Hello, hello.

I have updated the tags in this on AO3, so please pay attention to that.

Additionally, this is a dark story because it is my story. Some of the darker themes from previous chapters rear up in this one. Triggers abound. Be warned.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Aldric

What would be Day 26 of Quarantine.

Underground.

The Labyrinth.

Aldric wandered the library, fingertips skimming along the spines of the many books crammed into the shelves. Here, at least, there was some sense of order. He was in the main history wing and found that things were arranged by subject and chronologically. Considering the many worlds, it was a relief not to see biographies of the royals of the Seelie Court side-by-side with mortal accounts.

He had been here since the day before, deciding to read rather than return to his chambers for sleep. Hunger did not dog him, either, so even though he could have summoned a meal, he did not bother.

It was well into the middle of the afternoon when he came across Sarah.

Through some magic of the Labyrinth, she might have known that he was near, but he did not think that was the case. And he took the opportunity to drink in the sight of her.

Wearing the casual clothes of her world—loose dark pants and a sleeveless tunic, her feet clad in woolen socks, discarded boots on the carpet nearby—piles of books surrounded her. Seated with her legs folded up on the leather armchair beside her, book propped on a knee, she reached for another slim volume, referencing something within before returning to the main.

The sun of the Underground shone across her, highlighting the peach fuzz on her arms and sinking into the inky dark of the hair pulled over one shoulder. The dark mark of the Labyrinth on the back of her hand, just above where the diamond ring claiming her as Jareth's, sparkled on one finger. It was the only luxurious item she wore aside from a gold and silver pendant around her neck reminiscent of his own. From that device, he could sense a steady beat of power not unlike what was beneath his feet.

On one of the tables surrounding her was a tray of coffee, untouched and still steaming. Near it was the crown of wildflowers he had woven for her the day before.

Taking a deep breath, Aldric moved out of his hiding spot in the shadows of the nearby stacks, making a little noise so that she raised her head, gaze unfocused for a moment before alighting on him. She smiled. "Hello."

He smiled a little, glancing at the titles she possessed. "Learning a little about your new home, pet?"

Laughing, she lifted the massive volume on her lap so the cover showed. "Apparently, this is for children. I have a remedial primer here," she tapped the slim book. "I have to consult every five seconds because I don't know some word or reference. I also have this," she dug a notebook out from the edge of her chair and showed it to him.

It was a list of events so famous that any fae would know. Feast days of the major gods, celebrations of conquests, victories over dark forces, and the solemn remembrance day of their final closing of the last remaining True Portal between the Above and Faerie.

He smiled to see it all and passed the notes back to her. "You have lovely handwriting."

She flushed. "Thank you. I suppose it will be useful now since no computers are in the Underground."

"No. Your technology wouldn't work here."

"A pity," she said with a smile. "What do you think of the library?"

"It is unparalleled," he confessed, a hand over his heart. He motioned to the space before her and asked, "Do you mind if I sit?"

She looked confused for a moment and then nodded. "Of course, you can."

He summoned a camp chair with a low back, putting him even with her. He leaned back, ankle on knee, and regarded her momentarily while she did the same to him. "You are officially Queen of the Labyrinth," he noted, nodding toward the necklace she now wore. "You have what I offered you in the far sight. Half of everything, if not more."

She frowned. "It's not something I was seeking."

"I know," he said gently. "But you'll forgive me if I cannot help but notice you have it all."

Sarah was quiet for a long moment, gazing at him all the while before she said very softly, "No. I don't have everything."

"You mean your life in the Above?" he asked, though hope, damnable hope, burst in his chest.

She stared for a long moment more, then shook her head. "I don't mean my life in the Above, no."

"Then what do you mean, Sarah, pet?" he breathed.

She slid a ribbon bookmark into the volume on her lap and closed it, the motions slow. Keeping her attention on her work, she set the book on the arm of her chair and reached for the wildflower crown. Twisting it between her hands, she murmured, "This is lovely. I don't think I thanked you for it."

He tilted his head, waiting.

"Now that you know the truth about your sisters," she asked, even quieter. "Have you thought about what you will do about the duel?"

