A/n: I got a new job and have been working on this chap for a while. I wanted it to flow and finally it came out the way I wanted. While this has fluff, the following chapters should see more on Jesters plans, Gunthers thoughts on the matter, and we cant forget about the princess, Janes mother, and Mary. Thank you Fluffymarshmallows and awes0mesaucer for the lovely comments. I promise awes0mesaucer that the next chapter we'll check back on Mary. Till then, theres this.
Chapter 37: Smithy's Love
Jester once promised to himself that if there was one person that he was forbidden to imitate and make jests about, it would be his lovable lady knight. She was after all one of his oldest, and dearest friends. He respected her enough and cared for her to a degree that allowed him to keep this promise. However, as he passed the needle through the fabric which would eventually become a gown, and went over in his head the gestures and phrases that she used, he knew his plan was coming together. Yet, every time he imitated, mimicked, and heard that sweet voice come from his lips, his insides twisted. What had he become?
His desperation, yearning, and longing had created this pit of despair that it seemed he could not escape. Depths of darkness and melancholy that were beyond his control seeped into the very marrow of his bones. Be that as it may, he knew what he planned to do. Jane is too smart to fall for his tricks any more, but a man's heart, full of passion and love could be persuaded. All Jester needed was to perfect his imitation, to use the guise of night, and to lure Jane's lover; a moment alone, long enough to appear incriminating, so that someone, anyone could come upon them, and accuse the blacksmith of defiling a ladies honour and virtue.
The bitter taste of tears he cried, the emptiness of love denied, with all this pain he knew not when his heavy heart would love again.
Jane was tired, but not weary. Anticipation emboldened her, refreshed her, and it was no wonder why she was in high spirits; a well-cooked meal sat comfortably in her stomach, the conversation over dinner was liberating, and her current companion was lovely, in his calm, quiet way. The weather about them was cool, crisp to be precise, but Jane wondered if tonight Jethro would be the same. Would he continue to exhibit warmth, and show an openness of character as he seemed to do when they were alone? It had been on her mind for a better part of the day.
The lady knight had not given much thought as to what they would talk about; she should have, but she figured that half the joy of forming an attachment was learning the peculiarities of the other person. For example, why did Jethro like figs if he only tried them once? Did he have any other talents that elevated his capableness? How would he fare in a sparring match with Gunther? And how would he continue to add to her life?
To be sure, Jane might have been getting ahead of herself, but with these thoughts swirling in her head, it only persuaded her to be more excited. At least Jethro was patient; which he would need to be considering her behaviour at times. Nonetheless, she was looking forward to what would come next.
An outstretched hand was all it would take to reach out and seek the warmth of her hand, but no action came from that thought despite his yearning. For now, it pleased him enough to observe her. Smithy was sure her humming could succeed in lightening anyone's spirits; its simplicity, its melody was partway lost for it intermingled with the breezes and gusts which rustled the bushes and the trees, but it was beautiful and charming all the same; Jester might have been correct about her divination after all. There was playfulness in that lightness of step, in that beguiling smile that played along her lips everytime she glanced over her shoulder at him, and in the happiness found in that uncontrolled laughter; it captivated him. To him, this was an extraordinary night; much better than any he could have ever wished, but all the same, the minor lingering thought of knowing it could all disappear, vanish with a single remark or glance, was disheartening. Nonetheless, to where she would go, he would follow; be it his eyes, his memories, or dreams; it seems that is how it has always been.
Yet, to imagine how different everything would have been if Smithy had not been persuaded to leave his family home; it was strange, but it was not the first time he thought about it. If he did not work at the castle, he might have never met the lady knight or her dragon because there would have been little to no need to see the king or visit the castle, and less of a chance of going into town unless it were to sell a few pigs or barter for supplies, but he would have heard of her in passing, in a ballad, and by rumour. Nevertheless, his life would have carried on. He might have eventually met a nice girl that he would marry, cared for her in his way, and managed the family farm, but would he have been happy? Smithy was sure he would have found a measure of contentment as he always had, but it would not compare to his current joy; must be why he considered their meeting as they had to be both a coincidence, and altogether as to holding an air between a fable, a miracle, or whichever poetic way that someone like Jester could come up with.
