The Fourth Wall~ Chapter VI

~Claudia

*

With a smile, sliding the finger over the crown, the Prince nodded in reply. The orders were set, the ships have sailed, and the Throne once more hosted the one who rightfully belonged to it - all was well again.

She looked up from the book, sighing. In the novels, it all seemed so simple, so perfect. Claudia closed her eyes and lied back, imagining wearing a dress of a thousand layers, her hair accessorised with flowers. In her thoughts, she was dancing, in a hall of the castle, holding her Prince's hand, as he pulled her closer and closer, keeping his hand on her back, until she was close enough to feel the heat of his body. He looked down at her lips, and she moved her head up to meet his, as someone knocked on the door.

Claudia sat up, startled, feeling her face blushing though she wasn't really doing anything. She waited for a second, wondering if the person - or people - would knock again, and then let herself fall back on the bed as they didn't. They probably think I'm outside.

She sighed, turning, getting the book from her pillow. As if.

She couldn't remember when was she outside the last time - she couldn't even remember when was it that she wanted to be outside. She had her novels. She had her favourite story, she had the characters instead of friends, she had the scents and the sights of magic forest and enchanted fires, and how could the world around her ever offer her a worthy enough adventure to let go of it?

For what must have been a hundredth time, Claudia opened the very last page of her novel, printed in those dark, slightly curved letters, reading the last sentence over and over again, though she knew it by heart.

At the cost of his soul, he had the power to change everything - and the world was waiting.

Claudia grinned, and turned as a small black cat jumped on her bed.

"So sad, isn't it?" She asked, and the cat sniffed the page. Claudia chuckled; she liked doing it too, smelling the ink and letting it take her to that other world, where battles were fought by swords, where the ladies wore big dresses and the knights fought for them, where the Princes and Kings sat on their thrones and ruled their kingdoms, where big, dusty books of spells were read in secrecy, and the cold winds of the North carried the petals of some long forgotten flowers, growing only in the mountains, too far from any human to reach.

Putting the book aside, Claudia reached to her drawer, taking out a small piece of paper and a candle, placing both on the bed, using the book to keep them standing straight. With a slight frown towards the door, she kneeled by the bed, taking out a match and lighting the candle, gently putting the cat on the floor as it approached dangerously close to the flames.

Claudia smiled, and the cat looked up at her, sporting almost a concerned face.

"Worry not," Claudia sang, smiling. "But observe carefully. I will perform a summoning ritual - I will call in my Prince, and promise him whatever he wants to keep him here."

The cat gave her another strange look, and Claudia got up.

"No, I don't know what to write on that paper. But I've read that one manuscript before." She tapped her finger on the book. "Same writer, so worth a try."

"That is ridiculous."

She turned, almost screaming, just to sigh of relief as she spotted Jareth standing there. She frowned, getting up, trying to hide the book and the candle from his sight.

"What are you doing in my room?"

"I knocked," he muttered, walking towards her, and she blushed realising he's more than tall enough to see the bed over her head. "I see you are busy."

"I thought you went to sleep," she muttered. He didn't look particularly well, but she didn't dare to tell him that, not quite sure how'd he react - though she was fairly sure he knew it himself - so she just kept her eyes down, glaring at his shoes. Why is he even wearing shoes in the house, she wondered, feeling somewhat stupid.

"Sure I went to sleep," he replied dryly, leaning next to her to take the book, blowing out the candle. "I missed my bedtime story." With a silent sound, he separated the candle from the book, narrowing his eyes at the round mark of wax where it dropped on the cover. Claudia put up her angelic smile, feeling guilt burning in her stomach. "My bedtime story."

"Eh.." she bit her lip, reaching for the book, but he held it up, far from her reach. "Come on, Jareth.."

"What were you doing with it? And the candles? Don't you know you're not allowed to light them like that? You could've--"

"Caused a fire, I know." She resisted rolling her eyes. "I'm not a child." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that much of a child, fine."

"You tried to summon a character," he countered, and she frowned, grabbing the book though he didn't let her take it.

"You're the one to talk, with all your magic and stories you believe in."

He let go of the book, but she suddenly didn't really want it all that much. His eyes were locked on hers, dark blue on light green, and she knew he saw she regretted what she said. Don't make me tell you I'm sorry..

"There is a line even I don't cross," he replied slowly. "You never saw me making rituals to get someone from a novel here, now, did you?"

The way he put it, almost made Claudia forget the fight and ask more questions. He didn't sound like he thought she was silly for doing so - he sounded almost like warning her, because he knew she might actually succeed. She shook her head, shoving those thoughts away.

"Alright, I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean to upset you." She glared at his shoes again. "Why are you dressed like you're going out?"

He was silent for a second. "Because I am going out."

"But you can't." She looked up at him. "It's past midnight, you are supposed to be sleeping, not--" she stopped herself as he smirked, feeling her cheeks burning again. "I am at least still in my room!"

"Lighting it on fire," he added. "Potentially." He moved and grabbed the book again, keeping his other hand on her shoulder and holding her far enough from the book. She was thin and she was a girl, but still he was surprisingly strong, stronger than she'd expected him to be. "You will not tell them I'm not sleeping." He squeezed her shoulder tighter, waving the book over the fireplace in his other hand. "Understand?"

She was sure she turned paler. "Don't do that," she whispered. "It's the only copy I-- we have, please, Jareth. I won't tell them, I promise."

He smirked again. "Whom were you trying to summon anyway?"

She took the book back as he offered it, hugging it closely on her chest. Her voice was silent as she spoke again. "Lain.. he's the Prince, who-"

"I know, I've read it," Jareth cut. "And what would you do then? If you managed it? Do you think he'd like it here? Who'd take care of his kingdom if you drag him into this world?"

Claudia bit her lip, glancing at the cat, sighing, not quite sure he was even serious - but if he was trying to make her feel guilty, it was working. "He wouldn't have to stay," she muttered. "He could take me with him."

For a moment, strange emotion flashed in her adopted brother's eyes, making them darker, and she stepped back automatically. Clutching the book's edges, she was sure Jareth would yell at her - perhaps even hit her. Instead, a moment passed, and he turned away, leaving the room without another word.

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