Chapter Five

Friday arrived more quickly than anyone could have believed. Time had flown by. Sarah was working in the kitchen of the penthouse, preparing that evening's dessert. The rest of the meal was being cooked by the Elvish chef from the Goblin castle. Sarah puffed a breath of air at the slight tendril that had fallen over her face as she placed the glazed peaches into the ceramic baking dish and spooned the batter over the glistening fruit. She grinned, knowing how much Jareth loved her cobbler. She needed to distract herself from the knowledge that Aislinn would be reunited with her only love on this night. It did not serve any purpose to obsess over it. Oh, how she hoped everything would work out. But she had been sworn to secrecy and she was determined to keep it a secret.

Jareth had recently changed all his personal staff to males. Sarah wasn't so foolish as to not realize this was because of her pregnancy hormone problem. She wished that Jareth hadn't replaced Lazziar. She was a superb chef and had become fast friends with Sarah, a fact they both tried to keep from Jareth. But that was foolishness because Jareth knew everything that happened in the castle. So, much to her displeasure, Sarah had to deal with Ryul. He worked efficiently and silently: he was an excellent chef but very quiet. All attempts to speak to him were greeted with single syllable answers.

"Ryul, has the king told you not to speak to me?" She watched as his back jerked rigidly and he groaned.

"No, my Queen." He shifted in place and hung his head. "I, um, I am shy."

Sarah chuckled. Shy, was it? That didn't seem likely. In all her time in the Underground she had not met a single shy elf or Fae. "Ryul, look at me, please."

Ryul swallowed hard and turned around to gaze upon the beautiful young queen. He looked down quickly, feeling a rush of blood to his cheeks and his groin. "My queen?" Maybe she wouldn't see his discomfort or his reaction to her loveliness?

Sarah gasped, feeling his embarrassment intensely. She groaned and felt her knees buckle and she was dizzy. She swayed and the concerned chef grabbed her before she hit the floor in a faint. And that's how the Goblin King found them: Sarah unconscious and Ryul holding her tenderly in his arms. Jareth felt a strong possessiveness overpower his rational mind, jealousy clouding his judgment. "What in the seven circles of hell is going on here, Ryul?" He swiftly took Sarah's limp form out the elf's arms and glared at him as he noticed the raging erection the young chef was attempting to conceal. "Leave this kitchen and do not return until you have composed yourself. We will speak of this later."

Jareth moved swiftly to their bedroom and laid Sarah gently on their bed. She was pale but breathing deeply. He relaxed as he summoned Murtagh with a crystal. Faster than you can say Dance Magic Dance, the healer appeared.

"Oh, majesty, what has happened to the queen?" Jareth shrugged and Murtagh performed a cursory exam, sighing in relief. "She is well, Sire. Just a momentary fainting spell. The baby is fine." He grinned at his king, motioning to the swell of Sarah's belly. "If you lay your hand on her, the child is currently moving."

Jareth placed his hand on Sarah's belly and smiled in complete awe. And at that moment, just as the baby kicked and reached out with its magic, Sarah opened her eyes and saw all.

"Jareth? Is something wrong?' And then she felt the tumbling sensation of her baby moving and put her hand next to Jareth's and felt the touch of magic, like a small static discharge. "Oh! That was our child, wasn't it?" She had felt the baby moving before but never had she felt it's magic touch her. She looked at Jareth, tears shining in her eyes. The look of pure wonder and joy in the eyes of her husband caused her heart to flutter in her chest. He looked happier than she'd ever seen him. "Why am I in bed?"

Murtagh jumped into the gap of silence. "My queen, you fainted. But all is well." He smiled reassuringly and removed himself back to the Goblin castle, not wishing to intrude on a private moment between the couple.

Jareth sat on the edge of the bed and took Sarah's hand in his. "Sarah, what happened in the kitchen with Ryul?"

She looked at him, her expression confused. "Ryul was refusing to speak to me so I confronted him, asking why he was being so short and almost rude. I told him to look me in the eyes and then I saw it: raw, unshielded desire. Jareth, Ryul wants me. I fear he may have fallen in love with me."

Jareth felt the possessiveness reassert itself. "He wouldn't dare! You are my wife, my Queen! All in the Underground know this. He can not!" He leapt up off the bed and began to pace angrily.

"Jareth, please. Calm down, mo ri*. He can't control his feelings. These things happen. I do not return his feelings, so there is no need for you to be so enraged. I would never betray you and certainly not with a servant." She stood, stopping him in his tracks, circling his waist with her arms and reaching up to kiss him. He returned the kiss with a fierceness that thrilled Sarah down to her toes. He swept her up into his arms and placed her on the bed, magicked their clothing away and thrust his rigid member into her sex, groaning in pure pleasure. It was a swift coupling, over far more quickly than was usual for them but this was an establishment of territory not lovemaking. The Fae were known to be possessive if they loved their mate. And Jareth and Sarah loved each other most deeply.

