“So how close are you two?” Sir Anya asked, looking between Jack and Merri.

“Who wants to be close with him?” Merri replied indignantly, looking away. “He’s no different than a boar, and he’s smelly, and he’s dumb.” She didn’t seem to fear death, especially since she was poking fun of Jack in front of one of the Knights he grew up with.

“I’m not that smelly, and I’m not that dumb.” Jack frowned. “You’re just mad that you weren’t able to make tea properly.”

Merri huffed. “I can make tea just fine! It’s just that you nobles have shit taste! Why do you need to brew the tea for three minutes? Just fill it and drink it!”

“You can’t just fill it and drink it!” Jack replied in shock at her words. “You need to brew it for at least three minutes to give a chance for the leaves to breathe their flavour into the water.”

“Breathe flavour into the water?” Merri replied, making a face that could only be described as frustratedly done. “What are you talking about? They’re leaves!” She raised her hands up. “Leaves! Leaves don’t breathe, they just… leaf around!”

“Of course they breathe,” Jack replied back. “Didn’t you go to school?”

“No! I didn’t! I wasn’t born no hanky panky noble with no hanky panky education! Everything I learnt was from my old geezer, and he ain’t the brightest brass in the forge.” Merry clicked her teeth. “So have your fun poking fun at the uneducated peasant!” She tossed a wooden tea coaster at him.

Jack crossed his arms over his head to protect himself from her assault. “I didn’t mean it like that!” He frowned. He felt a little frustrated, but he didn’t want to say anything else. He was smart enough to know that he was probably putting his foot into his mouth by speaking.

Anya smiled as she consumed the awkwardness between the pair. It was filling her soul, and she continued to consume as much as she could. “Do you know what they say about girls who bully boys?”

Merri looked at Anya with terror, and then her face turned sour, as though she had bitten into a lemon. Even Jack, who was normally quite polite, made the same kind of face. Anya couldn’t help but smile, enjoying the fact they decided to match.

“Aren’t you two so adorable?” Sir Anya teased the pair, her lips in a mischievous smile.

Merri tried not to gag and Jack looked at Sir Anya with a look that screamed for help. She just smiled in return, since she no longer had the obligation to assist him when he was in distress.

“You should think on it,” Anya whispered to Merri, though in a way which didn’t keep her voice quiet at all. “He may not be a Lord, but he is the closest person to become the next Bloodwall. He’s of good enough stock, and you’ll be first in line to become a smith for Bloodwall.” She smiled.

Though the proposition was a fine one, Merri still grimaced at the thought of it. Marrying him of all people? No thank you! “I’ll marry someone actually useful. We Smiths can’t have any dead beats around. I want someone hard working, handsome, and handy.”

“The triple threat,” Anya replied, smirking. “I think little Jack is all three of those things.” She reached over to ruffle the boy’s hair. “If you don’t want him, I might have him then.” She giggled. “If I was a few years younger.”

Jack grew hot and flustered. Anya was quite the beautiful woman, but she was also quite the tease. “You’re already married!” Jack said. “That would be scandalous!”

“If I divorce him, it should be fine.” Anya tilted her head and smiled like a minx towards the pair.

“If he’s useless then you should divorce him, otherwise you should stay with him. Do you have a children?” Merri asked.

“A few.”

“Then you should stay together. If you’ve already given him children then he might think about divorcing you, but then you should take away all his coin. I’m sure Chief Bloodwall is a fair man.”

“He is, he is.” Anya laughed. “You’re so intelligent. Now I really want to see the two of you together.”

“I take it back, you should divorce your husband already.” Merri’s face was still distorted in a grimace.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” Anya smiled wider as Sir Bartholomew appeared. She glanced back, judged his face, and then looked back to the others when she saw she still had some time left.

When Merri saw Sir Bartholomew, she straightened up and crossed her arms. She hadn’t forgotten the situation they were in, but it was the only way for her to feel better. It didn’t seem that the Knights here were going to kill them, but that might change at any point in time.

