The Jester of OZ

Chapter Thirteen

"... Marshal needed help. I couldn't just let him fall into your hands! I thought that-"

"That's not what I asked you, but that's another thing too." He spoke with a somber tone, "Did you ever wonder why the fog in Emerald city parted for you, allowing you to find your way out? Didn't you ever question why no wolves or wild animals did you any harm on the road while you were on your way to my humble abode? Have you even taken a little guess?" He asked. Amber felt herself freeze in his grasp, realization dawning over her as harshly as it could've hit. "T-That was you?" She breathed, not believing him for a moment. However, his eyes held no lies behind them. Amber knew right then and there that he wasn't bluffing. "Ding Ding Ding! Give the puppet a prize!" He said sarcastically, confirming her assumption. "Anyway, my point to you, Amber, is that I reached across time and space for you, I've tried to be kind- to be merciful, and yet you decided to betray me by almost running off with that marshmallow! Why do you continue to deny me?! Why do you reject my affection?! Why did you honestly think FOR ONE SECOND that I would hurt you?!" He paused for a second, eyes glowing with realization. "Oh... I understand... It's my looks, isn't it? Hard to take me seriously?" His eyes were no longer calm, instead they were broken and upset. Amber looked at him with the same glare, trying to remain as strong as she could.

"You think this is about appearances?" Amber suddenly cried, catching him off guard. His eyes held surprise as they glanced back and forth between hers. As for her, she had made a personal rule long ago never to cry in front of others, but somehow, she couldn't stop herself. With a deep breath, she told him, "I've met people like you before. I've met guys who thought that I was easy prey, taking amusement from my broken heart while they laughed in the shadows behind my back. Every now and again, there were the occasional girls who thought I had a 'kick me' sign on my back, making me the center of their fun while I drowned in their insults. I've endured bruises, scratches, burns, and jokers like you for longer than you can remember." She repeated, voice cracking, "...and every time they all end the same way, with me getting hurt by the time they recite the punchline." A tear rolled down her cheek, unable to be held back any longer. "The only reason I picked up those slippers was to see if there was someplace better! Someplace where I could be free... Did I think you would hurt me? Absolutely! I thought you would give me the same medicine I was given back home! I know you just love that power the scepter brings you! I know the only thing you love its magic... Besides, how do I know I can trust you?! How do I know you aren't one of the same jokers from Kansas? I'm lost... I've been lost from the beginning..." A small sob escaped from her lips. When she was a child, and Grandma Dorothy used to tell her how she cried in front of the Wicked Witch, Amber made a mental note to never let anyone see how they affected her. She had held back the tears for years at a time, concealing them from her parents, her teachers, peers, even her grandmother. Yet here she was, breaking her own rule.

The Jester watched her curiously as she fully faced him, covering her face with the extra hand she had. Normally he would've found it amusing, but it was everything else except that. "What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?" He suddenly asked. "W-What?" Amber looked up from her hand, deciding to lean onto one of the pillows. "You heard me. What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?"

"I don't know... what's the answer to that?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." He smiled lightly, taking pride in the dumb joke even though he hadn't told it in years. "What's brown and sticky?" He decided to tell another one. Amber thought for a moment, almost chuckling when she thought of the most obvious answer. "Well?" He read her expression, grin taking over his face again. Amber shook her head, wiping her face one more time. "I'd rather not say my guess."

"It's a stick, I thought the answer was obvious!" He laughed. A small sound came from Amber after he spoke. At first he thought it was another small sob, or perhaps a whimper, but then it occurred to him that she had snorted. Immediately, he calmed himself down, just to see if his ears were mistaken. Then the unthinkable happened, he heard a different sound from her. Amber, the girl he had been trying so hard to humor, had giggled. He must've been staring for a while because when he came back to his senses, she was looking at him as if she had done something wrong. He didn't know what to do except continue to hold her. The only thing he really knew was that he had to hear that laugh again. "What did the grape say when he was pinched?" His hand squeezed hers slightly, gently massaging her fingers in between his. "What did he say?" Amber replied with a tired sigh, as if the tears had caused her a lot of energy. "Nothing, all he did was give a little wine." The Jester chuckled, glancing down at her hand in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable with laughing again. To his astonishment, it worked. Amber, not being able to hold it in, let out a small, quiet laugh that filled him with accomplishment. And oh how he relished the moment. Hearing her laugh was like hearing an angel's voice echo though his ears. When she calmed down, he smiled. "I suppose that adorable laugh proves that I'm not like other jokers?" He sighed, heart yearning to kiss her again. Amber, glad for the distraction, was still a little sad. However, she had to admit that he did help her even if it was just for a few seconds. When she looked into his hazel eyes again, it didn't feel like he was a stranger anymore. Was this what love felt like?