21
The water prince wasn't moving. Jareth laid a hand on Vorian's chest, but could feel no breathing. He turned to Trinity and Evelyn, and shook his head.
Trinity gasped, and Evelyn let out a sob. The older woman broke free of her friend's arms, and ran towards her fallen water prince.
"No!" she cried, landing head and arms first on Vorian's stomach. "No Vorian! You can't! Not now! I…need you! I love you!"
The force with which she had landed on him expelled most of the water from Vorian's lungs, and he began coughing and spluttering, subconsciously trying not to hit Evelyn with the water that was streaming out of his mouth. Trinity cried out happily, and Jareth's eyes widened.
"You were dead!" he exclaimed happily.
"Can't get rid of me…that easily," Vorian said weakly, his lungs still expelling seawater. Then he noticed that Evelyn's arms were still around his middle, and he looked down at her, blinking. "Evelyn?" he asked, slightly stunned.
She pulled away from him, blushing. "Sorry," she murmured, not looking at him.
But Vorian would have none of it. She had said she needed him, hadn't she? So pushed himself up on his elbows, and reached up to put a hand on one side of her face. As she turned to look at him, he whispered to her:
"I need you too, my darling Evelyn. And I will never leave you. That's a promise."
She sniffed as tears streamed down her face, and she threw her arms around him again. He was too weak to support both their weight, however, and so fell back in the sand, wrapping his arms around her as he laughed.
Jareth and Trinity looked at each other knowingly, and grinned at each other.
At that moment, Leont walked back towards them, dabbing at his mouth daintily with the same lace handkerchief he had offered Trinity. "My dear water prince is back!" he said when he saw Vorian. "How marvelous! Oh this really is exciting. Trinity, my dear, I believe our friends have found us…If you listen, you should be able to hear them momentarily."
Trinity cocked her head, confused. Then she groaned as the words to a familiar song drifted to her ears on the wind.
"We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine…"
Then a new voice rose above Wilburus's:
"What on Underground is a yellow submarine?!"
Leont, Vorian, Evelyn, and Jareth all turned to look at Trinity.
"I didn't teach him that one!" she said, exasperated, "I might have sang it once when I got bored!"
Her companions laughed, and turned to flag down the approaching ship.
XxXxX
Wilburus, Sanji, Pintel, and the pirates who didn't do anything had escaped from the burning cavern alive in a dinghy. They didn't know what had happened to the four prisoners, but were making a run for the Underground, Jareth's kingdom, when they came across a ship that was unmanned, probably washed out of the cave. They had taken it (salvaged it, Pintel said) and had been sailing past what they thought was a desert island, when they heard voices and saw people waving at them from on shore. So, the pirate who didn't do anything who manned the helm (sitting comfortably in an easy chair as he did so) steered the ship over, and Wilburus and Pintel went ashore in a longboat to rescue the goblin king, the pirate king, the water prince, and the two human women.
When they reached the shore, Wilburus jumped out of the longboat and ran towards the beach and his companions. Trinity was so happy that she threw her arms around him and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek, making the red-haired boy turn bright red. When she ran back to Jareth, the goblin king gave Wilburus a grateful nod, but then picked up his fiancé and kissed her soundly.
Leont welcomed the rescuers next. He shook Wilburus's hand, but then pulled the boy into a nearly bone-crushing hug. He shook Pintel's hand next.
Evelyn stayed near Vorian, who was too weak to get up and walk, even though he was laughing and crying with relief along with everyone else. Jareth and Leont ended carrying him to the longboat, and the others crowded around him. Pintel and Wilburus rowed, but the boy kept getting distracted, so the man with the wooden eye ended up doing most of the work.
There were more hugs and tears of joy when they reached the ship. Sanji helped move Vorian to a place where he could lay on deck comfortably, and Evelyn stayed near him. Trinity and Jareth sat nearby, and traded stories of their survival over the past few days with the reformed pirates.
"I say, where are you chaps heading?" Leont asked at last, glancing to the pirate in the easy chair that was manning the helm.
