The past week had been filled with the hustle and bustle of preparation. The gardens were in a state of perfection. The halls and windows had been polished twice over. The entire castle gleamed like a gem within and without. Mountains of sweets and pastries had been concocted. The halls were filled with the delicious aroma rising from the kitchen as it blended with the fragrance of the flowers that graced every table and hallway.

After finishing their final tasks for the day, the girls hurried up to Lily's room to prepare for the grand evening ahead. Jane was thoroughly impressed by Lily's handiwork. The embroidered flames upon her hem and sleeves seemed to nearly glow in the candlelight. Over and over Pepper and Lily mentioned how extraordinary she looked. Jane was secretly pleased by their attentions, but pretended otherwise. Though begged by Pepper, she refused to allow them to fix up her hair. The young knight insisted upon leaving it as it always was, flowing and untamed.

Pepper, too, had brought Lily a dress to be altered. The deep blue gown needed few changes. Its lush color had immediately reminded the seamstress of an evening sky, so she had scattered tiny white stars down the bodice and skirt. When shown the final result the cook declared that it was as though the fabric had been cut from the heavens itself.

The pale pink of Lily's dress perfectly complimented the shade of her cheeks and the tint of her hair. A thin line of scrolling embroidery that accentuated the wide neckline was repeated around the sleeves. Lily had added the least amount of embellishment to her own gown, choosing rather to focus her time and effort on her friend's garments. Pepper told her not to worry. The natural shimmer of the fabric and the glow of excitement upon Lily's face provided all the adornment she really needed.

Three anxious young men waited at the foot of the stairs whispering furtively among themselves. Each one cut a dashing figure. The blacksmith's brown suit fit him perfectly. At Lily's suggestion he had even worn soft soled shoes to protect any unwary feet from his usual metal-clad ones. Rake had brought out a hunter green suit that was once his grandfather's. It had been hemmed and embroidered with a maple leaf crest. Jester's new crest looked very similar to the jingly cap that was surprisingly missing from his brow. When questioned by Smithy he revealed that he had made a deal with Jane that if she wore a gown he would go without his hat.

"We are agreed, then," said Smithy. "Immediately following the first dance we will each ask our lady to reserve the final dance for us."

"Agreed," chimed in Jester and Rake.

The door above opened and the girls came giggling down. For a moment or two all six friends stood looking shyly across at one another.

Jester broke the awkward silence. "My, you ladies all look lovely tonight… and you, miss knight," he extended his elbow out to Jane, "look quite dashing."

Jane laughed as she took his arm. "Why thank you, my good sir. You look very beautiful. Tell me, did you do something different with your hair?" They all laughed as Jester closed his eyes and did a slow, exaggerated shake of his locks.

Lily crossed over to stand near Smithy. "Before we go, the Queen asked me to remind everyone to be extra friendly to all the guests and to dance with them when possible. We must help Kippernia court maintain a reputation of kindness and honor."

Rake grabbed Pepper's hand and led her off to the side door while Smithy took Lily's arm and followed after Jester to the main entry. Music floated through the air as they neared the great hall. Lords and ladies from the neighboring areas strolled through the castle. In many ways they resembled a flock of peacocks, strutting around showing off all their finery, each trying to outdo the others. Lily felt slightly overwhelmed by the kaleidoscope of colors and music swirling about her. Looking down, she realized how plain her gown looked next to the many fancy women. Smithy noticed her worried looks and went to reassure her.

"Those poor women," she cocked an eyebrow up at him, "all those jewels and they still do not come close to the beauty beside me." Lily lowered her head and blushed as the blacksmith pulled her arm closer protectively.

Ahead of them, Jester had reached the main doorway. He leaned over to the herald who then announced, "Lady Squire Jane Turnkey and escort."

Smithy followed his lead and whispered to the herald. As he led his date into the ballroom they were announced as "Lady Marion and Lord Jethro."

Lily tilted her head to look at him, an amused smile lighting her shocked expression.

He grinned back at her. "It is true. I found out only a few days ago and wanted to surprise you with the news. It turns out that while your grandfather was housing the troops and providing food, my grandfather, his neighbor, offered his home to become the royal residence and military headquarters. Jester found in the record books where King Cedric granted nobility to both men, which means that I am a lord just as much as you are a lady….so… I guess your mother was right after all."

"How do you mean?"

"You came to castle and caught the eye of a nobleman!" Looking into each other eyes for a moment, they quickly dissolved into a fit of laughter.

All six friends turned as they heard the herald's next announcement, "Squire Gunther and Lady Duvessa."