Nobles were like that, changing their minds at a whim in order to oppress those they believed to be below them. Sir Bartholomew remained standing, keeping his hands crossed behind himself. Merri wasn’t sure what the man was hiding, or if he was just standing on guard.

“What do you think, Sir Bartholomew?” Anya asked. “Do you think these two would suit one another.”

Sir Bartholomew looked between the pair of them with his cold gaze. “I think you should stop distressing them so much. They are young, and our little Jack has much work to do.”

“That’s right!” Jack said, though he did feel a little sting about how blunt Sir Bartholomew was. “Once I’m a great Smith I’ll think about marriage.”

“Oh really?” Sir Anya smiled. “I heard from Mark that you had quite the dream…”

Jack stared up at her, raising his brow. “What dream would that be?”

“They said you’d marry your work, but under the influence of some of the sweet poison you showed your true colours.” The woman Knight smiled mischievously.

Jack could feel something within her words, though he wasn’t insightful enough to understand. “What did I say?”

“I wonder,” Anya said, smiling wider. “What did you say?”

Jack groaned quietly, wondering what he could offer for Sir Anya to tell him what he had said. It seemed it was very embarrassing, and he wondered if he should really find out. What if it was deathly embarrassing?

“You mentioned wanting to marry a princess,” Sir Bartholomew said.

Merri almost spat out her tea, and the tears in her eyes were both from struggling to breathe as well as the laughter she was trying to control. She looked at Jack wide eyed, and noted the deep flush on his cheeks. “A princess!” She coughed and then grabbed onto a nearby rag to clean up the mess she made.

“Why would I marry a princess?” Jack asked, sitting up straight. “I won’t marry a princess! I’ll marry my work and then find someone who I like. I don’t care about status or anything of the sort!”

“Right, right,” Merri said, rolling her eyes.

The door opened and Sir Ozcar appeared. He threw a look to the pair of Knights and they stood, ready to leave. “I apologise for taking your time,” he said to Merri, bowing his head slightly. “I hope that you’ll take good care of Jack in our stead.”

Merri grimaced, having sat straight when the man had arrived. Her eyes fell to the sword, wondering it it had been drawn. Considering the Knight was speaking so casually, she expected that everything was fine, though she didn’t truly know when it came to the nobles.

“I’m sorry for leaving so quickly, little Jack.” Sir Ozcar placed a hand on Jack’s head. “We have some other business to attend to, so we’re in a bit of a rush. Smith Terry said that you’re doing great, so I expect you to continue to do a good job. Make sure you listen to him, he says that he wants to make you one of the best Smiths in the entire land.”

Jack’s eyes lit up and he smiled. “Really? That’s what he said?”

“That’s right,” Sir Ozcar smiled and nodded. “So I’ll be leaving you in his care.” He looked to Merri, reminding her of his words, before then turning. “We won’t be bothering you for a while. Next time I hope I can order a blade from you.”

“I’ll make you as many blades as you want!” Jack said excitedly.

“Just the one for me,” Sir Ozcar said. “I may have a Rare sword, but one that was made with your thoughts in mind would be more precious.”

“You have a Rare sword?” Merri asked, surprised. Even as an Apprentice she hadn’t seen many. Her father had apparently seen many when he was younger, but such weapons were extremely rare, like their name sake.

“It was a gift from Chief Bloodwall,” Sir Ozcar said. “I would show you, but we must be heading off. Our duties are quite time sensitive and we have spent too much time here already.” He wanted to be out of here quickly in order to complete his task.

“We’ll see you around, Jack,” Anya said, waving at the boy.

“It was a pleasure to see you again,” Sir Bartholomew said, bowing his head slightly.

“Goodbye,” Jack said, waving at them. Once they left, he looked to Merri, who was quickly rushing to her father, and then to the table. “Oh, they didn’t drink their tea.”