Despite whatever past decisions or future consequences, the present was what mattered. From the royal kitchen, through the courtyard, and climbing a set of stone steps, he followed where Jane led and wanted to be. The crisp evening encouraged most to remain in their warm chambers with built-up fires, but not them; it served to refresh them. Their destination, which seemed to be a place of familiarity and comfort was near Jane's tower. The blacksmith understood this well; he felt grounded in the forge and the stables, but now he was in her territory. And as Smithy leaned against the stone of the battlements, and stood close to her, but not quite touching, he felt that although he had much to learn, it was something he could manage to do.
In the morning, neither knew what the outcome of the day would be. They both had responsibilities and tasks that had to be done, but they were handled. The late morning and afternoon had its share of amusements, consequence, and explanations, while causing a measure of fatigue, was nonetheless pleasing and peculiar. And now that it was evening, and the day was almost over, they did not feel the need to commence with conversation right away. Instead, they enjoyed the companionable silence and a calm settled over them as though this was their reward for their patience.
Oh, but peace could not last; it only took a small gesture, such as Jane brushing her hair away from her shoulders, that attracted Smithy's attention because he thought the gesture to be pretty. This left the skin about her neck exposed, and he was reminded of how it was lined with freckles like a map of stars. Like the night they had danced together, he desired to place kisses there and to trace them with the earnestness and sincerity of his affection, but this was not the time, nor the place for it. The impropriety of the thought, no matter the intention, gave him minor alarm, but Smithy decided that it could not be all that bad. Was it not natural to desire to bestow affection on the ones you cared for? It had to be, for the cook and the gardener were a good example of it; they were openly affectionate.
However, by no means would Smithy be guided by bouts of emotions in his decisions, at least in no grand way. It is just, for so long the blacksmith had tried to be careful as to how he ought to act, that now, although there may have been certain allowances, he did not want to presume. He had seen how the lady knight shrank away from unwanted affection; persuading Smithy that he ought not to act rashly if he were to nurture what they had. And as though the lady knight could sense that the blacksmith was gazing at her, she turned towards him. Her observation was that Jethro's usual coolness was softened by his regard, his neutral face easing into one of warmth with a hint of a smile, but he was refraining nonetheless; it would not do. In her attempt to provide him ease, Jane rested a hand on his arm, and expressed, "I know it is different now, but you may speak as usual if you like."
The warmth of her voice and hand was felt keenly, a sense of belonging poured light into a place inside him, but another place which still held on to the darkness stirred the minor frustration of his lack of experience with women. Such a brief gesture affected him, shaken him, and when he could speak, he was persuaded to say, "It is easier said than done Jane." His brow furrowed then, and a near sadness, the like born from his private disappointment coloured his voice. "Do not get me wrong, I am honoured that I have the privilege to care for you, but I… I never thought this could happen, so I am rather unprepared."
It could not have been easy to admit such, but his feelings in that respect were like her own, and it was humbling. "I know."
If he had only been trying to be modest, then perchance it would not have held much weight, but the truth of the matter was that was how society would have deemed them to be; two people of different walks of life who had no right, and would not have been permitted to care for one another if the kingdom did not have a few open minds to say otherwise. And deciding to move a little closer, until their arms brushed, Jane made the sudden decision to come to lean against him as she had been wanting to do. He was so warm, and the nearness of him was all the more inviting. If she could close her eyes, and rest right here for some time, she would not have minded. This action was not something she would have considered doing with any other man in her acquaintance, but with him, it felt comfortable; as though she needed to know that he was still there and to show him that she too was trying; to borrow from his calmness and make it her own. "It almost feels like a dream." She continued, "Like what is happening was not intended for me. However, I believe I can say the same; I never thought I would come to care for someone as I care for you, but I do, and I like it. This feels right."
This gladdened his heart, and it did encourage him to admit, "I am glad to hear that." Though, reading the minor concern written along her brow, he added, "I am sorry. I have never been in the habit nor encouraged to share with others how I feel. And this may sound strange to you, but my father considered strong, passionate feelings to be a weakness, and he told me continually that if I were ever to succeed in life, that I ought to repress them. It must be why I lament my difficulties in trying to express myself now."
"Oh Jethro, I cannot believe anyone would say such a thing to you. I always thought you spoke just fine."
To his friends and neighbour's back home, he spoke as well as anyone, but amongst the high-born, and witty, he was considered slow of speech. That, and when one tried to speak, it was difficult to participate when the fool tended to dominate the conversation. It was what made him appreciate people like Jane, Rake, and Pepper; they would hear him; they would listen. "That is because I never minded speaking with you, Jane." And taking a moment, that he may calm because thoughts of his father pained him, Smithy concluded with, "You seem to understand me, or rather I do not have to explain myself too much to you."
