Disclaimer: I believe I am insane, and this is just more nonsense from my head. All I actually own is Wren. Anyone who steals my work gives me full permission to hunt you down, and spam you into oblivion. Muahahaha.
Ghostofthewaterflame: Comedy, sure, but remember, this is my plot-attack-fest… thingy… I've got a lot of plot to deal with in these upcoming chapters… curse you, Newton!!!
Sammi C.: Sammi? Sammi? NOOOO!!!! WHOEVER YOU ARE, LET MY REVIEWER GO!!! If that's the GK, well, then… play nice? But BRING HER BACK!!!
Yami Moon: I hope I can crank these ploty-chapters out quicker… they get all technical and whatnot, with all the plot… curse you Newton!!!
Anij: Ha! Yeah, Wren sometimes overlooks the obvious… lets hope she gets a little more observant while Underground. If not, she may miss something important!
Notwritten: Awesome, thank you!!!
Contraltissimo: Hee! Thank you! You know, even if I didn't have the beliefs that I do, I don't like to follow the grain of society, and I rather enjoy keeping this 'gutter-less'. Hee!
Baby.turtle.cute: Really? Hmm, I might have to head over there and check it out… when I have some time… AH! MUST FINISH THIS VACATION BEFORE NOVEMBER!!! AH!
Music recommendations – guess what? I actually compiled a list of all the songs I've recommended for this fic! It's up to 45 songs! And, I'm so proud of myself, I haven't repeated any of them! Yay!
We Close Our Eyes by Susanna Hoffs (from the –original- Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack)
Honey, I'm Home by Shania TwainI'm Alive by Celine Dion
Okay everyone, quick note before we dive into this puppy. Wren left on a Friday night, so she has Saturday, Sunday, Monday through the next Saturday, and then comes back Saturday night. That makes eight full days… My grand plan is to do at least two days per chapter for all this. Just FYI. I know Wren said ten days, but she was just roughly estimating… eight days is still good. Fear not! Man… this thing is going to be big…
Day One of Wren's vacation
Shimmering, green sunlight woke me slightly. I blinked, lazily. I was much too comfortable to wake up fully, but the greenish light was intriguing.
Wait a minute… green sunlight?
I blinked a little more… oh, right! I giggled sleepily as I remembered where I was. No, it was regular light, but it was being seen through sheer jade curtains that covered the alcove where my bed was. I reached out a droopy hand to part the curtains a bit and look at the actual sunlight. It was very pretty, but still had a green tint, as it caught the color of the carpet in the room. I looked at the clock. It was… six? No… Seven? Or was that eight? My eyes were too tired to focus on the differently placed numbers on the differently numbered clock.
Instead, I pulled the very soft bedding back up to my neck and snuggled into the pillow further. They weren't cotton, and they weren't silk… they were something somewhere in between. Soft as silk, but more cottony… I dozed for I don't know how long. Could have easily been another hour, and I wouldn't have known it. Even then, I could have slept much later in that bed, had there not been a knock at the door, waking me.
Bleary eyed, but in that good I had a nice sleep kind of way, I sat up and pushed the curtains back and tried to find my voice. Usually, it doesn't work until I've drank something…
"Come in," I said, though it sounded more like 'Min'.
The double doors opened grandly and in walked… Jareth. Had I been more awake, I would have cracked a joke about him not having servants or something, but, yeah, I wasn't awake yet. He was carrying a large tray and… I blinked. He wasn't dressed.
Well, he was clothed, but not in his usual attire. It was like he hadn't gotten dressed for the day yet. He wore blue silk (or something shiny that looked like silk) bottoms that were so strange for me to see him in, because they were loose. Loose! Not his usually tight pants! And for a top… well, it looked more like a pale robe of some kind… no, not robe, it wasn't long enough. What would that be? An extra long poet shirt that didn't button or have ruffles, but just wrapped around him and tied with a sash of the same material? Don't know what that would be called. Anyhow, it was very different. Nice, I'll say, but still shocking to see when you weren't expecting it.
"Good morning," he said in an extremely chipper voice as he closed the double doors behind him. "There is a robe laid out for you, if you would like to put it on," he commented, absently while idly looking at something on the tray he was carrying.
"Wha?" I asked groggily, looking around, feeling slow. Oh, yes, hanging on a hook beside the bed was a robe, a deep purple one. It was long and thick and fluffy… as I reached for it, I began to wake more fully and realized that I was in my pajamas, in front of Jareth. I yanked the robe around me and tied it quickly. My pajamas were, while modest, kinda silly. Just a loose cotton t-shirt and flannel Eeyore bottoms. Both were a little too loose for company, in my opinion, so the robe was very welcome.
"Mmkay, iss on," I said.
Reminding me vaguely of, dare I say it, Jack Sparrow or something, Jareth swayed his way over with the tray. He smiled in through the curtains and moved a slender hand to part the curtains, "May I join you?"