Aldric chewed the inside of his cheek. He had wandered the rows of books all night as the moon and starlight streamed through the narrow windows and the titles on the spines glowed molten silver and wondered.

Was he ready to give it up?

There had been more to his plan than simply dispatching Jareth. Aldric had assumed that by removing the current monarch, the Labyrinth would seek a new one. He had not realized the histories that Jareth knew so well by now that the Labyrinth selected its ruler, always.

And knowing how well the two got on, having witnessed the interactions between the sentient structure and its two rulers, Aldric knew that regicide would likely result in his expulsion from these lands. The Labyrinth would not tolerate him if he committed such actions.

Which was the last thing he wanted when there were only two things he desired in all the worlds. The woman before him and High Queen Aurora dead at his hands.

"I believe that Jareth… still killed them, but it was not his fault," he said, voice soft. "I will release him from his vow."

"When?"

He lifted a hand and did a push of magic, nullifying the terms that he had set. All of them. Jareth would sense it, as well, and likely come seeking them out soon. "It is done."

She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you." Her gaze still focused on him, and she bit her bottom lip.

Aldric tracked the motion. "Perhaps I should ask you directly. What is it that you're missing, Sarah, pet?"

She pulled in a breath, but then Jareth's voice came from nearby, interrupting the moment. "I felt you dissolve our compact, brother." He chuckled, but Aldric could not take his eyes off her. "Why am I not surprised to find you with Sarah?"

Aldric wished he had his brother's ability to reorder time, to stretch the minutes back to get her answer. For Sarah's attention was pulled to Jareth, and he saw the shift. Her expression went from something he was unsure about to plain love.

He had to stop looking, turning his head to where she set down the flower crown. He noticed she placed it gently and ran her fingers along the petals before withdrawing. It was enough hope to make his chest hurt, and he stood, vanishing the camp chair before turning to Jareth, who was regarding him curiously.

"Your bride-to-be asked me a question I had been avoiding. I saw no reason to delay the inevitable further." He took a breath, then ventured, "I understand this means I may no longer be welcome here." No more promises were tying him as a guest.

The Goblin King regarded him coolly for a moment, and then a small smile edged the corners of his mouth. "You may reside here, at least until after the wedding." He shrugged. "I think we both may take a greater hand in the planning at this stage, but if you still want to coordinate the thing, you're welcome to."

Sarah asked, "Are we in a place where we can be overheard?"

Aldric looked around their section of the library. An alcove off a wing, many of these little reading nooks were scattered throughout the massive structure. He gave Jareth a look, "You would be better at the warding, being this is your domain."

Jareth waved a hand, and Aldric felt his ears pop as the warding took place, keeping them all in a bubble of sound. They could hear the outside world, but it would not be able to listen to them.

Then both the fae turned to Sarah, who was rising from her seat. She should have looked diminutive next to their power, but she was radiating so much of her own now that she was a goddess in his eyes. Resplendent.

She turned her attention to Jareth, "You're planning to kill her at the wedding, aren't you?"

"The feast afterward, precious, but yes."

Aldric went still, his focus still on her. "What are you two talking about?"

Eyes of jade regarded him, and then, softly, Sarah said, "Jareth has sworn to give me Aurora's head." When his eyes widened, she hastened to add, "I did not tell him what you told me, Aldric, but I can't be under the rule of such a creature. Nor will I allow those I care for to be subjugated by her."

Jareth folded his arms across his chest. "I feel there is much you're not saying to both of us, precious."

She threw up her hands, and little sparks flew from her fingertips. She paused, then said, "I don't know what you want from me. I've lost my home, and I'm trying to make the best of this one while stepping around your two monumental egos, so yes, there are some things I don't say outright. But I've earned the right to keep a few things close to the vest."

Aldric found himself smiling despite himself.

"We need to kill High Queen Aurora," Sarah declared. She said it in a way to broke no argument. "She is vile and will corrupt this land if she continues to sit the High Seat. The Labyrinth told me so."

Jareth blinked, then smiled. "You're learning quickly, my love."

