Chapter Text
“Smithy, you are brilliant! Ingenuity at its finest.” Jester held in his palms an intricately swirled metal unicorn horn which shone brightly in the morning sun. “I am certain the princess will love it.”
“Just as she will love your ballad”, Smithy replied, “’The tale of the lopsided unicorn’. A very fitting title, as there is no way this horn will stay in place on its own. Now for the final part.” Smithy grabbed the horn out of Jester’s hands and headed back towards the forge to attach it to a smooth leather band which had once been part of an old saddle.
“A much-needed addition”, said Jester, “The unicorn may be lopsided, but the horn must be attached to him. We already have a lopsided horse, after all.”
Smithy gave a hearty laugh. “Do not let Dragon hear you say that.”
The two young men had been collaborating on this birthday surprise for Lavinia over the past week. They had no fancy gifts to offer the princess, but they had their clever minds and a working forge. Smithy’s metalworking skills were something to be admired; his hand was so steady and careful that Dragon crash-landing in the courtyard could not leave a dent in his work.
Jester plucked a cheerful tune on his lute while waiting for Smithy to finish the headband. He hummed and closed his eyes, the lyrics to yet another song swirling around in his brain. He found himself in the midst of a creative renaissance as of late and seemed to come up with a new ballad each day. To the surprise of no one, many of them were inspired by the same muse; the lady knight herself, Jane. But who could blame Jester when she provided so much inspiration?
“Where has she gone to, the fisherman asked, that spirited, stubborn, spectacular lass? She flew by my shore and up over the hill, will she then soon return? Oh, I do hope she will.” Jester sang softly, accompanying the tune he had been etching out on his lute. ‘The Sky and the Sea’, I may call it, he thought. Perhaps the fisherman falls in love with a fairy? An angel? No, perhaps just a girl who can fly…
“Alright! It is ready!” Smithy called out from the forge. “Let us see if it will stay on. If you would turn around, I will tie it in place.”
Snapped out of his trance, Jester leapt up and set his lute against the wall. Smithy pulled the band around Jester’s head, but the ends of the strap did not quite meet. “Hm. Perhaps we could try it without your hat? Seeing as though unicorns do not wear hats and all.” Jester nodded, swiftly removing his treasured blue belled cap. “I suppose I could part with my dear friend for one number,” he spoke with forced melancholy as Smithy secured the band, tying it so that the horn stood in place. “All right, Jester. How does it feel? Too tight? Too ridiculous?”
After admiring his reflection in a polished shield, Jester turned to his friend with a triumphant grin on his face. “Why put on a jester’s hat when you can wear this?”, he quipped as he bounced on his heels. “I feel twice, no, thrice as foolish! Who could hope for more from a fool?”
Smithy laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder. The two wandered towards the courtyard to help set up the rest of the decorations for the party, which was due to begin in just a few hours. Out of the corner of his eye, Jester spotted a mass of red curls and lanky legs. His cheeks began to warm and flush, buzzing with the memory of the night he and Jane spent together. They had not spoken about it since it happened last week, communicating mainly in knowing glances and light brushes of the hand. But tonight, after the festivities end and the castle retires, he is resolved to at last find time to speak with her alone and gather the courage to tell her that he loves her, that he has always loved her. The fool couldn’t help but smile to himself at the very thought.