Author's Note: I have made this chapter in record time. I am hoping to edit more of the first chapter so I am sorry for the confusion people. I hope that this chapter makes up for any time I might have to take to write my fourth chapter or if I get writer's block
Chapter Three
Yarek stood against one of the far walls of the ballroom, and tried not to murder the simpering fools that were trying to catch his eye. Jared had told him that this was the wall most of the "Ladies" avoided because it was away from the bar and the males who were parked there for the drinking entertainment of the evening, which suited him just fine. He couldn't stand them, how they looked at him like he was their ticket to something greater. His grandfather told him that this would be the only chance that Shalador Nehele had to bring decent females back home, so he needed to be on his best behavior and try to act like it wasn't killing him that he was in the city. It wasn't that he didn't like going really, it just terrified his mother that he might be taken just like her sister was so long ago. Her sister was so small when she was taken, and his mother didn't want him to be next even though he was over 800 years old. His father drank himself to death after that, walking into a ravine when he was drunk off his ass from one of the taverns three towns over. He let people believe that he was the one that was afraid to leave so people wouldn't know that his dark Opal Healer mother didn't have a weakness or fear. Sometimes he wished he could still go even though he hated the way women looked at him. He used to love going into the cities, seeing the plays and catching up on all the latest gossip from the aristos while watching Janelle Satien politely tell the males that wanted to spend some time with her that they would have to ask her father first. He smiled at that thought as he remembered the first time she told someone that and they shit themselves. The poor dandy was sweet enough, and he personally had no problem with the boy, but not having the courage to ask a girl's father to have permission to spend time with her deemed him not worthy of her.
To be fair, Uncle Daemon was terrifying, as was Uncle Lucivar. If he didn't know them on a familial basis the Ebon-Gray and Black Jeweled Warlord Princes would put him off even looking at Janelle. The girl was also terrifying in her own right, which was why he wished she could have come with him. Both of them connected on the basis that they didn't like the opposite sex very well. They weren't like Jared, preferring the same sex for bed. They just didn't like the opposite sex. Something about them grated the nerves and didn't want anything to do with the ones they had met so far. Uncle Lucivar said there was nothing wrong with the both of them when he asked about it one day, concerned when he almost landed a killing blow on a female that decided to "invite" herself to his room one afternoon when he was taking a nap while visiting Dena Nehele's Queen. Yarek almost cried in relief when Uncle Lucivar said that he was the same way for centuries, it would just take the right woman to open him up. He certainly hoped the Eyrien was right, because he was getting this craving, this want for a family. A witchling to cuddle with at night and read stories to, a son to teach the Old Ways that were growing stronger with each century, and a woman to share it with the rest of his or her days. He didn't care about race, being a mix pretty much opened most of the doors for him as far as that went. It was just really hard to find a woman that didn't mind the fact his village was way out in the country and that their definition of entertainment was the concerts twice a month at The Tavern.
His eyes scanned the room, briefly glancing at the dial on the wall to see he still had quite a few more hours before he was allowed to leave the ballroom, and noticed a dark haired witch weaving her way through the line of people in front of him. He tensed up, preparing himself for the conversation he knew he would have to deal with from the quick glance of her fine dress in the spaces between bodies, and watched as she broke through the last of the people to make a beeline straight to one of the pillars with a large amount of greenery surrounding it without so much as glancing. Her face was set in a slightly harried look while she arranged the plants in such a way that she was hidden from view unless someone was deliberately looking for her, or it would have if there wasn't a large space near the pillar that showed her at just the right angle for someone passing by to think she was looking for some alone time with someone without her escort watching her. He knew this tactic, and saw many times an aristo lady cause drama become some unsuspecting fool thought they were hidden from everything. However, this particular lady looked far too panicked to possibly be playing that game. Her considerably large chest was heaving as she was fanning herself with her program, her golden eyes peeking out every once in a while to scan the crowd.
"Not your business Yarek," he murmured to himself as he fixed his eyes on the main ballroom. For the next few minutes, as hard as he tried he could not keep from looking at the woman. Her figure was much more voluptuous than he was seeing on witches, which her red and gold gown showed off tastefully unlike some of the other ladies in attendance. The long dark hair that had a slight curl, framing her heart shaped face with lips so plump that he couldn't help but wonder how her father let her out of the house, indicated that she was not of the pure long lived races. It also drew attention to the cute little upturned nose she had. He felt himself wanting to kiss that nose, among other things on her person. It scared him when he realized that he wanted to do that, but that didn't stop him from pushing off the wall when he saw her eyes go slightly wide in fear at the sight of an older gentleman weaving through the crowd. He walked over to the pillar, leaned and positioned himself just so, and watched at the man angrily asked if anyone had seen a certain young lady, describing her to them before making his way over to Yarek.