What kind of man was Jethro's father? From what she had heard so far, he sounded difficult, but it would be a topic to inquire about another time. For now, Jane was impressed by the fact that it was as the cook suspected; Smithy did favour speaking with her, but their conversations often left the lady knight wanting and at times it left her pained. "That is why I have always been curious about you," Jane confessed, "because you never tried to trouble anyone, but in doing so, you placed a distance between yourself and everyone else."
"What do you mean?"
"You are careful, and withdraw from others." Jane explained; her tone measured, and warmed by her concern, "I suppose that you try to avoid trouble and that you give precedence and place the problems of others above your own. To be sure, your steadfast nature seems to speak for itself, but I got into the habit of observing you because while you are there to help others, and do a champion job at being self-sufficient, who was there for you in your time of need? I wanted to know the answer to that question."
"You were there for me." Came his soft admittance. "I might have seemed indifferent, but your efforts were not lost on me."
"And I am still here for you."
"You are," He agreed, "and it is of great comfort."
The lady knight hugged his arm then. Her sincere, warm nature succeeding in lightening his mood again. "Good, I am glad of it."
Despite her strength, the lady knight was petite in comparison to him. Why his arm was thicker than one of her legs, and through the fabric of his tunic, the blacksmith's strength was evident. This was not the first time Jane noticed it; everyone had known he was stronger, and larger due to his upbringing on a pig farm, but the information did not have much use to her, not until she allowed herself to admire him. Why the thought of running her hands over those sinewy muscles she had seen the other day thrilled her and made the lady knight flush. Still, this was not something she cared to think about at the moment, not when they were trying to have a lovely time together, but the thought kept returning to her. Maggots!
However, much to her relief, Jethro changed the subject. "Dinner was lively."
"You mean that Pepper was lively." The cook had wanted to plan a celebration then and there, but Rake managed to persuade her that it could wait for another day. "Do you know that your way of answering her inquiry was roundabout? I know it was not done out of meanness, but what if she would not have caught on to your meaning?"
The blacksmith was sure that the cook would believe what she wanted to believe, but he did not need to voice this. No doubt Jane thought as much. "Then she would have had the pleasure of trying to figure it out. I imagine she enjoys a good mystery."
"Perhaps, but at least Pepper seemed pleased about the news. I knew she would be."
"She voiced as much."
Even now, the cook's voice still felt as though it rang in the lady knight's ears, and it was almost enough to give her head an ache, but it also brought about a new wave of joy for herself, as well as to the others who witnessed it. "I suppose anyone who had their imaginings come into fruition would be."
"Can we blame her?" He chuckled.
Unlike the other servants, there was no rest day for Pepper. She must have had to find ways to occupy her mind, and she had more time to ruminate over certain subjects. It was one of the reasons it was easier to forgive her. "No," Jane answered, "we cannot."
"I do wonder why Pepper was as vexed as she was. Do you have any idea?"
"I am sure she had been thinking about the possibility of our regard for much longer than we could have. She might have thought that by being indifferent to her assumptions, that we did not trust her with the truth, but it was not like that at all."
"Rather," Smithy suggested, "it was a matter of discerning whether the time was right. It would not have gone well if everyone carried on like the last time, and spread rumours."
They both were grateful it did not come to that. "Still, I must thank Pepper at some point. If not for her exaggeration," As well-meaning as it was, "I might not have been persuaded to consider the possibility as much. And believe me, Jethro, it was not easy."
Smithy certainly owed the cook his gratitude. Currently, all of Pepper's cooking pots were in good repair, but Smithy had not sharpened her knives as of late. To thank her, the blacksmith would be sure to do that before he left. Once he left, he would not return until the Spring, but it felt so far away, even before he had reason to hope; to be away from everyone, and Jane; it pained him. Yet, his thoughts were brought back to the present by the light prick of fingernails about his arm; drawing his attention back towards the lady knight's face, and he regarded her.
