Ch 5

A Romance Blooms and A Ballroom Threat.

I heard his heeled riding books click on the stone ground as I his from him, giggling every once and a wile to help him with where I was.

I slipped around a corner and smiled hoping I was going to be undetected…I was wrong. I felt a pair of strong arms come around my waist and start to tickle me

"I got you, you little minx." Jareth said, the smile he wore was even able to be heard before his turned me around so I could look him in the eye. The miss-matched pair gleaming in the late morning sun, my gaze when from his eyes to his lips. The just looked so soft and kissable…

'No! I can't think about that now, now that he is so close…Did his lips just move closer?' I though

His breath had a lemon like smell with a mint twist, I smiled and blushed. Jareth smiled before inching his lips closer, I started to do the same.

'Here we go, my first real kiss…with the goblin king…would have never seen that coming…' I though to myself

"Your Majesties," I heard a voice say

I pulled away from Jareth with a 'Sorry' look written on my face. We both looked towards the sound of the voice.

"Skeet, my boy, you better have a good reason to interrupting me." Jareth said as he let go of my waist. I stood up, fixing my dress and picking as non-existing dust.

"Sire, its about one in the afternoon. The guest have started to arrive and you mother wanted me to tell you she wants you to get ready." The goblin said before quickly leaving.

"Mother always was a forceful woman. Come we will both get ready together." He said talking my hand, I slowly slipped it out and took a few steps away from him.

"I think I'm going to walk around for a wile, see the gardens…I'll be in a few hours."

"Be in by sundown or I will come and find you myself." He said before walking towards an arch and disappearing in thin air.

As soon as I knew that he was gone I let out a long, annoyed sigh and sat on the nearest bench.

"Why me? Seriously…" I said before walking back to the castle.

~*~

"Lord and Lady Witier of the land of the elves." said the announcer guy. I was standing in the hall outside the ballroom. Jareth and I had no spoken since the almost kiss in the garden. We were expected to enter the ball together after all the guests arrive. The last guest was one my new friend Hoggle told me to look out for, Queen Adrienne and her daughter Marlys. They were rulers of Moraine, the only castle in the lands of the labyrinth that floated on the water. Apparently she has been trying to get her only daughter married to the goblin king for years and she would be my biggest threat…well other than impressing the new in-laws.

"Queen Adrienne, what a pleasure.," I heard Jareth's voice say.

The woman he was talking to had long very fair blonde hair and emerald eyes. She wore black dress that was similar to what Maleficent in sleeping beauty wore. She had sharp and demanding features and she was tan but not Latino tan.

I turned behind me to she him bowing and kissing her hand, she curtsied back.

"and fair Marlys, how beautiful the years have made you." I saw her once Jareth bowed.

Mother and Daughter were like night and day.

She had also had long hair, but hers was an ebony black and her skin was pale as anything. She had dazzling icy grey eyes and small, graceful features. She was thin and wore a dark green ball gown, similar to mine.

"Oh Jareth, you always were the charmer. Now please tell up what this ball is all about." said the queen as they walked toward the ballroom entrance, I turned my back to wall and pretended to be staring at the monumental painting to Jareth…or his father.

"You will find out before dinner is served, now you are the last guest to arrive so hurry in." Jareth said as Marlys gave him a giggle and slipped in following her mother.

"Are you ready my dear?" I heard Jareth say as he took my waist and made me look at him. I smiled a weak smiled and took his hand.

"King Jareth Bannatyne of the Goblins and Lady Casey King of the Aboveground." said the announcer guy as a burst of whispers passed thought the ballroom.

The ball room itself looked almost exactly like it did in the movie only there were more tables and a long one with what must have been the kings and queens of each land, seven in total (including the High King and Niamh and Queen Adrienne and Marlys…oh and us.) As the rest of the crowd sat the High King stood.

"My son has called us all together to share in his joy of his kingdoms accomplishments. As you all know of the law in the labyrinth, If a mortal wished him or herself away to one of our kingdoms, Goblin being the most common, they must marry the single king, queen, prince or princesses. This, after thousands of years, has happened again. Jareth, my son would you like to continue?" Azriel said, gesturing to Jareth and me.

Jareth nudged me and stood, I followed.

