Disclaimer: I did not write any of the 'Twilight' series and I own no rights to it. I'm just messing about.

Author's Note: This story is set in a vague fictional age of chivalry. There will probably be horrible historical inaccuracies, I hope that doesn't ruin the magic.

Dinner had finished hours ago. They had discussed the weather, the hunt, even the habits of the servants. Finally, Sir Jasper's parents were ready to get down to business.

"Your father and I have been considering your way of life here, and we think it must be rather dull for you."

"Not at all, Mama. I am very happy."

"But, you can be happier, my dear. If you had one to share your life with, you would find every moment immeasurably improved upon."

"I am hardly alone, Mama. I have you, and father, and Emmett is very close by. I think that I am blessed with the highest quality of company."

"Your mother means, that we think it is time you considered marriage."

Jasper sighed. It was not exactly a surprise. He knew, of course, that he must ultimately marry. How else would he get a son to continue the line? If his parents thought that the time had come, then he would do as he was bid. "Very well, father, do you have a girl in mind?"

Esme exchanged a look with her husband that was meant to say 'this is as we feared'.

Carlisle, nodded once to his wife and continued to address his son. "I do not want you to marry a girl who is distasteful to you. We are not in such straights as that. Though, it would be beneficial if you were to find Isabella Swan suitable."

That made sense. The Swans were a nearby family and Isabella was their only child. She stood to inherit a large amount of land, but, of course, she could not run it without a noble husband. If he were to marry Isabella, there would be no question of the land going to a distant cousin, it would be held by him and descend to their son in due course. A marriage to Isabella Swan would increase the wealth and the stability of the Cullen family. It would be a good marriage.

Jasper smiled, this was a transaction that he understood. "That would be a good match," he agreed, "is she of age?"

"She is sixteen," Carlisle said, "the perfect age for marriage."

"Jasper," his mother interrupted, "you must not marry her if you do not warm to her. It would be a good match, that is true. But there will be other good matches. Go to see her, and, if there is a mutual liking, then you should ask for her hand."

Now Jasper frowned, this kind of marriage-talk didn't suit him at all. Alliances were well enough, they made a logical sense, but how was he to recognise this 'mutual liking' of which his mother spoke? "Mama, how am I to know what kind of wife would suit me. Can you not advise me on this matter?"

His parents laughed.

"You will know if you like the girl," Carlisle said, "that is easy enough."

Jasper wasn't so sure, but he had manners and wasn't going to contradict his parents. "How will I tell if she likes me?"

"She is sure to like you," Esme said quickly, "any girl would."

"A girl's love grows over time," Carlisle added, "you cannot expect a tender young thing, sheltered as Isabella has been, to consider marriage and such matters at first. But, she will warm to you, if you are gentle with her. She will respect you at first and that will turn to love, as it did in your mother's case."

"Ah," Esme said, "but, you were such a rough and uncouth man. You scared me at first."

"Father was never rough or uncouth!"

Esme smiled at her son's quick defence of his father, dear Jasper could never bear to hear a word said against his parents, not even by themselves. He was a dutiful son through and through.

Carlisle interrupted in support of his wife, "I certainly seemed so to your mother, she had been surrounded by women all her young life. A man is a different beast, quite terrifying to a refined lady like your mother."

"But you, my dear, are a different kettle of fish. You are charming and polite, altogether a gentleman. You will not frighten the young lady."

Jasper nodded seriously, "I will try not to, Mama."

"You leave today."

"As you wish, father." Jasper foresaw only one problem with the plan. "Jacob is unwell, should I travel without a squire?" He had visited Emmett unaccompanied, but those were informal visits. Of course, he was not Rose, a girl should never travel alone for fear of attack. But, without a squire at his side, he may as well be a common farmer, it might not be suited to his rank. Father cared about such things.

Carlisle shook his head, "that would not do. You cannot present yourself as a man without followers." Jasper felt his father's frustration; he didn't want to postpone the trip, nor to send him alone. His shoulders sagged. How foolish it was to have a sickly servant. Father would wonder if he had been over-working the man.

"Take Edward," Esme said, "he is to be a member of your household sooner or later. Now would be a good time to start."

Jasper frowned, his mother's words had the tone of a suggestion, rather than an order. That suggested that he might argue the point, and was not obliged to obey. "Must I, Mama? He is completely untrained, and only a boy."

