Disclaimer: I do not own Jane and The Dragon, they belong to their respective owners.

Chapter Five

Defiance

"Gunther."

"Yes, Father?" Gunther wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, his breathing heavy and erratic after spending most of the morning in the sweltering summer heat carrying and rolling one barrel to the next from the wharf to his father's warehouse. One of the Merchant's precious trading vessel had come to port at the crack of dawn that morning and Gunther had been up with the sailors unloading the ship of its cargo way before the sun finished rising. He silently cursed his father all morning every time he caught sight of him and ignored the exaggerated stories of the sailors, it was a Sunday and happens to be his only rest day from his duties as a knight and duties at the castle. Yet here he was, breaking his back for another one of his father's money making schemes, instead of catching up on his much-needed sleep.

"Ah, there you are." Magnus said in an oily tone Gunther hated, the one that he uses when there are important people around he needed to persuade for something or rather.

"Yes, Father?" Gunther repeated, trying not to sound irritated as he threw a glare at all the barrels he has yet to move and his father is keeping him from doing just that. He reckoned the faster he could move the blasted barrels the quicker he can get away from his father and hoped he still had enough time for a nap or two. It was not like he was sleep deprived, but between his duties up at the castle and the cheap labour he does for his father he has very little time for himself and that very little time he has he uses to sleep or more lately daydream about a certain knight he very well knows he shouldn't be fantasising about for she would slap him silly if she ever finds out. It was a foolproof plan but it seemed his father had other ideas.

"Lady Matilda wants you to escort her around the market while her father and I discuss business." The Merchant said silkily gesturing at Lord Stephen and sure enough, his daughter stuck to his side.

"But what about the barrels?" Gunther gritted his teeth, utterly unamused by the idea of accompanying the blonde around the market like some common babysitter. His patience was running very thin when it came to the young Lady Fairchild, her lack of intelligence and shrill voice grated on his nerves the wrong way. He found her overbearing especially when she constantly demanded to have him accompany her here, there, and everywhere. She even had the audacity to go up to the castle a couple of days ago, much to his embarrassment and to the amusement of Sir Ivon, and demanded that he drop everything he was doing and follow her like some lost puppy. He spent that afternoon carrying boxes of silk and velvet for her as she stopped at every dressmaker in the village chattering on and on about thing he could not care less about even if he tried and he knew it would take a long time before he could live that afternoon down. Certainly, when he joined the other knights, squires and Sir Ivon at the tavern that evening they all laughed at him. He thanked the Gods above that Jane had not witnessed his embarrassment and he dared not think what she would say about him acting like some handmaiden running after some blonde. He had a reputation to uphold!

"Let the sailors worry about that," Magnus responded indifferently but the look his father directed at him Gunther knew he had no choice but to do just that.

"Yes, Father." Gunther sighed wearily, running his fingers through his hair and straightening his tunic before made his way to his so-called betrothed in a few wide strides.

"Good day Lord Stephen, Lady Matilda." Gunther bowed elaborately at the Fairchilds with a sardonic smile tugging at his lips.

"Take care pumpkin," Lord Stephen said completely ignoring Gunther, kissed his daughter on the cheeks and walked away in a manner that Gunther reckoned Lord Stephen was glad to be rid of his daughter for a while "I shall see you and your mother later."

"Sir Gunther," Matilda curtsied low, smiling at him in attempted to be alluring "so nice of you to accompany me to the market even though you have many things to do."

"It was not like I could disagree, could I?" Gunther responded curtly, stiffening when the lady grabbed his arm and clung to him like a limpet.

"Hmm," Matilda ignored his exasperated roll of the eyes and roughly pulled him towards the market "this way, Sir Gunther, we have an appointment with a dressmaker and we are already late as it is. He is the best, you know."

"I am sure he is having to deal with ladies like you." Gunther snapped coldly but the blonde seemed oblivious to his frustrations and began to chatter about something he did not bother paying attention to. From the snippets, he managed to catch it was something about her new dress she was certain brought out the blue of her eyes and how envious the other girls must feel since she swore she was the best dressed in the kingdom. All Gunther could see was the arrogant glint in her blue eyes and the judgmental looks she threw everyone she saw. He also noticed the way she revelled at the whispers of the town folks when they saw the pair of them strolling past, her nose stuck up in the air and her arms hooked around his. She most definitely loved to be talked about, whether it was in a positive or negative light so long as she was the centre of attention she did not mind either way.

