CHAPTER 13

Sarah went on and found a stairwell deeper down under the castle. She was getting wary of the creepy feeling coming from this stairwell; the darkness, draftiness and cobwebs alone were enough. She realized she didn't have a weapon on her and Lyra and herself would have to rely on her magic only. Lyra started growling. Sarah shushed her. She went around the curve of the stairwell creeping and peeked around the corner and saw a man with a horse's tail stirring something in a pot and a pool of water on the half floor sloshing waves with a black horse breaking the surface of the water walking out to turn into a man with horse ears. They started talking in an Irish accent, one said, "Be the human soup ready? I be gettin' hungry." They were Pookas Sarah figured.

The other said, "Yes, just be givin' it a final stir." Sarah cringed and started backing away and went back up the stairs. Sarah decided to avoid the lower parts of the castle without Jareth.

Sarah was back above in the castle and was wandering around still. She heard voices talking. She got closer and listened. Sarah was outside of a sitting room or something.

The voice said authoritatively, "It doesn't matter what you want. You will do as you are told. I want you to kill him." She had to hide to listen to this. She went behind a tapestry and found a small corridor running along the walls of the sitting room. Sarah listened.

The other voice said, "Yes, master. I must wait for the next event he has here in the castle which should be soon because he has a new lady of interest and had dinner with her yesterday. He moved her into the castle today. She is a very pretty thing, fae but with dark hair and green glowing eyes. The darndest thing is she has royal Lugh markings."

The other voice said, "Lugh, they were dark haired and extinct three thousand years ago as far as anyone knows. They were said to have remained in the Aboveground. How could one survive?"

The other voice said, "I do not know Master Mernon. I just have the king's ear as advisor and listen to his conversations. He said she was bitten by a fairy queen. She had venom in her is all I overheard and that she is the Labyrinth's champion. She was human when she arrived to be claimed by the king, but transformed and suddenly left. I am confused now at why she is back."

The guy, Mernon said, speaking out and thinking, "I'll have to research it, because if you are to kill him for our patron, I do not need another interfering with my kings plans. The Lugh were known for their sword expertise. She could be a danger but let's hope she may be ignorant. Go before anyone is the wiser." They both left the room. Sarah wondered what she just stepped into. Perhaps, a deeper pile of crap than she knew. Talking about killing Jareth, conspiracy, another is a patron to these two who's a king. It sounded like Jareth's advisor and this Mernon, possibly referring to his brother Jared, who's a king. She would keep it to herself for right this minute. Sarah left out and tried to find her way back to the bedroom before lunch.

When she finally got to the room Sarah took Lyra to a magical patch of grass by the balcony door. She had it for her to do her business on. Lyra pooped and peed, then it all vanished. Sarah gave Lyra a bowl of her chopped meat and milk slurry while she petted her until she finished.

There was a knock on the door. Sarah got up and opened the door. She wanted to tell Jareth but couldn't risk it in the castle with that advisor of his sneaking around listening to everything. She'd have to wait for a moment away from the castle.

Jareth said cordially, "How was your afternoon, Sarah?" Sarah picked up both bowls and waved her hand over it to clean them. She put them away into Lyra's food bag.

Sarah said, "I found the employee's kitchen and met Maggie. She gave me a little basket of her baking samples. It was really thoughtful of her. I got lost and almost ran into a couple Pookas under the castle but they had already cooked up a human in their pot to eat, so I left quickly. I need to talk to you somewhere." She whispered, "Away from the castle."

Jareth asked curiously, "Can you say what it's about?" Sarah looked around and shook her head no. He understood that she didn't want anyone to know, he nodded understanding. He was very curious about what she needed to tell him.

Jareth asked smiling, "Will you come to eat the midday meal with me?"

Sarah answered, "Yes, let me get Lyra." She went to pick up Lyra, who was playing with a little leather ball that Sarah got her. She was scampering around and tumbling on the rug doing rabbit kicks. Sarah giggled at her antics and scooped her up kissing her pretty little face as the kit put both paws on each side of her face.

Sarah said, "Sorry to stop the happy chase, my little love, but it's my turn to eat. I'll bring your ball with us." She bent over and picked up the ball. The kit started swiping at it. Sarah walked to the door and held the kit so she could lick and chew on the ball in her hand. Jareth was smiling watching her nurture the little cathaur.

They walked to the same dining room as before and sat down with Jareth pushing in her chair. As soon as the food was served, Lyra got her bite of Sarah's food. She put her on the ground and rolled her ball and the chase was on. The little cathaur was rough and tumbling and having a great time.

Sarah said while eating, "I think we need to go for a long walk outside somewhere." She cut her eyes and looked at Jareth.

Jareth said, "Of course, Sarah." He knew she was serious about something. Being it was after her walk around the castle, she must have overheard something. Hopefully it is nothing but a misunderstanding, he thought.

—--

After lunch they bundled up using magic and Lyra was in her fur pouch sleeping from running around. Jareth had led her out into the crytal rose garden she was in when his cousin tried to capture her all those months ago.

