Forty- Nine

If I had thought my social life busy before this, I had been sorely mistaken. I began to wonder how any Chiss could hold down a normal job with so much socialising going on. There was always another reception, another play, another exhibition. I was handed from soiree to matinee like a curiosity. Never really important, but risky or daring enough not to be missed.

As time went by my visits to the other districts became more frequent and my own visitors more colourful. When Sarah's swimming lessons drew to a close there was some bronze or teal among my acquaintances. It was a shame, really since I had nothing coming up to show this newfound variety off. Not that it would have worked, because the majority would be seen with me but not seen visiting me. Oh well, I had time.

Or not quite. The visit of the So'weëran'ok was approaching again and invitations were not the biggest of my worries.

"Dance." Storm gave me an even stare. "What on earth makes you think that I will teach you how to dance?"

It took some time to swallow all the snarky answers that came to mind. I could read on him that it was taking a little too long. "Because there is nobody else," I finally said. "Thirba already declined, Threll is too far away and though I have more acquaintances than I can count, none of them would stoop to doing that. Herr im Himmel, they don't ever touch me, not even the emphasising tug on the sleeve, Storm!"

He did not reply.

"I could try and ask Thkela," I volunteered. "I am sure she's a great dancer."

Whatever images that created in his head, his eyes flashed in amusement. "She'd certainly show you," he agreed.

"Well, that is settled then." I closed the matter with a heavy touch of irony.

"I am still waiting for an offer," Storm said. "What is in the bargain for me?"

"What can I offer?" I shrugged. "I have no kingdom to divide, my firstborn is already born and you make such deals before they are and if you want to wait for the second born – that may be a while."

The comm buzzed with all the innuendo passing unspoken.

"What about I ask you some really personal questions and you answer with the truth?"

I wondered if the unspoken innuendo had gotten to him somehow. The idea was so ridiculous, I discarded it as soon as it reared its head. "The answer is yes."

"I did not ask anything yet." He raised a brow.

"Oh, but you did. And the answer is yes, I trust you." I let my fingers run through a prolonged shrug.

"Is that so." He regarded me intently and I would have given a lot to escape the scrutiny and/or know what he was thinking.

"Yes, because in short, I give you power over who I am and what I do," I stated.

"In short," he agreed.

I regarded him for a long moment. "I just hope, you're a damned fine dancer."

Of course he was. What had I even been thinking? The guy was smooth as a snake. It was no wonder at all that he had been best friends with Thrawn. It was either that or arch-enemies. And that was a fight I didn't want to be caught up in the middle of. I wondered how many Chiss of that calibre were around. I wondered if I really wanted to know.

The lessons themselves were worth every smithereen of my soul I'd have to sell for them. How much of my soul would I be able to hold on to if I met more of his kind, I didn't dare to think.

"Why do you think you will even need this already?" Storm asked. Due to me actually having the bigger place, I was taking private lessons in my shared parlour.

"I don't think it will happen this year," I admitted. "But when it happens, I want to be perfect."

He gestured for me to repeat the last figure on my own. "I'd say, half a year. Probably less. You're a natural."

I stopped in mid-motion. "I am not. I just had a lot of time recently to concentrate on my," I searched for a non-committal phrase, "muscle control."

"I assume your bodyguard is playing a role in that?"

"He doubles as my personal trainer," I agreed. "Which is only economic."

"And probably efficient. Remind me not to get into a physical conflict with you."

"Verbal sparring is enough for me." I took up the motion again. When had I picked up mad skills like that? I let my thoughts wander back to all the sparring I had done. Yeah, probably right there and there and also there. I could tick a name of that list with each gradual tilt my right hand made.

"What about dancing where you come from?" Storm asked lounging on the sofa and correcting my posture now and then with a lazy flick of his wrist.

"More varied considering the cultural background, distinguished into folk dancing for peasants, classic dancing for educated and free style for the young." I began the routine again from the beginning, promising myself not to forget anything this time. It would be much easier with music, I sighed inwardly. But to know which figure the music implied, I had to learn them all first. No way around that.

"Your favourite?" He seemed genuinely interested.

"Apart from freestyle?" I moved through the rest of the figure before coming to a stop. He had not interrupted or corrected me so I assumed I had done it right. "The Waltz, simple, dizzying and able to hint at anything."

Storm got up. "Show me."

You are beholden to this guy, I told myself. Still I felt decidedly silly dancing a waltz with myself. I couldn't even remember any music to go with it from the top of my head. My grasp on Past Reality™ was waning fast.

"It does look simple enough," he agreed. "How common is it?"

"Common at any important reception including dancing," I replied. "Often combined with a show of superiority, allowing the most powerful couple to open the dance with the others joining in depending on their rank."

"It is a shame to burden any dance like that." Storm was circling me, obviously thinking something through. "Are you good at it?"

I thought for a moment. "I like it, but I wouldn't say I am exceptionally good at it, no." I couldn't help smiling as the past occasions for waltzing came to me. Or the dancing itself. Or, well, my absentee husband. Damn his soul. Not to mention his dress uniform.

Since it wasn't important, I didn't show Storm how to, and the inside of my head was still private. I pulled the fluffy blanket over my head in bed and tried to remember tunes to dance a waltz to. There had been such a famous one, blue even. I couldn't remember. What I could remember was the feel of soft cloth under my hand and the gentle moving of muscles. Somehow that didn't improve anything.

Pulling up my legs I decided to go to sleep immediately. Of course that didn't work because there was no music, slow dancing and I all alone on a bed for two.

And this is the reason I didn't update here.