At the entrance to the Grand Hall stood Gunther with a dark-haired beauty on his arm. She was dressed in a gorgeous burgundy gown and had three rich red roses weaved intricately into her hair. She was clearly comfortable in the elegant atmosphere and carried herself with a confident air. The squire noticed the stares of the castle staff and returned their looks with an arrogant smirk.

Before they could discuss this sunning arrival, the king and queen stepped to the center of the room to start the ball. Each couple quickly moved to take their place on the floor. Though he was quite curious about this lady Duvessa, Jester found he could not take his eyes off the beautiful lady standing before him. It had been several years since he had seen Jane in a gown and he had forgotten how lovely she could look. The coloring of the dress accentuated perfectly her gorgeous fiery hair and stunning green eyes. Jester made a mental note to compliment Lily on her beautiful work.

Jane noticed the soft intensity in Jester's eyes and felt herself blush as she wondered what would make him look at her so. Before she could ask, the music began and she was swept up by a pair of strong arms. Dancing with Jester was pure delight. His smooth agility and sense of rhythm made him the perfect partner. He could twirl her with ease, improvise a step or two of his own, and then jump right back into the regular pace. One never knew what to expect. She giggled quietly as he performed yet another new step for her. At the sound, Jester looked up. For a moment or two their eyes locked and he seemed to loose all track of the dance. Then suddenly regaining his composure, he took hold of her hand to complete the last few steps. His touch sent shivers up her arm. With a subtle smile Jane wondered why she had ever stopped attending balls in the first place.

Lily felt she was living in a dream. A few months ago she would have never imagined dancing at a royal ball in the most beautiful gown she had ever owned with the young man who had stolen her heart. As they reached the end of the song, she stepped forward to make the low curtsy. To her surprise Smithy reached his hands slightly forward as though to grab her arms. Then just as subtly he squeezed his hands into fists and lowered them back to his side. Perhaps if she had not curtsied so low she would have missed it, as it was, she wondered if she had imagined the whole thing. At the end of the dance Smithy softly asked that she save the final dance for him. With a smile, she nodded her assent.

As the guests began mingling Pepper ran up to Lily and drew her away from the blacksmith.

"Oh Lily, you will never guess. Rake has requested that I set aside the final dance for him! He was so nervous that he asked me even before the ball got underway." Grabbing her friend's arms, Pepper closed her eyes and let out a squeal of excitement. "This is going to be the best ball ever!"

Across the room Jane and Jester were confronted by Gunther.

"Hello Lady Jane," he said with a hint of derision. Turning to his companion, Gunther said, "Allow me to introduce Lady Duvessa." The two ladies curtsied while Jester bowed.

"That is a beautiful gown, Lady Duvessa."

"Oh thank you. This type of dress is all the rage in London. My father bought it for me just this past month, but it is really these gorgeous roses that make the outfit. Do you not agree? I have seldom seen their equal." Running a hand along her suitor's arm, she said adoringly, "Gunther had to search throughout the district to find a flower merchant with roses that he felt were good enough for me. He is the most incredible young man in the world."

Several girls behind them called to Lady Duvessa, who squeezed her date's arm and said, "It was nice to meet you." The lovely lady then hurried off to chat with her friends.

"Well Jane, it is good to see that you have finally realized where you belong… in a dress." Gunther snickered.

"And it is good to hear that you have gotten over your lying ways," Jane retorted angrily. Before she could continue, princess Lavinia ran up and pulled on her skirt.

"Jane! Jane! Come and dance with me… pretty please."

"Yes, your majesty." Jane shot her rival a glare that declared they would finish their argument later then followed the little princess out onto the dance floor. During the dance she watched as Jester pulled the knight-in-training aside and appeared to get into a quiet, heated discussion.

As soon as the dance had ended Jane pointed the young royal towards Lily for her next dance then immediately returned to give Gunther a good tongue lashing. She was surprised to find him already looking rather defeated.

Eyes glued to the ground he said through nearly gritted teeth, "Forgive my earlier impertinence, milady. Your gown makes you look even more gallant then normal."

Taken aback by this sudden change in demeanor, Jane blinked several times then answered, "Thank you, Gunther. You look very distinguished tonight as well." With a brief bow the squire turned, leaving her to look suspiciously over at Jester.

"The Queen made me promise to keep the two of you from disgracing the court by creating a scene, so I threatened him that I would tell Lady Duvessa where her roses really came from and about the practice that ended with him sitting in a pail of water. He will now probably avoid us for the rest of the evening."

"You clever rascal," she laughed, as he lead her out for the next dance.