The soft face that peered up at him was one that he hoped would allow him to endure the lonely months away from everyone. Memories as happy and joyful as this moment, when all Jane had to do was smile and be sweet to him; it would be what he reflected on in his private moments when he had nothing else to occupy his time. Smithy wondered whether Jane would allow him to hold her hand, so that he could relish its warmth, and concluded that she may, but acquiesced to being satisfied by her nearness. This much was enough, it should have been, but it seemed that the more kindness and warmth he was shown, the more he desired it; no wonder the lady knight made fast friends with those she would meet, and why the dragon had been persuaded to be good rather than continually mischievous. It was then that he took notice of Dragon's absence. "Will Dragon be joining us this evening?" He inquired, "I do not see him."
The blacksmith did not want to risk being burned to a crisp without prior warning and to his surprise, she answered, "No, he thought it would be best if he gave us some space, but he was delighted that you would have been alright with having him with us. Thank you again for considering him."
"Not at all. My hopes are that we may get along. He is part of your family, is he not?"
"So he is." And reflecting again on how handsome he was in his current neatness, and how put together he was, she inquired; her voice coloured with amusement, "Did you get cleaned up for me? Or is this what you normally do on your days off? I must say that it suits you."
"Thank you, Jane. I have very few days off, so I do not plan them. Like this morning," He explained, "when I left to assist Sir Theodore, he instructed me to sit so that he may discuss a few matters with me. It was during our discussion that I was advised by him to speak with your father and not delay. I thought it best to appear presentable for the occasion."
"I see, and how did that go?"
"To be honest, I was not sure what to expect. I knew where your father would be, and how he would be waiting to see you return, but considering what may have been on his mind already, I only intended to join him and to keep him company."
"That is thoughtful of you. I am sure father was only glad to have you with him."
"I would say we enjoyed each other's company for a while before he made certain inquiries." The hands about his arm tightened, but he continued. "I have to say that his frankness does not keep one second-guessing. We talked about my preparations for my trip back home, and at no point did I try to bring up the subject of courting, because I did not want to alarm him. I respect your father, Jane, and I fully intended to speak to him when the time seemed right. However, I did not need to bring up the subject of courtship because he brought it up for me."
At once her hands pulled away, and her face blanched. "Father knew?" She exclaimed.
"No, I do not think so, at least not from what I gathered. I do not believe he would have fancied the idea nor was it there in the first place. Perhaps it was suggested to him."
"I wonder if anyone said something."
The blacksmith had his suspicions. "He might have heard about it from Sir Theodore because he knew. Nothing escapes him."
Did everyone know about their regard but them? Never mind, it did not matter any more. One way or another the truth would come out, but all the lady knight wanted to know was how it would end. "Jethro, it does not matter how father found out, what I want to know is what happened next."
Scratching the back of his neck, he took a moment to collect himself but felt sheepish when he explained what came next. "Your father asked me frankly if I… well if I was infatuated with you."
Infatuation? Maggots, the notion to refer to a man's feelings who were as steady as mountains as infatuation was to degrade them, and to consider them fickle. The incredulity at her father's insinuation might have come from a place of reason, but that did not lessen the insensitivity of the utterance of it. Covering her face in embarrassment, her voice was muffled, as she wondered, "Does it get any worse?"
"No, it does not." He reassured her. "I quickly informed him that I was not infatuated with you."
"Then what did you tell him?"
What should he have told him? That was what he thought to say, but he was not trying to start a fight here. Sarcasm had no place where warm affection was concerned. If Jane did not trust him, he reasoned, then she would have insisted on speaking with her father on his behalf. No, Smithy was sure he handled it alright.
Still, it was no surprise that Jane was concerned. Her father, the careful, respectable man that he was, investigated matters to the smallest detail, and if he had found an alarming fault in him, then he would have understood. If Smithy had such a father, nothing would have pleased him more than to make him proud. A small part of her might have wanted to do this too.
The blacksmith could imagine that as a small girl, Jane was more inclined to listen to the well-placed suggestion, reprimand, and command of her father than that of her stern, and strong-willed mother. Perhaps, Jane was afraid to displease the chamberlain. Why Smithy feared he may lose his favour as well. Yet, that was what gave the blacksmith further pleasure to inform Jane of the good news.
Gently pulling a hand away from her face, and making sure that she was looking at him, he was eager that she may study and discern from his expression what the weight of his words was. Neither of them had courted before, they were not sure exactly how they were supposed to carry on but bolstered by her kindness and the warmth of his regard, Smithy pressed a kiss on the back of her hand and held it in his. The warmth of another, in the palm of his hand, was such a foreign, but wonderful feeling. If he wanted to, he could describe the bones that made up the hand; he has had to dress the wounds of the knight's as well as a few workmen before, but a woman's touch was altogether different. An ache bloomed in his chest, and seeing the glistening in her eyes that were the prelude to tears, he felt inclined to gather her up in his arms and to soothe her.
