For Rake, Faire Day meant a many great deal of things. It meant that the old chrysanthemums had to be pruned to make way for the new buds, that the setting sun would give him just enough time to observe the progress of the blooming cabbages, and that the quiet of a normally buzzing castle would allow him to hum his garden a little tune without feeling a bit self conscious. Most were still enjoying the day's festivities in the village, and it was only until now that he could see a few bodies pour their way back in. He'd seen the princess stalk straight into the main hall, though she didn't seem to notice him when he waved, and he even saw Pepper and Smithy disappear into the kitchen not too long ago.

He himself hadn't really gone outside the castle walls today. It was a busy day for growth and other new beginnings. He'd been brought a new seedling from the Faire market, compliments of Sir Theodore, from a faraway land and he couldn't contain his anticipation at seeing its birth. A plant was not that different from a person. Each one was unique and had a special purpose in a greater garden. Even the humble pea was a loyal member of the family and could grow to become someone's favorite dish. Though with Pepper in the kitchen, it was doubtful that anyone could hate any vegetable or spice. Everything that was uprooted from his garden and placed onto her cutting board was in good hands. Rake wouldn't trust another soul more than hers to turn his toil into greatness.

Snapping out of his pensive state, Rake went back to work. He plunged his fingers into the soil, feeling the clumps turn to bits of fine grain as he churned. It was rather wonderful really, how the Earth could move so gently between one's fingers like fairy dust. He could've spent hours working with dirt alone. So much to be done, so many small critters to meet hiding under the smooth, dark blanket. Rake picked up a worm and held it in his hand. It always gave him a good chuckle when they wiggled about, but it was also amazing how they knew where to go. How did they do it? Rake wondered if they simply had very tiny eyes.

"Sorry to disturb you little worm" he said as he gently placed it back on the earth, watching it dig its way in until it disappeared from view.

"Rake!"

"AAH!"

"Oh-sorry."

He hadn't meant to scream, especially as loudly as he did, but he was so fully immersed in his work that he hadn't heard when Jester approached him, bells and all. Rake turned to find the jester grinning down at him, a rather sly expression on his face and a blush on his cheeks.

"H-hello" Rake stood, or tried to, when Jester abruptly grabbed him around the shoulder and gave him something of an awkward hug-and-shake.

"Happy Faire Day my good greenskeeper!" The man beamed as boldly as his uniform "I have not seen you all day. It is a crime really for you to be so overworked, even on an occasion as merry as this one."

Rake opened his mouth to speak, but Jester kept going. "Truly it was a spectacular event! Thee marvels of marvels. You should have seen the dancers at the village square-no, no! They were far beyond just that. Dancer is a mere insult to their talent and flexibility. No! They were more like water spirits, lithe, moving with the fluidity of liquid itself. Clear and sure and-if I am to be honest-not bad to look at either. And you may think me vain, but what is one to do with such beauty if not to admire it? Shall songs of dying men go unnoticed? Was it not the beauty of a young love once again remembered or the view of a full bosomed siren that inspired them in their time of need? And if they were to stop and use their last vigors to write about such heavenliness, than am I to be blamed for doing so on a much lesser extent?!" The fool waved an index finger in the air before pointing it at the gardener's chest. It was only in that close proximity that Rake could smell the distinct aroma of ale on his friend's-well-everything.

"Are you drunk?" Rake asked with his usual forwardness, though he wasn't annoyed; moreover, a bit amused. Normally, drunks scared Rake. They were far too unpredictable and violent for his taste, but Jester was always a pleasant drunk. Giddy and bouncy, his songs and words seemed to be heightened by drink. The only consequence felt by the fool the next morning where he was completely incapacitated.

"Why sir! I am insulted!" Jester reeled himself back, spinning as he went. His face contorted into the peak of sadness itself. "Could an inebriated man do this?" Using a flexibility Rake didn't know Jester had, he turned his body backwards, stood on his hands, did a push up and lifted himself into the air. Without skipping a beat he did not one, but two backflips and landed steadily on his feet. Rake clapped as the fool bowed.

"Good point!" Rake said genuinely like the feat in itself disproved how obviously pie-eyed his friend was.

"I never make a bad point Rake!" Jester tapped on his chin before doing some silent counting with his fingers "Erm, well, except when I often do."

Rake laughed as Jester sprang into a jittery dance number; he was practically bouncing off the walls! "What else did you see at the Faire?"

"Oh many spectacular things!" Jester tilted lazily on his heels. "A horn as big my torso from the Queen's hometown! A tankard from Germany made for three people to drink form simultaneously! And-and-" his expression changed in the peculiar way it always did when he was about to reveal some sort of secret "and Pepper and Smithy walking rather cozily together to the castle."

