Chapter III

Jester was bored.

Usually boredom never bothered him but as he's main source of entertainment and adventure was off having an adventure all of her own, without him, he found himself in a state of boredom more and more frequently as the weeks passed him by.

It also didn't help that he's voice had done the most evilest of things and that was to go and change on him right before the His Little Majesties birthday. He had been most unpopular because of this, as both of their Little Majesties had come to the same impression that he had done this on purpose, to make his voice all high and squeaky whenever he tried to sing for them.

Now, they simply found the whole occurrence incredibly funny and were forever requesting him to sing to them simply so they could hear his voice crack and squeak.

"Little monsters." He growled as he stalked down into the kitchen where Pepper was currently slaving away at her newest concoction.

Jester wrinkled his nose.

A new recipe to add Dragon's dinner menu, he thought as he glanced in the direction of Rake who seemed to be trying to build up the courage to tell Pepper that her latest stew smelt – and Jester was guessing, going by how green Rake's skin looked beneath his heavily tan – tasted horrible.

"Jester!" Rake cried when he saw him enter, a look of clear relief crossing the younger boy's face as he saw Jester enter the castle kitchen.

Jester looked at his younger friend with some amusement before his attention was drawn back to Pepper and her disgusting smelling brew. How could she not smell how terrible it was?

"Jester," Pepper said as she looked away from her huge pot brewing in the kitchen fireplace and welcomed him with one of her lovely, warm smiles that he knew made Rake's heart go flip flop whenever she graced him with it, which was a lot.

He smiled at the both of them.

"Hello Pepper. Hello Rake." He spoke carefully even though his speaking voice had more or less settled he still feared that dread and ridiculous squeak that sometimes caught him out.

He understood that he was the Castle Jester and to be laughed at was all a part of his job, but he had always been rather fond of his voice, in particular his singing one, so he was more than a little disappointed when he lost it to this new and in his opinion at least rather unpleasant, deep sounding adult one.

And it hadn't helped that everyone else in the castle seemed to find more amusement out of his new adult voice than in his old boyish voice. Or maybe it was the cracking and squeaking sounds that he made that tickled their funny bone. Actually he was quite sure that was it.

His mind drifted to Jane.

Yes, she would have laughed along with them, but she would have at least understood how much losing his voice was hurting him. Smithy understood a little for his voice had changed just before Jane had left with Sir Theodore and Gunther to go adventuring around the country and to neighbouring kingdoms, but he hadn't needed to sing with his, and his adult voice was actually quite pleasant to listen to.

He wondered idly if Gunther's voice had changed yet, but was pulled from his thoughts by Pepper offering him some of her disgusting stew.

"Ah, no, sorry, thank you Pepper, but I-I really must be on my way. The King wishes for me to write a new Ballad." He fought back a grimace at the thought and he couldn't help but wonder if the King had deliberately asked for this Balled simply so that he could have the entertainment of Jester trying to sing it.

When would the humour of his voice cracking and squeaking during a song go away? When would they become bored with it?

It was almost a month since his voice had broken and yet they still asked him to sing even though they all knew what the end result would be.

He felt more than a tad bitter about this.

He was just turning to leave the kitchen the way he had come when he suddenly heard a loud source of commotion coming from outside.

He glanced back at the other two.

"What could that all be about?" Pepper asked moving away from her pot and coming, along with Rake to stand beside Jester by the kitchen door.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." Jester said and before the other two could say another word he was bounding out of the kitchen door and was running across the yard to the stairs leading up to the battlements, the bells on his hat jingling cheerily as he ran.

After maybe a moment or so Rake and Pepper could hear Jester's voice, cracking slightly as he bellowed down to them to come on up and see.

Glancing at each other, somewhat nervously, they grasped each other's hands and ran up and after Jester, Smithy – who had heard all the commotion from the forge and Jester's cry to come and see – at their heels.

They were not the only people of the battlements and the three friends were a little hesitant to push their way through the mass of courtiers and soldiers but when they saw Jester waving them excitedly over to a clear spot on the battlements, a little way away from all the lords and ladies and soldiers, the three felt quite a bit better.

"What? What is it? What's going on?" Rake asked nervously – he still wasn't very good with large crowds, especially one filled with so many important people – but Jester simply shook his head, seemingly too excited to speak as he pointed out over the castle walls, across the town and towards the fields and further the forest.

Pepper felt her breath catch as she took in the huge company of horses riding towards Kippernia Castle. At least, it looked like a huge company to her.

