Author's Note: I found this story again a few days ago on my USB and after re-reading it these past few days (and giving it a few touch ups) I feel it deserves to see the light of the internet. As of now there is eighteen chapters of this fic written and ready to post.
I am, since finding it again, a little inspired to keep writing it, which in turn might inspire me to get my butt into gear and finish The Most Precious of Treasures, but it also depends on the interest here. Either way, I am going to post all eighteen chapters, but if you like the story and would like me to continue please leave a comment.
Suggestions and writing critique are very welcome, flames, however, are not. If you don't like it, no one is forcing you to read it.

Chapter IV

Jane woke in her own bed the next morning with an aching head and her arm throbbing terribly. She didn't remember much from the Welcoming feast, only that the food was good and something about there being a ball in a few days' time, but besides from that the night was a blur. Most likely due to her exhaustion having finally caught up to her and she had almost fallen asleep at the table she had been sitting at with the rest of the squires. She did remember Gunther bringing her to her room and telling her to sleep herself out, orders from Sir Theodore. She had thanked him before heading straight for her bed and falling asleep almost immediately.

She lay in bed staring up at her ceiling her mind wandering over the events of the past few weeks. She was home, she was alive and safe. No one could harm her here.

She sat up stiffly and slowly swung herself out of her bed, grimacing as she looked down at her clothes, clothes that she had worn last night and had proceeded to sleep in.

She ran a hand through her red hair as soft knock sounded against her door.

"Jane? Dear, are you awake?"

"Yes Mother." Jane called softly back and her mother entered the room.

Adeline Turnkey took in her daughters overall appearance with a firm frown set upon her features, however her frown soften when she saw her daughter shift uncomfortably under her less than kind stare.

She sighed heavily as she walked into the room, setting the warm basin of water down upon Jane's study desk before coming to sit down by her daughter on the bed.

She gently stroked her daughter's rebellious red hair from her face, taking in her daughter's pale and rather blank expression.

"Sir Theodore told your father and I all that has happen during your travels." She started and immediately felt her daughter stiffen.

"Jane, I am – I am so proud of you." her daughter's eyes widen and looked up at her in surprise.

"You-you are?"

"Of course. I still wish that this was not the life that you had chosen for yourself and I will admit that after this adventure, spending so much time with other knights and squires, seeing and being in a real battle," both mother and daughter winced at this, " that you might finally decided to drop this whole desire to be Knight and instead follow in my footsteps," her daughter opened her mouth, but Adeline held up her hand and her daughter, surprisingly, fell silent, "but in saying all that, I can't even begin to tell you how proud of you I am. As is your father. We are both so very proud of you."

"Thank you Mama," Jane whispered and to her horror she felt a tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh my darling," her mother stroked her cheeks and Jane fell into her mother's arms and sobbed.

They stayed like this for a good few moments before Adeline informed her daughter that she was requested for midday meal with the Lady Regina.

"I am?"

"Mmm hmmm." Adeline nodded as she helped her daughter dress into a loose green gown that matched Jane's eyes. A brown belt with gold and silver threads weaved into it was knotted at her waist and her injured arm was bound in a sling of green silk.

Jane's sat still and allowed her mother to fuss with her rebellious hair until it was braided and knotted at the nape of her neck.

Jane looked into the mirror that her mother had brought out from where Jane had originally shoved it under her bed and grimaced.

"No need to pull a face." Her mother sighed, "I think you look quite beautiful."

"That's exactly the problem." Jane grumbled, "I look like a girl."

"Jane, that is because you are one." Her mother said and Jane swore she saw her mother rolling her eyes in the mirror.

"And let's remind everyone of that, shall we." Jane sighed.

Her mother gave her a sharp look but Jane held her tongue. Obviously Sir Theodore hadn't told her mother everything.

"When will it be midday?" Jane asked before her mother could question her further.

"Not for another hour or so. Do you think it is possible to keep yourself out of trouble between now and then?" Her mother asked, looking like she clearly doubted that Jane could do this.

