Chapter Twenty-Seven

Once transporting was done, Sarah opened her eyes and looked around. They were standing on a circular dais with what looked like copper runes embedded in the stone. The room itself had a vaguely Greek or Roman look to it, with white columns and gilt trimming. She surveyed their party, Jareth, Garthan and Lily, and a dozen Othánas warriors, along with Koriane and an Elven male who Sarah hadn't as yet been introduced to, in addition to their luggage.

An officious looking Fae came to them with a parchment in his hands. "Name? Kingdom?" he said in a bored tone of voice. Sarah surreptitiously studied him. He was, as the descriptions mentioned, unnaturally beautiful. Shorter than she was, and rather delicate… she imagined that her own biceps were probably larger than his. He had long, burnished copper hair and was dressed in robes that were of a fabric so fine Sarah had never seen the like.

To his inquiry, Garthan stepped forward, "You are in the presence of Jareth, King of the Goblins, from the realm of Tír Ceilte." Garthan's voice was almost arctic in its chill. She was glad she knew him personally… his voice and expression were so frightening that she thought she would have fainted dead away if he ever turned it on her. The Fae was apparently of the same mind, as he looked at their party with widened eyes. He quickly checked his parchment, nodded and stepped aside, keeping his head down. Without bothering to thank the official (no – express appreciation, not thank), Jareth strode forward, their entire party following.

With her peripheral vision, Sarah took in the rest of the building, a large central hall with several chambers ringing it, all with similar circular stone dais. Here and there, other parties of visitors were arriving or leaving. They made their way through the central hall and out of a pair of ornate gold doors. Almost as if he had summoned them, a group of what Sarah assumed were porters began loading their luggage onto three carriages that were parked at the bottom of the steps. Without a word, Garthan, Jareth and Lily made their way to the center carriage, Sarah and two Othánas warriors following. The others split into two groups, one in the front carriage, the other in the rear. The first warrior boarded the carriage and sat in one corner, then Lily and Garthan. They sat on one side of the carriage. Jareth entered first, the other guard helped Sarah in, and she slid to the seat next to Jareth, then the remaining warrior boarded. She noted that she and Lily were in the center, between the men, obviously for their protection.

Sarah took these few moments to look around at the buildings. While there were echoes of Greek and Roman architecture, there was also the overwhelming influence of Baroque France. These buildings were almost unbelievably ornate, with carved trim, goldwork and even what looked like gemstones inlaid in the decorations. Bustling here and there were the residents of the city, all Fae from what she could see, dressed in a variety of gauzy, glittering clothing and weighed down with a plethora of jewelry. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was a purposeful display, almost as if they wanted to give visitors the impression that all of their residents were vastly wealthy. She understood now why she and Lily were dressed so sedately… the Goblin Kingdom didn't need such displays. It was a statement in and of itself.

After passing through a market and what appeared to be a central park area, Sarah could see the palace of Ardalon getting closer. For a moment, she couldn't believe her eyes. The towers were so tall as to almost reach the clouds, the stone of the palace an almost blinding white that glittered in the sun. Here too was the ornate goldwork, but on a scale that defied belief. No fairy tale castle of any description could do justice to what she was seeing. It took all of her will to keep the expression on her face neutral. She glanced over at the warrior seated across from her and could see that he was doing the same thing. Their eyes met, and his lip quirked upward, as did hers.

They rolled up through a huge gate into the palace compound. As they pulled up to a platform off what had to be an entrance to the palace proper, she noted another set of porters awaiting their arrival. They pulled to a stop, disembarking in the reverse order that they'd boarded the carriages. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she noticed their contingent of guards assembling themselves in a perimeter around them. Another Fae official came to greet them, sparking a repeat from Garthan's earlier performance. Soon enough, they were following a Fae woman inside of the palace and through a marble covered hallway.

From what she could see, the interior of the palace had a lot of echoes of Versailles. Mirrors, goldwork, marble. Every spare inch was decorated in some fashion. The windows were draped with a rich fabric that shimmered. Here and there, she could see fancy gilt furnishings. They were led up a sweeping staircase to what she surmised to be the third floor. The Fae woman ushered them through a pair of gilded doors and into what Sarah assumed was a solar. The décor in here was as decadent as anything in 17th century France. The porters distributed the luggage between the rooms branching from the solar, then quickly departed. At their absence, Jareth frowned, then went directly to one of the rooms. Peeking in, he looked around the solar, counting the doors with his eyes. His expression became almost angry.

