"Well… hello," the girl said softly, her eyes roving over his face.
"Hello yourself," he replied, giving her what he'd hoped was his most seductive smile. She noted the smile and her own got wider. Randel got a strange feeling that he was missing something here, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was. Mentally shrugging, he turned his attention to the ravishing creature before him.
"And who might you be?" he asked. Her eyes flickered again, almost too quickly for him to see it.
"Kari," she answered, her voice a mix of innocence and seductiveness. She watched him closely, almost like she was waiting for something.
"Kari… a lovely name for a lovely girl."
She tossed her head and laughed, "And probably one of many you've said that to."
"Perhaps. And I meant it at the time… just as I mean it now."
She didn't look impressed. If anything, her eyes narrowed a bit. "Indeed," she said, her voice a little clipped.
Idiot, he thought. Never admit you've found other women attractive when you're trying to win one over. That was an amateur move, right there.
Trying to regain some lost ground, he gave her a sultry look, "In all of my travels, I've met many a beauty, but none could hold a candle to you, my lady."
Somehow, this didn't seem to impress her either. She raised an eyebrow, "Something you've meant when you said it to others, too. Just as you mean it now. Am I correct?"
This conversation was not going in the direction he thought it would. A strategic regrouping was in order here. "I think we have somehow gotten off on the wrong foot. Allow me to introduce myself… I am Randel Amorrian. And you are Kari…?"
"Kari," she said. She gave him no further name, but her expression seemed a bit friendlier. Internally, he shrugged. For whatever reason, she didn't wish to give her family name. No matter.
"I have recently returned from a very long tour of the neighboring kingdoms. I'm not sure what people do for fun around here anymore. Perhaps you can give me a suggestion?" He was hoping to find out what she would be doing that evening. He wasn't disappointed.
"Well, my friends and I will be going to the Bleeding Goblin Tavern tonight. It's karaoke night."
Randel couldn't keep the surprise from his face. "Karaoke? They have that Underground now?"
She laughed, "Why yes. I'm told the Queen enjoys it a great deal. Rumor has it that she and the King go there occasionally, in disguise. I'm not sure how true that is, since they hold karaoke parties here at the castle at least twice a year. You just missed the last one. The next will be in about six months. The Spring Equinox ball is next week."
"And will you be attending, my lady?" he asked, trying out his seductive smile again. This time, it seemed to work better, as her own smile shined back at him.
"Oh, yes. I suppose so. Along with beauties from all around the kingdom." She looked over at her playmates, then looked back at him. "Farewell, Randel Amorrian. Perhaps we will meet again."
With that, she turned and gathered her friends, walking off the sporting court without once turning around to look back.
With an absolute iron will, Karina kept herself from turning around and looking at Randel again.
Part of her was shocked. He didn't recognize her. She thought for sure he'd figure out who she was when she told him her name. Or the shortened version of it, anyway. But he didn't. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, she couldn't expect him to recognize her… he'd seen her last when she was still a child.
On the other hand, just how many raven-haired, green-eyed women did he know besides her mother? Was he so blinded by staring at her breasts that he couldn't see the obvious when it was standing in front of him? Part of her was a little insulted. You'd think he'd remember her, even if only as his best friend's daughter. But no.
There might be an opportunity here, she thought to herself.
For years, she'd imagined their reunion. She'd be decked out in her finery, her hair perfect. He would take one look at her beauty and be hooked. She didn't anticipate their first meeting after a century to be when she was in her sporting clothes, her hair a snarled mess, her body covered in sweat and sand.
The last time they had been together, she had sat in his lap. He had ruffled her hair affectionately. They were sitting in her parents' chamber, greeting her new sister. That was the day she'd told him that she was going to marry him, when she was an adult, and he came back from his Tour.
She remembered how everyone laughed. They didn't know that she was serious.
How many hours did she spend looking at his official portrait? How many times did she wonder where he was, what he was doing?
Come on, Karina. You know what he was doing.
That didn't bother her in and of itself. What did bother her was that he thought the same tricks that worked on other women would work on her as well. It was a little insulting, truth be told. And maybe… well, maybe this was why he'd never bonded, if the girls he interacted with were dumb enough to fall for such patent nonsense.
One positive note from their encounter was that he definitely found her attractive. She thought she was going to go up in smoke the way his eyes wandered over her. There was no doubt that he'd be happy to take a tumble with her.
At least until he figured out who she really was.
And that was the rub, wasn't it? Because she knew he wanted her… knew he'd felt the rush of a nascent heart-bond, same as she did. She saw it in his eyes. If she'd had any doubt that they were fated to be together, it vanished when she'd felt that rush. But if he knew she was Jareth's daughter, he'd run so far and so fast that it would make her head spin. She had to somehow keep him focused on her until the bond was so strong that even knowing her to be Princess Karina Danaaru wouldn't stop him.
But how?
He watched the girl until she'd walked past the limit of his vision, appreciating the view of her behind.
He couldn't remember the last time a girl had been so… resistant to his charm. No, not resistant. His charm worked on her; she was just… wary. She no doubt figured out that he was something of a 'player' (as Sarah once teasingly called him). Getting her to roll between the sheets with him was going to be a little more difficult than he'd first thought.
Ah, but worth it. She's truly exquisite.
As he walked back to the castle, he could see people milling around, enjoying the Spring day. He passed the playground and saw Garthan and Lily with their little grandson. At the sight, he was glad that he'd taken the Tour. They would have missed the birth if he hadn't gone in their stead.
A sense of disquiet came over him as he watched them. They were so… happy, together. Even after all these years, Lily still looked at her husband the same way she did when they were courting, an ocean of love in her eyes. Before he could stop himself, he briefly wondered what it would be like to see that in a woman of his own.
A woman with green eyes…
He shut down that thought ruthlessly. He'd never have a woman of his own because he didn't want one. Never have, never will. No, a few luscious hours were all he needed before he was on to the next one.
Speaking of the next one, she apparently would be going to the Bleeding Goblin Tavern tonight. He'd have to put in an appearance. See if he could entice her back to his chamber for a time.
He ignored the rush of feeling that swept through him when he thought of her.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
It might seem obvious to us that Kari is actually Karina, but remember, Randel hadn't been back in over a hundred years and had only seen Sarah maybe twice during that time. It's not all that surprising that he didn't see the resemblance right away. He also views Sarah as a sister… and as such hadn't paid much attention to her looks.
And… it's a total plot contrivance, but I don't care. It's fun. Those old romance novels were chock full of absolutely improbable situations, so I'm going with it here. I remember one where the hero didn't recognize the heroine when she had glasses on… I remember shaking my head in disbelief, but… it was still an entertaining tale.
I also wanted to demonstrate some of the changes that Sarah brought with her when she married Jareth. Her holiday traditions, yes. But also Aboveground sports and Karaoke. These are subtle, but they are cultural. What the women are wearing while playing volleyball is also an import from Above.
