Unconsciousness made way for alarm bells. Instincts fired off left and right and her body jerked to attention. Her surroundings were dark, but warm. Almost too warm. In her groggy state her surroundings were unfamiliar, the smells something she didn't recognize. Panicked, she looked around, seeing little more than pitch black darkness and a faint smoldering of coals across the room.

"Jareth!"

A quiet shush came from her side, lulling her shrill cry with ease. "I'm here, darling."

She felt his hand grasp hers and gently he pulled her down. Feeling softness underneath her when she leaned down onto her elbows her mind caught up. She was in the cabin. Gradually her adrenaline ridden body let itself sink to the mattress.

"Jareth, are you okay? What happened? How long was I out for?"

"I'm fine, sweetling. At ease."

Her back was still rigid, her body flighty and her heart thumping against her chest. Jareth seemed to notice, rolling towards her and enveloping her in a gentle but firm hug, her head cradled under his chin. Her cheek rested against soft fabric, pajamas she guessed. While his autumn-like scent drifted up her nostrils his voice spoke softly to her. "I teleported us back to the cabin. We had been unconscious for approximately three hours. Or four, in your case."

"And you're okay?"

"Perfectly fine, Sarah." His voice was slow, mostly because he was still half asleep. Relieved, Sarah let out a deep breath, snuggling against his chest while wrangling her heart rate back to a normal level. His warmth was simply blissful, seeping into her skin through every pore. "Are you trying to fuse us together, sweetling? Because if you'd like to become one, I can think of much more enjoyable ways to do so."

"Oh god," Sarah mumbled against his chest, letting her still heavy eyes fall shut.

A low chuckle rumbled from his throat. "I prefer hearing you speak my given name. Especially in such close proximity."

"I prefer Birdbrain." This time she could feel his chuckle even on the top of her head. His hand lowered along her back with a gentle pressure. It came to a halt just above her tailbone where it made small circles. It felt both comforting and exciting. Just after her body fully relaxed into his hold, he froze.

Opening her eyes to look at him. Her vision strained. A glowing crystal ball floated above them with a gentle bob up and down. Frowning, she swatted it away, trying to get her eyes to focus and adjust to light. The magical object floated a little further into the room, its luminescence shining down on them more gently. There was a frown on his face.

"Sarah, besides that brief touch with your finger, did you interact in any way with the contents of that basin?"

The cozy and warm feeling fell away faster than she could blink and a blush of embarrassment tinged her skin. "U-uh… Why?" Mentally she cringed at the blatant way her response confirmed his suspicion. His eyes narrowed, searching her face. He was going to make her say it, she just knew it. "I… Uh… Did."

"When? What happened?" His eyes bore down on her, his blue eye catching the light in a way that chilled the air between them.

"It wasn't so bad… After Warren and you walked off, I…" How she'd wished she could look away from his gaze right now, but he had her pinned. "There was a little bit left. I didn't mean to do it… It just kind of… lured me in."

"You're not serious." His voice was tight, but hinted towards him already knowing. Especially when her eyes cast downwards. "Give me your hand." The woman remained still, head tucked like a scolded puppy. "Now."

She offered her hand. He grasped her lower arm, then brought it up to his face. Sarah's eyes widened, her head angling back up. Her breath caught when he pulled it up just past his face, her inner wrist by his nose. He inhaled deeply, holding his breath for a moment before exhaling with a low sound coming from the back of his throat. Instantly goosebumps prickled along her skin. She'd never heard a person growl before, but that was the only way she could describe it. A flighty feeling came over her when his eyes opened again, heavy lidded but glued to her. His pupils were more dilated and his arm around her pulled her closer.

A thrill ran through her. "H-how did you know?" Sarah could almost feel the path his eyes took when they lowered. Even with her limited experience it was rather obvious what sort of effect her scent had on him just now.

"Smell is a rather strong sense in my kind. We smell many things that I strongly suspect mortal folk do not. To put it a little indelicately, now that you have magic in your veins… Well, it makes… you a lot more potent. I must admit a little more so than I'd thought it could." He inhaled deeply through gently parted lips and released it through his nose. A mildly uncomfortable smile curled around his lips and his body shifted to put a little more distance between them. "By all means, let's keep talking. Even I am not immune to certain… weaknesses."

