“I’m not staying!” Agnes shouted and ran from the palace gate as fast as she could, limping. She almost knocked the first princess over. “Aaaaah!” “Aaaaah! No! They’re here!” “You frightened us to death. Who are you and how comes there’s no welcoming ceremony?” Clare was the first one able to speak, while Angelica still touched her poor heart. “What? A ceremony – but you were supposed to come at noon! It’s ten o’clock!” Agnes stated, not caring, if they were offended or no. “It doesn’t matter now. The king is expecting us today, so you should better get on with it!” Clare stated, growing angry; the rest of them started to redden as well. Not waiting for them! Such an offense! They expected at least three processions, music, comedians, God only knows what else. Instead, the entire kingdom is empty, not a foot to be seen anywhere, let alone a king’s foot, which they want to see the most.  Agnes read this in their faces. “This is... eeeer... exactly part of king’s ceremony.” Princesses looked at each other. “Nobody is supposed to see you at first, only.... eeeer... a few servants, so.... so the secrecy is assured and... a surprise till the last moment,” she was lying and hoping they would buy it. “So this is...” Rebeca started unbelievingly, but before she could continue, Bella interrupted. “So this is his Majesty’s order. We have already heard about his uniqueness and we are honored to be his guests.” Agnes looked at the girl, admiring her. She was definitely the most interesting one. She could lie fluently in the best moments. She can be a great queen, Agnes thought. “And what about now... I mean to say, what is his Majesty’s program?” Rebeca asked and she was obviously disappointed and unsatisfied. “Now I’ll take you to your rooms,” Agnes answered quickly, happy that she COULD offer them their rooms at least. “And the king? Where are we going to see the king?” Angelica turned to the rest of them, looking for their help. “The king will see you. Soon. Now please follow me into your rooms, where you can rest and wait for his Majesty’s visit,” Agnes picked up an accent similar to the one the princesses used and, falling into her role as hostess, led them through the gate into the castle. “OK. So... strange slippery thing, stake with bristles, cup... I can get the cup,” Jareth made comments about all the things he saw Sarah using. There were too many things he didn’t know at all and he had no idea, what were they good for. Human bathrooms were completely foreign to him.  It’s not that they didn’t bath in the Underground, yes, but – differently. Water was enough, bathing oils, herbs, washing towels. But putting a bristled stake into his mouth, he never dreamed of it! Jareth shifted a little bit forward, balancing – he was too heavy for the small branch - swinging all the while. A few centimeters more and he would risk falling down. He had to change his position to see and this tree had no really good branches, but it was the only chance to see her. Sarah turned her back to him and after filling the bathtub with water (large tinplate dish), she unbuttoned her dress and moved it down slowly. She was just ready to enter the steaming water, when she heard a sharp noise. She instinctively raised her hands to her chest, when she saw something falling and hitting the ground.  Sarah quickly switched off the light and looked out of the window, where he lay, but he was fast enough to hide in the bushes. She didn’t see him. “Aaaaargh!” Hoggle screamed, when he saw himself in the mirror. His friends were busy trying to restrain him to keep him from tearing away his new image. “Well, it could have been worse,” Sir Didymus nodded and used his handkerchief to dry his forehead. The rest were watching the dwarf in blond backcombed wig, violet vest with high neck, tights and high-heel boots with a mad gleam in their eyes.  “I’m NOT staying in this!” Hoggle screamed and finally succeeded in escaping. He ran away to the corner of the room and hid himself behind the chairs. “Thou canst surrender now. It will only be for a short while,” Didymus soothed him, slowly coming closer. “Forsooth, thou might not even have to wear it. Thou… thou art merely our guarantee, in case Jareth doesn’t come back and there are complications.” “NO!” “But it suits you... doesn’t it?” he gave Ludo a poke in the ribs, so Ludo and all Fireys started to nod frantically. “You wear it!” Hoggle told Sir Didymus. “But I can’t! The king doesn’t have a beard and he doesn’t have orange hairs either. Thou art the only one who can really play him,” Didymus was persuading. “And he’s not one meter tall!” Hoggle barked hysterically and threw the blond wig on him. “But nobody knows that. It was not in the description. Everybody would treat you as a king, the princesses can’t be suspicious.” “They can’t be suspicious? Cha! They will throw me into boiling water, if they find out!” the dwarf exploded. Didymus slowly moved one chair. “It will be enough if you just welcome them nicely and make up an excuse.  Say that something happened or that thou art indisposed, so that thou must postpone the engagement.” “They will rip him into pieces.” Everybody turned to Agnes, who just entered the room and closed the door, shattered. “What?” “The princesses... are here,” she pointed, then she spotted Hoggle. “Oh my God!” “But they were supposed to come at noon,” Didymus cried, not noticing her reaction, because he still couldn’t understand this was not a nightmare. Agnes walked to the dwarf and touched him with her small finger, exploring, if he was real. “They were supposed to, but they came sooner. And they staying on the second floor,” she answered, her shocked eyes never leaving Hoggle. “And what are they like?” Didymus asked. “Like always.” “Yes, so?” “Beautiful, decorated, nasty, longing for the kingdom like hungry animals...” “Are there going to be troubles?” Hoggle frowned, nervously crumpling a lace handkerchief. “I don’t think they are the kind of people who will forgive the king when he forced them to travel for so many days and then didn’t appear.” “So we have to act,” Didymus whispered and took the blond wig. “Soon.” “Sooner than you think,” Agnes nodded. “We’ve got better beds in the Underground... replace the alarm-clock with a cock, replace the lamp with a candle-holder...” Jareth was thinking and yawning occasionally, because he was very tired.  