A/n: Again, I had to cut up my long chapter for the sake of editing and flow. Next chapter is Smithy and Janes chat. Fluffymarshmallows and awes0mesaucer thank you for the comments. I do appreciate your comment awes0mesaucer and your concern over my oc Mary. I do have something planned for her, and will get back to her soon. Thank you guys so much. I hope you guys will enjoy!
Chapter 36: Smithy's Joy
After excusing himself from the chamberlain's company, the blacksmith made his way towards the courtyard. There were several ways to accomplish this, but Smithy thought the shortest route best; he did not care to draw much attention to himself and that is why he chose the path he did. Rather than running, which would have been more than sufficient, he settled for a brisk walk; doing his best to maintain an appearance of neatness; a difficult task indeed. Now, he had not been driven by youthful impudence, but rather by the excitement at sharing his good news with Jane which overshadowed the sheepishness he might have felt at the multiple eyes that drifted his way. Not many were used to him being in such a state of cleanliness, and it was no surprise there were murmurs as he passed servants in the hallways and passages that were intended for those who preferred to go unseen as they carried out their duties.
Chambermaids, stonemasons, personal attendants, and laundresses eyes widened at his countenance. To a few he was almost beyond recognition; discerning minds could see that it was the blacksmith off duty who was on his way to partake of diversions which otherwise there was no time to enjoy. Yet, they did not have the time to loiter and to wonder as to what he was about; much to the blacksmith's relief. Smithy despite his current blessings did not forget who was beneath it all; he was like them, as lowly, and unseen by many, but he also did not take for granted how fortunate he was; how he too ought not to waste precious time.
The final passageway was one that always maintained a constant state of dampness, in minor disrepair, more solitary, but safe enough to walk through; not the most desirable of shortcuts to be sure. Every so often it carried foul, assaulting odours that made his eyes water, and made him wish to cover his nose; persuading Smithy to be more cautious as he traversed over the uneven flooring whose stones had loosened under the footsteps and time, but onward he went. And, as the blacksmith was finally met with the afternoon sunlight, grateful for the lungful of fresh air he could take, Smithy's joy rebounded; as rare and wonderful as it was. Be that as it may, as the sounds of voices drifted his way as they would, Smithy swore someone had mentioned his title or name somewhere, but he disregarded it. Today, the rest of his time would be for his friends, and more importantly for Jane; where the source of his joy began.
Pig sniffed about, searching the stable floor for any treats the horses might have dropped when she detected a familiar scent. It was of fire, smoke, lilac, and sweat. The sow recognized it immediately as the scent of her master's dear one. Waddling over towards the lady knight, and waiting until her presence was known, the sow stared up at the lady, and the lady smiled and bent down to give Pig a head scratch. This pleased Pig, and she leaned into the lady knight's touch, which was gentle.
Pig relaxed into the lady knight's touch until another familiar scent caught her attention, and Pig squealed towards her master; causing the knight to comment, "Off duty I see."
Glancing down at himself, the blacksmith nodded, feeling every bit foolish as to have done so. "Does not happen very often."
It sure does not. In all the years the blacksmith had served in this castle, the lady knight had only seen him off duty on the king's rest days, or whenever Sir Theodore granted him leave for the day. However, for whatever reason Jethro was free to talk with her, and spend time with her, Jane would accept it; he would want her to. Now, as she studied him, and appreciated the sight of the blacksmith, she felt quite scandalous for allowing her eyes to drift to the broadness of his chest and how well the tunic suited him. Without his leather apron and gloves, he was almost a stranger, but the square of his jaw and the depth of his eyes was the same as ever; he was quite handsome.
It was difficult to decipher what that gaze of his meant, but without much thought, Jane expressed, "Does he not look handsome Pig?"
Of course, the sow would not understand what that meant, and Jane felt as though she should have kept the thought to herself, but having uttered it, she would have to face the consequence. Oh, how embarrassing, that she should be so forward when they had only just come to know of each other's feelings. Smithy might not tease Jane for it, but warmth flooded her cheeks all the same, and she continued to pet Pig, but the blacksmith's wonderment drew her attention. "You think I am handsome?"
With a gentle nod, Jane admitted, "Everyone does."
The blacksmith was well aware of that, but what did she think? It was her opinion that he gave precedence to, and truth be told, it thrilled him to believe that she might. "But you Jane," He inquired calmly, "think this too?"