She preened but hesitated when she looked back to Aldric. "Will you help?"

"I would do more than help. I would commit the killing blow," Aldric said. "Her death is mine to met out."

"If you can, brother," Jareth said, the voice gentle but sure. "For all the might of our ancestral house, you do not have the power of the High Seat. I am more her equal in battle, for I have the strength of the Labyrinth at my side. With you and Sarah to help, we should be able to overwhelm her."

"I don't care who kills her so long as she ends soon," Sarah said. "We should pin down the details. When are we planning to do this wedding?"

"Within the week, precious," Jareth said. "Before the moon begins to wane."

She blew out a puff of air, glancing between the brothers. "You're making this a close thing. I don't know if I'll have the right handle on my magic before then. You may not be able to rely on me for much."

"You'll be stunning, pet," Aldric said. "Of that, I have utter faith."

"Regardless, we need to plan, and I know I need to practice what magic I now have." She bit her lip again. "And another thing, while we have the warding up." Her eyes shifted sideways as she twisted her fingers in front of her. "I wanted to speak to you both about the elephant in the room."

Tilting his head, Aldric looked at Jareth. "What's an elephant got to do with anything?" he asked.

"It's an idiom," he murmured. "It means something that we all know about and need to talk about but are avoiding."

"Ah," Aldric said, summoning a goblet of fae spirits and taking a large swallow. "One of those." He tilted the glass toward Sarah. "Care for a drink?"

"No, thank you," she said, still twisting her fingers, occasionally playing with the ring on her left hand. "This will sound ridiculous. I just know it because I have no context. I know almost nothing about the Underground and Faerie and all the rules around here. I didn't even know you had such things as shapeshifters, like Ingrid, and—" She swallowed hard and looked between them both. "Well, I was reading, and certain situations kept coming up, and I thought…" she trailed off, gesturing between the three of them and her stack of books.

The fae waited momentarily before Jareth said, "Precious, I'm afraid you have us both at a loss."

She huffed out a breath, rolling her eyes skyward momentarily, before refocusing on them both. "Jareth, I love you. It means everything to me, this love, and you know that I don't take it for granted."

He smiled at her, uncrossing his arms. "But?"

She twisted her ring again, and a flush of pink began to spread across her cheeks and nose. "But, I cannot deny my connection with Aldric."

He stopped with the goblet halfway to his mouth, unsure he had heard correctly. But then he set the glass on a nearby table and looked at her. Within her eyes, he saw what he had been hoping to see nearly a week ago when she had gone from him. After—

Don't think of that.

There was something shy about her expression now, but Aldric found himself hungry for every change, every shift of emotion across her face. She was showing her interest. "A connection?" he echoed.

Jareth was smiling with an edge, but he looked oddly at ease. "I suppose you've read some of the histories of our previous monarchs?"

"Yes," she whispered. "There's a lot of polyamory." She glanced between the two of them again. "Specifically mirroring situations like these. From what I understand, it's not uncommon for a fae-touched to be with others they resonate with. I know you're brothers. I'm not suggesting anything together," She flushed deeper, and the air around her seemed to shimmer like a mirage, the magic baking off her. "I suppose I'm asking, is it just part of a legend, or is this normal for the Underground? Because while it's not common in the Above, it is practiced."

"Have you?" Jareth asked.

"I've dated a few people at once, yeah," she said. "But just casually. Nothing like this."

Aldric was itching to touch her. Had been burning to do so for days, but… "And what is this?"

"Just a question, for now," she hedged, looking back to Jareth. "I love you," she repeated. "And I still want to marry you. But I would be lying if I said I didn't love Aldric a little, too."

He felt the words like hammer blows to the chest, and suddenly it was difficult to breathe.

But while Aldric could not help but stand there, helpless, Jareth moved to Sarah's side, taking the hand that she offered. The one with the Labyrinth mark and his ring. He toyed with it a bit on her finger, letting it catch the light as he watched, and then he looked at her and smiled. "For my part, I do not want to see you hurt, precious, but I would deny you nothing. If this is something you wish for, I will acquiesce."

