A/N: This was requested by Jatd4ever. A Jane/Gunther fic with the prompt "you're all right, frog rider." This is so sweet that you may need a mass of sea salt to wash this down with.
I don't own JATD
Another ball
Another ball. Another bloody ball and this time she couldn't refuse, because the ball was in her honour. Well, in hers and Gunther's, but that was beside the point.
Both knight's apprentices would be knighted at the ball, as the king had stated, and they would be made aware of what their duties in the king's court were. Jane had no idea what that meant, but she accepted it without quarrel.
Now her mother would be just ecstatic about the opportunity to try and force her daughter into a dress again, but Jane was having none of it. Princess Lavinia, now a rather beautiful teenaged girl, had already taken it upon herself to dress Jane for the occasion.
Jane just hoped her mother didn't take it too hard.
As it turned out, it had been her mother's suggestion for Lavinia to aid her friend in finding a suitable dress for the ball. Jane had felt a strange surge of affection towards her mother, because it seemed as though she had finally accepted that her daughter was going to be a knight whether she approved or not.
So there the squire was in the Princess' bedroom, only an hour before the ball was to start, being helped out of her usual armour before she was handed a dress and told to put it on. She didn't even look at it entirely as she pulled it over her head.
Lavinia, already dressed in a beautiful purple gown with silver stripes on the skirt, her long black hair perfectly braided and running down her back and a tiara perched on her head, pulled her to a full-length mirror, and when Jane saw herself her eyes widened.
The dress was… perfect. It was plain, with a single open shoulder, and with a light green sash to match her eyes. It wasn't over-the-top and it was simply, utterly perfect in every way.
"Lavinia…" Jane was speechless. Then she gasped, she had called the princess by her name.
"It's all right, Jane," The other girl said, "I don't mind if you call me by my name. But only you, all right? Now, get off those boots and put these on," Lavinia handed her a pair of flat sandals. Jane took them, toed off her steel boots and pulled the sandals into place.
"Now, that looks very pretty," The teenaged princess smiled to herself, "Your hair is so beautiful, Jane, but let's just comb it and tie a bit of it back so everyone can see Kippernia's new knight properly."
Jane nodded, allowing the lady-in-waiting to do as the princess instructed.
The woman had to accept that she had grown up, that she had to stop playing games and accept the load that came with knighthood on her shoulders. After tonight she would be Lady Jane and not just Jane anymore. People would bow to her and treat her differently.
No way for her, she didn't want to be a lady-in-waiting, she would rather battle fire-breathing dragons, and she did, she saved the prince's life and became best friends with Dragon. And tonight she had proved them all wrong, didn't she?
She was going to be a knight. No more waiting.
Jane got up and looked at herself in the mirror again. She was pretty. No, she was more than pretty. She was beautiful.
"You're beautiful, Jane," Lavinia said behind her, "Now, escort me to the ballroom, will you? I think you and I make the perfect pair for an entrance. It will also take Sir Gunther's breath away, don't you think Jane?"
The almost-knight grinned, recalling a time when Lavinia was tiny and still wore her dragon wings everywhere she went, insisting on saving Jane from Gunther or Jester. And it was followed by a blush – the princess then noticed her affection, did she?
A voice announced their arrival.
"Princess Lavinia and Jane Turnkey!" The man's voice echoed in the vast ballroom, but everyone turned to look at them. The princess took a hold of Jane's arm and the two descended the staircase. Jane was very happy not be wearing heels at that moment.
At the bottom the prince was waiting, he bowed to his little sister and lead her to the dance floor. Jane watched the pair dance for a few moments.
"Jane?" A voice drew her attention, and she turned around, finding the other guest of honour behind her. Gunther Breech was dressed in a typical suit for this type of grand affair, but even with the clothes it was easy to see that he had filled out his form and he had tied his hair back into a neat ponytail.
He bowed to Jane and offered her his hand. Her heart fluttered the tiniest bit and she swore she must have eaten something strange for her stomach to become so active, as if a swarm of bees had taken residence in her stomach. No, not bees, she was exaggerating.
She took it and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. She caught sight of her mother, who was choking back tears, and tried not to roll her eyes.
"You look lovely," Gunther said, making sure they kept at their pace, "Very lovely. Did the princess choose it?"
