Jareth was right, he wasn't going to be coming home anytime soon. Even though the young mother traded her hungry and sickly child for her dreams, which he gladly gave her, and Jareth was able to transport the baby boy back to the Underground in record time, he still had to get him settled. For Wished Away's that they knew were better off in the Underground, Jareth and Sarah had set up a nursery to care for the children until an adoption could be arranged.
"There you go, Jacob," he said, gently handing the baby off to a nursery goblin to bathe and feed him. He strode quickly from the room and peeked in on Sarah who was, one again, sound asleep. Glancing at the floating clock in the corner, he saw that it was just after 2am. Shutting the chamber door gently, Jareth made his way to his study to dash off a letter to the Cormacks and write out instructions and reminders for Sarah. He conjured a crystal and set it on a miniature silk pillow on his desk. This would activate the portal for her to travel to the Above to deal with her pet's needs. He folded the note, addressed it, and watched it disappear from his hands.
Eying the clock that was sitting on the mantle, he noted that it was now after 4am. He ran his fingers though his hair. He could go back to bed and try to at least sleep for a little bit next to his wife, but knew it was futile as he had to travel to the Southern Kingdom in a few hours.
Settling down in his favorite chair by the dark fireplace, Jareth fell into a restless sleep.
Before even waking fully, Sarah knew that Jareth hadn't returned that night. His side of the bed was cold and unrumpled. He had left a note addressed to his Beloved on her bedside table. She read it quickly; it was filled with assurances that she'd be fine without him, that the kingdom would be fine in her hands. There were last minute reminders as well, such as where to find the crystal to activate the portal for the Above, and that he missed her already.
Sarah noticed that he had used the stationary Severus had given her. 'So much for his grumbling,' she thought. Rising, Sarah saw to Arwen's needs before bathing and calling the goblin maid in to help dress her.
While the maid was styling Sarah's hair, a goblin entered and handed her this week's schedule of meetings. "Knack, has Nobbs reported anything from his assignment?"
"No, your Majesty."
"The minute you hear from him, I want to know." She winced as a hairpin grazed her scalp.
"Yes, your Majesty. Anything else?" He inquired.
"There was a Wished Away last night. What were the results?" She looked at him through the mirror.
"The lady accepted the King's offer and he brought the baby back here. He is resting comfortably in the nursery. I believe his name is Jacob."
"Did Jar- His Highness arrange for an adoption?"
"I do not know, my Queen."
Sarah stood as the last hairpin was put into place and smoothed her grey gown. "See to it that he's well taken care of. I'll look for information."
"Yes, your Majesty." He looked at her expectantly.
"I wish to take tea in the garden today. His Majesty's Mother is coming for a visit. That is all." She waved him away in dismissal.
The morning meetings had dragged on longer than expected, so Sarah was ten minutes late for tea with Orrla. She practically ran to the garden in an attempt to make up for lost time. However, there was no one there. Sarah looked around, puzzled seeing as how they were to meet precisely at noon.
Shrugging her shoulders in acceptance, Sarah sat and inspected the tea tray that was placed on the table. She had only met Orrla a handful of times, the first of which was when she and Jareth were courting.
It was only the second time she had stayed over in the Underground, on one of Jareth's off days, and she was looking forward to spending the entire time with him.
They were having a bit of a lie in after a mostly sleepless night, when an unseen gong sounded, rousing both of them. Sarah started patting around for the alarm clock that wasn't there, while Jareth rolled away from her, planted himself facedown into his pillow and let out a curse.
"What is it?" She asked, giving up on the alarm clock, remembering where she was.
He turned his head to look at her. "My mother," he said, as if it explained everything.
She brushed the hair from his face. "What about your mother?"
"I forgot that she's visiting." He rolled onto his back and eyed the clock floating in the corner. "And it looks like we are now late in meeting her." He stood up, completely nude, absentmindedly rubbing at a love bite Sarah had given him earlier. "Come on." He conjured a crystal. "I can have us dressed and ready in under ten seconds flat."
She stood next to him, wearing one of his ruffled shirts. He reached out and touched her own love bite. "Hmm, high collars for both of us." Tossing the crystal above, it broke in a shower of glitter and magic, and their appearances changed immediately.
Sarah was dressed in a deep blue gown with a high neckline, bustle skirt and a false apron in front. The sleeves of her dress ended in a bell shape at her elbows, edged in creamy lace that matched what was encasing her throat.