"I am sorry, mo chroi**, I trust you. I needed to remove his scent off of you. I didn't like you carrying it upon your person." He grinned and kissed her again, most passionately. "I will speak to him, male to male, and I will be tactful and careful of his feelings. I know how difficult it is to love you and not be able to claim you." He winked at her. "He will be made to understand." He stood again, straightening his clothing and smiled at her as she rose up off the bed and righted her clothing as well.

"I have a peach cobbler to finish." She smiled as she saw his grin at the mention of her cobbler. "And stay out of the kitchen and away from the peaches, my love." She laughed as she moved swiftly past him and went back to the kitchen.

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Jareth stood in his office and stared at the young elf, Ryul. He was no longer angry at the servant but he could not allow this infatuation to go on unchallenged. He paced up and down in front of the now trembling male, the need to intimidate overwhelming.

"Ryul. Explain yourself."

Ryul flinched as if he'd been struck. Could the king really expect him to explain his feelings for the new queen? Surely not. He raised his eyes to look upon the irate king and realized that he was indeed expected to tell him his feelings as well as explain why he'd been holding the queen in his arms.

"Sire, I beg your pardon." He bowed low, trying to appease the livid monarch. "I, um, I find the queen most lovely and admire her greatly." He needed to not enrage the king further but he could not tell him he was in love with the new queen. It simply wasn't done.

Jareth scoffed. "Hmm. I do not think you are being truthful. The queen has told me that when her eyes met yours, she saw unshielded desire reflected there. You are not saying that my wife is lying, are you?"

"Majesty! No!" He yelled and immediately grew very quiet. "She speaks true; I desire the queen. I am ashamed. It is wrong. I know I should be punished."

Jareth crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the elf. "I think not. I know that my wife is a desirable woman and that others are not immune to her charms. But you were holding her in your arms and your, um, body was reacting most strenuously to the close contact with her person. Care to explain that?"

Ryul dropped his gaze to the floor yet again. "I believe that when her Highness saw my desire for her, it shocked her so deeply that she grew faint. I moved to catch her and keep her from falling to the kitchen floor. I have no excuse for my inappropriate reaction to holding her in close proximity to myself. It was wrong and I am deeply ashamed. I beg your forgiveness, majesty." He fell to his knees and clasped his hands together, subjugating himself before his king.

Jareth, seeing that the elf was filled with remorse, took pity on him. "Rise, Ryul. You are forgiven. Keep your feelings better concealed in the future. Return to the kitchen and finish preparing the meal. Dismissed." And he waved a hand to give the servant leave to remove himself.

Jareth didn't like it, but since he trusted Sarah and could not control the feelings of others, even the servants, he knew he had to let it be. And yet, it vexed him. Sarah was his wife and the staff and all of the Underground had better keep their distance from his beloved. He shook his head, disliking the feeling of being out of control.

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Niall stood outside the Beatrice, wondering if he was prepared to see Aislinn. He had left the Underground never to return. He believed, at that time, he'd never see her again and yet, here he was. What would happen? He strolled into the lobby and headed for the security desk.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?"

Niall looked at the guard, a pleasant expression on his face. "I'm here by invitation to see Mr. Cormac."

"Your name, Sir?"

"Neal Greenly. I am expected." He smiled.

The guard nodded, picked up a phone and spoke softly. "Yes sir. A Neal Greenly to see you? Yes sir, I'll send him straight up." He replaced the phone into its cradle. "Take the elevator to the penthouse. You're expected." The guard motioned towards the elevator.

Niall walked towards the elevator, pressed the call button and waited. He had taken care to dress business casual but planned to change to his Underground robes once he was in the elevator. He hadn't had occasion to wear his mage's robes in many centuries. It felt comforting and exhilarating. His powers felt renewed and strengthened. Dressed in his golden tunic, dark brown leggings and beige cloak, he felt like he had never left the Crystal Mountain realm.

The elevator doors opened and Niall stood before the door to the penthouse of Jace Cormac aka the Goblin King, Jareth. He pushed the button for the buzzer and waited as he heard movement and hushed voices behind the door. Presently, the door opened and a beautiful Fae female stood there, smiling. She was dressed in a sapphire silk gown, her hair styled in a bun on top of her head, rich brown curled tendrils framing her lovely face. "Welcome. I am Sarah. You must be Niall. I have heard so much about you from my husband that I feel I know you already." She motioned for him to enter the dwelling. "Please, come in, come in." She nodded as Niall strode into the entryway. Let me take your cloak." She continued to smile and gently removed his cloak before he could offer it up. Was this Lorcan's wife or Jareth's? He could not tell, but either way, the Fae married to this gorgeous female was to be envied. He had seldom seen a more charming and beautiful woman in either realm.

