Chapter 4

A tear gliding down her cheek and her bottom lip trembling, she opened her eyes. Her choice had been made. "I accept with the stipulation we wait thirteen weeks before our marriage day." Being as he was in love with her, Sarah knew he would wish to marry her once he got her back to the Underground. She would be his wife, willing or unwilling. Setting a longer engagement time would give her the chance to accustom herself to the place she would live for the rest of her life.

This was her future and she would take hold of it and control it to the best of her ability.

"I understand. We will wait. I have waited three years. I think I can manage for another thirteen weeks." His words proved her suspicions and she held out her hand for the crystal. Without another word from the Goblin King, he dropped it into her open palm and in the blink of an eye, the pair of them were standing in a lavish room no doubt within his palace. A four poster bed was against one wall, a window above the headboard proving a pleasant view outside.

Beside it was a small table, empty and available for her to fill according to her desires. The wall opposite the bed were two doors leading to a balcony, both of them having gossamer curtains to protect the privacy of any occupants.

A set of chairs and a low table adorned the middle of the room while a chest of drawers were off to her left on the wall facing the bed. Color contrasts were definitely the theme of the room. The white and bright yellow patterns of the bedspread, offset with rosewood furniture and the blood red curtains. The carpet beneath her feet was forest green but spread through it were traces of sunshine yellow.

Without saying a word about the décor of the room, she walked over to the window and looked down upon the labyrinth she had defeated three years previous. At the sensation of a presence beside her, she turned to see Jareth, lazily sprawled across a chair.

Leaning against a wall, she said,

"Can't you sit correctly?" He laughed and said,

"Oh, I can, but I choose not to. It is quite comfortable and you should try it sometime. Now, I shall leave you to investigate your room. I also believe you have some friends who are most anxious to see you." He smirked one last time before vanishing in a puff of glitter. She stared at where he used to be. The gears in her mind turned quickly and three names appeared in her head.

Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus.

I'll see my friends again!

Sarah almost jumped for joy but then took care to remember that Jareth was quite a trickster and she couldn't ever trust anything he said. That damped her spirits a bit but she decided to hope for the best. He did say he loved her. Perhaps that would influence him to be pleasant to her.

Doing as Jareth suggested, she investigated her suite in which she found, behind demurely concealed doors, a sitting room and a very nice bathroom with running water in addition to her bedroom. After taking note of the running water, she made up her mind to thank Jareth later on for that. At least they weren't too far behind in technology. Though, she supposed thoughtfully, they were well ahead of humans as they possessed magic.

After examining the bathroom and sitting room to her hearts content, she walked back into her bedroom and found another door hiding a walk-in closet filled with luscious gowns of all the colors imaginable. Despite her dislike to dresses as a rule, Sarah found herself looking forward to wearing them. Though, she would speak with Jareth at some point about acquiring some jeans. No way would she be caught in the tights he wore.

After brushing her fingers on the soft material of the dresses, Sarah walked over to her bed and stretched out on it like a great cat. as her eyes closed and she sank into the soft mattress, she gasped softly, sitting up and holding her hand up before her eyes. The proper color had returned and her wrist was no longer a piece of bone clad in thin skin.

Bounding up, she ran into her bathroom and gazed at herself in the full-length mirror on one of the walls. Her heart thudded and then skipped a few beats as she beheld her new self. The sick pallor was gone and she again filled out her figure. Her skin seemed to glow and her eyes were brighter and greener than they had ever been. Her dark eyebrows turned upward and her hair was richer.

Everything about her was better than ever before.

Laying a hand over her heart, she reveled in the youth and vibrancy she felt echoing through her whole body. Even before the cancer, she had never felt like this. Glancing downward, she frowned at the hospital gown that still clad her figure, barely fitting anymore due to the restoration of her weight. Stripping it off and tossing it to the floor, she returned to her room and took one of the gowns off its hanger, slipping the satin over her body and smiling as it fit every curse to perfection.

"I'm free." She whispered to herself before hurrying to the sitting room to await her friends' arrival. Not long was she lost with her thoughts before there was a knock on the door. Hands shaking, she rose to her feet, smoothed out her dress and opened the door, a wonderful sight greeting her eyes.

"Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo!"