1Disclaimer: I only own two things: the plot and Elizabeth. Everything else...not mine.
Pairings: I think you realize this by now...but just in case: UxY, JxA, OxE(hinted/future)
Author's Note: Time for the dancing! Yay...!
"This first dance is called the Gay Gordon. It involves taking the hand of your partner and standing in a circle. Men on the inside, ladies on the outside. Now, when the music starts, we'll go forward four steps, back four steps, forward four steps, back four steps. After this, then you'll jump in, like so," the dance teacher, Lady Rebecca, demonstrated jumping in towards her partner, "and jumping out (they jumped away from each other, still holding hands), then men turn the girl so she is on the inside and you are on the outside. Now, take the girl and twirl her under your arm and into the arms of the man behind. And continue until your original partner is back with you. Then bow and curtsey. Does everyone understand?" she asked.
Odd laughed a little, looking over his shoulder at Ulrich. "If we're supposed to go forward four steps twice and back four steps twice, why don't we just go forward eight and back eight?" he asked.
Ulrich shrugged but Elizabeth just smiled a little. "It's because you'd never get anywhere if you did that. And the dance would be considerably shorter, all mediaeval dances, or at least most of them, have steps repeating themselves. In this one it's the back-and-forth four steps twice, in others it's eight steps left, eight steps right turn around twice. You'll catch on," she explained. Elizabeth had long honey-blonde hair that was braided with flowers and she wore a pale blue dress with a slightly darker bodice.
"And how do you know this?" Odd asked.
"I'm a Rennie."
"A what?" Yumi asked.
"A Rennie, meaning that my family and I work at Renaissance Faires all over the place. We've gone to them all, the ones here in France, the ones in England, Ireland, Scotland, even the ones in America," she explained. "I don't go to school, I'm privately tutored along with my brothers and sisters and some of the other Rennie's that travel with us," she explained.
Before any of them could respond the music began and they had to focus on the dance steps. The music was lively and the steps pretty easy once they figured them out. After the Gay Gordon, they did the one Elizabeth had started to explain, Jennie Plucks Pears, and Hey! Woo!. "That was fun," Jeremie said after the final reverence (where they curtsey and bow to each other). They sat down on a bench under one of the trees in the courtyard.
"That was really fun! I think I messed up though..." Aelita said.
"I know I did..." Ulrich said.
"Oh, I'm sorry to anyone's foot that I might've stepped on," Yumi added. They laughed and she shrugged, settling back against both the bench and Ulrich.
"Are you all going to the hand-fasting later?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the clock in the center of the courtyard.
"Hand-fasting? What in the world is a hand-fasting?" Odd asked.
"It's an engagement, they have a whole ceremony for it. Their really pretty," Elizabeth elaborated.
"Sure, and for future references, you better elaborate a little on what you talk about. We're not exactly Rennies," Jeremie said.
"Alright, but if you want to see it, we better go now. It's takes place in the castle gardens in about twenty minutes. So, come on," Elizabeth said. They stood and followed her around the grounds toward the gardens. The gardens themselves were large, stretching away as far as the eye could see with ponds and fountains everywhere, water shooting up into the air, catching the light, while plants hung heavy with aromatic flowers.
They arrived at the place for the ceremony just as it was beginning. The priest laid a sword at his feet and there were four men positioned at the four points of a compass. Slowly the man and woman that were to be hand-fasted approached. The priest began his speech and the crowd fell silent, listening.
"Wouldn't that be perfect for us? I think I might be able to persuade my father to let us Ulrich."
Ulrich turned and groaned inwardly when he saw Sissi standing there. She was dressed in a pink and white dress and corset. "No. Sorry, not interested," he told her. She narrowed her eyes and then turned sharply when she heard Yumi laughing.
"And what's so funny?" she demanded.
"You look like a candy cane!" she giggled. Ulrich smiled and Sissi huffed, storming away. "You and her getting hand-fasted...now that's something I'd pay to see..." she whispered.
"Like I told her, I'm not getting hand-fasted," he told her softly.
"Not even to me?" she teased. He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged.
"Maybe..." She hit him lightly again with her fan and he winced. "What is it with you and fans?" he hissed. She just smiled and turned her attention back to the ceremony. He sighed and pretended to watch. Was she serious? he asked silently.
Author's Note: Yay! One more chapter done! Go me! And I'd like to thanks Jenna and Rachel for all the information on the faires! I owe you guys!
