Quick reference:

Sierra and Madelyn are briefly mentioned in this chapter. In case you forgot (and I wouldn't blame you if you did, since it's been a hot minute since we've talked about them lol), they were Julian's two past girlfriends. If you wanted to read up on them real quick and refresh your memory, they're talked about in chapter 12, Petals in my Eyes, Water in my Hair :D

Enjoy!

When Julian steps into the ballroom with Kieran rightfully by his side, the music softens, the lights dim (Juli can tell, even if he can't see it), and the room gets quieter and quieter, until there's nothing left, but the rushing of blood in Julian's ears. He walks forward, slowly, walking stick swiping against the floor, and he thinks, absently, that this is the first time most of the women have really seen Julian walk with his stick in hand. Does it look odd, he wonders, or maybe it makes them feel more comfortable, seeing with proof that he needs help walking now.

Kieran stops him a few more paces, with a subtle hand on his elbow, before it drops, and Julian tucks his walking stick under his arm and bows gracefully to the women, with a hand pressed over his heart. He straightens, and gives them what he hopes is a disarming, charming smile, and not a grimace, which is what he thinks he's projecting now. He's more excited than he was before, definitely, but there's still the buzz of nerves lighting up his skin, and he feels itchy and strung-up. But maybe the women wouldn't notice that, or the way his jaw was hurting from how hard he was smiling, or the way his hands were sweating profusely and shaking.

Julian clears his throat awkwardly. "Good evening to my staff, the caterers, the members of the Report, and of course, to you, my Selected." Julian greets, thankful that his voice sounds deep and strong, not powerful per say, he's not sure he could ever pull that off, but more confident than he feels. "It's lovely to be here, and I'm sure you all look beautiful."

Lou steps next to him, that familiar perfume of hers letting him know that before Julian even hears her speak. "They do." She agrees, her voice warm. "And I know they're all eager to dance with you and mingle tonight." Lou turns to Julian and gives him two kisses on the cheek, before pulling him into a greeting-hug. But really, it's to disguise the way she puts her lips to his ears and whispers to him. "You're okay, Julian, deep breaths. Give a simple speech and then choose your first lady to dance with." She pulls back and squeezes his shoulder gently.

"I'm eager to speak to all of you again," Julian says, as soon as Lou pulls her hand away, knowing better to just start speaking rather than waiting and losing his nerve, "I thought all of our meetings went pleasantly well yesterday, and..." There's an awkward pause as Julian trails off, not sure where to go to next, but hating the generic words he's saying.

Kieran, the previous night, had coached Julian what to say: something friendly and kind, but not too personable or showing obvious favor toward one woman or another, but to be so general...Julian hated it. Kieran and Francesa eventually had to write the speech for him, manufacturing words and ideas that Julian didn't feel and to present that to the women...it felt like a lie, it felt cheap.

If their relationship is supposed to be built on mutual trust and respect, then Julian shouldn't start it off with a lie, even if it's as "innocent" as giving a speech written for him. In fact, most people wouldn't call that a lie, and if it were for something more political and less involved, maybe Julian wouldn't see it that way, but this is Julian's life, his love-life, more specifically, and more than that, it involves the lives of his Selected, and that means more to him than anything else. If Julian was going to give a speech, he was going to give his speech, and if he crashes and burns, then at least he'll know he stayed true to himself and to the women.

"Prince Julian?" Kieran asks, voice low. "Are you -"

Julian shakes his head and rolls his shoulders back, trying to regain his confidence, trying to figure out how to go about giving his own speech. Yeah, it was pretty "noble" or whatever, that he wanted to give it, but he had no clue what to actually say. "Ladies, I'm...I'm sorry, I'm nervous." He confesses with a nervous grin.

There's a moment where nothing is said, but then, there's a quiet laugh from across the ballroom, where Julian knows his Selected are huddled, and soon, more of the women laugh. Julian's shoulders slump at the sound, and it's a friendly sound, one built out of camaraderie and relief, as if to say, yeah, we're nervous too...duh. Next to him, Lou chuckles as well, though she's trying to cover her giggles up, while Connie is laughing boisterously. Maybe the women just needed some relief too? As Julian had realized earlier, these women were scared too, uncertain and dolled up for a man they barely knew, and yet everyone just expected them to be ready to go and perfect.

When the room quiets down again, Julian feels better and is able to hold his head up high when he tries to address the women again, naturally, this time. "What I was trying to say earlier, was I really loved speaking to all of you yesterday. You're all so much fun and interesting and there's not a single one of you that I found myself bored talking to or wishing it was over." Julian smiles, and it's a happy smile, stretching easily across his face, not that forced, do-I-look-happy smile he was wearing earlier. "This Selection is going to be wonderful, because I get to talk to and get to know each and every one of you, and discover new and exciting things and I'm so excited for it..." Julian trails off, trying to find the right words.

"But?" One of his Selected prompts, her voice sounding curious and impatient, but not unkind.

Julian lets out a laugh. "Yeah, but it's also going to be difficult to have any of you go, especially as time goes on. Not to say that someone I let go early will be missed less, because to have any of you go will be really, really hard." Julian sighs with a small shrug. "But, as I've been told multiple times before, I'm not allowed to have you all become my wives and make a harem so..."

Lou makes a choked, surprised noise by his side for saying that in front of everyone, but Connie laughs loudly, as well as some of his other Selected. "Julian." She says, her voice admonishing.

"I know, sorry." Julian turns back to his Selected with a little bit of a teasing smile, and he wonders..well, more like hopes they're smiling back. "But obviously that can't happen, so unfortunately, I'll have to send some of you home, or you can always come to me and ask to leave. Please never feel as though you have to stay if you don't want to. I will never keep you here against your wills – you're not my slaves or anything." Julian's eyes widen at what he says, especially when there's a stunned silence after it. He can hear the articles being written about his speech as he speaks, and he can practically see the heart attack Lou is having right now.

Connie snorts. "Ah, you're nailing it, little brother."

Kieran sighs quietly. "And this is why we stick to a script, Prince Julian."

"That's um." Julian coughs. "That's not what I meant. I mean! Not to say I want you to be my slaves or anything, because I don't anything! Women aren't slaves, you're amazing...n-not that you need me to tell you that, because I'm sure you know yourselves, obviously! But I probably shouldn't have used that word...or harem..." Julian trails off again, shaking his head again. "I should um. Stop talking and die now."

"I'm confused, Prince Julian!" A voice pipes up. "Do you want us to be slaves or a harem?"

"Can we be both?" Another voice asks.

"Harem slaves?"

"Oh! An enslaved harem!" Another voice exclaims, a little too happy, considering the words she's saying.

Lou makes a faint noise to Julian's left. "Oh God. What is happening?"

And as horrified as Lou sounds, Julian's almost delighted by the way the women are playing along, and making a joke out of Julian's stupid speech, instead of making fun of it. It helped so much, to know they could joke around like this...with him.

"I don't think it's proper to explore the logistics of an enslaved harem on our first dates, ladies." Julian jokes, an easy grin coming over him.

There's a collective laugh in the group, though some laughs are more easily heard than some of the other quiet chuckles or soft titters. "Is this our second date?" A quiet voice asks, breaking through the other voices with something curious present in her tone.

Julian considers this. "I think so, right? I mean, yesterday were the speed-dates, so date one, and tonight is a ball, so date number two."

"But this is technically a group date." Another voice says, or rather, complains. There's a whine to the edge of her voice, and it breaks up the good humor Julian and most of his Selected had. He's not sure if he appreciates it or not.