Be that as it may, that was not what he did. Rather, Smithy did not allow her to wait in expectation of anguish, nor did he allow urgency to overtake him, but softly, he confessed, "I told him that I was in love with you and that I have been for almost as long as I had served in this castle."
The lady knight wanted to say something intelligible, but only managed to say, "Oh."
"Your father was surprised, but he then rephrased the question, because he wanted to know if I loved you as you are and reassured him that I did."
"But, was there no conflict?"
"If there was, it might have been of the private sort. I can only imagine what he may be thinking, but he gave me his blessing. That is if this is what you wanted." He paused, and studied her countenance for any signs of displeasure and was glad to see none. As though holding on her to her hand allowed him to borrow from her strength, he finished with, "Your father stands behind any decision you make in this regard Jane, and I agreed."
Her father had always been supportive, but Jane never could have predicted to be given the power to end it all or to continue as she wished. Most young noblewomen were married off to whoever had a heavy purse or held a title that would have elevated the family. By becoming a knight, she had brought both a measure of pride and humiliation, but this was almost too hard to believe. In accepting to court, it would most likely be with the view of marriage, which made the responsibility heavy because Jethro was a good man, and more so a dear friend. Yet, allowing her to choose was a freedom the lady knight was glad and felt honoured to have; it was as she wished. "If I heard you correctly, you would give it all up, take back your regard and affection if I said I did not desire it?"
Without hesitation, he nodded, "Yes, Jane."
"That is madness." She declared, "It would be cruel to do such a thing to you, let alone allow it. What are you thinking?"
This succeeded in pleasing him, for as much as he cared for her kindness and sweetness, he too enjoyed her fiery nature. Persevering, and flashing her that smile he reserved for her, he stated matter-of-factly, "About what would make you happy."
With her free hand, she punched him lightly on the arm, although a part of her wished to hit him harder, because as sweet as he was, it also frustrated her; albeit in a good way. "Luckily for you, I do not want you to take back a single word because as I stated last night, I would love to get to know you better. Also, how hard am I able to punch you until it hurts?"
Was it odd to see her eyes bright with merriment and anticipation at finding out? Smithy was not sure how to answer, but he could imagine that the lady knight would not hold back if he succeeded in angering her. "I imagine it would take one good punch if you planned to injure me. Do you?"
"Not anytime soon I would hope."
Yet, he too was curious. There might be unintended injuries in his future, but he was willing to do about anything as long as it did not hurt too much. The bruise he received from sparring with her was not all that bad, but he could not take for granted that Jane could maim him. Perhaps he should repair the practice dummy straightaway; for the sake of his health of course. "In that case, I will try not to give you a reason then."
Nonetheless, her strength and skill were something to marvel at, and he was looking forward to testing her skills if they did spar again. On further inspection, Jane noticed the old scars all over his hands. Some of them were burn scars, but the others appeared to be from scratches, or cuts. Still, their warmth, steadiness, and comfort were what she would be more than happy to get used to. The blacksmith must have realised that she was fascinated by them, for the hand which held hers squeezed it, as though to say, 'I am here, I understand, and I love you.'
To say it did not affect her would be a lie, because with the care, and gentleness that held it, while knowing he possessed the strength to crush her bones served as a reminder that this was his true strength; to care for others as he would for himself, and better. To her, Jethro deserved all that she could give, and to reassure him further, Jane confessed, "I do not mind courting, but since I have never done so before, there are a few things I would like to know first."
"Alright." He acquiesced, "What would you like to know?"
She should have written a list beforehand. On second thought, a list might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but there had been a question on her mind since the morning. "Why had we not sparred before? Do you know how useful it would have been to have you as a sparring partner?"
Smithy anticipated this, but it gratified him to know that it had been on her mind as well. "I do apologise, Jane, but I did not feel worthy to do so, not until recently."
"But you had been trained from an early age to fight with long swords, so why did you not mention it? It is something to be proud of. Why you could have had the privilege to train as a knight."
"That is similar to what Sir Theodore stated." He informed her.
"Then?"