"Did you see a young woman come by here in a red and gold gown?" the man demanded, his face red and sweaty from what Yarek could guess was the man having exerted himself by searching for the young woman since she had started hiding behind the pillar.
"About this tall?" Yarek said, holding his hand about her height next to him. "Dark hair with a slight curl? Gold eyes?"
"Yes, yes that is her!" the man replied, nodding vigorously as he mopped his brow with a handkerchief. "Where is she?" Yarek heard a barely audible squeak behind him as he paused, watching the man grow excited with each passing second.
"She went out there," Yarek told the man as he pointed to the open doors across the ballroom that lead to the gardens. "She was with a young blonde gentleman. They passed by here on the way there and said something about possibly going into town through the private gardens if they could just shake her escort. I guess she did." The man's face turned even redder at Yarek's words, quickly thanking him and weaving his way through the crowd again to get to the double doors that lead outside. He waited till the man was out the doors for a few minutes before speaking to the woman. "He is gone now."
"Thank you," she replied, her voice rich and husky that did things to his libido that he never thought possible. She came out from behind the pillar to stand beside him, her face filled with gratitude. "I didn't think he would be able to get in this thing at his age, but I suppose with money anything is possible."
"Not a fan of his I take it?" Yarek asked, nodding to the doors.
"Hardly," the woman snorted and handed him her dance card. "Take a look at this." Yarek gingerly took it, hoping that his feeling about the woman was right, and opened it. What he saw made his blood boil. Almost every dance was taken by someone named "Lord Harlis Jowns" and the ones that weren't were obviously young bucks that scribbled their names down before Lord Harlis wrote his name.
"I thought the rules stated that you could not have more than three dances with a girl," Yarek asked, flipping through the pages and trying to figure out how to correct his.
"Oh, I tried to tell him that, several times," she grumbled. "However, Zach was in the restrooms and Lord Harlis took it upon himself to liberate my dance card from my brother's trousers. Handed it back to Zach just outside the door, saying he dropped it and we didn't realize what happened till it was too late. The officials said that I could get a new dance card, but by the time we got to them the first set of dances had already started."
"I see," Yarek said, staring at the pages. There was a slight break in about three more sets, two of which were Lord Harlis's and that break was almost an hour long, giving the band the break they needed and time for people to get some food in them. He smiled, the idea coming to him as a server passed by with a tray of wine glasses. The woman cried out when he grabbed one of the glasses and dumped it on her dance card. Grinning at his quick thinking, he grabbed the baffled young woman by the wrist and made his way over to the first official he could find. It was his luck that it was Lady Alice, an older woman that gave off an air of grandmotherly affection every time they spoke to each other. She was even the one who explained to him exactly which events he could skip or have to attend. He let the young woman go and put on an apologetic look as he tapped her on the shoulder. "Lady Alice, I am afraid I have done something rather dreadful."
"What is it, Lord Yarek?" she asked, concern in her face as she saw the young woman beside him in an obvious state.
"You see, I am so clumsy," he said sheepishly, holding out the now soaked dance card with wine and ink dripping out of it. "I was walking with a glass of wine and bumped into this young lady. Her quick reflexes seemed to have saved her dress, but her dance card seems to be ruined beyond repair. Perhaps you could provide her with another so she may possibly have time to get the young men back in the dances they signed up for during the break?"
"Oh you poor dear," Lady Alice said, opening up the card and seeing that it was in fact ruined. The twinkle in her eye was the only thing that gave away she suspected someone more than just an accident as she put a craft bubble around the card to keep it from making any more of a mess before calling in a blank card and handing it to the young woman. "Here you are, Lady Paulina. I suggest you keep this one away from it if you want it to stay dry." She gave them both a wink before walking over to a group of officials that were giving them both the evil eye.
"That was...clever. Thank you, Lord Yarek," the young woman who he now knew as Lady Paulina said. "I just hope that I can get my card filled before Lord Harlis gets back."
