I was bouncing on my heels with a stupid grin plastered across my face, but just as I was about to take my next step, I felt a resistance at my feet.
Before my mind could scream 'Stop!', my balance shifted forward.
The floor was rushing toward me at an alarming speed. But my body didn't wait for my mind's command.
I launched into a leap I had practiced hundreds of times on the stairs back home.At the very last second, I managed to slam my palms against the marble.
My body traced a parallel arc through the air, hovering just above the ground.
I landed hard, flinging my arms wide to keep my balance. The bells on my wrists chimed, shattering the heavy silence of the hall.
For a moment, I wanted to turn back and see what I had tripped over, but instead, I did something worse: I looked up at the nobles. Not a single murmur. They stood there like frozen statues.
Why didn't I just fall? At least it would've been funny.
Driven by a sudden impulse, I launched into a series of somersaults without stopping. After spinning through the air a few more times, I made a much softer landing right in the center of the hall.
"Forgive me, noble lords!"
I clapped my hands, making my bells ring through the silent hall once more.
"I didn't want to make a simple entrance in such a magnificent and respectable place. I was going to fly, however..."
I spread my arms, pointing to the nobles while shivering theatrically as if I were freezing.
"...This cold air is not suitable for flying, Your Majesty."
I performed a deep bow and waited.
Silence.
Only a few people near me made a sound. Finally I looked up.
Some were leaning forward from their seats, craning their ears toward me, clearly struggling to hear my voice.
Why on earth did you make this hall so damn big?
I straightened up and looked at the King. I could see his lips moving, but I couldn't hear a word.
I stayed where I was, keeping the respectful -and annoying- distance.
I scanned the hall to figure out what to do. The nobles were looking back and forth between the King and me.
I felt someone approaching from behind. I turned my head to see who it was.
It was a slave, or at least, he looked like one. A middle-aged man with ruined, black teeth, grinning in a pitiful way.
"The King commands you to come forward," he rasped, breathless. Then he hiccuped and grinned at me again.
I hesitated for a second, then walked quickly toward the nobles, to the king.
As I got closer, the faint sound of laughter began to reach my ears. As I felt a reaction from the crowd, the trembling in my legs finally began to subside.
Unintentionally or not, I had managed to look like a fool.
The King's face came into focus as I stepped closer. Above his white goatee, he was almost... smiling.
I found a bit more courage in that smile. With a stupid grin, I bent nearly in half in a low reverence. My heart fluttered as I showcased my craft.
"I am Puck Feste, Your Majesty."
I flung my arms out, jingling the bells on my wrists. My shout of my name echoed, and the murmur among the nobles grew louder.
"Tell me, Jester,"
the King began.
"What sets you apart from the others?"
So, he decides who to cull with just one direct question…
"With your permission, my King, I will explain. But first, I would like to ask you a question!"
I clapped for myself and tilted my head. At my question, the corners of the King's mouth turned downward.
He raised an eyebrow, scanning my movements. After inspecting me from head to toe, he gave a slight nod.
"Ask, Jester."
"Did the jesters before me manage to make you laugh?"
The King paused, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked at me thoughtfully.
"Some... yes..."
he replied shortly, waiting for my point.
"Could it be that the jesters who failed to make you laugh simply couldn't make their jokes heard?"
Suddenly, I heard some suppressed chuckles. Something stirred in my heart. However, since judgmental glares were still dominant, I kept moving unpredicted.
I lowered my head without looking at the King in the eyes directly.
"The fact that you can hear me is the first and most important thing that sets me apart from the others."
I raised my voice, emphasizing the sheer size of the hall and the unnecessary distance of 'respect.'
The laughter in the hall grew louder. I looked back up at the King. I could tell from his expression that I wasn't in a bad spot.
"The first? And what is the second, Jester? Continue."
I couldn't help my excitement. I spun once on my tiptoes and spread my arms again.
"The second is that I am your most profitable investment. You buy the loyalty of your servants with fear and money."
The unreadable expression on the King's face was replaced by a faint smile.
"But I offer you the most valuable thing, the very thing this palace lacks!"
I widened my eyes and scanned the surrounding nobles. I locked eyes with a few who looked quite uncomfortable, their glares dripping with disdain.
"Honesty! A fool understands neither lies nor fear, Your Majesty."
As the tension in the room rose, my eyes darted between the King and his inner circle.
At that moment, I noticed a man sitting to the King's left. He looked like he was about to speak at any second. I recognized him the moment I saw him.
The King listened in silence, watching me with an unreadable expression, as if weighing something in his mind.
While my words were still echoing in the hall, the murmurs were suddenly cut short by a sharp, annoyed cough.
The sound came from the tall, gaunt man standing in the shadows to the King's left.
The Vizier.
With pale hair falling to his shoulders and an indifferent expression that looked melted onto his face, he stared at me.
"Majesty,"
he said. His voice was almost bored.
"This woman... this jester is beginning to overstep her bounds."
His gaze was ice-cold.
Am I overstepping? Is it the 'honesty' part? Because my jokes were pretty good.
"Honesty! Always the same cliché. A word fools hide behind."
Just as I thought... the shoe fits, and it pinches. A snake I've never heard a good word about.
The hall went silent, as if a verdict had been reached. I saw all heads turn toward him. I performed a reverence and turned to him as well.
"Ah, of course, my Vizier!"
I bowed deep.
