Mask Off for the Moment
DISCLAIMER: "Jane and the Dragon" belongs to Martin Baynton and company. This is merely a whimsical piece of fan fiction made for no other profit than the joy of receiving reviews.
NOTE: I finally finished the whole series and it left me pining for more! So to "celebrate" having completed "Jane and the Dragon", I have decided to post a "trilogy" of one-shots on this special date, 09-09-09. All three will focus on a single event or person but from different perspectives.
I am so thankful for all those who read and reviewed my past attempts at "JatD" fan fiction. I am still a newbie to this fandom but I hope I can contribute more to it as time goes by. JatD has so much potential! I also hope they continue the series somehow.
This could be JanexGunther or just general. You decide.
This is the first in the trilogy but you don't really have to read them in order.
This is also to "celebrate" 09-09-09. One day. 9 posts (new stories or updates).
Enjoy.
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The young squire sank into an exhausted heap under the shade of the large tree. It had been a grueling week so far and his whole body was aching from extreme exertion. This was the first time he had to take a short break from all the work.
And the worst part was that his exhaustion was not due to knight's training, but "helping" his father load and unload barrels and barrels of new cargo at the wharf.
Gunther leaned his head against the bark of the tree and sighed ruefully.
Because the Merchant had insisted on his "service" for the whole week, Gunther had been forced to miss all of his knight's training, the only activity that felt worthwhile to the young boy.
He was over-fatigued and also behind in classes.
Champion, he thought bitterly as he watched the leaves being blown about by the light afternoon breeze.
No doubt Jane would be way ahead of him now. She already had the unfair advantage over him because of her friendship with dragon. And it didn't help that Sir Theodore always seemed to favor her over him.
No offense to Sir Ivon, Gunther thought, but Sir Theodore seemed to have more experience as a knight and more wisdom to impart. Sir Ivon was capable but his expertise lay more in creative weapons-making, something neither Gunther nor Jane was extremely interested in.
Sometimes Gunther thought that Smithy and Sir Ivon would get along better.
Nevertheless, the dark-haired squire felt that his presence had not been particularly missed. Especially not after they had found him hoarse and humiliated at the bottom of the pit he had dug to trap the wild boar.
He had made some exaggerated excuse or other but he knew that Sir Theodore somehow suspected the truth, and that greatly disheartened Gunther. It wounded his pride as well.
After all, Jane and Dragon had been allowed to join the hunt and he had been assigned to merely dig a pit. And to think of how he gloated over such a task in front of Jane!
Gunther frowned as he remembered a number of similar incidents. As much as he hated to admit it, Jane was the smarter squire.
Whatever she lacked in physical ability, she more than made up for in cleverness, resourcefulness, and integrity.
Qualities which, much to his dismay, Gunther did not always exemplify.
The more he pondered the situation, the more Gunther could not escape the fact that he was not as good at Jane when it came to knighthood. Just her loyal adherence to the Knight's Code was enough edge over him.
And sometimes, she had to remind him of this code before he would follow it.
Sir Theodore saw this and rewarded Jane for it, and now that Gunther thought about it, such treatment was just.
It was unfair to think that Jane was better because of Dragon's help. She was just inherently talented.
In the light of his inadequacy, Gunther always tried to compensate in many ways. But his methods were unfortunately influenced by his exposure to his father's underhanded scheming.
Sometimes Gunther wished he was not as conniving as the merchant, although this may be the only legacy Magnus ever left him.
Gunther had tried to cover up his faults by fawning and flattering Sir Theodore and trying everything he could to impress the older man. Jester had even tricked him into doing extra work before.
And he, in his ignorance, fell for the cleverly laid trap of the trickster.
But Gunther knew that all these showy displays of nobility were nothing to Jane's sincere and honest industry.
Sir Theodore was above such shallow tactics as Gunther employed and the squire knew deep down that he would never win the older man over by his flattery. The experienced knight would be able to sense the squire's insincerity.
But life was so utterly difficult and complicated.
As he leaned back further against the tree, Gunther tried to get some sleep, much of which he had been missing because of the work his father had coerced him to do, constantly reminding him that his knight's training was paid for by the merchant's trade.
Gunther hated having to be reminded of how indebted he was to his father. He dreamed of the day when he would be the boss and when his father would work for him.
But the more he missed training, the further away from him this dream seemed to fly.
The dark-haired squire closed his eyes and sighed, relishing the silence and solitude of his favorite spot. The huge tree was located outside the castle but not far from the walls. It wasn't quite at the village yet and it was off the side of the road so no one really passed that way.
It was his "secret" hideaway, a place where he could set aside all the concerns that burdened him so greatly.
Jane had said once that he was not familiar with the concept of work.
How wrong could she be! Gunther thought.
Maybe not work in the same way that she imagined it to be, he pondered further, but he knew very well what heavy, taxing, backbreaking work entailed.
And this wasn't just because he was always his father's errand boy.
Gunther Breech worked hard.
He tried to cultivate his tastes to match those of Sir Theodore or King Caradoc, to like the same things they do, to eat the same food they ate, even if his true tastes were as simple as those of the townsfolk.
He worked hard at knight's training so that he could one day achieve the status that would free him from his father's yoke.
He worked hard to earn his father's approval, although this often conflicted with his own judgment and adherence to the knightly code.
And despite the little affection he had for his father, Gunther always tried to protect the old man; sometimes taking the blame for the latter's crimes and feeling the brunt of punishment.
The squire tried his best to walk tall and proudly, to hide his own fears and insecurities.
And he worked to balance those conflicting desires within him. While he wanted to appear noble and great and above the rest, Gunther secretly, desperately also wanted to be liked.
And in that final endeavor, he believed he was failing.
"Jane, you have no idea," he whispered, secretly addressing his fellow squire, "I do know what it means to work."
He opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards the castle walls and thought of the people who lived there.
Rake, Pepper, Smithy, and even Jester. They had all treated him well, in spite of his own arrogant and haughty treatment of them.
Sure, they would sometimes laugh at his expense but such jokes were never really meant to give offense.
And Jane treated him well, too, more than he deserved.
Considering how many times his father had tried to manipulate the situation to bring Jane down, she always treated them both with respect and honor.
And that was why whenever he could, Gunther would foil his father's plans, especially when they involved putting Jane at a disadvantage.
Contrary to what she believed, he did have a sense of honor. Although it did not always show.
She was probably the closest he had to a friend in that palace. And something inside Gunther told him that if he would drop his act of being arrogant and taunting, she could even like him.
Gunther shook his head.
There was no occasion for such thoughts. He had an image to keep, even if it was far from the best.
He did not really want to be such an unpleasant person. But he knew that if his father ever saw him building friendships with the others, especially with Jane or her Dragon, the Merchant would force him to exploit such friendships, and in so doing, destroy whatever respect the others would have for him.
And he didn't want that.
Somehow, Gunther did not believe, as his father did, that all relationships were formed for you to take advantage of another person to forward your own goals and ambitions. He hated that standard.
And that was why he was working so hard, alone, to try and fulfill his dreams.
If he involved any others, they were only likely to get hurt.
Therefore it was important to conceal all that he truly felt and believed until he was able to achieve all he needed to.
Gunther also hoped that when that time came, it would not be too late for him to change.
As much as he wanted things now to be different, he knew that it would be best for things to remain as they always were.
He breathed in the cool and comforting breeze as it blew upon his face.
In a little while it would be time again to resume the masquerade.
But not yet. He needed some rest.
He would allow himself this little luxury and leave his mask off for the moment.