Sure enough, his mother reasoned with him, rather than scolding. "He's sixteen, that's more than old enough to squire."

She seemed amused, rather than angry, so he offered another objection. "Mama, he reads and he falls off horses."

Esme smiled fondly, and Carlisle chuckled, "he's a good boy," he said, "tie him to a horse if you must. A servant who reads is no bad thing. Perhaps he will be good company for you on the journey."

Jasper was unsure. A servant has no need of conversation. He had never had a conversation with Jacob. Jacob did his work, cared for the horse, answered his questions quickly and concisely. Jacob was everything that he wanted of a servant. It was hard to see how reading and conversation would make Edward a better squire. In fact, they probably meant that he had devoted less time to the practise of more suitable activities. For all his reading, Edward probably knew less that was of use than Jacob did. Yet, Mama and Father seemed happy enough to send him with Edward, and a bad servant was probably better than no servant at all. He would just be sure to bring his dog whip.

"Very well, Father, I will take Edward, though I don't promise to talk to him on the journey. Mama, I will see if the girl is suitable, and perhaps I will bring you home another daughter."

The next morning Jasper took a proper leave of his parents and checked his horses. He had selected a seasoned mare for Edward to ride, something that would be unlikely to topple him. They were in no hurry and he had no intention of stopping continuously to re-horse the boy. If he couldn't ride a plodding horse, then he could walk.

Jasper brought the horses from the stables himself, letting Edward wait in the courtyard. Father had been right when he said that Edward was not a boy. He looked like a full-grown man; still a little fresh-faced, perhaps, and with some filling out left to do, but his height was good and his shoulders were broad. He looked as strong as Jacob.

Unfortunately, his strength seemed to be the only thing that Edward had in common with his predecessor. While Jacob would have put out a hand to take Jasper's foot and ease his way onto his horse, Edward stared at the horses as though he had never seen one before in his life.

"Help me onto my horse then, boy."

Edward's confusion didn't fade. He came over to stand by Jasper's side, but he neither put out a hand, nor steadied the horse. He just stood there.

Jasper sighed, now they were going he was eager to be off. He certainly didn't want the entire courtyard watching him teach Edward how to help him mount.

"Leave me be, I shall do it myself," he said instead, leaping and swinging his way onto his own stallion.

Edward watched him carefully. His stance was nervous, and it seemed to get closer to terrified as Jasper rose up onto his horse.

"You may mount," Jasper said, more kindly this time, wondering if the kitchen staff had made a game of frightening the boy. Perhaps he had been told that being his servant was a kind of torture. Jacob had once told him that there was a rumour that he was a hard master. Before he had come to work for Jasper, Jacob had heard that he carried a jewelled dagger at his belt, and used it to slit his servants' ears if they were slow to obey him. The first time that Jacob had seen Jasper take his dagger from his belt – he had only been a child then – he had burst into tears. Jasper wondered what stories the kitchens were telling about him now. He didn't want Edward to be afraid of him. "It's alright, what are you afeared of, boy?"

"The horse. I've never ridden such a large beast before, sir."

Jasper looked at the height of the boy and the height of the mare. "It's a good size for you," he said, "and she's a steady old thing. She won't throw you. Come on now, mount, we should be off before the day leaves us behind."

Edward still hesitated and finally Jasper sighed, "you don't know how to mount a horse, do you?"

Edward shook his head, "I am sorry, sir. I was trained first as a scribe. But, I will learn to squire for you, sir."

"You are not my squire," Jasper said sternly, "I already have Jacob, you are just filling in until he's better."

Jasper slipped down. Then, rolling his eyes at the irony, he helped his young servant onto his horse, before remounting himself. The boy was blushing all over by this time and Jasper took pity on him.

"Everyone has to learn things at some point. This is clearly the day on which you are going to learn to ride."

They rode in silence, side by side, Jasper lost in thoughts, Edward concentrating hard on staying put. Soon Jasper had reason to be grateful that they were riding next to one another and not in single file. Edward's horse took an interest in some grass and turned suddenly. Edward had no idea how to restrain his mount and instantly tumbled off the side. Before the boy knew what was happening, he was on the ground, on his arse next to a contentedly eating horse.

