CHAPTER 09_BOTH OF YOU, DANCE LIKE YOU'RE IN LOVE (AND DO NOT STARE AT HER CHEST)
"And...one, two, three, four, two, two, three four, step, right, step," instructed Madam Meredith Merida, her voice echoing in the huge chandelier lit ballroom located somewhere deep in the bowels of Castle Summerise. Merida was the self-proclaimed best dance instructor in Summerise and all the surrounding lands. She sheathed herself with grace and poise in every aspect of her life it seemed, from the way she walked and talked, and how her single long silver braid of hair was bejewelled with rubies. Shinji wasn't sure about her credentials, but since his previous dance instructor was the combination of a light up dance mat and a half-drunk Misato, he really couldn't complain that at least someone here was able to take things seriously.
Merida watched Shinji try to keep up his form by himself. Even though there were only four people in the room right now, he felt like a fool dancing by himself. "Back straight!"
"Arms slightly bent!"
"Hands held gracefully!" What does that even mean?!
"Make it look like you're enjoying yourself. Smile more!"
The constant reminder to be perfect and happy was particularly grating. Shinji was not a smiley person considering he'd experienced few truly happy memories. Then again, he conceded that his normal slouchy, mopey self probably wasn't going to put on a good show for the intended audience. And the most important audience member was across the room from him. Queen Annabella Laurel Greendrake looked stunning in a simple green dress, accentuating her colourfully decorated hair. Shinji admitted that she could probably make a brown paper bag look like a spectacular fashion statement.
The queen was also going through her own paces, but she looked like she knew what she was doing. She was partnered with a tall, well-built man with light hair, wearing a monocle as if he'd been born with it. Shinji wasn't sure what purpose wearing a monocle served since it looked as if it could just fall out at any moment of its own accord. And what was the point of only correcting vision in one eye?
"Eyes on your partner!"
Ah yes, my partner. Shinji remembered his task at hand, or rather, tried to imagine that it was indeed Queen Greendrake he was holding in his arms instead of transparent air. He wondered what that would be like. The stakes for her were very high, given she was trying to both show her eligibility and suitability for a politically motivated marriage, but also telling everyone in attendance that she was currently being held by her preferred partner. It would be a big statement to marry someone who was not a noble. That meant the man she married had to really prove he was worth his weight in gold.
That didn't seem like it was going to be a very easy thing to prove. If Shinji was indeed the object of Anna's affection, then he didn't think he was worth all the fuss.
"Smile, boy, smile! This is to be a happy occasion with food and drink and frivolity!"
He tried to smile, thinking of food and drink and frivolity. What his mind coalesced on wasn't fancy dress or high society high on insobriety. It just a scene of him sitting in Misato's apartment on a quiet summer afternoon reading a book whilst petting Pen Pen in his lap with Asuka flipping through the channels, trying to find something that would hold her attention for more than 5 milliseconds. The days in Tokyo-3 had felt like such a blur that he wondered whether that had even happened in real life, if it was just fantasy. Even if they were marred by having to battle monstrous colossi, being part of his own weird little family was at least somewhat pleasant.
Then he got to the point where his rash actions put him caught in a landslide with extra-dimensional consequences, and now he had no escape from his current reality.
He shook his head, closed, and opened his eyes and tried to concentrate. He'd finished the routine for the umpteenth now, so he stared up at the ceiling, and saw only the intricately painted murals on the ballroom's ceiling staring back at him.
Merida was also taking a bit of a break beside him, daintily drinking a cup of tea out of an exquisite (and undoubtedly very expensive) cup and saucer set. She somehow made sitting look elegant. She smiled, looking for all the world like she'd been looking forward to drinking the tea for some time.
After taking a few sips, she turned to Shinji, smiling. "I am very glad, Sir Ikari. You appear to have some talent, or at the very least, some prior training. This is a difficult routine you know. Most of my students trip up a few times on the first day."