"What do they want?" she whispered nervously to the others, but they didn't hear her over the loud din that the courtiers and Knights were making.

Pepper glanced at Jester who she saw, out of all of them, was the most eager to see these strange visitors. She also happen to notice that he kept glancing towards the sky, which was blue in colour, but had many white, fluffy clouds floating lazily about it.

"There!" He cried suddenly, shoving his arm upwards, forcing his three friends to look up and they too saw a large dark shape flying in the sky towards the castle.

"Jane's home! Jane's home!" Pepper squealed in delight as she bounced up and down where she stood before throwing her arms excitedly around Rake.

Jester and Smithy beamed at each other and the four of them waited for the over-sized newt to land.

Only he didn't. Instead he kept circling the company of horses.

"Why won't he land?" Rake asked, his brows forwarded in puzzlement.

"He and Jane probably have orders from Sir Theodore not to land until the whole company has arrived." Jester explained wisely to the others, but they could all hear the disappointment in his voice and it took a lot of effort of their part not to giggle at him.

They were surprised when Dragon became more visible against the sky and they saw that Jane was not seated on his shoulders as was her customary place. But they could not discuss this oddity due to the outrageous noise that the courtiers and soldiers were making around them.

"Come on." Smithy yelled as Rake saved Pepper for the fifth time from being knocked clean off the battlements by overenthusiastic crowd, "Let's go down and wait in the yard."

"But..." Jester started before sighing and pushed his way with the others to the stairs.

"Ah, I can breathe again." Rake gasped, breathing in the fresh air that his carefully cared for garden had to offered.

"Never realised just how many people live in this place until they all start gathering in one area." Smithy whistled.

"Speak for yourself," Pepper huffed her hands resting on her hips; "I have to feed them all!"

"And looks like you're about to be feeding another hundred or so mouths." Jester said and Pepper huffy expression became one of horror.

"I don't have nearly enough stew for all of them!" She started to hurry back towards the kitchen.

"Thank goodness." Jester breathed while the other two nodded.

"What are you three doing?! I need your help if we want to feed all these people!" Pepper's shrill voice rang out to them from the depths of the kitchen. The three looked at each other before sighing heavily.

"We can at least try and fix her stew." Rake offered and the other two nodded in defeat as they followed him down into the kitchen, to spend the next few hours being ordered about by a very anxious Pepper.

oOo

It seemed like an age before Jane was free to go and hunt down her friends. She had been stuck just outside of the gates of the castle while all the formal greeting were delivered to and from the King and Queen and now they were all just standing around chatting.

She wished she had been allowed to ride Dragon, since he was now lounging on one of his favourite castle walls, but since her arm was still injured, she had been forced to ride horseback with the rest of the company.

And in truth, that hadn't been so bad. Yes, the ride had hurt her arm at times, but Lady Regina had asked that she, Jane, keep her company on the long road home. It had been a true delight riding by Lady Regina's side every day, the tales the Lady told were truly spelling-binding and she actually seemed to care what Jane had to say, unlike most people in the castle, besides from, of course, Jester and Dragon, who always made time to listen to her, but this was different. This was an adult, listening to her opinions, asking for her opinions and listening and respecting what she said, even Sir Theodore didn't do that all of the time.

Jane stood on tiptoe to see where the kind and beautiful lady was now. She was speaking to the Queen, who was listening earnestly to what she had to say.

Jane let out a little sigh. Where were they?

She could see her parents, but she did not wish for them to see her just yet. Not with this crowd. This was only due to fact that she knew what a fuss they would throw once they saw her injured arm and she rather that fuss occur away from the sneering squires that she had truly grown to hate in these last few weeks.

She looked around for Gunther and saw that he too was trying to keep a low profile as his father was standing near the company of Knights, eying them with greedy eyes.

"Do you think anyone would notice or care if we just disappeared?" Gunther asked her as he came to stand by her.

"Sir Theodore might have a word or two to say about it."Jane replied but by this point she honestly couldn't care what her Master Knight said; she was hot, tired, needed a bath desperately and her arm was aching something terrible.

"C'mon, lets grab the horses and sneak in threw the Servant's Gate."

"But…"

"C'mon Jane." Gunther begged. She looked up into his dark eyes and saw that he looked as exhausted as she felt and so without further complaint, she followed him and his horse, leading hers behind her, off towards the servant's gate.

They entered the gate with no trouble at all and no one who was passing through it questioned them, simply allowed them on their way.