"Those idiots. I told them we needed six bedrooms. They only gave us five." He looked a bit distraught.

"Jareth, I can sleep with Sarah while you bunk in with Garthan," said Lily.

Sarah looked between the two of them. "I don't get it. What's wrong?"

It was Lily who answered, "Jareth asked for six bedrooms. Three for our guards. One for Garthan and I. One for him. One for you. They only gave us five. I think they assumed… that you would be sleeping together and that another room wasn't necessary."

"I apologize, Sarah. This was not the arrangement I made."

She crossed over to him, placing her hand on his arm. "No worries, Jareth. Lily and I will just have another sleepover."

Lily laughed, "Only this time, we won't drink so much."

They soon got the luggage rearranged, and Koriane appeared to help them unpack. "I don't understand… why wouldn't you be in our suite?" asked Sarah.

"Oh, the servants have rooms at the end of the hall. See that bellpull there?" She indicated a brocade strap hanging from the wall. "Just pull that and it will go right to me."

Koriane made quick work of their luggage, bringing out a couple of gowns for them to change into for the Nooning. Lily's dress was of a diaphanous shell pink silk with pearls embroidered on the bodice. There was a clever sleeveless under-dress of a thick nude silk which preserved the sheerness of the pink while remaining modest. The sides of her hair were braided into several plaits, then interwoven with each other in the back. Sarah's gown was of a sheer, iridescent green silk, with a pointed bodice and sleeves that were tight to the elbow then flaring out to ridiculously wide cuffs. She too had a nude silk under-dress to wear beneath the gown. The neckline and cuffs were embroidered with tiny green crystals. Her hair was braided and drawn back as it was last night, only this time, green ribbons encrusted with crystals were braided through it.

Jareth and Garthan didn't change for the upcoming banquet, both of them in their severe black armored garments. Jareth's eyes sparkled in delight at the sight of her, kissing her hand, then bending and kissing her lips. She looked up at him, a dazzled smile on her face.

Their guards arranged themselves in a perimeter around them and they proceeded to what Sarah assumed was the main Dining Hall. It was laid out much like the one in the Goblin Kingdom, with tables lining the walls. They were quickly ensconced at a table of their own, their guards arrayed behind them. Lily whispered to her that Jareth had arranged a sampling of all the dishes to be delivered to their suite for the guards to enjoy on rotation after the Nooning. Unlike the Goblin Kingdom, this meal was served individually and in courses. Jareth had already promised her that while the Fae used rare and expensive ingredients in their cuisine, there was nothing that she would object to eating. She'd pictured things like 'dragon's eyes' or some such nonsense, but they restricted their culinary wizardry to technique, sauces and spices as opposed to exotic (or objectionable) meats. They used a lot of spice… a lot. Which meant that the spices were likely rare. They also used a lot of rich sauces, some so rich that she could feel her arteries hardening as she ate.

In the center of the room, an orchestra was playing. The music, while beautiful, was also… discordant. Almost as if it were being played in the wrong key. Conversation was kept to a minimum, only a slight murmuring sound could be heard… a far cry from the merry, familiar atmosphere back at Jareth's castle. Jareth himself spoke little, only now and then whispering the ingredients of each particular dish as it was set before her.

On a raised dais on the far side of the room was a silk covered table with gilded legs, at which sat the High King and Queen and their entourage. The King, like the male Fae she'd seen so far, was ethereally beautiful, with shining, almost metallic golden hair braided with crystals. His Queen sat beside him, also ethereally beautiful, her shining silver hair a mass of intricate braids, her robes an iridescent white silk. The King looked bored, while the Queen's face was almost completely expressionless.

The novelty of trying new dishes quickly wore off. She started to understand Jareth's ambivalence to this place. It was almost like they were trying too hard to dazzle their guests. Sarah felt like time had slowed down, just like it did in a dentist's office, and she felt a similar desire to flee the unpleasant atmosphere. After what felt like an eternity, the meal was over, and the various groups of dignitaries started filing out of the dining hall. Jareth and Garthan bid their ladies farewell, and accompanied by half of the Othánas guards, they made their way back to their suite in silence.

