The end of term came far more quickly that Sonea had anticipated, and she soon found herself knee-deep in books to ensure she passed her end of year exams. In addition to studying, Rothen and Yikmo both increased the frequency of some of their practical lessons to ensure she was ready for exams, and even Akkarin cleared a couple evenings of his schedule so that they could practice together in the forest clearing. Akkarin's support extended beyond practice sessions, however. Takan began bringing Sonea food every couple hours while she was studying, a task she suspected Akkarin had assigned him. Even when she was studying outside of the Residence, he managed to find ways to appear suddenly nearby with refreshments, and Sonea suspected he knew the tunnels as well as the High Lord. Two weeks before the exams, Akkarin gave her the biggest surprise of all. When she walked into the study after her afternoon classes, she stopped short upon noticing a second desk in the corner where she generally studied. She stared at it for a moment before turning slowly to Akkarin who sat at his own desk, a small, almost shy smile on his face. "You seemed to be having some difficulty deciding where to put all your books," he explained simply.

Sonea stared at him for a moment, mouth agape. She knew, of course, that he was a private person, both by nature and due to the secrets in his past, and she had been somewhat surprised he had opened up enough to her to share his bedroom space with her. She had never expected he would extend that to other aspects of his life as well. Finally realizing that he was waiting on her to say something, she forced her mouth closed and said, "Thank you," but the words seemed inadequate. Deciding that actions would suit her purposes better, she crossed the room in a few quick strides and threw her arms around him, pressing her lips to his. He responded immediately, and they lost themselves in the kiss for a few minutes.

When he pulled away, Akkarin smirked slightly at her. "If I would have known a desk would receive that reaction, I would have bought you one a long time ago." Sonea was still too shocked to do anything other than pull him close once more. His tongue pushed its way into her mouth, tangling immediately with hers. "There is still at least an hour until dinner," he muttered against her lips, his hands reaching down to grasp her beneath her thighs.

"I should study," she muttered though she made no move to pull away.

"Later." With that, he carried her to his desk, locking the door of the study with a thought as he set her down on top of it. His hands quickly opened the clasps of her robes, slipping under them as they began to explore her body thoroughly. Sonea could not stop a moan from escaping her lips which seemed to encourage him further, and he moved one hand up to squeeze her breast as his other began to push the robes fully off her body.

"Here?" she questioned as his lips began to move down her neck. So far, they had kept all of their love making in the bedroom.

"Mmm, I am not particularly interested in moving at the moment," Akkarin told her, finding the pulse point in her neck and sucking hard. Sonea found that she agreed with him, and she immediately reached for his robes, intending to put them on more even footing.

When Sonea arrived at the Residence after her last exam, she immediately smelled a delicious aroma, and her mouth watered as she realized Takan was making her favorite dish. Happy that there was less than an hour until dinner, Sonea headed up the stairs, checking the study first. Upon finding it empty, she pushed open the door to the sitting room where she found Akkarin immersed in a book—for once, a fiction book based on the title. Of course, she had expected as much when he was reading in the sitting room. As she had gotten to know him better, she had learned that he had a number of quirks, one of which was that he would read books related to his work in his study but tended to move to the sitting room when reading something for fun. He looked up when he heard her enter, and the corners of his lips curled upwards slightly into a small smile. "You're earlier than I expected," he remarked, marking his place and standing to pull her into his arms.

"The last exam was not as difficult as I had feared."

"Good." His eyes lost focus for a moment before he turned his attention back to her, offering his arm. "Takan says everything is prepared; he was just keeping it warm for you, so we can go ahead and go through."

Sonea's brow furrowed. "Isn't it early for dinner."

"Ah, but the earlier we eat, the more time we have for my surprise."

"I thought the desk was the surprise."

"Can I not give you more than one surprise?"

"You're going to spoil me."

Akkarin actually looked a bit sheepish as he shrugged. "I have never had anyone to spoil before," he admitted. "And I will admit that both surprises had somewhat selfish motives. I want you to be comfortable here, thus the desk. As for the surprise tonight, I have meetings with the king for most of the day tomorrow, so I will not be able to spend much time with you. I thought that we could at least enjoy tonight, especially since we have not seen much of each other in recent weeks due to our schedules."

