Disclaimer: no. not even I can own such greatness.

She was just abandoned by Rake who went running off to be Jane's next victim. Pepper was in tears.

Terrible tears.

With no way to explain them.

None, at all.

L-L-L-L-L-L

It was Midnight, and the Castle was silently loud. So loudly quiet that she could've heard a feather fall to the stone pavement – even in her simple bed in the kitchens lying on her side. Pepper wondered if all nights where like this, silent; quiet; still, but she was just to busy preparing meals to notice.

She turned onto her back and looked up at the ceiling – the gritty ceiling that didn't have feelings or remorse or tears; just did its one job of holding up the walls and other things. Sighing, she closed her eyes and struggled to find sleep.

But it did not come.

Not the tiniest speck of it.

None, at all.

L-L-L-L-L-L

It was a good few months since they had broken, and Pepper could not shake away the memory. It was simply too haunting.

She would see it in her dreams, but once it started it became more likely a nightmare than a dream. Each and every word rang like a harshly earsplitting bell, each and every syllable crushing her heart to flames of ashes, each and every "I am sorry" panged and banged and bounced and struck her simple soul from all directions. It hurt her to maximum state where she would not let her tears show or flow in front of anyone – especially Jane or Rake.

She would keep them a secret by wearing a smile half-heartedly or being herself.

Pepper vowed not to show her feelings.

None, at all.

L-L-L-L-L-L

"Pepper," he stated nervous.

"Yes?" she asked hopefully looking up at him. 'Perhaps now he will confess he loves me!' the maiden thought hopefully.

The gardener scratched his neck. 'Yes he is! I know it!'

"Pepper, I-I am sorry, but-but I…"

The young woman frowned. 'No he is not. He-he is going to-to… No! This is part of the act. That is it!'

"Yes?"

"Pepper I cannot! I cannot go on."

'So this is it? No, I love you or marry me? No I love you?' Depressed she asked already knowing the answer, "What? Whatever do you mean? You cannot go on in the Gardens?"

He looked down now, looked down at her eyes and spoke calmly, "I am terribly sorry but I cannot go on. I-I cannot. Pepper, this is the end."

"The end of what?"

"The-the end of-of…"

Jane walked by them and stopped by Rake. "Hello Rake, Pepper." She studied Pepper than Rake than Pepper then walked away. The cook immediately got it.

"Oh. Right, well, I guess Jane will be happy," Pepper said trying to sound cheerful when obviously she was not.

"Um, well…."

"I am sorry. I cannot compete with her, seeing as though I am a cook and she broke history."

"You do not mind then?" Rake asked hopefully.

"Oh no. Go on ahead, I won't mind." Pepper carelessly said, but it was mind spoken. Her soul wanted to scream and punch and kick and kill and cry and shout at him for doing this to her.

"Well…I guess it is over then."

"Well, yes."

"I am sorry." 'No you are not you biscuit-weevil!' Pepper thought.

"Well go on then! Off you go, no use standing around here in the kitchens!" she cried furiously at him waving a spoon in his face.

He dashed out the door and she sat down and silently wept expecting no one to come tell her she would be alright.

She was right of course.

No one came.

None at all…

L-L-L-L-L-L

A tear-soaked Pepper awoke to the light of day. 'I am late! I overslept!' came the first thought of many thoughts. The second came when her vision (which had been blurred when she awoke) cleared and she saw the Blacksmith, Smithy, in front of her bed frowning along with Jester. 'What are they doing here? Shouldn't they be doing their chores?'

"Uh, Pepper. Is there something you want to explain?" Smithy asked her.

"Yes, why are you here?"

Jester stepped forward, "We – Smithy and I – heard you wail."

"Wail?"

"Yes you were crying mighty hard so Smithy and I wanted to see what was wrong."

"Wrong?" Confusion crossed her face.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" asked Smithy once more.

"Tell you?"

"DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?" he emphasized.

"Yes…"

Jester's eyes widened, "What? Whoever would hurt you shall feel the wrath of my juggling balls and bells!"

Pepper chuckled and wiped a few tears from her eyes. "It is over, a few months since it happened anyway. Never knew what Love could do to you until to late."

"Pepper what –" the Blacksmith began only to be cut off.