"I have the pleasure to say that Lady Casey King is my future wife and this is no ordinary ball…this is to celebrate our engagement.," He said razing a glass from the table, I picked mine up and stood with a smile as applause wrings out and Jareth's mother gave me a smile. "Our wedding is going to be the second of August. To the wedding." he said as everybody followed suit. We sat and like a scene out of Harry Potter the food appeared.

"Jareth, why did you pick that date?" I asked as I cut of a slice of what looked like chicken but tasted like a combined turkey and chicken.

"I don't know, why do you ask?" He said

"That's my birthday." I said quietly, he smiled and had me open my mouth because I had to try this piece of bog reed. I refused saying it would make my breath smell bad. He chuckled before telling me would he ever steer me wrong, even more because I had to sleep in the same room with him. I winced as he slipped his fork in my mouth and I started to chew, I tasted great! Like Mac and cheese, the way I made when I lived in the aboveground.

"That was spectacular! What is it?" I asked as dinner was slowly winding down

"Bog Reed is a plant that grows without flavor but when eaten it tastes like what ever the eater's favorite food is." Jareth said as we were told to proceed to the ballroom for the rest of the night, or till Jareth wanted everybody out.

"Shall we dance?" he asked as he bowed to me

"Why yes sir." I said in my best English ascent, we both laughed as he took my waist and my hand and we joined the swirling cloud that was our guests.

~*~

"Jareth, I have to sit down!" I said as I started to pull him off the dance floor.

"And you should! We have been dancing for about three hours! The party is almost over, I'm going to start saying good bye. Make sure you say good bye to mother and father." he said before kissing my palm and disappearing in the crowd.

I sat at a table for a few minutes before getting a drink, I noticed Marlys standing rather close to me. As soon as I sat back down she jumped me. She stood on the other side of the table.

"Just what pray tell do you think you are doing?" She said, I decided to play dumb.

"Well I'm sitting at my engagement ball drinking some peach wine…" I said before she cut me off

"I meant with Jareth, do you think he could ever love a repulsive little scab like you?" She said as I started to laugh

"Well I have to say that was really original, and by the way your name fits you…you really are bitter. Honey face it, you lost him, I'm sorry, I didn't win his heart if it make you feel better. I just wished myself away and ended up in this mess." I said before walking away to find the High King and High Queen.

But Marlys must have been very pissed because she through me against the wall and whispered in my ear,

"One slip and he is mine." she glared and stalked off to find her mother.

"Scary Chick." I said rubbing my arm as Niamh came over with her husband.

"Casey it was a pleasure but we regrettably have to go home, we hope to see you before the wedding." Niamh said before giving me a hug.

The High King stepped forward and I curtsied

"It was a pleasure meeting you, your majesty and I hope to have you here in this castle again soon." I said

"Call me, Azriel." he said before walking away with his shocked wife in tow, leaving a shocked son and a soon to be daughter in law.

~*~

"He has never told anybody to call him Azriel ever, not even me. Only mother has…" Jareth said as I changed from my silver gown to my nightgown.

"Wow…I feel…special!" I exclaimed as I came back around the changing curtain and saw Jareth once again shirtless and him his tight tights but no boots or riding crop tonight and he was grabbing a towel from the shelf near the 'Bathroom'.

"I'm going to take a bath, do you mind?" he said

"No go right ahead, I'm tired I think I'm going to go to bed, good night Jareth." I said as I walked over to my side of the bed. As I started to pass Jareth he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close just like in the hedge maze.

"Casey, how do I make you feel?" he asked innocently and he brushed a stray bang out of my eyes. I felt a tingle flow across my body and a shiver ran up my spine, with his simple brush of a fingertip I was practically mush…but I'll be damned if I let him know that.

"Jareth…I…I…I don't kno-*mufft!*" the last bit was cut of my Jareth crashing his lips against mine, I wrapped my arms around his neck and when we broke for air I smiled dreamily.

"I'm going to go take a shower." he said as he picked my limp form and slipped it under the covers. I fell asleep shortly after, but a little later I could have sworn I felt somebody wrap their arm around my waist and pull me close.

~*~

A/n- Let depression and anger help me write for the rest of my life! I finished! Once again I am sorry it took so long and about the grammar in the last few. Now review my little review monkeys! REVIEW! REVIEWWWW!!!!!!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!-*ahem!*- sorry got power crazy… but yes please do reveiw!