"Honesty is a burden that not every man, or even every fool..can carry. For some... it might be too heavy."
I heard suppressed gasps from a few people, but my courage was quickly replaced by a small seed of worry. The Vizier's indifferent expression shifted into a slight scowl.
Oh, did I say the wrong thing? I wanted to sound brave for the King, I didn't mean to target the Vizier directly!
"Even a fool who doesn't understand fear would surely be terrified of your powers."
Despite my nerves, I grinned widely and pointed to my hat.
"The jewel beneath your hat is so bright!"
I shivered theatrically, pretending to be frightened. I could hear the sounds of laughter returning.
"I fear to see my fate in that bright light!"
Of course, I'll try to avoid making an enemy out of someone as powerful as the Vizier.
"I fear your sharp, brilliant intellect, my dear Vizier!"
Whatever the sounds in the hall were now, I couldn't listen anymore. Only the Vizier's voice echoed in my ears.
I didn't linger no longer on the Vizier for good, who was still looking at me with annoyed, furrowed brows.
I turned back to the King with one last bow.
"And the last and least important thing, my King! The biggest difference that sets me apart from the others! The two extra pieces of flesh on my chest!"
I felt the tension return to the hall instantly. The sound of women drawing sharp breaths and murmurs of disapproval filled my ears like a low hum.
I'm a fool, aren't I? Did I go too far this time?
I swallowed the dry lump in my throat and looked up at the King. Seeing his expression threw me into even more uncertainty.
He was pursing his lips, looking neither impressed nor offended.
"How do you find the courage to speak to a King like this?"
the Vizier snapped.
"Even a fool knows not to be so indecent in the presence of the Sovereign!"
What do I do?!
"A town in sight needs no guide to trace; the Vizier grants no woman his grace!"
I played the fool, looking up at the ceiling as if I had no idea what was going on, inspecting the carvings on the wall.
I had to turn this around somehow. If necessary, I would throw my pride away.
I quickly lowered my head and bowed.
"If there is anything inappropriate for our noble King, I beg him to forgive me... this fool-"
"Servants! What are you waiting for? Take this madman away!"
The Vizier's voice cut through my words like an arrow to the brain. I straightened up quickly, looking at the King and the crowd.
I held my breath along with the entire hall.
Two guards began to approach me. I looked at the Vizier in panic.
Like hell! I'm not going anywhere, not after getting this far!
"Aaa! Servants! What are you waiting for? Take this madman away!"
I pointed my finger at the Vizier and screamed at the top of my lungs.
A few loud laughs broke out, but my attention was entirely on the Vizier.
He narrowed his dark eyes on me, widened the moment he heard my words, glanced briefly at the nobles around him before turning his piercing gaze back to me.
His stare alone made my skin crawl. The servants took hold of my arms and began to drag me back.
I didn't even resist, not wanting to make the situation any worse.
At that moment, a laugh echoed through the hall.
The King was laughing.
The servants stopped at the moment. I looked at the King with wide, desperate eyes.
"Wait a moment, Jester."
At the King's order, the servants stopped dragging me. My legs were shaking violently from the dread and the weight of the unknown.
The Vizier was staring at the King, his eyes wide with shock. The King, without losing his smile, turned to the Vizier.
"Are you making decisions in my place, Vizier?"
The atmosphere grew stiff with tension once again. I heard the words, but I couldn't even process them.
My mouth was hanging open in anticipation, my eyes darting between the King and the Vizier.
The shock on the Vizier's face turned into a strained smile within seconds. He held his hands up defensively.
"You misunderstood, my King. I only suggested it because I thought she was disturbing you."
The King looked at the Vizier for a moment before turning back to me without a word. My stomach churned the moment our eyes met. I gave a quick bow with my trembling body.
"Very well, Jester."
He paused. In that silence, the world seemed to stop. I held my breath along with everyone else.
I've come this far... please tell me you liked it... please... please.
"There is a suitable job for you in the Southern Palace."
I felt that his eyes flickered to my clothes.
"...But you cannot accompany the Prince in those rags. Dress appropriately for the court as soon as possible. Choose a garb fit for Prince Elet."
The knot in my throat didn't loosen. But something... rose inside me.
Did it happen?
I... I did it.
Without a word, I left the Great Hall with one final bow. I found myself at the exit without even feeling my feet touch the ground.
The moment the doors closed behind me, I collapsed to the floor.
I was supposed to be the King's jester... I've never even heard of the Southern Palace in my life!
When I lifted my head from the floor, a maid was standing in front of me. She was smiling down at me. I stood up without rushing, thinking she was going to say something.
"Congratulations, milady."
Milady? She must know who I am…
I nodded with a sullen expression.
"Even though jester recruitment has only recently become popular again, I believe there are a total of four jesters in this palace."
"Who is the King's jester?!"
I blurted out.
My voice rose so suddenly that she took a step back in surprise.
"No, no, the King doesn't have a personal jester. He used to, but now that the Crown Prince is on the rise, the King has started to withdraw from the throne."
What?!
She smiled confusingly as she saw me looking like I'd been slapped.
I'm going to get so little money... and a Prince! Instead of tipping his jester, he'll probably use me like a dog…
"Milady, the Southern Palace is one of the safest palaces; you're lucky in that regard... but I've heard that Prince Elet has been quite grumpy lately. Our King must have seen a jester as a fit for that."
A grumpy prince?!