seem so easy. I'm afraid I'm not so graceful."
"Tch. She makes it look easy because I gave her the knowledge rather than letting her suffer in ignorance." Jareth glanced down at Daisy. Her confusion caused her to trip once again trodding on his now scuffed boot. Rolling his eyes, he tapped her forehead.
Daisy's body seemed to move of its own accord. Every step light and nimble. Her worry and anxiety melted away as every movement came like second nature to her now. "Why would Rowan waste so many hours trying to teach me rather than just giving me the skills as you have?"
"Hmm, what reason could a man have for teaching something to a pretty young maid which would require him to hold her close?" he asked, the sarcasm dripping like venom from his smirk.
Daisy shook her head unaffected by his disdain but stunned nonetheless. The Goblin King was entirely wrong. That could never be the reason. Rowan would never. "Oh, no. Maybe someone else but not me."
"I must have been mistaken," Jareth said as he steered them across the room. "Apparently, you never had any sense at all if you believe that."
The intricate footwork with its quick-paced steps and intertwining hands came all too naturally to Sarah as Rowan led them around the floor. Though they danced together with an airy effortlessness, their attentions lay elsewhere.
Rowan's icy blue eyes shone with gleaming satisfaction as a Cheshire grin lifted his lips as he turned his attention to Ivy. "You know, I would be hurt by your lack of attention if I wasn't so amused."
In truth, Sarah was having difficulty concentrating on anything but Jareth. The lights seemed too bright. The music too loud. Too many people moving in too many directions. Her head nearly swam with all of it happening at once. Embarrassment flooded her cheeks as she tried to make excuses for her obvious distraction. "There is just so much to take in. So many beautiful decorations–"
"And people. Like certain Goblin Kings…" His eyebrows raised with a flirty waggle.
Chin lifting in defiance, Sarah said, "I was only observing what a splendid couple they make, and I hope they'll be very happy."
"Oh, I seriously doubt that," Rowan snarked. "Daisy could never be happy with someone like him."
Sarah's back straightened as Rowan's slights against Jareth registered. "Well, it would be better than Daisy running off to a convent to become a nun."
His eyes sharpened as they lasered in on Ivy's face searching her countenance for falsehood, no longer scanning the ballroom for a glimpse of Daisy in the crowd. "A what?"
"A nun." Seeing his continued confusion, she explained, "A woman who takes vows to never marry and serves the church for her entire life."
Rowan nearly missed the next step. His mind reeled at this new information. Daisy had never confessed such desires to him and within the span of a few days, she opened up to this woman? "And she told you she wanted to do this?"
"Not exactly. She said she wouldn't have many other choices. So, I think staying here with Jareth is the best option for her."
His eyelid twitched and he had to unclench his jaw before he cracked a tooth. "We'll see about that."
Their dance was stopped prematurely as Jareth bowed to them and presented Daisy to Rowan. "Your mortal would seem to prefer your company though I cannot seem to fathom why."
"I'm sure your charm had nothing to do with that decision at all," Rowan countered, nodding to Ivy, and quickly accepted the change in partners and turned away with Daisy in tow.
Sarah stood in the middle of the dance floor. The room felt like it was spinning. The light refracted and bounced all around her. Her heart raced as she waited for something, anything from him.
Jareth bowed and joined hands with Ivy as the music slowed. It was a dance he had never particularly cared for. The movements required the partners to maintain eye contact through the motions as their hands met palm to palm. But now he welcomed the excuse it provided to openly stare at the woman in his arms.
Their right hands clasped each other lightly as they lifted over their heads creating an arch as they circled each other. "You dance beautifully," he remarked.
"I had an excellent teacher, though his methods were questionable." Enjoying the dark chuckle her comment garnered. He gently spun her under the curves of their arms until his left wrapped around her waist holding the hand she held behind her back and their right arms arched once more above them.
A dull ache at her temples beat in time with the music as they moved through a gentle promenade. She felt every eye on them as they moved together. She hadn't understood her feelings the last time they danced. Confusion and ignorance shrouded her experience in mystery and fear. The only thing she had to fear this time was herself. She shouldn't enjoy being held by him, touching him, being the center of his attention this much. Shouldn't long for the song to never end. But she did.
Jareth looked at the woman in his arms. She would be miserable with an ordinary life, birthing squalling brats year after year for a husband who would never appreciate who she truly was. She would probably die in childbirth like so many of her kind. Or misery would find her after years on stage when her youth and beauty faded and she was forgotten by all who worshipped her in her prime, all alone with only her memories of her short years in the hearts of the public who spurned her for a new ingenue.
"The week is coming to a close. Will your people be happy to see you returned?" he asked.