"To Underground, of course!" one of the pirates who didn't do anything yelled.
"How long until we get there?" asked the Underground's king.
"Eh…" the pirate hesitated, and checked a chart. "Tomorrow."
"Gentlemen, and ladies," Sanji said grandly, "The winds are with us. Back to your kingdom we go, my lord Jareth!"
"We're finally going home!" Trinity exclaimed, throwing her arms around Jareth.
"Home," he said thoughtfully, rubbing her back. "That sounds nice."
XxXxX
Almost no one recognized them as they anchored in the harbor near Jareth's palace. They got a few strange looks, certainly, but no one on the docks could tell whom these strangers were. Sanji, Wilburus, Pintel, and the pirates who didn't do anything were invited to the palace, but all of them declined. They wanted to stay where they were most comfortable. All of them did receive invitations to Jareth's and Trinity's wedding, however, and they all agreed enthusiastically to come.
Vorian was too weak still to walk to the palace, so Jareth sent him and Evelyn off to the waterfall cave that Vorian had tended Evelyn in so many years ago, along with sufficient supplies to keep them going for weeks, and a crystal to contact the king with. When Evelyn protested half-heartedly, Trinity pulled her friend aside to whisper in her ear.
"When we get back to the palace, the whole place is going to be in an uproar," she said. "Vorian is in no condition to deal with that. What he needs is rest, peace, and comfort. What better place and what better caretaker?"
Evelyn blushed, but couldn't argue with that. So she let Jareth place his hand on her head, and Vorian's shoulder, and send them to the waterfall cave.
When Leont, Trinity, and Jareth arrived in the palace, and presented themselves to Lady Cristain, the whole place immediately went into an uproar. Cristain was weeping because her brother and sister-to-be were home safe at last, but wouldn't let them tell their story until they had both gotten a bath and had changed out of their tattered, sea-worn clothing. Once this was done, Leont sought out the captain of the guard to apologize for causing such a fuss, and then sought a job as a scribe for the palace, using his impeccable calligraphy (the kind that people could read), for use in the library, and in making out wedding invitations.
Jareth and Trinity were treated to a meal with Cristain, in which they told her the entire story of Jareth's capture and rescue, and of Tesla's betrayal and death, and of Leont's kind heart. Plans were made for a grand ball to celebrate the return of the Underground king.
XxXxX
When Evelyn and Vorian arrived at the beloved cave behind the waterfall, Evelyn helped Vorian lay down on one of the room's two pallets and then stepped back, keeping a respectful distance away.
"Evelyn," Vorian spoke as he closed his eyes. "Did you really mean what you said?"
"What I said?" Evelyn asked quietly, sitting down a short distance away from him.
"About…about loving me," Vorian asked, opening his eyes and looking over at her.
"You heard that?" Evelyn blushed. "I suppose I was in a bit of a frenzy, Vorian. I mean, I thought you had died, and you certainly looked dead. I couldn't think of you having died because of Tesla. Not after the way he had treated you. And then there was…"
"Evelyn, now isn't the time to hide from me," Vorian said tiredly. "Come here. I won't hurt you, and I can't keep my head turned in your direction for that long."
Evelyn bit her lip and then moved closer to him.
"Tell me the truth," Vorian said, his eyes pleading with her. "I have hidden nothing from you. I cannot keep trying to win your affections. If you don't care for me in the manner that I care for you, then please do me a favor and tell me. Tell me, and I shall go my separate way, never to bother you again."
"Why do you wish so much to know?" Evelyn asked uncomfortably, looking away from his eyes. "You have promised me your loyalty, promised me almost everything, but never have you promised me your love. I can see it in your eyes when you speak to me," she said quietly. "But you've never once said it. I've never heard it come from your lips."
Vorian smiled slightly and leaned up on one elbow. He reached out and took Evelyn's hand in his before he looked up into her eyes. A loose strand of brown draped itself over his blue eye, but he ignored it and let his expressive eyes bore into Evelyn.