"Where is everyone?" Jane asked as they came to the stables and saw that Smithy was not at the forge to greet them, though Pig was and her greetings were so enthusiastic that Jane couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't know, don't care. I just want to take care of Warhammer, get him comfortable before I find my bed." Gunther groaned.

"Don't you want a bath?" Jane asked, wrinkling her noise. Gunther shot her a look and she was quick to shut up.

In silence they took care of their horses, cleaning the sweat from them and gave their fur such a grooming that it glowed. Once they were sure their horses were comfortably groomed, fed and watered the two squires parted ways. Gunther in search of his bed and Jane in search of her friends.

"Dragon?"

"Hmmm?"

"Any ideas as to where everyone is?"

"Try the kitchen, sounds like Pepper is about to throw one of her great wooden spoons at Jingle Boy!"

Jane burst out laughing before running as fast she could, without jostling her arm too much, towards the kitchen, where sure enough, she could hear Pepper yelling something in the direction of poor, old Jester.

Jane peered around the kitchen doorway, trying not to giggle at the sight that was before her. A great pot was on its side and the pot's contents were leaking all over the kitchen floor.

Jane wrinkled her noise at the smell, which was horrible, but it was easy to ignore when she was trying so hard not to laugh.

Jester's arms were thrown out in front of him, blabbering something along the lines that knocking the pot over had been a complete accident, while Pepper was waving a wickedly large spoon threateningly at him, while Rake and Smithy stood to the side, far, far away from Pepper and her threatening spoon.

She could see Jester shooting them looks, begging for help, but the two simply shook their head and backed even further away from him and Pepper.

"How could you, Jester! How could you?!" Pepper was crying, waving her spoon some more.

"I said I was sorry Pepper." Jester was squeaking, ducking out of range of Pepper's spoon.

"Sorry? Sorry won't make up for all the stew we have now lost!" Pepper cried as she batted him over the head with her spoon.

Jane couldn't stop her laughing out loud then.

"Is this what you lot have been getting up to while I've been away?" She teased; laughing as she watched her friends going somewhat slack jawed as they spun around to her direction.

"Jane!"

"Hello." She said with a grin as she walked down the stairs into kitchen and was immediately tackled by her friends. Her delighted laugh was cut off by a sharp hiss of pain as her injured arm was pressed upon.

"What's wrong Jane?" Pepper asked in concern as the rest of her friends pulled back, looking down – the boys, at least – at her, looking worried.

"I'm alright…"

"Jane, what happen to your arm?" Rake asked, looking horrified.

Jane fought back a small sigh as all her friends looked down at her arm in horror.

"It's not as bad as it looks." She starts but she quickly saw that her friends didn't believe her.

"What did you do?" Smithy asked inspecting her arm that was being supported in a cloth sling.

"Ah…" Maggots! She hadn't actually sat down and thought about what she was going to say about her injured arm. She didn't want to admit the truth, admit how stupid she had been to be hurt the way she had been.

"Why have so many Knights returned with you." She felt a surge of relief at Jester's question and opened her mouth to answer before stopping and stared at him… up at him.

She let out a loud outraged growl.

"You're taller than me!" She close to yelled at him, causing her friends, all but Jester himself, to jump. He, to her only growing frustration and annoyance, simply smirked down at her.

"Of course." He said and her frown only deepen.

"Your voice…" now he looked embarrassed, his confident smirk gone and replaced by him being red in the face and looking awkward.

His face only grew redder when their friends started to giggle.

"He's voice changed right before His Little Majesties birthday." Jane immediately forgot her annoyance at her best human friend as she noticed behind his embarrassed and sheepish smile, the pain that flashed across his grey eyes.

"I wasn't very popular for a few weeks. Their Little Majesties were quite certain that I had done it on purpose." Jester explained calmly and Jane fought not to wince as she listened to his strange adult voice. He still sounded like her Jester, but older and there was less cheer in his voice, but maybe that was due to him being still in mourning of his old voice.

"Now they like to tease him about it." Rake added looking sympathetically towards Jester.

Jane frowned, that didn't sound like their Little Majesties. Well, at least not Lavinia, but still, she'd have a very strong word with the pair of them.

"They ask me to sing." Jester explains quickly when he sees just how deep her disapproving frown is. "It is of little matter, they like to hear my voice squeak and crack, as it does now whenever I try to sing a ballad."

"They shouldn't st…" Jane started but Jester waved her concern off.

"As I said, it's of little matter."