"That is lovely" Rake added with a smile.

"Lovely!?" Jester appeared as flabbergasted as he sounded.

"I love when we are all able to get along so well. A strong friendship is like a sweet bramble bush without thorns."

"Yes that is an amiable way of thinking, but that is not exactly what I meant. You see, they appeared to be a bit friendlier than normal. I cannot say I have ever noticed this before, call it the scent of Faire Day in the wind if you must, but there was certainly something distinct about their connection today."

"Uh-huh" Rake egged Jester to continue, not understanding what he was getting at.

"They were giggling about" Jester explained more flatly "Speaking in hushed tones. Sharing gentle touches."

"Mhmmmmm."

"Do you not see?" Jester asked with a desperately frustrated tone "Smithy likes Pepper."

"I would hope so, she is an amazing woman."

"No no! Like" Jester snapped his fingers as he thought of a way to put this decently "he seems to like-like her."

"Oh" the meaning came down on Rake like a hot summer sun, filling him toe to head in a disagreeable heat. "I suppose then" he started, but in truth he had no idea where he was going with that thought. He felt a bit dizzy suddenly.

"You 'suppose then' you will fight Smithy for Pepper's hand?" Jester somewhat joked.

"W-what?! No-no-no, nothing like that. I-I mean if he likes her I suppose there is nothing I can do about it."

"Nothing?!" the entertainer frowned "Then he might as well take Pepper away from you right in front of your eyes. He will swoop in, a raven in the night, and pluck her right from your inattentive fingers."

Rake did not feel inattentive towards Pepper since every morning he would wake up early to make sure she hadn't slept too near the edge of her high bed, every afternoon he would pluck off the tiny thorns of his berries before handing them to her, and every dusk he would wish her a goodnight before heading off to his own bed. Rake paid many attentions to Pepper...right?

"But..." he began with genuine confusion "...I speak with Pepper every day. Why, just this morning-" but Jester stopped him with a wagging finger.

"No-no, the kind of inattentiveness I refer to is of the romantic persuasion."

"Romance?" Rake knew very little of the topic. In the back of his memory he could remember Pepper teasing him about it one afternoon in her kitchen as they watched Gunther and Jane play around in the garden in that mean-spirited, unusual way of theirs. That was a very long time ago, they were merely children having a good time teasing the two. Admittedly, as a child it was easier for him to demonstrate affection to her. It had always been a kind, simple gesture to give her flowers and sweet compliments, and Rake had done it more than a time or two without much trouble. But as he grew older it seemed that ladies wanted a little something more, and Rake was unsure of how to go about delivering on such things. Was a simple kiss not sweeter? He'd thought about kissing Pepper in the past, surely more than once, but he never had the gusto to actually do it.

In the back of his mind Rake had always hoped that she would be the one to take the first step, but he knew that was a bit unfair. After all, he'd heard many tales from traveling knights and passing sailors and he had received the-erm-talk from Lady Turnkey one fateful and frightening afternoon after she believed he had been using euphemisms (he hadn't been. He was just rather enthusiastic about plants), and none of those stories and encounters ever mentioned anything about the girl being the instigator. But such practices were so far from him. Was it not enough to tell a girl you liked her and have her say it back? Why did everything have to be so difficult? Passion and romance were as foreign as the seedling Sir Theodore gifted him.

Jester snapped his fingers at Rake when he realized he'd been staring off into the distance for quite some time. "When was the last time you made Pepper swoon? Lay her head back and sigh at the thought of you?"

"Swoon?" his voice cracked at the word. He had never seen a girl swoon since Algernon had come to pay the castle a visit. Just the thought of him made Rake shudder. Had Pepper swooned when Algernon arrived? Surely he was a handsome man, and the thought of him stealing Pepper away had crossed his mind briefly, but it'd left just as quickly when he saw him pine after Jane. But had Pepper wanted him to? Now that he thought of it, had Smithy always liked Pepper? Did she like him, like-like, like him back? Had Pepper grown tired of his simple gestures and friendly way? Had she too, grown to want something more? Would she swoon at the sight of Smithy from now on? The idea made Rake feel uncomfortably lost.

"Smithy may look like the silent type, but he is not to be underestimated" Jester stroked his chin as if he had a beard growing there. "He has a rather charming allure to him that many women would find attractive. Not to mention his brute strength alone is enough to call their attention."

"Brute strength?" Rake looked at his own arms. He'd always been a lean, tall boy and tending to the gardens had gifted him some type of form over the years, but nothing close to muscular. He wrapped a hand around his bicep and noticed his fingers almost touched. He gulped but Jester seemed to be focused somewhere else, too far and in his own thoughts to notice the growing anxiousness. "D-do you think Pepper likes that sort of thing?"