"I love you," he said deeply, interlacing his fingers with hers. "Why else would I have come to your world and spent a whole year there? My darling, precious Evelyn, my love for you is deeper than the bottomless depths of the sea. My heart beats only one name…yours. I would enslave myself to you if you would just let me. I would die for you if the need arose."
He moved his mouth to her hand and gently kissed her. The woman's heart accelerated and her eyes closed as his lips lingered against her hand, moving softly, steadfastly.
"Vorian," Evelyn whispered, breathless as he kept his lips against her hand. "Vorian, I do love you. I always have. I just…never knew how to tell you."
She opened her eyes and watched as he moved his head away from her hand and raised it so that his face was even with hers. He studied her eyes, drowning in them, losing himself entirely. The words she had just spoken meant heaven to him. Oh, to hear them again, over and over!
Evelyn returned his gaze, and then smiled gently.
"My Evelyn, my dearest Evelyn," Vorian whispered, moving so that his face was nearly touching hers. "I am yours. Do with me what you will. Tell me to leave, or tell me to stay. I am yours to command."
"Vorian," Evelyn said quietly, moving his hair out of his face and marveling when he closed his eyes in response to her touch. "I don't understand my own heart just yet. Believe me when I say I love you, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I cannot understand myself."
"You will," Vorian smiled, raising one of his hands to her face. "You will, love."
Evelyn's heart beat rapidly as she gazed into his eyes, at a complete loss for words. What could she say in response to Vorian's elegant words? Why didn't she know what she wanted? Or did she know, and she was just afraid to step up, to take the leap?
Vorian wisely remained silent, seeing the uncertainty in Evelyn's eyes and just admiring her. His breath blew gently against her face, caressing her like an ocean breeze from the sea. Emotions flooded through the woman, and she leaned forward more, wanting to feel more of his breath, wanting to be closer to him. She felt her nose touch his and let her feelings move her. She moved her lips to his, desiring so greatly to feel his touch against her mouth, to ease her longing for him. She didn't see him close his eyes as their breaths intermingled, didn't see the struggle in his face as he moved to join her.
"Evelyn," Vorian spoke as her fingers graced across his lips. "Don't do this, my love."
"I've wanted to for so long. I've waited so terribly long, Vorian," Evelyn whispered, opening her eyes as he rubbed her nose gently with his own.
"Yes. You've waited to share your first kiss with your husband. I have no desire to take that from you. Wait, just a little while longer," Vorian said gently. "If you touch me, you won't be able to save that kiss. Please, for your sake, move away."
Evelyn pulled back and then looked away, embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so ashamed of myself. Forgive me, Vorian. I…don't know what came over me."
"I'm sorry too," Vorian spoke and then lay back and closed his eyes, chest heaving.
XxXxX
Two days passed, in which Evelyn cared for Vorian as well as she could. Under her caring hands, Vorian healed quickly, but it was apparent that the Fae wanted more than just healing. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, but she was not yet his to treat in such a manner, and, true gentleman that he was, he refused to give in to his wants in respect of her wishes.
On the evening of the second day, Vorian and Evelyn were called back to the palace. They arrived in the throne room, just in time to see Trinity entering the room, wanting to see Jareth, who was seated casually on his throne.
"Evelyn!" the younger woman squealed, totally forgetting the goblin king. She ran to her friend and threw her arms around her. "I missed you so much! It's been positively dreadful around here!"
"Yes," Jareth said smoothly, rising from his throne and coming to greet Vorian. "My sister making you dress in noble ladies clothes and making you focus on planning your own wedding instead of sneaking of to the barn to ride horses is horridly torturous."
"You never had to wear a corset," Trinity murmured so that only Evelyn could hear.
Jareth embraced Vorian warmly. "Welcome back, my friend," he said, clapping him on the back. "You've arrived just in time! There is to be a grand ball in two days…"
"Honoring the return of our illustrious king Jareth," Trinity recited from memory, then made a face. "Leont made like a million invitations. Anyways, Evelyn, Cristain wanted you back here because she just had to help you with your dress. Plus I need someone else to be sane around here. This lady is trying to put me in red and gold for this ball, and I'm like 'That would totally drain all color from my skin, I need a silver or black' but she won't listen to me! I'm a freaking designer's daughter!"
