The Comatose Knight Part 3
"I'm on it, Matilda Darling." the man known as Bartleby said.
Bartleby grabbed three wool blankets from the guest bedroom cupboard and placed them over Jane's chilly body.
"Hmmm," Duchess Matilda said. "I wonder what she is dreaming about."
"Dreaming?" Jester asked, he was totally confused.
"That's right, I've seen this illness many times, it is called the Sleeping Coma," Sir Bartleby explained to Jester. "your friend here isn't in an actual coma, she's only sleeping, just like Snow White, the only difference is that a Firetipped Phoenix's feather waved over the victim will cure it."
Within Jane's dream, it was one day in the practice yard, Dragon was taking a nap on the castle wall until he overheard Smithy & Jester, Pepper, and Rake talking about Jane.
"Jane will be 13-years-old in a two week time period." Dragon heard Pepper whispering to the others.
"What should we do for her?" the three boys asked Pepper in unison as Dragon flew up to them.
"I know what you should do for Jane's upcoming birthday." Dragon said.
Pepper, Rake, Jester, and Smithy turned to face Dragon, "What?" they asked in unison.
"Throw her a surprise party of course," Dragon said. "and remember, not a word about the party to Jane."
"I promise." Jester said to Dragon.
"We promise too." Smithy & Rake said to Dragon.
"Not a word to Jane," Pepper said to Dragon. "cross my heart and hope to die."
"We'll get the rest of the castle to help us, even the royal family can help us!" Smithy exclaimed.
"Get as many short lives as you can to help you." Dragon said.
Dragon then flew off to his cave.
Jester, Smithy, Pepper, and Rake passed by Jane & Gunther who were sparring & talking about Jane's upcoming birthday at that moment.
"What would you like for your birthday, my Lady Knight?" Gunther asked in a soothing voice, the sort of voice that made Jester want to vomit.
"Let's get out of here before he makes me sick!" Jester exclaimed, his right hand over his mouth.
The foursome raced quickly to Rake's garden to pick vegetables for supper that night, so they didn't even hear Jane's answer.
"I don't know yet, Gunther," Jane answered. "all I know is, that I want something very special for my birthday."
Sir Theodore and Sir Ivon came out into the practice yard.
"Jane," Sir Theodore said sternly. "the time has come for you to come inside for your reading lesson about knightly weapons."
"The same goes for you, Lad." Sir Ivon told Gunther sternly.
Jane & Gunther looked at each other in a nervous manner.
"Yes, Sir Ivon." Gunther sighed.
"Yes, Sir Theodore." Jane sighed.
Gunther & Jane went inside to study with their mentors.
Back with Pepper, Rake, Jester, and Smithy, they went into the throne room where King Caradoc Cedric Bartok Kippernook (The king's birth name was Rathbonne but he used his deceased older brother's name when he became King of Kippernium) and his wife, Queen Gwendolyn Hulda Ankarcrona Kippernook were sitting on their thrones.
"Your majesties," Rake said. "we have a big problem on our hands."
"What is it?" the king asked the gardener, concerned that something might've befallen one of his subjects.
"Has a sickness hit the kingdom?" Queen Gwendolyn asked worriedly.
"It is nothing like that, your grace." Smithy said.
"That's right, we simply want to plan a surprise party for Jane's thirteenth birthday." Jester explained.
"And we could use all the help we can get." Rake added.
King Caradoc remembered something.
"Oh yes, my dear," the king said to his queen. "our Lavinia was born on Jane's birthday almost seven years ago."
The king was referring to his daughter, Princess Lavinia.
"We would be honored to help you plan the parties for Jane and Lavinia." Queen Gewndolyn said to the castle staff.
"Your majesty, I think you mean party, not parties." Pepper laughed.
"Just one party?" Queen Gwendolyn asked her cook.
"That's a better idea than two separate birthday parties," King Caradoc exclaimed. "would you not agree, Gwendolyn?"
The Queen of Kippernium gave the idea some thought before answering.
