I thought this chapter would get as far as the ball...but we seem to have got a little side tracked somewhere. The next chapter will be the ball, promise. *smiles sweetly*

In the mean time hope you enjoy this chapter, it just seemed to come to a good chapter ending so I didn't want to force the issue. Please read and review. Reviews give me energy. Love you all. xxx

Jareth led Sarah back to his, their, chamber, fingers interlocked with hers as he led her through the castle's narrow passages. As they crossed the threshold he spun her round and pulled her to him, locking his lips down over hers. When they surfaced Sarah was gasping for air, although Jareth seemed as relaxed and graceful as ever.

"That was for being so beautiful," he told her.

The dress he had picked out for her was a more mature version of the one she had worn in the peach induced dream. The tight, shaped bodice was still there, though lower cut than she remembered it, but the skirt was not so puffy or flouncy. It hung closer to her body and accentuated the swing of her hips. She chose a pair of silvery white slippers to go with it. Jareth refused to let her use make-up claiming it merely hid a person's natural beauty.

Now she sat in front of the large mirror opposite the bed as Jareth stood behind her. He was watching her face in the mirror as he gently drew a brush through her beautiful dark brown hair. He allowed the locks to slip between his fingers, marvelling at their silky smoothness. Sarah leant her head back against his stomach, smiling at him in the mirror. H leant down and pressed his lips to the skin of her neck, just below her ear, before whispering, "That makes it slightly harder for me to untangle your hair precious."

She giggled and turned to him, wrapping her arms round his neck as he kissed the exposed skin of her shoulder.

"I was thinking I could wear it down any," she moaned as his pointed teeth nipped at her skin.

He growled his approval at her.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready yourself Jareth?" she queried, finally managing to push him back and summon a coherent thought.

"Mmmm," he sighed pulling her back against him, "I don't take long." He paused for sometime as though musing. Sarah wondered what he could be considering. "Precious?" he said into the crook of her neck.

"Mmm?"

"Will you do something for me tonight?"

"Jareth you know I will do anything you ask."
He smiled at this, knowing it was true. "I want you to wear something for me, something only we know about."

"What?" she queried, "I'm already wearing a full costume of your choosing."
"Does it bother you?" she shook her head. "It's not something I want you to wear on you. Rather something I want you to wear in you."

Sarah pulled her head back so that she could look into Jareth's eyes questioningly. This announcement had shocked her a bit. He hastened to explain.

"You see Precious," he said meeting her gaze, "it is custom in the Labyrinth that a bespoken for woman," he smiled lovingly at her, "should wear a marked favour showing to whom she belongs. Almost like a chastity belt in your world." He crooked his eyebrow at her. "It is this." He reached into the air and took hold of a small cylinder, approximately one and a half centimetres in diameter and five centimetres long. On one end was a carving of the coat of arms of the Goblin Kingdom. Sarah couldn't be sure but it too looked to be made of Labyrinthian. She looked at it doubtfully.

"So what do I do with it?" she asked although she thought she already knew the answer. She did not relish the prospect of spending the whole evening with that thing but she knew she could deny Jareth nothing he asked of her.

"It is more a question of what I do with it," Jareth replied, smiling wickedly at her.

He bent down on one knee and began to gather her skirts up.

"Hey," Sarah exclaimed embarrassed, "I could do it myself."

Jareth shook his head up at her and again she gave in to his demands. She felt his hands between her knees, pushing her legs apart and she obediently separated them to a little more than shoulder width. One of his cool hands traced its way up her thigh, leaving shivers of fire in its wake. Gently his long fingers shifted her underwear to the side and parted her. She could not help but moan when she felt one of his fingers enter her. Her knees threatened to buckle and as he chuckled at her reaction his other hand quickly steadied her. Then she felt the cylinder pushing at her entrance, slowly sliding in until she could feel the finer following it. She smiled at herself when for some reason it reminded her of inserting a tampon. The smile was fast wiped off her face however when the finger was removed and she felt Jareth's lips on her lower lips. He kissed her sex once, softly, before letting her skirts down and straightening to his feet.

He looked deep into her eyes. She was blushing deeply and avoiding his eyes. With his fingers he tilted her head until she was forced to meet his gaze. "Thank you," he said simply.

"So," she started, obviously wanting to move on from what had just happened, "are you going to get ready now?"

"Yes," he stated, "I will change in the bathroom."
"That's not fair," she cried echoing her former self, "you got to watch me change."

It was true. As he had reclined on the bed Sarah had coyly stripped off her outer clothes until she had stood in nothing but the underwear that Jareth had provided for the first time that day. As she had reached for the dress Jareth had shook his head slightly and moved his hand over the pile of clothing laid out next to him. A white satin bra and matching thong had appeared meaning she was expected to change her underwear too. She had had to swallow a lump in her throat, scolding herself. She did not know why, but the thought of him watching her undress made her so nervous. They had had sex, and he had seen her naked now on many occasions. But this was somehow much more real. Him lying back and watching as though she was putting on a show. She had steeled herself and unhooked the plain bra she was wearing. Jareth's eyes had darkened at the sight of her, his enjoyment of the spectacle clear. As Sarah pulled on the new underwear, emboldened by the knowledge of what she was doing to him, Sarah had turned her back on him and had bent to pick something up. She was gratified to hear Jareth's moan as her buttocks, not concealed by the skimpy thong, filled his vision. He had swept smoothly to his feet and pulled the dress over Sarah's head before fading from the room and leaving Sarah to struggle for ten minutes with the impossible fastenings down her back.

She had let him watch her change, so she wasn't going to be denied that pleasure in return. As he moved towards the bathroom door she ran round him to stand in the doorway, barring his way.

He smiled at her, his pointed teeth obvious as he drew back his lips. And he walked straight through her, just as he had done in his optical illusion a few years before. The door shut decisively behind her. As it did so Sarah jumped slightly. She could have sworn that the cylinder thing, which she had forgotten up until now, had twitched. She shook herself, scolding her imagination for playing tricks on her.

A knock came on the door. She crossed and opened it. There stood Jareth resplendent in a dark blue coat and tight breaches, much as he had been in the crystal ball. He extended his hand.

"My Lady. I am come to request the honour of escorting you to the ball of the Goblin King." And he bowed deeply.

Sarah's annoyance at him evaporated on the spot as she smiled up at him and slipped her hand into his.