Glancing at her master and then back towards the lady knight, the sow sensed the anxieties between them, but it did not trouble her. Rather, to Pig it spoke of their attraction to one another. Nudging the lady knight's hand, Pig pointed her snout at her master, before relishing Jane's caresses again. The sow was sure the lady understood what she ought to do, for Jane answered matter-of-factly, "Yes, I do."
Pig did not understand what those mouth noises meant, but she did not need to understand. Staring up at their faces, she knew that they were happy; that and their pheromones were a mess of stink; the like that spoke of their desire and their want of each other. For his part, Smithy was no match for Jane's bright eyes that expressed whole conversations without trying, and the loveliness of a flushed face that was sheepish out of affection. He recalled that Jester once remarked on how Jane was unaware of her divination; of how she could command armies of soldiers with the flick of the wrist, and how her voice could be heard on the backs of mountains if one listened hard enough, but as could be expected from the fool's tales, it was exaggerated. Yet, the blacksmith almost forgot what he had come over to say, as though he were addled brained.
How had he gained the privilege to care for a lady so winsome and beautiful? In his delight, a light chuckle escaped him, and it was strange that he should be so happy over such an admittance, but he was. The blacksmith had assumed that as dirty and smelly as he was always due to his various duties would act as a deterrent, but for a lady such as Jane to find him handsome was enlightening. "I see."
"I suppose that was a bit forward." She admitted.
It might have been, but the lady knight could always be relied upon when it came to her sincerity. Be that as it may, he did not allow her time to regret it. Taking a step forward, he expressed, "When have I known you not to speak your mind, Jane? It is one of your best qualities."
No one has ever told her that before. If any other man had said as much, the lady knight would have believed they were mocking her, but from him, it sounded sweet and by no means was it an exaggeration. "Is that right?" She questioned.
"It is." He declared, scratching the back of his neck, "Not everyone knows what they want, but you seem to, and it is admirable."
To be sure, it did keep things interesting, but he would keep that thought to himself. Jane could only wonder how he could manage to be patient with a woman like her, and let alone call one of her faults a virtue. "I believe you are the only man who would think so, but thank you."
The blacksmith wanted to tell her that was not true, but there would be time for that; in due time they would get to know each other better. For now, all he cared to do was to enjoy her company. Be that as it may, he did not tell her anything else, and since silence was what she was met with, Jane decided to continue with her light teasing. "Tell me Pig, do you believe you can share Jethro with me? I know you already share him with everyone, but do they care for him as we do?" And glancing up at him, and seeing that he was paying rapt attention, she continued. "Do they know how wonderful and kind he is? I know that in saying this, I only increase his worth, and point out how much I may be unequalled to him, but as stubborn and rather forward I can be, I promise to treat him well. How about it Pig, do I have your blessing?"
Tilting her head as animals would do, the sow seemed to ponder for a moment, then oinked. To this, the lady knight laughed and the blacksmith wondered if his pig understood, but she was a smart one; if there was a chance of the sow understanding the situation, then she seemed to accept it, and it provided Smithy with marked relief. Having Jane get along with Pig, who was his oldest friend, reassured him once more that he was not mistaken in his choice; the two of them made him feel altogether at home. The fact that the lady knight not only thought him handsome, caring, and wonderful but wanted his sows blessing pleased him. If any other woman had gone about it in such a manner as the lady knight did, it would have seemed that they sought to mock him, but not Jane; she was too good to do so.
Her sincerity only succeeded in endearing her more to him, and if he had been staring at them during his introspections, it did not bother Jane any. "It is about time for the evening meal." He reminded.
She glanced up at him all of a sudden, and amusement danced upon her lips when she mentioned, "Indeed it is, and I hope you are prepared. It is bound to be interesting."
When was it not? Liveliness followed whenever the cook, lady knight, or jester were around, but as the possessor of a secret, or of a fact that had been the source of a few of the cook's schemes, it would succeed in adding to it. "No doubt because of Pepper."
"Exactly. I believe she has been suspecting something is amiss." And winking up at him, because they would have more to add to their private amusement, she jested, "I cannot imagine where she got the idea. It is not my fault if my eyes are drawn in a certain direction."
This he could not deny and in like amusement, he commented, "Something in the air perhaps."
"Rather, something about our behaviour. We are here out in the open for all to see, and daring to be interrupted or to draw suspicion by talking. If I tease you and smile at you as I like, no doubt there will be a dozen stories that will turn out to be mostly false, but have a wisp of truth to them."
