“WHAT?” Bella looked at Clare like if she got mad. “Red, wild and long-feet?! And in the woods? The king is short and blond!” The Titian-haired maiden almost had a nervous breakdown. “What are you saying?” “He was in the garden with us,” Angelica defended her friend. “And the description was perfect. Tights... high-heel boots... spiky hair...” she counted, while Clare was pacing angrily up and down the garden, broken crossbow and arrows in her arms. “It seems like the king doesn’t like people hunting in his territory,” Lucrecia teased and continued arranging pink flowers in her hair happily. “This is not possible!” Clare exploded. "But I’ve got it here – black on white!” Angelica waved a piece of yellow paper. “You must hold on facts, not on some red hallucination from the woods.” “Maybe he turned red because you were hunting in his wood,” Lucrecia made another remark and the princess looked at her violently. “Imagine, the king brought a pile of junk for his bride, I’ve never seen this before,” Rebeca entered, touching her heart, breathless. “Trust me! In several deliveries!” “If you think you will make us leave and let the king be yours, you’re mistaken,” Angelica waved her hand and sat down on a stony well. “Maybe it’s another part of a plan how to choose the bride.” “I think... that Angelica is right,” Lucrecia smiled a little bit, a sparkle in her eyes. “Anyway, he surprised me with his beard. I didn’t expect the beard at all. I think it’s a sign that shouldn’t be forgotten...” “What beard?” Clare asked, unbelieving and white as a sheet. “Wait, he’s beardless, short, he’s got high-heel boots, spiky blond hair...” “Yes, he’s short, he’s blond, but the clothes were different... and he had orange fur...” “Yes! Yes! I told you he had red hairs!” Clare jumped up with joy, pointing at her broken crossbow and arrows. “God knows who you saw! There’s just one king and he was in the woods!” “Oh no, he was by the castle gates signing the orders,” Rebeca shook her head. “He was in the garden!” the other princesses defended themselves in one voice. “Ha! And was he red?” “Well...he wasn’t.” “So it was not the king!” Clare announced in victory, touching Rebeca’s shoulder. “But wait, the king is orange, not red. And he’s got beard,” Rebeca added to her disappointment. “If you call long hair a beard...” “No. He was short... this short,” she showed the level of her knees and all the other princesses were even more confused. “And he had a white beard.” “So it couldn’t be the king,” Bella protested, not noticing the corner of Lucrecia’s mouth twitched. “What do you mean, couldn’t? He was signing the documents!!” “I’m telling you the king was in the woods!!” “No, in the garden!!” “Woods!!” “NO!!” the three other princesses protested at once when Lucrecia raised her head, looking somewhere behind them. For a moment she was thinking about something, then she looked back at them, eyes like ice. “The king’s here.” “W... what are you doing?” Sarah babbled, using her chance, when they tore away from each other to take a breath. “I decided not to be just a friend,” he breathed out and his eyes hypnotizing her. “I... I’ve noticed.” “Yes? And what do you say?”  He looked so innocent, that she couldn’t help a short laughter, but his serious look stopped her. “Why?” “Why??” he couldn’t understand. “Why now? Why didn’t you say anything when... when...” Jareth pulled her head to his shoulder. He wanted to feel her close to much.  “I was afraid... I was afraid you would refuse me, that you would say...” “And I hurt you,” Sarah stood straight and took his face into her hands. “I’ve never wanted to hurt you,” she whispered, looking at him with such intensity, like trying to keep the picture forever in her mind. “I hurt you. I allowed you to leave.” She shook her head and closed her eyes, filled with unshared tears, and then he laughed.  Sarah looked at him questioningly.  “What’s that?” “I think we’ve just cured your depression,” his eyes sparkled. “We know an answer to your problem.” “And it is?” she put her hands on her hips challengingly and moved her eyelids upwards. “Love.” “It...” “You love me,” he stated satisfied, not noticing she turned red and tried to refute his thoughts. “What do you...” “You love me, you love me, you love me...” She shook her head, then embraced him quickly, pressing face onto his chest.  “All the time I’ve been in love with you. I didn’t understand the feeling, that I had... here...” she pressed his palm over her own heart. “Each time you were with me everything was different, more beautiful... and then... you were gone and I believed I destroyed you and lost you, I was so... empty... unhappy and broken.” “I love you.” "What?” “Don’t hurt me again,” he whispered, his incredible eyes full of tenderness and love. “Stay with me... forever.” She embraced him so tight, not wanting to let him go again. “Anyway, it’s not long at all,” he teased and his heart, waiting for the answer, beat like a bird. “I know,” she laughed and they kissed again. “You’ll see, everybody will be happy seeing you,” Jareth shone like the sun, leading Sarah by the hand through the garden to the castle gates. “Did they govern it here, while you were on Earth?” “Yes, I can count on them. They’re wise and peaceful, so I can gladly say the kingdom is in good ha...” One of the Fireys just ran across their way, wearing a spiky blond wig, followed by the rest of his group, screaming, and a breathless Sir Didymus in torn clothes. “What is...?” he couldn’t finish, when Sarah screamed and hardly escaped a large hairy ball, escorting all the group. “What is...” and Hoggle and Agnes knocked into Jareth from the other side. “Can’t you look...” “Your- your majesty,” the dwarf swallowed, while Jareth became a marble statue, gazing at the dwarf with blue-pink socks, green vest, high-heel boots and a broom, shocked. In the meantime Fireys, Didymus and Ludo, who even in their speed recognized problem large as an Earthglobe, guiltily came closer to the king, who succeeded in changing his face color for a few times.  Jareth looked at Sarah and took a deep breath.  “What the hell is happening here?” Jareth entered the garden, followed by a large procession, and all four princesses suddenly became statues with open mouths.  Only the girl with silver hair stood up, passed them and made a bow. “I’m Lucrecia, your majesty.” “Nice to meet you, your highness,” he bowed and looked at the rest of girls, still unable to move or speak, questioning. “Allow me to introduce you to the princesses Angelica, Rebeca, Bella, and Clare,” she introduced the living statues, and smiled at the king nicely. Sarah, furiously holding Jareth’s shoulder, bent to him. “What does this mean?” she hissed through teeth, giving them a murderous smile back. “I...” “You’ll pay for this,” she whispered and happily nodded towards Lucrecia, who continued. “We’re happy for your invitation and that we can meet you in person,” her eyes sparked for a moment, “both you and your queen!” At that moment a lot of things happened. Sarah blinked in surprise, Jareth smiled widely, Angelica and Bella fainted, Clare lost her broken crossbow, Didymus, Ludo, Fireys and Hoggle looked at themselves in a surprise, and Agnes started to laugh madly. “JARETH!” a scream cut the palace’s silence. At the same moment the door got opened and his head poked inside. “Yes?” “What are all these things doing here?” Sarah was furiously waving a toothbrush and a white piece of underwear. “I thought you would like to have everything you were used to...” he stopped, smiling at her impishly, to lesser the shocked look on her face. “You SPIED on me!” “Me? Never!” “You!!... !!” she exploded, but he was already by her side, pulling her closer. “Okay, maybe a little. Will you marry me?” Sarah blinked in surprise, and when his arms released her, she turned to face him directly. His eyes were shining like stars. For a moment she looked at him, at his face and desperate look, showing how much he cared for the answer. “Anyway it’s just a formality,” he waved a hand, trying to hide his nervousness. “Everybody thinks you’re my queen,” he grinned. She smiled, relaxed, and pressed her forehead on his chest. She could feel his heart beating wild. “And the answer?” he asked so desperately, that she couldn’t help herself and had to laugh. “You don’t know?” “I don’t know.” She found his eyes. “Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered,” she whispered, watching his face gone tight, smile disappearing and a fear coming. “I’ve come to this castle beyond the Goblin City,” she continued, pressing his cold hand. “And you know my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom is as great...” Sarah stopped silent for a moment. His eyes were in pain, looking at her and waiting for the verdict. “I love you, my king,” she whispered and smiled, when he pressed her towards him, raised her up and slowly put her back down into his embrace. “I love you, my queen.” “I know, forever...” she almost had not enough time to breath it out, when his lips touched hers and they both kissed passionately.                                                       THE END