"Yes, she did. She seems to know me better than I thought she did." Jane replied, trying very hard not to step on her partner's toes. Thus far she had succeeded.
"Well, give the princess my compliments later," He smiled down at her, "Are you nervous?"
Jane drew a shaky breath and nodded, "This is what we've been working so hard for, Gunther. And now it is actually going to happen."
"I know. The prospect is rather fearful," He twirled her around before drawing her close again, "But you and I, Jane, we make a good team. Whatever our duties are, I know his majesty will keep us together, because that is how we were taught."
"Of course there were bumps in the road," Jane mused, "Many of them, if truth be told. I still think it was worth it."
"I agree," Gunther said, "Now, Jane, do you recall our last conversation?"
"Yes, of course, we discussed what would happen after we were knighted. Neither of us was certain. Why, have you developed a plan yet?" She asked curiously. Gunther looked down at her, before he danced faster, keeping up with the music, and dancing out of the ballroom to the gardens.
There he let her go.
"Care for a walk?" He grinned at her, a grin she loved, and started walking without waiting for her answer. She followed, suddenly tense.
"What is it, Gunther?" She demanded from him, but he ignored her. She stopped where she was, refusing to follow him.
He must've heard her stop, because he turned to find her.
"Please, Jane." He said, "It will only take a moment and then we can return to the ball."
"Not until you tell me what it is." She folded her arms. Gunther rolled his eyes.
"Why must the woman I love be so utterly stubborn?" He said through clenched teeth, then his eyes widened. Jane's eyes mirrored his.
What did he just say?
"Please, just follow me." Gunther was actually begging. She followed him this time, taking the arm he was offering her.
He leaded her to an opening in the gardens she had never seen before, and she had explored almost the entire castle. Well, she thought she did. They were surrounded by tall shrubs and small white flowers she had seen around the castle before.
Gunther let go of her and sank to the floor. Her first instinct was to pull him up and to check if he was bleeding or wounded, but her heart jumped into her throat when she saw he was on one knee.
Bloody hell… was he going to… he couldn't be… could he? Could he? Could he?
"Jane… my love… will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" He asked, a simple ring in the hand he was holding out towards her.
She stared at him for a while. Mostly because she had not seen this coming, it was entirely out of the blue.
"Why?" Came her answer. She wanted to yell yes and jump into his arms, but she wanted to know why first.
"I thought it would be obvious," Gunther frowned, "I love you, Jane. You're my partner, we don't always get along, of course, but you are enjoyable company. I like being around you, because you make me forget about everything else."
She didn't answer.
"I know you return my affections, Jane. Or at least I'm quite certain of it." He went on, waiting for her to say something.
"And the day I kissed you – that day when it snowed? Do you remember?"
Heavens, she couldn't forget. They been training, and then they were wrestling, and he had been on the verge of winning when he leaned down and kissed her. He had been nice and warm in the icy snow.
She nodded in reply to his question.
"Why is it so wrong to love you?"
"It isn't." She said, taking his bicep in hand and pulling him up.
"So do you intend on answering my question or not?" He wanted to know, looking down at her. She grinned, biting her bottom lip. His eyes flitted down to the action, and he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss.
Jane thought she saw sparks fly. Months of them returning flirtations and playing games, this was happening. It was amazing.
He pulled back, his eyes closed gently and a small smile playing around his lips.
"Yes." She said. Gunther's eyes flied open and his lips stretched into a grin. He cheered, seizing her in his arms and twirling her around.
"Gunther, we're knights, not a prince and a princess." She laughed. He set her down, and she gave him her left hand. He slipped the ring onto her fourth finger and kissed her hand.
"Jane? Gunther! Come on, the king has sent me to get you!" Pepper's voice reached them. Gunther swore under his breath, taking her hand and pulling her with him as they rushed back to the ballroom, passing Pepper. They slipped in without anyone noticing. Well, the king noticed, because he immediately commanded silence.
The hall fell silent, and King Caradoc called them forth. Both kneeled in front of their king, sharing a proud look.
"Do you, Jane Turnkey, swear to protect the kingdom of Kippernia from outside forces? Do you swear your life to me, your king? Do you swear to uphold the laws of Kippernia and enforce them both fairly and justly?"