"Gunther's voice has broken." Jane told them and they looked immediately interested and amused. "Actually all the squires that we travelled with were going through their voice breaking." She added and scowled fiercely as she thought of the other squires.

Her friends eyed her cautiously; they're eyes flickering from her angry face to her arm and then back again.

"Jane," Jester started slowly and trying to keep his own anger under control, "the other squires, they didn't… they weren't the ones who hurt your arm?"

"What? No!" Jester and the others start to let out relieved sigh, when she added, "they made things hard for me but they'd never dare to do something like this! Plus I am far too fast for them to jump me."

"They tried to jump you?" Jane winced at her friends yelling.

"Um, well…." She felt stupid now. She hadn't planned on telling her friends just how bad things had been during her time away.

"Jane?"

"It didn't happen often and as I said, I was able to avoid them due to being faster than them. Plus Dragon kept them from doing anything too terrible."

"But they still did stuff?" Jester asked, sounding disgusted.

"Just hid my things, nothing too harmful. They did the same thing towards Gunther too. It's just squires fooling about, that is all." She reassured them quickly when she saw just how dark all her friends expression were, even her more peaceful friends, Rake and Pepper, looked angry for her sake. Jester looked furious which was definitely not a common sight for him.

"You and Gunther…."

"There is only the two of us here. With the other squires, they've known each other since boyhood and we were outsiders," she shrugged, "they liked to play pranks on us, that is all." That wasn't all, but Jane refused to burden her friends with how hurt, both physically and emotionally, she had been due to the other squires pranks.

She could see that her friends were still mad about the other squires 'pranks', but she was relieved to see that for now they were going to leave the matter be. But before they had a chance to ask her any more prying questions about how she had been injured or what exactly the other squires 'pranks' had entitled, she quickly asked Pepper if she needed any help with the Celebration feast preparation.

"Oh, you have no idea how much I need your help. These three have been completely useless to me." Pepper cried, scowling half-heartedly at the three boys, who looked somewhat sheepish and shame-faced.

"Tell me what you want done and I'll have it done before you can blink." Jane said with a wide grin which Pepper responded in kind, before hesitating.

"What about your arm?"

Jane shrugged, fighting a wince as she did so, "I am quite adapted at working one handed now." She said cheerily and Pepper looked relieved before she started ordering everyone about the kitchen once more. Rake and Smithy were ordered to turn the spits, Jester was to clean up the soup he had knocked over and Jane was set to peeling and cutting up vegetables.

"Are you really sure you've adapted to working with one hand?" She heard an amused voice say after she murdered her fourth innocent vegetable for the new stew.

She scowled at her jingled hat friend who simply grinned back at her from where he was mopping the floor of the sticky, smelly stew.

"Did you really knock it over by accident or did you…" she let her question trail off when she saw the twinkle in his grey eyes.

"Well, you and Dragon were taking your sweet time getting here, what else was I to do? Or should I have allowed the whole court and your company of knights be poison by this terrible concoction?" he asked with his teasing grin, causing her to laugh.

"No, I suppose not. And Dragon will be most disappointed for missing out on the stew."

"I'm sure he will be." He mopped his forehead with the back of his hand. "At least everything else smells alright." He said with great relief.

Jane took a sniff of the air and smile.

"Everything smells delicious." She said and to her great embarrassment her stomach gave a loud grumble.

"Petal?" Pepper's head was turned in her direction, looking concerned, "when was the last time you ate?"

That, Jane thought, was an excellent question.

She pondered it for a moment but before she could answer, the knife that she had been holding and all the vegetables that she had been trying to peel and cut were suddenly taken from her and shoved aside as a large bowl of steaming delicious smelling stew was shoved in front of her.

"Eat!" Pepper said firmly as she handed her a spoon.

"But…"

"EAT!" all her friends cried at her at once and sheepishly she started to.

"It's good." She gasped, her eyes watering due to the heat of the liquid burning her throat on the way down.

"Did someone mention eating?" She heard Gunther call into the Kitchen.

"Wondered where he had gotten to." Smithy said as Gunther came down into the kitchen, clean and dressed in fresh, new clothes. Jane felt a twinge of envy, but she was happy to have found her friends.

"I thought you said you were going to sleep." Jane said as he sat down on the bench beside her.

"I was sleeping, my stomach woke me up." Gunther said and Jane and her friends watched in amusement as his head sunk to the tabletop.

"Here Gunther, have some stew." Pepper said kindly as she placed a steaming bowl and spoon in front of him.

