Chapter Twenty-Six
Sarah woke when the first rays of dawn came streaming into the windows opposite the bed.
And what a bed… the mattress was so soft and luxurious, like nothing she'd ever slept on before. The sheets were on par with the highest thread count linens that the Above could muster and were scented with something vaguely like lavender. Whatever it was, it was soothing, so much so that she fell asleep last night almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Tippy scampered up from where she had been sleeping, gave her a kiss to the forehead and 'popped' away.
A knock at her chamber door sounded, and at her permission, a young Elven girl came in. She dipped a curtsy to Sarah and smiled in a shy but charming manner.
"Good morning, My Lady. I am Koriane. His Majesty asked that I assist you for your stay here."
Sarah smiled, "Hello Koriane. Thank you, I really appreciate it." Looking about her, Sarah inquired, "Is there a specific time I need to be ready?"
Koriane moved over to the bathing chamber, "His Majesty mentioned that your party will be transporting after breakfast. In about… two hours, I believe."
"I see. Well then, I suppose you should show me how to work the shower controls, if you don't mind. I just know I'll end up staying too long if I use the tub again."
Koriane laughed, "I don't blame you. The castle staff, we have wondrous bathing chambers with tubs like this… I love soaking in one at the end of the day."
The controls were quite easy, and very similar to what was used Aboveground. What she'd thought was magical was actually just decorative. The crystals just needed to be turned, as they were connected to levers. In the roman tub, the drain and the filling spout were at the bottom. According to Koriane, the tub itself was made of an insulating stone which kept the water warm for a much longer period of time than other materials. Sarah was mildly surprised, while she knew they had running water, apparently there was an actual water heating system throughout the castle and not just the royal rooms, which brought hot water to the kitchens, the other bathing chambers and the laundry. What was extraordinary was that none of it was done with magic.
After her shower, she dressed quickly in what Koriane called a 'travel gown'. It was a two piece garment, a long, ankle-length skirt with a fitted jacket that had a long asymmetrical peplum that flared out at the waist and came to a point at the hem of the skirt in the back, worn over a soft pink blouse. It was made of a very fine weave of wool in a dark navy blue color and trimmed with braid that was dyed to match. She slipped on some comfortable black leather boots and was given a pair of black leather gloves for after breakfast. Her hair was tied back with a piece of navy blue ribbon and the overall look was just so… adorable.
Koriane bustled around the wardrobe, picking out items for her to wear after the Ball, a nightgown and another outfit "just in case". She laid the items out and led Sarah to the door that opened into the room Jareth had transported her to yesterday.
"What room is this, Koriane?"
"Oh, this is His Majesty's solar, My Lady." She pointed to the door at the far side of the room, "That's His Majesty's chamber there, the other doors lead to other bedchambers… except for that one," she indicated one on what Sarah thought was the south wall. "That one leads to the hall."
"Who stays in these other rooms?"
"No one at the moment, My Lady. This is what you might call the… 'family wing' of the castle. This group of rooms is considered His Majesty's private residence. The rooms are reserved for his family… when he has one… and special guests."
Sarah felt a slight chill. Is my chamber one he reserved for his… lovers? "What kind of… special guests?"
Koriane smiled brightly, "Well, originally, this is where the Lord Martial and the Lord High Councilor stayed. But then, Lord Garthan married and took a suite of rooms down the hall. The Lord Martial was given his own suite of rooms at the same time, although if you ask me," she leaned in conspiratorially, "he doesn't really care where he's sleeping… and he's never alone." Sarah chuckled and shook her head. Koriane continued, "While the castle was still under construction, foreign visitors would stay in one of these rooms. His Majesty was not happy with that arrangement, so once the Visitor's wing was completed, that's where guests were installed. Besides the King, you're the first one to stay in this suite since Lady Lily came to live here. In fact, I believe the chamber you are in was hers at one point, before her marriage."
As if summoned by their speaking of her, Lily came into the solar, followed by Garthan.
"Good morning, Sarah. Did you sleep well?" Lily was wearing a similar outfit to her own, in a dusky rose colored wool. Garthan was dressed in some kind of combination of court clothes and leather armor. It was all black, and he looked just as intimidating and dangerous as he did the first time she'd seen him.
The fearsome effect was ruined when he winked at her, and she laughed. "I slept well, thanks. That mattress is simply divine."
Jareth and Randel entered the solar together, Randel dressed as he usually was and Jareth in a similar outfit to Garthan's but with a little more metal ornamentation. Koriane gave a small curtsy and shuffled off to bring in their breakfast. Jareth greeted her with a kiss that put a silly smile on her face.
