Jester stared absent-mindedly into his soup as he poked the floating chunks of beef to the bottom with his fork and allowed them to rise once more to the top. He had been doing this for some time before Pepper noticed he was not eating and became worried.

"Is something the matter, Jester?" She asked tentatively, "you usually love my beef and vegetable soup."

"Huh?" Jester grunted as he realised he was being spoken to and roused himself out of the rather morbid daydream he had been having. "Sorry, Pepper. It's delicious, I just… I'm worried about Jane."

"There's no need to worry about Jane," began Smithy from the other side of the table, "She knows how to take care of herself."

Jester sighed, "I know, but I just keep thinking what if something happens? What if she falls in a hole or something and Dragon isn't there to help her out?"

Rake, being his usual nervous self, began to let his imagination run away with him.

"What if she does fall in a hole? Or a cave collapses on her? Or she's attacked by bandits? Oh! What if she and Gunther get into one of their fights and end up chopping each other's heads off!? Oh no, Jane…"

Pepper gave Rake an affectionate slap over the back of the head. "Don't be ridiculous. Jane will be just fine."

"Pepper's right," Smithy continued, "Jane is strong, brave and resourceful. She will come back to us in one piece."

Jester sighed, "You're right. Thank you for the meal, Pepper." Then he stood and left the table, his bowl remained untouched.

"They're right you know?"

Dragon appeared over the castle parapets as Jester sat alone on the old swing.

"You heard all that did you?" Jester asked without looking up.

"I worry about her too," Dragon replied.

Together the two sat in companionable silence for a while, both lonely and worried for their best friend.

Pepper watched Dragon and Jester from her kitchen window whilst mixing a large bowl of raw bread dough.

"I am worried about those two, Rake," she told the gardener as he waltzed in to deliver a large basket of vegetables. "Since Jane left, all they do it sit and mope."

"Perhaps we should try to cheer them up" suggested Rake, "We could throw a 'Jane's going to be fine' party?"

"I do not think that another party is going to work this time, Rake." Pepper replied sadly and began to pull the simple silver chain from around her neck. Glancing down at her pale, work-worn hands, she removed the delicate golden band that hung from the chain and twisted it nervously on to her finger, its one small diamond gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun.

"I know we were going to wait until after Jane got back to tell them," Pepper blushed as she took the gardener's tanned, dirty hands in her own, "but maybe they need some good news in the meantime?"

Rake nodded his consent, and the two walked to the garden hand in hand to tell their friends of their upcoming nuptials.

The moon was high in the night sky as Magnus wrapped his expensive fur cloak tight around his massive frame and bustled out into the night. He came to a dark alleyway in the marketplace. Standing there was a hooded man dressed all in dark leather, a belt of knives strapped around his waist. The merchant offered the man a small leather pouch. The man opened the pouch and the metallic clink of gold coins broke through the silence of the alleyway.

"So, this red headed girl..?" the assassin began to ask before being interrupted by the merchant.

"Just get it done," he muttered before his enormous frame went skulking off into the night.