Sonea rose on her tiptoes to kiss him firmly. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Now, Takan informs me he has made all of your favorites for dinner." He led her through to the dining room, and they spent a pleasant hour enjoying the delicious repast Takan had prepared. Once they had finished, Akkarin instructed Sonea to dress warmly before leaving her at the door to the bedroom, disappearing with a promise to meet her in the reception room shortly. Confused but curious, Sonea did as he asked and found him waiting in the reception room with what looked like a large bundle of blankets floating in front of him. She frowned at it, trying to guess what it was from the shape, but she could not think of anything it might be. Akkarin obviously sensed her confusion, for he grinned. "You will find out soon enough. Come." He offered his arm and led her into the tunnels through the basement room, the odd bundle floating just behind them.

They walked for around half an hour before the tunnels began to slope upwards. Sonea had tried to keep track of where they were at first, but she gave up after about ten minutes. She knew they had traveled away from the University, so she imagined they were in the forest somewhere, but she could not say where. She did not think it was near the clearing where they had their magical duels.

As Sonea had expected, they emerged in the woods, but she did not recognize the specific area. Though darkness had fallen a couple hours before, the gibbous moon cast a good deal of light over the area, and Akkarin created a globelight to add more. Once he had done so, he turned to the floating bundle, removing the blankets to reveal a wooden object that he lowered to the ground. "It's a sled," he explained, tucking the blankets on top of it and motioning for Sonea to join him.

"What is it for?" she questioned, stepping closer.

"Riding."

"Riding? Do you move it with magic?"

"Gravity." He grinned when he saw her puzzled look and pointed in front of them. The ground sloped downward away from them, gently at first though the incline increased further down.

"Is it. . . safe?"

"Safe enough." Satisfied with the blankets, Akkarin sat on the sled and motioned for her to join him. A bit wary, she sat down in front of him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He pushed them forward with a foot until gravity took over. Sonea gripped his thighs tightly as the sled began to slide down the hill, quickly gaining speed until they were going quite quickly. She searched her memory, trying to recall if there were any trees in their path, but the darkness had obscured her vision after a few meters. Eventually, she decided she simply needed to trust Akkarin and forced herself to relax just as the sled began to slow, coming to a stop on a slight uphill. Sonea slowly let out the breath she just realized she had been holding for the whole trip. "Are you alright there?" Akkarin questioned, squeezing her slightly.

"Yes," she answered truthfully. Now that she had finished the ride, she could admit to herself that it had actually been rather fun. It was not an activity she would have considered before, but she could certainly see the appeal.

"Would you like to try again?"

"Yes," Sonea agreed, more confidently this time. Akkarin helped her up from the sled before beginning to climb the hill, the sled following magically behind them.

By the time they finally returned to the tunnels, it was after midnight, but Sonea was feeling lighter than she had in a long time. She did not remember the last time when she had allowed herself to simply relax and enjoy herself, and she gratefully thanked Akkarin for the opportunity to do so. He gave her his familiar half smile when she did so. "Despite what everyone seems to think, I do enjoy a diversion from work. So thank you for giving me an excuse to take one."

"There are other diversions I can think of as well," she remarked, feeling particularly bold after the invigorating sledding. "That is, if your meetings are not too early tomorrow."

"I will happily forgo as much sleep as needed for those diversions," Akkarin told her. With that, he sped up his steps, and they soon found themselves back at the Residence.

The following day, Sonea spent a few hours with Rothen, enjoying the fact that they both had more free time with classes on hiatus for the winter holidays. As dinner approached, she made an excuse about catching up on her fiction reading, hoping that she would be able to eat with Akkarin that night. Despite how much time the two spent together, Sonea found herself craving his presence when he was away for more than a few hours. She wondered if it would always be like that or if the longing would fade in time.

Akkarin had not yet returned when she reached the Residence, so she did select a fiction book from his library so that she at least would not be lying to Rothen. She had just finished the first couple chapters when she heard the door open and glanced back to see Akkarin stride into the room. He looked weary as he pressed a kiss to her lips before crossing to the sideboard. "How was your meeting with the King today?" Sonea questioned after he had poured them both wine and seated himself beside her.

