Chapter Seven.

Dragon watched Smithy curiously from atop his perch on the castle's battlements. Curiosity overcoming laziness, he swooped down to the ground outside Smithy's forge.

"Smithy, if I may ask… but… what are you doing?"

Smithy held in his hands a pair of clay feet and beside him was a very large sack of sand.

"Remember when we all decided to make imprints of our feets?"

"Yes."

"Well, this is Jane's."

"…So?"

"So, I made a bet with Jester, wherein he has to tell everyone his name if Jane gets proposed to at midnight, wearing glass slippers. And Gunther's proposing. Tonight. At midnight. So I'm making Jane shoes."

"Ahhh… Glass shoes, by any chance?" Dragon asked excitedly.

"You got it in one!"

"But… aren't you making her ring too?"

"Well… Yes… I still haven't figured out how I'm going to get these both done… But I know Jane would do the same thing for me. Remember that time when Jester had that huge crush on that gipsie girl who came to the castle and Jane spent a whole week trying to sew up a formal suit for him for that fancy ball that King Caradoc threw for them?"

Dragon nodded, "It turned out pretty good on Jingle boy…"

Smithy nodded, "Yeah, and she had to get ready to camp that time too."

"At least she didn't have to get ready for the ball that time too."

Smithy stilled, "Now that I think about, almost every ball that's been held Jane's had to help one or the other of us with some problem. The latest was Pepper dealing with finding out she was pregnant, so Jane spent the evening in the kitchen's consoling her and helping cook…"

Dragon frowned, "Still, why this ball?"

Smithy looked up, surprised, "Oh, didn't you know? This is the last ball before Jane becomes a knight. After this, it'll be compulsory for her, least she offend some dignitary or other."

Dragon's eyebrow-type-scales rose up, "That's tough."

Smithy nodded and the two stared at the sack of sand in silence.

"So… How do you make glass?"

'Well… You have to heat the sand up to a point that it melts. Unfortunately, that's a rather hot fire…"

Dragon brightened, "A Dragon's fire heat, by any chance?"

Smithy beamed at him when he understood the insinuation, "I say Dragon, do you want to try to make some glass?"

"It would be a pleasure! I do this all the time with Gunther! Didn't know it was glass though! Now, make sure you're a long way away Short life!"

Dragon wriggled cheerfully as he settled down in a crouch, readying himself when he suddenly stilled, "Part of the agreement wasn't that she had to say yes, was it?" he asked suspiciously.

"Ah… no. Not really." Smithy said absentmindedly as he poured out the sack of sand into a stone basin.

"Excellent, I'm looking forward to knowing Jingle boy's name!"

The fact that the ball would go for three nights was never mentioned before Jane went away, so she was due to arrive back mid morning that day and her mother was pacing anxiously.

"So much has happened! Ohh… Kate… marrying Gunther! O! Happy Days! I have to tell Jane! She will, of course, be the first Bridesmaid… Oh, and Princess Lavinia will be marrying the prince too! Oh, there is so much work to do!"

Jester was strolling by whistling, when he heard the Lady-in-Waiting muttering to her self.

"Wow… Kate… and Gunther?"

Rake had ambled by and greeted Jester amicably, "Hey Jest-"

Jester grabbed his hand and pulled out of the Lady-in-Waiting's sight.

"Did you know that Gunther's marrying Kate?"

"Well, I guess she is a nice girl…"

Jester gave him a withering stare.

"Okay, so she seems a bit… leafy… for the Gunther I remember to actually like. But, maybe his hand's being forced? The Merchant was always forceful about these sorts of things…"

"I suppose… But would he still be able to control Gunther? Gunther's a knight now." Jester mused.

"But, wasn't that the entire reason the Merchant even agreed to helping fund his training? So that he would have an important pawn and collect even more money?"

"So eloquent today Rake!" Jester jested, grinning teasingly.

"It's the carrots. They've come out beautifully!"

Jester stilled and clamped a hand over Rake's mouth when he heard the Lady-in-Waiting decided to go towards their pillar.

Unceremoniously, he pushed Rake out of sight and stepped in front of the Lady-in-Waiting's path.

"Oh! How'd you do, Lady Turnkey?"

"Ah, Jester! I have brilliant news - !"

Smithy frowned and spoke in a low tone, "Are you sure?"

Dragon nodded, barely keeping himself from breathing fire, "I'm sure, I heard it from the gardener. It seems that Gunther has changed his tiny dungball mind."

Smithy looked at Dragon worriedly, "But… I can't think of any one else more suited for each other! If he marries her sister… Jane and Gunther may fight each other all the time, but there's a respect between them that no one else can touch."

Dragon snorted, "How did the Lady-in-Waiting even hear about Gunther marrying anyone, much less Kate?"

"Gunther's marrying Kate?" Smithy and Dragon spun around in surprise to see a tired looking Jane trotting into the courtyard on the back of her faithful steed.

She smiled, slightly unfocused and dazed looking, "That's… uh, that's good for …him. And her… I hadn't realised that they'd gotten so…uh, close…"

Smithy nodded, "Neither did we." He said cautiously.

Jane ruffled her already ruffled hair, "I'm gonna go to…sleep…" She yawned.

"I'll put Moonshine away." Smithy offered.

"Thanks Smithy, I'll just grab my gear and put it away."

Everyone was silent as Jane unbuckled the horse's load.

"So… whats happening now?" Jane asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Oh! Um… Are you going to the ball tonight?"

Jane stared at him uncomprehendingly and sleepy, "Ball? What was it I did just a couple of nights in a row?"