"Well, I'd like to count this one, if that's alright with you." Julian smiles. "Group date or not, I'm with all of you, in a pretty romantic setting, and I'm having fun. Is that not a date?"

"Sounds rather date-like to me, Juli-Bean!" Connie exclaims.

Julian nods his head in affirmation. "Then I'll call this our second official date together, for all of us." This seems to please everyone, or, at the very least, quiets the one naysayer, as the room grows quiet again and Julian feels Kieran's eyes on him, as if to say, alright, time to wrap this up. "In any case, I'm happy to be here with all of you, dancing, and talking, and getting to know each other. So, please enjoy yourselves tonight and try not to think too much about anything but having a good time." Julian lets out a breath and shrugs one shoulder. "And I'll do my best to do the same. Thank you." He bows to the women, and there's a lot of shuffling, as if they're all curtsying to him.

There's a burning ache in Julian's chest, as he imagine what they all might be looking like right now, curtsying all at once. Some of them more experienced in that than others, but all of them determined and earnest. He wants to see it, so badly, and wants them to know that his bow is just as heartfelt and earnest. Julian steps back, and the ball "resumes", the music coming back quietly, and the room starts to fill with chatter again, though it's a little tentative now, as if it's on edge, waiting for Julian to pick his first Selected to dance with. And Julian, well he's waiting on that decision from himself as well, because, and please, don't tell anyone, but he has no fucking clue who would be the most appropriate to dance with.

Julian takes a few more steps back, making a subtle grabbing motion with his hand, until Kieran's hand is in his, walking back with him, followed by Lou, Connie, and another pair of heels, sharp and fast on the floor – ones that can only belong to –

"Ah, Frannie-dear, so good of you to join us tonight!" Connie greets.

"Mmm." Francesa hums, before directing her attention to Julian. "Prince Julian."

Julian winces a bit. Yeah, he fucked up that speech, and he was slowly preparing himself for a lecture from Francesa about it. It was her show that he talked about harems and slaves on, after all. "Uh, hi Francesa, I'm sure you look stunning this evening." He tacks on a cheesy grin at the end, hoping to help his case.

"You're absolutely right, Prince Julian," Francesa agrees, voice haughty, but also sounds a little resigned, "but your speech..."

Julian nods. "I know, trust me, okay? It was awful and weird and inappropriate-"

Francesa lets out a quiet chuckle, amused and light, something Julian wasn't expecting, and he cuts himself off, mostly because of shock. "Well, it doesn't look I've got much to say to you, since you're pretty much covering all of my points for me."

Julian sort of sags in relief, but stops himself short of melting into a puddle on the floor; he's still at the ball in front of his Selected, after all. "That's great! So, Kieran, I wa-"

"However," Francesa continues, her voice hardening, just a bit, not sounding mean, just firm, "you didn't cover all of my points."

Lou sighs. "Francesa, he's already beating himself up about it, can't you just let him go?" She asks. "He'll overthink it tonight anyhow, so there's no need to beat a dead horse."

"How dreadful to even think of." Connie mutters, sounding put off.

"And I'll be talking to him about it tonight, Miss Leonardo," Kieran pipes up, ever the mediator, voice calm, "so maybe we should just move on."

It's Francesa's turn to let out a deep sigh, sounding impatient. "Honestly, if all of you could just stop for one second and let me speak without rudely interrupting me...Princess..."

"Hey!" Lou protests, her voice growing in volume and irritation, in a way only Francesa can bring out, "I wasn't the only one who interrupted you!"

"No," Francesa agrees, voice airy, "but you were the first."

Julian should probably jump to his cousin's defense, but there was no way he was going to bring himself even further into Francesa's line of fire. Sorry Lou. "Fine." Lou huffs. "Then what do you need to add, Francesa, that Julian isn't already feeling or going to hear later?"

There's a pause, and a puff of irritation from Lou, making Julian suspect Francesa might have rolled her eyes, before she steps closer toward Julian. "Prince Julian," She starts, voice unreadable, "your speech was nothing short of a disaster. It started off bland and voiceless, but then abruptly stopped, which was a mistake already. Even if you feel as though you messed up, you keep going, no matter what. Beyond that, it was rushed, haphazard and odd – I honestly wasn't able to get a read on you at all. And all of that before you mentioned having a harem and slaves."

"Wow, Frannie-Pannie, you're really touching upon points no one else brought up earli – oh, wait."

Francesa ignores Connie's jab, however, and continues on. "Yet, with all this, I would actually grade your speech with an overall C minus."

Julian blinks in surprise. "A C-minus?" He parrots, his voice nothing more than a surprised squeak.

"A C-minus!" Lou exclaims, sounding happy. "Juli, that's good, that's a pass! Albeit passing by the seat of your pants, but it's a pass nonetheless!"

Kieran makes a happy noise in support, and Julian pumps his fist up in victory, without even thinking about who could see it. Francesa clears her throat meaningfully, and gaining everyone's attention again. "Yes, it's passing, and while I'm happy it was an overall success, you have to try and do better than that, Prince Julian."

Julian nods emphatically, just happy he didn't completely tank his speech or ruin Francesa's show. "Of course, Francesa. If I can ask, why do you think I did as well as I did?"

"Just to reiterate, you still did rather poorly, Prince Julian, especially in comparison to your father and grandfather's speeches at their Welcoming Balls." Francesa explains. Julian was expecting that, knowing Francesa wasn't one to let others off the hook, but for her to be so supportive in the first place is surprising, even if his lecture isn't so much. "But you were honest, earnest, and yourself, and you showed the country that you're more than just a figurehead."

Julian scoffs, rubbing a hand against his shoulder absently. "By showing them that I'm an unpredictable, unprepared mess?" He asks sarcastically.

"I suppose in a sense, yes." Francesa says. "But if you think about it, Prince Julian, the public doesn't know much about you besides that you're a prince, and that you've gone blind after a terrible accident. Now, during this Selection, they're really seeing you for the first time, even the parts of you you might not want others to be privy to."

Julian blinks. He's never really thought about it that way, but, "Was I really that secretive toward the public before all this?"

Francesa considers this for a moment and a thoughtful hum. "I'm not sure I would use the word secretive, per say, but you weren't very open, that's for certain."

"Maybe just 'on airs'?" Lou suggests, sounding thoughtful herself. "Like you were busy with too many other things to make yourself truly known to the public, Juli, that's all."

"You were an enigma, dear!" Connie cries out, thriving on the pure drama of the word enigma. Or maybe Connie was jealous, since he would never be able to be described as an enigma...ever. Julian almost laughs out loud at such a ridiculous thought.

"Not an enigma, either." Francesa says, "No offense, Prince Constantine, but enigmas are mysterious by nature, and you aren't very mysterious, Prince Julian, just...distant."

There's a hush among their small group, but it seems the word fits for all of them, since no one suggests anything else, or debates it. Distant, huh? Julian thinks, rocking back on his heels, letting the faint orchestral music sway him. It sort of fits, doesn't it? Julian wasn't mysterious or off-putting, nor was he out-of-his-way friendly or mean, he was just sort of...there. His parents were the strong, united leaders Illéa needed (together, at least, separately, it was the Queen who was the strong leader, his father: not so much), and Connie was the loud, outgoing Prince, the center of the attention. Julian was around, smiled when necessary, spoke even less than that, but he never cemented himself in the public's eye.

Most people had to struggle for a moment to even put Julian's face with his name, since he was so rarely heard about before the accident. That's why it always puzzled him when his father and Lou said the public was stricken with grief when they heard of the accident and his subsequent blindness. Why would they care so much for a prince who barely participated or deigned them with a simple look? Julian rarely thought of them – not purposefully ignoring them or anything, he just never thought of his people, that's all, and yet, somehow, they were devastated when he was in danger of losing his life...or so his father and Lou say. Julian's not quite sure he believes them.

