Sain hummed quietly to himself as he walked through the empty corridors. His sword swung loosely by his side and his armor clinked with every movement. He passed by a painting, stopped, and then backtracked. He narrowed his eyes at it, cocking his head to the side. Then he drew himself up importantly and reached out to the painting, tilting it to the right. He stepped back to examine his creation, and nodded approvingly. The painting was now centered correctly. Sain had done Caelin a great duty; what if a foreign diplomat stopped by the castle and realized the painting was askew? It surely would've reflected poorly on his Lord and Lady, fellow knights, and countrymen and women!
He could just imagine Kent scoffing at his melodrama while also secretly appreciating his keen eye. Unfortunately (or fortunately, he should say) his boon companion was not there to lecture Sain on his inattention on more important matters, such as keeping an eye out for enemy brigades, as was his duty as a night patrol. As it were, Kent had been assigned to assist in early morning training for the knights-in-training, and was getting a good night's sleep to ensure he was at his best tomorrow. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud (it would be too far a blow to his pride), Sain knew Kent was nervous about tomorrow. It would be the first time he would be training knights as the newly named Commander. It was a heavy burden and responsibility he had to bear, but Sain knew Kent was capable of it. Besides, as the newly named Subcommander, Sain would be by his side every step of the way.
But, for now, he was going to enjoy walking the halls on his own without a care or worry in the world about his new duties. Though he didn't particularly enjoy night patrols (they could get dreadfully boring) they were simple enough and were a good break from everything that was going on.
He paused. The door to the ballroom stood slightly ajar. Light was streaming from it. That was odd. The ballroom was always left locked (except for when they threw balls, of course). Immediately Sain tensed. His hand went to the sword on his hip and he very quietly moved toward the door. He glanced through the crack in the door and almost laughed in relief at what he saw.
Lady Lyndis stood in the center of the ballroom. She was dressed in her Sacaen garb (the maids had suggested she begin dressing in Caelin wear, but she had refused), looking ravishing as ever, her elegant eyebrows knotted in concentration. Both hands were held in the air, one vertical and the other bent at an angle. Sain frowned in confusion as she walked along the dance floor, her head held high and her chin set. Curiosity getting the best of him (as it always did), he moved into the room, purposely creaking the door loudly as he did.
Lady Lyndis turned in surprise and lost her footing; it was a rare sight to see his most graceful and agile lady splay out on the floor. He cried out in surprise (resisting the urge to laugh) and moved forward to assist her, but she shook her head and held a hand up, indicating him to stop. He did so, and watched as she righted herself up. Her cheeks were flushed red in embarrassment (a most endearing sight he rarely got to see).
"Sain!" she huffed, folding her arms across her chest defensively. She refused to look at him, her face angled away. "What are you doing here?" She tried to hide her embarrassment by sounding accusatory.
"On night patrol, milady," he indulged. "I noticed that the ballroom door was open, and took it upon myself to ensure nothing was awry." He paused patiently.
"…And your conclusion?" She turned to him finally, seeming to realize she was acting silly. Her flushed cheeks were returning the shade of her usual tan (a most exotic and exquisite shade, the maids would say).
He smiled. "I've yet to conclude, milady. What is it you're doing here so late at night?"
She sighed heavily, lowering her arms and, thus, her defenses. "As you saw – or maybe you couldn't even tell what I was doing, that's how terrible I am – I am practicing my ballroom dancing."
Truth be told, Sain hadn't realized that, though it only made him feel foolish for not deducing the conclusion himself. "I daresay, milady, that it's a little difficult to practice dancing on your own. It's best to practice with a partner." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully and smirked playfully, but his implication was lost to her. She sighed and sat down on the floor, her legs crossed in a most unladylike manner but a manner that befitted her. Sain walked over to her and sat beside her.
"I practiced earlier today with my instructor," she explained. "But I kept stepping on his feet – scuffed his shoes quite a bit, actually." She sighed again and laid out on the floor, extending her arms like she was stretching. Sain smiled at the sight. He could only imagine how appalled other nobles would be if they saw how most unladylike she was acting. "I overheard him telling Grandfather I would never be ready in time for the ball." She pouted.
The castle was throwing a grand ball next week as a formal welcome to Lady Lyndis, as well as to celebrate Lord Hausen's good health. They were inviting foreign lords and ladies; it was imperative that Lady Lyndis make a good first impression. Sain knew, however, she had struggled greatly in the past few weeks to fit in with Caelin culture and the expectations of a Lady. (And saying goodbye to her travel companions, especially the tactician, had made the transition even more difficult for her.) Lord Hausen was understanding and never pushed her too hard to do anything she didn't want to, but he was all-too aware the importance of appearances and manners. It wasn't Lord Hausen that bothered Lady Lyndis so much as, Sain believed, the maids and knights and others who served her did. They would often gossip and whisper most hurtful things about his Lady. But he knew they would come to love and serve her as they did their Lord. If only they gave her a chance, they would see that Lady Lyndis was actually more of a Lady than any he'd met before.