"I suppose they will." Sarah thought of returning to her parent's home. A few days sleeping under their roof. A trip for banana splits with Toby might be what she needed to not sink into the deepest depression right away.
"And will you go straight home to them?" He noted her lack of enthusiasm, it was something he could capitalize on.
"Perhaps," she said hesitantly. Would she go straight to them? Would she stay in the Goblin Kingdom for a few days to gather her things, either pushed to the side by his new bride or forgotten with the passing of a monarch?
Jareth noted her detached and distracted disposition so out of place at such a grand celebration. The perfect time for her to make a mistake. "And where is home?" he asked.
Her morose thoughts momentarily abandoned, she grinned. "Still not the right question."
"Are you from Britain? The Continent? The New World?" he asked. She could not evade him forever. He would pry her secrets from her one by one eventually.
"None of the above." Technically, her country was no longer new. No longer undiscovered wilderness. Amazing how much the world can change. A blink of an eye for him and lifetimes for her.
Jareth glared at the beautiful woman willfully denying him. Someday, she would deny him nothing. He was never one to leave fate to chance, he needed to know Ivy's decision. Needed to know what steps he needed to make. "What have you decided to wish for?"
"I've decided to save it for a rainy day." She sighed knowing her wish was essentially meaningless at this point in time. She should be excited having a wish but its appeal was dulled and tarnished. Her head started pounding. Her steps faltered.
Jareth caught Ivy and held her close in the center of the dance floor. "Are you ill? Hurt? Do you need a drink? Food?" Why were humans so utterly fragile?
She steadied herself and regained her poise. "I just need some space and air."
Needing no further excuse to seize his chance, he grabbed her wrist and pushed through the crowd. He felt the then strip of leather and chain beneath his gloved fingers. With a simple spell, he broke the talisman, leaving the protection from another to be trampled by dancing slippers and boots. He led her to a terrace on the other side of the large double doors and heard her breathe a sigh of relief as they left the noise and oppressive surroundings of the ballroom.
The terrace was surrounded by columns covered with ivy that crept over and through the arbor that enclosed the area. Lanterns cast a saffron glow on the paving stones below. Stepping closer, Sarah discovered the flittering light in each glass globe came from the fairy that was captured within.
Jareth watched Ivy as she stared into the light which cast her in its colored hue. Her silver dress now looked like ambered-honey. Her skin glowed with the warmth surrounding them. "Beautiful," he whispered.
"Yes, it is beautiful. But does it hurt them?" she asked. She knew fairies were a nuisance but did they deserve to be caught and imprisoned as ambient lighting?
"Hurt them?" He scoffed at her concern. No one else here would care that few fairies were caught. They were lucky enough to still be alive. "No, they'll be freed to pester and infest by morning."
"I always imagine fairies belonging in the forest. It's so strange to me that they're viewed as little more than insects here." She'd seen Hoggle spray them as eagerly as she sprayed the roaches in her run-down apartments. It was still difficult to reconcile something as magical as a fairy in appearance with the grotesque creepy crawlies.
"You do have a unique way of regarding those most deem unworthy." Lifting his hand he snapped his fingers. The doors on the lanterns swung open. Each fairy darted for freedom leaving Sarah and Jareth bathed only in the moonlight through the arbor above.
She watched the fairy lights disappear in the distance. "Everyone deserves a chance even humans and goblins."
Her head was throbbing. Jareth's magic was fading faster. He was fading, dying back in her time. What should she do? Should she drag Daisy outside and tell them?
"And what of Goblin Kings?" Stepping forward he stalked her as she retreated from his approach until her back hit a column.
Leaves prickled her arms as he loomed over her. "Well, they are trickier than most, but yes, they deserve a chance…"
"And what of love? Do they deserve love?" He searched her face for any sign of deception and was only met with earnest openness.
She broke his gaze, staring at the stitching in his jacket. "If they find the right person–"
"What if he thinks he has?" His heart raced. Never had he placed himself in a more vulnerable position. At the mercy of another.
Then he should tell her. Step wasting time when it's almost run out. "You should go to her." She moved to leave, ready to find a dark corner to cry in until she was pulled away from this time to yet another where he would forever be out of reach.
Jareth grabbed her arm, leather-encased fingers squeezing her soft skin. Lifting her chin, he slanted his lips over hers. They were soft yet unyielding, but he would not relent.
Sarah froze. Stunned. Her mind screamed for her to stop him but her villainous heart betrayed her common sense. This would be her only chance. To feel and taste him. She would learn to live with the guilt and loss for the rest of her life. But she would never recover from regret. She would selfishly take what little happiness she could and live on this moment forever.
Relaxing against him, her arms crept around his neck. His lips teased and coaxed, his tongue tempting hers to give in. Her lips parted welcoming him to deepen the kiss.