"I cannot believe they allow her to run around like some commoner especially for someone of such high birth. What a disgrace she is to the nobility," Matilda sniffed in disdain, flipping her hair over her shoulder and her pretty face pinched into a frown at whatever her eyes landed on this time "my father would certainly not allow me to surround myself with peasants."

Gunther followed Matilda's scornful glare through the crowd before them and for a moment he could not see what she was frowning at "Who is a disgrace to the nobility?"

"That Jane of course!" Matilda sneered, nodding her head forward and sure enough he spotted Jane's unmistakable red curls trailing behind Pepper with baskets in their arms. Pepper was bartering with the vendor to lower the prices of his vegetables whilst the vendor's son flirted shamelessly with Jane. Jane shook her head at something the son just said flushing deep crimson and gave Pepper a tug on the sleeve as the vendor refused to lower his prices any lower. Everyone knew whilst Jane was surrounded by males due to her knight training she was used to their crude and brutish ways but saying that she was still not immune to their flirting, any male at that. She would flush crimson, sputtering and speechless with disbelief making her an easy target for the other knights to make fun of. Of course, she soon learnt to ignore some things people say about her and her gender but it did not mean she dealt with males teasing her with the same tact. Especially when it is so easy to make her blush, the redder she became the more amusing it gets.

"You mean Lady Jane." Gunther corrected Matilda, his eyes darkening and the muscle in his jaw twitched in irritation.

"Lady? She is no lady!" Matilda scoffed, mockery laced in her tone as she frowned deeper "Look at her, she doesn't even resemble a woman, she looks more like a boy! And that hair, does she actually brush that mane of hers? She absolutely has no sense of fashion neither, does she really think that colour goes with her hai-"

"Enough!" Gunther snarled forcing her to look at him straight in the eyes and he cared not how harsh he sounded especially since he briefly noted that the people looked at them curiously "Do not speak ill of my friend, Lady Matilda. If you do not have anything relatively nice to say I suggest keep your mouth shut, you are giving me a headache."

Matilda merely stared at him wide-eyed, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but decided against it and gritted her teeth instead.

"That is much better." Gunther smirked and he could have sworn her blue eyes watered though she looked away from his cool eyes and her once tight grip on his arm loosened as they walked forward.

"Fancy seeing you here Gunther." Jane smiled brightly at him as she approached with Pepper in tow, their baskets full of what looks like tonight's supper. Gunther knew that Jane enjoyed strolling through the markets and she often jumped up at the opportunity to accompany Pepper in her mid-Sunday morning trip to the market instead of the Lady-in-Waiting to get supplies she cannot get from Rake's garden. It was quite endearing really to see her so obviously out of place but it seemed she did not mind especially the way she smiled and childish curiosity she threw around the place as she went from one stall to the next.

"Ladies," Gunther's smirk widened as he bowed at Jane and Pepper who looked at him in an amused manner "this is Lady Matilda. Lady Fairchild meet Lady Jane and Mistress Pepper."

"Hmm." Matilda hummed dismissively, turning her head sharply to the side her nose stuck up in the air. Gunther could not help but chuckle whilst Jane and Pepper shared a look in confusion.

"Now now, Lady Matilda that is not the way to act in front of, what did you say not a minute ago? Ah yes, that was it, someone of such high birth." Gunther feigned a scandalised look at the way Matilda was acting "Were you not singing her praises a moment ago?"

"Gunther!" Jane berated her fellow knight with a scolding look "Do not listen to him, Lady Matilda, his brain is full of fluff."

Matilda merely blinked at the two knights, studying Gunther for a moment then stared at Jane with a puzzled look, and as if she saw something between them no one else could she dropped her hold on Gunther's arm and stomped away angrily.

"What did I say?" Jane asked, bewildered at what just happened.

