!!!IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!

While I have been without a computer I have been unable to work on any of my stories, not to mention i have lost all my notes. Because of this I have lost where this story was going. Now I am not abandoning this story, but I have come to realize that I am not very happy with this and want to put it aside until I am able to really go over it and re-figure out the plot. So I will put this on hiatus until then, but instead of just not updating I will go ahead and start a new story. It will not be one of the ones on the poll, I will still be waiting to post that one until I finish "This is My Winter."

Instead I will be posting another one I have been working on for awhile, the first chapter should be up in a few days if not sooner.

But don't think I am abandoning this, as I do love the idea, I just need some time to read it over and work on the plot a bit more, then I will retrurn to posting it.

Look for "The Fire Stone" in a few days!

Beautiful Death;

Even though the sun shone brightly, covering everything in its mid-day light, Jareth nor any other could feel its heat. His father's curse blocked warmth from most everything lest the ice which encased Blackmore melt.

It was troubling, to see the sunlight on one's skin and yet not feel even the tiniest prickle of heat. Shaking off those thoughts Jareth turned down another snow packed path in the gardens. Eira had been absent from the noon meal, which hadn't been at all surprising. About now the girl would be seething about the fact that Jareth had not only ignored her at breakfast, but also had made no inquiries about her well being after she stalked off in a huff. A grin spread across his lips in a slow sweep that allowed for just the slightest peek off sharp teeth to show through.

Just down the path from him stood none other than the object of his thoughts, Eira. Her hair was once again hanging down in waves that had been dappled in crystals. She wore a dress in a style more fitting with the rest of Blackmore, even from this distance he could see the tips of her breasts peaking through the sheer white cloth.

What once had been a young brat of a girl stood before him as a vision of a strong willed woman. Her smile was smug as she strolled her way towards him, no doubt she believed that her revealing garb and glistening skin would be enough to entice him. And maybe they would have had she been anyone but who she was, his Sarah.

He knew should he give into her now when all was but a game to her she would be gone from his bed in the morning. No, he was out to win, and keep his prize. The smile fell from his lips as he turned to observe the bush of frozen roses at his side.

"Elegant, are they not?" Eira slowly ran a fingertip across one ice encased petal as she stepped up beside him. Her nails were painted a blue so dark one could easily mistake it for being black. It scraped across the ice chipping bits of it off and onto the skirt of her gown.

"Maybe if one finds death to be attractive, then they are absolutely charming I guess. But I find no such elegance in frozen decay." Nails could be heard digging deeper into the flower as Eira tried to keep from lashing out. This man was infuriating!

"There is a sort of beauty in death, if one looks hard enough. I would think that a man such as yourself, Your Majesty, who delights in all things fine would be able to appreciate that.

"There is a moment just before the end when all is calm, a sort of serenity that one can not find in life. It is then that you can see the beauty in it. And here it is captured, a garden forever on the brink of death. It is…peaceful." An eerie quiet descended upon them. To hear these words coming from the mouth of Sarah was disturbing. A girl who was once so full of life and imagination now spouting forth verses on the splendor of death! It burned his chest to see what this curse had done to her.

"Um, yes, well…I was under the impression that you were ill. Should you not be resting instead of out wandering around?" A soft smile turned the corners of her mouth as she gazed up at him.

"I take it you are concerned for my well being? I thank you, but you have no need to worry I am well now. It seems all I had need of was a bit more sleep." Jareth had to contain the impulse to roll his eyes.

"Who said I was worried? I was merely stating a fact. When one is ill one should be resting. I care not who they are." Her smile fell so quickly it was almost comical. She sniffed and stood up straighter, the slight breeze bringing the scent of her to his nose. Roses and orange blossoms, a strange yet calming mixture.

"Well, what brings you out here, Your Majesty? And all alone at that?" She took a step closer, the fingers that had been tracing the flowers now drawing small circles along the side of his arm. He repressed a shiver at the coldness of her skin.

"Your Mother, she is…tiring. Quite obsessive actually, the way she clings to my Father when Mother is not around. I grew bored with the display, thought to find some quiet within the gardens." He turned a distasteful look at her and pulled slightly from her touch.

"Apparently I was wrong. If you will excuse me, I think I will have a lie down before evening meal." Not giving her time to comment he turned and left, his heart clenched tightly within his chest. No matter how much he longed to take her into his arms and steal her away he knew the time was not yet right. He would have to be patient, no matter how much it killed him.

Owain groaned as he reread the page for the fifth time. How could his wife be so cruel as too leave him alone knowing that that insufferable woman would do everything in her power to annoy him almost to the point of murder? He was seriously considering disregarding his wife's wishes and have that woman executed!