"Oh Gods, proper food. Finally!" Gunther said as his head shot off the table and Jane and her friends watched in slight awe the speed that Gunther used to down his stew.

"Best food I think I've ever tasted." He said once he was finished.

"And in a week you'll be complaining about it." Jane said with a snort and Gunther rolled his eyes back at her.

"I won't if I never have to see a stripe of beef jerky ever again in my life."

"Is that all you had to eat?" Rake asked curiously. Jane elbowed Gunther in the ribs to caution him against saying just how bad the food rations were during their trip away.

"By the end, yes." Was all he said and Jane was grateful. She didn't want her friends to know that the reason that Gunther and her had eaten beef jerky almost every day was purely because other food so rarely ever came their way.

"You look like you knocked your head well and good, Gunther." Jester said suddenly, causing Jane and Gunther to jump and look at him in surprise.

Jane felt her heart stop, knowing exactly what her best human friend was doing and that was prying for information about how Jane had gotten hurt and if the other squires had anything to do with it. She just prayed that Gunther would see what he was trying to do too.

"Oh this," he gestured to his head that had been hurt during their battle with Shadow Knights and was newly bandaged with a white cloth as the wound still hadn't completely healed, " got my head in the way of a shield. Stupid mistake really, but at least I didn't stick my arm out when someone yelled at me to watch out." He added, rolling his eyes at Jane who scowled back at him in annoyance.

"What on earth were you two doing?"Pepper asked in wonder looking between them worriedly, "Sounds like you've been in battle or something just as awful!"

"Eh, but we have." Gunther said sounding puzzled before yelping as Jane kicked him repeatedly under the table. "Been in a battle, I mean." He shot Jane an annoyed look, as if this was somehow all her fault.

"With the other squires?" Smithy asked teasingly.

"No," Gunther said sounding hot-tempered. "An actual battle! We could have been killed or least maimed. Actually come to think of it some of us…"this time he was shut up by Jane's repeated kicking. "You know what, never mind," he snapped heatedly as he pushed himself to his feet, "I don't have time for you sheltered children, I'm off to talk with the worldly adults." He glanced down at Jane as if to ask her if she wanted to come, before catching himself as he remembered that they weren't friends here in the castle and he stalked off without another word.

"Seems his temper hasn't changed much from your adventuring around the land." Smithy commented.

Jane shook her head, feeling her throat tighten as she did so. They didn't understand, they didn't know and truth be told she honestly didn't want her friends to know about her time in battle, she didn't want them to know that her injured arm could have been far worse… her not having an arm at all or even worse, she could be dead and not sitting in the warm kitchen with them all.

The terror that had been fighting for control for weeks, started to choke her.

Not here! She thought desperately, not here! Not with them.

She could not, would not burden her friends with the horror she had had to face only a few weeks back.

So with a hurried excuse that she must go and find her parents, she bolted from the warmth of the kitchen. Running hurt because of her arm but it also cleared her mind and she could breathe better outside than being within the confines of the Pepper's kitchen.

"What's the matter, Coppertop?" She heard Dragon ask her in concern as she ran up to his side. "Ah," he said, sounding unbelievably wise for once, "finally caught up with you, hasn't it?"

She sniffed miserably and pressed her back against his warm side, pulling her legs up and under her chin and wrapped her un-hurt arm around her face as she felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks as horror after horrific images passed behind her eyelids.

Would they ever leave her? The screams of fallen Knights and squires, the unearthly noises the Shadow Knights made when they turned to ash? Would the images ever leave her be?

"Jane?"

Oh no, not now, not him! And yet, he was exactly who she wanted, beside from Dragon, she wanted him with her more than anything.

Brushing tears from her eyes she sent her best smile in Jester direction, but of course, he wasn't fooled. He was Jester after all. Nothing she did ever fooled him.

He didn't say anything as he came and settled himself down beside her, leading his back far more carefully against Dragon's side than she had ever bothered to, and after a moment, his arm went around her, pulling her tightly to his side.

It felt so right, being tucked up against him as she was. Being tucked in between both of them, she corrected her thoughts mildly. It felt so right to be with them both. All she needed was them, and her world would be alright, she would be alright.

She hadn't wanted to tell Jester about the battle, but after a time, as it grew dark and the stars began to come out and the moon shone out over their heads, brightening the sky the way stars only wished that they could, the words simply started to pour from her lips. And tears from her eyes. How he managed to understand her, when she choked on so many of her words, she would never know and yet he seemed to understand every word she spoke, though he spoke none while she told him the horrid tale.