"You impertinent boy! You have ruined everything!" Magnus bellowed that evening until he was purple in the face, and Gunther knew that he should at least feel a slither of guilt but no matter how deep he dug he could not find any. In fact, he felt quite the opposite, he felt content despite having his father yell at him. Magnus had him by the scruff of his neck, his big fat face just inches away from Gunther and whilst his father shook with anger he remained oddly calm taking every hit his father threw at him.

"This is a disaster! How could you disappoint me yet again!" Magnus slammed him against the wall like a rag doll, the impact causing a sharp pain on the back of his head and Gunther allowed himself to hiss out in pain briefly as his eyesight swayed covered in black dots and dizziness took over though he will not allow Magnus the satisfaction of seeing him pass out. Using his training he pulled air through his nose, holding it for four counts and let it hiss out slowly, trying not to focus on the throbbing pain on the side of his jaw where his father landed a badly aimed punch.

"Do you know much this will cost me! It was a simple task, all you had to do was walk the wench around the market!" Magnus roughly released his son from his meaty fists and took to frantically pacing around the front room smashing an expensive vase here and there. "But you managed to make her cry, insulted her in front of people and flirted with that Jane!"

"Jane?" Gunther asked, "I never did such a thing."

"It does not matter if you did! You made her run to her father demanding she no longer wants to be your betrothed." Magnus growled, his dark eyes narrowing at Gunther.

"She spoke ill of my friend, and I merely put her in her place."

"Friend?" Magnus said as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth, his beady eyes watching Gunther so intently it was a little unnerving. "Little Miss Hothead? Do you always run around defending her honour."

"She is a fellow knight." Gunther reasoned quietly and mentally kicked himself for sounding so weak in front of his father. He could see his father watching his every move, his face stern and never until now did Gunther want to know what is going on in his father's scheming mind.

"A fellow knight?" Magnus repeated sceptically.

"Yes." Gunther said in a clipped tone.

"I expect you to apologise to Lady Matilda first tomorrow morning. I want my share of her father's business." Magnus said with finality as he turned his back and walked out the room.

"No. She's hideous, I'm not marrying her! I'd rather marry that frog-rider and her overgrown lizard!" Gunther called after as the door closed behind his father. He was not going to apologise to Lady Matilda even if it was the end of him. She was obnoxious and arrogant if anything it was good riddance!

He was unaware the smirk that graced Magnus's face, the cogs in his head turning. If that is what his only son wants, then maybe he could turn this situation around to his advantage.

"He is vile! If I want to marry someone who belittles me for my gender I'd marry Gunther Breech!" Jane screeched, jumping up from her chair staring accusingly at Captain Beaumont not caring that the spilt wine stained the yet another one of the gowns her mother forced on Jane. Besides it was itchy on a spot of her back she cannot reach and it drove her crazy all night.

"Jane!" Her mother scolded, apologising to the Captain for her daughter's harsh words but Henry merely stared at Jane stoically.

"Jane, dear. This is for the best, you need to settle down and Henry is offering you just that." Her soft-spoken father gave her a disappointed look it almost crippled her heart but Jane glowered at the Captain. Never once had her father gave her such a look and now because of a pompous arse he looked at her with a sad expression doubting the fact that she does not need a husband to be stable.

"You can still run around as knight if it pleases you, Lady Jane, I will not stop you." Captain Beaumont offered as if anything he says will appease her.

"Run around as a knight? Run around?" Jane repeated with a hysterical twinge in her voice "How dare you! I do not run around as a knight. I AM a knight, not a fool pretending to be a knight!"

"What he meant you can still resume your duties as a knight, dear." Adeline sighed.

"No, mother! That is not what he means. What he wants is an obedient wife who will give him six children whilst he spends most of his time at sea collecting mistresses on the side. He is only interested in my dowry! I will not allow that mother, I do not want to marry him especially when he thinks I'm a silly little girl running around with a sword!"

Edited: 13.04.17

Oh, shout out to Guest, Random Fan, LoveIsARose, and Jatd4ever - thank you for reviewing! A double chip cookie for each of you! 3

Review, review, review! Please? With a cherry on top? This is not one of the best chapters I've written nor the longest but oh well... Let me know what you think! I'll update soon, promise! X