"I think I can help with that," Yarek said, spotting Jared and Luc at the bar talking with the guy behind it. He grabbed Lady Paulina's wrist, and weaved her through the crowd once more till they were at the bar as well. He snatched the card out of her hand, ignoring her squawk of protest, and handed it to Jared. "I need to you sign up for three dances on this card."
"What?" Jared asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at it then Lady Paulina. "Does she even want me to sign it?"
"I don't want anyone to sign it," she grumbled from beside him.
"Look, it will help her out by keeping a certain man from filling it up all the spaces like the first one," Yarek sighed.
"The first one?" Luc asked, his eyebrows rising as he plucked the dance card from Jared's hand. "What do you mean first one?"
"The first one had an accident with a wine glass," Yarek explained, somehow keeping a straight face when he saw the look Lady Paulina was giving him out of the corner of his eye. "The last three before break are taken, kind of-"
"Kind of?" Jared asked.
"-and it would help her immensely if you would just sign it for her in case the man in question makes it back and figures out what happened," Yarek said.
"You don't have to dance with me really," Lady Paulina sighed. "Look, I just don't want Lord Harlis anywhere near me. He is a Purple Dusk Warlord who has just enough money to be called aristo, and he thinks that because I am a seamstress's daughter I should be grateful that he is paying any attention to me at all. If you will just sign your name on one of the dances each I will see what I can get my brother to do before Lord Harlis figures out he was duped."
"Lady Paulina, I believe this dance is mine," a young man with typical Hayllian color said, holding out his hand.
"We will take care of this, Lady," Luc told her as the young man took her away. Luc and Jared then turned their full attention on Yarek, both of them smiling.
"What?" Yarek said.
"You like her," Jared chuckled.
"I just don't want to see that man trapping her like that," Yarek said, stepping up to the bar and gesturing to the bartender.
"So, you just dumped a glass of wine on her dance card and decided to bring her to us," Luc drawled, calling in a pen and looking over the dance card.
"Those pendants are supposed to keep us from feeling anything for the witches," Yarek muttered as he gestured to the bottle of whiskey on the top shelf. The officials said the Queen was going to pay for everything, so a glass of the expensive stuff was just what he needed.
"The psychic connection yes, but the physical connection can still happen boyo," Luc said as he jotted his name in three slots before handing the card and pen to Jared. Yarek drained the glass as soon as it was filled, but declined to drink another. He needed his wits about him with this witch. Something about her made him want to hold her close, to kiss away that fear till she felt nothing else but his lips on hers. It was a terrifying feeling for him.
"Hey, write your name," Jared said shoving the card and pen under his nose. Yarek looked over the card, and chose the last dance of the evening before giving his name for the first one after the break, and one of the dances in the middle right after Jared. All three of them were pretty spaced out, leaving some dances for other men, but Yarek didn't trust Lord Harlis not to take those as well. He sat staring at the card till Lady Paulina walked over, but with a different man than she was dancing with moments before.
"Lord Yarek, I would like you to meet my escort and brother, Lord Zachary," Lady Paulina said.
"Pleasure," Lord Zachary said, grabbing Lord Yarek's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Thank you for helping out my dear sister. Lord Harlis is a dreadful beastof a man that I wish I could say I never had the pleasure of knowing."
"We have almost seven dances left to fill though," Jared sighed as he picked up the card and flipped through it.
"Well here," Lord Zachary said, grabbing the card and walking over to the bar to grab the pen. "I can do three of them at least, no wait, two because I promise Cory to dance the court dance with her because she didn't know it well enough to not feel embarrassed. All of the other's I have free you lot took."
"I can fix this," Jared said with wide excited eyes, grabbing the card and pen out of Lord Zachary's hand starting to scribble in the last slots. He then held it out to Lady Pauline with a proud grin. "Go ahead, take a look." Lady Paulina warily took it from him, and opened it up. Her face paled and made a grab for the pen which Jared vanished as soon as she tried.
"I can't have those names on here," she whimpered, giving her brother a pleading look that broke Yarek's heart because she wasn't looking at him like that, to fix what was wrong and make everything better. "Tell them I can't have these names on my card. No one will believe me."