Sarah had been sleeping for more than three hours now. She was nestled down in pink blanket like a small child, only her head and one bent leg outside.  He smiled. She was so innocent, so tender... He couldn’t erase a picture from his mind, a picture of her huddled in his arms and himself smelling her hair. The smell... It was something so well-known and intoxicating, every time it forced him to come closer to her, almost to touch her. “But this is not enough. She must feel at home,” he frowned and tried to solve the problem in his mind. “I want her to have the same bed, the same pink blanket, the same hair brush... I don’t want her to miss anything. I want her to have everything that belongs to her, everything she needs.” Jareth closed his eyes, tired, strongly assured. Tomorrow morning he would fix this. Tomorrow morning he would make his thoughts come true. “Where is he?” “In the garden.”  Didymus was resting on oak kitchen door, holding onto the blond wig desperately. “You haven’t persuaded him yet?” “No, Agnes. I think he needs some time. He will help at the end, I’m sure.” Agnes looked towards the stairs and then garden. “Well, it better be soon. I think we’re out of time, the princesses will look for the king themselves soon. They were never patient and it seems to me they suspect something.” Didymus nodded, but then he heard footsteps coming closer. He hid himself behind the door, before the dark-haired girl could see him. “Ee... what may I do for you, your majesty?” Agnes asked, muffled, and tried to smile. Rebeca nervously tapped her riding whip. “Where’s the king?” “Pardon?” “We’ve been here for two days and we haven’t seen him yet. Can you explain this?” she asked and her walnut eyes narrowed. “Ou... well, yes, you know, I shouldn’t really tell you...” Agnes whispered secretly, looking around, pretending she didn’t want anybody to hear. “Speak!” “This is a part of king’s plan,” she moved closer, like telling a secret. “A plan?” “Yes. You know, I really shouldn’t tell you, but you’re... so nice to me,” she smiled as false as she could and Rebeca couldn’t do anything else but smile back. “King is watching you secretly, he wants to choose the right bride,” she said and she almost started laughing, seeing princess’s look.  “He’s watching you secretly, to find your true nature.” Rebeca turned pale and for a moment she lost her ability to speak. “He wants to be sure he’ll find a GOOD wife,” Agnes added some spices and she realized she really liked this show. “Oh, isn’t our king gorgeous? What do you think, majesty?” Rebeca tried to say something, but at that moment they both heard scratching noise of wheels, steps and then wild knock on the door. “Deliveryyyyyyyyyyyyy!” they heard and they both looked at each other, like deciding, which one is going to open the door. “Somebody take it, the delivery’s here!” Rebeca showed Agnes to the door and Agnes slowly walked there and opened it. A small goblin with a blue cap, chewing bubble-gum, was there, holding white notebook and a pen and writing something frantically. “So here we are! One sofa, two bookcases, three wardrobes, one mattress - no, this is struck through, double-bed, set of pink blankets...” he continued, while another large hairy being with hands like plates continued bringing all the mentioned things out of the cart and at Agnes’ and Rebeca’s feet.  “One carpet with a maze design... and a goblin lamp, by the way, it’s very nice, I ordered this one for myself, too,” the goblin smiled and marked something in his notebook again. “What’s this?” Agnes asked at last. “This is a fulfilled order,” the goblin smirked, looking satisfied. “Our firm “Fast Goblin” will arrange everything,” he assured her, closing the notebook. “Wait, wait, who ordered this?” “Hmm... some Jered... but it’s a special order, from the human realm!” he said, moving his cap more backwards. “You can leave everything to us, we are the best.” “The KING ordered this?” Rebeca breathed unbelieving, looking at Agnes. She just shuddered.  “Even he’s got his days.” Was he going mad? Why was he doing all these things? Why was he sending furniture and clothes back to his own castle, when he knows she will never be there with him?  It was just a game. Just a game about what would he do, if he had... her love.  His heart ached. It was a mad wish, for her to love him. A crazy game that was no longer under his control, because he didn’t want it to be a game, he wanted it to become a reality. And he would do anything to see it come true. “I need the signature of the landlord.” “Why did he order this?” “I’m saying I need the signature!” “And how comes he’s in human realm, when he’s supposed to be here,” Rebeca continued, angry. Agnes touched her temples and took a deep breath.  “These things are from the human realm but that doesn’t mean he’s there.” “But why does he bring this junk here?” the princess was losing her patience, like the blue-capped goblin, ignored by everybody. “Hello? Does anybody hear me?” “How should I know? By the way you have no idea, how much junk we’ve got here,” Agnes waved a hand. Rebeca touched the wooden furniture critically, moving her nose up. “No symbols, gold, diamonds... and the material! Not mentioning the style...” “THIS is terrible! Poor goblin delivering it from far away and they’re not giving him single signature!” “Why would he want this?” “How should I know?” “All right, fine, I’m leaving for the second part, but then you’re giving me the signature, yes?” the desperate goblin begged for an answer. His colleague was asleep in the cart. “What kind of signature?” Agnes noticed him for the first time. “I want nothing now! But when I’m back with the other half, I want the signature of the landlord!” “There’s more of it?” Rebeca almost screamed, her head spinning. “The landlord? But it’s imp...” Agnes stopped at the very last moment, but the goblin was already leaving in the cart. Unfortunately the princess noticed. “Why is it impossible? Why doesn’t the king simply sign, what’s the problem?” “Eee... no problem,” Agnes smiled desperately. “He simply doesn’t like arranging these things.” “Well, when he made the order, he will be AMAZED the fast goblin delivered it to his house. I’m sure he needs it VERY MUCH,” Rebeca said skeptically and she elegantly passed the furniture.  “Most probably, but I know nothing about it. Maybe... maybe it’s a gift for the bride,” Agnes continued, noticing Rebeca giving her a bad look. “One thing is sure,” Agnes said silently, “Jareth’s up to something.”