Author's note: Make sure you read the updated version of Chapter 2 where I introduce Jane and Dragon. This chapter has a little Jester/Jane stuff, a short sparing practice, and a ton of backstory for Smithy and Marion. Poor Gunther, he has it rough this chapter. I'll try to make it up to him in later chapters. Hope you enjoy!
The warmth of the early afternoon always made Jester feel lethargic. He sat beneath the cherry tree humming quietly while watching Jane spar with her practice dummy. Worn out by the heat, she soon dropped her sword and joined him. Jester's heart thrilled simply at the nearness of her. She might be all sweaty, but she was still Jane and she was still the dearest person in the world to him, even if she did not know it. Together they watched as Marion pulled the laundry tub next to Smithy's forge and then carried over several buckets of water and a basket of linens to fill it.
"Jester, what do you know about Marion?"
"I know she is from a farm out beyond the causeway….and I would venture to guess that there is more to her than meets the eye."
"Hmm… it would certainly take some courage to travel all that way and then go before the King and Queen." Jane turned to look him in the eye. "You know what? I think she needs a nickname. It might help her feel like she belongs."
"I believe you are right. Now, let me think." Jester began with a twinkle in his eye. "Most of us have nicknames that describe what we do, like Pepper or Smithy. Maybe we could call her broom…" Jane started to giggle. "Or dustpan… or bucket… or brush…" Jester could barely hold back his own chuckles. "Or soap…or… or bubbles!" They both doubled over in a fit of laughter. When Jane snorted, they laughed only harder.
"Those will never do!" cried Jane merrily. "Oh Jester, what would I do without you? No one is able to make me laugh like you." She smiled lightheartedly over at him. Glancing toward the stable door her smile turned to a frown. "Gunther has brought the merchant with him to watch our afternoon sparing practice. If there are two things I dislike, they are having the merchant around and having to practice in such heat."
Reluctant to give up her company, Jester said, "Speaking of heat, why do you suppose Marion wears that bandana over her head. It must be terribly hot under that."
Jane gave him with a half smile. "I find that a rather ironic statement." She looked knowingly up towards his own ever-present floppy hat.
"Well, my hat denotes my position. It is as much a part of me as my own name. Besides, imagine the terrible hat hair I would have on a hot day like today." Jester replied, a mischievous smile lurking behind his eyes. Slowly he stretched, stood, and helped Jane to her feet.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Gunther had heard much of their conversation. He glanced over at the laundry maid and thought Marion is it? I bet she keeps her hair hidden because she is extremely plain…perhaps she is even bald! With a rather ungracious chuckle, he turned to face Jane in the practice field.
Slowly the two knights in training circled each other, both watching for an advantage. Suddenly they were a blur of motion and sound, as their wooden swords crashed against each other. Round and round the practice yard they went first on the attack, then acting in defense.
"Good hit, Jane!" Jester called encouragingly, only to wince moments later as Gunther's sword slapped her arm.
The match would have latest much longer if not for Jane's moment of inspiration. She began to slowly inch her rival closer to the forge. Marion saw them coming near and quickly backed out of the way. Gunther realized her plan only too late as he tripped over the laundry tub and ended sitting in the middle of soapy water. He looked so comical that Jester, Marion, and Smithy couldn't help but laugh. Gunther felt his face flush. How dare they laugh at me!
"Well done, Jane." called Sir Theodore. "A knight must always be aware of her surroundings and how they can be used for or against her. That will be a lesson that I imagine you, Gunther will not soon forget."
At the laughter of the castle staff, the merchant's face had also turned a deep red. He marched across the practice yard, grabbed his son by the arm, and yanked him through the stable door. Though out of sight, some of Magnus' angry words could still be heard in the practice yard. "Pay good money….beaten by a girl! ...a complete disgrace!"