"Uncle Daemon and Uncle Lucivar already told me I could forge their names," Jared told her excitedly. Yarek ground his teeth together, knowing Jared had to have told them where they were and why. "I contacted them while Zachary was signing his names. They won't show up, but the people here don't know that." Which means that his uncles were at least at the Keep here in Terrielle since it was almost impossible for Jared to reach them otherwise, if not closer.
"That is brilliant," Luc said as the music for the last dance before break started. He walked up to Lady Paulina and held out his hand. "I believe that this dance is mine."
"Is it?" she asked, a dazed look in her eyes as Lord Zachary took the card from her before she dropped it.
"My name is in the spot so I suppose it is," Luc teased her.
"All right," she breathed, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor.
"Who is that?" Lady Jolin asked Katrina, one of her entourage for the Presentation, as she spotted Prince Grayhaven leading a fat whore onto the dance floor. The officials may fool most of the stupid aristo but she knew Shalador eyes anywhere and Lord Jared had them. They told her they were from the same Territory so there was no other person that "Lord Luc" could be but the Warlord Prince of Shalador Nehele, Prince Luc Grayhaven and the first Black Jeweled Prince to be born in centuries.
"Just some seamstress's slut daughter," Katrina grumbled. "No one really knows how she managed to make it in here, but I heard that her mother beggared herself to bribe someone to let her in here." Jolin sneered briefly at the couple on the dance floor before composing her face in the blank court mask she was known for in her social circles. It was a shame that her real friends couldn't make it or get accepted. Her father had to give up some of his money that he was holding back for a rainy day to get her in this Presentation. She was an Opal Jeweled Queen, a light-Jeweled to be fair, but she shouldn't have had to get him to bribe someone. There was apparently an influx of Queens this year according to Katrina whose Great-Aunt was on the committee that helped picked the right females, which was the only reason she was spending time with the stupid bitch. Most of the lighter Jeweled Queens were already serving in District Courts, and her cousin was the Priestess over in the local Sanctuary that had records from all over who told her how many Queens were registered. It was well within the guidelines how many Queens there were, so she didn't understand why she was refused as a first pick even if there were just a few that were not on the registry where she could get her hands on their names. She got her letter just in time to have new gowns made and unfortunately had to bring along her mother's maid, Mag, as a chaperone instead of a pretty male. Then again, it was good for her to not have a male escort because of the fact Prince Grayhaven was here. It was pure luck that he was here. She wished she would have known ahead of time so she could be more prepared. Every girl in her social circle would be so jealous once she was able to send them letters, telling them how she met him.
It was fate really. She always knew she was destined to rule a Territory. In the past couple of years she had been offered various Districts and even a Providence once she was through with her training, but she politely declined. There were rumors floating around that Shalador Nehele was possibly going to have to look outside of its borders for a Queen. The prestige in being the first Queen in almost two thousand years that wasn't born in Shalador Nehele was too good to pass up. She always scoured the guest list for Prince Grayhaven when attending events near there, and even had one or two events near Shalador Nehele borders that she went to just in case he made an appearance even though he wasn't on the list. No one would refuse a Black-Jeweled Warlord Prince entry to any party. She knew that once they met that he would want to serve her.
But the Presentation was making such a mess of things. He acted so distant with her at the informal lunch today. It was because of these stupid charms, she was sure of it. Everyone was required to wear them, and if they broke the charm before the formal Presentation when they were assigned to reveal themselves then she would be disqualified. She would be sent home with nothing and everything would be for naught. Her eyes followed him on the dance floor, the way he moved and treated the fat whore like a lady worth of respect, and began to plan her seduction of the most powerful man in all of Terrielle.
"That was kind of them to fill your dance card," Coren said as they were sitting at their assigned table with the beverages and snacks to help them rest before the next round of dances began. "I still have slots open on mine."
"Well you are more than welcome to share some of the males I have," Paulina grumped as she drank another sip of her coffee. Mirana was trying not to laugh at her. She was pretty sure the man in question was a Warlord Prince, maybe even just a Prince the way she described how politely he took care of her dilemma. It was so like so many of the males in her family that she owed it to her Sister that she would not laugh. She already decided that whatever court she ruled that Paulina would be part of her First Circle. She trusted her and something about her made her feel as if they were kindred spirits of a sort.
"Oh it wouldn't be fair to take the males you worked so hard to attract," Zachary snickered before shoving a whole cookie in his mouth.