I pushed back the curtains and sat up, patting the bed, "Yeah, sure… whatcha got there?" I asked, suddenly curious. He'd been holding a large tray up in the air with one hand, up where I couldn't see it. He noticed my line of attention and smiled.
"I thought perhaps you would like to share a morning meal together," he lowered the tray to reveal breakfast. "Unless on formal occasions, I take breakfast in my chambers. I had thought to have your breakfast waiting for you when you woke," he motioned to the small table with roses on it, in the center of the room, "But as an after thought I wondered if you would prefer not to eat alone, at the very least on your first morning here as my guest," a slightly worried look appeared on his face, "Is that… alright? I really should have asked that of you last night…"
I smiled at him, "Nah, that's fine. Nice, actually," I turned my attention to the tray as I rubbed my eyes, "What do we have here?"
Jareth seated himself on the bed where I had patted it and crossed his legs beneath him, facing me. He sat the tray on the bed between us, he deftly pointed to the items on the tray… words I recognized, but food I did not. "Buttered toast with marmalade," a stack of red squares and a jar of bright green jelly-stuff, "Freshly hard boiled eggs and sausage," several yellow sphere-like things stacked ornately in a bowl and it seriously looked like someone had tried to make spaghetti with sausage instead of wheat or flour, "A variety of fresh fruit," were those orange grapes and stubby blue bananas? "And water to drink," okay, so that I recognized. Two glasses of water… but, dude, that had to be the purest water ever. It practically sparkled. I swear. "Is that to your liking?"
Red toast, yellow eggs, and blue bananas? So, it wasn't what I was used to… but, was I honestly expecting to find aboveground food here? Other than cookies, that is? Besides, when in Rome… or, in this case, the Underground…
I reached out and grabbed an orange grape to pop in my mouth (which was very tangy, and not very grape like, but good all the same) and grinned, "It's perfect!"
Jareth smiled at me again, reaching out to pluck a piece of red toast from the stack of squares.
It was then that I saw it. I gasped and almost choked on another grape-thingy.
"Wren?" he questioned, but I held up a hand.
"Whoa, whoa! Don't move!" I said, eyes still focused on it. I was now wide-awake.
"Alright…" he looked worried, but didn't move.
I couldn't believe it. At first, I just stared… but… I reached out a hand and started to touch the back of his hand, which was stretched across the tray, reaching for the toast. His hand. Bare hand. As in, it was the first time I had ever seen his hand without a glove on it. He wasn't wearing his gloves! I was speechless! I tapped it for just a second and drew my hand away quickly, as if it would bit me. Jareth laughed.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, in that you're-acting-rather-strange kind of voice.
I frowned, still staring at his hand. "You're not wearing gloves," I whispered in an awed voice.
This surprised him, "Oh, yes, I neglected to don them… I can remedy that…" he twisted one hand around, as if about to conjure a crystal from nowhere, and in a split second I had the feeling that I would never see his hands again.
I nearly lunged across the tray, grabbing at his bare hands, saying, "No, don't!" rather shrilly.
My hand crossed his, and our palms touched. As though it were an involuntary action, his fingers closed around my hand and I felt… a kind a shock. Sort of. Zing? Is that a better word for it? Something like that. Whatever it was, it didn't feel bad, but rather… nice.
Neither of us moved. Instead, our gazes locked and we just… stared. The moment was odd, to say the least. In less than half of a second, it was like we were just… he and I. How else can I explain this? Whenever I'm with him, it is never far from my mind that he is a king, a ruling monarch of a magical kingdom. But… I suppose it was the setting, or perhaps our relaxed clothes or something like that, but whatever the reason, it seemed, for just a second, that we were just two beings, sitting together, eating breakfast. And then, in the next half a second, part of mind wondered if this was what it would be like, to wake up and spend every morning with him…
But the moment faded. I blinked, so did he. We both smiled. I thought about asking him what that feeling had been, but… yeah, I didn't want to, just then. I just wanted to have breakfast with Jareth. He released my hand and we began to wordlessly enjoy our meal.
So… Underground food is not that bad. Actually, rather good. Jareth ate some toast and eggs, every now and then retrieving a few strings of sausage to chew on. I found myself adoring the marmalade. It looked absolutely disgusting, by my standards, but I gave it a shot – it tasted kinda creamy and fruity… almost like strawberries and cream. And I love toast, in any form.
After awhile, I broke the comfortable silence. "So," I asked while peeling a blue banana thing, "What do we have planned for today? Or, well, this week, for that matter?"
Jareth sipped at his glass of water and nodded, "Fair question," he said, replacing his glass on the tray, "Well, I would, if you do not mind, like to take my meals with you, as often as I can. Today, though, I am afraid I have some matters of state to attend to and will, regrettable be unable to join you until dinner. I thought perhaps today and tomorrow you might like to roam and see parts of the castle, Labyrinth and city. You are free to visit any where you like."
