Jane woke up the next morning sore and exhausted from her restless sleep. She had taken hours to fall asleep, because no matter which way she turned, a bruise pressed into the bed.

Her plan had backfired tremendously. Gunther apparently was just as good at deceptively causing pain as she was. At one point last night, he had completely let go of her and she had fallen hard on the floor. Another time, she crashed into him and they both landed on one of the banquet tables. They certainly had not won the dancing competition.

Jane tumbled out of bed. The sunny morning greeted her, though she was in too much pain to enjoy it. After Jane had gotten ready for the day, she exited her room. Jane looked down at a bruise on her hand. She wondered if Gunther had done that, or if she had inflicted it herself while trying to hurt him.

Jane staggered down the steps to the courtyard. She saw Gunther standing in front of Sir Ivon's weapons room.

Gunther turned his head. "Oh, Jane. Sir Ivon requested my help this morning for a special task."

"I thought Sir Theodore needed your help," Jane said.

"I must have had them mixed up," Gunther replied.

"Well, I should help you," Jane said sweetly as she ran to stand beside Gunther.

"I think Sir Ivon meant me and only me," Gunther sneered.

Before Jane could respond, the doors to the weaponry opened and Sir Ivon faced them.

"What war did I miss?" Ivon remarked.

Jane and Gunther turned to face each other, noticing the dark circles under their eyes and their numerous bruises. Sir Ivon was not very far off.

"Jane, you are going to help Gunther?" Sir Ivon asked.

"Of course, I will," Jane said.

"Alright then," Sir Ivon said. "Smithy is busy with a load of weapons today, so it is up to you two to muck the stables."

Great. What had she gotten herself into?


Jane scooped up another pile of dung with her shovel. She kept checking behind her, making sure Gunther was not going to try and trip her. That would be disgusting considering what was all around her.

"Thank you for helping me, Jane," Gunther said snidely.

"It is no trouble," Jane replied. However, she pinched her nose shut with two of her fingers. She should have just left this task alone. Now she was stuck shoveling dung beside her biggest rival who also happened to be the person she was courting. Nothing made sense today.

It did not take long for Jane to get sick of the smell and of Gunther's chiding comments about "how glad he was that she was helping him." Jane snuck her foot behind Gunther's.

"Gunther, is it just me, or does that horse look like it is in pain?" Jane asked.

"Hm?" Gunther turned around and toppled over Jane's extended foot. He landed in the cart he had been piling the dung in.

Gunther did not say anything, but glared at Jane and stood up.

The next few hours were stinky and painful. Jane and Gunther kept trying to trip each other, and when they were not doing that, they were complaining about each other in their thoughts.


That night Jane and Gunther met again in the gardens outside the castle. Jane grinned as she bounced up the steps. She knew exactly what she was going to say this time.

Gunther was standing over by the archway entrance to the gardens when Jane arrived.

"Hello, how are you tonight?" Jane asked Gunther after she climbed the steps.

"Good. You, Lady Jane?" Gunther asked mockingly.

"Very fine myself, thank you," Jane said. "Have you found your horse yet?"

Gunther started walking. "Oh yes. She is very glad to be back home now."

"My horse is still recovering from the race," Jane lamented. "I think it was the last stretch that did it. More than double the normal strain on her back."

"How sad," Gunther agreed.

As they walked, they continued coming up with unique ways to insult each other. Jane apologized for "accidentally" making him fall earlier, but did it in such a way that implied Gunther was extremely easy to trip. Gunther apologized for the dancing the night before. Though he managed to make it sound like Jane was delicate and weak.

"I loved Jester's jokes yesterday at the ball," Jane said. "You know which one was my favorite? 'What do you call a farming knight?'"

"I do not know."

"'A 'cow'ard'. Is it not hilarious?"

"Hm. I do not seem to remember that one," Gunther said. "Are you positively sure he did tell a joke like that?"

"Yes, he has told it many times, I think," Jane said, staring Gunther in the eyes.

"Oh, yes, I remember now. But I think the joke involved a girl, not a knight," Gunther corrected.

"I think you misunderstood," Jane said.

As the last rays of the sun set, the gardens were cast in shadow. Everyone else who had been strolling them had departed. Jane and Gunther had been left alone, staring each other down in the dark, the glint of their angry eyes the only things they could see.


The next day Jane was up early. She had been thinking all night about what other comments she could make to Gunther, picking out all the ones she thought would be the most humiliating.

