CHAPTER 17

Sarah blushed and thought he was a kind elven man. She said seriously, "He wanted me to let him court me to keep his father from scheming on both of us and keep other royal fae from sexually harassing me. He wants more in this relationship but I have had several issues with him from the moment I was brought back here after thirteen years. Many cruel things occurred and I have not gotten over them yet because it was less than six months ago. I was just a lowly human or so I thought and so did everyone else. Nobody knew I would change."

He said, concerned, holding her closer as they danced, "How did you avoid getting claimed by him, Sarah? He didn't rape you did he? They usually use that immediately to control humans. Us elves don't do such violent things to people, I guess because we actually like humans. Well, the nicer humans. We did not agree to go invade the Aboveground thousands of years ago either. We had already migrated all our kind here from there and were content."

Sarah said smiling, "That's nice to know. I fought him every step of the way, though he was hard headed about it, was forcing the issue with threats and molested me once. I eventually got the labyrinth involved and we both found out it wouldn't have worked if he tried anyway because my fealty is already taken by the Labyrinth itself and no fae could claim me. It also informed us I was going to change anyway because of a fairy bite I received thirteen years ago before I went into the Labyrinth from a queen. It was just a matter of time until the magic built up when I returned."

He sighed and kissed her cheek saying, "Thank the gods, you're safe from all those things that happened before. You had all of your choices ripped away and your life above. I wish you would have made it to Nádúr. I would have loved to have met you sooner and be, if I was lucky, courting you now instead." Jareth was about to have a jealous meltdown if Aidwin didn't stop touching and kissing his woman. He didn't expect to compete with a damn elf for Sarah. He thought he had eliminated the competition by blocking the fae.

Sarah said smiling, "It's been really nice dancing with you, your Majesty."

Aidwin said softly, "I want you to call me, Aidwin. I believe we are friends now." She smiled and blushed.

Sarah said looking in his eyes, "I would say so too. Perhaps, next time you can tell me about yourself and the elven people." He smiled at her, caressing her face again gently.

Aidwin said, "I would love too. Maybe you will let me steal some more of your dance time?" She nodded and smiled. Another fae man came up to dance with her. She waved goodbye to Aidwin. He walked away smiling.

Aidwin's assistant came up to him and asked curiously, "You are completely smitten by that beautiful fae dark haired woman. I have never seen a dark haired fae unless a Unseelie dyed their hair. She has elven magic coming off of her and more."

Aidwin said seriously, "She is an incredibly beautiful and fascinating woman. She is extremely powerful and intelligent. Of course I am smitten. Who wouldn't be? Jareth is formally courting her though it is not intimate. He really screwed up when he brought her here trying to dominate a woman whether human or fae. She is the same person and doesn't have an arrogant bone in her body like a fae. She is more human and elf-like than a fae. My body and mind screams to touch her."

His assistant said, "Your Majesty, be careful. We don't need to go to war with the Goblin King for a woman no matter how perfect."

Aidwin said forlorn, "I know. I know. I just wish she would have made it to Nádúr and wasn't one day away to be called back to the Labyrinth. Fate is a hard thing to face being dealt a lost opportunity. I could definitely be content with such beauty and intelligence for a companion and wife. We would make powerful beautiful children together."

The assistant said, "Maybe one day you can have one of her beautiful daughters."

Aidwin said, sighing, "It's not the same." The assistant nodded.

—--

Sarah danced and danced with a long string of lords, princes and kings. They were all cordial and flirting but didn't cause a problem. Many were disappointed she was courting Jareth. The gossip must have spread like wildfire through the ball is what she figured.

It had been a few hours into the ball. Sarah was having a food break together with Jareth. Sarah said, "I bet you love this court game playing stuff don't you? You like planting seeds in their minds and letting it all grow in gossipy directions out of control." Jareth laughed out loud heartily at her teasing him.

Jareth said, shaking his head grinning, "How do you know that I do that, you silly woman? Though that really is so very entertaining to do when I'm bored with the false platitudes and banality, I must say. You would be amazed how gullible they are when a juicy piece of fake gossip comes into my head falling out of my mouth. It's like fishing in a full pond of hungry fish."

Sarah said giggling, "I like fishing. Not your kind of fishing for hungry gossip trout, but the real fishing. I make a very good breaded trout with garlic oil and herbs. I enjoyed camping here in the elven kingdom. It has such plentiful rabbits and fish to catch. The cooking outside off of the land makes the cooking taste better." He smiled as they picked bits of this and that from the buffet laid out.

Jareth said seriously looking in her eyes, "I'd love for you to cook for me sometime camping. The only opportunity I get to camp is during a battle or traveling great distances. I bet your cooking tastes better than this fancy food."

Sarah said subtly smiling, "I like cooking my rabbit breasts and legs in wild garlic, honey and rosemary. The leftovers were great for lunch or for breakfast with tea and honey. I forage for anything available in the season like wild carrots, oyster mushrooms, pine nuts, burdock roots, chickweed if it visible in the snow. I bet it is very rich and abundant in the woods here in the spring and summer."

Jareth said smiling, "I bet you can make it all smell fragrant too in the spring and summer. You make me long to test your outdoor cooking when the weather completely breaks. We should run away for a week just us, tents with horses and of course your cat." They sat down at a table and started eating and drinking wine.

Sarah said seriously sipping her wine, "Sounds like a relaxing time I would like. I don't use a lot of magic only for a safety perimeter or self defense. I do everything else manually like a human. It makes the effort worth the reward. By the way, I have quite a collection of gold and silver, I have found. I need a smelter. Do you have them in the Goblin City?" Jareth looked at her funny.

