I DO NOT OWN THIS GENIUS. IT BELONGS TO THE WONDERFUL MARTIN BAYNTON

Jane groaned and rolled over on her straw mattress for the umpteenth time. She did not understand how she could wake up extra early to help Pepper in the kitchen, spar for 4 hours with Gunther, help Sir Ivon with his extensive weapon collection for 2 hours, help Pepper cook supper, help her mother put Lavinia to bed, go on a walk with Jester, go on patrol with Dragon and still not sleep. Jane sighed, running her fingers through her long, tangled red curls, and swung her legs over her bed so that her feet rested on the floor.

"Maggots!" hissed Jane through her teeth. She tiptoed to her window, and heard Dragon snoring-loudly, at that. Jane could not help but to crack a smile, albeit one with clenched teeth. Her best friend would be no help at all. Pausing at the thought, Jane considered an alternative. Jester! It would be rude to wake him, but perhaps he would not be too cross? Jane smiled at the thought.

She walked the few feet to her door then paused, realizing her nightgown was a far cry from anything her best (human) friend had ever seen her in. Jane bit her lip, wondering at the propriety of him seeing her with her arms bare and her aggravating curves not wrapped flat as they usually were.
Ignoring what may have been her better judgment, Jane went down the flight over stairs to the courtyard, and knocked at Jester's window, hoping he was a far lighter sleeper than Dragon. She heard grumbling from inside the room and smiled despite herself.

"What in the name of Caradoc- " Jester complained, then stopped short upon seeing his best friend. "Jane, though I care greatly for you, and I hope I can assume my friendly affection is requited, what on EARTH are you doing at my window 3 hours before sunrise?" Jester asked, his face stuck between expressions of exhaustion, frustration, and affection.

"I cannot sleep, Jester, and Dragon is not awake, so I needed someone to be with until morning." Jane explained pleadingly, giving Jester the largest eyes and best pout she could muster.
Some place in the back of her mind, and argument was taking place between two voices, one of which sounded, bizarrely enough, like Pepper, and the other one, even more surprisingly, sounded like Gunther.

Jane! The Gunther voice hissed, Do you realize how foolish and feminine you sound? How can you expect to be treated like a knight if you're using the same eyes on Jester that Lavinia does when she wants something?

No, Petal, do it! Jester has supported your dream more than anyone else. He, of all people, knows that besides being a knight, you are also a woman. He, out of all people, is the ONLY one to call you "Lady Knight!" The Pepper voice said, using memories to strengthen its argument. Jane found herself giving into the feminine side of her far more easily than she had when she had argued with her mother over a ball gown. Nodding her agreement, she fluttered her eyelashes hopefully up at Jester, the Gunther voice yelling at her once more- Jane, do not be a fool! Fluttering your eyelashes? REALLY!- before she shook her head free of the odd, imagined voices.

Jester blinked before answering, an odd expression on his face. "Sure, Jane, come in. My door is not locked, so you can just.. um.. yeah.." He seemed flustered and Jane had to vigorously shake her head to dispel anything that the Gunther voice was preparing to yell at her.

As she walked into his room, Jane noticed in the dim firelight that her best friend was almost as red as one of Rake's roses. She looked down at her light shift, which covered only gentle undergarments, and felt her face heating up as she realized, for the first time, that Jester was even less prepared for a midnight visit- he was wearing only a light brown pair of leggings.

That is slightly distracting. Jane thought, suddenly stumped as to why she had come down to Jester's room. Maggots! That is not just slightly distracting, that is VERY distracting. Come, Jane, act like a proper knight and leave! Can you not see Jester is very tired? The Gunther voice said. Jane rebelliously and boldly decided to act in a way unbecoming of either a knight in training OR a young woman long since eligible for a courtship (but refusing to consider it.)

Jane walked over to Jester, took his hand, and sat down with him on his bed, leaning into his shoulder, her nosed pressed against his neck, feeling the warmth coming in waves off of his slender but surprisingly muscular frame. Though she felt him stiffen in a way that made her stomach turn in a way that was disturbingly pleasant, Jane made no effort to move.

Why are you enjoying this! The Gunther voice yelled, but Jane ignored it.

A/N: Reviews? Please? First upload I wasn't sure to continue but there was enough interest. I fixed a minor discrepancy and the author's note. Should be 3 chapters total, I think.

Oh, I had someone mention they were having trouble discerning which voice was which. Bold is Gunther, Italics is Pepper, Underlined is Jester.