Shinji was glad he'd learnt how to dance with the most critical judge of all; Asuka Langley Soryu. Now, it meant that he wouldn't make a fool of himself or Anna if he could keep working hard at it. He resolved he would work hard at it.
"Thank you, Madam Merida. You're a great teacher, and I've learned a lot today," said Shinji earnestly.
Merida stood up to leave as she finished her tea. She gave him a small, but warm smile. "I have enjoyed today's lesson, Sir Ikari. Thank you. You are a great student."
Meanwhile, Anna sauntered over with The Suave Monocled Man following closely behind. Anna's dress was simple, but that mean every movement gave hints as to what was underneath. And that was something Shinji had to put a lot of effort into not thinking too much about.
"Shinji," Anna said brightly. "I didn't know you could dance. Most of Madam Merida's students end up traumatised and in the foetal position after the first lesson. Even the adults."
"Madam Merida seemed very nice to me," answered Shinji quietly, not wanting his voice to echo too much in the ballroom. "I can't imagine her making people cry like that. I hope I don't get on the wrong side of her then…"
"Anyway, I'm being rude," Anna added, as she stepped aside and indicated to Suave Monocled Man. "This is Mr Charmers of the Realm of Sapphirica. He's one of the head advisors to King Kade Kosta, who will be attending the ball. Mr Charmers, this is Sir Shinji Ikari, Rider of the Colossus, Combustor of Slimes and Tamer of Wolves."
Charmers did what his name suggested and produced a very charming smile on his face. It reminded him heavily of someone he knew in Tokyo-3. "Pleased to meet you, Sir Ikari. That is a very impressive set of titles to the name of someone so young."
"Oh. U-uh, thank you Mr Charmers," answered Shinji shyly. He was still a little unsure of where all the praise would lead. It built his self-confidence but somewhere, he wondered if it would all turn to ash one day. "But I've had lots of help, and not least because my Evan...er the colossus has been built to fight giant monsters."
"You also fought giant monsters where you came from?" Charmers pressed further. "You are very brave."
"Well, um, I have a lot of support like Marcus and Misa...I mean my previous commander."
"Still you are the one fighting and that is to your credit. So you should hold your head up high and not be so modest, Sir Ikari."
Shinji could do nothing but smile and nod. "Th-thank you. I'm only doing my best to help everyone here."
"Of course, aren't we all?" Charmers turned gracefully and smiled a sophisticated smile at Anna. "My apologies my Queen, I have taken much of your time. I will continue to inspect our mutual security arrangements on my own. I'm sure we'll speak soon."
And with that, Charmers left the two teenagers by themselves in the ballroom. The two of them weren't sure of what to say next.
"Shinji," began Greendrake, whilst he said "Anna."
The two blushed, glad nobody else was in the room. Shinji's face was suddenly feeling very warm as a result. "U-uh, please Anna, I think you were first..."
She recovered quickly, compartmentalizing her slight embarrassment. "I wanted to thank you again for helping me out. I...I don't know what I'd do if I had to parade around in front of these so called suitors by myself. I'm very lucky to have a friend like you."
"I-it's no trouble at all Anna," said Shinji while trying very hard to look at Anna's eyes and only her eyes. He'd just realised that her dress, though simple in style, was very effective at accentuated parts of her body that growing teenage boys were very much drawn to. "It's an honour to dance for my queen."
That got a raise from Anna's eyebrow. Unbeknownst to Shinji, her heart skipped a beat or two at those words. Perhaps a bit of light teasing would get the desired effect. "Your queen, huh? Here I thought that Sergevague was your queen. After all, you did kneel before her, twice."
"B-b-but…um," stammered Shinji, acknowledging that Anna was technically correct. "Well, the first time, she had a sword and I thought she was really unhappy…and she ordered me to do it. The second time was during the parade. I didn't have much of a choice…"
Shinji's less than robust defence of his actions elicited a laugh and twinkling eyes from Anna. It was only then that Shinji realised she was teasing him. "But I am honestly a little jealous Shinji. You were like a little puppy dog for her quiet and stoic demeanour. And according to my military advisers, you and Sergevague even shared a lovely kiss in public!"