"But… you have to go! It's a three night ball!" Smithy cried out,, his brow furrowing.

Jane grinned, "No I don't. Remember the whole reason why I wanted to go to this ball was the fact that I got the chance to skip any of the preceding ones without offending anyone!" She walked off whistling.

Smithy and Dragon stared after her.

Speechless.

"… Is that right?"

"…Yeah, I guess… I suppose that was the reason why she wanted to go in the first place, her last piece of a certain type of freedom, I think."

Dragon sighed, "Women."

Smithy nodded.

Speechless.

"Jane? Jane!" Gunther cried across the courtyard, seeing her as he came out of the kitchens.

Jane turned at the sound of his voice and grinned brilliantly. Dropping her things she ran, laughingly, into Gunther's waiting arms as he galloped up to her.

He spun her around as they greeted each other in such a familiar (and finally non formal) setting, happy to see each other in the way they always did and not through the mystique that was a masque.

The Lady-in-Waiting watched the affectionate greeting from a high up balcony.

"Oh no, that just won't do. At least Jane won't be at the ball tonight… Maybe I better insure that…"

She walked off mumbling.

On the other side of the courtyard, coming out of the Grand Hall, Jane's father saw their interaction and smiled indulgently at his (secretly favourite) daughter.

"Oh, yes, he'll be good for her… that's the most life I've seen out of her in months! And it's even straight after camping! She's usually not this happy until she's had her full night's sleep…" Nodding to himself, he unknowingly went in the same direction as his wife.

Jane finally made to the armoury. Going in, she hummed in delight at the familiar mess.

Gunther popped up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. Placing his chin on her shoulder he said, "I don't see why you like this mess so much."

Jane scoffed, "And how could you not? There's a beauty in chaos… and apparently order…"

"Whaddya mean Laddie? What mess? This is a highly organised environment!" Boomed a rough accented voice from near the back of the mess, loudly overwhelming Jane's reply.

Gunther laughed softly as he pressed his forehead against Jane's shoulder, "Of course it is Sir Ivan!"

"And don't you forget it Sir Gunther!" Sir Ivan heaved his form and large belly through two towering tables filled with various parchments that obviously held the blueprints of his many inventions. Gunther looked up at his old mentor again, his dark eyes twinkling at him as he grinned.

Jane smiled, "Where do you want me to put these Sir Ivan?" she held up the tent and the camping utilities.

Sir Ivan hoisted his belt up and pointed to a crowded table, "There'll be fine lassie." He grinned knowingly as Gunther hands unconsciously held onto Jane's hips for as long as possible as she walked away and they slowly slipped off.

"How did the charting go Jane?" Sir Theodore asked as he popped up out of the woodwork and Jane flashed him a smile. Reaching down and rummaging in her bag, she brought out two neatly rolled scrolls.

"Here you go Sir Theodore, the charting of the meeting of Ares and Aphrodite."

Sir Ivan sighed, "Ah… if there was such a love story as theirs…"

Gunther cocked his head to one side, "What do you mean Sir Ivan?"

"Well Sir Gunther,' Sir Ivan drawled, 'Ares was the God of War, but he fell in love with the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, and she with him. However, their union was forbidden as she had been promised to his brother. Love prevailed and they ran away, however the God of all Gods, Zeus, punished them and they were separated, only able to meet once every ten years."

Gunther glanced at a solemn and silent Jane, glad that wouldn't happen with him… hopefully. "What a sad story…"

Sir Theodore laughed, "It was on one of your last theory tests Sir Gunther!"

"I failed that question, didn't I?"

"Undoubtedly, boy." Sir Ivan heaved a laugh and turned away to get back to his latest invention. Sir Theodore nodded his head and disappeared mysteriously in his usual manner. Gunther turned, smiling, to where Jane was, only to find her gone. Gunther frowned, "That's odd." He shrugged.

"Stupid, stupid. STUPID!" Jane cried in her head furiously, "How could I forget he's marrying my sister?"

Speak of the Devil and he shalt appear…

Princess Lavinia and Kate were standing at the bottom of Jane's tower's steps, nonchalantly blocking her path.

"So… Big Sister…' the words almost rolled off Kate's tongue like a poison, 'Happy to see Sir Gunther again?"

She blinked, "Of course Precious, I've known him forever and I've trained with him for five or so years. Of course I'm going to be happy to see the familiar back."

Kate smiled almost… condescendingly, "Well, from now on in, I'd like it if you kept your distance from him… He is my future husband you know. Just because you'll grow to be an old spinster with no assets to rely on doesn't mean you should go around stealing other people's fiancés."

Princess Lavinia spoke up at that point of time too, "On that note, Jane, try not to have anything to do with the Prince either, I'm getting married to him."

Jane, at this point, had gotten past indignant to sleepy again. She knew she had to say something that wouldn't let them take dominance over her, as both an elder and a soon-to-be knight, but for the life of her, she couldn't be bothered.

"Okay girls, no worries." She yawned before pushing past them, ducking her head briefly and muttering 'Princess' respectfully as she passed Her Royal Highness.

Collapsing on her bed in pure bliss, Jane pushed all other thought from her mind and drifted off into an easy sleep, her dreams drifting around a tall handsome dark eyed man holding the hips of a beautiful red headed woman and whispering sweet endearments into her ear, before they were ripped apart by another woman, this one with long blonde hair and bone white, slender fingers that looked like talons. 'Twas Aphrodite and Ares… but why did that women look so much like her sister Kate?