"That is a good idea, Caradoc," the queen said. "after all, Lavinia does look up to Jane as her biggest role model."
Pepper and the boys shook hands out of teamwork.
Over in the kitchen, Pepper was busy getting the ingredients ready for baking a huge sixteen layer strawberry cake for the party for Jane and the princess.
Prince Cuthbert came down to the kitchen with a picnic basket in his left hand to see Pepper about some of the leftover food.
"Pepper, may I have some of the leftover boar & potato salad, please?" Prince Cuthbert asked politely.
"You may have all of it before it goes bad," Pepper told the prince. "but, I'm almost out of strawberries for the cake I am making for your sister and Jane."
"Thank you," the prince said. "and since I'm picking strawberries for my picnic, I'll also pick some more for you to use on the cake."
"That is so very thoughtful," Pepper exclaimed. "thank you, your little majesty!"
"You're welcome." Prince Cuthbert said.
The prince gathered the leftover boar & potato salad into his picnic basket, grabbed a couple of berry buckets that Smithy made, and raced off to pick some strawberries for Pepper as well as for his picnic.
While she was in the middle of studying with Sir Theodore, Jane's stomach slightly began to grumble.
"Jane," Sir Theodore asked. "what's the matter?"
"Is it midday yet, Sir Theodore, I'm really hungry." Jane answered.
"Please, Jane," Gunther said, clutching his stomach. "don't even talk about food right now!"
"Sorry, Gunther." Jane said.
"Sorry, Jane," Sir Theodore said coolly. "but it's not time for the midday meal just yet."
"Oh," Jane said. "I see."
Back in the kitchen, Prince Cuthbert came back with the two berry buckets full to bursting with strawberries.
"Here are the strawberries," the prince told the cook. "as promised."
"Thank you," Pepper told the prince. "now, I shall wash the extra strawberries for your picnic."
Back with the knights, Princess Lavinia entered the room where the adult knights were still schooling their apprentices.
"Excuse me, Sir Theodore," the princess said politely. "but it is almost midday, and Cuthbert wants to take Jane and me on a picnic, can Jane come with us?"
Jane's stomach grumbled again, "May I? Please, Sir Theodore?" she asked.
The elder knight looked at his squire, "I don't see why you cannot, as long as you don't stay out too long, their little majesties have to go to bed early tonight, and, so do you." he said sternly.
"Yes, Sir Theodore." Jane sighed, hanging her head low, knowing full well that she had been defeated.
Prince Cuthbert slid off of Dragon's back after Dragon had landed.
"Shall we be off, my fine ladies?" Dragon asked Princess Lavinia & Jane who both laughed.
"Dragon!" the girls laughed as they & Prince Cuthbert climbed aboard Dragon's back.
Sometime after Jane left for her picnic with the royal children, Sir Ivon caught Gunther fast asleep at his desk on top on his ledgers.
Sir Ivon shook his young apprentice by his shoulders.
"Hey! Wake up, Gunther," Sir Ivon shouted. "you lazy bag of skin & bones!"
Gunther didn't even stir.
Sir Theodore felt the 15-year-old squire's forehead, Gunther's forehead was as hot as Dragon's fire.
"Great Scott! Ivon," Sir Theodore exclaimed, taking his hand off of Gunther's forehead. "your squire has an extremely high fever!"
"What must we do, Theodore?" Sir Ivon asked calmly.
"We must tuck him into bed." Sir Theodore told Sir Ivon.
"But how can we tuck Gunther into bed," Sir Ivon curiously asked Sir Theodore. "when his bed is at his house in the village?"
The lady-in-waiting, Adeline Turnkey came into the Knights' study, she was searching for Jane.
"Jane? Jane," Lady Adeline called. "oh! Where is that headstrong daughter of mine anyway?"
"Jane & Dragon went for a picnic with the royal children, my lady." Sir Theodore answered.
Now, Lady Adeline shot Sir Theodore a look that showed worry.
"Do you know when Jane will return, Sir Theodore?" she asked, there was a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"She should return any time now." Sir Theodore answered Lady Adeline.
