Raman hovered where he was bid to stay, his face drawn in thought. Finally, he spoke up.

"My Lieges, I do not remember any suspicious activity when I first entered the castle. But that may be because I was late and in a hurry, and did not yet know of the danger Lady Dawn had been in."

Pausing, he looked over at Dawn, a barely perceptible forgiving smile on his face. Then he frowned again as he heard the crowd around them murmuring quietly.

"A fairy..."

"The goblins have never been on wonderful terms with that sort..."

"Aren't they the pests you see around gardens?"

"They don't look powerful, but they might have done something like this out of spite..."

Though he tried to ignore the voices, it was clear that Raman heard.

"It WOULD be a fairy you all are suspicious of, of course. Wouldn't that be the perfect cover, and the perfect irony: a garden pest turned assassin?"

"Ah, Lady Philoma, you are feeling well again?"

"I heard you were indisposed. I'm glad it was not that serious."

Jareth straightened as he heard the well-intentioned words. Leaning over to the nearest guard, he murmured something that only the royals near him could hear:

"Go apprehend that woman. We will question her in a different room; the small sitting room at the East end of the ballroom."