"Rake and I split."

"WHAT?" both young men asked disbelieving.

"Yes, to be with Jane."

"WHAT?" Jester said furious.

"Yes, to be with Jane," the cook repeated.

"But-but Jane she-she is mine. We are courting!"

"So it seems. Rake went off running in a sunset with her."

"No!" squeaked the Minstrel shaking.

Smithy walked next to Jester and tried to comfort him by talking softly to him. It didn't help though, he was still stricken. He kept muttering something in Italian - which Pepper thought were curses – and kept shaking his head and kept trembling. 'Poor Jester…' she thought.

It was a while until he calmed down and stopped the heavy flow of Italian from his mouth. By then, his hat had fallen off exposing his dirty blond hair and he had tears covering his magnetic silver eyes. "W-why?" he asked to thin air looking up to the ceiling trying to see the sky. "W-why Venus? What did I ever do?"

A spurt of light came then, causing all three of them to jump back in alarm. It was momentarily blinding with white and red light and a few hearts shooting out of the laminate of it all. Smithy, Jester, and Pepper covered their eyes for their sake of seeing. It ended as quickly as it started and out came a marvelous figure.

The figure had a bow and arrow with the arrows' points a half-heart; she had a white robe with some red twisted rope around the middle; white sandals showing toes and feet; curly brunette hair in a bun with a few ringlet strands framing her face; tan skin; and a beautiful face.

Jester, who was the first to uncover his eyes, squeaked and jumped back; then remembering his manners, clumsily bowed seeing her. "F-f-fair God-Goddess Venus!" he stammered.

"You may rise." Her voice was melodious and rich. Venus pointed to the other two who were shrinking back in horror. "Who are these?"

"These? These are m-my f-friends."

"And they do not bow to a Goddess?"

"W-well you see, t-they do not know who you are…"

"Enough!" she said holding her hand up ordering silence. Venus turned to Pepper and Smithy. "Ah, Verbena and Jethro; you would be a pair if I wanted to. But alas I chose otherwise; Verbena you where with Drake where you not?"

Pepper nodded. She couldn't speak. "And Jethro, you have not found a maiden yet no?"

Smithy nodded. He couldn't speak either. "Humph! Go to Italy for a chariot-race in a few years, see if you will find an Italian girl you will like. Love blossoms in Rome.

"As for you Verbena! I have a surprise, Clemens come here!" Jester stepped forward timidly. "No need to be shy! You two have known each other for years have you not?" Both Clemens and Verbena nodded. "Good so I thought!"

There was stillness in the air as Pepper was trying to digest that Jester's name was Clemens and that the woman in front of them was a Goddess named Venus. And judging by her arrows, she was the Goddess of love. The Goddess started to speak, "Now, I have read each of your thoughts on why I split you two with your courters…"

"Why did you…" Verbena began to ask.

"Do not interrupt Verbena! I have split the two because it simply won't do, so Pluto suggests…"

Jester cut in, "But he is the God of the Underworld!"

Venus turned to him and said approvingly, "Ah, so your mother has taught you well on your Gods and Goddesses. I shall repay her for it."

"But Pepper cannot… we cannot…"

"Who said you two would be a couple?"

"But- but is that not what you said?"

"It is what Pluto had suggested, not what I have got in mind." There came a sigh of relief from both of Pepper and Jester.

Pepper sat down on a chair next to a table and Smithy beside her. Jester sat across from them leaving Venus standing at the head of it all looking mighty pleased and slightly disappointed. "Perfect couple," she mumbled looking at the cook and the blacksmith. Both blushed and studied the ground. "Whatever am I to do with all three of you? One girl, two boys… simply not a good outcome on either side of it."

"You could leave us alone until you have figured it out, fair Goddess," Smithy suggested.

Venus looked at him and smiled showing pearl white teeth, "Yes I suppose I could…"

"Or…" began Pepper.

"Do not interrupt Verbena! How many times must I tell you? Whatever your plans are will result fatal to love." Pepper shrank back upon hearing this and was not content in the least. Venus sighed and sat on the floor and rubbed her temples. "What to do?"

Then she was gone with a crack leaving the three people stunned.

Pepper had not a clue where she went.

Not even the slightest.

In fact, she had none at all…