"I am bored. I feel like a walk, would you join me in the gardens Your Majesty? They are quite lovely at this time of day." Morana leaned her back against the window as she turned pleading eyes on him. He huffed and shut his book. Insufferable!

"Maybe some other time Morana, at present you can see that I am busy. Should not you be as well, Matters of State maybe?" A quiet sniff was all the evidence that Morana was at all put out, by all outward appearances she had allowed the High King's words to roll off her. She gave a warm smile and sat down in the chair across from him, picking up her own book.

"Such matters are what I have Lord Rowan for. I am sure you have a slew of men to delegate responsibility to. Anyway, you are my guest and it would be wrong of me not to see that you are entertained." Owain thought he would gag, to think even after the curse which he subjected her entire kingdom to she still would not leave him alone. What was that mortal saying? Stubborn as a mule. Yes, that fit perfectly seeing as it wasn't very hard to picture Morana as a mule. He had to stifle a chuckle at the absurd image.

"Believe me Morana, I am in no need of entertainment, only quiet. So if you are so worried at the moment about presenting a bad image I suggest you see to the amusement of either my wife or son. Seeing as they are both your guests as well." Morana bit her lip, amusement, really! Did the whole Underground think her some kind of joke? She slammed open her book and began to read, she had no intention of spending time with his wench of a wife or pompous son.

Freya smirked from the doorway where she had been silently watching her husband and the persistent little slut. She sometimes bemoaned the fact that she had been moved at all to pity the woman. Had it not been for her ingrown need for mercy that had been ingrained into her by her family she would have never interfered in her husband's affairs.

Watching now the interaction between Owain and Morana was almost comical, the woman just wouldn't take a hint. It seemed it would be up to her to put her into her place. Quite appropriate actually, sometimes it took another woman to settle matters such as these.

The evening meal was much the same as breakfast; Jareth had cleverly insulted Morana and her kingdom all the while Eira tried to seduce him into acknowledging her presence. It had worked one or two times through the evening, though not as she would have wanted. Jareth had made the effort to speak with her only in order to ask for something or other. Freya could see the girl was livid.

Once the meal had concluded Jareth had left with ne'er a word or glance to the Princess. She had to admit that by the way Eira looked at her son's retreating back he had been correct, it wouldn't be long before he had that girl begging for him.

"I should make it a law that you, my dear and oh so loving wife, should not be allowed to leave my side when THAT woman is anywhere near!" Owain paced the slick floor before the cold and empty hearth of their rooms. The only reprieve for the continuous torture of the Blackmore Queen had been during the evening meal, and that had only been because his son took so much pleasure in insulting the woman. Not that he was complaining or anything.

"And just what makes you think that I wasn't there?" Freya raised an elegant curving eyebrow, the smirk on her face enough to unnerve him.

"You! You were watching that embarrassing display the whole time and never deemed once to come and rescue your husband and King from the clutches of that unbearable beast?!" A soft giggle escaped her lips as she fixed her hair for bed. Her husband was a bit melodramatic at times.

"Oh she is hardly a beast, maybe a bit uncouth, but far from a beast. And I was merely observing, besides I did think that being the High King of the Underground that you would have been able to handle one measly little woman." Owain's mouth set into a thin line, the flesh around his lips slowly fading to a snowy white.

"I will have none of your cheek, Wife! Anyway that is all beside the point. You are my wife and partner, should not you have saved me from harm?" Freya could not help the roll of her eyes. Pathetic!

"Hm, yes harm. Well seeing as you are completely intact my interference was unneeded. But do not worry, Husband mine, I shall take care of everything. Sometimes a woman just needs to be…reminded…of what belongs to another." At this Owain lifted a brow, he had never seen his wife so possessive. He himself had acted in such a way before, but he had never thought his gentle wife had it in her. It was quite thrilling actually.

"I belong to you, do I?" Freya set her brush on the vanity and slowly walked her way to her husband.

"That you do, shall I remind you of that fact?"

Author's Note: Ok, well that took me a long time! Sorry about that, I ended up getting sick and have just recently stopped trying to hack up my lungs every few seconds, though now my ribs are killing me. Anyway, sorry if this is a bit short, this story seems to be giving me a bit of trouble. I think mostly because it decided to change itself from the plotline I had originally worked up, so it might take a while for me to get everything going smoothly. But hopefully it won't take too long, at least not as long as last time.

Also, once I am done with my current Labbys I plan on writing another one, in fact I have I don't know how many lined up. On my Author's Page there is a poll. Click the links to find a journal entry to a preview of the story. I have four up and I have everything ready to write each of them. I thought I would allow the readers to choose which one they would like to read next. I will write the one with the most votes next and go on from there. The poll will be open until I finish "This is My Winter"

:::If you have trouble getting on the links just PM me and I will send the previews through PM instead.:::

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it.

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