The ball lasted late into the evening. While Pepper and Rake kept mainly to themselves, Jane, Lily, Jester, and Smithy were careful to socialize with the other guests and changed dance partners often. By the end of the night Lily was exhausted. As the blacksmith drew near to claim her for the final dance she remembered the tradition that accompanied it and felt her cheeks begin to warm. Glancing around, she noticed that Rake and Pepper had also turned a light shade of pink. As the music began, she saw Jane and Jester laughing and enjoying themselves, appearing to be completely at ease. Turning back to her partner, Lily thought she detected just a hint of uncertainty behind that calm exterior. The seamstress was pleased to find that she recalled all the steps with ease. As she rose from the final curtsey, Smithy took her hand and brought it gently to his lips. Uncertain if she was more relieved or disappointed, Lily noticed that most of the other young men had done similarly, including Rake who was still bent over the hand of a crimson cheeked Pepper. Standing hand in hand, Smithy and Lily watched as the guests slowly bid farewell to their royal hosts.

oOo

"Well, I suppose I should see you off to the kitchen. Tomorrow morning will come much too quickly." Rake said softly to the dark-haired maid beside him.

Pepper looked up and smiled. Taking his arm, they wandered out through the garden.

"The stars are lovely tonight," she murmured.

"Almost as lovely as you," he whispered back. Pepper felt herself blush for the umpteenth time that evening. Having reached the kitchen door, the pretty chef turned to her escort.

"I had a wonderful evening, Rake. Thank you." Then before Rake had a moment to react, she leaned up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his cheek. They both turned away, blushing. With a secret smile, Pepper twirled around and skipped down the steps to her room.

Regaining his composure, the gardener moved to the window and called quietly, "You're welcome."

oOo

Jester reached for Jane's hand and asked, "Care for a walk through the garden?" She nodded her reply.

After taking several surprising twists and turns between the topiaries, he led her towards the wizard's turret.

"You know, Jane. This really is a nice thinking spot. So tell me, what did you think of the ball?"

"Tonight was wonderful. I am glad you convinced me to come. Though I would not want to wear a dress everyday and behave prim and proper all the time, it can be fun to act like a lady once in a while. You have me convinced… it is possible to be both a knight and a lady. What did you think of the evening?"

"I thought that tonight's ball was the finest I have ever attended. Mostly because I got to share it with my best friend, who just happened to be the prettiest girl in the room… excepting the Queen of course."

Laughing quietly, Jane playfully went to punch her friend in the arm, but he was too quick for her. Grabbing her wrist he pulled her into a hug. The young knight wrapped her arms around her best friend and rested her head on his shoulder. The minstrel returned her hug warmly and was surprised when she turned her head to whisper.

"Thank you."

Her warm breath tickled his ear and he pulled her even closer.

They were startled out of their embrace by a very loud voice saying, "Jane, are you smoke-swappers with the jingle-boy?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Jane looked to the sky, "Oh Dragon…." She turned and gave her blue-clad friend a coy smile before whispering, "Not yet." She then leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before running off to her tower.

She called back over her shoulder, "Goodnight, Jester."

Behind her Jester stood stone still, a hand pressed to his cheek and a smile at the corner of his mouth. Almost silently he whispered into the wind, "Goodnight, Jane."

oOo

The blacksmith and the seamstress walked slowly through the halls, hand in hand. They discussed the evening's happenings and told one another about the interesting dance partners they had encountered, but mostly they just strolled along enjoying one another's company in silence. As they neared Lily's room, she leaned over and rested her head on the strong shoulder next to her.

"Tonight was absolutely perfect," she sighed contentedly. Smithy released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Really? Is there nothing left to improve it?"

They had reached the final step next to her door. Lily turned to face him, reluctant for the night to end.

"Did I tell you how incredible you look tonight?" He said affectionately.

"Yes… several times now," but that did not stop the blush that rose to her cheeks.

Smithy raised his free hand to push a stray hair behind her ear then gently cupped her face. Lily's eyes closed, relishing in his touch. When she opened them again, she found his eyes searching her own as though seeking permission. A light smile touched her mouth and she blinked slowly. Taking that as his answer, the boy lowered his head and gave her a soft, tender kiss. Brief though it was, Lily felt she was floating among the clouds.

"I have wanted to do that since the very first dance," he whispered hoarsely.

"Why did you not?"

"I did not want our first kiss to be in front of the whole court. It is something special I wanted to be shared by just the two of us."

Placing her hands on his shoulders she said, "Jethro, you are the sweetest boy I have ever known." Raising herself up on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck till they were nose to nose then whispered, "Now tonight is truly perfect." The blacksmith's arms encircled his girl as she covered his mouth with her own for one final kiss.

The end. Hope you enjoyed! Perhaps there will be a sequel...we'll see if I get inspired. :)