"I do, my king." She swore. She had taken this vow when she was twelve years old and she would never waver from this. Her voice sounded hollow in her own ears, as if she was holding back an emotion she wasn't familiar with. Pride, perhaps. Her heart hammered in her ears, her throat constricted, her eyes burned and she had to hold back a sniff.
She felt the cold iron of the sword on one shoulder and then the other.
"Rise, Lady Jane Turnkey." His majesty commanded, and she did so, raising her head to look at him. He was smiling broadly at her.
Finally.
"Do you, Gunther Breech, swear to protect the kingdom of Kippernia from outside forces? Do you swear your life to me, your king? Do you swear to uphold the laws of Kippernia and enforce them both fairly and justly?" King Caradoc repeated the vow to Gunther.
"I do, my king." Gunther answered clearly. The king moved the tip of the sword from one end to the next.
"Rise, Sir Gunther Breech."
Gunther rose, a grin in place.
"Kingdom of Kippernia, I give you your new knights!" King Caradoc said loudly, causing applause to follow. "They have been bestowed upon the duty of personal guards to the royal family, Lady Jane to my lovely daughter, Princess Lavinia, and Sir Gunther to my son, Prince Cuthbert."
Jane's eyes found the princess and smiled broadly – now she would never have to leave her beloved princess alone. This was brilliant news!
Lavinia's eyes were wide, causing Jane to frown. Didn't the princess want Jane to be her knight? Then Lavinia grinned at them.
"Jane, you're engaged!" Lavinia cried out. "Gunther proposed, on the day you both are knighted, oh that is so romantic!"
The couple blushed fiercely. They hadn't even told their parents…
King Caradoc laughed joyfully, "Well, my congratulations to the happy couple! May you love prosperously, my dears, you deserve it." The king said approvingly, a hand on each of their shoulders. Gunther took her hand and kissed it again.
The chamberlain neared them once the initial excitement was over. Jane was suddenly terrified – they had to ask her father first, according to Kippernia custom, if they were allowed to get married, and Gunther's father had to extend his hand in friendship to the bride's family…
"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever ask her," Her father said, putting a hand on both of their shoulders as her mother came up behind him, "Gunther's asked me a month ago if he could marry you, just after his father agreed to do business fairly with the kingdom. I'm so proud of the two of you."
So the custom had already been fulfilled? Well, that was good, wasn't it?
He pressed a kiss to Jane's cheek and gave Gunther's hand a firm shake. Jane's mother didn't even try to hide her tears as she hugged her daughter.
"I'm so proud of you, Jane." She whispered into her daughter's hair, causing the redhead's heart to swell I affection. Her mother pulled back and gave Gunther an embrace too.
Next Lavinia was on them both, her thin arms around their necks, and she kept sputtering about how happy she was and that she would start planning the wedding the following day.
The prince congratulated the pair of them, expressing his relief that Gunther and Jane would be their knights, because they were the best there were and even better when they were together. He continued to congratulate them on their engagement. He had grown up quite a lot and had learned kindness from his younger sister.
The newly engaged couple then went outside the ballroom to find Jane's green best friend. He was lying on a tower near Jane's bedroom. He looked at them and gave a toothy grin.
"So, half-life, you finally did it?" Dragon asked, not waiting for answer, "Good, I was wondering when all of this tension would go away."
"You knew?" The redheaded knight asked her best friend, "You didn't tell me?"
"Everyone knew, Jane!" Dragon exclaimed, flopping onto his back, "Hell, we have no idea how you didn't know."
Dragon fell off the wall and flapped his wings so as to land on his feet.
"I'm happy for you both, Jane. That half0live isn't nearly as bad." With that, Jane ran forward and hugged the beast's big belly. Dragon put his claws around her small frame, and offered her new fiancé a smile.
Jane was happy. Jester, Pepper, Rake and Smithy came over to offer their congratulations. Gunther had never been close to the rest of the castle staff and was delighted when they accepted him into their little group.
They were all mature now, they all had their task, they all had a purpose to serve the kingdom.
And Jane wouldn't have it any other way.
Gunther drew her in for a an embrace, whispering into her ear.
"You didn't turn out too bad, frog rider."
. . .
A/N: Please review.