Guard of Laughter

Chapter Ten

Apparently Jingle's parents were planning on going to the festival too, so they made her a dress and mask.

But without having her around for measurements, it ended up being far too big for her when she tried it on later. The mask was adorable, it was carved out of wood and shaped like a pumpkin with a cute face.

But this all turned out perfectly for Jingle's idea.

Later that evening she met with the queen again, telling her about her plans. "W-wait, you want me to go to the festival with you? Oh, but I can't." "Why? You aren't busy tomorrow and with this mask no one will know who you are! Besides, I don't think many people outside the castle know what you look like either." Jade looked doubtful. "I don't... um... have a dress."

"But I got one for you!" Jingle held out the dress that was too big for her. "Well. Um. I just..."

"Come on! You've been very busy doing queen stuff. You need a break. This'll cheer you up!"

"Well... okay. I guess. But I don't think I can stay for long, and I think we should have someone to protect us nearby."

"I know just the man."

So she said. But Jingle had no idea how she was going to ask Ryan out to the festival with them. It should be easy, because they were friends but... she felt very nervous just thinking about it.

She did have an opportunity though, because they actually ate dinner a lot together now. Of course, never alone. At least now she sat beside Sydney rather than Remmie, but now Parker had that privilege. "Tell me, young man child. What do you consider true darkness?" "Um... Um... I don't know." "For me it is my own heart. I cannot escape the evil that has consumed me."

Almost made Jingle want to save the kid. Almost. 

"Oh, Remmie. Can't you think of more happy stuff? Like kittens?"Sydney asked, looking over her brother's head to look at him. "How can I? When all they ever do is avoid me... like everyone else." His eyes were focused intently on her. "Have you tried giving them a bowl of milk?"

With Sydney and Remmie distracted, and Bruce the guard brooding over his soup bowl, Jingle actually had the opportunity to talk to the knight. "So... Ryan..." she started, and he looked up from his plate. "I was wondering if..." "OH! How my heart aches, why is everybody so happy when I deal with this pain?" Remmie shouted, drowning out her words.

"Sorry Jingle, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I was just wondering if..."

"LILY! Young lady get back here!" Jerrica chased Lily, who was holding three large loaves of bread in her arms, across the dinning room. "I told her not to do it." Parker mumbled.

"Ryan, I wanted to know if--" a table over a group of guards started to sing happy birthday to a blushing maid.

Jingle opened her mouth once more, but she was interrupted before she could begin. "Would you like to go to the festival with me?" Ryan blurted, as if he had held the words in his mouth for a while. "What?" She asked, shocked that he would ask her first. "I've been meaning to ask you, but I've been so busy lately... did you not want to?"  "Oh, no no no... I mean, yes! I would love to go with you. But... you see, I have this friend who wants to go too. But she's pretty sheltered and afraid of us two going out alone with no protection. I was wondering, since you're a knight and all, if it was okay if she'd tag along?" She waited nervously for his reply, as if she expected him to decline if it wasnt just the two of them. Why did she think he would do that? She pondered. Ryan was a nice guy. "Of course! A friend of yours is a friend of mine." He said, although Jingle thought she saw a bit of disappointment in his eyes.

She wondered why.

"I'll come pick you both up in front of your room, at around five if that's fine with you?"

"Yes. That'd be perfect."

"Then I'll see you then."