I nodded, "Sure, a nice easy start. Sounds fun… what?"
Jareth was giving me an uneasy look. "Hey," I asked more firmly, "What is it?"
He looked down at the tray and picked lightly at another egg, "Wren, I was wondering…" he cleared his throat, "Tomorrow evening, I have a dinner planned with a few important figures of the Underground. I know you are on your vacation, and I should not ask it of you to come…"
My eyes widened, "You want me to come with you?" Honestly, I thought he was going to apologize to me, and ask me to, I don't know, stay away, or something. I didn't think he'd want me, me, Wren, to come.
His eyes lifted to me. "These dinners are so terribly dull," a smile twisted the corners of his mouth, "They would be so much more exciting with you there, as my guest for the evening."
I raised an eyebrow at him, "Well, don't expect me to get up and dance on the table, or anything."
Jareth's eyes went wide, "Oh my, no."
I giggled, "Okay, then, sure, I'd love to go. I mean, they may seem boring to you and all, but… this is your world, Jareth, and I find most things here fascinating. I'm more than happy to go."
"Ah, wonderful!" he rose from the bed, popping that egg into his mouth, chewing happily. He sipped once more on his glass, and then leaned over and pecked me lightly on the cheek. "I shall leave you to your day, then, and I will see you tonight. I will have your noon meal set out in the gardens, by your fountain, if that is fine with you. I will also have more information on tomorrow's evening dinner for you, tonight."
I smiled at him as he headed towards the door, "Sounds good, GK. See you tonight."
"Oh!" he stopped mid way to the double doors and turned back. He came to me and took my hands in his. No zing this time – I was a little disappointed, but… the feel of his hands shoved the disappointment from my mind. They were, for the record, perfect. Long, slender, strong, pale and soft… they mesmerized me something fierce. I blinked and found that he'd taken off my ring and put it on my other hand, filling the new void on my finger with another ring – this one larger than my own. It… well, it was kinda big and oval shaped, and had a shape on the face of it that resembled Jareth's medallion. Very intricately designed, and very fancy, I watched as it magically resized itself to fit snugly on my finger.
"This," he said, by way of explanation, "Is my personal ring. It will protect you and give you access to anywhere in my kingdom, just as my medallion does for me. I don't wear it often," he said, "As a ring tends to hinder my ability to manipulate my crystals where the medallion does not. It will keep you safe when I am not with you, and…" he sighed, "Technically, Wren, wearing that ring marks you as my 'lady', but it is merely for protective purposes. I hope you do not mind…"
I smiled at it, "No, I actually don't. Thank you."
He grinned and headed back towards the doors, "You are welcome, Wren."
An hour later, I was out in the gardens, enjoying the sun, the breeze, and the feeling of magic in the air. It was wonderful! Oh, yes, I'm sure I was an odd sight, strolling through the hedges and mazes of the Labyrinth with a bag strapped across my shoulder and a smile on my face. I loved the gardens and the hedge area; it was very peaceful and quiet… I planned on going into the city, but decided to wait at least until after lunch.
As I walked, though, I had the slight feeling that someone was watching me. And… for whatever reason, I didn't think it was Jareth. No, it wasn't menacing or anything like that, but… I just couldn't shake the feeling that every now and then, there were a couple of eyes on me.
It didn't really bother me, especially since I had Jareth's ring, and I knew I was safe, but after another fifteen minutes or so of walking, I started to seriously wonder where that feeling was coming from. Two turns later, I found a stone bench and sat down, taking a moment to enjoy a particularly nice view of the castle from where I sat.
I heard giggling from the shrub behind me. Familiar giggling. I just knew I'd heard that before. I turned around sharply and glared into the bushes, "Who's there?" I demanded.
At first, nothing. But when I didn't turn away, the leaves and thin branches wiggled and parted, revealing a small goblin. I smiled at it, without even thinking.
"Hi Lady," it said to me.
"Um," what does one say to a goblin? "Uh… hello," I said carefully, "What… uh, what are you doing, following me?" I seriously didn't know what else to say.
Keeping its head low, the goblin exited the hedge and looked up at me, slowly, "Jus wanted to see," it said.
I frowned, "See what? Me? See me? Why?"
The goblin laughed, but didn't answer me. Then, I looked closer at it. Oddly enough, I recognized it. Man, I never thought I'd see the day when I recognized one of the goblins. For the most part, they all looked alike, unless one had a really pointed nose, or something. But this one…
"Hey," I said, shaking my finger at it, "You're the same goblin that was in my office, that time, with Allie, aren't you?"
It still said nothing, but gave me a toothy smile and covered its giggling mouth with his hands.