Sarah could feel eyes on her, some curious, some hostile. She walked with her head high, a haughty expression that she copied from her mother plastered on her face. As they entered their suite, she could see the repast Jareth ordered for their guards laid out in the solar. Once the doors were closed, the Othánas as one breathed a little easier. They bowed and nodded to her and Lily, then sorted themselves out around the table. Lily smiled and pulled Sarah toward the chamber they would share.

"Well, Sarah… welcome to Ardalon."

Lily wore a lovely sleeveless gown of champagne silk which changed colors as she moved. It had a heavily embroidered gold bodice set with topaz gems, with the heavy embroidery extending down the skirt. Her hands were bare, her delicate claws painted a pearlescent shell pink color. Her hair fell in a shimmering gold curtain to her hips, accented with diamond clips in the shape of butterflies. As she spun around for Sarah's perusal, she looked so ravishingly beautiful that she didn't appear real.

The gown that Jareth had provided for her was probably the most ornate and elegant dress that Sarah had ever seen. The dress itself was of a deep, dark green satin, off the shoulder and low cut, with a pointed, tight-fitting bodice embroidered with beads and encrusted with emeralds, and a flowing skirt that reached the floor and had a short train. It was trimmed around the shoulders with appliquéd leaves. The sleeves were a sheer, dark green lace with appliqué leaves and beads to match the neckline. She had matching dark green satin dancing slippers. Sarah's hair had been drawn back softly from her face, pinned with emeralds, and cascading down her back in a riot of curls. A large emerald ring and matching emerald earrings completed the ensemble. She had never felt so beautiful in her life as she did when she saw herself in the mirror.

At the appointed hour, Sarah made her way to the sitting room, Lily only a step behind her. Garthan came up to claim his wife with a loving smile. He had dressed to match her, his face a study in adoration as he beheld his lady, taking her hand and kissing it tenderly.

Jareth was turned out in formal regalia, black boots polished to a mirrored shine, black velvet breeches, a dark green satin shirt with ruched sleeves trimmed with embroidery and beadwork, black leather gloves and a sleeveless, high necked overcoat of black leather trimmed with emeralds and strips of dark green satin that matched Sarah's gown. His hair was loose except for two long braids at his temples. He was so very handsome that Sarah could feel the lovestruck look on her face as she gazed at him. She was absurdly thrilled that like Garthan and Lily, they matched each other. They would appear at this ball as a unit, a couple. He was standing apart from his entourage, looking out the window, and he turned to face her as she entered the room. As she walked to him, she could see his eyes slowly run over her, lingering at her décolletage, before returning to her face. His gaze looked almost spellbound; his lips slightly parted while he took her in. He reached for her hand as she approached, bestowing a slow kiss to her knuckles that went right through her hand, up her arm and straight into her soul. His voice was hoarse as he spoke.

"My lady, you look… exquisite."

She smiled at him shyly, "So do you."

He returned her smile, their eyes lost in each other. He then put his fingers under her chin, gently turning her face up toward him, and covered her lips with his own in a series of kisses that turned her blood to liquid fire. Finally pulling away after what seemed like eternity, he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, his face beaming with happiness, a mirror of her own. As one, they turned to face the others in the room, all of whom wore indulgent smiles.

As they walked through the gilded halls towards the ballroom, Jareth couldn't keep his eyes off Sarah for very long. She was so… unspeakably lovely. The really amusing part of all this was that as lovely as she was, decked out in all her finery, her makeup perfect, her hair coiffed immaculately… he couldn't help but think of her in her most rumpled state, ragged flannel pants and a ridiculously large tee shirt, her hair pulled back into a simple tail, her face bare. She would never believe it, not for a million years, but given the choice, he actually preferred her in her natural beauty as opposed to the enhanced version.

Their entourage paused outside of the huge double doors while Garthan spoke quietly with the door warden posted there. The warden preceded them into the room, pounding his staff three times on the marble tile.

"His Majesty, King Jareth of Tír Ceilte, Lady Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth, Lord Garthan and Lady Lily Miriso."

Jareth saw Sarah's expression settle on a dignified hauteur as he led her through the doorway. He chuckled inwardly… it was the perfect attitude to have here. He could feel the multitude of eyes on them, an interesting mix of curiosity and hostility. He steered her over to a seating area that had been marked out for their party. It wasn't entirely unexpected that the High King would make his way over to where they were sitting, giving Sarah a shallow bow and a request for a dance. She accepted with a gracious smile. Jareth made his way to the dais that held the High King's throne, bowing to the Queen. He didn't need words, she simply rose and placed her hand in his.