In any case, he could definitely see (ha!) how people could call him distant. He always felt like the odd one out, not only as a royal, but in his family in general. His father was charming, the Queen was capable and ambitious, and his brother was charismatic and loud, always talking to someone or doing something. And when Lou came to live with them, she blended into their family seamlessly, becoming the princess Illéa never had before. Kind, courteous, thoughtful, and beautiful, Lou became the Schreave people often looked for in Julian, and he never resented her for it. In fact, Julian was almost happy Lou took that pressure off of him, that unwanted spotlight that he could never get used to. Hell, even...even Luna was shaping up to be a better royal than him, and how could she not?

Silly, sweet, loud, bubbly, and beloved, so, so very adored by anyone and everyone who met her...

"Prince Julian?" Francesa asks, her impatient voice breaking him out of his reverie.

Julian shakes himself out of it. "S-Sorry." He apologizes sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck absently. God, he hopes he wasn't wearing that same devastated look on his face he usually does when he thought about Luna.

"It's fine." Francesa says, her voice making it sound like it was decidedly not fine, but she continues on before he can apologize to her again. "I just wanted to tell you that you did a fine job for your first speech. Do I wish you would have stuck to the speech Kieran and I wrote for you last night? Yes, of course, but ultimately, I'm glad you stuck to your guns and did it yourself."

"Even though I kind of messed up?" He winces.

"Oh no, darling, you royally messed up, but...you aren't a monarch yet, these women aren't your loyal subjects. They're just women looking for a man, and you're just a man looking for a woman. Honesty is something you might not find a lot of here, and I think in order to get it from your Selected, you need to give it to them first." Francesa's voice is soft right now, speaking gently, and Julian finds himself relaxing at the sound of it. Why didn't she speak like this more often? "These women and the public will appreciate it in the long run, and hey, it worked out for you tonight, didn't it?"

Julian smiles with a nod, feeling relieved. "Yeah, I uh...I guess it did." He pauses, thinking for a moment. "Who spoke up earlier, anyway?"

"When you brought up harems and slaves?" Kieran asks dryly.

Julian clears his throat. "I was trying to avoid bringing that up again, Kieran, but yeah. When I said all that."

"Oh dear, sir, I'm sorry, I didn't realize!" Kieran says cheerily.

Julian grins. "Yeah, I'm sure you did."

"Ahh, so snarky, my darling Kieran-poo!" Connie exclaims with a dreamy sigh. Julian rolls his eyes and goes to ask about his Selected again, but thankfully Connie shuts off his persona for a second to answer for him. "I think Ophelia was one of them, Avarosa, and Vienna."

"Briseis did as well." Lou says, voice sounding warm and amused. "She was the one that came up with an enslaved harem."

Julian chuckles. "Should I thank her for that later?"

"Please don't, sir." Kieran breaks in, sounding pained. "That wouldn't be good at all."

Julian mock pouts, but lets it go for a moment. As the group goes silent, the sounds of the ball all around him becomes more apparent, and it's like Julian suddenly realizes he's still at the Welcoming Ball. He still has to dance with his Selected, he still has to talk to them, and be a part of his Ball, and then tomorrow, he was expected to start going on "official" dates with them. Julian lets out a loud, shuddering breath at that thought, getting Kieran's attention next to him, who puts a solid hand on his shoulder.

"Prince Julian?" It was times like this that Julian feels a burning inside of him, a burning want for his eyesight back, if only to look at Kieran and share a Look together, as they often did before. Blue eyes on brown, and suddenly, they could communicate without a single word uttered. He missed that, that kind of trust and companionship people rarely found, especially in an employee of theirs.

"I need to dance with one of my Selected soon." Julian announces.

"Oh? I thought you were going to go sky-diving with them, Juli-a Roberts." Connie drawls. There's a loud, distinctive smack and Julian finds himself wincing in sympathy for his brother, but only slightly. He kind of deserves it, the jerk. "Lou!"

"He doesn't need that right now, Connie." She scolds. She turns her attention to Julian, and her voice becomes warmer, maternal. "You do, Julian. And you're going to pick the right girl to dance with."

Julian sighs. "But that's the problem. Who is the "right girl" to dance with?" He asks. "Should I go with Evie or Inés because I know them and I've danced with them before, or should I just go for the upper caste girls in general, like Fleur or Gigi or Belia or Sylvaine?" Julian pauses just enough to take a shallow breath before he continues. "But if I choose an upper caste girl, then wouldn't it look like I'm choosing favorites? So then, wouldn't it be better to go for someone lower caste like Bree or Louise or Zeniba? And if that's the case, then maybe I should dance with Saskia first, so it doesn't look like I'm excluding her because she's a Six. But if I do that, then it might look like I'm pandering to her simply because she's a Six, and trying to make myself look like a better person. Or if I ch-"

"Prince Julian, stop and breathe." Kieran interrupts calmly, laying a hand on his cheek.

"But-"

"Please, before you panic." Julian nods, and the fight oozes out of him with the deep breath he lets out, feeling his body relax with him.

His arms and hands loosen up, and his back curves naturally again, when he had it ramrod straight just moments ago. He can feel tiny pinpricks in his body as he starts to breathe normally again, realizing now that he was well on his way to another panic attack. He's just glad he was on the cusp and on fully-there...not in front of his Selected, not yet, please. Well, not ever is more preferable, but if it was going to happen, then he didn't want it happening so soon.

"Good." Kieran says, with a smile in his voice, patient and warm.

"Prince Julian, if I may," Francesa says, kindly enough, though everyone in their small circle know that whether or not Julian gives her explicit permission, she's going to continue anyway, "you should pick your first dance with the woman you want to give it to, not who you believe the public wants to see you dance with."

"I agree." Comes Lou's voice. "It's important that this Selection remains yours, and that includes making decisions the public might not be happy with."

Julian frowns. "But-"

"Not buts, Juli." Connie pauses thoughtfully. "Well, maybe just Kieran's butt."

"Prince Constantine, please." Kieran sighs, sounding tired.

"Right, right. Sorry, darling." Connie clears his throat, starting again. "All of Illéa isn't going to be marrying one of these women, you are, which means you need to do things for yourself, even if people disagree with you. Lou, Kieran, Francesa, myself, or Mom and Dad."

Kieran makes an agreeing noise. "Prince Constantine is right, Prince Julian. These women are here for, and so you need to be thinking for not only yourself, but for them as well."

Julian nods slowly. It makes sense, but honestly, all of the women he spoke to were so wonderful. How could he just choose one out of them all? Even if he didn't want to think about it, the first dance always had implications, whether he liked it or not. Implications that, Julian liked her the best or found her personality the most attractive, etc, and maybe he wasn't ready to face those thoughts just yet.

"Prince Julian, stop overthinking this." Francesa says. "Just go with your gut."

"My gut says Thai food." Julian sighs dreamily, feeling a growl in his stomach.

"God, you're just as bad as Connie when you want to be." Lou comments, most likely with a roll of her dark eyes.

Connie makes a wounded sound. "You make that sound like it's a bad thing." He pouts.

Kieran clears his throat meaningfully, catching Julian's attention again. "Don't even think of this as a romantic or platonic thing." He advises. "Just go for a woman that you genuinely enjoyed speaking to and want to speak to again. You'll be able to talk with every woman tonight in some fashion or other, so just go for a woman you'd like to speak to first."