Jareth also dressed himself in blue with his silk cream colored shirt buttoned all the way up and tied with a cravat, an owl pin holding it in place. The tails of his jacket barely caressed the floor as he walked around in knee-high boots that had black breeches tucked into them.
Sarah walked over to the full-length mirror that was leaning near his dressing area. She angled herself so that she could see most of the back of the dress. The bustle was a cascade of pleats that had a large bow resting at the top. "Jareth, why is there a bow on my butt?" She asked, frowning.
He looked up from fastening his cuffs. "Hmmm…?" He came over to the mirror to inspect their reflection. "Oh, it's very feminine. My mother will approve."
"But there's a bow on my butt." She tugged at it to see if it would come off. No such luck.
"Yes, my mother will approve of it." He smoothed the lapels of his jacket.
She glared at him. "I don't like bows on my butt, just as I don't like hats on my head."
He snapped his fingers, causing a blue velvet hat to perch atop her head. "I had almost forgotten…"
Turning quickly, Sarah took in the addition. "Jareth!"
Jareth smirked and wound his arms around her corseted waist. "You'll learn to like hats, as most women here wear them on outings. And, well, I don't like anything on your butt, to be honest. But…" he laughed at his joke. "We can't always get what we want." He kissed her. "You do look ravishing. Despite bows." He patted her bottom through her skirts. "If only we had more time…"
He leaned down to kiss her again but she stopped him. "I thought you were the master of time?" She asked archly.
"I am," he said defensively. "But not when it comes to my family." The unseen gong sounded again and Jareth pulled her even closer. "Come." And with that, they disappeared.
Jareth was right. Orrla did approve of the dress Sarah was wearing but, more importantly, she approved of Sarah. "Oh, she's lovely," Orrla said to Jareth as Sarah walked ahead to give them a moment. "She'll produce many healthy children."
"Mother," Jareth groaned. "Not that again."
She patted her son's hand. "Nonsense. You know how important it is for us to have offspring. And her will, why, it's as strong as yours." She smiled up at him. "I can tell she won't back down from anything easily. She'll make a fine Queen someday."
Jareth sighed.
A sparrow alighted upon the empty chair opposite Sarah and sang merrily at her in greeting. In a flash of rose colored glitter, Orrla stood before her in its place. "Sarah," she opened her arms invitingly. Sarah grinned at the woman, curtsying quickly before stepping into her arms.
"Orrla, it's wonderful to see you." She stepped back and looked at the woman. Her strawberry blonde hair was swept half up and she wore a lavender gown that was reminiscent of the Renaissance era. Her blue eyes twinkled.
"I hear you've been left in charge?" She pulled her chair back and sat, waiting for Sarah to serve the tea.
Sarah swept back to her own chair, sat and added hot water to two cups to warm them. She swished them a few times before pouring the water back into its jug. "News travels fast, it seems." She poured the tea.
"The last time the Goblin Queen was in charge was when Jareth was 10 and his father had to lead the Goblin Army into battle." She accepted the teacup. "Thank you."
Sarah sipped from her own cup. "The Battle of the Lighted Cross?" She asked.
Orrla arched an eyebrow in surprise. "You've been reading the history books."
"Yes, well, I like knowing what I'm getting myself into."
"Very good child," she praised. "Smart of you."
"Didn't you and Eldon rule together?" Sarah took a biscuit from the tray and bit into it.
"Times were different back then, my dear. Queens only ruled when the King was indisposed. Is that what you and my son are doing, co-ruling?"
"Yes, that's what we're attempting to do. As soon as I learn enough."
"I knew you'd be a good influence on him," Orrla said as she selected foodstuffs from the tray. Wiping her hands on a napkin, she pulled a note from her dress pocket. "You never told me how you two came up with these automatically sending notes. They're just marvelous!"
Sarah took her time in deciding what she wanted to fill her plate. She had only heard a few stories from Jareth about Orrla and Severus interacting when he was a child and the impression she got was that their relationship was strained. So, she wasn't sure how Orrla would react to the 'marvelous' magic being his. But she'd find out sooner or later.
"No, those came from Severus Snape," she said quietly, hoping that the cheery and good mood wouldn't dissipate.