Jester sighed, shaking his head. "All women do, sadly. Many of them dream about being lifted and spun around like a dandelion caught in a breeze. They like to feel protected and frail and- well-not Ja-I mean a girl I-my friend-knows of course, she is different, beautiful, empowered like the goddess Athena with her sword and-" Jester let out a groan shaking his head as if he was trying to shake away a bad thought "-so no, actually not all of them" he amended "but a good many."

Now his head was truly spinning. He cared deeply for Pepper but could he do any of those things? Of course he would try to protect her and do so with all his life, but would he really be that successful? Surely someone like Smithy had better chances of offering her all of these things that women desired.

"I suppose" Rake started up somewhat distantly "If that is what Pepper wants, then that is what she deserves. I just want her to be happy" he reassured, though the corners of his lips tugged downward in a bothersome, betraying way.

Jester gaped at him before becoming silent. "Let me tell you a story about my friend, Rake" he said after a moment. "He too wanted nothing but happiness for his love. He had paid her many attentions, never once falling astray from their friendship. Yet when someone new began to make his way into her heart, the poor fool did something he thought he would never do. He stepped aside. He became overly confident in his own relationship with her and perhaps even a bit...scared of taking that next step. It was only until it was too late and she was in the arms of another that he tried to save whatever pieces they may have had together."

"I am sorry...about your friend" Rake's voice was genuine in its sympathy and Jester took another moment to compose himself before continuing.

"He knows now that he has blown his chances to the wind, but if he had the chance to start anew, to really give her his full person, to write her every ballad and sing her every song-he would. I know he would." Rake regarded his words. "Seeing you give in so quickly is like seeing a reflection of mys-him-from a time past; someone who allowed that happiness to exist only vicariously through a lover. Yet that is no way to live, not really. You must give yourself every chance at happiness. My friend was no confrontationalist, and in all reality you are neither, but I know you are not a quitter. I know that when it matters most you will fight with squash in hand if need be. You merely need more confidence" the jester smiled more mischievously now and Rake was happy to see the sadness fade from his face "and some guidance from an experienced fool."

"So you really believe I can-?"

"Yes!" the Jester bounced up onto the bench with a surprisingly high hop. "Why, was it not you that traveled outside these castle walls, riding on the back of a ferocious, fire breathing dragon and threw himself into the wilderness to find a stem of lemongrass for Pepper?"

"I was more lost, in truth" Rake admitted with a simpleness that made Jester sigh.

"Yes, but that is not the point humble gardener. Is it not true that you risked life and limb to see that girl smile?"

"Well...yes" Rake admitted bashfully. "It was worth the trouble seeing Pepper's face light up. She looked like the brightest pumpkin in the patch that night."

"Erm...yes...spoken like a true poet. And did you not spend a painstaking season growing roses for the ball just for Pepper?"

"Well, it was on the Queen's command to plant flowers but" if he were truly to be honest "I did propose roses for the occasion specifically for Pepper."

"And was it not you who carried bowl after bowl and cauldron after cauldron of Pepper's disgusting soup to Dragon just so you would not hurt her feelings?"

"Yes!" Rake admitted more lively than before, picking up on the wind of Jester's rally.

"Then where is that passion!? That yearning to be sweep that lovely cook off her feet?!"

"It is here!" Rake stood enthusiastically.

"Are you ready to give up on the love of your life?"

"No!"

"Then march into that kitchen, take your woman into your arms, and demand the other man to take his leave!"

"I-! Uhm…" Rake's enthusiasm dispersed somewhere in the atmosphere, a bashful blush creeping on his cheeks.

Jester deflated along with him, and it was with a fluidity and speed that Rake had only seen in Dragon once before after a particularly gassy evening. The fool's muffled groan escaped through his hands.

"I am sorry" Rake felt guilty somehow "I love Pepper" the confession made his cheeks redden even more, because he did love her "but I do not know if I have the boldness to do that. Plus" he began to absentmindedly pick away at the dust on his hands "compared to Smithy-"

"No" Jester leaned forward in what was supposed to be a stern manner, though his slight swaying reminded Rake of just how intoxicated he actually was. "Just because Smithy has a body that even Adonis may envy, does not mean that you are without merit. You have your talents that are different, yes, but " Jester's eyes gave a faraway look that made Rake think he wasn't really talking to him "special."

"Like a pea?" Rake felt he was finally connecting all the dots.