With that, the merchant stormed out of the castle and an embarrassed and angry Gunther walked back into the practice yard alone. This is all that laundry girl's fault. If she had not left her tub out in the open like that! And how dare she laugh at me! I am a knight-in-training; she is nothing more than a maid…"
Jane and Jester had hurried off to tell the story to Pepper and Rake. Their laughter could be heard coming from the garden. Marion and Smithy had returned to their duties. Gunther stopped in front of Marion and looked down on her with a sneer.
"Hello little laundry maid," he said with a haughty smirk. "I imagine that you must be quite an unsightly creature to feel the need to cover your hair on a hot day like this."
"No sir. That is not why I wear the bandana." Marion replied without raising her head.
"Ha! I bet it is and you are too vain to let us all see how very ugly you are. Well, allow me to help cool you off on this very hot day." Thus saying, he reached down and pulled the cloth off her head revealing reddish gold hair which was twisted into a knot at the back of her neck. It was a color darker than the queen's hair, but much lighter than Jane's. Marion's mouth formed into a hard line, but still she did not look up or stop her work. She was actually quite lovely. At first, Gunther was taken back, but soon resumed his teasing.
"Why your hair is the color of gold! I have heard the tale of the peasant girl who could spin straw to gold, but never the tale of the girl who had hair of gold. I wonder… if I were to cut off a piece would it turn to gold in my hand?" He laughed meanly down at her, twirling her bandana on his finger.
Slowly she stood to face him. Anger flashed through her eyes. "Sir knight, you may have a nasty father, and you may have lost the match against Jane, but that is no reason to take it out on me!" Sunned that a servant would say such a thing to his face, Gunther allowed the full force of the frustration and anger that had been building in him all day to take over.
"Why you little..." Gunther raised his hand the strike her. Marion flinched and closed her eyes, preparing herself for the slap…that never came. She looked up to see Gunther's hand held in mid-air by an arm that seemed to have come from nowhere.
A deep, angry voice from behind her said, "Do not lay a hand on her!" Gunther's eyes bore angrily into Smithy's then slowly he lowered his arm.
"Very well, but I will keep the bandana." Gunther snarled before storming off.
"Oh Smithy" Marion whimpered as she turned around, buried her head in his chest, and began to cry.
Uncertain of what to do, Smithy put his arms around her and said quietly, "It will be alright. Gunther knows better than to pick on you now."
Gently pulling her away from himself, he walked her over to his workshop. She took a seat and he brought her a clean cloth and a cup of water. Smithy then walked over to the fire and began shaping a piece of metal, glancing over at her between each beat of the hammer. This girl is just a bundle of surprises. She has the courage to travel alone over unfamiliar territory. She has the humility to serve without complaining and the grace to take an insult without losing her temper. She showed bravery in standing up for herself to Gunther, and then bursts into tears immediately afterword.
Stupid tears, thought Marion. Smithy's going to think that I am nothing but a crybaby or just another silly girl. Watching him form the metal into a "U" and listening to the beat of the hammer was somehow soothing. She slowly regained her composure and wiped the remaining tears from her face. When Smithy saw she was back to normal, he dropped the horseshoe into a bucket of water and came to sit by her.
"I am not normally like this." Marion started apologetically. "It is not like me to lash out at people like I did to Gunther or to suddenly burst into tears. It is just that this is all so new and I have been so frightened and I miss my home."
"It is completely understandable. You have had a long, hard trip. As for Gunther, you spoke only the truth to him. He had a pretty rough day today as well. Yet, I have never seen him be so hard on someone like that before." For a few moments they sat in silence. Smithy couldn't help but admire her golden hair. "Do you mind if I ask why you wear a bandana? I am certain your lovely features would bring you many admirers." He smiled bashfully at her.
"That is exactly why I keep it covered. You see, when I was only seven the boys in my town used to chase me around and call me names. Some of them would even whisper to each other that if they could cut off a piece of my hair it would turn to gold. One day they caught me and someone pulled out a knife. They each cut off a piece of my hair until a neighbor boy came along and chased them off. He spoke kindly to me and walked me back home where he explained to my parents what had happened. Before he left I made him promise to come and see me again. Mama disliked him immediately because he was only a 'poor, farm boy' and she had much greater plans for me. Father, on the other hand, liked him immediately." Smithy had leaned forward and was listening quite intently.