Perhaps he could have intervened if Edward's fall had been less sudden, as it was, Jasper was shocked by how easily the boy fell. The horse had been trotting steadily and had merely turned her head. Edward must have dislodged himself as he tried to control the placid animal. Tumbling off such a placid horse so suddenly would have been surprising for a child, for a young man of Edward's age it was absurd. It was the action of a jester, not a squire.

Jasper laughed so hard that he almost joined his servant on the ground. Edward was bright red, and looked as though he would like to cook and eat his mare. His obvious fury only amused Jasper further. It was hardly the horse's fault that the boy had tipped himself off. The horse was placidly eating, while Edward scowled indignantly at her.

His laughter was obviously worsening the situation. Jasper tried to calm himself down, thinking of the boy's embarrassment rather than of his amusing anger. He didn't want to humiliate his servant. Still trying to rid his face of smiles, the knight got down and gave the boy his hand.

Edward took his master's hand and slowly got back onto his feet. When he saw Edward's careful stance, Jasper's smiles dissolved into concern. "Are you hurt?"

Edward ran his hands over his body, as if he expected to find a huge hole somewhere. "No, sir," he said, and his tone was still angry. He might have preferred to sustain a horrible injury that would force them to turn back and wipe the smile off his master's face for good.

Figuring it was better just to get on with the journey, Jasper fetched Edward's horse back. "My father suggested that I tie you to the horse," he said, hoping to lighten the mood as he helped Edward back up. "Perhaps he was right."

The joke fell flat. It was too soon to try and get Edward to laugh at himself. Actually, Jasper wondered if Edward could laugh at himself. He was such a serious boy.

"I'm sure that I will manage it," Edward replied irritably, "plenty of people manage to ride horses." He didn't exactly say that plenty of people less intelligent and capable than himself managed to ride horses, but it hung in the air, sounding like what he meant.

Jasper suspected that Edward thought of him as one of those many people whose ability to ride horses was clear proof of how simple a task it was to master. He didn't like the way that Edward's eyes seemed to weigh him up and find him wanting. He had the distinct feeling that he wasn't Edward's idea of what a knight should be.

Jasper wished that he'd brought Rose's palfrey for his squire. She was a far better rider than him and would have been absolutely fine riding the mare. It would be a painful journey for Edward, if he continued to take that kind of tumble. Then again, if he did keep falling off, he could just walk the rest of the way. They were in no great hurry, and the horse would carry their packs, so the walk would be no hardship. Satisfied, that all would be well, Jasper resumed his own seat and tapped the horse into continuing their journey. The mare followed obediently enough, which was lucky. He supposed that even Edward knew enough to be humiliated by having his horse led.

Eventually, the sun was high and Jasper decided it was time to stop and take sustenance He looked out for about a mile or so, and soon found the perfect spot by a clear stream.

"We'll stop here for lunch," he said, reigning in his horse.

Edward was spared having to control his mare, for she stopped happily enough as soon as she saw the stallion do so. Jasper watched the boy with a smile, as he struggled through his first elective dismount. His face was creased in concentration, and his tongue peeped out from the corner of his mouth, as he diligently copied Jasper's movements. He managed to get off the horse without injury and Jasper had to fight the urge to applaud. He didn't want to embarrass Edward further.

Used to fending for himself, Jasper fetched bread and meat from the saddlebag and handed some to Edward. He was surprised to see the red colour reappear on Edward's cheeks. "Th-thank you, sir," he stammered.

"Something wrong with your lunch?"

"No, sir. There's something wrong with me. I should be waiting on you. That's the function of a squire, and I am supposed to be filling in for your squire, sir."

Jasper frowned a little at Edward's mention of 'squire', but at least he didn't claim to actually be one this time, he only claimed to be replacing one, temporarily. "At table, maybe, but you can hardly wait on me here." He threw himself to the ground and took a great bite of meat.

Edward sat down more gingerly. The ride had not been kind to him. He didn't yet know how to rise and fall in time with his mount; he was out of sync, getting tossed about like a loose pommel bag.

"It will get better," Jasper said, "the first long ride is painful for everyone, but soon enough you'll be used to it, and then it won't be so sore."

"Oh," Edward looked relieved, the poor lad must have wondered if the ride was some kind of horrible punishment.