"Nonetheless, Pepper's comments are frequent and will continue to be so until she has proof. It is only a matter of time."
"I thought I was the only victim to her insinuations," Jane admitted; equal parts mortified and relieved, "but I suppose we should get on with it and enjoy dinner while we can."
It was one thing to not finish what was served on one's plate, but it was another to be late for a meal; it is rude to the one who had cooked it. They shall not keep Pepper waiting. "Right." Then glancing at the sow, he mentioned, "But first I must gather Pig's dinner. Go on without me, Jane. Once Pig is fed, I will be there straight away."
"Champion." And rising to her full height, and studying him once more, Jane softened, "In the meantime, I will be sure to reserve a seat for you."
Smithy waited for the lady knight to be far enough so as not to hear what he had to mention to his pig. "You are a smart girl, Pig, for you knew it all the time. I am sorry I ever doubted you, but I hope you will get along with her. You will try, will you not, because I love her, and I want to make her happy. Understand?"
With a resounding oink, the blacksmith was satisfied and carried on with gathering the pig's dinner. For her part, Pig felt there was a rightness to it all; as much as a pig could. That and dinner was a word she understood well.
This evening, the young members of the castle staff decided to eat inside the kitchen. Although cluttered, one could see the life which existed and remained within the walls of the warm space. Along the corners and edges of the long tables were small lines of text only the educated could understand. Where Jane sat, the line in Latin, 'Hic manebimus optime!' was carved in the familiar handwriting of the fool. Somehow, he had managed to keep himself busier than ever, and the lady knight had her suspicions, but she left him alone; might it only be his artist personality guiding him as he pleased.
Anyway, there were many benefits to their current dinner arrangement; a feast for the senses; allowances for an inquiring eye searching for the changes in the surroundings; the air rich with spices; the warmth and beauty of the man beside her bestowing private glances; their busy friend being able to sit and partake of the meal; being closer to the food; all of it to Jane's delight. Now, the meal had been cooked to perfection, but Pepper could not concentrate, for her eyes darted between her two friends, and she did not want to miss any subtle shifts of mood, despite being very hungry. To her, there was something peculiar about how they acknowledged one another; about Jane and Smithy. To be sure, there was something like tenderness and warmth in the blacksmith's eyes and the lady knight seemed aglow with happiness, but neither would say what it was as they chatted and ate.
Her husband, being practical in his ways and considerate of his friends was indifferent, and where was Jester? He was nowhere to be found to lighten or distract from the situation, and the cook could not take it any more. With more force than intended, she smacked her palms upon the table and confronted the two. "Jane, Smithy, what in the world is going on with you two? What are you hiding? And do not pretend nothing is amiss, because this has been going on for a while. So either I get some answers, or you two do not get to finish your dinner."
Jane's hand stilled and the blacksmith calmly set down his spoon. Finally, they were going to have to explain themselves, but they did not realize that the cook would be vexed by the mystery. Rather, they were hoping she would be entertained. Glancing at each other, and knowing what they ought to do, they came to a silent agreement, and it was the blacksmith that stated with light amusement, "I believe you know what is going on."
Confused by his meaning, Pepper stood there annoyed and Jane offered the blacksmith a sympathetic look while he returned a warm one. Studying them, and thinking to herself as to what he was about, it struck Pepper all of a sudden, and she exclaimed, "Wait, do you mean romance? Is there regard between you two?"
Smithy nodded, Jane smiled, and with a gasp and squeal of happiness, the cook expressed, "I knew it. I was wondering when you two would realise it and catch on. Shame on you two and all your secrets. You really had me worried."
"Sorry, Pepper. In truth, we had only come to know of the other's regard last evening." Confessed the lady knight.
"That is why we could not agree to your assumptions until we were sure." Added the blacksmith.
Turning towards the lady knight, the cook wondered, "Petal, is this true? You care for our friend Smithy here?"
"I swear upon my knight's honour that it is true."
"Oh," Pepper cried, "this is exactly as I wished. Rake, is it not grand? I told you. I knew they cared for each other."
Rake sat back and watched as his wife fawned over their sheepish friends, and felt quiet contentment at the rightness of it all. In truth, Rake thought they would realise their mutual affection at some point, but there were things to work out, and it appears as they had. This was as he wished as well; for everyone to have the right to be happy. Also, the roasted fish and vegetables were delicious. He should serve himself another portion before there was none left.