A Fake Jareth

Consort Vera seethed with anger upon hearing Scarlet referred to as "mate." It only served to increase her hatred towards her. Though she was not well-versed in the term, Alvin had once called her that and she knew it held a special meaning. Had it not been for Alvin's display of power, she would not have believed anything out of the ordinary.

"Shall we get started?" Edward asked scarlet, bringing Vera out of her reverie.

"If that is the case, I shall accompany you. My consort hasn't been feeling well lately," Jareth interjected through gritted teeth, his fists clenched with anger as he saw Edward's hand wrapped around Scarlet's waist.

"Very well, then. Fetch my belongings from the carriage," Edward instructed, nodding his head, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Scarlet stood in shock. 

Vampires were considered inferior to demons, known for their superiority due to possessing more supernatural abilities than vampires, who only fed on those inferior to them. This issue had resulted in a war between the two factions.

Due to the vampires' insatiable greed for power and superiority over the devil, they resented the demons, as the demon were being labelled as "evil creatures." Though everyone knew that the demons, including the devil, were indeed evil creatures, known for tormenting humans, the vampires still desired that title and sought to destroy them, this led to the war between them a long time ago before Jareth was born. 

However, in the end, the demons emerged victorious in the war, due to their incredible speed, which even vampires failed to match. This hatred has continued to pass through generations, even now, with a devil king reigning in the underworld.

Jareth bit his lips in frustration, drawing a small amount of blood.

"Your Highness, you have blood on your lip," Vera pointed out, reaching towards it before Jareth quickly removed her hand, preventing her from touching his lips a stormed off.

*****

"Is that not a fish pond?" Edward asked as he approached the pond. It was more than just a regular fish pond. The colorful fishes swimming within reminded Scarlet of that one night when she saw fireflies for the first time.

Upon reminiscing, a smile graced her lips.

"I had no idea this was here," Scarlet exclaimed, stooping down to see the depths of the water. Edward followed her lead and also crouched down, his attention captured by the vibrant fish swimming below.

From a distance, Jareth clenched his jaw in frustration while Commander Raynell noticed his reaction to seeing them together.

"Do you want to try your hand at catching some?" Edward asked, a wide grin spreading across his face. Scarlet nodded eagerly in response. Ilvia brought out the fishing hooks, and soon they were all fishing together.

To her surprise, Scarlet caught more fish than Edward, unbeknownst to her that Jareth had used his powers to assist her. Edward couldn't help but smirk when he discovered the truth and caught a glimpse of Jareth in the distance.

"You're definitely the best. No one has ever beaten me at this," Edward exclaimed, applauding Scarlet's skill.

"It's my first time fishing, I didn't even know I was this good," Scarlet replied, clutching the fish she had caught.

"Then your first time is with me," Edward said, inching closer to her. He couldn't help but taunt Jareth, knowing he could hear every word from his keen listening skills.

Unconsciously, Scarlet stepped back and nearly tripped, but Edward caught her by the waist, causing her to feel a sudden heat against her back. Little did she know, it was Jareth's jealousy manifesting itself.

"Join me at the western castle tonight. I'm hosting a party and I have something special for you," Edward invited, steadying Scarlet before he left, winking mischievously at her.

"That Jerk, he just arrived and he's already throwing a party. This is going to be challenging. But at least I've gained his attention," Scarlet remarked with a smile, though inwardly cringing at how Edward had touched her waist. The thought made her want to vomit. Ilvia sighed again because of her mistress cursing words.

As she turned around, Scarlet noticed Emily's pale face. Even Ilvia seemed shocked, jumping in fear as if she had seen a ghost.

"What's wrong, Emily?" Scarlet inquired, crouching down to the six-year-old's Emily. Scarlet could see that she was sweating profusely, and she used handkerchief inside her sash to carefully wipe away the sweat.

"Can't you see her?" Emily asked, lost in her own world.

"Who are you talking about?" Scarlet turned and looked with Ilvia, but there was no one there.

"There's no one here," Scarlet reassured Emily. Who could she be talking about? Scarlet wondered to herself.

Suddenly, Emily screamed, bringing Scarlet out of her thoughts. She covered her ears and ran away from Ilvia and Scarlet. Scarlet raised her cloth and chased after Emily, with Ilvia close behind.

Jareth happened to turn at that moment and caught a glimpse of the little girl. Intrigued, he listened in on her conversation with Scarlet and became determined to find out more about her.

"Learn about her background," he instructed Raynell, who quickly bowed and followed Jareth.

"Emily, open the door" Scarlet shouted, not caring if they drew attention to themselves.

"Who is Emily?" Scarlet stopped in her tracks, afraid that someone had found out about her. She turned to see Riley approaching. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Have you been hiding someone?" Riley gasped, covering his mouth.

"Did you kidnap her? How did she get here? Does my third brother know about this?" Riley bombarded Scarlet with questions, not giving her a chance to answer.

"How can she answer if you persist with your questioning like that?" Ilvia scoffed, to which Riley chose to pay no heed.

"Please don't tell his highness," Scarlet pleaded.

"Why not? Third brother needs to know," Riley responded, turning to leave before Scarlet grabbed onto his clothing.

"I'll let you draw me if you promise to keep it a secret," Scarlet offered, recalling that Riley had a passion for drawing and had always wanted to be an artist, but those dreams died when Jareth passed away.

"Really? Big sis is the best!" Riley exclaimed, giving a thumbs up to Scarlet and smiling from ear to ear.

Riley paused, wondering how Scarlet knew about his love for art. He knew he was somewhat known for it, but no one had ever seen his face. He wanted to keep it hidden, as his brothers thought it was a useless hobby, although he wasn't entirely sure about Jareth.

"But how did you find out that I draw?" he inquired, furrowing his brow. Scarlet was momentarily speechless at this question, but luckily Emily's cries from inside the room interrupted them, and she hurried in to find Emily bleeding.

"Ilvia, get the medical kit!" Scarlet urgently directed, and Ilvia scurried out.

"It's scary," Emily said on the brinks of tears.

"I am here for you, Emily. Everything will be alright," Scarlet reassured her as she embraced her in a hug.

"Why does she seem familiar though?" Riley asked, squinting his eyes.

Ilvia returned with the medical kit within minutes. Scarlet attended to Emily's injuries and soon she drifted off to sleep in her arms, and soon Riley left.

With great care, Scarlet laid Emily down on the bed properly and gazed at her face before leaving the room. As she stepped outside the room, she noticed Ilvia dozing off. Remembering her invitation to the Western Castle, Scarlet made her way there.

What she saw was beyond her wildest imagination. She had never thought that Edward had an ulterior motive when he invited her. The women there were all prostitutes, dancing for the pleasure of men. Scarlet's mind raced, realizing that this was how Edward viewed her as well. She cursed him silently "That sly king".

Her eyes fell upon a drunken Jareth, being caressed by a naked dancer. Scarlet's anger rose and she clenched her fists so hard that she accidentally bit her tongue. She winced in pain, trying to ignore the sight of Jareth kissing the woman's neck.

"What are you doing here?" A voice jolted Scarlet, making her almost lose balance. But before she could fall, he caught her by the waist and steadied her. Her face flushed red, as her heart raced.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Scarlet managed to ask, avoiding his gaze. One minute she saw Jareth in there and another he was here with her.

"That is a fake Jareth," he replied, leaving her bewildered.

"What? How?" Scarlet exclaimed in shock. Before he could answer, his eye turned black and he collapsed. In a reflex, Scarlet caught him before he hit the ground.