Sarah pulled her arm back and cradled it against her chest, her cheeks flushed. She was still looking up at the slightly dazed expression on his face. "I… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have… What does this mean exactly?"

His hand distractedly held and turned the ever present amulet around his neck. "I'm not quite sure. I have no experience with this odd source that we came across. Additionally, I've not heard of a mortal absorbing magic. Not ever." Her renewed nervousness was not lost on him. "It could simply dissipate out of your body, like sweat. Perhaps your body could expel it by more violent means, like a disease. Perhaps…"

The thoughtful expression on his face was rather intriguing. "Perhaps?"

"Perhaps it will adapt. Settle. Become a part of you, if you will. That is, if it doesn't deplete."

Her eyes widened. "You think I might have magic now?"

There was a brief silence before he replied. "I don't know, Sarah. And that's what concerns me. Magic can be unpredictable, especially in a novice's hands. Especially from a source my kind deems impossible to exist. For all we know, you could become severely ill. Or worse." The knitted set of his eyebrows was a little concerning, to say the least. "To be fair, I find myself rather tempted to simply take our leave now and transport to a city with a healer."

"Jareth, preserve your energy. I feel fine. Just a bit tired."

The cloudiness in his eyes had now disappeared, the mismatched orbs flicking across the room behind her with increasing annoyance. "To the hells with my energy, I-"

Sarah put her fingertips against his lips, silencing him and pulling his focus back to her. "I'm fine, Jareth. If I feel out of sorts in any way at all, I'll let you know right away."

His eyes lowered in quiet forfeit, pressing a kiss against her fingers. "You know," he said, her fingers still against his lips. "When I brought you two back here, I surprisingly didn't feel any ripple in my magic. It was… Effortless."

She chuckled. "Yes, well… Don't go around proclaiming godhood just yet, Your Majesty. We don't know what this whole adventure is going to leave us with."

He took a deep breath again, his eyes closed and a smile curling around his lips. "At the risk of being shoved out of this bed… And possibly kicked out of the room, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

His eyes locked with hers again, the smile falling from his lips. "Can you tell me… Would you mind seeing if my scent has any different effect on you now that you have magic in your system?"

Immediately Sarah felt her face grow warm. Seeing as this was a new experience for him it wasn't really unreasonable. Especially knowing the strong effect it apparently had on him. The woman ducked her head back under his chin and leaned into him. There was a very soft sigh of acceptance, his arms wrapping around her again. Then he froze when she nuzzled her nose against his neck and mimicked the deep breath he'd taken.

The first thing she felt was a sense of dizziness or vertigo. What hit her next was a combination of her body growing tense and her heart rate kicking into gear. A warmth settled low in her stomach. His trademark scent drifted so deep that it felt like it was branded in her permanently. So deep that it filled her up like a hearty meal. Her breath left her in a slow quiver.

A grip around her wrist snapped out of the strange sensation. Her hand was clutching his shirt tightly, though she had no recollection of grabbing hold of it. "Oh, shit… Uh, sorry."

Pulling back slightly she saw the devilish smile on his face. Clearly he was not at all bothered. Quite the opposite. "Don't be. I am not at all complaining. Though next time, it might be wise to take a more shallow inhale. Magic infused scents can be quite… overpowering." His hand loosened and moved to cover her own. Gently his thumb rubbed along the side of her hand, falling and rising under his breath.

"Next time," Sarah mused silently. In her years she'd never had to war between being scared and thrilled quite as strongly as when she was with Jareth.

"Yes, next time. I am still fully intent on wooing you until you stop flinching. And to be perfectly honest, I am not adverse to using whatever means possible to win you over. With your consent, naturally." His fingers dug in between hers, treading them together. His teeth gleamed in the light of the crystal orb. "So heed my advice, Miss Williams. From now on, I am not holding back anymore. I'll show you just how persuasive I can be."

"Is that a threat?"

"A promise." His voice had dropped to a low purr. "You have seen nothing yet. I've been on my best behavior."

Her eyebrows rose playfully. "That was your best behavior? Do I need to promote nanny Girvin to full time chaperone? Perhaps I can arrange double shifts with-"

Jareth laid a finger against her lips, silencing her. While his smile hadn't fallen yet, there was a more serious atmosphere seeping in. "Don't speak of other men whilst in my arms."