I nodded, "Yeah, you are. I thought so… and," something else clicked in my head, "You were there at the King's balcony, weren't you? You're the one that told me about the dance contest, right?"
It giggled again and did a little dance where it stood, "Yeps, that's me."
"Huh," I leaned back a little, feeling slightly proud that I remembered all that. It had, after all, been a while since I'd seen this one. And, for that matter, I hadn't recognized him – or… it? Whatever it was – the second time I saw it. "So… little guy, why are you watching me again?"
He shrugged, "You's the King's Lady,"
I blushed slightly, "Yeah, I guess I am."
The goblin laughed, "We likes you."
I frowned, "You like me?" he nodded, "You? As in, others, too?" he nodded again. "Why?"
He giggled, "You makes the King happy," he said, "He don't kicks so much no more, after his Lady comes."
My eyes went rather large, "Uh… really?"
"Yeps!"
"Heh… well, I'm glad," I said. What else was I supposed to say to that? Someone comes up to you and tells you that they like you because when you're around, they don't get kicked so much? "That's, um… good."
The little thing just stared at me for a minute. Neither of us blinked. Finally, he smiled and leapt back into the hedge, saying, "Byes, Lady!" over his shoulder.
"Okay… bye…"
By the time dinner arrived, I was exhausted.
After finding my fountain in the gardens and my lunch waiting there for me, I had taken time to eat and then headed off to the areas I hadn't been to before. Who knew that walking around the Labyrinth and Goblin City would be so tiring? I sure as heck didn't think it would be. I literally just walked around everything, just sight-seeing. It was very fun.
I walked all through the Goblin City, absolutely fascinated by, well, everything. The small homes, the fountains, just the way of life in general. It vaguely reminded me of a European country or something… only dirtier. It was dirty, but not badly… I found myself liking it for the rugged-ness of it all. It wasn't all brown, but it was all in earth-tones; most of the structures were simple in make, but… I almost felt like I was walking through Ancient Munchkin-land or something. I don't know how else to explain it, other than it fascinated me completely.
Not to mention the fact that at almost every turn I had Goblin of every shape and size, though none bigger than my shoulder, coming out of their homes and establishments to peer at me, if only for a moment. At first, it seemed that they were upset that a human was in their midst, as though someone were running the Labyrinth and they hadn't been notified of it, but a flash of my ring changed them instantly from irritated goblins to sweet and shy creatures that were almost afraid to approach me. A few did, but none said anymore to me than the one that I had spoken to in the gardens.
Then, I noticed that the light was taking on a particularly orange hue, alerting me to the fact that the sun was setting. I stopped my walking and wondering, and looked around. I wasn't afraid of the situation, but I knew that I was hopelessly lost in the Goblin City, and I wasn't sure how to get back to the Castle.
I had thought on that for about five minutes, and then was surprised to sense Jareth behind me. I turned and smiled, finding him leaning against a wall with a grin on his face.
"Have you been enjoying yourself?" he asked, casually.
I skipped over to him, "Very much," I said, peering at a group of goblins that were watching me from down the road and behind a corner. "I feel famous, or something."
"Why is that?" Jareth frowned a little, turning to look at where I was gazing. "Oh, I see," he said simply. "They like you, you know."
"So I'm told," I said, turning back to him, "They call me 'the King's Lady', you know. I'm very flattered."
"Really?" he turned to me, surprised, "If I were to refer to you as that, you would eat me alive for it. How is it that when they say it, you're flattered?"
I reached over and flicked his arm, playfully, "Well, when they say it, they aren't being possessive. They're just assuming that you are. And you would be, if I let you, and I don't. I find it… sweet."
Jareth glared at me, just as playfully, before changing the subject entirely. "Well, Wren, are you ready to return, for dinner? If I am not mistaken, it should be ready for us."
"Take me away, GK," I said. Jareth pulled me close to him, created a crystal, and we vanished.
Dinner that night was really good – more odd food. By the looks of this food, I didn't want an explanation on what it specifically was, so I just smiled and tried whatever was in front of me. It was really good, whatever it was. I figured that I'd ask him what it was after I was certain I liked it, and it wouldn't matter what it was… hopefully.
I told Jareth about my day while we ate – though that lasted no more than ten minutes – and then asked him about his. That pleased him, I think – though I have no idea why, exactly. He proceeded to tell me, briefly about his day, and then jumped into the details of the following day's dinner.
"It is merely a formality dinner," he explained, chewing delicately on something that looked like red chicken – we'll call it red chicken, for now. "It will be a few people from other kingdoms in the Underground, though none of them are direct royalty, so there is no need to worry about protocol, per say. The most these guests will be concerned about is manners, and so long as you do not," he snickered, "get up and dance on the table, then you should not have anything to worry about."
I nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous. Was this how Jareth felt before he met Lachlan? "Okay… but, who will be here? It is here, right?"