Sarah smiled back at him, then stepped forward and embraced him. "Just so we're clear, it's not unheard of?"

He laughed. "No, my love. Quite common, though, I'll admit, I had never truly anticipated this particular outcome. I suppose I should have seen the signs."

"It's not a foregone conclusion," she murmured, stepping away from him and moving toward Aldric, nerves on display again in how she touched the amulet and played with the ring, one and then the other. "Listen," she said, stopping just out of reach. "What you did was terrible. You used my friends against me."

"I know," he said, his voice a rasp. "I regret much." His arms were limp at his sides, but he wished he could touch her now.

He glanced at Jareth, who summoned a crystal and set it on the tray with the coffee service. He brushed Sarah's shoulder, drawing her attention for a moment. "Touch the crystal when you want the ward to come down," he said, kissing her forehead.

Sarah grabbed him and kissed his mouth before letting him go, his laughter echoing momentarily after he disappeared from the alcove.

Her attention turned back to Aldric, and she gave him a small smile. "We have much history, Jareth and I, but if he did what you did, I would have had trouble forgiving him, too."

"And have you forgiven me?" he asked, lips numb. He could do nothing but stay still as she stood there, hesitating.

Sarah rubbed her arms. "Not wholly. But I—" she swallowed. "I am missing something. You were right."

Then she stepped forward, within reach, and he could hear the pulse in his ears as she reached out, taking one gloved hand.

"I miss our talks. I miss the way you teach me about things and how you tease me, and," she stepped closer still, looking up at him. "I wish you would kiss me again."

Aldric could scarcely believe his ears. What gods did I satisfy to be granted this?

"Will you?" she whispered. "Please?"

"Oh, Sarah," he breathed, reaching with his other hand to brush the hair back from her face. She leaned into the touch, and his body trembled. "Do you speak true?"

"I'm not promising anything," she said, releasing his hand so she could brace herself on his chest. "I don't know if this will last, but I want to try. Don't you wa—"

He stopped her words with his mouth and delighted in the surprised squeak she gave as he did, though he gentled his touch, attempting to temper the desire roaring in him.

But then she let out a little sigh, and her arms wrapped around his neck, and he could not hold back.

Aldric never thought he would get this chance again, and he would be damned if he let this go to waste, for he knew it possible this would be it. The last time.

He poured everything into the kiss, teasing open her lips to taste her and—gods above! How he wanted this body now pressed against him, warm and pliant. He had stolen, cajoled, and begged kisses from her before, but none she had willingly asked for. None like this.

Holding her gently, he could not help but run a hand up her back to bury in her hair. Sarah moaned, however, when his grip tightened the slightest fraction, and, oh, the hunger that noise brought forth.

His teeth grazed her lip as he pulled away from their connection, waiting until her eyes slid open, until he saw the desire coiled dark within, before asking, "Is that what you wanted?"

Her hands slipped from around his neck, petting down his chest, and she did not look away. "I don't want just one," she said, a slight pout to her mouth.

Which he claimed with a growl of satisfaction.

They tumbled into the armchair she had been reading in. Aldric sprawled beneath her, and his hands splayed across her hip and waist as she grabbed his head and tilted his face up for another kiss.

Sarah's legs were bracketing his, and for just a moment—for a flash of an instant—he felt a flutter of panic.

She pulled back with a gasp, eyes searching his. Before he could kiss her again, she stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Aldric, wait—" she touched his cheek with her free hand and brought back fingers streaked with tears.

He stared at them in shock, not realizing they had fallen. "I'm sorry, I—" he began.

"It's all right," she murmured, wiping the rest of his tears away, smiling gently. She was settled on his lap, her other hand still on his chest to anchor herself. "Is this still okay?" she asked, gesturing at their position.

He briefly considered, then asked, "Would it be a problem?"

"No," she said without hesitation.

Smiling, Aldric rubbed his thumbs against her where they rested and then considered the original question.

She knew everything. He had told her several days ago when she had returned to him with his amulet and made him take it back to reverse the fade. Telling her the truth felt like he was bleeding out a poison, shaking the whole while.