It had never occurred to Sarah that there was a variation of cute aggression in the romance spectrum, but part of her needed a blow to her own stomach to silence those damn butterflies. Especially when she felt Jareth pull her closer again, his fingertip caressing her lips. His smile was contagious. "That's such a tacky thing to say."

"As per your mortal phrasing, bite me."

Exhaustion started slipping to the forefront again and she snuggled her head under his chin, relaxing against him. "Maybe later. What time is it?"

"Too early."

His presence and the warmth of his body, combined with the secure cage of his arms around her, made her doze off in record time.

—-

An orange glow shimmering through the window woke Sarah from a deep and restless sleep. Pushing herself up her bleary eyes strained against the bright light. Jareth lay sprawled out on his side of the bed. He was on his back with one arm slung over his head and the other stretched out from where her head had been. With a light blush she took a moment to look at him without fear of being caught. His long sleeved shirt folded and stretched over the angles of his bicep and revealed just a hint of skin from his abdomen. The angles of his face were softened with sleep but didn't quite lose that angular aspect. His feathery blonde hair was hopelessly tousled, making it hard to resist running her hands through it.

Just then, he stirred. Inhaling deeply and turning his head to the side. His arm fished for her, a fine line appearing between his brows when he didn't feel her.

Smiling, the woman put her hand over his, palm to palm while watching the line smooth out and a peaceful smile curling his lips. It was a smile she hadn't seen on him before. Not teasing or playful. Just… content. Happy. It looked beautiful. She lowered back down and curled up against him.

"Good morning, my love."

Her heart skipped a beat. There was a giddy tickle in her veins. A small jolt of adrenaline scattering down her spine. He'd never called her that before, but there was an undeniable part of her that was thrilled to hear him say it. She angled her head up to look at him. His eyes were still closed. "What did you just call me?"

"Hm?" He turned to her and gathered her against him. "What? What did I say?" His voice was rough and slurred with sleep.

She shook her head, wondering if she'd imagined it. "Uh, never mind. Good morning." Her lips remained sealed and the seconds ticked by. Eventually she spoke up, suspecting he'd fallen back asleep. "Jareth? Should we… get up?"

"Now, why would you make such a dreadful suggestion? I haven't slept this well in at least a few hundred years."

"We have a long way ahead of us. Besides, there's that thing in the north that needed addressing, right?"

The man groaned, squeezing her closer against him. "I'll reorder time in a few hours. Or days. Or I'll just transport us there."

"What… The staff, soldiers and us three?"

"No. Just the three of us. Perhaps Girvin."

She slipped from his grasp and propped herself up to look down at him. "What about your magic? What if you need it up north and can't restore in time?"

"Don't worry your pretty head, sweetling. I have been in tune with my capabilities for centuries. Besides, I dread another day on horseback. I fear it might be causing some permanent damage concerning certain areas required for my future lineage." Sarah could barely suppress laughing aloud at his rather crude admission. "We'll simply pop in to drop Warren off, take a day's rest and then move out once more." When there was no response he screwed one eye open, meeting with her skeptical expression. "What? Would it make you feel better if we got ready now? I don't know about you, but I'd love to indulge in a little bit of sleeping in after everything that has happened lately."

Sighing, Sarah looked down at him. Her hand reached over to make an attempt to tame an especially messy lock of hair. Before she could respond to his suggestion there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Flustered, Sarah scrambled to get out of the bed or hide, but the arm quickly wrapping around her kept her infuriatingly well in place. The door opened and Girvin stepped in. "Good morning, Your Majesty. I… hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Sarah turned her head away from the soldier to hide the exponential heating of her face. Jareth just chuckled, perfectly at ease. "You did, actually. But now that you're here, please alert the soldiers to meet the others at the foot of the mountain and let the staff know to pack up and head home. Sarah, Warren, you and I will be teleporting to the city separately."

The soldier's eyebrows raised when Sarah stole a glance in his direction. "Sire, are you sure? What if…"

The Goblin King groaned and rubbed his forehead like he was fighting off a blossoming headache. "Why is everyone… Girvin, have you forgotten how to follow orders from your king? I do not desire to be questioned."

The tall man by the door nodded quickly and bowed deeply. "Yes! No! Of course, Your Majesty. I will do exactly as you ask to the best of my abilities. I sincerely apologize."

