With the meal finished and the contracts signed, Gunther and his father departed the castle after bidding their goodbye to Jane's parents. From there, Magnus left Gunther to his own devices as a form of "reward." This would normally be something that made Gunther very happy, but today, he found himself unsure on what to do with the time. There were no duties today for the squires after the ball, and most people would be sleeping in anyway. Something he wished he could have done instead of attending the most uncomfortable breakfast he'd ever experienced. His first instinct was to change into his regular tunic and find Jane for their morning spare. However, he was unsure if that was a good idea or not. He needed to speak with Jane about everything and get some context about this insane development in what was supposed to be just a life altering event for her, not him. Alas, he hated to admit that the idea of seeing her terrified him. The whole debacle of people mistaking them for courting a year ago was humiliating enough. He really didn't need to go through all that again but worse by ten fold. During his thoughts, he found that he had absent mindlessly had made his way to the sparring yard. He was a creature of habit and knew things wouldn't get any better if he avoided the situation all together. Getting it out of the way sooner rather than later was in his best interest. He stopped short of the archway, remembering he was not dressed for sparring in the slightest. Sighing, he readied himself to instead pass through the training yard to get to the barn. He had a hideaway spot in the upper rafters and was pretty sure he still had an extra outfit up there somewhere. After taking a deep breath, he walked into the yard and was relived that no one was there. Making his way into the barn, he double checked to make sure no one was around before he begun to scale the side of a stall door and up into his nook. It was a small area behind all the hay that was stored for the horses. The stable boys never seemed to use up the entire storage of hay, so the bails back here hadn't been moved in years. It was small and dark, with only a little light coming through a chipped slat in the wall, but here he had his safe-haven. A place where he could "disappear" and no one could find him. He had a blanket for napping and a few sketch books and dried snacks. Although he spent most of his time napping while here. Luckily, he found what he was looking for and quickly changed before making his way back down and into the training yard. He would smell like a horse for the rest of the day, but he had unfortunately smelled of far worst things in the past and knew no one would question it.

Upon descending the rafters and exiting the barn he was simultaneously relieved and horrified to see Jane there. The world was still sleeping and yet here she was, beating the ever-living-shit out of the practice dummy. She hadn't spotted him yet, having her back turned to him, so he had a chance to weigh his options on whether to be direct or coy. As usual, he chose the latter. He picked up one of the wooden swords laying on the rack and approached the raging maiden as bravely as he could muster. "Raise and shine sleeping beauty," he announced sarcastically. She nearly jumped out of her skin and wheeled around to face him. The look in her eyes were of shock and hate, a combo he was honestly used to. Feeling the rhythm of comfortable territory, he continued, "I thought you'd still be sleeping in after such a rousing night." Okay, maybe that comment was risky, considering he didn't exactly know what happened last night, but it would at least get her talking about the subject. However, as usual, things didn't go as planned when it came to the head-red. Her eyes flashed with a deadly spark, "How dare you!" Was her only warning before she begun to berate him with her sword. He quickly kicked into gear and did his best to deflect her swings, but she wasn't following any form or technique and fought only with passion, which made her movements unpredictable. She pushed forward, forcing him to back up lest be hit with her sword square in the head. It didn't take long for her to accidently(?) strike his wrist, causing him to drop his sword as he let out a gasp of pain. She, luckily, ceased her attack after this. He held his newly bruised wrist and simply stared in shock at the panting ball of rage in front of him. There was a moment where neither spoke, seemingly waiting for the other to speak first. Gunther obliged, "what the fuck?" was all he could think to say right now and he hated how his voice cracked due to the pain. "What the fuck?" Jane responded in a mocking tone. "I should ask you the same thing! I did not appreciate what you did last night and I want to make sure you get the message to never speak a word of it to anyone!" He rolled his wrist around to confirm it wasn't broken, "well that seems like it will be impossible at this point." Jane turned pale, "what?! Who have you told?" Gunther was losing his patience, "keep your freckles on, I haven't had a chance to speak to anyone about it! I just found out about it this morning. I would have felt better if you came to me first though." Jane paused momentarily, "what do you mean by 'found out?' What the hell are you talking about?!" Gunther felt like ranting about how annoying she was and how she was about to ruin his life, but her words caused him to pause in confusion. Taking a moment to choose his next words carefully he answered, "how about you enlighten me on the subject?" He made sure to say it with his usual snark in hopes she wouldn't shut down. He could get Jane to talk about basically anything if he annoyed her, which was a trick he loved to use. Another amusing quirk about her was the fact she wore her thoughts on her face and right now she looked partially distraught and also exasperated. She let out a groan before answering, "Long story short, you were actually being nice for once and just as I let my guard down, you kissed me! It wasn't a little peck on the cheek either." She crossed her arms and turned away from him, speaking softer than before, "I already have enough on my plate worrying about who my mother is going to pick for me to marry. I don't need another silly rumor getting spread about us again."