There was no way he could explain it all to her during the span of an evening. All the details, disappointments, and truths that had shaped him into the man he is today, he had not worked it all out yet. Yet, he was glad of one thing; of her trust in him. Without inquiring, Smithy knew she would wait until he was ready; the strength of her regard would allow her to do so. "There are particulars about my family that I am not quite ready to discuss yet, but eventually I will. I promise. For now, I can explain to you why I had withheld certain information, and it relates to you in a way."
Confusion coloured her voice then. "I do not understand."
As he expected, but once he did explain, Jane would. "At the time of my removal to the castle, it was not long after when a good portion of the servants and some knights either left or were dismissed from the service of the king. My understanding was that the extra servants could not be afforded."
"I remember. That was also around the time mother and father had to take on extra work. Please," She encouraged, "go on."
"When my mentor left along with the stablemaster, I took on the duties of stablemaster and royal blacksmith. It was difficult, but I managed. Still, you are correct; I could have informed the king of my skills, but there were not enough knights to go around to have been able to train us all. If Sir Theodore had taken me as his squire," He reasoned, "it might have destroyed your chances to train altogether Jane, and I was not about to do that to you when knighthood was your dream and not mine."
"But that would mean that you… had you cared for me since that long ago?"
The intensity of his gaze held her captive, and he squeezed her hand once more, colouring at the frankness. "Yes."
"I hardly knew you then, but it seems you knew about me. Why is that? Why do I not remember?"
"You were still training to be a lady in waiting then and were not permitted to associate with the others as you do now. However, it was difficult not to notice you, seeing as you were the only girl with red hair and had the personality to go along with it." This earned him another playful punch on the arm, but he continued. "You always had a certain expression on your face, especially if your mother scolded you for lagging when the knights were training or whenever you were reminded to stand up straight. It was evident that you did not care for it; her training that is."
"Mother tells me I have always made my own decisions."
"You have." He agreed. "For example, on one occasion Jester was telling you a story, at least that is what he appeared to be doing, but then your mother attempted to drag you away by the hand, and you not only dug the heel of your slippers into the ground but screamed. It was most amusing," And yet, it was then that he remembered an important detail; his station. "but you were out of my reach Jane. We were not friends then, we could not have been, for our differences in station would not have borne it, but I suppose I had always been watching you because I had wanted to know you as well. That is why I am glad that I made the choice that I did because when you were finally able to train as a knight, I realised that I had never seen you happier. And it was only then that I was permitted to get to know you, for I am and will continue to be in your service lady knight."
Jane had always held on to the belief that it was only Jester who had supported her dream, providing words of encouragement and a suit of armour, but perchance this obliviousness and blindness to the others who played a part only succeeded in adding to her current thankfulness. "Jethro," She started, "I do not understand how you speak of worthiness and question your validity when it is I that does not deserve you." And wrapping her arms around him, she sighed with delight, "You are wonderful."
No, she was the wonderful one. If Jane had not given him a chance, then he might not have known how fulfilling it could be to have his affection returned. So, when Smithy returned the embrace with greater enthusiasm and held her close and tight, the lady knight endeavoured to do the same. Though, when she felt his embrace begin to loosen, Jane informed him, "It is alright. I am sturdier than I look."
She did not need to tell him twice. The blacksmith tightened his grip, relished the nearness, and sweetness of her, and felt as though this was paradise. Her pleased sighs pierced him, and he did not wish to let her go. It should have been obscene to be this joyful, and complete, but this was not about him. Were they not still supposed to be chatting?
His voice brushed past her ear in its calm, rich tone. "Is there not more you would care to discuss? Or shall we continue as we are?"
"There is, but it can wait. I am still trying to grasp how I had been so fortunate. That," She coloured; her voice above a whisper, "and if I should kiss you."
Warming at the notion, he confessed, "As have I."
"Then I should." She decided.
And she did. Unlike the unrelenting passion that the lady knight exhibited the previous evening, or his, she kissed him softly, and sweetly on the mouth, and lingered there. Smithy felt her smile against his lips, and a soft laugh was muffled when Jane kissed him again, before loosening her grip on him. It all seemed to end too soon, but it was for the best; or else he might have been inclined to kiss those enticing freckles about her neck as well.
What good fortune he did have, but it would not be without its consequence. Jester had been avoiding him, and no doubt the fool would come to know of their courtship soon; perchance he already knew. Gunther, who had been a source of annoyance and amusement over the years also would lament their courtship, but at least the blacksmith may be able to reason with him. There was no predicting how the fool would react to a broken heart, but Smithy would have to deal with that another day.