Julian rolls his shoulders back, and thinks about it for a moment, his mind going through his thirty-three Selected, thinking about their meetings individually. When his mind lands on this one Selected however, he finds himself smiling faintly and he decides on her instantly. Kieran's right, he's not sure if the pull he's feeling toward her is inherently romantic or not, but he wants to speak to her again, just a tiny bit more than the other women, and that's got to count for something, right?

"Okay, I've made my decision." Julian announces.

Instead of cheers like he was hoping to hear from the others, there's a stunned silence. "A-Already?" Lou asks, sounding a bit shocked.

"Yeah...should I have thought about it longer?" Julian's voice sounds just as confused as he's feeling now. Shouldn't they be happy that he landed on a woman so soon? He was!

"No, I mean, not in general, but I guess we just thought..." Lou trails off, sounding frustrated that she can't find the right way to word what she's trying to say.

Kieran tries. "It's more we thought that you personally were going to take a bit longer than that to think of a Selected to dance with first, that's all, Prince Julian. But we're overjoyed that you've found a woman already!"

"Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed it didn't take too long, Juli-B-Jones." Connie pouts. "I was going to get a fire going and roast some marshmallows while you sat and stew – no, don't hit me again, Lou!"

"Then don't say something so ignorant, Connie."

Julian frowns. "Do I really overthink that much?" At the silence, Julian's frown deepens, almost into the same pout that's so clear in his brother's voice. "Okay, fine. I guess I do. But I thought of her quickly this time, so there."

"We weren't criticizing you, Prince Julian." Francesa reassures. "In any case, who did you think of?"

Julian's mood brightens again, and he stands up straighter. "Actually, I wanted to keep it a surprise for everyone. I was going to whisper her name to Kieran so he could take me to her and I could ask her."

"Very dramatic, Juli!" Connie squeals.

"I'm very proud of you." Francesa agrees, her voice sounding delighted. "You'll make a big splash with this, for sure, if not for the public, then for me, at least!"

Julian grins. "Glad to help, then."

Kieran steps forward, hand resting on Julian's shoulder. "If you'd like to tell me, sir, then we'll go and get your first dance underway."

Julian nods, letting out a nervous breath. In all honesty, while he did want it to be a little bit of a surprise, Julian mostly wanted to know Kieran's opinion of who he chose before he went up to her. Would he have changed his mind, if Kieran wasn't so approving? Honestly – Julian doesn't know, but he hopes Kieran approves, because this is the girl he'd like to share his first dance with. He leans in and whispers into Kieran's ear as softly as he possibly can, so as not to spoil it for the others.

Kieran straightens up when Julian pulls back and the hand on his shoulder squeezes. "She's a wonderful first choice, sir." Kieran says with a happy tone, and Julian knows instantly it's real, and not just a fake platitude.

Relief flows through him, and makes way for the excitement that's slowly building up in him. "Good, I'm...I'm really happy to hear that." He admits, the relief palpable in his voice.

"Does that mean you're ready to get your first dance started?" Francesa asks. Julian nods, ready to say something in response, but Francesa cuts him off, mostly in her excitement, and Julian's not sure if she even noticed. "Alright! I'll go ahead and let the cameras know so they can really push in on you two!" She says gleefully, and if it was anyone else, Julian suspects she might have squealed, but it was Francesa, so she didn't. Obviously. "No pressure, of course, Prince Julian. Now if you'll excuse me..."

Francesa's heels start to click away on the floor, so Julian reaches out without thinking, and grabs her hand. "Wait, Francesa!" Francesa pauses expectantly, and Julian feels his face heat up from grabbing her hand, though he doesn't let go. "Thank you for earlier and right now. You were really helpful." He says earnestly. There's a pause, maybe even a little dumb-founded, before the hand he's holding squeezes, and then gently lets it go, before Francesa walks away without another word.

"You've got this, Julian." Lou reassures, once Francesa has left completely. "Just enjoy yourself, alright?"

It's easier said than done in this case, for sure, but Julian finds himself nodding easily to the advice anyway. "Okay." He smiles.

"You're going to blow us all away, Juli-Bee!" Connie "sobs". "I cannot wait to see you out there spinning and twirling and making magic on the ballroom floor!" There's a pause. "Oh my, now there's a good royalty-themed porn name, "Magic on the Ballroom Floor. ..Kieran? How abo-ow!"

"No."

Connie coughs out a painful gasp. "Got it."

Julian laughs loudly, feeling the rest of his nerves disappear. "I'm ready to go to her when you are, Kieran." He says, and it's actually truthful. Sure, he's still nervous, but he's excited now more than anything, and ready, truly, to get this started.

"Of course, I'm going to grab your arm and escort you to her now, sir." Kieran announces, giving Julian a moment before he grabs his arm gently.

They begin to walk away from Connie and Lou, crossing the ballroom's floor, and once again, the room hushes until the only thing that can be heard is the tap-swipe-tap of Julian's walking stick on the floor, and Kieran's shoes next to his. The buzz of chatter as stopped, all other dancing that may have been going on, and even the orchestra has silenced itself in anticipation for Julian's next move. It's odd, but the silence kind of helps psyche Julian up, knowing that this is such a big deal, a big decision, and the woman he's chosen...well, everything they do and say to each other is going to be scrutinized, and he's more than confident that he chose the right woman for this.

When he and Kieran finally stop, there's a little bit of a gasp from all around him, and a delicate, surprised one from the woman right in front of him, and Julian finds himself grinning at the sound of it. He tucks his walking stick under his arm, and bows down low to her, and hears the swish of fabric, knowing she's curtsying back to him. "Good evening, Lulu." He smiles.

"Prince Julian." She greets, sounding pleased. As Julian thought, Lulu doesn't sound very nervous, maybe a bit tentative, but not nervous at all, and he likes that, because he knows that if she were nervous, he would become anxious himself.

"May I have this dance with you?" He asks, holding out his hand.

Lulu hums. "Are ya sure ya wanna dance with lil' ole me?" There's a tease in her voice, for sure, but there's just a tiny bit of actual insecurity in there as well, as if Talullah never actually thought Julian would ask her for the first dance, or to even dance together at all.

Julian nods. "I'm more than sure. I'm certain." He clears his throat, and feels a grin come onto his face. "I insist, actually."

Lulu chuckles. "Well, if ya insist..."

There's still a hint of nerves in her voice, but Julian chalks it up to be more excited-nerves than anything borne out of actual anxiety. He can't help the beam that comes across his face when Lulu puts her small hand into his outstretched one, feeling the faintest hint of calluses on her fingers. They walk together, twenty-five paces, to the middle of the ballroom, where, like in the movies, the rest of the crowd is sidelined and watching Lulu and Julian dance together. He steps away from her, still holding her hand, and bows again, and after a moment's hesitation, he can feel Lulu curtsy, before she stands up.

The orchestra begins to play, a slow-tempo-ed song at first, made up of mostly strings – a harp and violin, leaving the melody high and sweet, kind of like Lulu's voice, Julian thinks. He steps forward, and Lulu, thankfully, steps back instinctively, and off they go. It's strange, dancing without seeing, especially since Julian really hasn't danced since the accident. He was used to looking at the crowd while he danced, checking to make sure he was pleasing the Queen, or, at the very least, looking at his partner, to see if they were okay or enjoying themselves. He liked seeing the look on their face when they danced, to see what they really thought of it, the situation as a whole, and Julian as a dancing partner in general. Sierra's face was always caught-up-in-the-moment, wide-eyed and romantic, while Madelyn was more aware of her audience and made the most of it; how to twirl her body just right or where exactly to put her hands on Julian to make them appear cozier than they actually were.