Shinji tried to say something, anything, whether it be in his defence or to offer an apology, but his brain had stopped working again. The memory of the fierce lip lock Sergevague had executed, plus Anna's accusatory but teasing tone had fried his synapses.
"Hmph. I bet if I ordered you, or asked you to do something, you'd hesitate," pouted Anna cheekily.
"I-I, no. I promise I'll do anything you ask of me," replied Shinji, possibly a little too quickly to that challenge.
"Alright. I'll take you up on that promise right now," Anna said looking him in the eyes with a fierce determination. "I-I…I want you to kiss me."
Shinji was usually very closed off to the world. In the parlance of online strategy games, he would probably be a turtle. But spending time in Summerise had brought him out of his figurative shell effectively. And so, having resolved to do his queen's bidding and also not run away, he stepped forward with determination, and a significant amount of trepidation. Anna had already closed her eyes in anticipation. Quite what she expected from someone whose last voluntary kiss ended with oxygen deprivation was up for debate, but she didn't have to know about the level of his ineptitude.
I have no idea what I'm doing. I have no idea what I'm doing.
"I-uh. I'm going to kiss you, my queen." For some reason that bought a flutter to her closed eyelids. He closed the final distance slowly, careful not to tickle her (apparently that was important to someone else, whose name escaped him for the moment).
Anna was warm and gentle and very much uncertain about whether she was doing it right. And Shinji was not much better. But he finally understood why other people seemed to enjoy the experience so much. Though one other reason was that he could actually breathe this time.
An indeterminant amount of time later, which felt like to Shinji that the sun and the moon and risen and set many a time, they finally parted with quiet sighs. At some point they'd put their arms around one another. And it was such a comfortable feeling. Though the two immediately blushed and looked shyly away from each other after realising how much they'd lost themselves in the moment.
This time it was Anna's turn to stammer and stumble. "W-well. Hmm. I-I, uh have to go. Take care of things. Like...some...state secrets. Yes, that. And then I'll...get some lunch..."
They smiled at each other awkwardly, Shinji bowing as she left in a hurry. He stood there alone in the ballroom for a while trying to sort out in his head what had just happened. He asked himself the perennial question most boys and men ask themselves: does this mean she likes me?
/
It was another day in the training yard for Knight-Commander Marcus Bastion and his wife Templar-Commander Renee Redwood. They had to replace some of the troops who had been hurt or killed in recent battles and some who had retired. The new recruits had potential, but they needed to be taught discipline, and morals, and how to fight, and judgement…and…so many other things. Renee had pressed Marcus on the need to write them down so that he would remember them when he got back into his office. But his lieutenants were handling the basic training regime well enough for now. The recruits would have time to get good enough, or they would be shown the door.
They wandered along the yard, inspecting the various stations. Archers fired at targets as supervisors ran around collecting spent arrows and putting them back in their quivers. Runners ran lap upon lap, kicking up little puffs of dust with every plodding step. Swordsmen screamed war cries as they slashed at dummies and those with polearms stabbed the same while yelling their own chants. Except one of the people who were supposed to be stabbing his dummy wasn't doing anything at all. He stood there, contemplating something with a dreamy look on his face.
Marcus decided to investigate and the two commanders sidled up to the boy quietly.
"Shinji," Marcus enquired. "Are you alright?"
The question snapped Shinji out of his trance. But his face still retained some of that dreamy look that had him concerned in the first place.
The young boy quickly replied, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Oh, I'm alright. I...was just trying to think of a way to...uh...get better at fighting with polearms."
Marcus had his doubts. "I was just worried since you were staring there with a goofy look on your face. Did something good happen or did you have some sort of revelation about the meaning of life, death and the universe?"
"Oh, nothing happened. I guess I was also thinking about the ball and the dance routine," said Shinji half-heartedly. Better to tell half a lie than the whole truth in this case. "I got a bit lost in the moment."
