Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my little cousin Sophia who has also been bitten by the writing bug. :)

I do not own any of these characters, but I do love them dearly.

Gypsy Boy

The great courtyard of Kippernium castle bubbled with anticipation. Bright banners flew from every turret. Townsfolk and merchants mingled among knights and ladies, carefully leaving open a large area near the castle gates. A small wooden platform had been built to afford the best possible seats for the King and Queen. Noisy chatter filled the air as great and small alike eagerly discussed the upcoming extravaganza. Working her way though the crowd towards the royal family was a noble-looking woman with a high collar and a very white face. Her progress was being slowed noticeably by the young girl beside her who kept pulling at the collar of her fancy dress and staring at all the excitement around her.

It was clear a great deal of trouble had gone into preparing the child for this special occasion. A long skirt covered scrapped knees that she had acquired the day before while tree climbing. Her face and hands had been freshly scrubbed, but dirt from this morning's mud pies still lingered under her fingernails. An attempt to force a comb through her tangled mass of red curls had produced many tears. In the end her mane had been declared completely unmanageable and then tamed as much as possible by tying it back at the base of her neck.

Upon reaching the dais with her young charge the lady curtsied and said demurely, "Your majesties." Glancing at the girl beside her, she said pointedly, "Jane."

Jane made a face up at her mother then curtsied and said to the little boy standing beside his parents, "Happy Birthday, Prince Cuthbert."

The boy gave Jane a smug look then stuck his tongue out at her.

"Why Cuthbert, that was not very kind," the queen said in her soft, melodious voice. She picked up the brown haired boy and held him on her lap. "I am sorry Jane, but after all he is only two."

When the queen turned away, Jane crossed her eyes at the prince and was quickly rewarded with a swat on the arm from her mother.

"His behavior is excusable," she whispered. "However you are five…"

"Five and a half," the girl muttered under her breath.

"…and ought to know better."

Jane lowered her head with a frown, watching out of the corner of her eye while the young prince triumphed over her from his mother's lap. With a tug on the string in her hand, Jane pulled forward her ever-present companion. He had been a gift for her third birthday and had never left her side since. He had rolled along with his mistress on every adventure, been buried in the dirt, perched high in trees, listened faithfully to her whispered secrets, and held tight each night in her sleeping arms. The years of wear were beginning to show. Where once his green paint had glowed brilliantly it was now faded and peeling. One of his four wheels was badly bent during a hurried escape down a flight of steps. Yet despite his ragged appearance, Jane still thought him to be the most wonderful toy ever made and she refused to go anywhere without him, her beloved dragon.

With a sudden surge of music and laughter, the gypsies arrived. What only moments ago had been empty space now teemed with color and movement. Fabric swirled and feet pranced in perfect rhythm with the beat of the tambourines. The performers moved through their acts with the smoothness of long practiced routine. The crowd was awed by the man who could lift an anvil over his head and dazzled by the jugglers. The prince laughed at the tumblers as they vaulted through the air doing incredible flips and twists. Jane clapped along with the lively melodies. Each new act seemed to outdo the last. Every one of the gypsies had amazing talents, but by far the best performer of them all was the young boy in blue. He could dance and sing and play every instrument. He could juggle a dozen apples with ease and do back flips from one end of the courtyard to the other. With each step, the bells on the corners of his silly hat rattled merrily, the perfect compliment to his ever smiling face.

As the show ended, the whole troupe came forward and bowed to their audience. After a long applause the crowds slowly exited the courtyard. Many of the courtiers milled around and discussed their favorite parts of the performance. Everything in the castle seemed to be settling back down to its normal quiet routine until the gypsies began to pack up their props.

"No! No! More…more…more!" Prince Cuthbert wailed.

The little boy threw himself to the ground and began pounding his arms and feet, all the while yelling at the top of his lungs. The queen immediately began trying to quiet him, but to no avail. Several of the noble ladies rolled their eyes and whispered to each other how they hoped he would grow out of this faze quickly. Suddenly the boy in blue popped up in front of the royal thrones and pulled several small wooden figurines from his pockets. The prince instantly stopped crying and sat up with interest.

The king clapped his hands and said with glee, "Oh, I love a puppet show! I have not seen one since I was a boy."

The gypsy boy smiled and began his tale about a young prince who rescued a fair damsel from a fire-breathing dragon. Each character in his tale had a unique voice and manner of moving. Jane found herself entranced as she pictured herself doing great adventurous deeds like the prince.

As the story came to its conclusion, the boy looked over at Jane and flashed her a bright smile, his grey eyes sparkling. The royal family and any others fortunate enough to witness his performance clapped enthusiastically. The gypsy's smile grew even wider and he stepped forward in a rather extravagant bow. Unfortunately in his exuberance he did not see Jane's toy dragon where it lay before him. His foot landed directly upon it and started to roll. The boy was thrown forward onto his face, to the amused laughter of the crowd who assumed this was part of his show. The toy however, did not fare as well. It flew backwards and with a sickening crunch became the landing spot of a large box.

Jane let out a gasp and would have run straight into the gypsy created mayhem of crates, barrels, and animals if her mother had not grabbed her around the waist. The boy in blue looked up and watched as her eyes began to fill. Jumping to his feet he zigzagged between the traveling performers until he had found the beloved toy. He picked it up gingerly and carried it back to the little girl with the wide emerald eyes. Upon seeing the toy in its ruined state she burst into tears and buried her head in her mother's skirt.

The young boy touched her gently on the arm and said quietly, "I will fix him for you."

Jane turned her face towards his and said between tearful gasps, "Promise?"

He gulped and nodded, "Gypsy's honor."

End note: Jane's toy dragon was inspired by a toy dog we used to have.

I was originally planning one more chapter for this story, but I am liking it more and more as a oneshot. hmm... what do you think?