Now, as Julian and Lulu move across the dance floor in big, fluid motions, he wants to know, a little desperately, what Lulu's face looks like right now. From what he knows about her, and it's not much, he can't help but imagine her face screwed up in concentration, trying her very hardest to keep up with Julian. Julian wouldn't call Lulu a natural at ballroom dancing – nobody was, it took years and years of training for Julian to become somewhat competent in it, and he still makes mistakes every now and again. Yet, Lulu is holding her own, her arms loose but stable around Julian's shoulders, her back rigid, maybe a little more than it needs to be, and steps careful and precise. And, more than that, they move slowly with each other, but the moves flow together, one after another, after another, until Julian's able to stop thinking about what step comes next, and is just able to focus on the swishing of Lulu's dress, and the faint scent of cherries permeating the air between them.

The music kicks up into something a bit louder and more upbeat, and Julian can hear other people start to join them on the ballroom floor. Maybe it's silly, but it feels more nerve-wracking now, having everyone join them on the floor, closer than they were before, rather than just watching them dance from afar.

Lulu must think this, too, as her hands tighten around Julian ever-so-slightly. He dips his head down a little lower to talk to her, keeping his voice quiet. "Are you alright, Lulu?"

She chuckles, a light airy thing, and Julian can feel more than hear it on the base of his neck. "Funny, I was 'bout to ask ya the same thing." She admits quietly.

Julian's eyes widen slightly. "Me, why?"

"You're wound up tighter than a girdle on a baptist minister's wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake buffet!" Lulu exclaims with a tone that says, duh.

Julian blinks. "I'm...a girdle?"

"No, you're wound up tighter than a girdle on a baptist minister's wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake buffet." Lulu repeats, slowing her voice down and stretching out the words. Maybe if her tone was different, Julian would think she was mocking him or thought he was stupid for not understanding her, but it was more that she was trying to help, or, at the very least, pretty tired for having to repeat herself all the time.

"So I'm the baptist minister's wife?" Julian asks with a bit of a smirk on his face.

"No, you're wound ti-" Lulu suddenly stops, and the look on his face must finally register with her, because she lightly swats his arm, causing Julian laugh. "That's not very funny, Prince Julian." Her voice is almost in a pout, but it's kind of hard to tell with the accent. In any case, it's instantly charming, and Julian drops the act, and swings her around a little tighter, almost as an apology.

"Sorry, Lulu, you probably get people asking you to repeat yourself all the time, huh?"

They twirl again, and their arms stretch out, letting Lulu spin out, before she quickly turns back into him and swirls under his arm, before coming back together again. It's not flawless, the way she goes – it's a bit robotic, devoid of passion, but it's determined, and Julian finds that he likes it a little more than the haphazard way some people (cough, cough, Connie, cough) like to dance.

"Ya say one phrase that someone's never heard of 'fore and you're now crazier than an outhouse fly, I swear." Julian's nose wrinkles at the phrase and laughs heartily, when Lulu makes a huff. "It's natural! I don't even think about it, ya know. Everyone in Sumner talks like that. Ma's and Pa's and Maee's and Papaw's and the littuns. Ya don't even realize you're doin' it until it's done."

Julian finds himself nodding along, even though he can't really relate at all. Maybe it's the pace that Lulu speaks, or the conviction in which she has when she says anything, but it's so easy to talk to her and listen to her speak, instantly engaging. "I can't imagine how frustrating it has to be to talk to people and it sounds..." Julian struggles for a moment, trying to find the right word, before he settles on, "'normal' to you, but to other people, they criticize you for it, or they make fun of you."

"Did you just make air-quotes with you hands on my waist, Prince Julian?" Lulu asks casually.

Julian blushes. "I-I was trying to defend you and I didn't want to use the word normal and you think that I was calling you abnormal." It's stupid, isn't it, that Julian can settle his hands on her waist, and hers around his neck no problem, but as soon as he really thinks about them touching each other so intimately, it becomes awkward. He clears his throat and adjusts their positions to the tempo of the song, swinging her around again.

Lulu laughs in response and it cheers Julian up, just to hear it. Like her high-pitched voice, it's a little shrill, but joyful, too. "Ya didn't have to change the position of your hands, ya know, but I appreciate that ya were a gentleman about it."

Julian can't help the way his eyes widen, and he dips lower to Lulu so he can whisper in a scandalized tone, "It's not like I was going to try and cop a feel of you while we're dancing!" Lulu giggles again, and Julian rushes to finish that thought. "O-Or anywhere, for that matter. Not that you aren't lovely or anything, but we're nowhere near ready that kind of level, not to say that we would ever be, or that it's disgusting if we were, but!"

"Oh my stars, Prince Julian, you're just as bad as that Bree girl when ya get nervous!" She exclaims, and he can imagine her shaking her head in wonder. Maybe it's the "Southern Belle" vibe Julian gets from Lulu, but she seems so much older than she actually is, like she's well into her twenties, instead of being so young. It's not a bad thing at all, Julian really likes that about her, actually. To know that Lulu has a mature side to her, but able to tease Julian as well, and keep him in line better than he suspects most of the women could.

Julian grins at the thought of Bree. "Has she talked your ear off, too?"

"I think she's still chatterin' now." Lulu says with a smile in her voice. "It's not bad, actually, I love talkin', ya know? I just know when to take a breath once in a while." Julian laughs, and he doesn't feel bad talking about another Selected like this.

It's easy teasing and there's definitely affection in Lulu's voice, like talking about an unruly child and not gossip fueled by a genuine dislike for the girl. Julian's not sure Lulu would ever truly talk about another girl, even if she really disliked her. Don't get Julian wrong, Lulu seems like she has her opinions on everyone and everything, and he's sure she's not afraid to speak it, and he really appreciates that about her, but does he think Lulu would ever sneak around someone's back and perpetuate or even start any rumors?

No. Not a chance.

Everything Lulu has done, it has an air of truth and honesty to it, and it's refreshing. Lulu speaks honestly, she feels honestly, and dances honestly, too, and Julian is just soaking it up. Julian finds himself enjoying this dance more than any other one that he's had in recent history, because Lulu is wholly herself and enjoying every minute of what she's doing. She's bright and beckoning and Julian finds himself drawn in to that. Romantically? Julian can't tell. But there's something yawning inside of Julian, saying that he wants to spend more time with Lulu, get to know her, understand her, let her get to know him. And usually that's a scary thought, of letting someone in and getting to know them, but with Lulu, it's not so scary.

They twirl again, and the music is at its climax, and Julian knows their dance is coming to an end soon, but he doesn't feel the need to break into their shared silence. There was a specific reason why he chose Lulu first, over everyone else, over all of the funny, smart, interesting girls, and that's because Lulu made him feel comfortable. Maybe it's because she came right out of the gate asking him hard-ball questions and the fact that Julian gets the feeling that Lulu wouldn't let him squeeze his way out of a situation and face it head on, who knows. Or maybe it's because Julian feels Lulu expects something out of him – what, Julian's not so sure, but she's expecting something, and Julian's curious to know what it is. It's not urgent, like his father and the Queen, or something grand, like the public wants, it's just...there. Maybe Lulu wants him to be more honest with her, or wants him to sweep her off her feet, or maybe she wants him to be more truthful with himself.

Julian's not sure at all, but damn if he doesn't want to find out!

The music reaches a peak the same time Julian dips Lulu down, carefully, since he's not exactly sure where the floor is in relation to her head, and Lulu lets out a pleased, but breathless laugh. He leans her back up and they twirl once more, before the music dies out, and they end in an embrace again. Everyone backs from each other as is customary and exchange bows and curtsies and Lulu and Julian are the same, Julian with a bright smile on his face, and he can only hope Lulu has a matching one on her face.