Jane skipped out to the courtyard. Gunther was there. Excellent.

"Jane, there you are," Gunther said when he saw her. "I need help practicing for the swordsmanship tournament next fortnight. Would you be so kind as to help me?"

"I think so," Jane said. "Lesson one. The first rule about clapping for someone is you always have to clap at least five times." Jane gave him a little example.

Jester, who was standing by the forge talking to Smithy, winced. "Ouch. I wonder how he will take that one."

"Knowing Gunther, not well," Smithy said.

"Actually," Gunther growled, picking up a wooden sword. "I plan on besting a few of the other squires, if not all of them."

"I suppose I could try to help you get good at sword fighting," Jane said, picking a wooden sword of her own. "You should thank me later, considering I will be wasting the better part of my day."

Jane and Gunther rushed at each other, skill forgotten in a flurry of slashing and blocking.

"Then thank you, love," Gunther snarled.

"Glad I can help," Jane bit back.

"So much for their courtship being a secret," Jester muttered.

Jane blocked a blow from Gunther that targeted her head. She slashed at his leg. He stepped back barely in time and brought his sword down on Jane's arm. The hit stung and sent her tumbling back.

Jane raised her sword and swiped at Gunther's hand, knocking his sword away.

"Give up yet, dear?" Jane asked, glaring at Gunther.

"Never," Gunther said, grabbing his sword from the ground. "I will always be willing to fight with you."

They resumed battling as Dragon landed atop one of the walls. "Would someone tell those two smoke swappers that there are no personal displays of affection in the training yard or anywhere I can hear it!"

"I think personal displays of hatred would be more accurate," Smithy said, shaking his head.

Gunther and Jane continued to fight past lunchtime. Several servants that passed stopped to observe the interesting fight for a few seconds, then laughed as they walked away. Gunther finally landed a blow that slammed Jane to the ground.

Sir Ivon had just stepped out onto Sir Theodore's balcony where the elderly knight was shaking his head as he observed the fight.

"I do not know how their parents got the idea to make them court," Sir Ivon said. "But it really is for the best. I could watch this all day!"

Sir Theodore sighed as the squabbling continued. "These two children never learn, do they?"

Gunther offered his hand to Jane to help her up. She grabbed his arm and tugged at it, pulling him face down to the ground.

"Are they actually in love this time, Pepper?" Rake asked from over by the garden.

"I am afraid not," Pepper responded.


The afternoon sun hung overhead as Jane sighed and picked herself up from besides the castle wall. She was so sore she could hardly move. Less than a week had gone by since she and Gunther had started courting. No matter how hard she tried she could not convince her mother a relationship between them would not work!

Sir Theodore strode into the practice yard. Maybe I do not have to convince my mother, Jane thought. Could someone else not do something about this?

"Excuse me, Sir Theodore," Jane said, limping to her mentor. "I have a request."

"What is it, Jane?" he asked.

"This is rather embarrassing to say, but, well…Gunther and I are courting."

"Yes, I know."

"How?"

"I do not think you understand how loud you two can get while fighting. Jane, I cannot do anything about your courtship. I think that it was an unwise decision, but I do not have to power to alter what your parents have already agreed upon."

"Someone has to be able to do something."

"Your parents can."

"My mother will not listen to me and my father keeps avoiding me," Jane explained.

"Then there is nothing you can do but learn to be kind to each other," Sir Theodore said, exiting the practice yard.

Why cannot anyone help me? Jane thought miserably.


Gunther yawned as his father ordered all the servants around. They hauled merchandise, loaded it, then went back to hauling again, all in the same, tiring, monotonous way. The same orders every round. The same routine every day. Just getting harder every year. Just being forced to do more for his father the older he grew. Just another servant with a family name attached to myself, Gunther thought.

"Gunther," his father called, "how is the plan coming?"

"Fine," Gunther answered. Luckily his father did not live at the castle and know how miserably he really was failing. "Father, I was just wondering, but how long do I have to continue courting Jane until we…change plans?"

His father laughed at him as if Gunther had just suggested running into a battle without armor. "We do not. Either until you get married or until Jane's parents change their minds. Which I doubt will happen anytime soon."

"Why not?" Gunther asked.

"Because they have no reason to go back on our deal," his father assured. He locked his eyes back on the servants. "Hold those crates tightly! The merchandise inside is worth half a year of your pay!"