Sarah was relieved that apparently the Othánas ate much the same items at breakfast that humans did. Bacon, eggs, sausages and some kind of breakfast pastries along with a lovely selection of fresh fruit was laid out for their repast. There was a fragrant pot of tea, which Jareth availed himself of, and another pot of fresh, hot coffee. Sarah didn't know where they got their coffee, but it was a heavenly brew, better than anything she'd gotten from an Aboveground barista.
Breakfast was a lighthearted affair, with much chatter and good-natured banter. Randel was apparently quite happy to miss the Samhain Ball this year, and instead would be keeping an eye on the Kingdom in Jareth's absence. Lily was quite excited… she had only gone a couple of times before and was looking forward to a new scene. Jareth and Garthan were less enthusiastic, but both gave Lily looks of fond indulgence as her enthusiasm bubbled over.
"Lily, my love… perhaps we should let Sarah know some of what she can expect in Ardalon," said Garthan with a soft smile at his wife.
"Yes… well, I suppose the first thing to know is never to trust one of the Fae." The entire table broke into laughter. "In all seriousness, dealing with them is relatively simple. Never accept any food or drink item from them directly. The wait staff… they're fine. But if one of the Fae tries to give you something, just turn it down with a smile. Next rule… do not say 'Thank you'. They take an expression of thanks as a signal that you are under obligation to them. Instead, say 'I appreciate that' or 'it is appreciated'. You will probably be asked to dance by the High King. This is common, especially if it's your first time in Ardalon. While you are dancing with the High King, Jareth will dance with the High Queen – "
"And hate every minute of it," Jareth interjected.
"Hush… no choice. The High King will act completely bored with you… this is also common. He will return you to our group after the dance. When he does, make sure you step behind the Othánas guards that will be stationed around our area. This will force any Fae who wishes to solicit you for a dance to do so in the presence of witnesses."
"Do I say no?" asked Sarah. She looked over at Jareth.
He shrugged, "It is entirely your choice, Sarah."
She gave him an arch look. "Okay. So maybe the better question is… would you prefer that I say no?"
Jareth smiled at her a little sheepishly. "Actually… yes, I would prefer that you say no."
Sarah smacked his arm lightly, "Then say so, don't dance around it. I'll just tell them… that you've promised me the next dance. Of course, that means you'll have to dance with me all night." She smiled flirtatiously at him.
He returned her grin, "Oh, are you threatening me with a wonderful time, Precious?"
"Gah… we'll never get through the rules this way," said Garthan, amusement pouring off him. "Never go anywhere with one of them alone. You'll be shadowed by our guards in any case, but under no circumstances do you allow one of them to pull you aside or steer you toward an alcove. That goes for female Fae just as much as the males."
Sarah nodded. Honestly, it wasn't that much different from a frat party, at least as far as she'd heard frat parties go. Years of dodging lascivious solicitations meant she was rather deft at turning down a proposition in such a way as to make it seem flattering. "So, we are leaving at around nine?" At Jareth's nod, she continued, "What happens when we get there?"
"Well, we transport to the Visitor Center. It's a large building where all visitors to Ardalon transport to," said Jareth. "Most of the races Underground cannot transport on their own. We can. The Fae can, but only certain distances. The Visitor Centers have a magical device that allows transport between similar devices. They are usually located outside of a capital city and under very heavy guard by the nation it's located in. Once we arrive, we will take a carriage ride to the Palace of the High Court."
"Why don't we transport directly to the Palace?" Sarah asked.
"No one allows foreigners to transport to their palaces," Garthan answered. "Most cities and towns are warded against such intrusions. Our own city has a similar Center on the outskirts for people to transport to. Only the King, myself, and Randel are permitted to transport within the castle grounds. Well… the Ughlánas can too, but that's different."
Sarah nodded, her eyes wide. "I suppose… yeah, you wouldn't want to take the chance that someone will transport in with an army."
Garthan's eyes flickered for a moment, but he smiled. "Exactly so. When we're ready to leave, we'll take a carriage back to the Center and transport back to the castle."
"Once we arrive at the Palace," said Jareth, smirking at Garthan, "We will be escorted to our suite of rooms to settle in. At Ardalon, the largest meal of the day is the 'Nooning', or lunch." He laughed a bit at this, "They call it 'Nooning' but it's actually at one o'clock. It's a feast, with a huge variety of decadent dishes. It lasts about two or three hours. After that… you ladies will retire to our suite to prepare for the Ball while Garthan and I mingle in the halls. This is where the Fae like to approach us 'unofficially'. After a few hours of that hell, we will return to the suite to prepare for the Ball ourselves."
Sarah felt a little nervous. As part of the Goblin contingent, anything she did or said would reflect on Jareth and his Kingdom. She didn't want to let him down. Something of her anxiety must have shown on her face since Jareth covered her hand with his own and squeezed lightly.
"You'll do fine, Sarah."
She lifted her chin and looked at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It'll be a piece of cake."