"Be kind to me, pet," he said, more vulnerability than he was comfortable with seeping into his voice. "Let this be gentle between us, and yes, this is all right."

Sarah bent to kiss him, and she was just that. Sweetness and light, sliding against him, yet burning everything she touched. When next she pulled back, she stayed near, pressing her forehead to his. "I don't want to go too far, too fast," she murmured. "I don't want to hurt you."

He let out a laugh. "You jest. After what I've done to you? You're afraid of hurting me?" You should be afraid of me hurting you, he thought.

But there was no fear in her crystalline eyes. She pulled back from him and leaned over the arm of the chair, touching the orb that Jareth had left on the coffee tray. The slight pressure to the room popped, and Sarah slid from his lap, holding out a hand. "Come on," she said. "Unless you have other plans, I think it's time you and I had a long chat. Let's take a walk."

He took her offered hand without hesitation and stood, letting her lead him through the library. They spoke when they were out on the grounds again, Sarah finding the way without difficulty. Everywhere they walked, the castle and the Labyrinth gleamed with pale stone streaked in vibrant veins of gold.

And with each step, Sarah's arm looped through his, he turned over what had just happened. What it meant, or might mean. He was aware of his history, but never once did he think he would share a partner with his brother, who, he had to admit, was less the spoiled, hateful creature he had always imagined him as. Jareth had been thrust into a power that he and most of the fae did not understand. And because of Aldric, The Goblin King had been navigating his path largely without aid.

Shame curled in his gut, twisting upwards, and Aldric hesitated when Sarah opened the door to the bright sunlight. "I don't deserve this," he blurted, stopping on the threshold.

She looked back at him, and her smile was sad. "I don't think that's true." Tilting her head, she continued, "Don't run from this, please? I'm a little afraid, too, but I don't think it was a coincidence that it was you who…" she trailed off, looking away.

They stood in the shadow of the library's walls, long grass and vines climbing up the side of the building and a grassy hill gently sloping down to a garden of lush trees and vibrant flowers crisscrossed by footpaths. "Me who what?" he asked, his heart yearning for the answer.

She slipped her arm from his but stepped closer, drawing his hands into hers, fingers squeezing. "You who convinced me that I belonged here. You helped the Underground feel like home."

"Oh," he breathed. "My gods, Sarah, you are a marvel. I never thought, I never even dreamed…" he trailed off, at a loss.

When she hugged him, he embraced her back. "There's still a lot to talk about," she murmured against him. "But I care about you. I even love you a little," she said with a laugh. "Except I know how that goes with a fae. Give a little; the next thing you know, they have your heart."

Aldric gripped her tighter, reveling in the scent of her like almonds and jasmine, even though he could smell his brother, as well as the magic of the Labyrinth. It could not be helped.

They pulled away from the hug, and Sarah took his hand, leading him toward the garden full of the sun. "I know you have a whole life outside of this," she started. "A mess of relationships. I wouldn't have the faintest clue where to start, but I've never properly asked you: do you have anyone else?"

"No," he said, gripping her hand tighter. "I thought it best not to draw attention in that way. But there have been some in the past, though none in the last century." Not since he had touched Aurora with his bare hands on accident and seen that she would come after him again and again. As often as she pleased. Whenever she could get away with it.

Luckily enough for him, the life of a royal was one of intense pressures and much scrutiny. Aurora's opportunities, once High Queen, had been few.

Even the High Court, for all its flaws, would have censored her for such a thing. Would find a way to remove her from power at all costs, and she knew it. So she hid her predilections.

Aldric shuddered a little, despite the warm sun and his long-sleeved, dark clothes. Memories were enough to banish the heat of the day.

Sarah stopped on the path beneath the spreading branches of an oak and touched his cheek. "I am so sorry," she breathed. "That this happened to you."

He covered her hand with his, pressing it to his face. "What matters is this, now." He swallowed, reaching out to pull her closer. "Please?"

"Yes," she whispered, running the hand on his face down so she gripped the back of his neck, the motion tender.