Marcus, having been around the block a few times in his life, figured that Shinji wasn't telling the whole story. What closeted up teenager would? But he could tell that Shinji had given him an oblique clue about what had his mind in a maelstrom. Renee looked at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"I see. Queen Greendrake's request that you accompany her to the ball as her partner means a lot to you doesn't it?" Renee probed, trying to get at the truth of the matter.
"Yes, but it's not just that. She's done so much to help me, and has never ever asked for me to repay the debt of blowing up the wall and buildings when I first got here. I just want to help her. Maybe even make her happy."
"Oooh, you want to make her happy," teased Marcus cheekily. "That's serious. I'd better give you some tips how to make sure to have a good marriage. Now, let's see, first…"
"Uh-uh, M-M-M-M-Marcus," spluttered Shinji, trying in vain to rescue the situation. "W-w-w-we only kissed and I…oh no, I'm in trouble aren't I?"
Marcus looked at Renee. Renee looked at Marcus. They both looked at Shinji.
"Called it," Renee said.
"Damn it," Marcus facepalmed.
"You owe me fifty silvers."
Marcus sighed and reached into his pocket, handing the money to his wife. "Fine. How did you know?"
"Woman's intuition. We always know when one of our own falls for someone. Also, Shinji had that goofy 'just got lucky smile' on him. Look, he's gone back to it."
And indeed, Shinji was smiling goofily while the two adults were distracted with their little conversation. Renee shook her head. "Looks like we're going to have to add a new title to Shinji's list; Lover of Queens, with emphasis on the plural."
"Shinji," said Marcus, tapping him on the shoulder. "How is your training going? I won't tell Anna you blabbed, but that means you have to work on your polearm form properly. Renee has nearly finished working out how to equip your colossus with Lightning Engulfed."
Shinji nodded, realising the gravity of the situation. He'd never told anybody about the kiss with Asuka. He felt it was best to let the beast lie with that one. He had no choice when Queen Sergevague had surprised him with the kiss; there were too many witnesses. He shouldn't have blabbed about Anna. She was, in many ways, just like him. He understood how she felt, losing parents and gaining responsibilities beyond her ken. "Please, Marcus, Renee, don't tell Anna about what I said. I...she...I care about her and...don't want her to be upset with me."
"Then it's a deal. You train harder and then, Marcus and I will keep your slip up a secret," said Renee. Marcus nodded and smiled his agreement. He was glad that the introverted young man in front of him was growing a bit of spine, though he wondered just what had led Shinji to being in his previously clammed up state. He vowed he'd help the boy deal with his traumas and demons as best he could.
/
And so, the days came, and the days went. Shinji learnt how to dance in the large ballroom competently with Merida's strict instruction every morning. She even allowed Shinji to dance with Anna a few times to make sure that they were both, in her words, compatible. This brought out some light blushing from both teenagers, but Merida either didn't notice or chose to err on the side of discretion. While the stakes in learning to dance here were high, and the deadline of the main event loomed over them, the time spent together was more than enjoyable because Anna, despite her royal titles and sometimes haughty attitude, treated him as a friend and partner.
In the afternoons, Shinji learnt how to fight with a polearm. There was finesse involved. But in the short time he had, he was only going to be able to master the basics. That was deemed sufficient by Marcus, and he would keep learning how to wield this weapon, because Renee had promised him that she would find a way to enlarge Lightning Engulfed so that it was the size of Unit One. After all, she said, if Gem could be shrunken down to a normal wolf's size, then the reverse can be done with anything else.
Shinji didn't care about how it would be done. Lightning Engulfed had a lot more reach than Unit One's progressive knife and fists.
Throughout this temporary routine, Shinji started to embrace life instead of retreating to solitude. He learned that he was allowed to like some things and dislike others. Though he still carried burdens, chief amongst which were his insecurities and demons, plus trying to find a way to get himself and Unit One back to Tokyo-3, he knew now he could bear it when there were people around him who supported him. And not get passed out drunk the first choice they got. It seemed like Summerise had gotten the work-life balance thing right already. And they hadn't discovered electricity yet.