"I'll be good Mother. I promise." Jane said quickly, already wondering where her friends might be.

"I hope so." Adeline sighed before ushering her daughter out of her room.

Jane waved cheerily to her mother before bouncing down the stairs towards the courtyard. Her head still ached and her arm was throbbing but she couldn't feel down when she knew she'd be seeing Lady Regina in a little under an hour.

"Lookie what we have here." Jane felt her good mood disappear almost immediately when the jeers started being yelled her way.

"You look like a girl, Janey." Jane tilted her chin upward to glare at the tall and in her mind the most unpleasant boy she had ever met.

"What do you want Radon." She growled back at the awful boy all the while her heart fluttered madly within her chest. Radon was the ringleader of the squires and he seemed to take great pleasure in making her life an absolute misery.

He smiled down at her, cracking his neck as he did so.

"I said you look like a girl." He repeated as if he was talking to someone extremely stupid.

"Well, that's because I am one, you halfwit!" Jane snapped, immediately regretting her words and tone. Now they knew she was upset. She could already see the triumphant smirks crossing several of the squires' faces.

"What did you call me?" Radon asked moving closer to her. Jane's mind and heart told her to run, but she stood her ground and simply scowled back at him.

"I believe she called you a halfwit." Jane closed her eyes before looking over her shoulder to where Jester was standing nearby, leaning against a wall, his arms crossed. He didn't look amused.

"Get lost Fool. This is none of your business." one of the squires yelled. Jester, of course, didn't move. If anything, he's resolve to stay had just been strengthen.

"What, you going to let the castle idiot answer for you." Radon snorted with laughter.

Jane hands curled into fists. How dare he! How dare he call Jester an idiot when Jester was by far the smartest boy she had ever met. His intelligence by far exceeded that of the small and closed-mind intellect of the boys who stood before her.

"He's not the one who should be called the castle idiot." Jane snapped, trying and failing to remain calm.

Even though he is refusing to leave, she added privately to herself when she snuck a glance behind her and saw that the fool of her best human friend was still leaning against the castle wall, his grey eyes watching everything that was occurring with grave intelligence.

Their eyes met and she saw his widen when she felt herself suddenly being shoved, excoriating pain shooting through her injured arm.

"You know, you really need to learn some respect for your betters." Radon snarled, shoving her again. She stumbled back a little but forced herself to remain upright even though her arm was screaming with pain making it harder to fight back the tears that wished to fall.

"And who would that be? For surely, you cannot mean yourselves?" She snorted and he shoved her again causing her to almost trip back on the hem of her infuriatingly long skirt.

Why hasn't he just hit me already? He's never been so slow to hit me before, she thought before realising it was probably because he and the other squires knew that at any moment anyone could come out into the courtyard and see what was happening.

Though, just as she is thinking this, at that same moment, she as hears Jester crying out a warning to her, she sees Radon fist come swings towards her.

All the drills and training exercise that she had done over the years made ducking from his attack almost instinctual. Head butting him in the gut, however, was more her temper getting the better of her.

She was sick and tired of being kicked down by these boys and remaining quiet about it. Week after weeks, she had had to suffer because of them, but no longer. They were in her territory now; she refused to be beaten down here.

She smiled when she heard a satisfying 'ohf' as her head butt knocked the wind right out of Radon and sent him crashing to the ground.

She could hear Jester cheering, but it wasn't last long before he was yelling out another warning and suddenly she found herself being tackled by squires much, much bigger than herself. However as she told her friends yesterday, she was faster than those who tormented her, so even in a dress and with a hurt arm; she was still able to run circles around her attackers.

"Jester, do not get involved." She yells when she sees him coming in and joining the extremely uneven and unfair brawl.

She blinked in surprise when she saw him land a surprisingly good punch against one of the arrogant pig's cheek, causing a loud crunching sound and for the arrogant pig to stagger back, clutching his jaw, squealing out in pain.

