Sarah smiled as they night drew in, she had accepted the invitation to come to a small gala that the village was throwing. It would have been disrespectful not to.

The day had gone well with the seed being delivered and quickly planted, the farmers already had the fields plowed and ready.

Now, she watched as Harry gave his best effort to follow along with one of the Fae dances. He placed his right foot where his left should be and then got a little turned around, but he did not do too bad.

With her smile growing Sarah stood and expertly wove through the reeling dancers.

Harry's partner didn't say a word as Sarah took her place and helped Harry along.

The dance was a country line, where the partners wove in and out of each other before briefly coming together to dance in a circle.

Sarah loved this style of dancing far more than any of the many waltz' that were offered at many of the noble Fae balls, unless she was dancing with Jareth.

Which she always was.

The Fae noble considered it a break of etiquette if a married Fae danced with any other besides his or her bonded. Besides Fae men, and some of the women, became jealous far too easily.

But here in the village, what Jareth did not know would not hurt their relationship.

She quickly gave a small courtesy as the fiddler's song came to an end, and then remembered the time.

They would need to start riding if they would make it back to the palace before the gates closed, though if any tried to close the gates on her they would soon find themselves unemployed.

Sarah sighed before bidding goodnight to the villagers and finding where her guards had tied the horses up at.

"We should have left hours ago." Miles grumbled from his spot on her left.

Beneath her Sarah could feel Shakespeare's restlessness and want to run. Sarah forced him not to speed up and to stay near the guards, if news got back to Jareth that she was "endangering" herself she would never hear the end of it.

After all, he was still a little angry at the fact that she had helped Tes, not that Sarah would ever feel guilty for helping her sister in law.

In the distance she could see the Palace, and at a first glance she allowed Shakespeare to run free, away from the protection of the guards and to the Palace of the high court.

The Palace that was enveloped in flames that lit up the darkening sky.