There was something in her eyes that he could name now. A mixture of longing, lust, and love that made the little spark of hope blaze in his chest. "Would you let me kiss you?"

"Oh," she sounded slightly surprised, her eyes widening slightly before becoming hooded. Her voice was husky with a desire he could not believe was all for him. "Let's just say that, unless we're arguing or doing something vitally important, you may kiss me when you please. Until rescinded."

Aldric did not wait for a further invitation, dipping his head to catch her mouth, to smother the small sounds she made as his hands ran up and down the sides of her body, cradling her as their lips moved together. When they parted, her hair was a little mussed, her lips swollen and red but healing before his eyes.

"Do, uh," she was breathing hard, looking at him with such fire that he was near-helpless to stop himself from transporting them directly to his rooms. He had the feeling she might not object. "Do you have a farsight whenever you touch someone with bare hands?"

He paused, then smiled. "Not every time, no. Usually, if there has been one farsight recent enough, there is no need for another until events are due to change significantly." He slid forward, tracing the back of leather-shod fingers along her jaw. He saw her swallow. "Do you want me to touch you, Sarah?"

"Not yet," she whispered. "There's still—"

"Much to talk about," he finished. "I know. Shall we?"

They continued, and he tried, failing utterly, not to notice her every movement. Not to watch her more than their surroundings, which, he realized now after some minutes, extended far and beyond what should have been for the inner walls of a castle.

He glanced around with mild alarm. "Where are we?"

"In the Labyrinth. Don't worry. You won't be lost if you stay with me." She kicked at the path with her boot, sending a pebble skittering away, kicking up puffs of dust as it did so. "Most of the goblins have begun their hibernation cycle. Did you know they do that?"

"No," he said. "Little enough is known about them."

"You have a distaste, it seems. You tried to kick Rico and said that you'd do away with them entirely when we were at your home in the wilds." The ground trembled slightly when she said this, and Aldric stepped closer. He knew that if it came down to it, Sarah was much more his ally than the Labyrinth ever would be. "What is it about them that you don't care for?"

He chewed on his answer as they kept walking the path, ferns and wildflowers thick along the ground under dappled sunlight filtered through leaves, turning the colors of fire and earth. "An extension of my distaste for Jareth, I suppose," he said. "I could not help but see them as a part of him."

"Now?"

"It may take some time for a habit to fall to knowledge, pet, but I shall try to treat them kindly."

She smiled at him, and his chest ached to see it. He stopped and drew her in for another kiss. Sweet and short, it still took his breath away.

When they had walked on a moment more, she said, "What of your allies at court and your life in general? Now that you no longer have the Labyrinth to conquer, what will you do?"

It depends entirely on how things go with you, he wanted to say but held his tongue. He tried to think of the question from another point of view. Tried to remove Sarah from the equation. After several fruitless moments, he shook his head. "I do not know. I admit, I have never felt so rudderless before."

She hummed an assent. "I know how that can be, yes." She paused, looking out over a tree break toward the castle, which seemed much further from them than it should have by leagues. And he could not trace the path from which they had come, there being a shifting, moving set of walls between them and the structure at the Labyrinth's heart. It made him glad to be by her side. "My brother called me a coward for how I lived before this. Said that I let fear dictate my actions.

"But he was right," she continued when he would have rushed to her defense. "Because I think in my heart of hearts, I knew where I belonged and the future I had to face. Coming here was inevitable in some ways, but I could have seized it before now. I regret that there are years wasted."

To this, he smiled a little. "Perhaps too many, in your eyes, but we are a long-lived folk, fae, and the Labyrinth will sustain you. You'll see that it was not much in the fullness of time."

"It will be if we fail," she said, so quiet he could barely hear her. Though he caught the words, he understood why the whisper. To speak of what they were planning with High Queen Aurora out in the open, even here in the Labyrinth, would be to invite her attention.

Which would mean death, at least now.

Aldric was still shocked that there was a foundation of a plan to begin with, but he knew that they would have to sort out far more details before the deed was accomplished. Already a part of his mind had turned to the task, mulling over possibilities far in the back of his consciousness.