"What is going on here?"

Jane felt her heart drop as she spun around to stare at the beautiful Lady Regina walking towards them, amusement dancing in her bright eyes.

"Ah…" Jane started intelligently.

"My Lady." All the squires bowed to Lady Regina.

"Why, dear boys are you trying to rough up my dear friend Jane." Lady Regina asked. "Especially right before she is supposed to be having midday meal with me."

"Ah," the boys all said as one as they all looked between each other than back at Jane and Jester, glaring angrily at the two of them for putting them into this extremely uncomfortable position.

"It was…" Radon started, his finger already moving to point at Jane.

"Her fault? Radon, my dear boy, now we both know that that is not true. But you may continue to tell yourself that since it is obvious to all that she will be a far, far greater knight than you could ever dream to be."

Jane heard Jester let out a snigger from where he had moved to her side, but she didn't turn to meet his eyes; she simply continued to stare at this incredible Lady before them.

"Off you go boys. Wouldn't do for the Court to hear that you were beaten by two youngsters, one a good three years younger than most of you and also happens to be a girl."

Jane swore that she had never seen the squires' move so fast. One moment they were all bowed head in front of Lady Regina, the next they were running back towards their camp that was set up outside the front gates of the Castle.

"Well, that was some excitement that I don't think you needed, my dear Jane." Lady Regina said as she turned her radiant smile upon Jane, causing her to blush.

"Poor thing," she said as she came to stand in front of Jane, taking hold of her chin and inspecting the girl's face for any injuries.

"I'm alright." Jane said feeling uncomfortable before glancing at Jester who was eying Regina in an odd sort of fashion.

"Jester?" Jane stepped towards him and took a hold of his arm, forcing him to stop looking queerly at Lady Regina and down at her, "Are you alright?"

When he opened his mouth to answer her she saw that his lip was spilt and felt like stamping her foot in annoyance at his own stupidity. And only moments ago I was praising him for being smarter than those oafs! She silently cursed.

"I told you not to get involved." She growled as she pulled the sleeve of her new gown over the heel of her hand and tried to mop up his bloody lip with it.

"Jane!" He said sounding exasperated as he jerked his head backwards, his hat jingling merrily as he did so, and away from her, "don't ruin your gown over something as silly as this. And what do you mean; I should not have gotten involved. Was I to simply sit by and watch idly while those thugs tried to harm you? You would never have stood by if I was in such a situation."

"But it's different." She cried back at him in irritation.

"Oh? And how is that?" He was giving her that look that he always gave whenever she was digging herself into a hole, a very deep one at that.

"You know perfectly well how." She snapped standing on tiptoe to try and his face so that she clean up his damn lip.

"Jane," he catches her wrist and forces her to stand back down on solid ground, "it is fine. It does not hurt and I have no other injuries."

"Are you sure?"

He smiled at the suspicious look that she was giving him, chuckling lightly.

"I am sure. Trust me." He looked her in the eyes and fought back the temptation of kissing the hand that he held in his. Or even worse than that, give into the temptation of kissing her mouth.

A delicate cough caused the two of them to break eye contact and jump apart as they both remembered Lady Regina who was watching them with a great deal of amusement and interest.

Jester felt his face becoming hot and when he snuck a glance down at Jane he saw that her face was just as hot as his, turning a red colour that almost rivalled that of her hair.

"You must be Jester." Lady Regina said, stepping towards them, smiling warmly.

And however did you guess that? Jester thought before realising that was rather harsh of him, but really looking at him how could one think he was anything else but the Court Jester?

Shaking those thoughts away, Jester dropped into one of his more elaborate bows in front of the beautiful lady before him.

"Jane has told me all about you." Lady Regina informed him with a wide smile that for some reason he does not feel like returning, but forces himself to do so anyway.