"Yes, it will be here," he said, "And it will be a quiet affair, just a dinner with a few Fae. Namely, one of the counts from Milburga and his wife, Dyer and Myanya, and the duke and duchess of Asklepios, and the count of Mojisola and whoever he chooses to bring as a guest. And, of course, you and I."
"Hey, those names," I said, sipping at a glass of water, "You said Dyer and… Meander? Something like that?"
Jareth snickered, "Dyer and his wife, Myanya, a count and countess of Milburga."
"Yeah, them," I sat my water down, "You mentioned them before, right? In your questions… right?"
He nodded, impressed, "Very good, Wren. Yes, I did. They are as close to friends as I have here, in the Underground. Unfortunately, I have not had much communication with them since they married, nearly a century ago."
At first, I thought he was going to say more, but he stopped and went back to his food. I frowned at him. "Jareth," I said around a bite of red chicken, "If you want me to be there – and, heck, even I want to be there – then I need to know what I'm getting into. I don't want to say something awkward. What's the deal with them? Is there a reason as to why you haven't spoken to them in so long?"
Jareth sighed and sat his fork down, "Well, I suppose you have a right to know…" he was silent for a long time. I had nearly finished my red chicken, and was starting to work on some brownish-potato things. Finally, he found his voice again. "I have known both of them since youth – that is a very long time, Wren."
"Mmmkay,"
"I know Dyer," he explained, "He has always been considered by others as the epitome of a Fae noble. Very regal and proper, but quite the womanizer. I told you before that such actions are practically expected. That is how he is. Or was. I am not sure, now."
"So… he's a major flirty guy who likes girls, a lot." I frowned, slightly. He might be nice, but I didn't like the sound of him much…
Jareth sighed, "And I also know Myanya. She is a kind spirit, if ever there was one. She is half elven, and as such, she is extremely loyal in all she does. When Myanya befriends someone, it is usually for life. For all purposes, she loves the same way."
"This can only end in tears."
Jareth smirked, and nodded. "Too true. Love is a rare thing amid the Fae, Wren. As such, many marry out of convenience or for political gain. Politically speaking, Myanya was a good match for Dyer. In terms of love, Myanya has always loved Dyer dearly. Dyer, though, while he always thought highly of Myanya, being friends with her as I was, I believed it impossible for him to love her.
"This is not uncommon. Highly understandable, actually. But…" he sighed, "I feared for Myanya. I knew her well, and knew it was in her nature to give her heart, wholly. I knew if they married, Dyer would not be faithful to her, and would wound her terribly. As a friend to both, I could not bear to let that occur," he looked at me, "When you meet them, you shall see why, I believe, right away. But," he shrugged, "I attempted to intervene."
My eyes widened, "Intervene? How?"
Jareth looked away, "I am of higher rank than Dyer. He had willingly begun courting Myanya, with all intentions of marrying her, but I cut in. I…" he looked at me, shiftily, "I proposed to her. I was willing to marry her, even though I did not love her…"
"To save her from being hurt…" my throat caught as I finished for him. He was willing to do that? Quite a few emotions went through my head, and heart, at that thought. Had he succeeded, and obviously he did not, I would never have met him… or, perhaps I would have. Would I have gotten myself stuck in the Labyrinth forever, only to have to serve a King and Queen? Or… would the thing with Sarah never have happened, never have been made into a movie, and never known by anyone? Most likely, I never would have met Jareth, or even have been aware of his presence. I shuddered. But, at the same time, my heart ached. I was dating a person who cared so much for another, he was willing to marry another to save her.
He was watching me carefully as he continued. "As you can guess, Dyer was not too happy about that. Neither, for that matter, was Myanya. She did love him, you see. He claimed he loved her – but I knew things of him Myanya did not. Dyer was not pleased with me. He believed I was making incorrect assumptions but, even at his words, I would not step aside until Myanya came and explained that she wished to marry Dyer. I finally stepped aside, with apologies to both. We are not on bad terms, we are still friendly, but…"
"It's awkward?" I guessed.
He nodded, "For the most part, yes. The entire incident changed things between the three of us, I am not entire certain as to how, but it did. We are still 'friends' by all definitions, but we do not see each other as we once did. As I said, I have not seen them since they wed. I have had a few communications with them, but even that has been a very long time."
I nodded, "Okay, I got it, then. Is there anything else I should know about the rest of these people that are going to be there?"
Jareth smirked, "Well… perhaps I should inform you that I have not notified anyone about you. They know I have a guest with me, and you will be attending, but… they do not know we are courting, or that you are from the Aboveground."
My eyes bugged, "JARETH! Is that… okay? They won't… I don't know… have me executed or something, will they?"
Jareth began laughing in earnest – no, more than earnest. He was laughing so hard, he was near tears. When he caught my frown, he sobered and looked at his dinner plate. "You read too many fan fictions, Wren."