Akkarin pulled a face. Sonea thought one of the best things about entering into a relationship with him was that she finally had a chance to see beneath the aloof exterior he projected to the rest of the world. He truly was a fascinating man with a wide range of emotions, emotions he felt deeply even if he had perfected the art of not showing them. "Merin mostly wanted to gossip."

Sonea made a sympathetic noise in her throat. "It's still odd to hear you refer to him so casually."

Akkarin shrugged. "We've worked together for a long time and known each other even longer than that, and we have a healthy respect for each other. I'm still appropriately deferential in public, but in private, it seems pointless."

"Any gossip I should know?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You know I don't engage in such. . . frivolity." Sonea snorted, and they were silent for a minute while they sipped their wine. "He also reminded me that the Midwinter Ball is in three days and strongly suggested that I bring a companion. Apparently my continued bachelorhood is causing unnecessary speculation about my preferences."

"Why would the King care about speculation concerning your preferences?" Sonea asked carelessly.

A tick formed in the corner of Akkarin's mouth. "It could reflect badly on him given our close association." He stared at her for a moment, and the pieces clicked into place.

"Oh. Oh! Really?"

"That piece of information does not leave this room," Akkarin said darkly.

"Of course," Sonea agreed readily. Though she strove not to show it, inside she was delighted that he trusted her enough to confide such a thing in her. Of course, he had confided other, darker secrets in her as well, but part of her still wondered if he truly wanted to do so or if he had felt backed into a corner by the knowledge she already had and his own need for a co-conspirator. His recent revelation, however, had no such excuses. "So did you and he. .?"

He gave her an appraising look. "I'm fairly certain you know my preferences."

"People change."

He gave a short bark of laughter. "It was one-sided and incredibly awkward and that is all I want to say on the subject."

"He shouldn't have to hide it," Sonea mused. "As far as I'm concerned, people should be free to be who they are. It's silly to condemn someone for something they can't control. The Eye knows I can easily understand how someone might fall for you."

Akkarin's laugh was louder and longer this time. "I do love your easy acceptance, but I'm afraid that the Court will not be so open-minded."

"He's lucky it was you and not someone else," Sonea mused. "But then, I suppose that your open-mindedness might be one of the reasons it was you."

"I really don't care to speculate. And I still have not solved my problem of the ball."

"I'm sure there are plenty of women waiting to be escorted by the great High Lord." Sonea had heard various whisperings despite trying not to pay too much attention to them, and she knew Akkarin was considered a good catch and not just because of his position. He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, and she frowned at him. "What's wrong? I don't mind if that's what you're worried about. I know there are things you have to do to keep up appearances, and I trust you."

"No, I just thought of a different idea that is much more appealing. Did I mention it was a masquerade ball?"

Three days later, Sonea stood in front of the mirror in the guest bedroom of the Residence, frowning at her reflection as she tried to figure out how to fasten the clasps in the back of her dress. She had taken a day to visit her aunt, uncle, and cousins two days before after Akkarin had finally convinced her to attend to the ball with him, and she had stopped on her way back to the Guild to purchase the dress. Akkarin had tried to give her money for it, but she had refused. She had not spent any of her pocket money since coming to the Guild, and since her aunt refused to take it, she had a hefty sum saved. Since she had no desire for anything overly flashy, she was easily able to buy a dress that suited her with her own money.

A soft knock came on the door, and she called for the visitor to come in, knowing immediately who it was. "I thought I would check to see if you needed any help," Akkarin said softly.

"I actually could use some help with the clasps." He stepped fully into the room, and his dark eyes blazed when he saw her. She swallowed hard, easily reading the intent in those eyes. "We only have fifteen minutes left until the carriage gets here," she reminded him.

"A lot can happen in that time," he remarked, his fingers reaching for the first clasp. She felt them brush against the bare skin of her back and shuddered slightly. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against her neck as he murmured, "You look beautiful in this dress. I find the colors. . . especially appropriate."

Sonea smiled. She had talked with Akkarin enough to know that most people would wear House colors to an event such as the one they were attending, but she, of course, did not have any. Instead, she had decided on a black dress with a skirt that shimmered with sequins that glinted red, green, and purple when they caught the light correctly. "You look nice as well," she remarked. She had never seen him wearing his formal High Lord robes before though she had seen them hanging in his wardrobe. They were more fitted than his normal robes and made of a softer material. In addition, the silver insignia to mark his station was larger, covering most of one sleeve, and there were other intricate silver patterns sewn into the fabric. Instead of his usual black, he wore a blue shirt underneath to represent his House color, and Sonea felt it softened his appearance somewhat.