"With that sore attitude, you surely won't be!" Sain grinned and jumped to his feet, startling her. "C'mon, Lady Lyndis, let us practice together!" He extended a hand towards her, a glimmer in his eyes.
She sighed and sat up. "There's no point," she said sadly. "I'm awful." She paused, and there was a distant look in her eyes. "This is not how we dance in Sacae."
Knowing that speaking of Sacae brought her warmth, he asked, "And how is it you dance in Sacae?" His question was meant to put her at ease and also satisfy his own curiosity.
"Oh, how do I even explain?" As he had expected, she became excited to explain to him her culture. "It is much more…" She gestured vaguely. "Free-form. There are no rigid rules like the ones that govern ballroom dancing. You dance to the sound of the drums and the sway of the grass in the breeze." Her smile became nostalgic. It had not been so long ago she had been dancing in the grass, barefoot, with her mother on one side and her father on the other.
"…How about this?" Sain said slowly. Lady Lyndis turned to him curiously. "I'll teach you how to dance the Caelin way, and you teach me the Sacaen way." He grinned hopefully.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. Then she laughed. When she realized he wasn't jesting, however, her laughing ceased. "If a trained professional cannot teach me how to dance, somehow I find it hard to believe that you can."
Sain gasped dramatically, feigning offense. "Do you truly believe me to be so incapable a dancer?"
She laughed. "It is not you I doubt, Sain, as it is myself." She shrugged sheepishly.
Sain scoffed. "You are not the incapable one, milady." She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "But your instructor!" She laughed in surprise. "Incapable of teaching, that is."
"He's taught countless others before me," she pointed out. "I think I'm just an unteachable student." Her shoulders sunk in defeat.
He chuckled softly. "You? No, milady." He shook his head. "Quite the opposite, you are a most eager learner, as you have proved time and time again. You always strive hard to make sense of the Caelin culture and of your place in it…even sacrificing some of your own happiness to fit in." He smiled sadly, and she said nothing. "You are very brave, milady, and selfless. It is one the many qualities I admire about you."
She did not blush at the compliment but took it in stride. She smiled softly. He could see that he had touched her and was glad he was able to lift her spirits.
"…I could say the same to you, my friend," she said gently, looking up at him. He raised his eyebrows. "There is a reason I suggested to my Grandfather that you take up the position of Subcommander." She smiled. "Even though you may act like a dunce at times, you are a more capable knight than you realize."
The slight jab to his character went over him; the only thing that he heard was that she believed him to be a capable knight. His heart swelled in elation. He stood taller, prouder. "Thank you, milady." He bowed. "You are one of the few to give me the benefit of the doubt." His smile was small and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Before Lady Lyndis could comment on it, however, he was smiling broadly again. "I am also a far more capable dancer than you may realize." His eyes glinted mischievously as she groaned in exasperation. "As are you. All you need is the right instructor" – He gestured to himself, and she rolled her eyes – "and you will soon be dancing circles around everyone!"
"Sain," she protested tiredly. "I tire of practicing an art I will never master."
He tutted at her, waggling a finger. "Come now, milady, you once thought you could not wield the Mani Katti, but now are you its master! You can do the same with this dance!"
She opened her mouth to protest again, but he didn't give her the chance. He pulled her to her feet, eliciting a surprised and indignant yelp from her. He softened, recognizing the unease in her eyes. "Don't worry, Lady Lyndis." He placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "I'm here to support you, not judge." Her eyes flickered emotionally. He grinned and, to lighten the mood, added, "Besides, I can't pass up an opportunity to dance with my beautiful Lady! Oh, men will be swooning over you at your ball – but worry not, I will not allow any with ill intentions even lay a finger upon you!" He pounded a fist to his chest solemnly.
She rolled her eyes. "I think you'll be the only one there with ill intentions," she joked, nudging him. She seemed more relaxed now.
Sain gasped dramatically, a hand flying to his armored chest. "Milady!" he cried out as if in pain. She laughed. "You truly think me as such a ruffian?!"
"By the way you flirt with the ladies, yes," she replied unapologetically, her lips twitching. "You're not much better than the bandits we had to deal with during our travels." She smiled as she always did when she mentioned their adventure.
"I am most devastated to hear that this is what you truly think of me!" Sain continued, feigning offense. His eyes suddenly glinted mischievously. "But would a bandit know how to dance like this?" He took her hand without asking and twirled her around; she cried out in surprise and whirled to a stop breathlessly.