Once he'd eaten his bread and meat, Jasper wandered down to the stream to take a drink. He knelt down and lifted the water to his lips with his hand. It was cool and soothing. It was a hot day for riding. Jasper stayed on his knees, his eyes alert as he drank. It was an old habit, impossible – and for that matter probably dangerous – to break, watching out whilst taking a drink. His crouch was one of those that would easily turn into a spring. Taking a drink in the open air always made him feel vulnerable, even when he was riding through well known land between his own home and that of a friend.

"Will I fetch you a cup, sir?" Edward asked.

"No need, my hand is as good as any."

"You'll lap your water like a dog, sir?" Edward asked again.

Jasper turned his head to look at his young servant. He examined his hands for signs of hard work, and he found none. He examined his face for arrogance, and he found plenty of it. The boy clearly thought himself better than his new master, and was unimpressed by Jasper's lack of ceremony.

What had he expected from the knight he was to serve? Had he expected to see Jasper armour-clad, tilting at trees as they rode through the forest? Did he think that a knight was always jousting, did he not know that a knight must also eat and drink just as other men do? Did he think that a knight's life was all about display, as a tournament is?

He had probably attended a tournament, servants did attend tournaments, even trainee scribes. He had probably seen the banners and the brightly decorated shields before. He must have seen silver cups glinting in the sun as victors proudly brandished them aloft. He may even have seen Jasper himself, dressed in finery, with a plume on his helmet and polish on his breast-plate, charging at another shining knight, winning a pretty piece of tableware for his efforts.

He had probably not witnessed a battle. He hadn't seen the banners torn, the shields pitted with arrows. He hadn't seen the blood mixing with mud on the ground, the glint of bone through skin. He hadn't been there when Jasper had fought, had earned his place as a respected knight. Edward didn't know what it was to fight for your life; he probably thought that knights fought for glory and honour. A servant in a knight's household should know the truth of it. Even if he was never to see the grim turmoil of a battlefield (and goodness knows with such riding skills he would be of little use as a squire), he should know what to expect of a real knight, who did not live in a minstrel's tale.

"Do you know what I am, boy?"

"A knight, sir."

Jasper nodded curtly, "yes, I am. Do you know what knights do?"

"They hold castles and rule over their territory, sir."

"Hmm. That is so. But, the first job of a knight is to fight. I have fought in wars and in skirmishes. I am not a pretty girl, spending her time in towers and fussing about sheets and tableware. I know how to use a sword, and I know how to survive without rations. If you're going to be any kind of squire, you will have to let go of your hopes of living like a prince. A knight is not a prince, boy, he is a warrior. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Edward was blushing again, but the pride had not left his eyes. He didn't like being rebuked, but Jasper was not sure that he had learned from it. This would not be the last time that he corrected the young man's arrogance, of that he was sure.

Jasper demanded that Edward learn to mount himself. It took four attempts, but he managed to get himself onto the horse. Jasper watched the younger man's face, there was plenty of frustration and irritation, of course, but there was a gleam of satisfaction when he finally succeeded. At least he appeared to be teachable. They rode on, once again in silence.

When the Swan's Castle came into view, Jasper turned to talk to his squire again. "You seem fond of ceremony," he said, "so I hope that this is your chance to shine."

Edward didn't answer, but he blushed and then he scowled, angry that Sir Jasper was teasing him and making him blush like a schoolboy.

"You will dismount and hold the horses. The Swans will greet me, and you will remain silent. We are visitors here, and we will need to be less free and easy than we are at home, you understand?" He didn't want to tell the boy to mind his cheek, Edward would probably resent it and be even ruder in response. Instead Jasper tried to hint that such an attitude would unsuited to company.

Edward dropped his eyes, in a passable imitation of respect, just to show that he could do it, and he said smartly "Yes, sir."

"Good. You will see to the horses, and then you will find me and I will give you further orders. I know that you are new to this work, and I will not make it hard for you. If you don't know what you're supposed to be doing, stand nearby and keep quiet. I will let you know when I have need of you."

Edward nodded quickly. This was more familiar to him than horse-riding. A trainee scribe would have spent plenty of time indoors, waiting at table, fetching paper, carrying messages.

Jasper grinned, "one more thing, boy," he said, "try to stop scowling at me, the Lady Isabella will think that I begin and end every day by beating you."

Without giving the boy a chance to reply, Sir Jasper spurred his horse on, and rode up to the castle in high style. Edward's mare sped up to follow, and Edward clung on tight, determined to arrive at the new castle still seated on a horse.