"I've got something for you," he told her as he finished the last of the clasps and she turned to look at him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate chain. A pendant hung from the end, and Sonea stared at it curiously for a moment, trying to figure out why it looked familiar. Suddenly, she realized where she had seen a similar symbol before and looked back to Akkarin's robes. He smiled. "Recently, I've started disliking the High Lord insignia because it seems to imply you must stand alone. I've learned that burdens are much easier to bear when shared." And indeed, the pendant had the typical circle enclosing a star at the base of the insignia to represent the Guild, but instead of one line emerging from the top, there were two which joined with another line that arched down over the whole design. Protecting it, Sonea realized. Small black pearls glittered at the top, and the bottom had gemstones of red, purple, and green that Sonea could not name.

"It seems we had similar ideas about color," she remarked.

"Yes, it does." Sonea stared at it for awhile longer before finally turning around and lifting her hair. He took the unspoken invitation, carefully clasping it around her neck. Sonea reached up, touching it carefully. After everything he had given her lately, she could not even begin to think of how to thank him. Still, she knew she needed to make an effort, so she opened her mouth to do so, but only a low moan came out as his lips found the sensitive skin of her collarbone.

"I still haven't done my hair," she objected. He muttered something unintelligible into her skin. Turning, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply before pulling away. "Later," she promised.

"I'll hold you to that."


Akkarin heard the whispered speculation as soon as he walked into the ballroom with Sonea on his arm, and he smiled inwardly. Despite his mask, everyone immediately recognized him because of the required robes, but Sonea was able to stay anonymous behind her mask. He knew she would never have agreed to come otherwise. It had still taken a good deal of manipulation to get her to agree to come even with the mask, but he could be very persuasive. For the first time in a long time, he was actually looking forward to a ball.

"I feel like everyone is staring at us," Sonea muttered.

"Just ignore it," Akkarin advised.

"Easy for you to say."

"Then take the second best option. Copious amounts of wine." Akkarin nodded to a nearby server who brought over a tray of glasses. He selected two and handed one to Sonea.

"You just want to take advantage of me," she teased.

He leaned closer so his mouth was near her ear. "Oh, I don't need wine for that." Though he could not see her face because of the mask, he knew she was blushing, and he grinned.

A slightly older woman suddenly appeared in front of them, bowing to Akkarin who quickly schooled his features into his usual stoic mask. "High Lord. I must say it is a surprise to see you here with someone. I do not think I have seen you bring a companion to one of these events since you were a novice, and even then, it was a rare thing."

"I'm a solitary man by nature," Akkarin replied easily.

"So who has accompanied you today?" The woman turned a shrewd eye to Sonea who gripped Akkarin's arm slightly tighter but gave no other outward sign of unease.

"Ah, but Lady Bessia, you know that would not be playing by the rules." Akkarin had always thought the rules of masquerade balls–where guests would try to guess who others were before the others guessed their own identities–were rather fatuous, but they did work in his favor on this occasion. Everyone understood that once someone had been identified, that person could no longer guess at identities of anyone else in the conversation. That meant that as long as Akkarin was able to identify the other guests quickly–a fairly easy task given his mind reading abilities–they would not have to worry about anyone interrogating Sonea about who she was.

Lady Bessia's laugh was the typical high-pitched tinkle that grated on Akkarin's nerves. "No one can fool you, can they?" she questioned.

A steady stream of people came up after Lady Bessia, but Akkarin was able to guess everyone's identity fairly quickly. Sonea spoke little, but Akkarin could see she was growing overwhelmed with the attention, so he steered them to a relatively quiet corner. "Sorry about that. As you probably surmised, there is a good reason I usually attend these events solo."

"It's fine. I can just smile and nod and look like every other vapid woman here, so no one should figure out who I am."

Akkarin laughed at that. "Very true. No one who knew you would describe you as vapid." He opened his mouth to ask if she wanted something to eat when he sensed someone approaching. Somewhat irritated since they obviously wanted privacy, Akkarin turned to see a familiar figure standing only a couple paces away. She bowed briefly as custom demanded before throwing her arms around him. Akkarin sensed that Sonea's curiosity was piqued, even more so when he hugged the woman back. "Elia, it's good to see you."