"Thank you for the dance, Lulu," Julian grins, "you were an amazing dance partner."

"Shucks, Prince Julian." Lulu giggles, sounding a bit shy. How is it she can say something so cliché, and yet, it doesn't sound corny at all? "I had a very good time with you."

There's a pause lingering around them, and on Julian's part, it's because he's not sure how to end their "date". Should he escort her back to where she was before, and should he kiss her? And then it occurs to him, while he's fighting with himself, Lulu might be waiting for him to eliminate her. As said before, the first ball was notorious for immediate and ruthless eliminations, and Lulu might be anticipating that.

As Lulu gently pulls herself away from Julian, he tightens his hand on her wrist. "I-I'm not eliminating you!" He blurts out, a little louder than was necessary, as evidenced by the amused hush that comes over the ballroom. Julian's face grows hot and he takes his hand back, and uses it to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "I um. I want you to stay."

If Lulu is laughing at him or smirking or something, Julian can't tell by her voice at all, and he's grateful for it. In fact, she only sounds happy when she responds to him. "Good, 'cause I'd like to stay a lot. I had more fun than a barrel full of monkeys!"

Julian grins. "Is that really a lot of fun, though, Lulu?" He asks rather innocently. "I mean, the logistics of a barrel full of-"

"Thank ya for the dance, Prince Julian." Lulu interrupts with a laugh, and walks away, the sound of her dress swishing on the floor.

Julian lets out a disbelieving sort of laugh as she walks away, half relieved and half jubilant, and he has to tear himself away from the center of the ballroom, so the crowd around him doesn't notice the internal happy freak-out he's currently having. He crosses the floor blindly (ha!) without his walking stick, since Kieran had taken it earlier, once he and Lulu went to dance with each other. Julian had barely registered it at the time, more occupied with his racing heart and thoughts, but he definitely noticed now, as he was unsure of where he was going. Kieran, however, meets him halfway through, and loops Julian's arm through his, and pulls him close.

"Sir!" He whisper-yells, sounding excited.

Julian feeds off the energy, practically vibrating out of his body himself. "K-Kieran! That was! Did you see –? Lulu and me! And we! Kieran!" Julian can barely get his thoughts out, so happy that not only he finished his first dance without causing a huge disaster, but it was fun and he made the right choice when he wanted to dance with Lulu first. No matter what the outcome was with the Selection as a whole, and with Lulu as an individual, Julian had the feeling he would never truly come to regret choosing her as his first dance partner. Not a chance.

"You two did wonderfully, Prince Julian!" Kieran cheers, leading him back over to Connie and Lou. "We're going to give you a moment or two to gather your bearings before you choose your next dance."

And, oh. All of a sudden, it's like a weight has been dropped into Julian's stomach as he feels it drop to the floor. Fuck, he wants to curse aloud, how could he forget that he has more than just one dance to do? He was so worried about his first dance, that Julian barely thought about who he would dance with after that, and the dance after that one, and so on and so forth. Before he can spiral too deep into his thoughts, however, Connie claps a heavy hand on Julian's shoulder, and Lou plants a gentle kiss onto Julian's brow.

"Juli, you did great!" Lou says, excitement creeping into her tone. "You two looked great together, really natural."

"Yes you did!" Connie sighs. "Team Jululian is a go!"

Julian blinks. Oh no. "J-Ju-Julu-what?"

"Jululian, darling-brother, keep up. It's your ship-name with Talullah, of course!"

Julian snorts. "Oh, well when you say it like that, it makes perfect sense." He mutters. Still...the meshing of their names together, as juvenile as it is, it kind of makes this all the more real for Julian, in the oddest of ways, sure. But the public, they're going to start supporting certain girls with Julian and wanting to see him marry them and Jululian might be one of those so-called 'ships' that people favor. It was a scary thought, but one that was also rather exhilarating.

"Are you feeling better now that you've danced your first dance, sir?" Kieran asks, gently wiping Julian's brow with a rag.

Julian lifts one shoulder up in a half-shrug. "I'm glad that it happened and that I shared it with Lulu, of course, but I didn't really think much after that." He confesses.

"You didn't think about who your second dance will be with?" Lou asks, sounding a bit dubious.

Julian's cheeks light up. "No, okay? I had a lot on my mind." Connie laughs outright at the confession, only serving to embarrass Julian more.

"Looks like you're about to have a lot more on your mind," Lou warns, voice lowering, "Francesa's coming over with her brother in tow."

Julian can barely suck in a breath before Francesa's heels are clicking over to him. It's not that Julian doesn't like Francesa, in fact, it's the opposite – he likes and admires Francesa, respects that she gets a lot more done than almost everyone around her, all while wearing six-inch heels. And, as of late, Julian has found himself liking her a lot more, what with her dealing with Clair for him and the pep-talk(?) she gave him earlier, but Francesa, well...it's no secret that Francesa is A Lot. And Julian's not sure he has the energy or the mindset to deal with that right now, not to mention her brother, the event coordinator is with her, and Lord knows what he must be like, with Francesa Leonardo as your sister.

"Prince Julian, your dance was good, and it seems like you and Lulu had a good rapport with each other. I anticipate some support for you two, though it didn't seem overtly romantic." Francesa says in lieu of an actual greeting.

"Nice to see you too, Francesa." Julian blinks.

Francesa sighs. "Hi, Prince Julian." She amends, and although it's said with a sigh, she doesn't sound too annoyed for having to "correct" herself. "You did a good job, out there."

It's funny, isn't it, how praise from Lou feels really nice, but praise from Francesa feels like an achievement of sorts. Julian always gets weirdly happy when he's able to actually appease Francesa in one way or another, and right now is no exception. "Thanks, Francesa." He smiles.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Leonardo, Mr. Leonardo." Kieran greets warmly.

Oh, right, Julian thinks, he almost forgot about the mysterious older brother of Francesa's he had yet to meet. Julian puts on a charming smile and holds his hand out where Francesa was, assuming her brother was with her. There's a moment where Julian's hand is just stuck out in the middle of the air, and it feels so, so awkward. He's about to pull it away, but there's a cold hand suddenly sliding into his. The hand itself is large and screams man's man, though it is surprisingly soft for a man's hand. They shakes quickly, and it's not really a limp handshake per say, but it's timid, before the other hand is snatched back just as suddenly as it was placed into Julian's

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr...?" Julian trails off awkwardly, feeling bad he forgot her brother's name. It's something a little odd, if Julian's remembering correctly, but other than that, he hasn't really thought of Francesa's brother, okay? He's had more pressing things on his mind as of late.

There's a pause, before there's a rather theatrical pause from Francesa. "Leonard, really, it's just the prince. He's not a God, or anything!"

"Oh, you should hear the rumors I've heard of my baby brother! There's a certain part of his that is very God-l-ouch!" Connie cries out, his shoes scuffing on the floor, as he tries to back away from his assailant. "Et tu, Angel?"

"You were being crude, Prince Constantine." Kieran sniffs, as if that's explanation enough. And for anyone who knows Connie, it is.

Lou takes over from there. "What Francesa was saying, Leo, is there's no need to be scared of any of us. Prince Julian is very happy to have you here."

Julian knows Lou is shooting him a meaningful look, he can feel it, and he nods emphatically in agreement. "I am! I've heard from multiple people how lovely the ballroom looks, especially when you decorated with a theme that was so short-notice." Okay, so no one actually said that to Julian face-to-face, but he's heard bits and pieces of conversation here-and-there, talking about how lovely and floral the ballroom looks. And knowing that Leo only had just a few hours to pull it all together, it was very impressive indeed.