"Only good things I'm sure." He replied, possibly a tad dryly. He can feel Jane frowning at him, but he can't help feeling… unkindly towards this woman. Something about her simply felt… off.

"I am Lady Regina. Jane rescued me from a terrible fate and has been so kind to me during our time together." The Lady smiled at Jane and Jane smiled shyly back and all Jester felt was the strong desire to simply get Jane away from this woman.

What was wrong with him? He had never felt such a feeling of dislike towards someone he has only just met.

Of course he had seen her last night at the Welcoming Feast but this was the first time he had spoken to her and yet he felt as if he's met her before and these feelings he was having towards her, he couldn't explain them, but he simply wanted to get away from her. Wanted to get Jane as far away from her as he possibly could.

"Maybe you would like to join us for the midday meal." Lady Regina was saying and he saw that she was eying him with narrowed eyes even though her smile was still wide and welcoming.

"No, sadly sorry I cannot. The King has asked for a new Balled for the upcoming Ball and I must work on it." he spluttered. Jane was looking at him with a frown, worry evident in her dark green eyes.

He swallowed nervously before bowing quickly to the Lady and Jane.

Coward! He mind screamed at him as he darted towards his chambers. Coward! You've left Jane with that – that woman!

He shook his head angrily.

What was wrong with him? Why did he feel so afraid of that beautiful woman? She had done nothing to warrant such feeling from him, so why?

A memory flickered behind his eyes. An old memory, a very old one indeed.

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to grasp it before it once more faded. It was something his mother had told him, long before he had come to the castle when he was just seven years old. Something very important, a warning even, now what was it?

He sat down by a garden bed, his fist pressed to his forehead trying to remember but the memory was old and he had been very young and he suspected he hadn't been paying all of his attention to his mother when she had spoken the warning to him.

No, it was gone and he let out sigh of frustration.

"Fool of a jester." He growls to himself.

He wondered if he should write to his mother. It had been awhile since his last letter to her but there hadn't been anything to write about, not with Jane being gone and life in the castle had become somewhat mundane.

But I have plenty to write to her about now, he thought and he felt a sense of reassurance.

His mother was a very wise woman and she would know what to make of the feelings he was feeling towards the beautiful and mysterious Lady Regina. And she, along with the rest of the troupe might even come by the castle to visit him. It had been years since they had and though he tried to hide it from his friends but he did miss his large and ever moving family.

He got up from where he sat in the Royal Garden and headed for his room intent on writing both his letter to his mother and start on the new ballad for the Ball in the coming nights.

"Jester?"

Jester jumped awake at his desk and twisted around to stare a Jane who was standing in the doorway of his room looking slightly sheepish at waking him.

"Oh, hello Jane." He said around a yawn as he stretched his arms above his head and tried to force his sleepy mind awake.

He could hear Jane coming into his room and sitting down upon his sleeping pallet.

"How is the ballad coming along?" She asked as she plucked at her skirt in irritation.

"Uh," He looked down at the half page of scribbling. His letter to his mother was far more legible, "not well. But I've always been good a writing ballads under pressure."

Jane giggled at the truth behind this statement before turning serious.

"How does your lip feel?"

"Fine, barely even notice it. Your arm?" He asked and watched her grimace as she looked down at her arm in its silk green sling.

"It hurts." She admits almost unwillingly, "but it's a healing hurt, I suppose," she quickly adds when she sees his face, "the Court Physician says I might even get a weathering ache from it."

"Isn't that something only Sailors get?" Jester asked with a smile as he watched Jane lean back on his pallet pondering this for a moment.

"Hmmm, I think you might be right." She finally said before giving a little sigh. "I wouldn't mind some kind of…" Jester interrupted her.

"You wish for your arm to ache whenever the weather turns nasty? Jane, that'll be almost every seven days around here." he teased and she giggled again.

