Ianto Jones spent the night in the servants quarters, gagging on the stench of things he thought he'd never wash from his skin. He thought of Lisa, far away in the castle. She was warm and safe, in the arms of another man, but warm and safe nonetheless. His features resembled many of the strong servants here and he vaguely wondered how many he might have been, or was more appropriately, related to.

The first of the morning light rushed him from his bed of itchy hay and strong wool blanket. He knew that he would not see Lisa again by his own timetable, so he sat with the squires of the knights and made small talk. Many of them had lived in villages breathing stories about Robin Hood and a few had studies small Latin phrases given to them by passing monks, which was severely taboo but customary of Welsh monks.

His mixture of gruel and the last of the hearty laughter was being depleted, when it was announced that his presence was expected outside of the gates, to wait for Queen Lisell. He was dressed in his suit for the over third day in a row, who would care to think farther?, but the prospect of a moment with Lisa to try and regroup and to plan strategics was enticing for him. Further, he missed her deeply. They'd been nearly inseparable since they met, even if it was just helping her to write a new file for a new screen saver program she was making.

She stepped into the light of the midday, and Ianto had to stifle a gasp. She wore a crown of gold against her hair with a lavender veil flowing slightly behind it. Her dress was the color of sapphires with small bands of gold in the sewn edges. Nearly a peasant dress, but just tasteful enough to pass for a day gown and to separate her from Welsh peasant women. Not that she would need any help with that.

"Jester, you must not stand against me gawking, but open the door for me." Ianto picked up his jaw from the floor after just a moment, hoping she was just enjoying being in character.

"Of course, dear Queen Lisell. I would not expect the privileged such as you to be sullied with the ground or such common dullities as retrieving ones own door." Ianto bowed with a flourish and he could see her mind suppressing a dangerous laugh. Her eyelid slanted as she passed, a hint of flirting passing between the two.

Once they were in the safety of a moving carriage, Ianto having already impressed the horseman and making sure he was compensated to silence, the barriers went down and he reached for Lisa. She was relieved to see that he hadn't had amnesia as well.

"What happened?"

"After I fell, I awoke in this bed wearing chambermaid clothes and hearing shouts. Then my name was called for and I happened upon the King having crashed his wife's head in with a vase. The poor man was panicked and I suggested a ruse of adultery and to have him marry me so that this ruse might bring you closer. I was banking on the fact that you might have landed in Cardiff, although why I awoke as a chambermaid with no memory, I'll never know."

"But how did you choose the name Lisell without knowing your own?"

Lisa shrugged. "He had a great aunt by that name."

"Well, I suppose the fates have created this giant billboard for the pair of us, never to be separated by circumstance."

"Some would just call that luck, Ianto."

"What was that quote? In my experience, there is no such thing as luck."

"You were always a bit of a pessimist, weren't you?"

"And you put too much faith in fate."

"Ianto, hold on, why are we driving away from the city?"

The horseman would not listed to their shouts and they drove deeper into the forest. Ianto felt his face become flush with unknown danger. Unknown danger and the arrow that pierced the wall directly opposite of him. The carriage stopped and Lisa looked at Ianto, biting her lip. A voice directed them to leave the carriage immediately.

Lisa stepped out after Ianto and both immediately had their legs kicked out from underneath them, so they leaned against the soft carpet of forest.

"Strip them and leave them for the dogs of the forest, such as courtesy for the folk of court deserve." A man sneered at them. Most of what Ianto could see was a simple shoe and a very large club.

"Wait a moment."

"What do you say to me, new court jester?"

"You're making a big mistake."

"My friends and I don't make mistakes. The tyranny in this empire deserves to see what it does to decent folk." There was a slight cheer of voices risen around Ianto's head.

"You don't sound Welsh."

"I'm from elsewhere."

"Can I sit up and see your face at least? Give the courtesy which men demand of one another."

He heard an audible sigh. "If you wish."

Ianto was raised back up to his full height and Lisa raised back to her knees. Ianto's eyes went large. "I know you."

"I'm sure I would remember meeting one like yourself."

To be continued...