Jareth said with his voice low, "Sarah, what have you to say so serious?"

Sarah said quietly, "I was walking the castle and heard two men talking in a room. I slipped behind a tapestry and found a hidden walkway in the wall. These two men were talking. The one named Master Mernon said, 'It doesn't matter what you want. You will do as you are told. I want you to kill him.' The other one was your advisor Darneth and he said, 'Yes, master. I must wait for the next event he has here in the castle which should be soon because he has a new lady of interest and had dinner with her yesterday. He moved her into the castle today. She is a very pretty thing, fae but with dark hair and green glowing eyes. The darndest thing is she has royal Lugh markings.' Mernon said, 'Lugh, they were dark haired and extinct three thousand years ago as far as anyone knows. They were said to have remained in the Aboveground. How could one survive?' Darneth said, 'I do not know Master Mernon. I just have the king's ear as advisor and listen to his conversations. He said she was bitten by a fairy queen. She had venom in her is all I overheard and that she is the Labyrinth's champion. She was human when she arrived to be claimed by the king, but transformed and suddenly left. I am confused now as to why she is back.' Mernon said, 'I'll have to research it, because if you are to kill him for our patron, I do not need another interfering with my king's plans. The Lugh were known for their sword expertise. She could be a danger but let's hope she may be ignorant. Go before anyone is the wiser.' They left the room. I waited a reasonable amount of time there, before I came back to my room." She was surprised that she could remember it so clearly verbatim.

Jareth was stunned. He said, "Mernon is my brother's advisor."

Sarah said whispering, "Jareth, they are conspiring to murder you. Possibly me too now."

Jareth said, patting her arm to calm her, "Don't say anything about it unless we are outside together. I am going to look into some things. I want us to get the courting papers signed tomorrow and I will take them with you personally to deliver them to the Royal Register Willem in the capital, Murias. It's the capital of the Highland Kingdom and the Underground. I don't want Darneth to delay filing or drag his feet on it, so I'll handle it myself and he can't do a thing about it."

Sarah said concerned, "Ok, be careful."

He said softly, "I will. Let's go back." He walked them back to the castle and to Sarah's room.

Jareth said smiling at her, "Thank you, precious." He kissed her cheek and left down the corridor. That night Sarah ate her dinner alone with Lyra in her room in front of the fireplace.

—--

The next morning, Sarah woke up with gentle little tongue licks on her eyelid. She opened her eyes smiling at pretty Lyra. Her little foxy ears were sticking straight up and cocked her head looking at her mother in the eyes. Lyra started purring loudly.

Sarah said, "How is my pretty little girl?" Lyra rubbed her face on her mother's face butting her with her forehead and tiny horns. She flipped over on her back laying next to Sarah looking up at her with such adoration. Sarah rubbed light circles around her belly where the cord used to be. It made Lyra curl her head into her mother's neck nuzzling and make biscuits on her chin. Sarah just adored the kit and her sweet little ways of waking her up and playing.

When Sarah got up, she went to the bathroom and after took a bath. She did magic to dry her hair and get dressed. She styled her hair down curled and the sides pulled back into braids caught by an emerald fancy barrette in some of the jewelry she had. She had on a dark hunter's green dress with a built-in corset and black heeled boots. She had on heavy leggings and pantaloons to keep warm with a petticoat. She wore smokey eyes and light makeup and her emerald magical set of jewelry. This particular set was protection against magic. Each of the eleven magical sets of antique jewelry did something different.

After Jareth escorted her to breakfast he took Sarah to his study and summoned his advisor Darneth. When Darneth arrived, Sarah noticed he was slight in stature, not much taller than herself. He wore a dark blue waistcoat with a white ruffled shirt and cravat, knicker short pants also in dark blue. He had on white stockings and black buckle shoes. His eyes were gray, and his hair was dark blonde and long, it was tied into a ponytail straight back with a black ribbon. He looked like he came straight out of the Georgian and Victorian eras.

"Darneth," said Jareth, "I want formal papers drawn up today for formal courtship proceedings."

Darneth looked shocked, and said, "You have never done this before, your majesty. Are you sure you don't wish to think it over? You don't even know this woman."

Sarah was beginning to become offended because he was talking like she wasn't in the room.

Jareth said, miffed, "Of course I know her."

Darneth snootily said, "But she has dark hair and no real title."

Jareth said, "Darneth, this is Lady Sarah, the Labyrinth Champion. That is an earned and real title the Labyrinth itself bestowed on a rare and unique person. It is registered in the he capital after her run thirteen years ago."

Darneth said in shock, "I thought she was human? I thought you were simply going to enamor her and claim her?"

Jareth said firmly, "She was bitten by a fairy queen thirteen years ago and the venom of the queen helped change her. The Labyrinth is her guardian with me."

Darneth said. "Your majesty, what will people think? What will your father think of her not being a natural born fae?"

Jareth said, getting angry, "I don't care. Do the paperwork and let me know immediately when it's completed today."

Sarah was sick of being ignored. She looked the man straight in the eyes, "Yes, let both of us know."