"Sain!" she reprimanded, her cheeks coloring pink.
"I would say not," he continued as if she hadn't said anything. He grinned and winked at her. "Bandits don't know how to treat a lady right. I know how to treat every lady like a Lady." His grin grew cocky.
Lady Lyndis rolled her eyes, though an amused smile tugged at her full lips. "Is that so?" Her eyes sparked at the challenge. She moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder while extending the other for him to take. "Then let us see if you are as good a dance instructor as you are at wooing the ladies." She smirked.
As it turned out (according to Lady Lyndis) he was better at dancing than he was at wooing (though Sain had vehemently disagreed). As the week passed and they practiced every night after dark (for privacy and to save his Lady from embarrassment) she became better and better. Sain, in turn, was getting some lessons on how to dance like a Sacaen, as he had earlier suggested. He rather enjoyed the freedom it entailed, though at times he felt as if he was making random movements with no real meaning. One day, his Lady had promised him, she would take him to her homeland and submerge him in the life of a Sacaen. He had happily agreed, most eager to see the beauty of the land and, of course, the women. (Lady Lyndis had whacked him on the back of his head when he'd voiced this.)
Soon enough the day of the ball arrived. Sain tossed aside his armor for the night and donned instead his finest garb. Kent, too, was dressed not his typical gear but something of finer making. He looked handsome, and would've looked even more so if he'd smile instead of scowl. Kent, being Kent of course, had to lecture Sain on his drinking habits (he'd only had two glasses!) and how his behavior would reflect upon the conduct of Caelin knights, yadda yadda…a purple-haired beauty had caught his attention, and whatever else his boon companion had said was lost to him.
When it came time for Lady Lyndis's arrival, the crowd grew hushed. They stared up expectantly at the top of the stairs. There, after the trumpets announced her, she emerged. Sain had forgotten all about his newest companion; nobody could outshine his Lady.
Her dress was a deep emerald color that shimmered with hues of gold when she turned. It covered her fully, unlike her typical Sacaen grab, and was tight on the upper half of her body, curving around her hips, from where it puffed out. Her long hair was let down and curled, almost becoming one with the dress. She looked very much the part of a Lady. Even though her smile was nervous, she held her chin high and proud.
Sain smiled. When he first met her, he would've never imagined that they would end up where they were today. Through friendships, blood, and heartaches, they'd persevered through their enemies and defied death. He was proud to see how far his Lady had come.
He glanced over at Kent, who was standing on the other side of the ballroom, and chuckled at his dumbstruck expression. He too must've been having the same revelations as Sain…except perhaps on another level.
The dancing commenced once Lady Lyndis had her first dance with Lord Hausen (who Sain had not seen this happy in all his years of service). Then other gentlemen and ladies joined in. Lady Lyndis, to his own surprise along with others, was already leaving the dancing arena. She was heading towards his general direction – no, not general direction, but to him exactly! The purple-haired woman he'd been chatting up quickly lowered herself into a curtesy.
"What's wrong, milady?" Sain murmured urgently, extending his hand to take her by the elbow and steel her away from the crowd, under the impression that she had distressing news to alert him of. He saw Kent begin to approach them out the corner of his eye, no doubt worried.
She surprised him by laughing. "What's wrong," she teased, her eyes alight with mischief, "is that you are not out on the floor dancing with me!" She put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow. "How am I to prove to you how skilled I've become?" It was a wonder Sain didn't faint right then and there, so dangerously beautiful she looked.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, then he threw back his head and laughed. The muscles that had been coiled in anticipation relaxed. "Apologies, milady! I simply would've thought you would be more interested in dancing with one of our honored guests than with me." There was more meaning to his words than was assumed in his tone; he was implying it may have been frowned down upon for her to first dance with her knight rather than a lord from another district.
His meaning was not lost on her; she smiled knowingly. Instead of taking her leave and finding a handsome prince to dance with, however, she took his arm.
"This is my ball," she declared to him as the crowd parted ways for them, "and, just this once, I would like to be selfish." She turned to him once they reached the floor, placing a hand upon his shoulder and the other in his hand. She smiled. "Your friendship is more important to me than all of these strangers combined."
"Dangerous words to say, milday," Sain said, both playfully and in warning, as they began to waltz. Her words had truly touched him, however, and he beamed.
"I suppose your bad habits must be rubbing off on me," she teased. "Soon enough Kent will be lecturing both of us."
They glanced over to said man, who was watching them with a disapproving and confused frown. Sain and Lady Lyndis looked back at each other and snickered like school children.
"Until then…" Sain twirled her around and grinned. "Let us show these foreigners what the Lady of Caelin is capable of."