He kept a look of bland pleasantry on his face as he spun the Queen in the dance. He had to bite back a chuckle when he glanced over at Sarah. She towered over the High King, easily a head taller than him. What was odd was the fact that this time, the High King's expression wasn't one of boredom. He actually exchanged words with Sarah, a slight smile on his face. For her part, she gazed at the High King with a charming, pleasant smile. The dance over, and not a word exchanged between himself and the High Queen, he deposited the Fae woman back at the dais with a bow and moved back to his party. Sarah was brought back to their group as expected, but what startled him was when the High King took her hand and kissed it. Jareth would never know why, but his hackles were raised when he saw the Fae's lips touch Sarah's skin. For her part, she expressed her 'appreciation' for the dance, retreating behind the Othánas guards as instructed. He moved to her side, taking her arm gently.

"Well, love. It looks like you've made a conquest."

She eyed him with a raised brow, "Hardly. He was just curious about the human girl who beat the Labyrinth." She put her hand over his and squeezed gently, "Any charm he was wafting in my direction was more for prying information out of me than any desire to… be conquered by me."

"Are you so sure, my dear?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "Jareth… I'm not quite the naïve little bumpkin you seem to think I am. You forget… my mother runs in some pretty fast circles. I know when someone is trying to get one over on me. What it looks like when someone is trying to get close to me for an entirely different goal. I've seen it enough times that I can spot it a mile away. Regardless of the species."

He could tell by her aura that she was hurt by his words. Taking both her hands in his, he raised them to his lips and kissed them both in turn. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I wasn't trying to insinuate that you couldn't handle yourself. I suppose I let my… jealousy speak louder than my good sense." He laid a hand on her cheek, using his thumb to caress her lips softly. "Can you forgive me?"

"I don't know. I'll tell you after you've danced with me," she said, a teasing glint in her eye.

After several dances, he encouraged Sarah to mingle in the ballroom, Lily at her side and two Othánas at her back. It was his way of trying to make up for his earlier doubt by showing that he had confidence in her. He watched her as she made a circuit around the room, her smile bright enough to be a light source of its own. She laughed and chatted with the various revelers who crossed her path. The Fae males were fascinated with her, and she nimbly dodged their sallies with a skill he really hadn't anticipated she would have. The Fae women hated her, to be sure, but she never gave the slightest indication that their hatred bothered her. If anything, she looked at them with mild amusement, as if they were the butt of a joke that only she was privy to.

What really surprised him was when she came upon the group of Strigoi on the other side of the room. He remembered her incredulous reaction when he'd told her about them. Their kingdom was very close to his own, and like the Goblins, they had only recently earned a place at the Samhain Ball. While their two kingdoms were not enemies, they were not allies either. You would never know that by watching Sarah. She struck up a conversation with their queen, and from what he could see, they got along very well. She drew Lily into the conversation as well, and the three women could be seen having a most pleasant interaction. Considering how fearful Sarah was originally when she realized that the Strigoi were the vampires of human legend, he was oddly proud to see none of that in her face as she stood surrounded by them. Of course, the fact that the very vampires she feared were actually Strigoi criminals and not true representatives of their people went a long way.

Garthan came to stand beside him, watching his wife and Sarah as they laughed and chatted with the Strigoi queen. "She's a natural, Jareth. I remember telling you once that she would do well here, but even I didn't realize just how well."

Jareth nodded, "Yes. It's almost like she was born to be a queen, isn't it?"

Sarah was spinning in Jareth's arms, with a sparkle in her eyes and a lightness to her step. She had been nervous at first. She wanted to represent Jareth and the Goblin Kingdom with honor tonight. Judging from the looks of pride he kept giving her, she thought that she had.

The Fae were… pretty much as she expected. The Elves were lovely people. The Dwarves were taciturn, but her long experience with Hoggle taught her how to get around that grimness and she soon had them chatting with her easily. The Strigoi were… interesting. Admittedly frightened when she'd heard that actual vampires would be attending the Ball, she was surprised to learn that the vampires of legend that she was familiar with were in actuality criminals sentenced to the Above. Apparently, the Strigoi needed a specific magic that was found in their homeland, and to sentence one to the Above was, for all intents and purposes, a death sentence. That is, until one or two of them figured out that they could substitute that magic with the human lifeforce, consumed through their blood. Needless to say, they stopped sending their criminals Above and simply executed them.

