Guard of Laughter

Chapter Fourteen

 Jingle stayed up all night just laying in bed, thinking about the festival and her newly realized feelings for Ryan. She felt her face go red everytime he appeared inside her mind. His laugh. His smile. Just the thought made her heart beat a hundred times faster.

 The Jester only managed a few hours of sleep until the sun came up. The dozed off the entirety of the morning, as she got dressed, and ate breakfast, barely able to keep her eyes open yet her mind was wide awake.

 Eventually she met up with the Queen, who looked just as tired as she. "Did you have fun with Ryan yesterday?" She asked with a smile. A... different smile. A sly smile, as if she knew something. Jingle's face turned red. "Y-Yeah." Was all she could say. "Spill the beans Jingle! I know you got a crush on Sir Ryan!"

 "I- I, what?! Psh. What? No. Of course not. Yes. Yes, I do. Please help me Jade." 

 "Of course I'll help you! I would've done so earlier if you had just told me. I wasn't sure until I saw how you looked at him yesterday. " She nodded with confidence. "And I know just how to help you! There's a ball coming up! You both can go together!" "Ball? To? Going? Me???? Of course not! I mean, I don't know how to dance... and... and I don't have a dress... and I think I might make a fool of myself!" Haha Jester joke. "And I can help you with all of that! Private lessons! A tailor!" 

 The thought was very appealing but... "I'm a jester. Shouldn't I be performing at the ball? Isn't that my job?" Jade smiled. "The... um... entertainment will mostly be music. You don't have to perform there." So when will I perform? Jingle wondered, but could not ask. Her dream was to become a jester, so shouldn't she be performing all the time? She had practically stopped making jokes to the queen. At least ones that didn't naturally flow with their conversation. 

 Then again, the thought of performing at a ball was actually pretty scary... Attending the ball was just as nervewrecking, but if she could blend in then it wasn't so frightful... and to spend time with Ryan? "I am a commoner. Are you certain I will be allowed to attend?" She asked. Jade laughed a laugh that vanquished all the doubts inside Jingle. "I am Queen, silly. I will allow you to attend. No one but us must know.

 There was one more problem though. "How will I go with Ryan? Do I just meet him there?"

 "I will take care of that, my friend. Do not fret."

 So it was then decided that Jingle would attend the ball.