Jareth took a bite of food and asked, "Why is that?"

Sarah said seriously, "I have, let me see…. 59 bags of gold nuggets, 52 bags of silver nuggets, 35 bags of gold ore, 22 bags of silver ore, 17 bags of gold dust, 9 bags of silver dust, and 1 big burlap sack of gold/silver mini bars. I need to have it all processed. Afterwards, I need to have 76 bags of mixed jewelry sorted and sold, but that's not even including the 55 bags and a chest of cut gemstones I have." Jareth had his mouth open staring at her in shock.

He asked in awe of her, "Sarah, where did you accumulate all of this and transport it?"

Sarah said casually while taking a drink, "In an infinite space item and magic, of course. I have even more than I said because I found another infinite space item and it's full of gemstones, gold and silver too. I just haven't taken the time yet to sort and bag it all up in waxed canvas bags from both items. I have much more but last I checked I was up to 68,000 in gold alone."

Jareth looked at her and asked, "How did you learn about all of that in the weeks you were gone?"

She said shrugging and taking a bite, "I just figured it out on my own. In the Aboveground we have a fantasy game called D D. It's a game of fantasy in your mind and a collection of different sided dice they have. There's an item in it that is for the same kind of purpose used in your game adventure called a "bag of holding". Truthfully, I just stuck my finger inside of it and dumped it over with items coming out."

He smiled at her and said, "You're so very different from anyone else. You're completely fae with a human spirit. I love that you're not selfish or arrogant like we tend to be in royal fae society. I must admit being a royal fae, it's a hard habit to break being raised in royal circles that way for not years but centuries, Sarah. You must bear that in mind when you deal with me. I truly do not want to offend or insult you anymore. It's ingrained in the royal fae personality."

Sarah said truthfully, "Oh I know it's not in all fae because I met and was quite fond of a few fae that I met in the elven kingdom. They were quite kind and good to me. There were some indifferent prejudiced individuals but people are people above all things. Kindness is a choice. My one friend Liam was a very kind man who always went out of his way to make sure I was taken care of at his inn. He kept my secret that I was a female traveling. When I left I made him a wealthy man by finding hidden items in his inn. I wished for him to find a beautiful woman, have a family and prosperous life. He was a deserving person in his mannerisms and kindness."

Jareth was surprised that she gave a wish away to a fae man, that was kind to her. He never thought anyone deserved such a gift, but Sarah was a generous woman and different from others. It kind of made him feel a bit bad to be so jaded, but he knew what royals were capable of. Only he and Sarah had the wish magic exclusively. He wanted her so badly as his own because the royals were almost all the same types of people and he was tired of the pretense.

Jareth said looking in her eyes, "It's nice to know your opinion of the fae is not a stereotype and you haven't hated us all because of my mistakes." Sarah was surprised that he admitted he made mistakes when dealing with her in the Underground.

She asked curiously but being careful, "Have you enamored a lot of humans in your kingdom?" He knew what she was asking without directly saying it out loud.

Jareth leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I am probably the only royal fae that hasn't done that to a human in over a couple centuries. I never had a problem being able to find a lover or people to employ. Most of the fae in my kingdom don't do it often, but the royals do, like my cousin but he has only three humans like that on his staff in his home. I have so many humans living in my kingdom, more than any others procreating freely. It would be exhausting to have done that to them all wouldn't you think? I'm sorry, Sarah, but you were the only one I wanted badly enough to choose to do that in my desperation to have you under my control and predisposed towards me. I was…. not in control of myself when it came to you."

He looked away into the crowd. He exhaled and looked back at her. Sarah was relieved that he didn't do that all willy-nilly on every human. It kind of felt like he might be embarrassed admitting that to her.

Sarah said softly, "Thank you for clarifying that. Don't be uncomfortable telling me that. I asked and appreciated that you were honest with me." He smiled subtly.

After they got done eating they went out on the dance floor and danced together. The High King stepped into dance with her. She was on guard for his biting tongue.

High King Jaron said snippy, "I see you are charming the Elven King Aidwin. You should leave my son alone and go with Aidwin."

Sarah said stoically, "Excuse me , High King Jaron, but what business is it of yours to be telling me who to be with? If I do or do not wish to be with someone it is my prerogative not yours. Jareth is a grown fae and has a mind of his own. Why can't you let him live his own life?" Jaron growled.

The High King said, "You have been warned human woman, but I see in order to truly get rid of you, it will be that I will have to handle it delicately without crossing Seelie laws."

Sarah's eyes flared and the green glow irritated a flash of brightness drawing the High King's attention to her. She said slowly without making a scene, "If you dare do anything to me, be sure I'm completely dead because your life will be forfeited anyway by me or the Labyrinth. You have been told before your magic, position and your life will be at stake already."

The High King Jaron was staring at her in shock that she had the audacity to say that to him. He said cautiously, "Are you threatening me changeling?"

Sarah smiled a fake smile and said, "Of course not, but you are threatening me. I was just being clear, is all and repeating what you were told by the Labyrinth before." The dance ended and the High King marched off completely pissed off and angry to go see if he could get Jared to help get her away from Jareth.

After dancing for a while a fae man approached to dance and he looked exactly like Jareth but hale had black tipped hair like the Unseelie fae in the Labyrinth she saw the other day. He was handsome and attractive in a smooth mysterious way. Sarah was completely on guard. Sarah thought, 'He must be Jared the Gremlin King. He looks just like him except the eyes and his black tipped hair. I would think it made sense that the High King would invite his other son, Unseelie or not.'