A/N: I just realized we've had a starvation of Dragon in this story... I'll have to write a side story to explain why! I'll tell you when it's uploaded. For now, you'll have to put up with a pathetic attempt to explain it here. Also, I'll be uploading Jester and the chamberlain's talk separately too, once I finish it. It's called Nerves.

Disclaimer: All of these lovely characters belong to Martin Baynton, the man whose brain I wish I had when it comes to creative thinking.

Questioning

"What do you mean, courting Jester?" Jane heard Rake ask. She groaned aloud, partially from the pain in her skull, partially from exasperation with Pepper. Jane knew Pepper meant well- when she shared secrets she did it out of excitement for her friends, not to harass and force judgment- but the woman really could not just keep quiet! Good this Pepper is not the knight to be; she would never withstand torture should the occasion arise. She would not even make it to the chamber; she would share simply out of the kindness in her heart. Jane felt her mouth twitch in dark mirth at the thought.

"Did you hear that?" Jane heard the young man say. Then she heard footsteps and a yell "I think she has awoken!" More footsteps echoed toward her, and a hand touched her arm where it lay atop her quilt.

"Jane? Are you awake?" Pepper asked softly. Pepper's voice was filled with concern, but touched on something far greater, like panic, or excitement.

Jane wanted only to whimper in response, but answered Pepper's question anyways, though refusing to open her eyes. "Yes, Pepper, I am awake. But if memory serves correctly, I fainted again," said Jane, the question in her tone rather than her words. A strong arm snaked under shoulder blades, lifting her upper body, and Jane felt a cup pressed to her lips. Jane inhaled Apollo's familiar scent of bark and berries, and felt the blood rush to her face, still refusing to open her eyes, fearing the pain.

"Yes, Jane, you did. Maggots, will you open your eyes?" He snapped. Jane blanched at the tone that was so unlike the boy's usual merry demeanor. Jane's eyes fluttered open and the light flooding her vision bit viciously at the pain surrounding the crown of her head. The squire immediately winced at the pain, but then pried her eyes open once again. Jane saw Pepper standing next to Rake at the foot of her bed, and looked up to her left, where the man she had agreed to court stood with a grimace on his tan, narrow features.

Jane was confused, to say the least. When she saw the tears in the eyes of the man supporting her, she could no longer contain the questions building up inside of her. "How long was I asleep? How did my father react? How did my mother react? Where is Dragon? Why are you angry?" And when Jane did not get a response, she asked one last question. "Why is no one answering me?"

Jane looked to the couple at the foot of her bed, then to the young man whose arm began shaking underneath her. "Please answer me." Jane whimpered, hating how weak she sounded. When the backs of her eyes began to prick, Jane wanted to scream in frustration. Or burst into tears.

"A week." Apollo snapped at her. He then sighed, leaned her back onto her pillow, and sat on the bed, head in his hands. He took a deep breath then looked at her again. "You did not wake up for a week. Dragon was anxious the first day, nearly violent the second. The third day we drugged him. Then on the fourth day, we went to get the wizard." The blue clad boy stopped, breathing through his nose for a moment. Jane saw Rake shudder and pull Pepper closer into his body. "The wizard said he knew what was wrong with you, but the medicine to fix it was at least a week's journey there, then a week's journey back. The king did not want to wait that long, so he asked Dragon to go." The jester stopped talking again, a grimace covering his face. "After some… persuasion, Dragon decided to take the wizard and Gunther with him. They have been gone for three days now."

"My parents?" Jane whispered, afraid to speak too loudly and give away how tight her throat felt.

"Your parents are not here. They have been taking turns watching you, but your mother became delirious yesterday; she started shaking you and crying because you did not wake up. It was scary. Your father took her to the home your family owns in town, so she could get some rest." Pepper answered. Pepper looked up into the face of the man holding her. Jane saw the affection melt Pepper's features, and a barely subdued look of longing pass between the young couple. Jane was embarrassed , as though she had intruded on a private moment. "Rake and I have to go. We have things to discuss." Pepper said. Jane knew Pepper was lying through her teeth. From the looks on the men's faces, they could tell as well. None of the cook's friends argued though, and Pepper dragged Rake out the door without another word.

"You said the wizard knows what is wrong with me." Jane said. Her eyes felt as though they were about to pop out of her skull. She tried to blink but found that her eyes would widen again. Jane bit her lower lip, and felt the stinging at the back of her eyes start again. Maggots! Even as a knight you will get sick. Stop acting like a child and face your illness. That is all it is. Illnesses can be overcome.

"He said you were under extreme amounts of stress. I think the words he used were.. vazo vaj al sin copy?" Apollo stuttered. He shook his head, and the bells on his hat twinkled lightly. "It sounded kind of like that. Situational fainting caused you to faint. He said though, that the prolonged sleep was due to a problem in your heart. He has to get a special medicine to make sure you stop falling asleep because..." Jane saw that her best friend was clearly distressed. She took his hands in her own. He smiled tightly at her, "because if you continue to fall asleep then one day you may not wake up." Jane saw the terror on his face as clearly as it was surely splayed across her own. Jane then did the only thing she could think of to comfort her best friend or herself.

She embraced him. It was an awkward embrace, her leaning forward and hugging his shoulders as he tried to cling to her left arm.

Suddenly some instinct in her body kicked in; a primal need coursed through her veins. Jane crawled weakly out from under her blanket and sat abruptly in his lap, legs off of his left leg, rear end on his right thigh. She felt the blood rush to her face – in what? Shame? Embarrassment? Excitement? She wondered -but ignored it. She wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face in the soft area next to his right arm. His arms tentatively wrapped around her as well, one surrounding her shoulders, and the other around her waist, pulling her into him.

Her heart was pounding; her thoughts were a jumbled mess; her eyes no longer stung at the back with tears because they were now pouring down her face. All of these Jane noted fearfully, but somehow, the squire felt better wrapped in his arms. She knew it was because she could feel his heart pounding against her cheek. She could feel his breath, hot and uneven, on her neck. She could feel his arms shaking. Then, she felt the tears on her neck and swallowed back a sob. You will not cry, you are a knight; you will not cry.

Then it happened; the world started to spin and her vision started to swim with dots. Since her eyes were focused on the blue of Apollo's sleeve, the spots seemed dark and angry like bees. Jane knew what was coming. She had to warn Jester…. APOLLO. She had to warn Apollo

"Jester? I mean… I… I do not… Jester, catch me!" Jane pleaded, the darkness consuming her again.

A/N: MAGGOTS! Yeah, yeah yeah. I have to end this sometime -_-

The plotbunnies were attacking me; it's not my fault!

Ok. It's vasovagal syncope. Yay, Shay-na-na! Except I gave her a heart condition. Feel free to hate me now.

I feel like everybody is spiralling OOC, except maybe Rake. (Thank you, Rakie-poo!) (That's Pepper's secret nickname for him. He thinks it's absurd since he already goes by a nickname, but Pepper is the queen of odd nicknames. And he loves her so he doesn't complain. Except if she accidentally says it when ANY other human can hear it.)