A/N- My internet is currently down (or was down by the time your reading this) and THAT is my excuse.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine
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Daine was pondering on how to annoy the Prancing Peacock the most. They were dancing, the first dance in fact. Her curls were pinned up with pins, and the girl had an idea. She quickly let go of one of the Prancing Peacock's hands, and pretended to scratch her head, while she was actually taking out one of many pins.
She was about to jab it into him when-
"You dance with the gracefulness of wolves, my dear," he drawled. "Of course, with my lead," and gave a don't-you-want-to-be-me? look to her.
Dance…with the gracefulness of wolves? Daine had never heard that one before.
Now, where to shove the pin. Decisions, decisions. His shoulder would do nicely, seeing as the pin was in her hand, resting on his shoulder. She placed it in her fingers like a knife or dagger. She plunged it in as hard as she could, to get past the thin layer of cloth.
He blinked. The pin had snapped it half! That didn't work. She would have to do something else.
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Numair, standing on the sidelines watching, was also thinking about ways to annoy the Prancing Peacock, although they were much more violent. When the ball had started, Daine looked highly annoyed, and gave Numair an I'm- so-sorry-you-can-turn-him-into-a-tree look. Daine was bound by a stupid law to dance with the Prancig Peacock, but at least he could have her for the rest of the ball.
It was an extremely long song, and hardly anyone was not dancing. Numair was slightly embarrassed, seeing how all of his good friends were dancing.
Finally-the song had ended! He looked for the sapphire dress of Daine, but could not find it. He looked harder, to no avail. He walked all around the sidelines. Where was she? He couldn't stand watching her dance with the Prancing Peacock, and now, she had simply disappeared.
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The one thing the Peacock did not count on was that Daine would put up a fight to being drugged and kidnapped. He had said "Your other dancing partner has informed me previously to tell you that he is waiting in the hall."
Why would he do that? Daine had wondered. She would not have time to wonder, as a hard blow to her head caused her to drop to her knees. Her captor obviously thought she was unconscious, as he tried to raise a glass to the girl's lips.
Of course, it would take more than that to knock her out, and she dropped and twisted. Some of the liquid spilt onto the floor. She heard her captor swear violently. She stood up, only to be tackled onto the ground, and the glass still being shoved to her face. She grabbed the glass and smashed it against the wall.
Finally, she got a good look at her captor. It was (no surprise) the Prancing Peacock, who had followed her out of the hall.
Where are the guards? Probably inside, protecting Their Majesties, she thought, answering her own question.
"What," she tried to catch her breath, "are you doing?"
He lunged at her. She ducked, and he went flying over her, only to crash into the wall.
He turned over.
"You don't know, do you?" he asked. He had blood trickling down from his lip, his fiery hair ragged.
"Know what?" Stupid dress, she thought. It was minimizing her movements.
"Your-shall I say it- lover witched me, without your consent. That shouldn't bother you, but it does! Why, you ask yourself? Because you like to handle things on your own!"
She was going to argue, but she couldn't. But it didn't bother her in the least that Numair had done that! Anything to annoy the Prancing Peacock.
"What do you mean he witched you? He's never met you before, unless-,"
She figured it out. "Unless you're the same person as the Peacock!"
He had never heard his nickname before.
"Peacock? I like the name. It fits a person of my unmatched masculinity, my undeniably good looks, my-,"
Obviously slapping did no good to shut the Peacock up, so Daine punched him square on the nose.
"Good looks? Not quite."
He was doubled over, holding his nose. Daine went over to him. He quickly stood up, and swept his foot under her ankle, making her fall.
She rolled onto him, trying to get his hands together so he couldn't use them. The Peacock smiled. Daine was wondering why, until she realized her position on him.
"You sick little pervert."
She punched him again on the nose, and once in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. She took this opportunity to grab his hands. Just to make sure he was not going to fool her again, she bit his hands, and immediately spit out the vile taste in her mouth.
"Have you ever washed your hands?" she asked.
He didn't answer, because he was unconscious. Where were the guards? She would have to mention this to Thayet, to post more guards in the halls. And the fight had occurred just outside the ballroom!
Finally the doors from the ballroom opened, revealing a very worried Numair.
"Daine! There you are! Daine?" he asked, seeing as she was still on top of the Peacock.
"Don't ask. Can you please go get some sort of authority figure who can arrest him? "
"Arrest him for what?"
"Um-annoyance to the Wildmage, and attempted kidnapp."
He was about to open his mouth to ask a fury of questions when Daine stiffly got off the unconscious Peacock and put a finger to his lips.
"Ask questions later. Besides, I'm tired, and do not want to go to another ball for the rest of my life."
"Unless it's with me, of course, since no female could deny me!"
She gave him a don't-you-even-think-about-it look.
"Only kidding, Magelet. Only kidding."
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A/N- How was it? Should that be the ending, or should there be more?
