A/N well this is going to introduce you all to Karen's other sister, the Crystal Queen. More Jareth and Sarah in the next chapter - promise :)
The Hall of the Great Kings rose out of Mt. Flanash, carved from the same golden stone of the mountain itself. Within its walls, the knowledge and wisdom of every Crystal Monarch was recorded for posterity. No one knew who had built the hall or where the first monarch had come from, but all agreed that the heart of the Under Ground beat most clear at the center of the Great Hall.
From her chambers, Queen Marissa stared out into the distance, gazing upon the hall. She sat there as her handmaiden Glora searched for the queen's silver brush. The handmaiden, a water sprite, hissed to herself in frustration. The goblins who came as messengers for the Goblin Kingdom somehow always found their way into the Queen's chambers for a stolen souvenier. A bracelet, a hair clip, and now apparently, a finely crafted silver brush.
Such trinkets were nothing to Marissa, but they were used by the goblins in their gambling games as prizes for guessing the winners of chicken races and other such dignified games. And she had other things on her mind.
"Is my escort here?" she asked her servant and oldest friend.
"You mean that daft Sir Didymus? Yes, I have no clue why your sister felt it necessary to send him when you have guards of your own."
"He amuses me and I asked for him. He has no filter from brain to mouth and there is much that I would like to hear about - such as the rumor my nephew loves a mortal girl."
Humans. She thought the word and cringed. At least their mother had not left for one of them. No, Kareena's father had not been human, had not been Fae. He'd been more powerful than most knew and his death had plunged her mother into darkness. Not even the love she'd had for her second husband had been real, an arranged marriage for political alliance once she returned from her time above. Marissa sometimes wondered if her birth had been a disappointment to Serennvah.
The High Queen, her youngest half sister, had asked her to lunch and said there was would be others there. She had no doubt that Kareena was one of the other guests, perhaps she would bring the girl with her and it irked her, made her just a little nervous. The three sisters could still feel each others emotions if they did not take care to hide them and Marissa could not sense either of her sisters' feelings.
"Thinking on your family, highness?" Glora asked knowingly, pinning the queen's hair up for her.
"Old wounds sometimes come back to hurt us again, true," the queen sighed. "But we all proceed with our chosen callings no matter the cost, do we not? My mother was such a hard woman to understand, I didn't know her well, but she clouds every moment of my life and has for as long as I can remember."
"Your mother leaving so long ago, leaving the kingdom to your grandfather, then coming back only to leave again. Such goings on! If she'd just married your father to begin with, well who knows? And now your only nephew in love with a human child. Why can't your family find happiness in their own world instead of running off to find mortals and Above Ground lovers?"
"You know you are the only one in my kingdom who would dare say such things to me," the queen drawled in amusement.
"That's because I'm older than dirt and have no fear or sense," the sprite laughed, and Marissa grinned a bit before thinking on her family once more.
Serennvah had been promised to a prince for political gain, but had run off with the being who would become Kareena's father. It had caused scandal and heartbreak but when Kareena's father perished and the wayward queen had returned with a baby princess in tow, all had been forgiven. Serennvah had even married Prince Tervin from the Phooka tribe, the man who had been originally betrothed to her before her self imposed exile.
When Serennvah realized that she was dying, she took Kareena and died Above Ground, far from her second husband and their new daughter. Marissa had been told later that when Fae died of heartbreak, they needed to go to the spot the heartbreak occured. Only in that way could they be guided to the Fade afterwards. Still, losing his wife to another man's memory had been hard to take for the proud prince. Marissa's father had run back to his homeland as soon as his wife left him. Marissa was left alone with a kingdom to rule and a broken family.
"I know I saw that brush not two hours ago," Glora muttered. Marissa laughed, she knew that Jareth's little citizens were to blame but she was guardian of all the Under Ground and knew all of their quirks.
"Use the other one, in the drawer, I'm going to be late," Marissa said. Glora shrugged.
"You are the Queen of Queens, my lady. The ruler of all magic her in the UnderGround. No one would fault you for being a few minutes off schedule."
"And my sister is the High Queen, my most trusted advisor, and a royal pain in the -"
"Your highness!" Glora sputtered.
"Sorry Glora, I can't help who I am," Marissa grinned. "Just as Kareena could not help leaving all of this behind. I only wish she'd admit that she needs this world, just a little. That human she's with has turned her almost totally human."
"By all rights your sister should have been queen - choosing humans over her birthright," Glora shuddered. "I cannot fathom the reasoning."
Marissa twisted her lips in thought. She'd felt abandoned first by her mother, then her own father when he left. Kareena's self imposed exile had been a crushing blow to her and Marissa had wondered if anyone in her family cared for her at all.
She said as much to the servant who hissed.
"You were never a disappointment, and you know this. You were and remain a gift to the family."
"Thank you Glora, that means much coming from you." Marissa chose some simple jewelry and put it on, glancing at her reflection. Had she ever had a destiny that had not been chosen by others?
Seline and Logan were High King and Queen, but they were still Fae. Kareena was now trying to pretend to be human even though she held onto some of her gifts such as the Sight. Her two sisters had their own happiness. Marissa had none - no mate, no happiness, only the knowledge that she was forever bound to rule a land that did not truly belong to her. She was not truly Fae, not anymore. She was bound to the Crystal Kingdom, her magic feeding and being fed by all of the other realms. It was a responsibility that she took seriously, yet didn't bring her the joy it should have done. No, there were too many ghosts wandering the halls, too many memories of a once happy family.
She shook off the feelings of abandonment and sighed. "I think my hair is as brushed as it can be, Glora. Call for my coach, I have a luncheon to attend."
"Yes, your highness," the ancient sprite said, bowing.
All right sisters, Marissa thought to herself, let's see what the two of you have been hiding.