"I… I can explain."
"Explain what? What did you do with Ara?"
"That is what I was going to tell you before you rudely interrupted me. And why did you not knock on the door. Don't you have manners."
"Who are you to be lecturing me on manners, when you are in someone else's room?"
"I AM Ara!"
Not believing the strange young woman Cian starts heading towards the door. "I'm going to get His Majesty to find out who you really are."
Not wanting to get Jareth involved, Sarah stretches her hand out to stop him when she feels a slight tingling sensation through her fingertips. Next thing the two knew the door was shut and locked. Being closest to the door, Cian tries to open it but with no luck.
"What did you do? Unlock this door immediately!"
"No, now sit down and listen to what I have to say."
Reluctantly Cian sits down on a chair furthest away from the imposter thinking of away to get out of this predicament. "Say what you want then let me out."
"I will let you out when you believe me."
"Well I guess we're never getting out then will we?"
Looking at him with a condescending glare Sarah tells her story of how she met the Goblin King and ending the story with how she returned.
"Ok, say that I believe you. How can you prove to me that what you say is true."
"but what no one knew was that the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and gave her special powers." Sarah said in a trance like state.
"Why did you return?"
"Because I owe him."
"Owe him? What do you mean owe him?"
"He made me see the brat I was and to appreciate what I had."
"So what do you instead to do here, because I doubt that you came here to clean his castle."
"I can't tell you, not until I get all the facts."
"Ok, as long as you do tell me."
"So you won't say anything to him?"
"No, I won't tell him, for if I do I don't know what would happen. And besides you're keeping my secret, I can keep yours."
"Thank you Cian, I'm really glad that I have someone here other then my original three friends who know who I am."
Smiling Cian decides to leave Sarah's room and go to his own to go to bed. Feeling lighter now that someone in the castle knows and can help her keep up appearances, Sarah quickly falls asleep not knowing that on the other side of the castle two people were planning to find out who she really is.
*Jareth's POV*
"You got that Aira? I want you to secretly watch my new servant Ara and report to me anything that seems odd or strange.
"Yes Your Majesty! I Aira the fairy will gladly take up this mission you have bestowed upon me." Leaving the King of the Goblins with a big smile on her face, Aira starts looking for the new servant forgetting that she is probably asleep at this time of night.
"I hope everything goes alright." Jareth quietly says to himself. Looking out the window where 10 years earlier he sat with some of his crystals and danced in a dream, he watches his Kingdom slowly start to darken as all of his subjects are going to sleep to prepare themselves for the next day. 'I better get to bed myself. I don't want to be sleep deprived when I start Goblin court tomorrow.' As Jareth was laying in his bed, he could not get the face of Ara with her striking emerald green eyes out of his head. 'I WILL find out why you look so familiar to me.' With this last thought Jareth closes his eyes for sleep.
*Next day around 10am, Moira's POV*
'How can I get my revenge on that little Succubus?' She thought to herself while walking through the castle garden. 'Their has to be a way to get her without anyone finding out.' Stopping to think Moira see's out of the corner of her eye a bush full of purple berries. 'I know those berries, where have I seen them before?' Staring intently at the berries her memory flashes back to when she first started working in the castle.
"What ever you do, do not pick or eat these berries." Said the groundskeeper.
"Why? Are they poisonous?" Young Moira asked.
"In a way yes. They cause a very high fever that causes the person to be delusional and see hallucinations. If you don't lower the fever within 2 days the person will die."
"Isn't there a cure for that?"
"There is, but it's hard to get the ingredients and complicated to make. You have to go to the Dragon Keep and get some shavings from a dragon scale, also you need the roots of the plant that the berries grow from, but the most important thing is that it has to be given my someone who would die for that person through mouth to mouth."
'Now that is what I need.' Smiling devilishly Moira picks 13 berries and heads off towards the kitchen.
*2 hours later…*
"All done, my poison berry pie. Now the question is how do I get Ara to eat it with out her knowing it's from me? Ah! I know what to so I'll give the pie to a maid that is allergic to berry's and when she refuses it, tell her to give it to Ara." Having her plan established Moira starts the Death of Ara.
"Laurie! Laurie!"
"Yes Moira?" A young human maid asked.
"Here I want you to have this Pie I made." Moira handed the covered pie over to her.
Lifting the cover to see what type of pie it was a small smile graces her face. "Thank you for the consideration, but I can not eat berries."
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know. Why don't you give it to the new girl then, like a welcoming gift?" Moira suggested after a brief pause like she had to think of what to do.
"That's a great idea! You don't mind?" questioned Laurie.
"No, just don't tell her it's from me, I don't think she would except it from someone who is above her on the corporate ladder." Moira said shyly as though she wished it were not so.
"I understand, I will not tell a soul." Laurie excitedly said while making a cross over her heart.
Leaving Moira to find Ara, Laurie heads off with the pie in both hands.
'Now that's see how she'll get in my way now. Sweet dreams Ara.' Walking away with a smile on her face just waiting for the news of Ara's demise.
In the library we find Sarah and Cian sitting on a small love seat studying about the underground. Mostly Avalon in case anyone asks questions about the life there.
"So where did you live in Avalon?"
