CHAPTER 18

The lovers woke up in each other's arms, wrapped around each other. Sarah opened her eyes and looked at Jareth sleeping. She woke him up kissing him. Jareth smiled at her and said, "I want to wake up with your kisses for as long as I live."

Sarah said, smiling softly into his eyes, "You will always have them all to yourself. Do you remember anything?"

He said, "I remember most of my life. It's coming back. Let's go home, my precious." Sarah kissed him, cleaned and dressed herself. He noticed Sarah limping.

He said, "Sarah, why are you limping?"

She said, "Because I think I was stabbed with an iron knife in the leg. I healed it but it's a bit resistant and slow." Jareth was concerned.

He said, "We will see the healer immediately."

Sarah smiled and said, "Good my babies are going to be frantic to see me and may be glued to me. I have never left them before."

Jareth smiled at her and held her close. They went to his father's tent. Jarrmain asked, "How do you feel, son?"

He said, "Much better I remember most but not all yet."

Jarrmain smiled and said, "That is good. Take your beloved home and take care of each other." Sarah went and hugged Jarrmain. The High King loved her affection for him because it made him feel forgiven.

She said, "Thank you, father for everything. I love you too, father." Jarrmain's heart grew at that moment and knew he loved his little daughter in law. She was good for everyone.

Jarrmain hugged her back and was getting emotional. He said, "You are welcome, child. Be happy."

Jareth put his hand on his father's shoulder and said earnestly, "I thank you also, father, for saving me, by saving her. For I cannot live without her love." They walked out of the tent. Jarrmain was so happy that he now had his son's affection as a family because of that one little girl that was the most capable woman he ever met.

Jareth told her to hold on to him and they were transported to the castle throne room. They walked through the corridors to the healers room. As soon as Sarah opened the door, she noticed her three babies in a knot on the cot. Sarah knelt down and started petting them all. As they woke up the kittens start mewing in a panic and the dragon was on her shoulder rubbing her face saying in her head, "Mama miss, mama miss."

Sarah said softly, "Mama missed you all so much." Sarah was cuddling both kittens as they cried. She was rubbing Indigo who kept saying over and over he missed her. The healer came into the room and smiled looking at the little reunion.

Jareth asked, "Can you look at her leg? She was stabbed with an iron knife and her healing won't completely heal it, even though you said she was immune to iron." She sat on the cot holding her animals and lifted up her dress to show him her thigh. It had a dark spot on it like a deep bruise about the size of a half dollar. Indigo crawled down her arm to her spot on her thigh and hissed, "Mama, bad."

Sarah said, "Indigo said, 'Mama, bad.' I think he is warning me." The little dragon ran back up her arm to rub on her face.

The healer cast spells on it and looked at her in amazement. The healer said, "You should be dead. How did you survive? I don't understand. What kind of healing spell did you use? That knife was poisoned and you neutralized the poison."

Sarah said, "I did the fae spell of healing, but being it didn't completely work, I repeatedly did it with greater focus last night. It shrank the black down to where that mark is now."

The healer said in awe, "I need to open up your skin and draw out the poison. You concentrated the poison into remaining in one spot instead of traveling through your bloodstream. It will hurt, child."

Sarah said worried and glanced up at Jareth's concerned face, "Fine, get the poison out."

The healer took a knife making an incision in the middle of the black mark. Sarah hissed and so did Indigo feeling her pain. The healer took a vial from his pocket laying its mouth next to the black liquid welling up out of the incision. He casts spells and the black liquid fills the vial. He took another and filled it halfway. The healer corked them both securely. He then made her bleed and bleed to be sure the last of the poison was out of the tissue. He casts a spell on her incision closing it and the entire wound heals instantly. The pain was gone. The healer got up and smiled at her.

He said, "You have the focus of an elf and healing magic in you, child. Your skill to save yourself was completely remarkable. I have never seen such skill. You would be a great healer in the craft." Sarah smiled at him. She sat the kittens on the cot and they cried for her. She picked up the litter box and vanished everything in it. She put it in the bag with the supplies and grabbed the food bag. Jareth took them from her. Sarah picked up and carried both kittens.

Sarah asked wearily, "Can we go rest before lunch?"

Jareth said, "Of course, my love. Come let's go."

Sarah said, "Thank you, Healer Alvin." He smiled at her polite manners. Jareth took Sarah in his arms, her animals in her arms and transported them to his bedroom.

Sarah walked over to the bed and pulled down the covers. She magically changed into her nightgown, set up the litter box and climbed in bed. Jareth kissed her head and said, "I'm going to check in with Garren, my love and be right back." He kissed her cheek and left her room.

Jareth found Garren in his study at his desk going over paperwork and mail. Garren looked up at him and said cheerfully, "Welcome back your majesty. You were missed. Is Lady Sarah feeling well?" Jareth told him all he remembered that happened.

Garren asked, "What of Princess Deena?"

Jareth said, "My father is dealing with her and her guards that survived."

Garren asked, "What do you mean survived?"

Jareth said, "Sarah killed two out of five guards. After what she did to the two, the others were scared of her." Garren sat there with mouth open in awe that Sarah could take on trained guards and defeat them in fighting.

Jareth asked, "Has anything come of interest?"

Garren said, "There is an invitation for both of you to a formal dinner from the Fairy King Thanius. There is a request from Lord Sutton to attend another formal dinner with Ashar. Lord Avery has invited both of you to a formal dinner and dancing."

Jareth asked, "When is Thanius' dinner?"

Garren said, "Two weeks."

Jareth asked, "When is Lord Avery's dinner party?"

Garren said, "Three weeks."

Jareth said, "Respond in accepting Lord Avery's party and Thanius' dinner. Give an excuse to decline Lord Sutton's dinner because I don't need his over anxious daughter's throwing themselves at me embarrassing Sarah and I both. I will ask Sarah if she would like to attend both when I wake her for lunch. I am going to lay down with her for an hour or two. We are exhausted."

Garren said sympathetically, "I truly understand, Sire." Jareth left and went back to Sarah's room and quietly vanished his clothing and slipped into the bed curling up behind her holding her to his chest. Her kittens and dragon were curled up under her chin napping. He laid his head next to her head and fell asleep content to have his world in his arms safe.

THE END

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