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The Fool sits in a window, listening to the sounds of rain as she works her way through an armful of bread rolls. She can hear the Knight tromping up to her, decorated armor clanking loudly in a regal mirror of her own motley attire, and she smiles.
"I would speak with you. Privately."
"My my, the Queen is out for nary a day and you turn to me?" The Fool says, still looking out over the scenery. "Thine appetites art truly insatiable. How can she even walk?"
"That is what I would speak with you about, yes." Rumbles the Knight, low and quiet.
"Ah." Says the Fool, swallowing hard and mentally mapping out the least painful landing she could make, were she required to leap from her perch. "This would be the part where you have my tongue, then?"
"My lady would, inexplicably, be saddened to see you bereft of it, so even in her absence I will refrain."
"I've often said mercy is a wonderful quality in knightly sorts."
"Don't play the simpering coward, it's beneath even you."
The Fool shrugs and finally turns to the Knight, looking up at her with mischievous eyes.
"And here I thought I was the lowliest creature you could imagine. You do know how to flatter a lady." She says, and the Knight snorts and rolls her eyes.
"Just tell me what your game is, Fool." She says, bitter. "I'm sick of waiting."
"Game?" The Fool asks, eyes wide. "No game, honored knight. Japes, maybe. The occasional trick. A joke, if the mood strikes me."
"You are unfathomably tiresome. Why are you here? You don't like being a jester. I can tell you're the underhanded sort."
The Fool gasps theatrically, and the Knight just looks at her wearily until she titters and throws her hands up.
"Okay, I am." She says, smug.
"Mm. So what's the game, get close to Her Majesty, and then..?"
"I'm not sure you understand what's happened here." The Fool says, shaking her head. "There was no point at which I snuck into some circus to fake being a performer, Her Majesty picked me. I was minding my business, as confused to see it happen as you are."
"Yes, and I'm sure you arranged for it somehow-"
"Fair knight, what would the fucking point be?" The Fool huffs. "It's been years! Do you think I could not have found a moment to bury a blade in her throat?"
"You would fucking try-"
"Do you think I couldn't arrange for someone to find you burying your blade in her throat?" She asks, and the Knight goes red with fury and embarrassment. "It's an easy life, what do you want from me? I'm comfortable and fed, and all I need to do to remain so is put on the stupid outfit and be a cunt." She says, and then after a slight pause, almost longingly, she adds: "There are worse jobs than hearing Her Majesty's laugh."
The Knight juts a finger at her.
"If you ever give me reason to believe there's more to it than that, if I ever think you a true threat to her, I'll see that you're-"
"Careful." The Fool warns, gleeful.
"Hanged, you crass imbecile." The Knight finishes, before storming off.
"I'm sure the Queen is always happy to see that you're-"
"SHUT UP!"