As the date of the big event edged closer, the dance training got increasingly intense. Where Shinji started with training in whatever lazily picked out of the wardrobe in the morning, now he had to put on the first parts of his official costume, which consisted of white slack pants with a gold stripe down each leg, a belt holding it up and a dress shirt with something frilly where he expected a tie. He thought it looked ridiculous, but he was assured that this was the latest fashion in the kingdom. Which was fine, but he had seen similar attire before in history books about European imperialists. That clothing was not flattering.
Of course, on the days where he danced with Anna, he also learned that having someone to embrace, and to be embraced was a wonderful feeling. Though there had been no repeat of the kiss, since either Charmers, Marcus or Renee always found an excuse to be within close proximity to the two dancers when their lesson finished, Shinji felt he and Anna were getting closer to each other. They might not have said many words, but that feeling of working with someone closely to achieve a common goal has something he hadn't been aware he missed since doing the same with Asuka. So instead of passionate kisses, there were little stolen looks and sneakily held hands here and there when the teenagers thought nobody could see them.
He wondered idly if it was possible that he should just stay here. After all, why shouldn't he find his own happiness?
/
There was a jubilant atmosphere in Summerise as the grand ball to find a suitable husband for Queen Annabella Laurel Greendrake neared. In anticipation of the ball, rumours spread about who would be visiting the city and when. Whispers flitted from ear to mouth to ear, each detailing sordid details, imagined or otherwise, about various princes, princesses, kings and celebrities. People seemed to dress nicer to give visitors the impression that Summerise really was the first among equals. Lanterns were strung up along the major thoroughfares, which were candlelit at night to give the town a festive glow. There was an infectious feeling of happiness and joy beyond what normally pervaded city.
Shinji was out enjoying the atmosphere himself. Despite there being lots of festivals and fireworks in Japan, he'd never been to any, and never participated in any events. This was the first time in his memory that he'd ever seen what a festive mood looked like. Normally, he wasn't a glutton, but the delicious smell of the evening street food vendors wedged in between the normal market stalls overwhelmed his normal sensibilities. This was why he was munching on six skewers of unknown, but yummy food at once while walking along the main boulevard.
Beside him, Bellden and Confield were gawking at everything. It seemed that the novelty of living in a big town still hadn't worn off on them yet. They were busily chatting about the markets, and what they would buy with their next round of pay, and all those pretty girls over there, and the fruit that must have come from whatever village and anything else that caught their attention as they walked past. Shinji filtered their excited chatter and compartmentalised it into so much background noise.
The three boys wandered the streets at night, glad to have each other's company. Tom Bellden and Ken Confield toiled in their respective trades without complaint day in, day out, and Shinji was ever grateful for their friendship. The two of them had boundless energy and were always grateful for the things they had. Shinji was kind of jealous of their enthusiasm and zest for enjoying life's every moment. Though he conceded he was starting to do that too, given he'd now devoured all six skewers and was about halfway through a plump and juicy green pear.
"So Shinji, since you've saved everyone, have you ever met the queen?" asked Tom, his mouth half stuffed with purple grapes. His question was barely intelligible.
"Yes, I have. She gave me her thanks for saving Summerise," replied Shinji. He tried not to give them too much information about how much time they'd actually spent together. He'd never hear the end of it. And then there would be proper rumours.
"Oh. I heard from the foreman, who heard from his cousin, whose friend is a soldier, whose sister works in the castle, that Queen Greendrake is really pretty," said Ken, trying to stay relevant to the conversation. "So, Shinji, is she?"
"I, uh, guess so...," replied Shinji half-heartedly, half-dreamily. He didn't see his friends each arch an eyebrow. "She's...yeah. She's pretty." For some reason, a flash of red and strawberry flashed through his subconscious, seemingly finishing his thought process with but not as beautiful as her.