To Orrla's credit, her smile only slightly faltered. Her brilliant blue eyes, however, grew cold until they looked like chips of ice. "Ah, well, it seems more like something you two would cook up. Much more convenient than goblin courier." She slipped the note back into her pocket and started in on her plate. "He is well, I presume?"
"Yes, he visited us a month or so ago." Sarah picked at the food on her plate.
"Was it a business visit?"
Sarah chewed thoughtfully. "It was a research trip until he got distracted by me."
Orrla gave Sarah a shrewd look. "Distracted?"
Sarah paused for only a moment before deciding to tell her mother-in-law the whole story, reasoning that she'd find most of it out in a few months when he publicly Offered for her. And once she started talking, Sarah found that she couldn't stop. She told Orrla everything, from the kitten and other gifts, to Jareth spending more time away on royal business, to the kiss.
"…he kissed me, you know," she said quietly, feeling her cheeks warm.
"Jareth? Yes, I'm sure he would."
"No, not him," Sarah shook her head. "Severus."
Sarah's answer came just as Orrla was drinking more tea. She sputtered into her teacup. "In front of my son? Surely he's not that bold?"
"No, no, no. He was accompanying me on my duties for the day. It was strange. His voice became low and hypnotic. I felt like my brain was encased in a thick fog. I couldn't focus on anything except what he was doing. It was like nothing I felt before, not even with Jareth."
Orrla thought on this. "He's a Legilimens, and a very powerful one at that."
Legilimens. Sarah had read about it in one of the books he gave her. However, she never thought to make the connection. "He read my thoughts?"
"Read them. Maybe even influenced them. However…" She pursed her lips in thought. "I doubt that. Our rules are very strict. What kinds of gifts did he give you again?"
As Sarah recited the list again, something clicked in her mind. The kitten wasn't just a happenstance. She was deliberate, as was everything else. She looked at her half-full plate, not feeling hungry anymore. "I'm supposed to be meeting him next week for a visit to Hogwarts and Diagon Alley," she murmured, more to herself than to Orrla. "How can I be around him knowing what he did?"
Orrla placed her hand over Sarah's, squeezing gently, making her lift her eyes. "I was apprehensive when I was first Offered for. And while I don't condone how Severus learned about your wants and desires, I do applaud his resourcefulness. He learned more about you in a few minutes that, under normal circumstances, would have taken weeks or even months to learn. And, as it is late August, time is short for him to convince you."
Sarah considered this but still looked glum. She felt violated. He entered her mind and rifled through her thoughts. And then used that information to try and gain her favor.
"Sarah," Orrla said softly, causing her to refocus her attention on the woman before her. "Did you know I lived in the Above for quite some time? Jareth had just started his terrible two's and, well, I needed a reprieve. Nothing wrecks more havoc than a two-year-old Fae throwing multiple magical temper tantrums."
Sarah giggled at the image of a toddler version of Jareth. "Was it really that bad?"
"You have no idea," Orrla said conspiratorially. "He managed to burn down a third of the castle during one snit. His father wouldn't take him to see the unicorns, and, well..."
Sarah laughed out loud at this added image. Little Jareth unhappy about not being able to visit unicorns.
Orrla laughed at Sarah's merriment. When she composed herself, she continued. "Anyhow, I know how people in the Above regard marriage. It's a lifelong commitment; it was especially so back then. And I know how things have changed up there. You have divorce, open marriages, why, there's even no marriage at all, just cohabiting. Borrowing and Offering is an excellent way to explore options- sometimes many different ones- during our very long lives."
Sarah had heard as much before from Jareth. "Yes, I know. Jareth explained it to me." She paused. "However, he didn't put it quite in those terms. I suppose it can be considered like a structured open , what is it like?"
"Different but in many ways the same as being with Jareth's father. I'm currently Borrowed, and I was so once before. In the end, you're still figuring out how to live with someone. You laugh, argue, make up, learn, sleep, and, to be frank, screw all the same. It's all a learning experience, my dear." She squeezed her hand again.
Sarah squeezed back. She had a lot of things to think about.
AN: I do not own any of these characters- they are the property of their respective owners.
Betaed by AnonyMissJ. I wouldn't be able to do this without you.
AN2: I know I haven't been that great with weekly updates.. and I'm afraid this is all I have written at the moment. I know where this is going (and how it's going to end). I'm just struggling with getting everybody to that point. So, I beg for your patience.