"Er-yes" Jester confirmed doubtfully "Are you drunk or am I?" He grabbed onto the bells of his hat and rang them in his ears. "No matter-the question that really lies in wait is, are you willing to fight to keep your love?"

"Yes. Yes I will" Rake admitted with renewed vigor. He wouldn't let Pepper slip through his fingers like dust and dirt. She was far more valuable than the earth itself, all it took was him showing that to her. Developing what they have wouldn't be easy, but he would try until he was successful.

'Or heartbroken' a small voice echoed in his mind, and suddenly Rake didn't feel as brave.

"Jester, since you seem to know so much about romance, then what is it I should do?" Jester always told tales of love. His new ballad of Gunther and Jane was one of Rake's favorites, second only to the one about the beets.

"Start off with small gesture. We will have to take baby steps with you and work our way up." Jester said matter of factly, almost as if he'd done this a million times before. "Gift her a trinket, something that will be the key to her heart."

"A gift? Well I am growing chrysanthemums at the moment."

"No-no! Normally flowers would be a splendid idea, but being that you gave her flowers time and time before, it might not stir her heart anymore." He leaned back down on the table, sitting on a leg to think more comfortably. "No, you will need something…unique."

Rake thought if his seedling, tucked gently in the ground. "Like from the Faire market?"

"Yes! Brilliant! Of course!" He stood again, jumped from the bench and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Be quick, last I passed by after a few dr-songs, they were just about closing up!"

"Oh no" Rake didn't hesitate any longer, making a quick, if not graceless, dash to his belongings. Opening a rusty chest he hid under his bed, he rummaged through his tools to pull out a hefty bag of coin. It'd been a long time since he'd even spent a shilling and over the years he'd accumulated his earnings until he found a good enough reason to buy something. Over his shoulder he could see Pepper and Smithy, in the kitchen still with empty bowls. The two chattered but Rake couldn't hear what they were saying until Pepper gave way to a loud laugh, the kind that made her nose wrinkle and her throw back, and suddenly Rake wished he would've accepted her offer for soup when she called to him. He stuffed the bag into his pocket and ran. Jester waved at him with great exaggeration, shouting words of cheer and encouragement that all seemed to blend together the farther Rake got from the castle.

When Rake finally managed to make it to the market, he realized how right Jester was. Most of the shops were closed, only scattered remains of wood and signs and cross owners complaining about the work. Although most of the merchandise had been packed, there was still a buzz in the area. The workers alone were enough to make him feel a bit overwhelmed and crowded. Rake approached each vendor to try and buy something, anything, but they waved him off as an inconvenience. He found himself more pushed along than he would've liked, but he didn't protest. Normally, travelers were desperate for coin, but Faire Day brought enough prosperity to last them more than a fortnight's worth of rest.

It was only after several minutes of managing himself through the crowd, searching keenly for something interesting, and avoiding two runaway chickens that he was able to find an open stand. A single item had yet to be put away; the merchant behind the counter whom was strangely dressed and had an impressive moustache, stood counting several coins in his hands.

"Are you open good merchant?" Rake approached him rather ruffled. The rush to find someone and the chicken ordeal had taken a number on his anxious heart.

"Why yes valued customer" the merchant brought to life a little smirk that made the tips of his moustache perk upward. "There is still business to be had. Has something caught your eye?"

"Not particularly" Rake admitted while he glanced around "I am looking for a present really. I am a gardener you see-"

"Oh" the merchant's voice fell flat, suddenly uninterested "I see. Well, take a look all the same. I believe I do have a tool or two you may be able to afford."

Rake nodded only half listening. There were so many trinkets to choose from! Could he possibly offer a ring? The thought alone made his face warm; perhaps that would be a bit too strong of a gift...just yet. His hands touched along the line of a particularly beautiful hair brush with a swirl patterned handle and small grapes painted on for design, but he stopped himself. Jane had already passed on enough hair accessories to last Pepper three lifetimes! Surely she was not in need of another. Just when Rake had began to feel the hint of anxiety creep its way back in his system, he spotted something peculiar. A locket in the shape of a key.

"The key to her heart" Rake murmured as he remembered Jester's words; his heart fluttering like spring butterflies. This was it! The perfect gift! He imagined that Pepper would understand just how special she was to him, how she alone could make him feel so weighted and light all at once. He wanted the key to her full person, no matter how many turns and twists the lock of love made him go through. Sadly, when he went to make a grab for the key the proprietor snatched it away.

"Sorry" he said in a tone that sounded insincere and genuine all at once "this item is no longer available for sale due to unfortunate reasons." He cast it a small glance before tossing it in the pocket of his orange tunic. "It has been quite the popular piece today. I cannot say you are the only one who was interested. Still, if it is an amulet you seek I have a small collection here" his hand gestured to a section of about four necklaces that Rake had yet to notice. They were fine in their own ways, but as he observed them he found a problem with each.