"Well? Away with you, then."

Sarah watched Girvin practically flee the room, closing the door behind him. "He was only being attentive…" The mischievous smile on his face made her roll her eyes. "You're going to give the poor guy an anxiety attack someday."

"One can only hope." He pulled her back against him and took a deep breath. "Now let's just relax for another fifteen minutes or so and then we'll start preparing to go to the city."

"You're absolutely sure you want to just teleport to the city? You'll be okay afterwards?"

"You know, I teleported fifty men at once a few years ago."

"And how did that go?" Slowly she relaxed against him.

"I needed a nap. Woke up with a headache. Consumed about four liters of soup and a full loaf of bread."

While the mental image of it was somewhat comical there was a question burning on her tongue. "And exactly how long was this nap?"

It took him a moment to respond. "Longer than usual."

Irritated at the way he avoided her question she leaned away from his hold. "Fine. I'm getting up."

"Four days," he said while he held onto her. His eyes were closed. "Does that sufficiently answer your question?"

Easing the strain from her arms she let him pull her back against him. "Yes…" Her voice was so quiet that even he had barely heard it.

He pressed a kiss against the crown of her head. "Then please take solace in the fact that this trip there's only four of us."

"What about the trip up north?"

"We'll see how I'm doing the day after tomorrow. If I'm still fatigued or depleted we'll travel by horse. If I feel like I can handle it, transporting back up here would save a lot of time and posterior sores. However, for now I would like you to focus on yourself. Alert me when you feel in any way unusual. Once we arrive in the city I will summon a healer to examine you… Maybe an archivist to check the records or a seer for postcognitions regarding any mortals obtaining magic."

All the serious talk started to make her antsy. Especially the prospect of a doctor's appointment. She traced invisible patterns on Jareth's shirt to distract herself. "What if I gain the ability to summon crystals? Or the ability to reorder time?" She froze and her eyes grew wide, finding Jareth's. "What if I accidentally turn into an owl and won't know how to turn back?" Her wide eyes shifted back to his chest. "I am not eating rodents!"

Jareth laughed at her sulky tone. "Trust me, darling. Shapeshifting cost me about four hundred years to master and it is definitely not one of those things you do by accident. Reordering time is even more complicated than that. Even now it requires a large amount of concentration and magic when I alter just a few hours."

Sarah cast her eyes downwards, her shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely while looking up at him, meeting his gaze.

His eyebrows arched up in surprise and confusion. "What are you sorry for now?"

"Making you reorder time so my family wouldn't worry about me disappearing…"

"You hardly twisted my arm, Sarah. I will reorder time a thousand times if it would make you happy."

The woman smiled bashfully, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his jaw, seeing as she couldn't reach his cheek from this angle. "Thank you, Jareth. I just hope one day I can return the favor."

"You're already making strides just by being by my side."

There was a brief silence.

"So… Should we get up?"

Jareth groaned.

—-

It seemed that Sarah had a complicated relationship with teleportation. Her first trip Underground was practically seamless. Her return years later had been literally sickening. But then her goodbye to her family had been pretty much smooth sailing as well. At first she'd assumed Jareth was simply more skilled with teleportation and that his adeptness provided a nice cushion.

But that assumption proved untrue during their travel to the city.

The moment they disappeared from the cabin on the snowy mountain top, even before they'd appeared at their destination, Sarah knew something was wrong. It was like someone flicked off the light, turned it back on for just a split second before a fuse blew and everything went dark again.

When she came to, it was fast, as though she'd just dozed off and someone called for her. Her body jerked and her eyes flew open, wide and alert. The woman looked down to see herself being carried, one hand around her knees while she could feel another by her back. Looking around her eyes met with three worried gazes. First Warren's, then Girvin's and lastly Jareth's, who was currently holding her. Self-consciously she brushed her hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

"Uh, sorry about that. I'm not sure what happened." Wiggling she signaled Jareth to put her down, but he held her firmly.

"Are you quite alright, my lady?" Girvin touched her shoulder.

Sarah nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I'm not sure what happened. I don't usually faint."

"Girvin, summon healer Aemus at once. Tell him to meet us in half an hour's time in the royal wing."