The sun's light was starting to slant over the Labyrinth, and all they could see. Far on the horizon, stars began picking their way out of the sky. Aldric had not realized it had gotten so late, but after a moment more to look out over the vista, Sarah led them onward.

"What do you want to happen, Aldric? I know you said that you feel adrift, but if you could have anything, what would it be?"

"You know one of my desires," he said. "And best not to say it aloud." She nodded, and he continued, "I want you in my life, in whatever shape that takes, though a few are more desirable than others." He paused. "That is all I can think of at present."

"Truly?"

"Yes."

She was quiet for a while, leading him along until they reached a clearing that hugged the hill they were climbing, creating a wide flat space to rest and look out over the Labyrinth and beyond. While he could never remember seeing such formations within the structure when observing it from his battle lines, Aldric was not surprised to find many hidden qualities about the place. It was one of the things that made it so very seductive, as a call to power.

Sarah lifted a hand, and a building rose out of the ground. Made of the same white and gold stone as the rest of the Labyrinth, this was a small cottage from the outside. A gently smoking chimney was affixed to the red-tiled roof, and a yellow door marked the entrance, with several windows looking out.

"This has been here for some time, but the Labyrinth wanted to keep it a secret. I don't know why." She sounded dreamy as she said this, as though she were listening to some far-away music and holding his hand once more. "There are gardens, too."

And there were, lush and verdant, smelling of crisp herbs beneath the starlight. They walked through them, Sarah delighting when fireflies the size of grasshoppers started blinking in the deepening night. "These are gone from the city," she said. "But when I was growing up, they were everywhere. Smaller, of course."

"Of course." He was tempted to weave another crown for her out of the herbs and night-blooming flowers in the garden, but something about the energy of the place seemed to tell him to leave it alone. That this belonged to her. "You asked me, pet, and now I want to ask you, what is it that you want, truly? If you were to have everything?"

Sarah stared at the night sky strewn with thousands of pinpricks, the moon growing near full now, its illumination shining brightly upon her pale face. "Freedom," she said, at last, her words soft. "Safety for those I love. Assurance that there will be time."

"Those are all noble pursuits," he noted.

She gave him a long look. "I'm worried that if you choose me, you'll regret it," she said.

Shock jolted through him at her words. "Why would you think that? I love you." It felt almost unfair, at times, to say the words to her so often, but ever since he realized the truth, he had wanted to say it as often as he could. He had never thought he would find anything remotely like this.

Sarah shrugged, "There are some things you don't know about me. And you still have only been around me for a few weeks. Maybe you'll tire of me."

He laughed. "No. Definitely not. I do not know how to put it into words, but there is something about when I look at you."

She stepped closer to him. "And what is that?"

"Something eternal," he whispered, bending to kiss her.

Sarah sighed, fingers curling in the fabric of his jacket, hips pressing against his own. When she pulled away, there were more than fireflies to illuminate the air. Orbs of blue light, manifestations of her magic, hovered nearby.

"Sarah, you are a wonder," he whispered.

She smiled at him and grasped his hand. "Do you want to see what's inside? The Labyrinth says that it has everything we could need."

He wanted to be alone with her, behind closed doors, whether in a palace or a gardener's shack. "Yes," was all he could think to say.

Sarah brought them to the door, pushing upon well-oiled hinges, and they stepped across the threshold.

Author's Note:

So…

Yup.

I really, really tried not to steer the ship this way but, toot, toot! I'm all aboard the good SS Polyamory, apparently.

The next chapter is 90% done.

I have a new job. My brain is bursting full of new information, and yet there is more and more to absorb every day. I'm trying not to burn myself out by being The Perfect Employee ™ right out of training, but it's hard not to want to give my all.

So I'm pulling back just a tad, refocusing here on this story. The next chapter is about 90% through the rough draft phase and we're just about ready to button her up and do the edits. I think you'll like that one very much 😉 I hope.

Anyway, I hope all of you are well. Thank you for the comments, kudos, and responses. It's been a pleasure.

Cheers,

~CrimsonSympathy