No reason to, Gunther thought. I could give Jane's parents a reason to. I could cause an 'accident' that would hurt Jane very much; a broken bone or two if the giant lizard was not around. Gunther looked up at his father. He wore the latest fashions, perhaps attempting to appear younger than he actually was, but no one was fooled. He was far older than he looked. And no wiser for his passing years. No, Gunther forcefully told himself. Injuring Jane so severely would go too far. He tore his gaze away from his father and set it on dirt floor. I am not my father.


Jane sat on the edge of her bed her head buried in her crossed arms. The room was still except for the dancing shadows caused by the dimming embers in the fireplace. Jane could have lit a candle, but she did not care.

Jane peeked above her arms and saw a giant eye peering at her from the opened window.

"So, this is where you have been hiding," Dragon said. "I was thinking and I wondered if maybe a midnight patrol flight would cheer you up. We could stop by the fields to listen to the cows. We could even stop by my cave to study some runes. That ought to take your mind off…Jane, are you okay?"

"No, I am not," Jane said. Her quaky voice barely escaped her clenched teeth.

"Excuse me for asking, but were you, crying?" Dragon asked.

"I might have been," Jane admitted. "It has been a very long day. My mother will not listen to me no matter how hard I try. I cannot bear the thought of being stuck with Gunther forever." Jane stood up and sighed. "After everything I have worked for, it is all crumbling apart. The worst part is I cannot do a single thing about it. I feel so weak!"

She hesitated. "Then again, I suppose there is one thing I have not tried…I have not talked to Gunther straight on. But we have been arguing for days now, and he probably would not even listen to me. He would think I mean to trick him or insult him. Or…" Jane paced over to the fireplace. "I am only fooling myself right now, are I not? I am acting as immaturely as Gunther! I can be nice to him for once and speak plainly with him. I will tell him what I think of his plan… I suppose it was silly for me to cry. A knight must face up to—"

Jane turned around to meet Dragon's gaze at the window. There was no Dragon.


Dragon soared over the trees, the wind lifting him high into the clouds. No one made Jane cry, not on his watch. His eyes closed in on the land. He had spotted the docks. He swerved around towards the docks, hoping that Gunther would be outside for some reason so he would not have to burn an entire house down just to grab the pest.

Dragon descended next to the docks. They were empty, except for two short-lives. One was round, tyrannical, and probably the most dishonest man in the kingdom. The other was the short-life whose life was just about to get extremely shorter once Dragon got hold of him. The short-lives were murmuring in low voices. So low, that even with his ears, Dragon could not hear them.

Magnus shook his head and went inside. Here was Dragon's chance! Dragon leaped into the air and hovered over to Gunther.

"Ah!" Gunther yelled as Dragon snatched him up in his claw.

"Hello," Dragon said, bringing Gunther up to his eyes. He growled, slow and deep, and started flying up towards his cave.

"Let me go, you deranged reptile!" Gunther shouted. The short-life's squirming tickled, so Dragon tightened his grip. He was satisfied to hear Gunther cough and gasp for air.

Dragon landed in front of the entrance to his cave and let Gunther fall to the stone floor. Gunther laid on the ground, panting. Dragon thought for a minute he might have squeezed him so hard that he had cracked Gunther's twig-like ribs. Gunther eventually sat up, still noticeably stunned and out of breath.

"You are alive! Good. Now let us talk," Dragon said. "About Jane. Did you know she was just crying?"

"Crying?" Gunther said, laughing as he picked himself off the floor. "I do not believe that Jane cries. Even if she did, how would I know that?"

"Stop joking around, short-life. I was not actually asking you. Maybe your brain is so small you do not understand. You only answer me when addressed with a yes or no question. Jane and I both know what you are doing. And you are going to stop."

"Stop what?"

Dragon growled, this time as loud and threatening as he could, smoke drifting out of his nostrils. "Tell your selfish father that it is over. You and Jane are no longer going to court. Or else." Dragon lightly snorted a bit of fire that rushed over Gunther's head, revealing his terrified expression.

"I cannot do that! My father would not listen to me even if I tried."

"Then I suppose I cannot prevent a little fall from happening tonight."

"Dragon, Jane would be furious if you knocked me off a cliff," Gunther said, backing up towards the slope down the mountain. "I hope."

Dragon brooded. Ack, the short-life is right. Jane would never forgive me; even if she does hate him, she would not want him dead. Dragon locked his gaze on Gunther for a few seconds, trying to make him fear for his life more than he ever had.

"Fine. You can go," Dragon said after a while. But nothing had been accomplished. He had done nothing for Jane.