"And you as well. I have to admit, when I heard my brother laugh, I just had to come over to see who had done it. I haven't heard you laugh like that since you left for the Guild, Akkarin."

"Well, sometimes I just need a reason." Akkarin turned to Sonea, smiling broadly. Elia turned to her as well, scrutinizing her closely.

"I'm at a loss," she finally admitted.

"Good."

Elia's eyebrows arched. "You're not going to tell me?"

"No. That's part of the game."

"Are you as stubborn as he is?" Elia huffed, looking at Sonea.

She cast a sideways glance at Akkarin. "More usually."

Elia laughed. "Oh, I like her. But Mother will hate her. Have you seen her yet?"

Akkarin felt his expression darken. "No. But I daresay she will be here soon enough to begin the grand inquisition."

"It's your own fault for not bringing someone to more of these balls."

"Even if I brought someone to every ball, Mother would still be upset that it wasn't the right person."

"So she isn't one of your admirers then."

"Oh, I certainly admire him," Sonea remarked. Elia laughed again.

"Oh, I really like her. Where did you find her?"

Akkarin looked at Sonea, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "You could say she found me," he said.

"You're not going to give anything away, are you?"

"And ruin the fun?"

"Well, I'm going to keep thinking," Elia said, shaking a finger at her younger brother. "And I'm sure I will come up with a name."

"Best of luck." They talked for a few more minutes, and Akkarin was grateful to see Sonea relaxing. But then, his older sister had always had that effect on people. It was not long before they had each other laughing with tales of his exploits, Sonea's carefully edited to remove certain details and keep from revealing her identity. Akkarin smiled at the two women, grateful they were getting along, even if it was at his expense. They were the two women he cared about most in the world, and it would make future endeavors much easier if they were friends.

When Akkarin caught sight of other guests beginning to move their way, likely to interrogate them more, he caught Sonea's arm. "I think it's time to dance," he announced.

"Have fun," Elia told them, waving them away. "I will try to find you two later, after the vultures are finished." Akkarin narrowed his gaze at her as he led Sonea onto the large dance floor.

"I don't dance, Akkairn," Sonea protested.

"I think we can figure something out." He pulled her onto the floor and turned to face her, moving them into the traditional pose. If anyone noted that he held her slightly closer than propriety strictly allowed, they did not say anything. "Open your mind to me," he whispered, and she did so immediately. He slipped inside to the now familiar house, finding her waiting eagerly for him. Let's see if we can make this a bit easier for you. With that, he showed her with his mind how to move as he moved her body around the dance floor. It was more difficult than simply leading with his body, but Akkarin had grown up dancing at Court functions and was comfortable enough with the steps that he had no trouble. It helped, too, that Sonea was an eager learner and that their minds meshed well together.

They danced three songs together, and he pulled her slightly closer with each one. By the end of the third, only an inch or so separated their bodies, and Akkarin could feel her heat through their clothing. He looked down to see that she had tilted her head back, and he was just contemplating how much trouble it would cause if he kissed her when a familiar voice broke them apart. "So you did take my suggestion after all," Merin said, dancing closer with a well-dressed woman from House Greiten based on the color of her dress. Akkarin bowed immediately, nudging Sonea with his mind to do the same when she hesitated.

"It seemed wise not to disobey my king, Your Majesty."

"So who is the lucky lady?" Merin glanced over her figure appraisingly.

"Ah, Sire, you know that's not how the game is played."

Merin gave a short bark of laughter. "I was unaware that you played the game, High Lord."

"Sometimes, I like to indulge."

"Well, you were always one to enjoy your mysteries." Merin studied Sonea even closer, and Akkarin felt her grip his arm tightly. "An interesting choice of colors. Yours or hers?"

"Mine," Sonea said, her voice betraying none of the fear or anger Akkarin knew she felt. He was well aware of her feelings about the King, and he even agreed with some of her points, but he also trusted that she was much too intelligent to let those feelings be known.

"A woman who knows her own mind then." Merin looked to Akkarin, his eyes questioning, but Akkarin kept his face impassive.