"Yes, I suppose it would be rather inconvenient and unneeded here. And beside Dragon always knows when it is going to rain. He can smell it." She smiled widely at Jester and he knew that she was about to start bragging about her giant newt of a friend, "The Knights and squires found his nose for the weather rather useful while we were travelling. Bout the only good thing they had to say about him actually." She added with a dejected sort of grumble.

Jester leant forward and grasped her hand in his, giving it a gentle but reassuring squeeze.

"Give them time. The big newt is a bit hard to get used to at first, even for big, strong Knights of the Realm like them."

Jane giggled again and shook her fiery head in amusement.

"Lady Regina likes him." Jester watched her eyes become bright as she started to tell him just how wonderful the Lady Regina. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so enthusiastic about anyone before, least of all a Lady of such high standing.

"Be careful Jane," he warned her mock-seriously, "Don't let your mother hear you speak like this or she might just think that you are now wanting and willing to become the Lady that you were meant to be."

Jane pulled a face at that.

"Lady that I am meant to be? Why does everyone still think that someday I will want to become a Lady of court? I don't, not ever! I will become a great and mighty knight, like the Knights of old, of Camelot and the Round Table, just you and everyone else wait and see!"

"Easy Jane," Jester said quickly, "I was only teasing you. You know that I was only teasing you." He watched her anger fade and she looked back at him quite sheepish.

"I'm sorry, it just – you don't know how hard these last couple of months have been, with those you admire most in the world looking down their noses at you and treating you differently from all the other squires simply because you are a girl, thinking that you are too weak to deal with what the others squires are doing because you are a girl and…" she trailed off, her shoulders hunched and she looked quite miserable.

"Why does everyone immediately think that I will fail at being Knight? At becoming a Knight?" She asked as he came to sit down by her on his pallet.

"I don't. The others don't. Sir Theodore, the King and Queen don't. Your parents don't, it just that their worry for you sometimes overshadows just how proud they are of you. And," he fought to keep his face neutral, "I think your new friend, Lady Regina, has a fairly high opinion of your abilities to become a knight. A lot of people around you believe in you Jane, you just have to have more faith in yourself and your abilities. You will become a great lady knight someday, you just have to work just that bit harder than the other squires to get there, that's all. And you know that I and the others will do anything and everything in our power to help you achieve your goal."

She smiled up at him and Jester felt his cheeks begin to grow warm.

"Thank you, Jester." Her small, but strong arm came to wrap itself around his waist, hugging herself close to him, her head tucked under his chin. Jester returned the gesture, taking care of not squashing her injured arm between them and rested his head on top of her red hair, breathing in her flowery scent.

They stayed like this for a few moments before both realised that their embrace was lasting longer than one that was shared between two friends and they both pulled away from the other quickly, feeling both awkward and shy.

"Um, I should let you get on with writing your ballad." Jane said as she quickly rose to her feet, straightening her skirt as she did so, her head turned to the ground hoping that her red face would cool before anyone saw her and questioned her about it. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to lie convincingly enough about it if she was question about it by the right people who always seemed to know what to say to get her to spill all her secrets to them.

"Ah, yes, yes... thank you." Jester muttered looking back at his desk where his nowhere near complete ballad lay and he felt little enthusiasm at the idea of returning to it.

"Or," he heard Jane start, sounding shy and scuffing her feet against the stone floor of his room, "we could go down to the kitchen and see if Pepper has some dinner for us."

He felt his face break into a smile.

"I'd like that. I mean," He felt his face become warm again, dammit, "I need the fresh air and..." He's stomach chose for this moment to grumble out in hunger. He's ears turned red in embarrassment while Jane giggled at the noise.

"Come on," she chuckled as she took hold of his hand in hers, "let's get some food into your belly or that ballad will never be written."

She smiled up at him and he found it easy to smile back at her even with his face feeling as if it had been too long by a fire. But thankfully, Jane made no comment on this and the two walked, hand in hand to the kitchen, only letting go once they were inside and being greeted warmly by their friends, who all shared knowing looks behind their backs when they were sure the two of them were not looking in their direction.

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