Day Two of Wren's Vacation
The next day was spent pretty much the same as the previous one. Jareth woke me again, with breakfast – this time it was two bowls of something that looked like oatmeal, only it was sweeter, creamier, and rather orange-tinted, and more fruit. We ate quietly – I was nervous. Jareth swore he would meet me for lunch, wherever I was, so I could go anywhere I liked. I headed right out to the Goblin City, hoping that the calm earthy feel would relax me. It did… a little.
When the sun got high, I had that feeling again that Jareth was nearby. I turned around, but he wasn't there… but he was close, I could feel it. I backtracked to the edge of a small dwelling I had just passed and looked around the side. There, I found him – handing a small toy or something to a goblin shorter than my knee. The thing was very small, and very happy at whatever it was the King had said. It clutched the item to its chest and ran off, quickly. Jareth smiled after it, then stood and faced me.
"Hello Wren," he said, "Enjoying your day?"
I smirked at him, "Very much. What was that about?"
"What was what about?"
"That," I motioned in the direction the little goblin had run, "What happened?"
He smiled, faintly, "A young one lost a button off some kind of toy, and was very brave in asking me to fix it,"
I smiled at him, "And you fixed it?"
He looked at me, somewhat surprised, "Of course I did – but with a stern lecture about taking better care of one's possessions," he smiled, "Are you ready for to go back for lunch?"
He reached out his hand to me, and I took it. "Let's go," I said.
My nerves had, in a relatively small amount of time, gone from me being simply anxious to me being petrified. Of course, being that I was sitting in front of the dressing table, wearing clothes that I never could have been able to afford had Jareth not given them to me, and trying to do something with my hair, it doesn't help the matters much.
But, somehow, I managed to make myself presentable, and was ready when Jareth appeared outside my doors to escort me to dinner.
I was wearing the least fancy dress I could find in my closet. That had been a special surprise from Jareth – he'd had several dresses made, in approximately my size, waiting for me, in case I needed them. They ranged from very simple, to terribly elaborate, and, I think as a joke, he included that one dress – you know, the pink ruffled one that gives me nightmares. I wasn't about to touch that one, but the simple one was good enough for the evening. He had assured me that this dinner was not overly fancy, so I chose the simple turquoise one, that was, for lack of a better explanation, just a plain dress. There were, of course, matching soft-soled slippers, and – nearly to my horror – gloves that went up to my elbows. I'm not used to wearing gloves, and wasn't all that pleased about having to wear them, but considering that Jareth was rarely seen without his, I guessed that it was probably a protocol thing in the underground, even if an unspoken one, and went ahead and wore them without complaint.
He was there, waiting, when I exited my room. He was dressed in a black, high-collared shirt, gray breeches and, of course, black boots and gloves. Greeting me with a soft smile, he took a step back and admired my dress, making me go a little red in the face.
"Very lovely, Wren," he said, offering me his arm.
I tried to swallow, "Thanks," I said in somewhat strained voice while I took his arm.
He patted my arm as he led me down the hallway, towards the dinning hall. "There is no need to be nervous," he assured me.
I swallowed again, "Easy for you to say – I, for one, have never been to a state dinner before, even if it is an informal one."
All too quickly, we were at the double doors to the dining hall. Two large goblins were there, waiting. As we approached, Jareth took one small moment to squeeze my arm and then waved a hand to the goblins, who promptly opened the doors.
The room was, while not elaborate, clean and done up nicely. The long, rectangular table – yes, the same one that Jareth and I had eaten dinner at the previous night – was very fancy, indeed. It had food up and down the table and was decorated with several candelabras that gave enough light to completely light the faces of those already seated around the table.
There were three seats along each length of the table, and a chair on each end. Only two chairs were empty at the table – one at the end, where I knew Jareth would sit, and the seat just to the left of that. I was very relieved to know I would be sitting beside him. I wasn't sure why I thought I wouldn't be, but knowing that no matter what, he'd be right there was an ease to my mind.
As we entered, everyone stood gracefully and turned to face us. I felt myself go slightly pale – these people were gorgeous. Each one was taller and thinner than I was and just… beautiful. I felt very self-conscious. Jareth led me to the table and smiled at the people – no, the Fae – who were there.
"Welcome," he said to the group, nodding slightly. "Let me make our introductions. I would, first of all, like you all to me my guest for the evening, Lady Wren Neilson," everyone bowed the heads slightly to me… I wasn't sure what to do, so I just smiled.
Then Jareth continued. "Wren," he said, "I'd like you to meet Duke Eadwig and his wife, Duchess Yasiri, of Asklepios," the man sitting at the other end of the table and the woman sitting to his left (basically the exact opposite of Jareth and I) dipped their heads towards me, "Then we have the Count Dyer and Countess Myanya of Milburga," They were seated together, across from me, with Dyer at Jareth's immediate right, "and Count Ference of Mojisola and the Lady Zsanett," they were seated to my left.