"Near the pond of glowing fish."
"Good. Now all you need to do is remember it all."
"Remember what?" A voice called out at the entrance to the library.
"Oh Laurie! I didn't know you where her. I was just helping Ara here in the rules and ways of the Goblin city to help her progress in her new role." Cian quickly lied trying to sound natural.
"Well that's nice of you." turning to look at Ara, "So you must be the new girl Ara. As Cian said my name is Laurie, nice to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Laurie. May I ask what that is in your hand?"
"Oh! This is a pie for you. A welcoming gift."
"Wow. Thank you." Ara said astonished that someone would go out of their way to help her fell more welcomed. Taking the pie and lifting the cover Ara sees that the pie is a berry pie. "This is my favorite pie! How did you know?"
"I didn't, I just thought that you may like it." Laurie said with a blush on her face thinking that Moira must have told her to give it to Ara because she knew she liked berry pies.
"Looks like you have a good six sense. Would you like to eat the pie with us?" Ara asked the girl who she would like to become friends with.
"I would love to, but sadly I can not for I am allergic to any type of berries."
"Well that's to bad." Ara sadly sighed.
"Yes I guess it is, but I must leave now for my break is done." Laurie said walking towards the door leading to the corridor.
"Of course. Thank you again for the lovely pie." Ara yelled to the back of the leaving girl.
Shutting the door behind her, Laurie leaves not knowing that she is a pawn in the game that Moira started.
"Looks like it's more pie for us then huh Cian. Unless you are allergic also." Sarah asks while putting the pie on a small table.
"No I like berry pie. I would gladly except a piece." Cian replied looking at the pie eagerly.
Making plates and silverware appear out of nowhere with her magic that seemed to be getting stronger the longer she was Underground, Sarah starts cutting her piece of pie. While Cian starts doing the same, Sarah takes a big bite of the berry pie. Noticing the strange flavor and putting it to the difference between the worlds, Sarah didn't notice until it was to late, that it sort of tasted like the peach that Jareth gave her during her trip here the first time.
"Cian, I don't think you should eat the pie."
"Why not?"
"I think it's poisoned." Sarah said drowsily before suddenly falling to the ground from her seat.
"Sarah?" With no answer Cain screams "ARA!" With the noise Cian was making servants of all types came running to see what was going on.
"Someone get the healer and tell His Majesty!" Cain yelled to the growing crowd of onlookers before putting once again all of his attention on Sarah to make sure she was still breathing, not knowing that Moira was looking on with a small smile on her face knowing that she had succeeded in her plot. Obeying the order one of the servants fetch the healer Xindha. Before to long Xindha enters the room, in a languid walk. Retching the girl on the floor, Xindha lightly looks over her new patient.
"What happened to her that made her this way?" questioned Xindha towards Cian.
"I don't really know. We were eating the berry pie that Laurie gave her, when she said it was poisoned and collapsed." Cian said not looking away from Ara and pointing towards the direction the pie was at.
Looking towards where Cian was pointing for said pie Xindha finds it on the small table. Smelling the pie trying to find the source of the poison Xindha looks at it in puzzlement.
"It seems the poison came from the berries, but I am not familiar with them."
As soon as she said that, the group of onlookers parted like the red sea to give way to the Goblin King.
"What has happened in my castle?"
"It seems the new maid has been poisoned through the berries in this pie Your Majesty. The trouble is that I have no recollection of these type of poison berry." Xindha said bows slightly before straightening again.
Taking a quick look at the pie Jareth notices that it is the berries from his garden.
"I know these berries, I use them for medical purposes, for if they are combined with the right ingredients it makes a good salve that heals the bite of the poisonous man eating plant. Also I have it for the roots, which is one of the things you need for the cure."
"What else do we need Your Majesty? I will do everything I can to get them." Cian quickly said so that it seemed that it was all one word, but Jareth understood him.
"You will also need the shavings of a dragon scale and a person who will die of them."
"You mean the cure asks for a persons life?" a voice said from the crowd.
Looking towards the crowd Jareth replies, "No it has to be given by a person who would give there life for the person poisoned through mouth to mouth."
"I would gladly give my life for hers, but I do not know how I can get the shavings of a dragon scale." Cain said looking up at Jareth
"I will do that, for she is under my protection while she works for me. Take her to her room. I will be there shortly."
Leaving to prepare for the trip ahead Jareth does not hear the name that excepts from the young woman's mouth.
AN: I hope you liked this chapter. I hope to get more reviews. Also the next chapter will be interesting, so I hope you can wait a little while until it's posted. My colleague would like to say a few words.
Elisabeth: hello all views out there. The next chapter will make you hungry, but I'm not going to tell you what. PS It's not pie. (evilly grinning)
Me: Ok I'm back and I would just like to say that Jareth has been on my back about how little time he has on the screen, so I've been bullied into writing more with him in the scene, so if he pops up randomly in the story it's not my fault.
Elisabeth: He should stop whining or is he not the Goblin King?
Me: Don't say that! He bugs me not you.
Elisabeth: That's because he's to scarred to bug me.
Jareth: Hey!… That's true. (sighs)
Elisabeth: See. (smirks)
Me: I hate you both. (quietly going into a corner to brood)