The Chronicles
The stages of Jane and Gunther's relationship. Their bumpy road has many detours.
Gunther x Jane
Jane and the Dragon and all related characters are the property of Martin Baynton, Weta, and Nelvana.
By Lindi-Chocolate
A huge thanks to The Lightning Flash for being the beta Reader for this fanfic. THANK YOU!
Chapter 1: Rival
Gunther had always been captivated by her hair. Maybe it was the way it would bounce as she would run her large green reptile nuisance. Maybe it was its thick volume that made it look like a cloud. Maybe it was the way the curls would float in the slightest breeze. Or maybe it was the colour. It was so damn red it looked like it was fire.
Gunther had always been captivated by her personality. She was stubborn and pig-headed. She was bold and rational. She was brave, smart, just and short-tempered.
Gunther couldn't help but love her laugh.
She was Jane.
She was his rival.
They were both squires practicing the Knights Code. They would spar against each other with staves. They would try to best each other. They competed against each other every day. It was exhausting.
Gunther lied on his back in the shade behind the archery target. A reasonable hiding place even though it lacked comfort. The noble thing to do would be helping his father unload or load barrels to or from the wharf, or he could be doing jobs for Sir Ivon, but his aching muscles and heavy eyelids only wanted one thing. The training yard was unusually quiet for the time of day. Silence is hard to come by with two royal children running amok, so Gunther thought he may as well have a nap while there was peace to enjoy.
Closing his eyelids Gunther allowed himself to stretch his legs and rolled on his side. Peace and quiet.
Peace and quiet.
Peace and quiet.
Peace and jab.
Peace and jab-jab-jab.
Peace and jab-jab-jab kick!
"Do you mind, I'm trying to sleep!" Gunther yelled at the offender who had disrupted him of his sleep. Said offender laughed, then snorted much to their dismay. Gunther knew that laugh anywhere and his face contorted into a scowl. He should have known. Prying open his eyes, which had seemingly gummed themselves closed, he tried his best to glare.
"Sleeping? Slacking off? I should have known. I wonder what Sir Theodore would say of this?" she chastised him.
Of all the people, why Jane? Jane put her hands on her hips and shook her head at the squire who lay before her. Gunther couldn't help himself but watch in bewilderment as her red curls swished about. Normally he would mind if Sir Theodore would see him like this but he was too lazy to get up. What happened next surprised him.
"Move over."
Huh?
Gunther looked up into her sparkling green eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but no audible sound came out. He quickly clamped his mouth shut. Had he heard her right?
Jane's patience was wearing thin since Gunther still had not moved. She waved her hand from side to side as a motion for him to move to his left. Gunther shuffled to his right and Jane lay down next to him.
She gave a contented sigh and shuffled a little to get comfortable. Both squires were lying on their backs and facing the sky. Gunther couldn't help but snicker.
"What?" Jane asked
"Now now Jane, sleeping? Slacking off? I should have known. I wonder what Sir Theodore would say of this," Gunther said, mimicking her in a terribly high, off-key voice.
Jane, despite herself, laughed. "Oh shut up, Beef-Head!" She gave a playful punch.
They stared at the sky and watched the white fluffy clouds drift in and out of view.
After a minute of silence Gunther closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the shade. It was strange because of his experiences of napping in the shade it could get rather cold. But it was comfortably warm. Trying to pinpoint the warmth he had noticed it was coming from his right. It was coming from Jane. He was startled to realise how close he and Jane were. They were lying shoulder to shoulder with each other. It might not be a big deal for some people but it was to Gunther. They weren't even friends. They hated each other! They were rivals! Gunther tried to move away from the red-head but the space between the archery target and the stone wall of the castle was too small.
He muttered a small "Dung-buckets".
"What?"
"What?"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing. What does that remind you of?" Gunther asked, changing the subject quickly.
Jane examined the cloud, "It looks like a sword. What about that one?" Jane asked him as she pointed to another cloud.
Gunther cocked his head to the left and squinted, "Maybe a... horse?"
Jane followed his actions and cocked her head and squinted. "A very fat horse." She looked to another cloud, "That cloud looks like Sir Ivon!" she exclaimed.
Gunther snickered, "Certainly is fat enough."
Jane laughed, but then snorted, before muttering, "Oh bother."
Gunther frowned as she stopped laughing.
"Why did you stop laughing?" He asked out loud, and then chided himself for being so careless. Mentally berating himself, he almost missed her answer.
"Because it is horrible," she mumbled in a soft voice
"What do you mean it is horrible?" Gunther asked, quite confused.
"I sound like a pig when I snort! My laughter is so loud I could awake the whole castle!" she dramatised, gesturing with her hands.
Gunther rolled his eyes, "Laughter is a sound to express one's happiness. Laughter is laughter. And if you ask me, I don't see what the big deal is." Gunther blushed before adding, "I quite like your laugh."
There was silence for a few seconds. Did I say something wrong? I thought I was giving her a compliment? Gunther replayed what he had just said in his mind.
"Do you mean that?"
"Huh?"
"I said, did you mean that?" Jane rolled over and looked into his eyes.
"Yes," he answered truthfully and smiled.
That was all Jane needed to hear. She smiled and rolled onto her back and closed her eyes.
Jane had always been captivated by his eyes. Maybe it was the way they gleamed. Maybe it was because they were the window to his soul. Maybe it was the way they always sparkled with mischief. Maybe it was their brown colour that reminded her of the dirt fields she and Dragon would fly over on patrol. Maybe it was because she could imagine herself swimming in them.
Jane had always been captivated by his personality. He was stubborn, strong, graceful and witty. He was quick with resourceful thinking. He was protective and defensive. He had a good heart.
Jane couldn't help but love his smile.
He was Gunther.
He was her rival.