"Oh my god... she doesn't know," Gunther's head spun at this revelation. Granted, it made sense in hind-sight. Her mother wanted to keep her in the dark, which seemed like a smart idea if you have a stubborn daughter who doesn't want to marry. However, it also felt wrong. Every family did things differently, hell, some even set up engagements when their children were toddlers. However, it still felt wrong in this instance. It just didn't seem right because this wasn't just some random maiden who sat in silence as the world went on around her. This was Jane. His fellow squire, his sparring partner, his... Friend? He wasn't sure whether that last thought was mutual or not. At this point, Jane had turned back to look at him, obviously expecting some kind of response. Gunther had to decide what to do and do it fast. "I apologize about last night. Truly I am sorry. I'll agree not to talk about it," was Gunther's automated response. He could tell she was a little shocked to get an apology so easily, but that shock quickly morphed into skepticism. He couldn't blame her, he was aware his tone changed drastically when he spoke without thinking. However, being the forever naive optimist, her expression softened "t-thank you. Um..." she fiddled with her hands, "If you are truly sorry then I forgive you. You were pretty drunk last night." She did that breathy fake laugh she did when she felt awkward. Gunther also felt incredibly awkward having suddenly become aware of his stiff posture and sweaty hands. He needed to pretend that everything was normal. He needed to regain control of the conversation before she had a chance to prob him further. He picked up his sword and reapplied his signature smirk, "Are you going to stand there all day, miss romantic?" As expected, this worked like a charm as the spark in her eyes returned and she ready herself for attack.

Gunther did his best to proceed with the rest of his day as usual but his mind was in turmoil. A lot was happening and it was happening very quickly. He longed to speak to someone for advice but no one in particular came to mind. There was Sir Ivon, his mentor. However, he was still unsure what Jane did and did not know, and he didn't want anything getting back to her at this time. Ivon was also probably still either drunk or sleeping. His father passed through his mind only for the briefest of moments before he squished that thought. His father was the worst person to talk to about anything, and he knew he wouldn't understand or care what his feelings were regarding the situation. He tried to busy himself with a few chores helping to clean up after the ball, but with his mind foggy he found himself working slow and sloppy. Later in the day, he eventually found himself in the barn rafters, the place he usually ended up when his mind was muddy and he didn't want anyone to bother him. At first he tried to sleep since it was the best way to block out the world. However, sleep wouldn't come and he was left alone with his thoughts. A horrible, yet familiar pastime.