Everyone looked at me, somewhat expectantly. I smiled, and said the only thing I could think of to say, which was not much, and probably very inappropriate, "Howdy."
As we all sat down, and I went bright red, my 'howdy' earned me strange looks from the Duke and Duchess at the other end of the table, but I was pleased to see Myanya smiling at me. She really was pretty – she had very long dark hair that twisted and turned as it fell about her shoulders. Her skin was pale – heck, everyone was pale, just like Jareth was – but it slight rosy hue to it. Here eyes were dark in color, and I… I think they were dark brown, but it was very hard to tell. Dyer had brown hair that, if it were shorter, would probably look like Jareth's, but, being as it was, was long and tied back at the nape of his neck. He, too, had a slight rosy hue to his coloring, but his eyes were green. He smiled politely, but he seemed to be rather the proper sort… or, perhaps he, like me, did not know what else to say.
Dinner began in a quiet fashion, with small conversation going lightly around the table. For the first twenty minutes or so, I was content to sit and listen to what was being said. I barely understood it, especially when it came from the Duke, because he had a very heavy accent that I didn't quite understand.
I'll just say, I had no clue, at that point, what I was eating. Nor, for that matter, did I want to know.
After a little while, as the duchess of Aske-whatever-that-was and the countess of Mojo-soul-something were discussing some current fashion trend, I felt Jareth reach over and take my hand, briefly, giving it a slight squeeze. When I looked at him, his gaze silently asked me if I was okay or not. I squeezed back and blinked with a smile; I was enjoying this. These people fascinated me, I swear they did, and so I enjoyed sitting among them, just watching. Even if no one spoke to me the entire evening, I would have still enjoyed the experience.
But, I did get spoken to.
"Lady Wren," came a softly musical voice, causing me to turn from Jareth and look for who had called me. It was Myanya. Goodness, she was so soft-spoken! She sipped at her glass of wine (yes, as a state dinner, they had wine… but I distinctly noticed that Jareth and I had sparkling water, as did the Lady Zsanett) and then, sitting it down carefully, continued, "I hope you do not find me terribly rude in asking, for I do not wish to offend in the least – my curiosity often gets the better of me, I fear – but I was curious as to where you are from," she gave a nervous laugh and glanced lightly at Jareth, "I tried terribly hard to learn of who would be dining with us, but Jareth flatly refused to say!"
I smiled, genuinely, at her. Yes, it was obvious that I was not Fae, and she had found the most polite way of asking what I was – I was very grateful that she asked it before someone else did, possibly in a more rude manner. I cleared my throat and used the moment to gather my thoughts, desperately hoping to avoid another 'howdy' moment.
"I'm from the Aboveground," I said, casually (I'd gave Jareth a brief look before saying so… but he'd nodded faintly in approval of me saying so… maybe he was right, maybe I did read too many fan fictions…). To my surprise, this seemed to pique the interest of several people around the table.
Myanya, for one, raised her eyebrows, interestedly, "Oh, is that so?" she asked, curious. "Do you mind me asking where from?"
Okay, so far, so good… "Well," I glanced around, just a tiny bit nervous at the new attention I was getting, "I'm from the southwestern region of the United States."
Dyer dipped his head with a smile on his lips. He nudged Myanya, gently, "You had better not tell Tillan, then,"
I looked at Dyer, and briefly at Jareth, too. 'Tillan' was another name I recognized. "Tillan?" I asked.
Myanya smiled at me, "My brother," she explained. "Tillan is terribly fascinated with the Aboveground, and he visits far more often than he should."
I grinned, "Well, if he ever wants to ask me questions, or whatever, he's more than welcome to, any time."
Jareth snorted into his glass and a few people laughed. "I know Tillan," he said to me, "And you may regret giving him permission to do so."
I smirked at Jareth, "I don't suppose he'd show up as a security guard at my work, would he?"
The table laughed heartily as Jareth went a slight shade of pink. I smiled greatly – I made them laugh…
The Lady Zsanett turned to me then, asking in a strange accent, "Wren, how did you meet the Goblin King?"
I chewed on a piece of some kind of meat and swallowed before answering her, time enough to have the entire table looking at me, waiting for my answer.
"I wished myself away." I said, simply. Why bother sugarcoating things?
Raucous laughter broke out around the table – I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Myanya covered her mouth, delicately, and looked surprised, "No, no, really, Wren, how did you meet? We are all dying to know!"