The first was a small silver owl with bright blue eyes; While Rake rather fancied it for the bird's beauty, Pepper on the other hand hated birds. She always complained of them trying to pick at her sweets through the grates of the kitchen windows. Admittedly, he had seen this first hand when he helped her get rid of a rather stubborn sparrow that was bent on taking a strawberry tart. The second and third were two flowers, a lily and a petunia, but Rake steered away from those on Jester's earlier advice. The last was-oh-well the last one was actually quite lovely. Rake held it in his hand for closer inspection. The pendant was circular in shape and though it wasn't very big, it was a beautiful dark red color that gleamed so brilliantly he had to give way to a small gasp. Why, he'd never seen something so enchanting before. Clearly this would not hold the same significance as the key did, but its beauty alone could put a smile on Pepper's face.

"I will take this one" gently he placed the pendant back onto the table, fearing any type of force might break his newfound treasure.

"Great selection" the merchant said rather dryly "Although I must admit that, that specific piece is rather pricey...at least for a gardener's salary."

"Oh?" Rake frowned "Are they difficult to make?"

"Ha! Far more than that my simple boy. One of a kind. Let us simply say it was...recovered from an ancient temple. The locals said it contains a special enchantment, one of-" the merchant stopped, trying to read Rake's expression for more context, but he found it was void of an particular emotional need. He scowled. "-Luck? Wealth? Love?"

"Love?" Rake repeated, face aglow with enthusiasm.

"Yes love, that is the one." The merchant's many rings gleamed as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Wow. Yes, I shall be purchasing it then. How much will it be merchant?"

A smirk that didn't quite make it to his eyes painted his face. "I would say for piece such as this-at least fifteen silver coin."

"Alright" Rake didn't protest against the objectively unreasonable price, but began unbuckling his coin bag "I believe I have enough here."

"Do you?" raising an questioning brow, the merchant cast Rake a dubious expression that would've made any other person snap quickly with indignation. Rake, however, hadn't seemed to notice the contemptuous tone in his voice or the look.

"Yes" he merely replied with a smile as he dug deeper.

…

Silently scoffing, the older man turned his view to the remaining crowd and was saddened to find only few workers remained. His eyes went back to Rake who was laying out, shilling by shilling, his coins on the table until he found a silver piece.

"I have one...two...three…"

Bored again, the man took a moment to rearrange a horn hanging from an upper shelf, and it was then that his eyes caught onto something worrisome. There, distinctly in the shadows cast by the harsh sunset, he spotted a figure moving through the crowd. Hidden by a large hooded cloak, the merchant strained to see a face but to no avail. The person stopped momentarily to grab a seller by the wrist, to which the woman protested, and searched her hands. They must've not found what they were looking for because they let go, shoved the angry merchant aside and kept searching.

A sense of unnerve crept over him. Surely whoever it was was on the search for something very specific. Someone with buyer's remorse perhaps? The figure made its way to another stand, also not bothering to listen much to the angry shouts of the worker. They must've flashed a hidden blade, because the brutish Romani man shut his mouth just as quickly and set his hands upward in submission. A sellsword? His eyes darted back to the amulet and like a flash of lightning it all made sense. "Damn it" he cursed under his breath. They were looking for the blasted stolen trinket, and more than likely his head as well. He needed to get rid of it now before the consequences became fatal. Still, he couldn't risk making a scene.

"Five-oh no my mistake" Rake chuckled.

The man's fingers tapped nervously, eyes shifting back from Rake's calm face to the hooded figure then back again. They were getting closer. He knew this mess would come back to bite him.

"Six...seven-"

…

"Here, yes thank you" the merchant interrupted, face dripping with sweat by that point. His hands fumbled as he brought the coins on the table closer to him. With a polite smile, he yanked the coin bag from Rake's hands and tossed him the necklace. "Pleasure doing business with you. Now if I may be so bold, I must be going. Clean up will take all evening and daylight is quickly coming to an end so" his hands motioned Rake to move along.

Rake marveled at the pendant once more. It's maroon color a breathtaking sight in the glow of sunset. The closer he looked at it now the closer he could see something etched inside, something oddly familiar like…

The merchant cleared his throat.

"Oh, right. Thank you!" Rake chimed as he put the pendant in his pocket and started into a jog back towards the castle. He felt absolutely giddy as he ran, already thinking about what to tell the cook once he presented her with the gift. Perhaps not all was lost for him, a clueless and now poor gardener in love.