Well, due to reviews from multiple people, I decided to go ahead and continue this story- after jumping around happily like some freak for about 5 minutes, I might add. Sorry to disappoint any J/G fans, this is strictly J/J. For some good, clean (well, T rated) J/G fluff, read Miss Pookamonga's Voluntary Madness; it's freaking brilliant.

Oh, had to edit a small statement in the first chapter regarding whether or not Jane is allowed to "court" or not. I figured at 16, she's probably allowed to court-in that time period she would have already been married but she's Jane and the series is slightly different with that marrying age conundrum (even Pepper, who's a year older, isn't even really courting Rake yet, where as in the real 8th century she would have been married already, without her own consent) - it's that she just doesn't want to, and her father respects that. (At least, he does in my mind)

I don't own this. The omniscient Martin Baynton does. *Sobs dejectedly*

But here it is! (I don't blame you for skipping that surprisingly long, rant-like A/N)

Lunacy?

Jester shifted under Jane, his face schooled into a careful mask. Jane looked into his tired face, recognizing said mask; he was upset about something. The dimming firelight weakened her vision, but she was used to patrols late in the night with Dragon, so she could see well enough to recognize that his blue-grey eyes held an expression much like their color, belonging to a stormy day. She stopped leaning into him and sat straight up on the small straw mattress, then turned so that she faced her best human friend, their hands lying between them. The Gunther voice spoke up despite Jane's best efforts to ignore it. Finally, some common sense; now continue this intelligent behavior, and get out of his room! Petal, you must find out what is troubling him; he is always there to talk to when you need him. Be there for him as well, or your relationship will never take a romantic turn! Romantic turn? Here Jane was inclined to agree with the actions suggested by the Pepper voice, though she was as confused as the Gunther voice when it came to any romance in her relationship.

"What is troubling you, Jester?" Jane asked, valuing her friend far more than a recently discovered case of knightly fright for her somewhat compromising situation. Jane felt her eyebrows furrow in concern. He looked at her blankly, saw her expression, then the blank mask slipped into an even more deceiving one; a confused look decorated his delicate features.

"Why would something be troubling me, Jane?" Jester asked. He put on a show of thinking thoroughly, though Jane knew he was doing no such thing. The young man continued, "The little majesties are doing well with their schooling, I have not had any problems coming up with ballads, and I even got a letter from my parents not a month ago!" Though the smile decorating his face was very nearly perfect, Jester's eyes remained turbulent. Jane felt a rock of apprehension forming in her stomach- if Jester would not just tell her what was wrong, what in the name of Caradoc was she supposed to do?

"Jester, may I speak frankly?" Jane asked nervously. Jester's fake smile disappeared, a true sarcastic smirk forming in its place.

"I'm not the king, Dear Lady Knight. You may speak as frankly with this Jester as you deem necessary. Though I suppose you could be even more frank than that, but I respond well to constructive criticism, not harsh words. That may have something to do with how I was as a small child. Always getting into-mmmph!" Jester looked down at the small, calloused hand covering his mouth, and then looked up at the young woman the hand belonged to. Jane quickly removed her hand, blushing for the second time in as twice as many minutes.

"You tend to babble when you're avoiding something, dear friend. What I need from you now, however, is not a long spurt of wit but to know why my best friend is troubled." Jane responded patiently. Surprisingly enough, the voices were quiet. Right. Because voices are not odd enough. Stated a sardonic voice, sounding like none other than the handsome, muscular young man whose room you invaded 3 hours before sunset! Jane resisted the urge to groan- she had brought this upon herself by being happy the voices were not there to torment her. Now she had a new one! The female squire shook her head as though the motion would dislodge the unwelcome opinions and returned her gaze to her friend.

"Why is Dragon troubled?" Jester asked. The question was asked in a voice so sincere that even Jane doubted the sarcasm- until she saw the tiniest movement at the corner of the man's mouth. Jane shooed away some rather undignified comments from the Pepper voice before glowering at the blond 19 year old.

"Jest-mmmph!" Jane began, her speech prevented with the same technique she had employed only a moment ago.

"Apollo." He stated, looking into the fire. Unlike Jane however, Jester did not pull his hand away from her face. Rather, the surprisingly soft palm moved from covering her lips to cupping her cheek, thumb ending at her earlobe and fingertips just past her hairline.

"Pardon?" Jane asked in a whisper. Now the voices were going frantic and Jane could see that Jester would not be speaking soon, so she took the moment to quiet them AGAIN.

Petal! He is touching your face! Does it not feel wonderful? Is your heart not soaring higher than you could ever go with Dragon?

Jane, you are a squire of Kippernium, training to one day fight to the death for your king, and a BOY is making your heart beat the way only a battle should!

First of all, it is dark. People do foolish things in the dark. It hides our secrets, but it also hides our shame, our inhibitions, and occasionally our true intentions. Why, then, do you expect any different from a young man who is responsible only for making others smile? He has more terror hidden than can be uncovered in one midnight confession. Jane blinked at this- OF COURSE Jester voice was witty and wise.

Briefly, Jane wondered where the reason with HER voice was.

Jester does not lie to Jane. He holds her secrets as safely as his own. In the dark he is the same as he ever was: a confidant, loving, and loyal.

Perhaps this time he is not the confidant but the confider.

This is RIDICULOUS! Jane should not be here in the first place!

It was at this point that Jane realized there was in argument taking place in her own skull, AND SHE WAS BEING EXCLUDED. She was unsure whether to be concerned or annoyed. A statement from Jester brought her surroundings back into focus.

"THAT is my real name. I wish- I wish for you to call me that in our private conversations. Not in public, because I do not think I am ready to let anyone else know. But you are my best friend in the world, even if I am not yours, and I wanted you to know the truth." Jes- No, Apollo said, biting his lower lip in a manner Jane had never seen, blushing in a way that matched Jane's own dull read cheeks. The blushing is because you are ashamed to have bothered and upset him. The Gunther voice suggested lamely. The blushing is because you could read between the lines of his speech and you know he loves you! Tittered the Pepper voice, which Jane found even less likely. Jane is blushing because Jester has his warm hand on her face and is rubbing circles on her cheeks with his thumb. Compromising situation or not, it makes sense that the skin there is red. Fools. Jane could not deny the irony: the voice of the fool was calling the other voices fools.

Jane, please say something. Jane shook her head harshly, trying to dispel the voices. Jane, have I upset you? She had voices in her head, drowning her out. Was she supposed to happy about that? Jane?.. Jane?

"Jane!" snapped the voice. The squire in question jolted, realizing her utterly humiliating mistake. The voice trying to get her attention had not been in her head at all; rather, it had come from a scared looking blond, whose hands were now on her shoulders, the warmth flooding through the muslin. Jane looked at Apollo, then stood up, resolving to go give him a comforting hug, propriety be damned. Perhaps he was only in pants and she a light night gown? He needed an embrace, as did she. Could a potential lunatic not ask for that much before being written off?

As Jane stood up however, there seemed a sudden darkness, as though all of the candles and fires had extinguished themselves, and Jane heard a thump, felt a sharp pain on her skull.

The last thing Jane heard was a cry of her name, the voice sounding utterly terrified.