"Trust me, the fact that they call Daemon Sadi and Lucivar Yaslana their uncles is the only reason why I am not hiding from them," Paulina replied. Mirana gave her Uncle Alec and Papa a look as she sipped her wine. It was interesting that those men had those connections. Uncle Alec called in a favor to have her registered at the Keep, but that was the extent of the connection she had with the people who were allowed to even walk through the front doors of the Ebon Askavi. She was curious as to who these men were.
"I think they are marvelous really," Zachary said. "I spent some time talking with them and from what I can tell they are very important men in Shalador Nehele." Mirana almost dropped her wine glass when she heard that.
"No one from Shalador Nehele has been to a Presentation, ever," Mirana stated, setting her glass on the table and staring Zachary down.
"They told us they were personally invited by Queen Jordyn to attend," Zachary explained, giving her a shrug. "All of the fees and expenses for them are being paid for the by the Queen because she wanted someone from their Territory to represent them." Mirana finished off her wine and stared at the centerpiece. Shalador Nehele was a very secretive Territory. Not very many people were allowed in, and those who did make it into the borders were just dockhands who weren't even allowed off the boats. People say that it is because they are still afraid of Hayllians; others say it is because they don't like outsiders. Mirana thinks it is because they don't want people there that will ruin what they already have, much like when someone new runs a business trying to fix things that aren't broken.
"I am going to freshen up before we go back," Coren said. Alec stood with her and both of them weaved through the tables to the lounges.
"Excuse me," Mirana heard a male voice say from behind her. She turned slightly to see three males, moving toward Paulina. The tall one with dark hair and dark eyes held out his hand to her, smiling. "Since I have claimed the first dance after break I was wondering if I might take you for a short stroll in the gardens, with your escort in attendance of course."
"I rather sit and finish my coffee," Paulina said, picking up her mug and taking a sip. "I am sure you have things to do to kill time Lord Yarek."
"Oh look, nutcakes," the shorter of the three said as he took the seat that Alec vacated and started eating from the platter. "You guys have better snacks than we do."
"You should try the wine, it is excellent," Lord Andrew said, handing the jug over.
"I think I will," the one with gold eyes said, taking an empty wine glass from a nearby table and taking Coren's seat. "It seems that Lord Yarek doesn't have a seat now."
"Fine," Paulina grumbled, throwing up her hands and standing. "I will take a walk with you."
"I wonder if their night garden is a good as they say," Zachary said as he stood and followed the couple.
"I do not know, but I am sure that is quite impressive since so many people are out there for a midnight stroll," Mirana heard Lord Yarek say. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Paulina walking slightly ahead of the two males.
"It is rather amusing isn't it," the male with gold eyes said.
"Oh it is more than amusing to me," the short one said, his mouth full of pastry. "Yarek hasn't shown an interest in a female like this ever. I want to see what happens." Mirana got a good look at his eyes and grabbed his wrist. She saw the green, the same color green the Coren now had in her eyes, and tried to breathe.
"Who are you?" she asked. He swallowed what was in his mouth and set the nutcake in his other hand down, his eyes not leaving hers.
"Lord Jared of Shalador Nehele, Lady," he replied. Mirana studied his eyes for a few moments more before sitting back in her chair and letting him go.
"Papa, I am not feeling well," she said, giving him the look that was her silent signal that she needed to get away from people. "Do you think you could talk to the officials and explain to them I am not up to the last half of the ball?"
"I will take care of that Lady," the other male said.
"Thank you Lord..."
"Luc, Lady," he told her with a smile.
"Lord Luc, thank you," she said, standing and taking her father's offered hand. "Please tell Paulina I will see her in the morning."
"I will, Lady," Lord Luc said, standing with her as did Jared. She gave them both a slight bow before walking around the tables to the double doors.
"Will you need anything?" her father asked, knowing exactly what she was going to do when she got to her rooms.
"Everything I need to make a tangled web I carry with me," she said. When she got back to her suite, her father helped set everything out as she silently hoped that what she saw in the web was something good for once.
Sitting in the suite of rooms later that evening with a large port of brandy, Luc turned over the events of the evening in his head. The bartender had handed him the brandy after witnessing the events between Jolin and himself that almost turned violent had it not been for Mirana showing back up when she did.