For now, he would focus on the moment. "By the way, how did your patrol go?" The blacksmith hoped it went well. "Did you get a chance to speak with Dragon about us? There is no doubt he must have some idea of what is going on."
Again how odd and peculiar that they could kiss and then carry on with business as usual. She laughed, both at the absurdity and at the idea that Dragon must have known the truth for some time while she had worried like a fool about her feelings. "He does." The lady knight answered. "Green lips confronted me about it, but he found the situation more amusing than alarming. The good news is that he accepted it. Though, the bad news is that I wonder what we are going to do about your hair because Dragon thinks it is not cut well enough."
His hair? What did a dragon know about hair? Dragon did not have any, but he has lived long enough to observe an array of hair arrangements; long enough to form an opinion. "I suppose I should try to cut it more evenly. I cannot have long hair since it could catch on fire, but I just never had the time to cut it properly."
"I can help. I have been cutting my hair when my mother is not watching, but men's hair must be easier to maintain. Yours only needs to be evened out."
Stretching a hand out to study his hair, his straightforward gaze followed that hand of hers. It truly was a lovely hand. "Your hair is much softer than it looks."
Returning the gesture, and playing with a curl of her copper tresses and watching as she coloured, he commented, "Your hair feels exactly as I thought it would. As healthy as a horse."
Jane was not sure how she felt being compared to a horse, but she did know a horse's mane could be thick, silky, and luxurious if it were healthy. A compliment indeed. "Thank you, I think."
"Sorry. I have little training when it comes to talking to a woman."
"It is alright. I was trained on how I ought to speak to everyone, and I still cannot control my tongue."
Releasing the curl and pressing a hand to her cheek, the blacksmith was glad that Jane did not shrink back from his touch, and allowed his thumb to caress her skin. This was progress he supposed. The blacksmith had always been curious about her, and this curiosity was somewhat satisfied at finding that although the lady knight was strong of mind, body, and spirit, there was a delicateness about her; that despite what ballads had been written about her accomplishments, she was simply Jane. "Like I said Jane, the fact that you speak your mind is one of your best qualities. So can you tell me what you see in a man like me? What quality about me appeals to you?"
"Your forthright nature is a start. I know you would not make sport of me or my mind, nor take advantage of me, but you respect me and have my best interests at heart. Also, we can talk as we had before, except that now I can do this."
Leaning towards him, the lady knight pressed a kiss to his cheek; the softness of her lips warming him on this cool evening. "Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, but we did not talk all that much before, did we?"
"Not as much as I would have liked, Jethro, but we have always been busy."
"Then we should remedy that, should we not?"
"Indeed, we should." She agreed.
Pulling back a little, she stated, "I would like to set aside time to chat if we can, even if it is for a moment. I would also like to spar with you again. I have a feeling that given more practice you could best be. Or not."
"Is that all?" He wondered.
"No."
Amused, because this was how it always went when she asked for a favour, he chuckled, "I did not think so. I am up for whatever you would care for me to do, Jane."
His smiling face was as handsome and becoming as a midsummer's day. If he could remain happy and amused more often, then it would mean that she had done right by him. Though would he remain amused with her next inquiry? She was about to find out. "I would also like to dance with you again."
"Of course. State the time and place, and I am sure it can be done."
Her eyes sparkled with challenge then, as though to dare him to refuse. "Then how about right here, and right now?"
A bit sudden, but the idea itself was not unwelcomed. Still, he wondered, "How are we supposed to do that without music?"
Jane had not thought of where the music would come from, but there was a song that would often be played at the balls and this was the tune the lady knight began to hum. Its melody was sweet and if there were lyrics, no doubt they would have been romantic. Satisfied with this development, Smithy bowed, and inquired, "Shall we dance?"
With a nod, she too bowed and took his hand as they began a dance. Under the moonlight, they took turns humming the tune and dancing to their heart's delight for some time. Their laughter and sounds of happiness carried in the breeze and were heard by an observer. In the shadows, this person watched until he grew tired, and decided once he had seen enough, he would make his way back towards his chamber. A father might always have his reasons to worry, but tonight Milton smiled to himself.
Dancing was the last thing the chamberlain expected between a set of new lovers, but considering how peculiar the two individuals were, he was sure for now that it would all be alright.