"Oh, I'm sorry!" Delia cried, looking up at the man she just bumped into. Her heart quivered as she recognized the brownish-black hair and dark blue eyes. "Your Grace," she added with a curtsy. The man grinned.
"Please Milady," he said. She smiled at him. "Call me Duke Roger. Your Grace makes me sound so old!"
"Then you must call me Lady Delia," Delia replied. She offered a hand to the Duke, who kissed it. "Duke Roger."
"Why haven't I seen you before?" Duke Roger asked casually. Delia's mind raced in confusion.
'Linni said he watched me when I wasn't watching him,' she thought. 'Why is he acting like he doesn't know me?' To the Duke she shrugged.
"Do you attend the parties Their Majesties throw?" she asked, years of practice making her voice light.
"Not unless I have to, no," the Duke answered. "I find that I can't get away from my work long enough to bother with the parties.
"Then that's why you haven't seen me around," Delia said. She stopped herself from wincing. "I spend most of my time at parties and gatherings. Though I suspect you're busy…"
"I was busy before I realized what beauties the court had to offer," Roger answered, leaning forward. "Now I have a reason to attend." Delia let a soft smile appear on her lips.
"Well, I have all the more reason to look forward to them."
"You don't enjoy parties?" Roger asked. "I had the impression that you live at them."
"Not quite," Delia answered truthfully. "I do enjoy them, but sometimes I get tired of all the dancing. The men are Dears, but few of them know how to hold a conversation past 'That's a nice dress.'"
"Well then," Roger answered. "I shall have to rescue you." A bell toll rang through the hallway. Roger sighed. "I'm sorry, Lady Delia. I have to go, my class for the pages is about to start. But rest assured, I'll be back."
"Thank the gods," Delia murmured. But Duke Roger was too far down the hall to hear.
That night at dinner, Delia thanked the page who brought the small bowl to wash her hands in. Linni bit her lip as the page left.
"Delia…" she pleaded. Delia turned her head icily.
"I don't want to talk about it, Linal," she snapped.
"Oh, I get it," Linni muttered, turning her head away. "Whenever I misbehave, it's up to you to teach me a lesson. You snub me, call me by my full name, ignore me…"
"Oh look," Delia remarked. "Their majesties' dinner partner, the Naxens it appears to be, are moving to another table." She looked at the woman sitting next to her. "Jina, would you like to go see how the men are doing?" With an apologetic glance toward Linni, Jina nodded. Delia stood, sweeping her skirts around gracefully. Jina did the same, and they walked off in search of entertainment. As if by a hidden signal, the musicians started to play, and the two nobles were immediately engaged in dancing.
Delia danced across the ballroom floor, laughing at what her current partner said. Her mind whirled as fast as she danced, she causally glanced around her. Duke Roger was engaged in a conversation with the Prince. Jonathan seemed to be having trouble concentrating on his cousin though; he regularly glanced over at Delia.
Delia forced herself to listen to her partner, just in time to answer his question about his friend.
"Of course I'll dance with him!" she said laughing. Just then, the dance ended. "But only if he asks me." Delia swept past the young knight, waiting for her next partner. Her path brought her close enough to the Jonathan and Roger so that she could eavesdrop.
"If you'll excuse me, Cousin," Duke Roger said. "I'd like to try my hand with the ladies, to see if I haven't lost my touch." Seizing her chance, Delia walked closer to the table.
"I'd be happy to help you with that Your Grace," she said with a curtsy, purposefully using his title. "This next dance is a simple one."
"Why thank you, Lady Delia," Roger said with a laugh. "It would be an honor."
Savoring Jonathan's expression, Delia let Roger lead her onto the dance floor. For her plan to work this would be the first and last time she and Roger danced in public, at least as unmarried nobles. She was going to enjoy every second of it.
After the party, Delia's first instinct was to run to Linni's rooms and talk about Roger. She bit her lip and held herself back, thanking the squire who had escorted her tonight. Alan had not been present at the party. The squire continued to babble at her, and Delia suddenly remembered the reason she liked to have Alan escorting her. Besides the fact that he was a challenge.
It took a tactful answer and a delicate yawn to make the squire leave. Delia opened her door, fully ready to shuck her stiff clothes and fall asleep.
"Opi!" she called to her maid. She saw a figure on the bed and laughed. "What are you-" Delia froze, suddenly recognizing the woman on her bed. "Linni!" she cried.
"I'm sorry Delia, but I have to talk to you." Linni stood up quickly. Opi walked into the room from a side door.
"Milady," she said, curtsying.
"I'll need you to assist me in a moment, Opi," Delia said, staring at Linni. "But for now, please return to your room.
"As Milady wishes," Opi replied, doing as she was told.
"What are you doing here Linni?" Delia demanded.
"I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier," Linni answered, shifting uncomfortably. "It was wrong of me. Madame taught us well, and you were right to listen to her. I was just feeling upset, because I was snubbed earlier by Lady Kinn. I felt Madame should have taught us how do deal with women as well as men."
"She did," Delia replied stiffly. She still wasn't ready to talk with Linni again. "You were just too busy reading during etiquette class!"
"I've had enough of this, Delia!" Linni yelled. Delia stared at her normally even-tempered friend. "You're always the boss! You're always better then me! My interests, helping people, learning, mean nothing compared to yours! Hurting people, flirting! Well mark my words, Delia! I'm going to live happily ever after, and you? You're going to end up alone and miserable! Because all the men who are wrapped up in you now are going to see right through you later!" With that, Linni stormed out of the room, her skirts flying. Delia stared at her as the door slammed, and blinked back unexpected tears.
"Opi!" Delia called. It took all of her remaining energy not to let her voice crack. When Opi came to the door, Delia lifted her chin. "Help me get out of this thing."
As soon as Opi was gone, Delia fell onto the bed and pulled the blankets over her head. It wasn't fair that Linni would ruin the one night Delia got to dance with Roger. And now her one, true friendship was over. Roger was all she had.