He was engaged to wed Jane Turnkey, who would soon be Jane Breech. He cringed thinking about her being forced to have his family's disgraced name. He also dreaded the very notion of marrying the brat. He was engaged to wed Jane Turnkey, the one person in the whole god-damn castle who could really get under his skin. She was born lucky into a family of status and love who was close to the royal family. Everything she ever wanted she got and yet she still had the audacity to groan and mope about every little thing. He would never admit it to anyone, but he also knew she was a better knight than he. She was so noble and veracious and talented beyond her years. Being two years older than Jane already made him bitter that they were both training at the same level, so the fact she was better than him really stung. He was engaged to wed a flawless, stubborn, hot-headed, whinny girl who would continue to out-shine him at every turn for the rest of his life. He had hoped to be rid of her once he graduated but now she'd always be there. To his knowledge there were no protocols for knights who were married. However, he assumed they would never stop being partners at this point. They would be on the same, squads, patrols, and battle fields until the day he died. He outwardly groaned thinking about it. His downward spiral only got worse as he realized she'd also now be in his personal life. They'd eat together, live in the same house, bathe in the same water, share... the same bed. He felt his face grow hot at that thought. He wouldn't, couldn't, allow himself to think about that. He propped himself up on his side and grabbed one of his note books. He had two here with one reserved for writing and the other drawing. He didn't feel like doing either but he needed to distract himself. He ended up picking up the book he used for drawing and opened it to a random page. With his unfortunate luck, he landed on a sketch he did of Jane. Her hair was smudged and he peppered her face with more freckles than she even had, but anyone could tell it was Jane. He groaned and flipped to a different page only to find more and more sketches of Jane. Of course, not all of his drawings were of Jane. Many were just of mundane things like trees, birds, or architecture. He rarely ever drew people but when he did, he came to the realization it was only ever of Jane. He always chalked it up to her being the person he saw the most but with his current life predicament these illustrations now felt improper. If anyone ever saw these drawings they would assume they were drawn by someone obsessed and in love. He sat up as he continued to browse his drawings in way that felt like a hostage situation. Her hair was messy in all the images but the length would change throughout. He drew her as the bean-pole she was but he sometimes altered her to be more muscular or more... well rounded. Why would he do that? His face continued to burn with embarrassment and it eventually became to much to bare and he threw the book down. He would have picked up his other book if he hadn't already remember all the poems he'd written about her in that one. As before, his songs weren't all about her but a great deal were. He covered his face for he felt like he was being stared at although he knew no one was there. He laid back down and covered himself with his blanket.

Did he like Jane in that way? It wasn't any secret she was desirable. Although she wasn't a traditional beauty, many in the castle had whispered a yearning to "tame" her. Whether it be due to her status or simply because of how unique and talented she was he wasn't sure. Sometimes other squires would make inappropriate comments about her when she wasn't around. Although he would join in when they did that with other women, he always steer the conversation in a different direction when it came to Jane. Even in Jane's small friend group she couldn't escape those lingering eyes of a man's lust. On the rare occasions Gunther hung out with her friends he loved to taunt Jester regarding his crush on Jane. He knew everyone's weaknesses and Gunther getting Jane's attention was Jester's. So when they were all together, Gunther made an effort to be close to Jane, make flirty remarks, and would subtlety touch her when it was appropriate to do so. It was hilarious how mad he could make the clown all while Jester tried to keep a positive attitude. Although he had to admit he enjoyed it for other reasons. He was braver with her when Jester was around. He didn't want that annoying jingle-boy anywhere near Jane, and it bothered him when she blushed and giggled at this trivial jokes. As soon as images immerged in his head of her actually being with that annoying clown he stopped himself. His thoughts had officially gotten away from him and he needed to get back in control. He was hot and bothered and his heart was racing. He threw the blanket off of him as he came to the conclusion that he was in love with Jane, he had been for a long time. Who wouldn't be? She was strong, intelligent, charming, and perfect in every way. He just hadn't been able to admit it to himself until now. That drunken kiss happened due to years of longing and frustration. When he learned of her potentially getting married, he couldn't help but feel protective of her and jealous of men he didn't know. He now realized that's why he had kept on eye on her all night during the ball. He sat up and removed his tunic in an attempt to cool down, leaving him in nothing but his undergarments. He remained seated in a hunched over position, mulling over what to do. He was engaged to be wed to Jane Turnkey, but he knew she would try and stop the wedding if she found out at the wrong time. Although he admired Jane, he wasn't totally convinced either if he wanted to marry her. The meeting from earlier came to mind and he was reminded how important of an opportunity this was. He would be in the king's favor and would have access to many avenues otherwise not available. She would be a nightmare to deal with on the daily but the very possibility of saving his family's name with her being attached to it was too great to pass up. He needed a plan to get her on-board with the idea. Unfortunately, He didn't have anything to offer her besides wealth but he knew that didn't interest her in the slightest. Having finally calmed himself, he laid back down and stared at the ceiling. Coming up with plans and schemes was something he could deal with. If he pushed his messy feelings to the side, he knew he could do this. The plan he eventually came up with wouldn't be easy but it was his best shot. Before she finds out about who she's engaged to, he needs to get Jane to fall in love with him.