Elora Is Back

As Ilvia told Scarlet she found Elora, she blinked in surprise. Her imagination conjured the expression on Jareth's face upon seeing Elora. 

"Where is she?" Scarlet asked eagerly. 

"My lady, she is at the... " Ilvia began, but was cut off by Scarlet's interruption.

"I need to see her," Scarlet said, to which Ilvia playfully curtsied and replied, "Yes, my lady."

Ilvia made preparations for Scarlet's carriage, and soon they set off.

The journey was neither long nor short, but Scarlet perceived it as brief. 

As she stepped out of the carriage, a strong smell hit her nose. She hastily covered it, doubting whether this was truly Elora's residence. 

"Are you sure this is where Elora lives?" Scarlet asked, still covering her nose.

"My lady, I received the information from a top informant, whose intel has never been wrong," Ilvia replied, blinking her eye.

"If you say so, Ilvia," Scarlet said, following behind her. The thick woods impeded their progress, as they carefully trod without snapping any fallen branches. Every time Scarlet heard a crack, she couldn't help but get scared. 

Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from inside the wooden house, prompting Scarlet to quicken her pace and raise her gown as she entered. 

Inside, she saw a little girl with a white blindfold, covered in dirt. 

As Elora clumsily stood up and attempted to dust herself off, she struggled to find her walking stick. 

Scarlet observed the girl in front of her, noting that Elora was blind. She wasn't always blind, however maybe she lost her sight after her parents died. Scarlet wasn't so sure because Elora wasn't mentioned in the script after she went missing.

Scarlet felt sympathy for her, but her determination to take Elora home remained unwavering.

She promptly assisted Elora with her walking stick, noticing her struggle. 

"Who is there?" Elora asked, feeling a cold hand touch her.

"I mean you no harm, Elora," Scarlet assured her, gently guiding her hand to the stick.

"How do you know my name?" Elora inquired, hugging her walking stick protectively.

"Elora, Jareth misses you," Scarlet revealed, noticing the transformation in Elora's expression, despite half of her face being covered.

"How do you know my brother?" Elora asked, her hands trembling. Scarlet, consort and highness concubine, calmly replied, "I am consort Scarlet." The words flowed smoothly from her mouth, without any hesitation.

"My lady," Elora curtsied, "I apologize, your highness." Her voice betrayed her nervousness.

"I am not yet empress, Elora. You may call me Scarlet," Scarlet smiled, helping Elora to a nearby chair.

"Would you like to return home, Elora?" Scarlet asked, to which Elora nodded, nervously playing with the tip of her stick.

"Why?" Scarlet inquired.

"Because I am weak now," Elora admitted, "I have lost my sight, and it would be humiliating to go back home like this."

"It does not matter, Elora. What matters is the happiness of his highness and yourself," Scarlet assured her, her gaze fixed on Elora.

"Do you think his highness will accept me as I am?" Elora's voice trembled with doubt and anxiety.

"Yes, Elora. His highness blames himself for not being able to protect you, but I do not want him to suffer any more guilt," Scarlet smiled, even though Elora could not see it.

Elora listened intently and finally agreed to accompany Scarlet and Ilvia to the palace. They boarded a carriage and set off. Before long, rumors began to spread that Elora had returned.

*******

"When I found her, it was suspicious. Her body was pale and dry, as if she had been dead for days or weeks," Raynell explained.

"Look at this," Jareth pulled Raynell down. He turned her head and opened her collar, revealing dried blood on the cloth and neck.

"Your highness, she was killed," Raynell concluded after examining the body.

"I wonder who had the audacity to commit murder in my kingdom," Jareth smirked.

"Have you asked consort Vera? She may know something about it," he suggested, shocking Raynell. Although he had planned to investigate Vera, it surprised him that Jareth wanted her to be investigated. 

"Not yet, Your Highness?" Raynell replied, her words laced with deference.

"Then do that, Raynell." Jareth strode out of the room, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Elora.

"Did you hear the news about Elora?" One of the maidservants asked, causing Jareth to come to a halt. His soul seemed to have drifted far from his body upon hearing her name.

"I heard our soon-to-be empress brought his highness lost sister here," Another maid chimed in.

Was that his sister they were discussing? Scarlet had brought her here. He wanted to believe it was just gossip, but deep down, he couldn't help but think it might be true.

One of the maids caught the others' attention and they quickly dispersed upon seeing Jareth's gaze upon them.

He quickened his pace towards Scarlet's chambers, desperate to confirm if Elora was truly here. He no longer wanted to return to his own chambers.

When he arrived at the castle, he saw Scarlet teaching Elora how to find her way to her room. His nineteen-year-old sister stood there, smiling at Scarlet with a blindfold covering her eyes. Her hair was adorned with a pink pin, both at the front and back.

"Elora." Jareth choked out her name with a cracked voice. He took a step closer to them as Scarlet turned Elora to face him.

He didn't know what to say, and simply gazed at her in awe. He was overjoyed to see her again.

He embraced her tightly, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. Scarlet watched the reunion with a smile, glad to have been able to bring them together.

Jareth released her from his arms and gazed at her face. He reached out to remove the blindfold from her eyes, but Elora flinched and stepped back.

Scarlet shook her head and said, "Elora, your brother is here. You two should spend some time alone."

"Is there anywhere you want to go, Elora?" Jareth asked, nodding in agreement with Scarlet's suggestion.

"Anywhere? I've always wanted to visit the mercatus with you." Elora's face lit up with a wide grin.

"But I can't see anymore." Her smile faltered as she spoke, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Prepare my carriage. I will be going out with Princess Elora," Jareth instructed his eunuch, not considering Elora's words.

"You may accompany us, Scarlet," Jareth added.

"You should spend more time with your sister for now. You have a lot of catching up to do," Scarlet advised, curtsying. She watched as Jareth guided his sister, a sad expression on his face.

"My lady, you seem sad," Ilvia commented with a pout.

Scarlet smiled and replied, "I am simply happy for His Highness."

Jareth carefully led his sister through the mercatus, tightly holding her hand so she wouldn't bump into anyone. The people made way for them, and some averted their gaze, not wanting to anger their devilish Emperor.

Jareth's attention was drawn to a pin in a nearby shop, with its elegant silver design. Glancing at Elora, he said, "Elora, check this."

He placed the pin in her hand and she fumbled with it. "It is beautiful, Your Highness," she whispered.

Jareth's smile faltered at the title, but Elora continued, "But such elegance does not suit me, Your Highness." Her words broke him from his thoughts.

A small smile returned to Jareth's face as he took the pin from her hand and placed it delicately in her hair. "You look lovely, Elora," he praised, gazing at her pretty face and patting her head.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Elora curtsied.

Jareth was about to say something else when he noticed someone watching them. Was his sister in danger? He tried to push the thought away, but it lingered in his mind.

"Your Highness, there is something I must tell you," Elora spoke, fidgeting with her clothes.

"Let us leave this place, Elora. It is not safe," Jareth said, taking her hand and attempting to escape the prying eyes.

When he noticed they were no longer being followed, he came to a stop and took a deep breath. Elora remained quiet, playing with her clothes nervously.

"What is it, Elora?" Jareth asked, concern etched in his voice.

"I have lost my powers," Elora revealed. A sudden sound of an arrow caught their attention, but it miraculously passed through them without causing harm and landed on their carriage.

Jareth's head snapped around in a fit of rage, his eyes landing on Edward.

"Edward," he called out in a mixture of surprise and anger, gritting his teeth as Elora's grip on his clothing tightened. This unexpected turn of events left him seething and bewildered.

Edward sent another arrow....