Searching For Elora

Jareth remained awake, sensing her fear, a result of their supposed bond. In that moment, he longed to bring her comfort. But he couldn't help but question his feelings for her, knowing her father was responsible for the loss of his parents, and that she had been given to him as a concubine. Her father had settled for less when he had asked for her hand in marriage, a decision he now regretted.

If her father had not been involved in the death of his parent, Jareth could have given her a higher position. But now, he was gradually changing his mind about her after she had nearly drowned.

"Scarlet," he spoke, his voice soothing her and restoring her peace. He never used to care about her emotions, but now he found himself drawn to her for reasons unknown.

But he didn't want to feel this way about her. He yearned for things to go back to the way they were. Yet the more he thought about her, the more he couldn't resist. And in that moment, the only way to forget about Scarlet was to see Consort Vera.

Dropping the book he was reading, Jareth couldn't concentrate. "Your Highness, it is time to sleep," the eunuch reminded him, bowing as a sign of respect.

"I will be spending the night at Consort Vera's chamber. You may go to sleep," Jareth dismissed, a smile on the eunuch's face as he knew the true reason for Jareth's visit. He longed for his cold emperor to find happiness, and he couldn't wait for a little Jareth to roam the palace. But Jareth's intention was only for sexual pleasure for now, nothing more.

********

How could she have possibly forgotten Jareth's sister, Elora? Elora's presence had been completely erased from the script. After her parents' death, she had disappeared and her story remained a mystery to the readers.

If she could just know where Elora was, Scarlet's problem would be solved and she could leave. Scarlet believed that Elora had the power to change her brother's heart and that he had loved her deeply since they were young, although the other characters were unaware. 

It had been mentioned that Jareth had been searching for his sister, but since they had parted ways when he was only nine and she was just six years old, it was difficult to picture her as a grown woman.

Jareth had sent Commander Raynell to find Elora and had even sent for the best artist, keeping his intentions secret from Consort Vera.

Scarlet finally drifted off into a light slumber, only to be awakened by the sun's rays creeping through the curtains and the cool breeze brushing against her skin. She grumbled as she slightly opened her eyes and stretched.

Turning over to the other side of the bed, she saw Ilvia still sound asleep. She couldn't help but chuckle, almost causing Ilvia to fall off the bed.

It was yet another morning in this cursed era. Scarlet got up and walked to the window, gazing at the blue sky and the cheerful birds singing their songs of freedom.

"Kayla, you just need to be patient. Everything will go back to normal soon. I just need to find Elora," she reassured herself.

"Why do you need to find Elora?" Ilvia asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, still looking drowsy.

"And who is Kayla?" Ilvia's eyes widened as she moved closer to Scarlet.

"Ka- Kayla is a friend of mine," Scarlet replied, trying to maintain her composure.

"My lady does not have any friends," Ilvia remarked, stating the truth. Scarlet preferred to be alone.

"I do. Remember during my father's birthday, when I and the other princess went hunting and I almost got killed by a bear? Who do you think saved me? It was my friend, Kayla," Scarlet declared confidently, folding her arms.

Undoubtedly, Ilvia believed Scarlet's words. The young princess had been fortunate to survive a hunting trip on her father's birthday, where she nearly fell prey to a bear attack. Despite the dangerous encounter, she had managed to escape unscathed.

"I remember that incident, but why does my lady want to find Elora? His highness must not find out. I have heard from the other maidservant that anyone who speaks ill of Elora, his highness's sister, will face the punishment of beheading," Ilvia said nervously.

"Don't worry, Ilvia. I am confident that his highness would be overjoyed to see his sister again," Scarlet reassured her, taking a seat on a nearby stool.

Before Ilvia could respond, Scarlet interrupted her and pulled her to sit next to her on the stool. "Ilvia, can you do me a favor?" she asked.

Ilvia nodded uncertainly, wondering what Scarlet was about to ask of her.

"I need any information you can gather about Elora's whereabouts," Scarlet said with a smile.

There must be someone who has seen or heard about Elora, Scarlet thought determinedly.

Ilvia nodded, pledging to diligently carry out her duty, and quickly left the room.

Meanwhile, Scarlet sat on her bed, contemplating her next move. Suddenly, a thought about Darcie popped into her head.

How can I summon him? Scarlet pondered for a moment but could not come up with a solution.

"You summoned me?" Darcie's sudden voice made Scarlet jump up from the bed.

"You scared me!" she exclaimed in frustration.

Composing herself, Scarlet sat back down and tried to figure out how to ask Darcie about Elora.

"Elora?" Darcie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Scarlet's frustration with Darcie's mind-reading abilities resurfaced. "You should respect my privacy. Don't you know the concept of freedom here?" she scolded, forgetting that she was in a time where the emperor made all the decisions.

"Why do you want to know about Elora?" Darcie's tone suddenly changed. The playful Darcie was replaced by one filled with rage, and Scarlet knew she had to tread carefully.

"I was just curious about her whereabouts, Darcie," she replied cautiously.

That was his vulnerability - she should not have addressed him by his given name. And now, he stood serene as the sun's rays.

As though by magic, he inquired, "Why do you assume I know her whereabouts, mate?"

"Because you are a part of Jareth," Scarlet answered, grinning.

The silence in the room was deafening, neither of them daring to speak.

"After she vanished, I never heard from her again. There was talk of her demise, but I refuse to believe it. She has the blood of a demon and a witch," Darcie spoke cautiously, careful to keep certain details to himself.

"How does Jareth feel about this?" Scarlet prodded, causing Darcie to furrow his brow at the mere mention of Jareth's name.

"I am unsure," he replied. Scarlet sensed a tinge of jealousy in his words.

Before she could delve further, Ilvia's voice rang out, loud and frantic. She stopped, out of breath and covered in sweat, as if she had run a great distance.

"M-my Lady, they have arrived," Ilvia gasped, trembling as she pointed to the door.

Scarlet had no idea what ilvia was talking about. who were "they"? She thought.