"Thank you, my lovely lady. I am at a disadvantage as I know nothing of you beyond your name and your stunning beauty." He bowed deeply, not just out of respect but because of her grace and loveliness.

Sarah laughed and the sound enveloped him in its rich timber, almost musical in its tones. "My, but you are I thought Jareth was gifted with his flattery." She turned and called out, "Jareth, come and play host to our guest."

Ah, Niall thought. This is the Goblin king's bride. Would that the rest of the evening proved to be as equally delightful as this revelation. She was an unexpected delight. As he followed her into the living room, Niall spotted the Goblin King, looking very regal in his dark blue, bejeweled coat, dove grey silk shirt and black leggings and boots. "Good evening, Niall. Welcome to my Aboveground home." Niall sat on the couch to which Jareth had motioned.

Niall nodded. "Thank you, your Grace. I am honored. But, where is Aislinn?"

Jareth chuckled. "I admire your directness. We are waiting for my brother Lorcan and his wife to arrive. My mother will be arriving last. She is on an errand on behalf of my business and will not be here for another hour or so. I would like everyone to have a chance to become acquainted before she arrives. I am sure she will want to spend some time alone with you before we sit to dinner."

"Thank you, yes, that would be something I would wish for as well."

Sarah returned from the kitchen, followed by an elf servant carrying a tray with glasses of wine and a glass of ginger ale. "Alright, lets have some drinks and get to know each other. I expect Lorcan and Orlagh will be here shortly."

"Yes, Precious, an excellent idea. You are as wise as you are beautiful ." Jareth took Sarah's hand and pulled her down to sit beside him on the loveseat.

After a time, the threesome were laughing and bonding over drinks and hor d'oeuvres when the Prince Regent and his bride arrived. "Good evening, Jareth, Sarah and you as well, Niall." Lorcan stood in the living room, Orlagh holding onto his arm. He was dressed head to toe in black and she in silver. They looked like night and day. Orlagh dipped slightly in a curtsy, since the Goblin King and Queen technically outranked them, even though she and her husband were responsible for the daily operations of the whole of the Underground.

Jareth stood and walked over, embracing his sister-in-law in a brief hug and smiling at his brother as he grabbed Sarah and disappeared from the room without a word. Niall watched the entire exchanged and began to laugh.

"Might I venture an observation, Highness? I believe that Queen Sarah is with child." He laughed harder at the shocked looks on their faces.

"How could you possibly…" Orlagh exclaimed.

Before he could explain, Lorcan volunteered. "He is a healer, my princess. He clearly drew that conclusion from Jareth and Sarah's actions." He turned back to Niall as the pair took their seats. "You have assessed the situation correctly: my sister-in-law is in fact expecting. I know that Jareth is trying to cope with the present complication as best he can. I know they will return as soon as they are able." This caused Niall to raise his eyebrows and grin wickedly while Orlagh turned several different shades of red. She was still so innocent regarding the casual references to sex.

The Fae still in the living room, toasted each other and carried on the conversation, waiting patiently for the monarchs to return. Twenty minutes later, the couple appeared from the hallway leading from the bedrooms, looking a bit flushed and slightly flustered. Three sets of eyes rested upon them and Jareth cleared his throat as Sarah stared at her toes, feeling supremely embarrassed. Niall chuckled.

"I congratulate you, your Grace, on the impending arrival of the heir to your throne." He gazed with sympathy at Sarah and hoped to impart a small measure of comfort on the blushing queen.

Jareth raised his eyebrows at Niall and then nodded. He understood that the healer had deduced that Sarah was pregnant. He grinned. "We thank you, Niall. We are most pleased as we have truly been blessed." Just as Jareth led Sarah back to the loveseat, all in attendance heard the front door open and close. Jareth had advised his mother to change into court appropriate attire before coming in to the penthouse. She has opted to wear a burgundy velvet gown trimmed in golden lace, with a daring décolletage. Her blond hair she had opted to keep unbound, in soft waves. She entered the living room as she spoke, "Jareth, is Lorcan here for dinner? I was hoping to see him…" She stopped speaking abruptly. A loud gasp escaped her as she stared at the only man she had ever loved.

"Niall." She clutched her hand to her throat and stepped back.

"Aislinn, you look as beautiful as the last time I saw you." Niall took one step forward as he watched Aislinn shake her head in disbelief. At this, he stepped back again, not wishing to add to her obvious distress. He spoke softly. "I did not think I would ever see you again." He dropped his eyes to the floor and shifted in discomfort.

Jareth stood, offering his mother his arm and guided her to the armchair closest to Sarah. Sarah handed her a glass of wine. "Mother, please, be seated and take a drink. You have all evening to adjust to this new development."

All Aislinn could do was nod. She hadn't taken her eyes off Niall the entire time.

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*mo ri = my king

**mo chroi = my heart