"She certainly does."

"Well, I suppose I will leave you to your mystery for now, but I intend to figure this out before the end of the night."

"Best of luck, Your Majesty."

Akkarin could feel the tension in Sonea's body as Merin left, and he stepped out of the waltz position and grabbed her hand. "Let's get some air," he suggested.

"I would like that." He led her to the side of the ballroom where a door was partially hidden behind a couple large potted plants. It was one of the lesser-used balconies off the ballroom, and, as Akkarin had hoped, it was empty when they stepped onto it. He led Sonea to the edge, and they leaned together on the railing, their shoulders pressed together.

"How is your first ball?" he asked.

"A bit. . . overwhelming," she admitted. "I've been doing my best to remember all the etiquette lessons Rothen gave me, but it's difficult."

"You're doing admirably," he praised, reaching a hand up to push a stray lock of hair out of her face. "We can leave whenever you want. We've put in an appearance now."

"No, I'm actually enjoying myself. I know this is part of you, too, much as you don't like it, and it's nice to see just how well you fit in here. Plus, I really liked dancing with you."

His eyes darkened as he leaned forward. "Oh, I really liked that too." He pushed both their masks up slightly so that he could press his lips against hers, kissing her deeply. She returned the kiss immediately, her hands grasping the sleeves of his robes and bunching them up. He reached behind, looping his arms under her and lifting her to place her on the railing to the balcony as he continued to plunder her mouth with his tongue. The need for air finally broke them apart, and he pressed his forehead to hers, breathing heavily. "Are you still sure you don't want to leave?" he questioned.

"Less sure than I was the last time you asked," she answered immediately. He grinned, but the sound of the door opening stopped him from saying anything else. He quickly helped her down from the railing, adjusting her mask so it again covered her face completely. They turned to face another couple who had likely come out with similar intentions. Both others seemed startled to see the balcony already occupied, and they gave somewhat stumbling bows to the High Lord before stepping away. Akkarin took Sonea's hand and led her back inside. He was contemplating the logistics of leaving when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Akkarin of Delvon, there you are! Have you been skulking on the balcony again?" Akkarin sighed, turning toward the voice. Only one person would dare call him out in front of a crowd like that.

"Mother, it's good to see you again," he greeted. "Donno, Elora," he added, nodding to his younger brother and his wife. Unlike Akkarin and Elia, Donno had always been content to follow their mother's commands. Truthfully, Akkarin was glad he would be inheriting the estate. It took much of the pressure off Akkarin himself.

"Oh. You brought someone." Wallia looked at Sonea shrewdly, obviously trying to determine who she was. Akkarin noted that Donno showed a good deal of interest as well.

"I thought something different might be nice."

Wallia glanced behind them, and her eyes narrowed as she saw the balcony door. "Were you just out on the balcony together? Unchaperoned? If anyone saw you come back in together, what would they think?"

"They would probably surmise the truth of what happened," Akkarin said easily. It took a moment for Wallia to realize what he was saying. When she did, she gasped in horror. "Have a good evening, Mother." With that, he left his mother sputtering behind him as he led Sonea across the dance floor. Unfortunately, Merin stopped him before he could reach the door.

"When I asked you to put in an appearance at the ball, I was hoping for more than twenty minutes," Merin remarked dryly.

"The room suddenly seemed a bit too. . . confining."

Merin gave a bark of laughter. "Yes, your mother has that effect. But I simply cannot let you go without a chance to ascertain the identity of your lovely companion." He turned to Sonea, holding out a hand. "A dance, my lady?"

Sonea stared wide-eyed at Akkarin, and he could sense her panic. "How do you know I have not claimed all the turns?"

"Surely you would not begrudge your king one."

Akkarin looked over at Sonea and grabbed her hand in his. Go, he urged. Merin is a better lead than I am, and I can try and send you some pictures to help. And if he starts trying to guess who you are, just remind him of the rules of the game. It's his game. In addition to practicing sharing their power without touching, they had also begun exploring the limits of sharing pictures through their unique connection. So far, they had not been able to share specific thoughts, but they were able to send images and feelings to one another privately.

Sonea hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. "It would be an honor," she agreed.