"Huh," said Tom with a smirk. "Judging by that dreamy look, Shinji must have a crush on the queen. Not that I blame him, she's the queen after all."
"Especially if she is that pretty," nodded Ken sagely.
Shinji was about to refute his friends' totally accurate accusations with well thought out and reasoned evidence to the contrary. However, he was rudely and conveniently interrupted by a loud clang ringing out from the main gate. Nobody was disturbed by it, since it lacked the rapid urgency of the bell signalling an attack. Shinji, Ken and Tom walked towards the new distraction, and could hear the guards at the main gate shouting: "Make way! Make way for the King!"
There was a crowd accumulating along the main avenue by the time the three boys arrived. Thankfully, it wasn't so dense that they couldn't squeeze to the front through creative yet polite means. There was a cordon of soldiers on both sides of the road, which must have meant that whoever was about to come along there was super-important. And it certainly seemed like it. Two columns of horses with armed soldiers slowly walked in unison ahead of four columns of big, burly men bearing a platform on which a gilded blue and silver throne rose above the crowd on their shoulders. Each man wore only shoulder pads and long, flowing pants, exposing their impressive chests which made the gathered men and women alike feel completely inadequate for different reasons. They each glistened with sweat, but each was steadfast in performing their duty without fail or showing any signs of fatigue.
The platform itself was like a decadent miniature throne room. There were plant pots with colourful wildflowers growing in them dispersed all around, with two palm trees flanking the throne itself. There were scantily clad servant girls gently waving fans made from large leaves at the person sitting in the throne. A small pile of girls sat at the feet of the king (whoever he was) and took turns to massage and wash his feet, or flirtingly giving him little morsels of food.
At the centre of that lavish attention, sat a silver haired young man whose face was decorated with a cocky, self-satisfied smile that told everyone around him that everything was within his power, his grasp, and his wealth. He too wore little, save for earrings adorned with rubies, flowing white pants and fancy shoes.
All-in-all, it was a display of hedonism and extravagance that was designed to, and indeed did, impress the crowd.
While his companions were oohing and aahing about King Smugface, Shinji didn't feel quite so impressed, wondering whether it was too late to slip away from the crowd and visit the Adventurers' Guild for some hearty snacks. It was the potentially the last night he could before the Grand Ball began and he'd have official duties to attend to with the rest of Summerise's important people.
I have to do it for Anna. I have to do it for Anna. But first, I really need a hearty meal with my fellow Guild members!
"Hey Ken, Tom, have you guys ever eaten at the Adventurers' Guild?" Shinji quizzed as the visitor's retinue of walking horses continued to file past as dramatic a fashion as they could muster.
"No," Ken replied earnestly, sensing an opportunity to try something new. "We heard you had to be a member to eat there cheaply, and we don't really earn enough to spend on such a fancy meal."
If only they knew what was considered fancy in the higher levels of Castle Summerise.
"Come on, I'm a member," Shinji said. "I'll get you in."
The allure of more food piqued the interest of Ken and Tom, and they withdrew slowly from the throng of onlookers to seek out the best way to satiate their still growling stomachs.
/
If there was one thing than Shinji feared more than Lovecraftian horrors from space (or wherever Angels came from), it was holding an intelligent conversation with people who seemed to lack brain cells. Sure, they spoke a lot, and each word made sense individually, but together, the sentences they formed lacked cohesion, narrative, and sense. This was the situation in which he found himself in the Grand Ball.
Anna had beseeched him with her best puppy-dog eyes (and what teenage boy could resist a pretty girl's puppy dog eyes) to escort her during the whole event. Evidently, she was just as annoyed by having to be there as he was. He saw her give the evil Greendrake eye to the departing backs of quite a few people after seemingly holding a smiling and congenial conversation with them mere moments before. But Anna and Shinji had been trapped by some old man wearing an admittedly nice-looking black suit and pant combination. What was most impressive about his ensemble was his wig, which seemed to be a feat of structural engineering in being able to retain the fancy quaff shape.