The incident could have been avoided if he had been on his guard better, but being around Lady Paulina and Lady Coren had been such a treat. Since both of the ladies dance cards were not filled by anyone but the people in his group, they ended up spending most of the evening on the terrace outside of the ballroom learning formal court dances that were going to be performed at the Presentations. Lady Coren, once he got over the shock of the color of her eyes, was probably one of the sweetest witches he had met in a while outside of his Territory. Her light teasing reminded him of how Janelle picks on him, making him feel more at home as well as relaxed. He was sorry that a witch such as herself and Lady Paulina were pulled into something like this since they seemed to be different from the other's here, more like the witches he had known most of his life, and was especially disappointed when he found out from Lady Paulina told him about what occurred the day before.
"I know I am breaking a rule telling you this," she said, nodding toward Yarek and Lady Coren dancing a few feet away. "I just feel responsible for the girl now. Her psychic scent is still developing, and I am worried that at her Presentation that she will attract some of the more unsavory males because they will sense that about her."
"I won't tell anyone," he murmured. He watched as Coren laughed and was spun away from Yarek by Jared into a country dance that she apparently knew since she didn't step on his toes in the fast paced motion.
"Thank you, Lord Luc," she sighed.
"I wonder why they didn't place her with your Presentation with yours and…what was that other woman's name?" Luc asked.
"Lady Mirana," Prince Alec replied as he walked over and handed Luc a glass of wine. "My niece."
"Well that explains why she is next week with all the aristo ladies," Luc told them both, taking a sip of wine. He saw the confused looks the two were giving him and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't the two of you see the names on the lists? How the two Presentations were sorted?" The both shook their heads. He blinked at them, and drained his wine glass before continuing. "The first Presentation is for the more lowly members of the Blood society. The ones that were invited because all of the aristo Queens, Black Widows, Healers, hearth witches, and witches were invited according to Jewel strength and they didn't have a choice as well as the more undesirable aristo ladies that most males wouldn't touch without this event. That leaves the rest of the month for the others to get acquainted, the ones that are the real Ladies most of the men want to bond with according to the committee due to their social standing, money, and rumors that they were good solid females. They are the ones you won't see most of the time because they are usually guarded well and put in places that men like your Lord Harlis won't see them easily."
"Kind of like us being out here," Lady Paulina said.
"Yes…kind of like that," Luc said as he heard the last dance call being made.
"I think we all need to go inside," Prince Alec called out to the others, stopping the dancing with groans all around. They all trooped inside with much laughter all around from everyone, but it was cut short when Lady Jolin, Lady Katrina, and Lady Marilyn stopped right in front of them.
"We have been looking for you all night," Lady Jolin said with a voice that he suspected was supposed to sound coy and flirtatious. It just made his skin crawl. Her gaze flitted briefly over the rest of the group before stepping up to him with her hands offered. "Perhaps you can make it up to me by giving me this last dance."
"I was actually about to head up to my suite," Luc said politely, sticking his hands in his pockets. Her smile faltered a bit, but she just stepped closer.
"Well, I am sure that you can hold off just a little while longer to please a Lady with a dance," she said, grabbing his arms and pulling him toward the dance floor. He felt himself spiral toward the killing edge, the air around him turning into a sharp ice cold at the impertinence of this foolish whore to touch him, to try and force him to do something when he clearly did not want to have anything to do with her.
"I believe it is my fault that he is not available for the dance," he heard a voice say. Jolin let him go to send a glare to her left as Lady Mirana stepped between them with a sheepish smile. "I had a slight headache earlier and needed to retire, but this kind Lord promised me this dance since my dance card had so many empty slots before I left. I am afraid I put him in the tough position of giving me an obviously insult by dancing with another woman or just retiring for the evening since I had not let him know I returned."
"He did?" Jolin asked so sweetly he knew that it was just the opposite.
"I am afraid so," Luc said, taking his hands out of his pockets and offering one to Lady Mirana. "If I may claim my dance now Lady, the music is about to start."
"Of course, Lord Luc," Lady Mirana said, taking his hand and letting her lead him onto the dance floor. *Do you know the Queen and her Escort dance?* she sent him, with a sideways glance.
*I do* he replied, not sure where she was going.
*I think we should shock the sensibilities and show them what a real court dance looks like instead of the proper shit we have been dancing* she sent him. *The music is the same beat, and it will add a little spice to this boring affair.*
*If it is what the Lady wishes.* he sent back.