When her tale was over, he still said nothing, simply pulled her even closer to him. She, despite her tears and the heaviness of her heart, found herself blushing. And her blush only grew hotter when she felt his lips lightly brush themselves against her temple.

"This is the first time you've spoken of this with anyone, isn't it?"

"Yes." She replied thickly and he hugged her close to him.

"You shouldn't try and keep something like that inside of you," he whispered, "it'll only eat away at you worse and your dreams will only grow more terrible. It is better to speak out about horrible events like that, rather than let them rot inside of you."

"I didn't want to burden anyone." Jane whispered softly, feeling quite silly now.

She heard both Jester and Dragon snort and she hung head.

"Listen to me," Jester said as he took hold of her chin and forced her to look up at him, "don't ever be afraid to talk to me. I will always listen to you, no matter what; I'll always be here for you."

"I know." She whispered and hugged him tightly, grateful to have him as her best human friend.

"As much as I hate to break this touching moment, but Jane, your short-life mother is calling for you, you had best go and see what it is that she wants before she finds you up here and…"

"Yes, alright." Jane sighed as she rubbed at her still wet face and disentangled herself from Jester, who seemed to be reluctant to let her go for some reason.

"Thank you Jester… for listening I mean. I just – I…"

"I understand," he gave her his best Jester smile and then a little bow, just to make her laugh as his hat jingled merrily.

"Off you go, you're mother is waiting and Pepper is most likely contemplating throwing me into her stew pot for leaving in the middle of my job." He grimaced comically before giving her a gentle push towards the direction of her calling mother.

She shot him weary smile before heading off towards her mother. He winced when he her mother shriek about Jane's arm before sighing.

"Why are you sighing? You made her happy, you made her talk. She wouldn't talk to me about what happen and I was there! So why so glum?" Dragon asked the Court Fool.

"It's – it's complicated, Dragon."

"Like that ballad you wrote that time when you and everyone else thought that Jane and…."

"Yes, yes, I remember that all too well, thank you." Jester butted in hastily. "And no, it's got nothing to do with how I felt that time!"

"Then what is it?"

"Her."

"Her? How is Jane complicated? If you ask me she is the most uncomplicated short-life out of all you short-lives."

"To you, maybe. To me…"

"Why? You like her. She likes you. Where's the complication? Or are you waiting for spring time to come around again? Spring time seems to be the time when things get interesting. Though," Dragon became thoughtful for a moment, "I doubt her parents would be very pleased with if you got her with…"

"DRAGON!" Jester's whole face was a flame. He knew exactly where Dragon's comment was going and though he knew that the over-sized newt meant it innocently enough, the idea, the very thought… He couldn't think of Jane like – like that!

"What? What did I say? It's true, they wouldn't be overly happy with you if you caused Jane to have a little one, but they'd forgive you soon enough… possibly."

"Thanks." Jester grumbled grudging before shaking his head. "How can you even be thinking things like that? About her?"

"What? And you're not? I'm not saying make it happen now, give it a couple more …"

"ARGH!"

"Now what? And what's happen to your voice, it's all… squeaky."

"Look Dragon, I don't want to be talking about this, least of all with you."

"Why least of all with me? Am I not the creature who knows Jane best?"

Jester had to, grudgingly mind you, give him that one. They fell into an almost companionable silence.

"So, why so glum, if it's not got to do with you being eager for spring time to come."

"Dragon." Jester warned and Dragon snort.

"Ask a simply question, get my head bitten off. You've lost your calmness, Jingle Boy. I remember when things barely ever fazed you, well expect when sharp, pointy objects are being pointed at you. Oh, and whenever someone brings up Jane and Gunther…"

"Dragon."

"Alright fine, but are you going to make me keep guessing why a cheery boy like you is looking like a right misery."

"I – I just hoped that she'd be older, that's all."

"Older? For what? If you mean for…"

"NO! I mean, for when she saw a real battle, took part in a real fight, I hoped she'd be older."

"Do you think being older would have helped?"

"Probably not, but… she is just so young and the young shouldn't see such violent deaths, nor take part in them." Jester sighed heavily and shook his head, causing his bells on his hat to jingle.

"Anyway, good night Dragon. I must return to the kitchen or Pepper will have my head." And with a courtly bow, Jester departed.

Dragon watched Jingle Boy return to the kitchen, shaking his head as he did so. Short-life's were such complicated creatures.