Dear Readers,

CHAPTER 2 finally is up! Hope you enjoy...fluffiness to come in later chapters! Read and review, and happy new year!

Best Regards from a Bookworm,

Miss Pookamonga ;-P

Jane stared at the rose for a minute, then gingerly picked it up in her fingers. She was completely shocked. She knew that the only way the rose could have gotten on her windowsill was if someone had put it there. But who would leave her a red rose? Giving someone a red rose was a very forward expression of love and affection (at least, that's what Jane's mother had told her). And just thinking of the idea that someone had feelings for her was beyond Jane's comprehension. Who liked her enough that he would leave her a red rose? Who would be brave enough to so blatantly express his feelings for her?

Jane ran through the options in her mind, but none of them seemed to make any sense. There was Smithy, but he was too much older than she. Rake was a possibility, but no, he couldn't be the one, because he was obviously smitten with Pepper. Dragon would definitely not do something like this, and he would have absolutely no reason to because—well, because he was a dragon. And the prince—Jane laughed at this thought—he was just too young to think of giving such a serious present to any girl. That only left Jester and Gunther, both of which Jane could not imagine doing something so romantic. Jester was too scatterbrained, and if he ever did try to woo any girl, it would be by telling jokes and serenading her outside her window. And Gunther—well, he was out of the question, because he obviously did not like Jane very much, especially because she was his competition.

Jane sighed in frustration. Figuring out this mystery was going to be harder than she thought. Not that she had even been anticipating any of this to happen in the first place. Jane figured that she should talk to Dragon about it—but after her nap. She placed the rose in a small vase and filled it with water from her leather canteen. Then she lay back down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

When Jane awoke, she was surprised to see sunlight pouring through her window. She had been expecting it to be dark by dinnertime. I haven't slept all the way till morning, have I? Jane asked herself.

"Morning, sleepyhead," came Dragon's voice suddenly from the window.

"Oh, Dragon! It's morning already?" Jane said sleepily.

"Yes, it is! And a beautiful one, isn't it? Slept right through dinner, you did, like a rock. I tried waking you up but you were out cold."

"Ohh, my head hurts," groaned Jane, putting a hand on her forehead.

"If you ask me, I think you should go easy on the stick-fighting or whatever it is you do every day," Dragon said matter-of-factly. "You're going to wear yourself out if you don't."

Jane sighed. "I suppose so," she replied. "Although I was looking forward to fighting Gunther in another match."

"Oooh, does someone like our sarcastic knight friend?" teased Dragon in a silly voice.

"What are you talking about? All I said was that I wanted to practice sparring with him," retorted Jane, trying her hardest not to sound angry.

"Well, you spend an awful lot of time sparring with him," said Dragon in a somewhat mocking tone. "I'm beginning to think you rather enjoy it."

"I do," answered Jane hotly.

"Aha!"

"Not like that. I just like practicing with him because it's a challenge to fight him, that's all. There's nothing more to it," grumbled Jane.

"Oh. Sure," answered Dragon, with a hint of a teasing tone still in his voice.

"Will you let me change now?" Jane asked bitterly.

"All right, all right, calm down. I was just teasing you," said Dragon lightly as he backed away from the window.

"Thank you," Jane sighed tiredly as she closed the shutters. Sometimes Dragon could be such a pest. And at the wrong moments too. The last thing she wanted on her mind now was anything having to do with romance. Then she spotted the rose.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she moaned. What a wonderful reminder of the thing she least wanted to think about.

Once Jane had finished changing, she stepped out of her bedchamber, holding the rose. "Ready for breakfast, Dragon?" she asked a little more cheerfully than she had been before.

"Ah, yes," said Dragon. "Say, what's that in your hand?"

"Oh, uh, this?" said Jane, looking embarrassed. "I—I'll tell you later. Right now, let's just get something to eat."

Jane and Dragon headed off to the kitchens to see what Pepper had prepared for breakfast. Dragon said he was in the mood for mutton chops, although he had to admit that was a bit heavy of a meal for breakfast. Jane just laughed half-heartedly. Normally, she would pay more attention to Dragon's comments, but today she was distracted by the rose. Or rather, the question of who had given her the rose. She sighed to herself. She definitely was not going to have a peaceful day, as long as the question kept nagging at her.

Jane managed to hide the rose on her lap all throughout breakfast, and once everyone had finished eating and returned to their duties, she picked it up and showed it to Dragon.

"So, about this," said Dragon awkwardly, pointing at the rose.

"Let's talk somewhere where we can't be overheard," whispered Jane, spying Gunther's head through one of the castle windows. He, of all people, was the last person she wanted to know about this mysterious rose situation.