King Merin was by nature a curious man. In general, he felt that it helped in his role, for he tended to ask a lot of questions when faced with a difficult situation, even those that he knew others would rather he not ask. But in this particular instance, he had a nagging feeling his curiosity would not be satisfied. Still, he was not going to stop trying to satisfy it. Since his return from his travels, Akkarin had not shown an interest in any woman despite the fact that Merin knew many were interested in him–in fact, he was probably the most sought after bachelor in Kyralia. Merin was pretty sure that even he did not get as many marriage proposals as the High Lord, for his higher position could not completely overcome his rather plain features. Akkarin had everything–the easy good looks, the powerful position, and the charisma to sway virtually any audience to his way of thinking. Even his reputation as mysterious, aloof, and brooding seemed to work in his favor, for many women wanted to determine what went on under his cold exterior. Merin himself was not immune though he tried not to dwell on those thoughts too much.

However, the woman dancing with him seemed to have overcome that aloofness. Merin had been half-joking when he had told Akkarin to bring someone to the ball–while it was true that the rumors had started up again, they were still only whispers among some of the known rumormongers, so they were not actually threatening the stability of his position. He had expected Akkarin would show up alone as he normally did or follow the letter of the command if not the spirit and bring a woman who was clearly just a colleague like Lady Vinara. Akkarin had once again surprised Merin, however, for it was clear that the woman he did bring meant something to the High Lord. Merin had seen how closely they danced and had noted that they had spent some time on one of the more private balconies together. "You and the High Lord seem close," Merin observed as they danced.

She paused for a moment, seeming to consider her response. "I do not know if anyone is truly close to the High Lord."

"He can be rather mysterious." She remained silent, seeming to focus on the steps of the dance. Merin decided to push a bit further to see what other information he could glean. "However, I have never heard him laugh like he did earlier, and we have been friends for many years. And I noticed that you and he disappeared onto one of the more private balconies for some time."

He saw her ears tinge red and imagined the rest of her face had as well though it was hidden by the mask. However, she only said, "You seem to be watching him rather closely."

Merin inwardly cursed the masks, for he could not see if there was some double meaning to her words. Akkarin had kept his secret for many years, a fact for which Merin was grateful. However, Akkarin also had not been particularly close to anyone in that time except perhaps Lorlen who, fortunately, did not care about Court gossip. Now that it seemed Akkarin was growing close to someone, perhaps Merin's secret would not stay a secret much longer. "I am a curious man," Merin said carefully, avoiding any accusation in case his paranoia was simply running away with him and Akkarin had not betrayed his confidence after all.

"That seems to be a common trait tonight."

"None of us have ever seen the High Lord so smitten with someone."

The woman gave a slight snort of laughter. "I believe he would object to your use of the word smitten."

"He has not taken his eyes from you the entire time we've been dancing."

"Perhaps he wants to ensure that your hands stay in their proper place." Merin heard the teasing lilt in her voice, and his laugh was one of both amusement and relief–amusement at the comment and relief that it seemed to indicate she was unaware of his true preferences. Merin was beginning to understand what Akkarin saw in her. She was obviously intelligent, and she had a quick wit that he knew the High Lord would appreciate.

"Oh, I have no intention of doing anything to anger our High Lord. I have to admit that I'm a bit afraid of him."

"He's not nearly as frightening as everyone seems to think."

"Oh? And how would you know that?"

She considered for a moment. "Perhaps you were correct about the smitten." Merin laughed. Oh, yes, he could certainly see why Akkarin liked this woman.

When they finished their dance, the woman curtsied politely as she stepped away from Merin. Akkarin appeared behind her immediately, placing a hand on her lower back. She turned to him, and Merin could see the sparkle in her eyes. It seemed the smitten was mutual. Without a word, Akkarin led her back onto the dance floor. Merin noted that he pulled her rather close as they moved across the floor, certainly testing the limits of propriety. Glancing around the room, he noticed that he was not the only one watching them, and he smiled slightly. Akkarin would definitely be getting interrogated during his next appearance at a Court function. Idly, Merin wondered if anyone had guessed the woman's identity yet, but he suspected they had not. If Akkarin wanted to keep a secret, little could stop him from doing so. Still, that would not stop Merin from trying. With that thought in mind, he focused his attention back on the couple who were now standing so close that there was no space between them. Merin snorted, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Smitten indeed.