Jareth moaned as he felt her submission. His kisses hardened, his hunger overcoming him as his tongue explored eagerly. She met his desires equally pressing against him. Small hums of pleasure vibrated in her throat. His hands ran up her waist. But it wasn't enough.
He broke the kiss long enough to pull his gloves off with his teeth, throwing them to the ground. His fingers dove into her hair. Ribbons loosened as he gripped silken tresses angling her head back. He dragged his lips down her jaw to her neck, kissing her fluttering pulse.
He knew what he wanted. All he had to do was take it. Take her. He deserved this. Deserved her. After years of living his life on the outskirts of civilization, confident in his isolation. He would never be alone again. Though she may resent the choice being made for her, in the end, he would win her over, and give her everything her heart could ever desire. She would come to appreciate the life of shattered dreams and wishes he saved her from.
She would be a queen. Beholden to few. Beloved by a kingdom. Belonging only to him. Always to him. Never had he thought he would find someone. He kissed her forehead, whispering words meant only for the gods to hear. Mo Anam Cara. His soulmate. Now and forever.
Warmth spread from his lips throughout Sarah's body leaving her breathless. Her headache momentarily abated as she opened her eyes. A small white flower with a sunny center grew through the cracks of the paving stones near the column. Daisy. Her haze of happiness and hope shattered. It didn't belong here in this garden any more than she belonged in Jareth's arms.
Reality crashed around her. He needed Daisy. The last of Jareth's magic pulled at her core. She was out of time. He would die because of her failures and selfishness. Breaking free from his embrace, she grabbed fistfuls of skirts and ran.
Jareth's fingers disentangled from her hair, a silver ribbon still in his grasp as he watched her take flight. Gathering his wits, he pursued her through the ballroom as they cut a path weaving in and out of dancers. He scaled the staircase after her, yelling her name. But she would not stop.
Tears blurred her vision as she took off down the hallway, passing Rowan and Daisy sequestered in an alcove. Paintings and statues flew by in the corner of her eye as she ran without a destination in mind. She could hear Jareth behind her until she slammed with great force into a warm solid wall as he magically appeared before her. Ducking, she evaded his grasp as she turned down another hallway.
Gasping for breath, she pushed herself to keep going, the pull of time gripping her center like a vise. She ran into the first open room she could, closing and locking the door behind her. What was she doing? She should have grabbed Daisy and brought her to the present with her. Maybe there was still time. She turned to open the door, but it was too late.
Jareth had almost caught her, her skirts just out of reach until he turned the corner and was met with an empty expanse of the corridor. He searched the passageway, opening the doors of each room. Finding every one empty. He ran further down the hall then doubled back. Nothing. No trace of Ivy. No trail, no clue as to where she had gone.
How had one simple woman managed to disappear? She had no magic of her own. The only plausible answer was someone had helped her to elude him. He could not let that happen. He would not let that happen. He needed her.
Rowan turned the corner with Daisy right behind him. Their fear and concern etched in their countenances as they were met with only Jareth looking feverish and crazed, pacing the hallway with his hands tearing at his hair.
"What happened?" Rowan asked. He maneuvered himself in front of Daisy, shielding her from whatever had possessed Jareth.
"Where is she?" Jareth demanded. They were behind this. What had they done with her? How dare they take her from him. She belonged to him now. Rowan had no right to interfere anymore.
"We don't know. We were going to ask you the same thing. Why was she running?" asked Rowan. Ivy was his guest. If anything happened to her he would never forgive himself. He never should have trusted Jareth.
Jareth clutched his chest, groaning in agony. The weight of his actions, the gravity of the consequences he would face if he could not find her rent his heart in two. He had to find her. But how? Her name. He needed her true name.
Pushing his old friend aside, Jareth grabbed Daisy's shoulders and shook with the force of his desperation. "Her name! Tell me her name!"
"I-I don't know," Daisy stammered, avoiding his ferocious scrutiny. This was the Goblin King she remember from earlier this week. He had not changed at all. He was still only a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"Jareth! No!" shouted Rowan. He rushed forward but was blown back, crumpling as Jareth blasted him into the wall.
"Tell me her name," he growled. He would burn this castle to the ground until he found out who she was. Where she was.
Daisy cowered, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't betray Ivy. She couldn't put her in danger. She screamed as his hands began to crush her arms. Her mind went blank as she grappled to save her friend and herself. "Brigid! Her name is Brigid."
She fell to the floor as the Goblin King disappeared, weeping as she crawled towards Rowan, grateful to see the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Taking his hand in hers, she prayed that Jareth would never find Ivy. That he would never find Sarah.
Notes: How we doing, friends? *steeples fingers* Next chapter will have a super long author's note at the end. Until next time! xoxo