I blushed, but smiled, "No, really, I actually wished myself away… It was impulsive of me, I know, but I did. I then ran the Labyrinth for the right to stay permanently in the Underground. I failed, miserably," I explained to the confused faces watching me, "But I was grateful to have failed. If I had succeeded, I would have been miserable here, forever cut off from my family and friends. The Goblin King had been kind enough to assist me in said failure. "
Dyer looked at Jareth with a congenial, but perplexed expression on his face. Jareth laughed and explained, "I spent most of Wren's thirteen hours with her," he said, "And most of that time arguing like mad," there was more laughter around the table, "But," his voice softened slightly, causing me to blush horribly, "In that time, she made quite the impression on me. We have been friends and often companions ever since."
"And what luck for all of us," said the duchess Yasiri, who was still giggling slightly, to Jareth, "Your little mortal friend makes for delightful dining conversations!"
My eye twitched slightly at being called Jareth's little mortal friend, but I tried to ignore it. At her words, nods of agreement went around the table. Ference gave me a very kind smile, "She is quite the delight," he said.
Man, these guys must not get out much, if they thought I was that funny. Or… perhaps they thought it was just an 'ethnic' kind of thing? I don't know. Either way, they seemed to like me, well enough. Even if they were lying through their teeth, at least they weren't doing their worst to make me more uncomfortable than I already was.
I think Jareth noticed my discomfort at so much attention, and he smoothly changed the subject. The rest of the dinner went without a hitch. I was beyond relieved.
After we'd finished eating, Jareth stood and thanked everyone for coming. The guests slowly made their way to the doors (I think to be polite more than anything else) and then vanished away. Did they use crystals, like Jareth did? If so, I didn't see any.
The Lady Zsanett stopped me, briefly, to compliment me on my hair, and also to say that she enjoyed meeting me very much. Apparently, she'd never met an Abovegrounder before. In a burst of confidence, after she curtsied to me, I offered to show her how people greet each other, where I'm from – with a handshake. She wore gloves, so I didn't think there would be an issue (I still wasn't sure what the significance of glove), and she was thrilled when I showed her. I shook her hand just before she left with Ferrence.
The last to leave were Dyer, who was in deep conversation with Jareth. After Zsanett left, Myanya came to speak with me.
"Wren," she said, approaching me with her palms flat out, facing me. "Tonight was a real treasure, with you here," she said, softly.
I looked at her hands, and gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry," I said, "I'm not familiar with…" I motioned to her hands.
She indicated for me to put my hands up, too. I did so, and she gently pushed her hands to mine, letting our gloved palms touch, briefly, before she slid them away. Fun.
"I wanted to thank you," she said. I started to say something, but she stopped me with her hand, "No, not for tonight, though I am very glad to meet you," she smiled and took a step closer to me, "For Jareth,"
"What do you mean?"
Her smile had a knowing look to it, "I have not seen my friend this pleased in a very long time, Wren. You give him joy."
"Oh," I said… I didn't know what to say. "You're welcome…?"
She just continued to smile at me, before turning around and walking to Dyer's side, and taking his arm. Jareth thanked them again, Dyer nodded a farewell to me, and they disappeared in a wispy cloud of blue smoke.
Once they were gone, I found myself in Jareth's arms, almost instantly. He picked me up and spun me around, happily. I let out a surprised shriek, and he set me back down.
"What the heck, GK?" I asked, rather dizzy.
He hugged me and kissed the top of my head, "You were wonderful, tonight, did you know?"
I frowned into his chest, "I was funny without even trying, I guess. I figured as much when that one lady nearly choked on her wine."
He took my arm and began to lead me back to my room. I was, at that point, exhausted.
"GK, is it late?" I asked, hiding a yawn.
He thought for a second, "Time wise? No, not very late. Why do you ask?"
"I just got very sleepy, all of a sudden…" I said, yawning. Couldn't hid it any longer.
He nodded, "So much magic in the room, and being so nervous before hand, I do not doubt you are tired. It may be early, but I recommend you get some rest."
I looked up at him, "Why's that?"
He gave me a wickedly secretive smirk, and said, "I may have a surprise for you."
He dropped me at my door, kissed me goodnight – a very warm and tender kiss – and promised to wake me in the morning.
In no time, I was in my bed, feeling dazed at the events of the day. The fire was lit, again, and was comforting to my tired eyes… Just before I fell asleep, I wondered briefly what surprise Jareth had in store for me…
A/N: Phew! Took me long enough! Dang that plot-bunny Newton! He does this to me, I swear. Two days, one chapter down, six more days and three more chapters to go! Think I can make it? Cross your fingers for me. And review, please – I very much appreciate it.
Also, I must add, a very big thanks to Danika, for listening to me prattle on and on about this over the phone for the last few days, for helping me settle on names, and for giving me a temporary pardon from writing the next chapter of our collaboration fic, Muck, so I could get this finished.
And, one last thing to add - if anyone is interested, I FINALLY got a deviant art page up, with my drawings of Wren and Jareth, and a few other things, too. If you're interested in seeing them, I have a link to it in my profile.
Much love, Marti