"Jareth, please put me down… I'm fine. Really." With another wiggle he hesitantly leaned down to put her on her feet, securely holding on to her waist and holding her close. There was the smallest hint of wobble in her knees, but she'd hoped that despite the scrutinizing gazes none of the men had noticed. Uncomfortably Sarah looked around to take in her surroundings.

They were standing in a large square surrounded by walls about two stories high made of fair looking stones with a pastel orange color. The walls were lined with leafy green hedges and flowers and on the far edges were benches in the shade. Beautiful flowers grew on the overhang above the seats, creating a luxurious but quaint rural feel. Towering over them was a castle Sarah could only describe as absolutely gigantic. It stretched for more stories than she knew how to count, in that same orange tinted stone. The sky was a crisp and untainted blue, interrupted only briefly by a small flock of birds flying by.

Weirdly, it wasn't until then that she noticed how incredibly warm it was. She wouldn't be surprised if she got knocked out simply from the contrast between the cold cabin and the boiling heat here.

A female voice behind Jareth caused everyone to turn their heads. From the castle doors came a tall and slender woman, dressed in the finest silk of rich orange. Her hair was full, wavy and a shade of red so dark that it was almost black. Her skin was unblemished, carrying a healthy honey tone, her ochre, almond shaped eyes giving her an exotic look. A golden necklace and several bracelets shimmered in the sun. Next to her stood a servant who unfolded a parasol for her the moment she stepped out, keeping her face in the shade.

"Lady Beyza! Just the person I was looking for. I think you might have misplaced your husband."

Immediately a realization dawned on Sarah and she looked to Jareth's older brother who was standing slightly closer to the entrance with his back to them. This was probably the first time he actually saw his wife. His tall shape was completely still and her mind could only imagine the expression on his face.

The tall woman froze for a second, staring at him with wide eyes. His name tumbled off her lips in little more than a whisper.

"Bey," Warren said softly, awe and adoration laid bare in his voice. "Is… That you?"

The woman hiked up her skirts and ran towards the man. Haphazardly the servant tried to follow. As soon as the woman reached him she threw her arms around him, ranting breathlessly in a foreign language so fast that even if it had been in English, Sarah likely wouldn't have caught a single word. From this perspective Sarah could see tears starting to pour down Beyza's cheeks, her long dark hair draping over Warren's shoulders. Eventually they pulled back and the older woman cradled Warren's face in her hands. "By the Gods, what happened? How… When… How?"

Sarah could see a watery smile on Warren's face when he looked towards Jareth, tears staining his cheeks. He touched Beyza's hair, face and shoulders, caressing her hands and arms while he took his time to look upon his wife. All he seemed to be able to do was repeat her name, over and over.

Jareth, Sarah and Girvin stood by somewhat awkwardly. Eventually, Beyza held out a hand to her servant, who quickly provided her with a handkerchief. It took a few moments before she had collected herself enough to speak.

"I sincerely apologize," she insisted, her voice still smooth like honey. Eventually, she smiled and held out her hand. "Your Majesty, it's a pleasure, as always."

Jareth smiled and took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "The pleasure is all mine, Bey. I'd like you to meet lady Sarah, my… very much adored guest."

Beyza's eyes sparkled brilliantly, looking from the king to the brunette next to him. "Lady Sarah, it is an honor to meet you. What a beautiful little thing you are."

A little overwhelmed and confused, Sarah quickly had to figure out how to properly greet her. Shyly she gave a curtsy. "Thank you, lady Beyza. It is an honor to meet you as well."

"With all introductions out of the way, I do believe all of us are due for some tea and refreshments," Jareth insisted. "Girvin." He gave him a pointed look.

"Yes, I will summon the royal healer at once. Please excuse me." He bowed to the others before briskly walking towards the large entry doors of the castle.

"I will take it upon myself to arrange celebrations for your return," Beyza said with an excited folding of her hands. "Walk with me, Warren," she insisted.

"It would be an honor, my goddess." Warren offered his arm and the two turned to the entrance. The man's eyes were practically glued to his wife.

Sarah couldn't help but giggle after the two left. "Something tells me those two are going to have a very… intimate and devoted reunion."

The Goblin King offered Sarah his arm similarly to how Warren did after finally letting go of her waist. "While personally I couldn't get to the royal suites fast enough to get you checked, I think seeing the circumstances we better walk."