*Then let's dance Warlord.* she replied turning to him and holding up her hands. He put his hands on hers, and then lost himself in the dance at the first notes. Hand over hand, spins and turns, a dance meant to show the volatile and knife's edge dance that a Queen holds with the men in her court. Lady Mirana never lost her focus on him, moving with him as if it was as natural as breathing for her. Her steps matched his, turn by turn even when he added the extra steps only known in certain circles. His vision narrowed in on her, ignoring everyone else as the more complicated part of the dance began, the large turns and hand motions showing the passion of the fights, and the love that the escort feels as he fights to protect the Queen he serves. The crowds murmuring barely registered as the dance slowed to show the forgiveness and understanding once everything is done, that the Queen acknowledges things were done for her in order to protect and serve. As the two of them circle each other, hands intertwined and the music coming to a close, he came out of his reverie to realize that not only had this witch brought him back from the killing edge, but that they were the only ones left on the dance floor. Everyone had stepped back to watch, most of them confused while others were giving them a disapproving look. He registered that Jolin was giving the both of them the evil eye as he delivered her back to her father, thanked her for the dance, then grabbed the brandy that the bartender held out to him and went straight to his rooms. He didn't even notice Yarek and Jared were there till they turned out the lights. All he could think about as he drank the brandy was Lady Mirana.
She wasn't pretty, well not the way that most men would think anyway. Her body left something to be desired, the lines of her face more angular than soft, and being taller than most of the woman he was used to would normally put him off. It was something in those remarkable violet eyes that held him as they danced, a dance that most proper ladies don't even mention in conversation because of the nature of it. He had never danced anything like that before with anyone but Janelle, and only because Uncle Daemon insisted he learned them, even the most vulgar only performed in special events. What really got him was that Lady Mirana wasn't afraid of him. He knew it was possibly only because of the charm he wore, but something in him wanted to know more about her because of the way she approached him without pause to offer him a way to get out of Jolin's clutches without harming the bitch.
The brandy was messing with his head, enough so that he couldn't grasp thoughts anymore as he finished off the last of it. The last thing that went through his head before he passed out was how he was going to make it through the rest of this month without killing any of the aristo bitches that stood between him and what his heart desires.
"That slut!" Jolin screeched to Katrina and Marilyn as she paced Marilyn's sitting room.
"Keep it down. Papa is sleeping," Marilyn told her.
"Sorry," Jolin replied, giving an apologetic look and not meaning it, but Marilyn didn't have to know that. Marilyn's father had retired for the evening and because he was high enough in society, Marilyn had secured herself a rather large sitting room in the decent area of the hotel. She even had a dumbwaiter from the kitchen's that could bring her food in the middle of the night if she wanted. It wasn't fair really, even if her father was First Circle. Marilyn wouldn't even tell her what caste she was, which irritated her slightly. Katrina already admitted she was a Purple Dusk witch whose family was one of the few of the Hundred Families left after the Purge. She wouldn't reveal herself to anyone yet, knowing that it could jeopardize her chances of ever landing Prince Grayhaven, but if Marilyn continued to be accommodating to her she might just let the girl be in the First Circle of her court when it was set up even if she didn't trust her. Maybe Second Circle if the girl was a light Jewel witch without a real caste. With her father being First Circle it would be a poor decision to put the girl in anything below Second Circle. Stop thinking about things like that right now, she thought to herself as she stood at the window and watched the people still milling about in the gardens below.
That fat slut and her entourage of misfits put a real dent into her evening. It was bad enough Mag had her dance card as escort and she would only let the men on her father's list of suitable companions to sign it, leaving her no chance in the first half of the ball to even try to find Prince Luc to get some of the spaces on the second half taken by him. It was that bitch with the violet eyes that really pissed her off this evening more than anything for taking the one dance she was managing to secure. Sure he was cold and distant, how else could he be when he was supposed to give the other girls what looked like a sporting chance, but when he really spent some good time with her dancing and doing the other activities planned for them this week he would not be able to resist the connection to her. She even put in the request that he be one of the young men that were to go out on the historic tour of the capital tomorrow. It was only a matter of making the connections with him she needed to have him fall madly in love with her.
"Only a matter of time," she said softly to herself before she turned to the other girls smile. "Marilyn, see if you can get them to send up a tea tray would you? I am feeling famished."
In another set of rooms, another witch was up, adding more threads to a tangled web that was starting to become clearer with every connection she made to a chip of her Ebon-Gray Jewel.