At least Anna was good company. She was wearing a lavishly decorated crown, but her dress was a simple and long yellow and red dress with a leg slit down the left side. Shinji tired very hard not to stare, lest he be called a pervert like Asuka would if she looked remotely in her direction.
Further, the food was good. Mountains of food were laid out along long tables set up next to the walls of the ballroom. It seemed like a lot of the attendees had gathered into their own little social circles. Servants flitted around the guests while serving food and drink discreetly, their presence felt and unnoticed at the same time.
Shinji had to remind himself of the job at hand, listening to Mister Fancy Wig prattle on about something unimportant in his monotone voice. Anna seemed to be holding on to his arm tighter than before and leaning on him now, and though she was smiling, he knew it was a fake smile. He smiled at her, giving the best moral support he could. She reciprocated by holding on to him even more.
Thankfully Mister Fancy Wig's everlasting monologue was interrupted by the ringing of bells. A voice rang out from...somewhere...within the ballroom. "Dear guests of Summerise, we bid you a warm welcome. Please, be kind enough to make way for our first dance of the night. I present to you Queen Annabella Laurel Greendrake and Sir Shinji Ikari!"
The two separated briefly as they moved to the centre of the ballroom, the guests leaving a large space for them to dance. Shinji was acutely aware that all those gathered were looking and judging them. He stayed focused on Anna, who put on a small smile. He imagined it was just for him. He bowed to her and she curtsied to him, and a second later the music started. He still wasn't sure where the music came from, since there literally wasn't the room for a band, let alone an orchestra. But music there was, and they slid towards each other as they'd practiced over and over again. He enveloped her in his arms, she stared at his eyes, their bodies moving on pure memory and instinct just like that dance to defeat the Seventh Angel and they got lost in the music.
Before he knew it, their routine was over and there was polite applause. The two teenagers blushed slightly, but Shinji bowed and Anna curtsied each other again, and then did the same for the crowd to thank them for their attention. They left the centre of the ballroom hand in hand as they'd also practiced.
"Thank you for doing this Shinji," murmured Anna to him. "I know this isn't your forte, but it means a lot to me."
"Oh, i-it's not a problem Anna," he responded. "You've done a lot for me, let me stay here even after ruining part of the city. I'm glad I could repay your kindness."
"I think you've done more than that, Sir Shinji Ikari," she said blushing.
Before Shinji could respond with anything resembling a cohesive sentence, they were intercepted by someone he'd only briefly seen the day before. King Smug Face sauntered up to them, his glittering silver hair framing that self-satisfied smile of his. He had managed to attend the ball in perfectly formal attire, with medals and decorations adorning his lapels. Up close, Shinji had to admit that the guy was so damned beautiful. Shinji's primal brain was trying to decide whether he should punch King Smug Face (in the face) or settle down for a lurid session of baby oil wrestling with him.
"Greetings Your Grace and Sir Ikari," Smug Face said. "I am King Kade Kosta of the nation of Sapphirica. I am very pleased to meet you on this most auspicious of occasions."
"Yes, yes. Charmed, I'm sure," responded Anna dismissively. "It's only auspicious if you've come to court pretty ladies. I'm here to dance with my brave knight here."
"Ah, my dear queen, you wound me," Kosta said with that silken smooth voice that could replace a warm caress of the cheek from a loved one. On any day in Tokyo-3 that tone of voice would probably have made Shinji consider Kosta his best and only friend for the rest of his life, but here in Summerise he was wary what someone with so many charms and charisma could do. "I too am here to dance, and I was wondering if I could have the honour of the next one."
Kosta offered his hand. Shinji stared at it like a fish being offered land rights in a desert. Anna kept a straight face, but even she was clearly not expecting this either. "I... I'm flattered, but don't you want to dance with my queen?"
"My dear knight," Kosta's buttery smooth voice spoke to him softly and his brilliant diamond eyes pierced his soul. "I had hoped to become much better acquainted with the hero who saved Summerise and Boldhold singlehandedly. And I must say, you are a sight to behold."
