Chapter Fourteen

Her head was pulled to one side. And then the other. Then backwards. "Ow!"

"Sorry, my lady," Rhiya said, sounding unrepentant. She was Kalasin's chief lady-in-waiting and Kaddar's cousin, and unfortunately, she had inherited a bit of Kaddar's obnoxiousness. Oddly enough, Rhiya was also one of Kalasin's closest friends. It was funny how these things worked out.

"If you're really sorry, can you stop torturing my scalp?"

"Um. No." Rhiya finished the smaller braids, twisting them up to secure the knot at the back of Kalasin's head. She gave the ends an extra tug. "Beauty is pain. And since you're a year older, you can have more intricate hairstyles now. Aren't you excited?"

"Absolutely leaping with joy," Kalasin said dryly, tilting her head from side to side, discreetly admiring the results. If only her corset wasn't slowly crushing her to death, she would be enjoying this. Maybe she was a little vain, but getting dressed up like this was fun. She didn't understand why things like this made Kaddar twitch.

About three minutes later, she had dragged a rather grouchy Kaddar out of their study. "You look like you're going to a funeral, not a birthday," she scolded. She gave his sleeve an extra tug. "It's my birthday, to boot!"

"And that's supposed to make it all better?" he frowned.

"Yes," she replied without hesitation.

Kaddar sighed, defeated. "Fine then. You look very pretty."

"You mean astonishing," she corrected, spinning around. The silver threads on her sapphire gown glinted in the candlelight. He noticed the intricate embroidery on her scarf and on the light chiffon outer covering on her dress. It looked as if slivers of starlight had taken up residence on her dress and her hair.

Kaddar smiled slightly, brushing his fingers against her jawbone. "I don't know about astonishing, but I was speechless for a few moments. How about spellbinding?"

She beamed. "I like that. We're leaving now."

"It's seven-thirty. You surely intend to celebrate with a passion, don't you?"

Kalasin gave him a coquettish look. "Oh, yes I do. Come on, darling."

And so he was fairly dragged out of their rooms, trying not to fall flat on his face. Something told him that it was going to be a long night.

But with Kalasin, it always was.

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The violins struck up an enchanting waltz, their high, clear sound reverberating through the ballroom. The violas and cellos came in a few measures later, the warm, rich sound creating a colorful backdrop for their higher-pitched cousins.

Zaimid Hetnim gave one of his trademark lovesick sighs as he gazed upon his empress. "She's so beautiful," he murmured, taking a sip of wine. "Like an elegant red rose."

"If my brother heard you say that, he'd scream," Nadi Iliniat observed dryly, watching Kaddar spin Kalasin around gracefully. "Is it just me, or do they seem to get along better?"

Zaimid considered sharing the lovely sight that he had walked in on in the morning, but decided to keep it to himself. The sight of Kalasin in a bathrobe would forever be an exquisite memory, and he didn't want to spoil it. "I think that they are," he replied. "Look at them. No discreet poking. No feet accidentally stepped on. No violent spins or frighteningly low dips. You know what that means, don't you?"

"They've fallen madly in love?"

"Either that, or they've finally started to act like normal people. It's about time, although I am going to miss watching their covert sniping. No more calculated, clever little insults that could almost pass for friendly banter."

"It's not just you who's going to miss that," sighed Nadi, poking her chicken tandoori. "It was entertainment for the entire Court. I think there were even bets going on who would finally get the last word."

"They make a bit of an adorable couple, though, don't they?"

"I suppose so," Nadi said slowly. "Don't ever tell Kaddar I said that. These past nine months, I've been teasing him about Kally being too pretty for him. It frustrates him to the point of tears."

Zaimid nodded. "Thanks for letting me know. I love frustrating Kaddar. As a matter of fact, I could make it a sport. Now what are we going to say? That we pray that their children will take after Kalasin?"

"Sounds good to me," she said brightly. "Look, they're coming back."

Kalasin led Kaddar back to their table by the hand, weaving in and out of the crowded dance floor. Both of their cheeks were flushed and their eyes were bright. "Hello," Kalasin grinned, sitting down in front of them. "And how are you two enjoying the night?"

"It's wonderful, Kally. Happy birthday, a million times over!" Nadi eyed her younger brother. "So, Kaddar…are you being nice to her?"

"Oh, of course," Kaddar said smoothly. "I even gave her roses."

"He's so sweet," Kalasin said flirtatiously, rubbing his leg with her foot under the table.

Nadi gave them a mischievous look. "Oh, absolutely. You two make an adorable couple."

Zaimid smirked. "I hope the children inherit more of Kalasin's looks, though. Especially those gorgeous eyes. And the delicate nose and ears…"

Kalasin coughed delicately, feeling herself blush. "Well, I don't think we can really control these things…"

Nadi sighed. "That's very true. The only things you two can consider are names."

Kaddar was trying very hard not to glare at either of them. He couldn't very well tell them to stuff it, because there were too many people around. He gave Kalasin a sidelong glance. She had gotten her blush under control, but had seemed to swallow a large amount of wine, as an excuse not to talk. "We haven't exactly considered names yet," he fumbled, "but I'm not naming any after you, Zaimid."