There's an awkward cough and a shuffle. "T-Thank you, Prince Julian..." A soft, but whiskey-deep voice says. Julian is immediately taken back not only by how deep the voice is, but from how tentative it sounds. That really can't be Francesa's brother...can it?

"Well that wasn't so hard was it, Leo?" Francesa asks cheerily, though there's a bit of an edge to it and Julian can't help but wonder why.

"M-May I be excused-d now, your Highness?" Leo asks Julian instead, bypassing Francesa.

Julian nods. "Of course, I'm sure you have much to do."

"Yes, because the gaggle of women around you earlier had you working to the bone." Francesa drawls, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Gaggle of women?" Connie asks, sounding very intrigued. "My, my! Could you be a bit of a ladies' man, Leopold?"

"Don't give him any weird nicknames, Prince Constantine, please." Kieran sighs quietly.

"Not so much a ladies' man, since all he has to do is exist and people just come flocking to him like starved birds." Francesa mutters. And it hits Julian, Francesa, she's...well, she sounds a bit jealous. Of what, Julian's not exactly sure. Certainly of the attention that her brother seems to be getting out of the ball, but whether it's because Francesa wants the attention of the women for the Report, or because she wants Leo's attention, Julian's not entirely sure. And honestly, he's not sure Francesa knows, either.

"I didn't ask-k them to, Francesca." Leo says quietly and what?

Francesa makes a surprised, angry noise. "Leonard!" She hisses, but the damage has been done, and, unsurprisingly, it's Lou who jumps on it.

"Francesca?" Lou asks, sounding a little delighted. "Is your name Francesca? Did you change it to for Francesa? For what?"

"It sounds a bit more editorial, that's all." Francesa or Francesca sniffs at Lou. "Francesa is simply a bit more memorable and marketable than plain old Francesca."

Julian imagines Lou is trying to nod along and take this seriously, but he can hear the giggles trying to burst out of her. Connie is joining her, but Kieran tries to take the more comforting route, for Francesa. "Well, we know you as Francesa, so that is what we will continue to call you, unless you say otherwise, right, Prince Julian?"

Julian nods. "I only know you as Francesa anyway. Calling you anything else would be odd." He admits.

Instead of calming Francesa down, however, she just makes a 'hmph'ing sound, and possibly stomps down her foot. "Francesca and Francesa certainly sound better than Leonard Leonardo that's for sure!"

Leo lets out a quiet sigh. "Francesa, this is not the place for this..." He trails off. His voice is as quiet and timid as ever, but the stuttering has almost completely gone. Maybe being in his sister's company helps it go away and helps Leo forget his nerves, or maybe he's getting riled up enough to lose it.

"I think it is. Drama, right?" Francesa offers, sounding airy as usual, but a little off, too. Maybe to other people this would be awkward, to fight in front of your sibling in front of royals, but Francesa seems to take it all in stride, or maybe she wants others to see them argue, as if she wants to try and paint Leo in a bad light.

"Leo might be right, Francesa, we're at a Ball." Lou says gently.

Julian can practically feel Francesa's eye roll. "Mmm, what a surprise, the princess disagrees with me, and sides with a man she hardly knows."

"Francesc-" Leo pauses, "Francesa, there's no need to do this here. I didn't mean to call you...that name earlier, okay? Let's have a good time tonight, please?" Leo's words hang in the air, pleading, but tinged with an awkwardness that seems reserved specifically for when Leo talks to his sister. Sure, he was a nervous wreck when speaking to Julian and the others, but with Francesa, it almost comes off as if he simply doesn't know how to speak to his sister at all.

For a moment, Julian thinks Francesa might rebuff her brother and continue to try and argue with him, but she simply lets out a long, tired sigh, the only sign of her irritation before she says, "Yes, let's have a good time." She agrees, almost good-naturedly. Almost. "You were certainly having one with Briseis, Louise, Ava, and Sylvaine earlier."

Julian rises his eyebrows at that. "Did you speak with them, Leo?"

"I- well that is -" The stammering comes back in full force for Leo, and Julian can only imagine the alarming shade of red his face must be right now. "I didn't ask-k them to approach, but there was a cat that ran in between-n my legs and two child-dren after that and they were running, and I almost tripped over the little girl, and!"

Lou lets out a surprised noise, and Connie laughs. "You almost trampled Kimmie?"

"It was an accident!" Leo exclaims, sounding genuinely regretful and mortified.

Francesa lets out a loud yawn, most likely fake. "Yes, and then he spent the next ten minutes begging Louise to forgive him and Kimmie was trying to get him to pet the cat."

Julian laughs at the image. "I'm sure Louise wasn't actually upset, though."

"No, not at all." Leo says gently. "But I was, and-d then everyone was staring..." Leo's voice grows muffled, almost as if he's covering his face with his hands.

"Ava and Bree started a 'forgive him!' chant, too." Francesa adds with a smirk in her voice, definitely getting a kick out of her older brother's embarrassment. "Which spurred on some of the other women to join him, and soon he was surrounded by a large crowd."

Yeah, that was definitely some form of jealousy stuck in Francesa's voice. It made Julian curious, very curious, actually, but he also knew now was not the time...or maybe ever. Francesa was intimidating on a good day and terrifying on a bad one, and somehow, he didn't think she'd appreciate being badgered about her relationship with Leo at all.

"You said Sylvaine was there, too. She couldn't have joined the chant, right?" Julian asks, sounding doubtful at the idea. Sure, Julian and Sylvaine only had the one chat together, but he couldn't ever imagine the quiet, cold woman he talked to ever drawing so much attention to herself, especially at an event like the Welcoming Ball. It makes sense that Bree would, because she's so outgoing, and Ava, because she's funny and happy, but Sylvaine? Julian almost laughs at the thought. Yeah, not so much.

"No, of course not." Francesa answers. "In fact, after Sylvaine saved the cat from all the commotion Leo caused, she kind of disappeared to the other side of the ballroom. I can still feel her iciness from here." Francesa fakes a shudder.

Julian frowns. "That's not cool, Francesa."

"Actually, Juli-a Child, it's very cool, because it's i-"

Julian rolls his eyes. "Got it, Connie, thank you. I just meant, there's no reason to criticize someone simply because they're not as outgoing as others."

"I understand that, Prince Julian, trust me, I've had lots of experience with someone who has no idea how to act around other people." It's not hard to guess that she aimed that last jab at Leo. God, and Julian thought it was hard having the loud, flamboyant Connie as a brother was hard, but he can't even imagine (nor does he want to) what it's like to have Francesa Leonardo as a sister. Sure, Connie was annoying more often than not, and his incessant joking and flirting was exhausting, but Julian knew Connie would do anything for him, would die for Julian, and he's not sure Francesa would do the same for Leo.

"In any case, Leo," Lou begins kindly, and knowing her, she probably put a loving hand on the man's shoulder, "as Julian said before, I'm sure Louise knew you were just startled and wasn't angry at all, and Bree and Ava weren't trying to tease you, they were just having fun."

Leo sighs quietly. "I-I know all of that, Princess-s, thank you, it's more that I just h-hate all the attention I got from it, that's a-all." Julian can't help the rush of sympathy that rushes through his chest as he hears the sadness in Leo's tone. Leo...he was so different from Francesa in almost every way, the most obvious being his total and complete aversion to attention, something that Francesa desperately craved.

"And it was all recorded on the Report, too!" Francesa exclaims gleefully.

"Fran-"

"Good luck with the rest of your ball, Prince Julian! I've got some interviews to attend to!" Francesa calls over her shoulder as she quickly walks away, heels smacking against the ground in her haste.