The lady-in-waiting turned her head to see Gunther fast asleep upon his kightly reading.
"Oh no!" Lady Adeline exclaimed.
"What is it, my lady?" Sir Ivon asked.
"Ivon, your apprentice has the illness known only as the Deathly Sleep," Lady Adeline solemnly said. "I have seen it many many many times in my life."
Sir Theodore began to look through a book.
"Here it is! The major symptoms of the Deathly Sleep illness are as follow," Sir Theodore read. "'fever, extreme tiredness, falling asleep anywhere, either somniloquy or delirium, and breathlessness resulting in... death', the minor symptoms are as follow, 'dry throat, sneezing, coughing, and reaching out for something or someone'."
"Dear me! Is there any known cure, Theodore? We have got to save the life of my apprentice!" Sir Ivon exclaimed.
Sir Theodore began to read from the book again.
"It states here, 'the cure is Moonlight Lotus petal tea, brewed on low heat'." Sir Theodore answered Sir Ivon.
"Jane," Gunther shouted, moving his right arm as if to search for something or someone, thus knocking down some quill pens and a full inkwell, thus spilling the ink made from blackberry juice all over the floor. "Jane!"
"The lad is useless!" Sir Ivon shouted, seeing the mess of ink & pens on the floor.
"I shall go and take Gunther to Jane's tower," Lady Adeline said. "he shall rest in there."
About half an hour before supper, Dragon landed in the royal garden and Jane, Prince Cuthbert, and Princess Lavinia slid off his back.
Jane was met shortly by Jester.
"Jane," Jester said solemnly, fixing his crooked jingly hat. "your father wishes to see you in the keep."
"Thank you, Jester." Jane said.
Jane raced off speedily toward the castle keep where her mother and father lived.
"I want to come too!" Princess Lavinia said.
"Not so fast, Princess," Jester said. "it is almost supper time for you."
"Okay." the princess sighed sadly.
Jester took the royal children to the dining hall.
In the keep, Jane met her father, Milton Turnkey, the chamberlain's eyes.
"Am I in trouble, Father?" Jane asked, now showing some concern.
"No, Jane," Milton answered. "that is not the reason why you will temporarily be staying in the keep with Mother and me."
Jane was now curious, "Then, why am I to be staying here in the keep?" she asked her father.
Adeline came into the keep from Jane's tower.
"Come with me, Dear," Adeline said to Jane seriously. "I have something to show you."
When she entered her tower bedroom, Jane was shocked to discover that Gunther was sleeping in her bed.
"Mother! What is that Beef Brain doing sleeping in my bed?" Jane asked angrily, her blood beginning to boil.
"Gunther is ill with the Deathly Sleep," Lady Turnkey explained to her daughter. "and he keeps reaching out for you... as well as calling out your name."
"Jane," Gunther shouted, reaching out his right arm, the arm that was closest to the female squire. "Jane!"
Jane stepped forward but now she wished she hadn't, for just at that moment, she was wrapped up in Gunther's firm but pleasant embrace.
"It's all right, Gunther," Jane said softly. "I am right here."
Unknown to Jane & Gunther, Jester saw the whole tear-jerking scene from atop of Dragon's back, outside Jane's window.
Back in Jane's guest bedroom, Jane remained stationary as Jester continued to try to stimulate her.
Jester: Alas my love you do me wrong;
To cast me off discourteously;
And I have loved you so long;
Delighting in your company;
Jane you were all my joy;
Jane you were my delight;
Jane you were my heart of gold;
And you who I once loved so dearly;
I have been ready at your hand;
To grant whatever you would crave;
I have both wagered life and land;
Your love and good-will for to have;
Jane you were all my joy;
Jane you were my delight;
Jane you were my heart of gold;
And you who I once loved so dearly;
Well I will pray to God on high;
That thou my constancy mayst see;
And that yet once before I die;
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me;
Jane you were all my joy;
Jane you were my delight;
Jane you were my heart of gold;
And you who I once loved so dearly.