He pulled his foot out of his sandal quickly and brushed his bare toe against the curve of her calve, and Kalasin squeaked aloud, swallowed her wine as fast as she could, and tried to give Zaimid and Nadi her customary carefree beam. "Oh, um, don't mind Kaddar. He's made up his mind to use the name of a venerable ancestor…" she hoped that she didn't sound as panicked as she felt, and began to pluck at the weave of her handkerchief under the tablecloth. What was happening here?

Kaddar squirmed internally, trying to think of some way to take the focus off of any future additions to the Iliniat family. Kalasin looked as uncomfortable as he had ever seen her. She was an exceptionally good liar, but it would have been easier if there hadn't been any cause to lie. He wondered if his mother would be very upset if he imposed a life exile on his cousin and his sister.

Kalasin loved Nadi and Zaimid, but at that moment she wished that both of them were far, far away. This was really embarrassing. The urge to bury her head in metaphorical sand increased to an almost unbearable level. Even Kaddar's attempts to tickle the soles of her feet under the table didn't make her feel much better.

He snuck another glance at Kalasin. She had put her handkerchief down, and was trying to look as if she hadn't almost choked and fallen under the table about a minute earlier. Taking pity on her, he offered her his hand. "Would you do me the honor of another dance, my lady?" he asked formally.

She took it with a relieved smile, and he pulled her up. "It would be my pleasure."

A pounding salsa beat invaded the huge ballroom, and Kaddar found himself dragged to the dance floor again.

He discovered quickly that dancing the salsa and flamenco with Kalasin was an adventure. She might have been smaller than him, but she was quicker on her feet, and she was the one who ended up spinning him around and leading the dance. Kalasin flung an arm around his neck, grabbed his hand with the other, and developed a few rather clever improvisations, swaying her hips and her body to the music.

Kaddar found that he liked dancing with Kalasin. Salsa was a lot more fun than waltzing, in any case, and she was a very outgoing dancer.

In a little less than an hour, he found himself thoroughly exhausted. He was almost panting, and Kalasin looked a bit worn out as well. They wandered out into the garden, the exuberant rhythms of the flamenco drifting outside as well. It was much cooler out here, a welcome change from the heat of the dance floor.

"Having fun?" he asked after a while, giving her hand a light squeeze.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "You have no idea. This is the most fun I've had since I came here. I like dancing with you," she said abruptly. "You need to loosen up a bit, though."

"Well, I can't exactly swing my hips and shake my shoulders like you, can I?"

"Hmm. I think you could, but then you'd end up hurting yourself, and we don't want that, do we?"

"Of course we don't."

They were completely quiet for a while as they stared into the dark sky, and Kaddar noticed how unusual it was for them. Kalasin didn't show any sign of moving, though, aside from turning her head away from him and looking down at the ground. "…Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She didn't reply. One part of her wanted to break away and run as far from him as she could. The other part just wanted a hug. Homesickness was the worst thing she had ever experienced. It had hit as suddenly as the gigantic wave at Radzyn Keep, and had left her just as winded and tearful. Kalasin reached around and wrapped both of her arms around his waist, trying not to cry.

The moment she had started to think was when it had happened. Think about Roald and the poems he wrote her for her birthday every year. Think about Liam and the locket he had made himself and given to her for her last birthday, one that she still wore around her neck. Think about the years that her younger siblings had attacked her with hugs and well-wishes on her birthday, about spending time with Uncle Raoul and Aunt Cythera and Uncle Gary and everybody…

A sob escaped her, and then another, until she was barely aware of Kaddar pulling her into his arms for a tight hug, awkwardly wiping her tears away with the sleeve of his tunic. "Don't cry, please," he pleaded. "I don't want you to be upset."

She twisted around and tried to pull away, but he caught her tight. "It's going to be all right," he murmured reassuringly, stroking her hair.

Kalasin bit her lip into silence and tried not to speak. There was nothing she wanted more than to be a little girl at home in Tortall, and she didn't want to say anything that would hurt Kaddar.

They lapsed into silence for a little while, looking down into the pond. The water was black in the night, but it shimmered with the reflection of the stars and moon in the sky. "I'm selfish," he said at last, his voice cracking a little bit. "I know that you want to be at home right now, but I'm far too selfish to let you go. I want you here, with me."

I'm sorry.

The words hung in the air, and they gazed at each other silently. Both were apologizing for very different things, and Kalasin reached out and took his hand. "I…on most any other day, I wouldn't dream of leaving you."

They looked into the water, and their selves looked back at them solemnly, rippling in the light wind. Kaddar wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and she came a little closer. Their reflections moved a little, and they melded into one. Half of Kaddar, and half of Kalasin.

Kaddar leaned down and kissed her quickly. She blinked up at him, surprised, and he did it again, except this time it was on her forehead, nose, and then a slightly more lingering one on her lips. "Better now?"

She nestled into him. "More than you could imagine."

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