There's a swish of air coming from in front of Julian, and he has a feeling it's Leo bowing hastily to him. "T-Thank you for meeting with me, Prince J-Julian, may I- uh..."

Julian smiles softly. "Go chase after her." He dismisses.

"And you might want to hurry, I know from first-hand experience how fast your sister is despite being in heels." Lou adds.

Leo quickly goes after his sister in a whirlwind, leaving just Kieran, Connie, Lou, and Julian behind in a stunned silence. When Julian was told he was going to meet Francesa Leonardo's older brother, he had imagined a tough, suave man who was just as vain and dramatic as his sister, maybe even more so. Not a scared, humble man who could barely talk about women without sounding as though he were about to combust.

Were Julian and Connie that different from each other, Julian wonders. So different that people would be utterly shocked if they knew that they were related to each other? Connie was loud, sure, but it wasn't like Julian was introverted, he just didn't feel the need to shout to get people's attention. Connie was dramatic, but so was Julian, just in a more, 'my life is ending because of this one minor inconvenience' way rather than in the 'put-open sighs, flinging an arm over his eyes, slumping into a chair' way. Connie naturally charismatic, even though he often drove people insane, but Julian was, too, just more of a quiet charisma coming from him. One that drew people in because they weren't sure what about Julian they liked, but they wanted to find out.

Maybe they weren't that different, but...Julian didn't want to be, and he certainly didn't want the kind of relationship with Connie that Francesa had with Leo. Julian could only hope it got better for them as the Selection went on, since they have to spend time together. During all this, Julian hadn't realized he subconsciously moved toward Connie, until he could feel their shoulders bump together accidentally. Connie makes an acknowledging noise, before he slowly puts an arm around Julian's shoulder and knocks their head together gently. It's a subtle gesture, but one that tells Julian Connie knows what he's thinking about, and...it's okay.

That level of resentment and awkwardness and contention...that would never be them.

Kieran clears his throat to gather the attention of those remaining. "Well, Prince Julian, I'm sure that's enough of a respite for you. I'm sure you're ready to get back to the women, right?"

Julian lets out a laugh. "Man, you never let me relax for too long, do you, Kieran?"

He can imagine the way Kieran must be blinking right now, and the thoughtful frown on his face. "That was at least ten minutes that we just spent talking, sir."

"And that kind of atmosphere is what you call relaxing, my sweet Kieran?" Connie asks, sounding very amused. "My, you're very hardcore."

"Hush, Connie." Lou chastises with no real heat in her voice. "I know that a little tense, but you really should get back to dancing, Julian. Remember, these women have had a long day, and there are two children here and a cat."

Julian bursts out laughing and even Kieran joins him. "Does Sebastian have a curfew, Lou?"

There's a pause from Lou's end, and Julian's almost positive she's blushing. "He might! I-I don't know how cats operate, okay?"

"Maybe you should ask Sylvaine on your next dance?" Connie suggests, probably wagging his eyebrows in the process, or something as equally ridiculous.

"Or Fleur, perhaps, she probably knows a lot about biology." Lou pipes up again.

"Again, Princess, human biology, not cat biology. She's studying gynecology, not becoming a veterinarian." Kieran reminds her kindly, without a hint of judgment in his voice.

"Are there cat gynecologists?" Connie asks seriously. "I mean, they have the proper equipment, so they must, right?"

Kieran makes a considering sound. "Normally I wouldn't entertain your ideas, Prince Constantine,"

"Understandable."

"But, I'm sure a cat's vaginal health is just as important as a human's, so I can't imagine why there wouldn't be a gynecologist for them..."

Julian...Julian feels like he's in the Twilight Zone right now, because honestly, what other reality could he be in that would be having his best friend, brother, and cousin casually discussing cat biology and gynecologists at his Welcoming Ball? So instead, he tunes the ensuing argument out, to think about the next woman he wants to dance with. Like with how he came to his decision for Lulu, instead of choosing a woman by her name or his personal experience for him, he'd rather think about the kind of woman he'd like to spend that dance with, then go from there.

Earlier, for his first dance, Julian needed someone to get him out of his head. Someone honest and easy to talk to, and just like that, Lulu popped into his head. This time, after his first dance and that weird experience with Francesa and Leo, Julian's feeling on-edge again, like reality is slowly creeping in and he needs to get away from all that. He needs someone to take someone out of that and make him smile, while still making him calm, because he didn't want to be completely out-of-his-element, not just yet. He needed someone outgoing, sure, but not too loud or friendly, just yet. Someone that he vibed well with in the meetings, but maybe not too well. Maybe someone that he needs to get to know a little better...someone he didn't really know too much about...someone like...someone like...

"I've got it!" Julian exclaims happily.

"Oh, so you know if there are dog gynecologists, too?" Connie asks.

"I – what? No. Jesus, Connie, no. I know who my second dance is going to be with!"

"Oh. Great." Connie sounds less than enthused, but thankfully, Lou and Kieran are there to make noises of delight at the news, completely forgetting about the strange conversation they were just having earlier.

"Who is it?" Lou wonders eagerly.

Julian shakes his head. "I've got to keep it a secret." He grins. "Kieran?"

Kieran steps forward, and, like earlier, he gets close to Julian, so he can easily whisper the name into Kieran's ear. As Julian is telling Kieran, he can hear Lou grumbling about how it isn't fair that she has to find out when everyone else does ("What's the point in being a princess if I can't find out royal secrets?"), while Connie is commenting on how close Julian and Kieran are ("You're rather close together, aren't you, gentleman? Leave some space for the Lord, please!").

Kieran backs away and hums his consent. "Good choice, sir. I know she was one you weren't so sure on, so maybe this will shed a light on whether or not your relationship is romantic or platonic."

Julian nods his agreement. "I think so, too." He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself, before he grabs onto Kieran's arm and takes a step forward. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Good luck, Juliper!"

"Hm?"

"Like Juniper, dear cousin, but Juliper!"

"Eh, you have better."

Julian rolls his eyes playfully at their banter. "Thanks, guys."

"You're doing amazing, Juli! Remember: you've got this!" She calls out.

And as Julian crosses across the room again, the music dimming and the room quieting in anticipation for his dance, Julian thinks back to his almost-failed speech that he somehow managed to pull off. And to his fear for his first dance, only for it to be fun and engaging, feeling so happy that he knew Lulu better now. And you know what? After all that, Julian thinks Lou might be sort of right.

He's got this.

Hello! This chapter was a mess, but I hope in the best way possible? I'm hoping it sort of makes up for how serious the last chapter was haha

In any case, we finally had the first dance! What did you guys think? Did you suspect it was going to be Lulu, and do you have an idea for who the next dance will be with in the next chapter?

I promise: next chapter will have more dances, but, unfortunately, I can't show Julian dancing with all of the girls, and I do apologize for that. And in the next couple of chapters, we will be having the first elimination...dun dun dunnnn. It might be as soon as next chapter or farther along, knowing myself, ha! We'll have to wait and see! :D

Also: they weren't really dancing a specific dance style here, I was more playing with different kinds of dance and meshing them altogether to make my own sort of thing. Why? I don't know, but I like it this way!

I'd also love to know what you thought about Leo and Fran's relationship, Lulu and Juli's dance, and the overall chapter! We're slowly reaching the end of the Welcoming Ball, I promise, haha, and then after that, we'll be starting on dates and figuring out more of the mystery!

I hope you're all having a wonderful day and I hope the rest of it goes great!

~Rose :)

P.S. I looked up to see if cats have gynecologists so you don't have to, and honestly, I didn't find much lol