Dragon nodded and motioned his head toward the tower. Jane nodded in agreement and climbed on Dragon's neck. He took off, and in a few moments, landed gently on the stone pavement of the tower. Jane slid off his neck and sat down on the ground.

"Now, what's this secretiveness all about?" asked Dragon suspiciously, lowering his head to Jane's eye level.

Jane took a deep breath and spilled out the story of how she had found the rose on your windowsill the evening before. When she finished, Dragon looked at her with a smug expression on his face and laid his head on the ground.

"What?" said Jane tightly.

"Looks like Lady Jane has herself a secret admirer," said Dragon in his teasing voice.

"Oh, like that isn't obvious," snapped Jane impatiently. "The real issue is who this 'secret admirer' is."

"Hmm, well, it can't be Smithy—"

"—because he's too old for me," finished Jane in a frustrated tone. "And it's not Rake because he likes Pepper, it's not the prince because he's too young, it's not Jester because if he liked me he'd probably sing songs to me all day instead of give me a rose, and it's not Gunther because he doesn't like me."

"Well, how do you know Jester wouldn't give you a rose?" asked Dragon curiously.

"Well—because a rose is a serious token of affection, and...well...Jester isn't very serious," answered Jane, trying not to sound stupid.

" 'A rose is a serious token of affection'," mimicked Dragon in a high, sing-song voice. "Where did you hear—oh, wait. Your mother."

"Precisely," answered Jane. "And, well, I rather trust her on these sorts of things because she knows about them and I certainly don't."

"Oh, y'mean like courting and love and secret admirers—all those sorts of things," said Dragon teasingly.

"Oh, stop it! You're being no help," huffed Jane angrily.

"Sorry, sorry," chuckled Dragon. "Well," he continued, growing serious, "you never know. Jester could be the one."

"Maybe," Jane said thoughtfully. Somehow, she didn't like the thought of Jester being her "secret admirer." She didn't quite understand why—he was a perfectly nice boy and a loyal friend. And he wasn't bad-looking either. There was just something about the idea that Jane didn't like, and whatever it was remained an enigma to her.

"Earth to Jane," said Dragon suddenly, pulling Jane away from her thoughts.

"Oh, what? Sorry," said Jane.

Dragon rolled his eyes. "Daydreaming about him?"

"I thought you weren't going to tease me anymore."

"I'm not! I was just saying. Anyway, back to the subject. What about Gunther?"

"Hmph. He wouldn't think twice about me that way," laughed Jane.

"Well, again, you never know," answered Dragon. "All that banter during your sparring sessions might in fact be a sign that he likes you."

It was now Jane's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh, please, Dragon."

"No, really. Some people who fight a lot are actually made for each other. Take the king and the queen, for example."

"Dragon!" cried Jane incredulously. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"Well, it's true, isn't it? They do fight quite a bit."

"But not that much! I'd say Gunther and I quarrel more than they do," said Jane.

"Well, then, that's all the better! You two are just perfect for each other!"

"Oh, do stop," sighed Jane, shaking her head. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Excuse me, but I think I do," retorted Dragon. "You never know!"

"Gunther does not like me, Dragon," chuckled Jane. "Not one tiny bit."

"What's this about me I hear?" asked another voice suddenly. Jane and Dragon whirled around to see Gunther standing just outside the door to the tower platform.

"Gunther!" cried Jane in surprise, blushing in embarrassment. "What—what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," answered Gunther with an almost playful grin. "I was wondering when you were going to come and spar with me."

Dragon snorted in amusement. Jane frowned at him, then turned back to Gunther. "Well, I'm ready now," she said, surprised at how fast her heart was beating at the sight of him.

"All right then. But don't expect to win," he said smoothly. He opened the door and slipped back through.

"Did you hear that, Jane? He was looking for you," snickered Dragon playfully.

"Oh...be quiet!"

Jane spent the better part of her day sparring with Gunther, while Dragon looked on with a very self-satisfied expression on his face. Jane tried to ignore his looks, but she always ended up noticing them. She told herself that she shouldn't be bothered by Dragon at all—what did it matter if he thought Gunther liked her if it wasn't really true? There was nothing to worry about. But she couldn't help but think of the possibility...what if Gunther did like her? The thought unnerved her greatly.

It was late in the afternoon when Jane finally returned to her bedchamber. Like the previous day, she was exhausted from both her physical exertion and from hearing Gunther's jeering. She was once again quite ready to take a nap when she saw something on her windowsill.

"It can't be!" she whispered in disbelief.

But it was. Another red rose.