Sarah was fascinated to discover that the whole blood sucking thing she'd associated with vampires was actually part of their mating rituals. Their version of marriage included a blood exchange, to make the couple literally one flesh, a ritual that (with a human partner) converted their chosen into a Strigoi. As Sarah had promised herself not to take appearances (or legends) for granted, she was gratified to find that they were in truth an honorable people. Their Queen, Erzebet by name, was originally a human, converted in the 16th century when she married the King. She also kept up with current events Aboveground, thus she and Sarah had a great deal to talk about.

As she lost herself in the dance, she smiled up at Jareth. He leaned his head in slightly and whispered to her, "Hold on, love… you're going to like this…" At that moment, she felt herself lift off the ground, still in Jareth's arms. They were… levitating. Yet, she could still feel solid ground under her feet… sort of. She glanced around and could see the other couples on the dance floor levitating at different heights. She laughed in delight, and Jareth spun her ever faster, floating ever higher. She was dizzy with the height, the spinning, Jareth's scent, and the general excitement. It was like flying.

When the dance was over and they'd floated back to the ground, Jareth placed his hand on her back and steered her over to one of the balconies. She was grateful for this since the ballroom was getting a little stuffy. The balcony had a stone railing and several cushioned chairs here and there. She moved to the railing, looking up at Jareth with a smile and feeling the cool breeze stir her hair.

"How do you like Ardalon, my love?"

She sighed, "It's… interesting. There's so much beauty, so much… magic. It's enchanting." Sarah turned to look out over the city lights that she could see from the balcony. "The thing is… while it's beautiful, I can sense that it's got… multiple layers to it. Almost like layers of glass. So that the image you see is distorted. And I wonder if when you peel back the layers of glass, will what remains still be beautiful? Or is there something ugly underneath?"

Jareth nodded, "That's a very astute description, Sarah."

"The Goblin Kingdom…" she said, pensively. "It might not be as… refined in its ways. Not as fancy, perhaps. But it's real. It's got… a truth to it. A warmth, and comfort." Sarah huffed in frustration. "I wish I could describe it the right way, but I don't have the words."

"I think you're describing it just fine, love."

"In all honesty… if I could choose which place I would live in… the place that would be more like a home to me… I would choose the Goblin Kingdom, hands down," she said softly, as she smiled at him.

"I'm glad," he said as he returned her smile. Sarah thought he seemed a little nervous. After a few moments, he looked down, and in a quiet voice he practically stammered, "Sarah… I was wondering… if you might accept a gift from me." He met her gaze again, and she could swear that he looked anxious enough to jump out of his own skin at any moment.

She raised a brow in inquiry, then watched as he removed something from his pocket, holding it out to her. It was a courting token. His courting token. There was no doubt about it. The necklace he held out to her had a matching sigil to the medallion he himself wore, only thinner and more flowing, more… feminine, but a match to his, nonetheless. It was worked in gold, with a matching braided gold chain. Dangling from the sigil was a circular, faceted crystal, a carving of the Labyrinth etched inside.

Utterly speechless, Sarah reached out a hand and touched the crystal with her finger. It was beautiful, and the meaning behind it shook her as nothing else had up to that moment. All her doubts about the future, all her insecurities about their relationship, disappeared as she recognized the message that this token was giving her.

He was in love with her.

He did want to marry her.

He wanted her to be his queen, and eventually the mother of his children.

There was no mistake about it, not at this point. She raised her head to meet his gaze, seeing a mix of love, fear and desire burning within. She turned, presenting her back to him, and moving her hair aside. Smiling tremulously at him over her shoulder, in a voice she didn't recognize as her own, she whispered, "Will you put it on me?"

Jareth stared down at her in something like shock, almost as if he couldn't believe she had actually accepted. He struggled to comply, removing his gloves, his hands shaking a little as he worked the clasp. With the token secure around her neck, he paused, then slowly ran his bare fingers down her neck and onto her shoulder. His fingers were followed by his lips, lightly brushing the spot right beneath her ear as shivers of delight ran through her. As she turned to face him, Jareth gave her a beatific smile. Reaching out, he slid his fingers through her hair, capturing her head between his hands. He kissed her forehead, her closed eyes, her cheeks and finally his seeking lips found hers in a kiss that devastated the foundations of Sarah's world.