Sarah let him lead her into the castle. "I'm not usually one to ask for this kind of stuff, but is there any chance I could get a sleeveless top and some shorts somewhere around here? I'm already sweating up a storm in this fur lined outfit."

The blonde chuckled. "You won't find shorts in my realm, but I'm positive there's a nice summer dress for you. We'll also arrange for a fitting so we can expand on your Underground wardrobe. Borrowed travel outfits, while practical, don't do you justice."

"So long as it's not skin tight like some people sport around these parts."

Jareth threw her an amused smile, not at all bothered by her remark. "Now, sweetling. Don't tell me you don't think that my personal fashion does me justice…" Sarah immediately felt her face heat up and she tucked her head. He leaned in a little closer. "Besides, I think you'd look positively stunning in something skintight."

Wide-eyed, she checked if anyone might have heard that, before turning to him with a frown. "Jareth! God, you're such a pervert."

In an almost sing-songy voice he leaned closer, his hand squeezing hers and a wide grin on his face. "And your eyes can be so cruel."

Her mind briefly flashed to their final confrontation years ago and a feeling of defensiveness bubbled up in her. She could almost taste the panic and adrenaline she'd been riding back then. "The only thing that's going to be cruel is my fist in your-"

"Your Majesty."

Both of them snapped out of their little bubble to look up ahead. Girvin descended the stairs with quick footwork until he met them at the bottom. He was slightly out of breath. "The healer awaits at the entrance of the royal wing. I have checked with the staff and all rooms are available. Of course this includes your own suite."

"Excellent. Contact the steward to appoint a maid to Sarah for today and tomorrow and have him send for the tailor."

"Yes, sire. What else can I do for you?"

"Meet me at the end of the afternoon in my personal study. The remaining unassigned hours are yours to spend at your leisure."

Girvin seemed somewhat surprised and confused at first, but quickly bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you. Please excuse me."

The soldier hurried off and Jareth turned back to Sarah. "So, as you were saying?"

"Oh, bugger off," Sarah huffed in annoyance.

Instead, she took a moment to observe her surroundings. This castle was vastly different from how she remembered the castle in the Labyrinth. It was intimidatingly large. The ceiling of the entry hall was at least three stories high and was richly decorated with paintings, heavy drapes, a long carpet running all the way up the stairs and finely woven leaves and flowers on the ceiling, complimenting the large chandelier at the center. The room smelled of lavender and oranges. At the entry doors were guards tucked to the sides and the walls had several large double doors.

Jareth tugged her up the stairs and her gaze shifted forwards. The stairs were huge, with balustrades a foot wide and steps perhaps even two feet deep. It seemed to stretch on forever. By the landing at the ends of the handrail were two statues of animals that didn't look familiar to Sarah. It had the build of a lion but the head of a bird. They walked in companionable silence while Sarah took in her surroundings, admiring the splendor of wealth.

It took nearly fifteen minutes and a few more stairs before they reached the royal wing. They were greeted by an older man as soon as they approached. The man descended in a low bow, a younger, shorter man standing behind him who bowed as well.

The elderly gentleman immediately struck Sarah as the mythical figure of Merlin, with heavy robes, a long beard, aged blue eyes and long gray hair. The man behind him had deep black, half long hair, dark blue eyes and an almost frighteningly pale complexion. His robes were the same deep green as those of the older man but short enough that she could see his dark trousers underneath. Clutched to his chest were some documents, rolls of parchment and folders. A quill was tucked behind his ear.

"Aemus, punctual as always," the king commented.

After the king spoke, the two men straightened themselves. "Your Majesty, I came as soon as I received your summons. Please meet my apprentice Cian. I humbly request he attends this consultation to assist my aging bones and to gain the valued experience of serving you."

"Cian, I trust you will handle this consultation with discretion."

The man nodded solemnly. "I vow it, Your Majesty. Any information gained in my work will remain between us and all paperwork will be sealed and protected to ensure confidentiality."

"Very good. Gentlemen, please meet lady Sarah." He looked down at her and Sarah smiled kindly, giving the two men a polite curtsy.

The men bowed deeply. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, fair lady Sarah," Aemus said in his somewhat croaky voice.

"Let's not dawdle. To the end of the hallway, if you please."