Rayla pulls away from his ear to meet his gaze and pouts when she mistakes his look of amusement for mockery.

"I'm serious, Cal. What do I do?" Stress is evident in her plea.

With the smirk she knows all too well tugging at the corner of his mouth, he places his hands boldly on her hips and mouths, "Follow my lead."

Dancing is one of thefew princely skills Cal has become relatively adept at, but even an expert would struggle to keep time with an uncoordinated elf constantly stumbling over her own feet. Realising he needs a different approach, Cal sweeps Rayla off her feet and sets her down so she's standing on his, pulling her tighter so she won't slip. Relief floods through the pair as they finally manage to glide across the ballroom floor in perfect harmony with theorchestra. She wraps her arms around his neck with a smile of delight playing at her lips; lost in the moment.

All to soon, the song ends and other couples surround them, filling the dance floor, eagerly awaiting the next waltz.Spotting Amaya,Cal darts off, politely excusing himself and promising to come find her after speaking with theGeneral.Only then, when disappointment pools at the pit of her stomach, does Rayla realise how much she enjoys being in Cal's arms and longs to feel is embrace once more.

Callum waits until Amaya has finished speaking with a group of eleven elders before he ambushes her. Everything about his demeanour emanates calm, but Amaya doesn't let her guard down.

Thank you, for protecting her, is all he signs before disappearing into the crowd, his simple words speaking volumes.

Amaya knows her nephewis sensible and level headed,yet thisstill comes as a surprise.Her moodnoticeably improves as the tension in her airsdissipates.The weight on her shoulders is lifted; the rift between them, healed.

Gasping as Cal grabs her hand andtwirls her towards him, Rayla giggles, internally questioning her sanity for acting in such a girlish manor; she's a warrior, not a lovesick puppy.

"Come with me, I want to show you something," Cal says in a low voice that Rayla can't deny.

Even if she'd thought he hadexpected an answer,he still wouldn't have received one, she's too busy focussing on putting one foot in front of the other, but atRayla's unusual complacency for him to lead her blindly through the palace's winding halls, Cal hasall the confidence and approval he needs to continue.

Finally she had to ask, "Where are you taking me?"

Cal just chuckles mysteriously and continues to drag her to some unknown, far off location. Bursting into the cool night air, Cal gentlypulls her towards a rose bush archway leading into a gorgeous secluded garden fullof exotic flowerseverycolour under the sun, from vivid green to luscious, hot pink.Speechless, Rayla absorbs her surroundings, savouring every second, filling her lungs with the sweet scent of nature. She puts her hands to her mouth, pure emotion welling up inside her. Suddenly, she hears Callum's voice closer than expected, with a hint ofbashfulness in the way he speaks.

"So, do you like it?" she can only nod. "You haven't seen anything yet."

She turns to face him just as he finishes drawing a glowing rune in the air,forming a ball of light in his palm.He speaks the trigger word, releasing the spell from his hand, sending thousands of orbs of light into the air, twinkling like stars and illuminating every leaf and petal, infinitely intensifying the garden's beauty. Rayla's eyes twinkle, reflecting the magical light, but Cal's remain fixed solely on the stunning elf standing before him.

"It's beautiful."