Evelyn laughed. She followed her friend, who had totally forgotten that she wanted to see Jareth, down one of the side hallways to Trinity's room, which was occupied by several Fae women. One of them was Cristain, who was holding red and gold swatches of fabric.
The women both finally managed to convince Cristain to dress Trinity in blue and silver, to bring out the blue in the human girl's eyes. Trinity was happy because she didn't have to wear gold; Cristain was happy because Trinity was not going to wear black. Evelyn, they all decided, would dress in emerald green with gold trim.
Vorian and Jareth were in the middle of a discussion on the sudden lack of pirates in the area when Leont burst into the throne room, looking anxious.
"My lord Vorian and your majesty!" he cried, out of breath, "I am glad you're here. I have been doing some research as I work in the library, and I found something most dreadful! You must come see it at once!"
Jareth and Vorian looked at each other and shrugged. Then they followed Leont up to the library.
"I've been meaning to ask you, Leont," Vorian said, panting as they ascended some stairs. "Are you still the king of the pirates?"
"Of course not," the vampire said, taking a sip from his mug of Black Pearl tea. "With all my new responsibilities here I hardly have the time for it."
"Who's king then?" Jareth wanted to know.
Leont chuckled. "Funny story, actually. The other night, I was walking by the docks when a man dressed completely in black and wearing a mask came up to me and challenged me to a duel. 'I am the dread pirate Roberts,' he said, 'And I wish to become king!' So I told him that I surrendered and he could have the throne, because I really had not time for such a thing. Took him quite by surprise actually. Then I told him that he better not maraud anywhere around here, because it really isn't worth it. I haven't seen heads or tails of any pirate since."
Vorian and Jareth chuckled.
"What happened to Wilburus and Sanji and the others?" Vorian asked then.
"Ah," Leont smiled. "They found jobs along the harbor. Sanji has become an impeccable cook for a merchant ship that delivers peaches to other countries. Pintel and those pirates who never did anything got jobs on the same ship. Wilburus, I believe wishes to become a stable boy. He heard from somewhere that our Miss Trinity loves horses…"
"Hopefully they'll put him on that horrid beast she loves so much, Hobgoblin," Jareth muttered.
Vorian and Leont laughed. By then they were in the palace library, and Leont took them to a table littered with books written in the old writing that only Leont could read.
"I was re-writing them," he said, "So that others would have access to the knowledge these books hold. But I found something strange, here, Vorian, about your power that you may find interesting. Apparently, the time is coming soon that you will have to choose which world you are to become part of, because you cannot keep switching back and forth as you have done in the past. You must choose: the human world without any of your power, or this world with all of it."
Vorian blinked. "But Jareth has switched back and forth between worlds much more than I have! Couldn't I –"
"No," Leont said firmly, shaking his head. "Jareth can do it because his power is different from yours, and stems from the existence of his land, as well as the condition of his heart. He will be able to transport you, but if you choose the human world you would never regain your power, even if Jareth brought you here for a short while."
Both Fae men were stunned speechless. Neither of them could stand the thought of losing his best friend. But Vorian was torn. If he chose here, that would mean he'd never see Evelyn again. If he chose the human world, he would never have his power, and would live only another seventy years or so, while in that time Jareth and Trinity would be having their first children, whom he would never see.
Jareth saw in Vorian's face the pain his friend was in, and felt it as well. He didn't want to lose his best friend, but he tried to think about it from Vorian's point of view. Would Jareth choose his power and kingdom over Trinity? Of course not!
"It is a difficult decision," Leont said softly, "And I hope you get time to think about it before you are called to choose."
"Me too," Vorian said softly,
Jareth could see in his friend's eyes that he was not going to tell Evelyn about this revelation. He would have to see Trinity, and make sure she told her best friend about it. Vorian wouldn't want to put pressure on the woman he loved, but she would have to know what was going on.