"Go ahead Shinji, we have all night," said Anna, clearly unaffected by Kosta's charms. She nodded at them both and walked towards a large fountain of fruity punch. Shinji watched her go, trying not to stare at the way her dress accentuated certain parts of her physique as she strode away.
"Come my brave and handsome knight," said Kosta invitingly, his hand awaiting. "I do believe it is our turn to dazzle those gathered."
Kosta led a bewildered Shinji past some other couples dancing their night away and to the centre of the dance floor as some upbeat music poured into the room, invigorating the dancers who were already there. The two bowed to each other, and Kosta immediately broke into an energetic solo dance while giving Shinji his best smug smile. Shinji could only return a small, fake smile as his mind was concerned only about Anna's mood.
As the song ended and the partners showed their appreciation for each other, Shinji bowed at Kosta before hurrying off to find Anna. So engrossed was Shinji with finding Anna, that he didn't notice the king's smile disappear almost immediately and his eyes turned to a frigid stare.
Shinji's eyes found her chatting with a tall, elegantly dressed man who had a very square jaw and an equally square moustache. How on Earth did this guy get such perfectly manicured facial hair? She didn't look like she was enjoying the conversation, the man trying to get closer while she was trying to move away as surreptitiously as possible. It wasn't working at all.
Shinji rushed over and as gently as he could, hooked her arm into his.
"Hello, my queen," he said with as much manliness as possible, even as he knew his voice hadn't yet deepened like his father's. "I was wondering if you could honour me with another dance?"
Anna's face brightened immediately. "Of course, Sir Ikari, it would be my pleasure."
They took each other's hands and walked side by side to the dance floor, leaving the Elegant Obnoxious man standing behind. No doubt he was trying to figure what had just happened.
"Thanks for saving me, that creep couldn't take no for an answer. Just because he's tall, dark and handsome doesn't mean I'm interested."
Shinji was glad he'd helped her in some way. "I'm happy I could help. Will he be angry?"
She snorted derisively. "Who cares? He sounded like an absolute dolt, going on about his desert oasis palace and his collection of ducks. Or some other bird, I wasn't listening. Anyway, I was losing patience with him and was about to tell him I didn't give a..."
Anna's diatribe was disrupted by bells ringing out in the ballroom. King Kosta The Smug, stood front and centre. "My friends, fellow guests and dignitaries! Thank you, thank you all for your attention."
As if we had a choice.
"What a wonderful evening full of cheer, good food, wonderful drink, merry dancing and the opportunity to meet friends, both familiar and new." He stared meaningfully at Shinji for just a moment. Is he hitting on me? Nah, he's just very, very friendly.
"It has been years since I was last at Summerise, before the Qalone Wars and before the...troubles...with Gerard the Unhinged were renewed. Sapphirica stands ready to fight alongside Summerise and Boldhold as we did all those years ago. But today I found that the famous Summerisian welcome is not as welcoming as it once was. My queen throws barbs. Her subjects do not pay their obligatory respects to those in high stations. It is a shame that this place has fallen so low. If you are options for allies, then I am afraid that I find you sorely lacking in class and elegance."
Silence rang out from the captive audience, and one could hear the impact of an oiled olive on the floor. Kosta looked simply pleased with himself, which was to say he always looked like that. Anna simply looked at Shinji and shrugged. She didn't seem fazed that there was a brewing diplomatic crisis, since the question of her marriage to a suitable gentleman was kicked down the road once more. Shinji could only give her a small, concerned frown. He knew that he was about to be volunteered to go to Sapphirica along with a contingent to try to repair the relationship between nations.
Surely, this would be the beginning of an interesting new arc.
A/N:
Well, howdy there folks. Sorry about the wait, it's been a tremendously busy time in the real world. I even managed to touch some grass! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I start this new arc of the story. As always, reviews and thoughts are welcome. So without further ado...
Episode preview:
In the next episode of Mopey Boi, Shinji wakes up. Renee looks at a camel. And the gang shows up at a new city!