"So it happened that the neighbor boy and I spent all summer together and the town boys left me completely alone. He never once made a teasing remark about my hair, though it looked quite terrible until it had grown back. We would play in the fields, or the woods, or at our favorite spot down by the creek. I would play house. He was always building or carving something. Several of which he would give me to hide away in our little treasure spot. He loved just to sit and watch the animals too. He could tell you more about a pig or horse then anyone I ever knew." She smiled fondly at the memory.
"He had a special nickname for me…"
"Lily," chimed in Smithy with a grin spreading from ear to ear.
"Lily." Marion stopped and stared up at Smithy. "He …called me that because…"
"Because the color of your hair reminded him of the flowers his mother loved to plant near their house." Smithy finished for her, rising from his seat.
Marion, too, stood. In wonderment and hope she asked quietly, "Jethro?"
At his nod, she jumped and threw her arms around his neck. Grabbing her around the waist, he spun her around the forge. Gently he set her back on her feet and they sat again to talk in earnest.
"Oh Jethro, I have missed you so much! You were such a silly boy when it came to flowers. Your mother never did grow lilies, they were all buttercups!" She laughed merrily.
"Well, Lily fits you better than Buttercup anyway." He replied with a smile. "Lily. Oh it feels good to say that name again and even better to see your face again. You know, when I first saw you on the road this morning there was something hauntingly familiar about your eyes, but I just could not place it. Then when you began your story, I could hardly believe my ears."
"You must tell me what has happened over these past four years. The day you disappeared I did not know what to think. Mama would tell me nothing of your whereabouts. I began to fear that you had somehow died on that truffle hunting trip."
"There is not much to tell. When Pig popped her head out of the grass it frightened the King's horse. Fortunately I was able to grab the reins and calm her down. The King was so impressed with me that he immediately offered a position at the royal stables. They came to get me the very next morning. I barely had time to say goodbye to my own family. They would not allow me an extra ten minutes to run up the road and say goodbye to you. As time passed I took on more responsibilities here until I was the only one left to keep the stables and run the blacksmith workshop."
"Did you never come back to see your family in all those four years?"
"Yes, I have been home three times. When I came over to your house, your mother told me that you were out on a long walk with a young man from town and that you never wanted to see me again. But that did not stop me from coming by again and again. The last time I was home, your mother hinted that she hoped to soon be working on your wedding clothes. I asked who the young man might be and she named the son of the richest man in our village. I was ready to give up all hope when your father called to me from the barn. He said not to worry and not to listen to his wife. He told me that you missed me a great deal and that he would find a way to bring us together."
"Dear father, he has always known my true feelings, no matter how mother would try to persuade him otherwise. Those times you were home must be when she would send me off on sudden trips to my uncle's house in Peasburry. I was not even around to know you were home. Some of what she told you is true, though. The boys from town would try to walk me home or call on me, but I wanted nothing to do with them. Mother would talk and talk about how nice they were and how I deserved a better life. There was one boy in particular that she hoped I would marry. He would come by every night and I would have to sit with him. He was certainly rich, but had few other good qualities. Finally one evening when I had taken all I could stand I looked at him and at mother and said 'I would rather never marry, then spend my life with him!'" Eyebrows raised, Smithy could hardly contain his chuckles.
"I know that was terrible of me to be so unkind, but I could not take any more of my mother's pleading or that boy's tedious company. It was not long after that father convinced mother to let me come here where perhaps I might catch the eye of some knight or nobleman."
"For that, I will be forever in grateful to him." Their eyes met and he winked playfully at her. "Come on," said Smithy, pulling her to her feet. "I need to reintroduce you to everyone as Lily, the golden-haired girl of Pebblebrooke."