This is a fanfic exchange for Pride Forever, I know it's lame and I know I should be writing chapter five, but well… okay, I have no excuse, but I'll try and update soon! :D
When Jane and Jester met, they were five and seven. As a result, this might be considered OOC and weird, but little kids have a tendency to get angry, then forget they were mad, be happy and sad at the same time, laugh one minute and sob the next, etc. So please bear with me –I'm not very good at writing them as little kids, but I tried! In fact, I- I'll stop talking now and let you read now… XD
Disclaimer: Don't even get me started on why I should own this. ^_^
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"Your hat is funny," were the first words she ever spoke to him.
She was staring up at him with a solemn expression twisting her pretty features, scrutinizing his face with the air of a child who will not admit they are intrigued. The boy raised an eyebrow.
"Ah," he replied with a forced smile, and crossed his arms protectively over his chest, "I see…"
The girl, quickly realizing that her comment may have sounded a bit rude, hurriedly added, "Not that it is bad, though. I like it! The bells are pretty. " She reached up and whacked one gently with her hand, and it tinkled merrily. She laughed.
"Where did you get it?" the girl inquired, clasping her small hands together in interest. "I want one like it, but my mother probably would say no. She says I am too reckless for my own good." She laughed again, and the sound made him smile through the conflicting emotions whirling inside him like a storm.
"It was given to me by the King," he replied honestly, uncrossing his arms.
"Why?"
"Because I am to be the new Jester for your Royal Court."
"Oh." She said, and paused for a moment to stare thoughtfully at the dusty earth. Then she glanced up at him again. "Why?"
The boy shrugged –all these questions were making him uncomfortable. "Because the King wants someone to make him laugh, and sing for him, and do tricks."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Why? Can't he make himself laugh?"
"How would I know?"
She frowned. "Because you are the one who is entertaining him!" her annoyance flitted across her face, but in a second it was gone.
"I am going to be a knight," she said cheerfully, the moment of irritation lost in the wide smile now stretching from cheek to cheek. "And I will be the best of the best! Probably the bestest DragonKiller there ever was, too." She shrugged modestly.
The boy grinned at her words. "But only men can be knights!" he replied, somehow unsure if this comment would unfazed her. It didn't.
The girl just shook her head happily. "That is why I will be the first!" she said, thumping a fist to her chest and putting on her fiercest warrior face. "I will be Lady Jane, First Girl Knight Ever!"
"Jane?" the boy said by way of reply, "Is that your name?"
Jane nodded. "My name is Jane Turnkey, and I am five years old. What is your name?"
"My name?" his voice faltered at the question, and he paused. "Um…"
Jane tucked a strand of frizzy red hair behind her ear, ignoring the fact that the curl almost immediately sprang away and hovered once again in her face. "Yes, silly! I cannot just call you 'person', can I?" she laughed again, giggling at her little joke until a snort popped out of her mouth. Jane blushed.
"Sorry," she said bashfully, and the boy burst out laughing too. "I like your snort!" he gasped out between giggles. "It is sweet!"
Jane grinned. "Mother does not approve of it, but I do not know how else to laugh…?"
"Jester," he filled in at her urging look, stating the first word to roll off his tongue "Call me Jester."
Jane stopped laughing at that, her peals of laughter abruptly nonexistent as she considered the word.
"But…"she said quietly, and turned her bright green eyes, deep and filled with confusion, onto his face. "But you are going to be a Jester, correct? It is not your actual name."
He swallowed, biting his lip nervously and realizing with a jolt that her green pools were rather unnervingly deep and honest.
"Just bear with me for a little while, all right?" he said, doing his best to meet her gaze. "I will tell you my name in good time, but for now just call me Jester."
Jane looked hurt, but he could see that she understood, and it shocked him. Most other children would either start shouting about the unfairness or stomp off in a huff.
Not her, though.
"Very well, Jester," she said quietly, and a little, wry smile twisted her lips as she spoke. "Then you will refer to me as Jane Turnkey, First Girl Knight of the King's Guard."
Jester laughed. "No way! That would take forever to say!"
"But it sounds so official!"
"Nu-uh. I will simply call you Jane until you are a knight. Deal?"
"No." Jane looked as though she might collapse into a fit of giggles any second, and as he watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and slap the other over her mouth to muffle a snort, Jester fell.
He just hadn't figured out he had yet.
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The end!XD Please review, I know it's bad but maybe you'll comment anyway? Thankies again!
:)