"T-teach me to dance, too...!"

Bel had stars in her eyes as she spoke. Belfast and Edinburgh stared at each other, then the latter laughed, unrestrained.

"D-did I say something funny?" Bel shuffled and squirmed, deflated—until a gentle touch landed on her shoulder.

"Oh, far from it. Our dear sister is just happy you asked," Belfast spoke. "As do I."

"That's right. I was waiting for this day to come. And, of course, we're more than glad to, isn't that right?" Edinburgh exclaimed, to Belfast's ready approval.

"Certainly. Perhaps it's time we give her that?" she said; Bel could swear that for a moment, Belfast had a touch more emotion as she spoke.

"Sure. Let me get them," Edinburgh replied and set off.

"Um...but if you're tired...you don't need to right now," Bel mumbled.

Belfast shook her head as she cleared the sweat off her cheeks and brow. "It's alright. But I am curious why you suddenly wanted to try."

"Ah...It's just...you two seem really into it...and I wanted to know why."

Belfast smiled. The pastime which she and Edinburgh shared a fondness for was indeed a peculiar choice for a maid. Not even their daily chores would leave them all sweaty afterward, but it was a liberating experience, so to speak.

"You'll understand when you try," she told the girl just as Edinburgh returned with a pair of flat shoes.

"Here, we've prepared these ghillies for you. Put them on, put them on!" egged Edinburgh. Bel looked at the pair she was holding. They were just the right size for her and felt leathery and supple in her hands. Seeing the encouraging smiles, she put them on.

"Alright, first you do this," Belfast began as she and Edinburgh took positions between Bel, then rolled their shoulders back and put their arms down, forming a rigid posture.

"And don't forget to keep your head held up high," Edinburgh continued.

Bel nodded and followed her sisters' instructions and was rewarded by their approving smile. She smiled back. Now, everything felt less daunting. At least for now.

"Good. Now do this," Belfast put her right foot in front and pointed it toward her right side. After making sure Bel was following, she put her left behind her right, pointing toward her left side.

"Next, you do it like this," Edinburgh pointed her right foot in front of her. She waited for Bel to do the same, then brought that foot to her knee with a little hop.

"Yes, just like that," Belfast said when Bel did the same. She almost fell down when she had to keep her posture while waiting to see what came next, but she was nothing but determined. Her sisters must have noticed because they seemed delighted.

"The third step is like this," Edinburgh put her right foot behind her left with yet another hop followed by three shuffling steps.

"...Oh, okay," Bel nodded. She tried it, and to her dismay, it was somewhat awkward.

"Don't worry too much about it," Belfast chuckled when she noticed the pout. "Everyone starts slow, Bel."

"Yep. And the most important thing is to have fun," Edinburgh chimed in.

"...But it all seemed easy to you."

"Aw, trust me, keep practicing, and soon you'll be able to do this without even thinking."

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Now, shall we continue?" Belfast offered. She already had her right foot in front of her.

"Yes..." Bel hummed.

"Aight, don't forget—head up and smile!" Edinburgh joined in, and Bel did just that.

"Now, remember—point down, up, back, and three steps."

Bel drew breath several times and put her right foot forward.

A hop, foot up, a hop, foot in back, and one-two-three, she mumbled as she did the steps. She thought her motions were stiff, but her sisters didn't say anything and encouraged her to repeat them, saying she was starting to get them right.

The second time was a little easier, as she found out. And the third, even more so. They weren't perfect, but she felt more confident now.

"Wow, Bel, you're a quick learner, aren't you?" Edinburgh whistled. "Then, here comes the final step."

Bel watched as Edinburgh brought her right foot all the way to her knee, then back, before putting her left behind it and finishing with another three shuffles.

It was way easier than she thought when she followed Belfast's advice—not to overthink it and just let her body move. It was somewhat strange to hear that from her fastidious sister, but it worked. She repeated every little step that way, allowing them to flow without worry, without thinking, without pause.

"This is fun," she laughed. She didn't feel like stopping anytime soon—especially with her sisters dancing along with her.

"Told you that's the most important thing," Edinburgh replied. "Say, why don't you try going faster?"

Bel paused and closed her eyes, feeling rather self-assured. Soon, she set herself free once more.