The King's Labyrinth
Snow Angels 2/?

Lights from the street below were shining through the frost on the window 
making a curious and enchanting pattern on the wall. She rolled over and 
the clock on the bed side table read 4:30 AM.  She pulled the white lace 
coverlet up to her chin. Beside her in the bed, Jareth was sleeping soundly.
"Well, at least one of us is getting some sleep." She muttered. After half 
an hour of staring at the ceiling she gave up and crawled out of the bed. 
Bouts of insomnia weren't an infrequent occurrence for her but they were 
annoying none the less. She wandered into the kitchen and started the 
coffee maker. Obviously she was up for the day, so she might as well start 
her routine. She was cracking eggs into a pan to make herself an omelet 
when Jareth walked in. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No." He walked around behind her and kissed her on the cheek. "Why are you 
making breakfast at five in the morning?"

"I Couldn't sleep. The Christmas party is tonight, maybe it's nerves or 
something." She shrugged.

"Why would you be nervous about a party?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm eager to show them I'm the same person I used to 
be. That I haven't changed."

"But you *have* changed." He was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs now, 
watching her with an almost critical eye. Amazing how he managed to still 
convey a very kingly aura even while sitting in her kitchen, hair mussed 
from sleep.

"Have I?" She set two plates down on the table and went into the 
refrigerator for some orange juice. 

"Of course. You know full well that you have." There was an almost 
irritated tone in his voice. "I don't know why you keep going over this. 
We've both changed. For the better, I hope."

She sat down across from him. "I know. Maybe I'm trying to convince 
myself." She sighed. "I have errands to run today, so I guess you can 
either come with me or stay here."

"I think I'll go back to the castle. Kingdoms don't run themselves."

"All right. Can you be back here by seven?"

He nodded.

----

Amalthya  hummed to herself as she took the hot rollers from her hair, 
admiring the curls they left behind. She picked up several hair-clips, 
shaped like butterflies with green crystals set into the wings, off the 
vanity, arranging and re-arranging them until she had  the curls pulled up 
and out of her face. She twirled around once in front of the mirror, her 
emerald green dress fanning out around her.

Jareth was already waiting for her in the kitchen when she emerged from the 
bedroom. He was dressed in a dark suit, hair pulled back demurely. "Are you 
ready to go?"

"You bet. The gallery Christmas party is always the best." She smiled. 
"Silviet, Xander and the rest are as close as family." She took her winter 
coat out of the closet. "Did you call for a cab?" Jareth nodded. The 
weather was supposed to get bad later in the evening and she didn't want 
to worry about driving back. "Then let's go."