Page 13

Attending my first banquet in Falhaven is something of a surprise, though I'm grateful to find I'm sitting between Arthur and his younger brother.

Ernest isn't paying much attention to anyone and seems as bored as any ten-year-old is at these things.

I don't remember finding them particularly interesting at his age either.

The nobles of Falhaven have been taking advantage of the hospitality of the Royal Family, and I'm uncertain precisely how much wine has been drunk, but I know that it's a lot.

"How long do these events usually last for?" I ask Arthur.

"It'll go on until dawn," he responds, shifting his chair closer.

" Dawn ?"

"We're not expected to stay the entire time," he promises.

"Evie is counting down the minutes until she can escape to the kitchens.

" He nods over to where his sister is sitting two chairs down.

Her back is rigid, and from what I've gotten to know of her over the past week or so, I've no doubt that it's because she's uncomfortable, she doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of crowds.

"What about your other siblings?" I ask curiously.

"Ernest will be taken to bed soon," Arthur responds. "And he'll sulk about it the entire time. Veronica will insist on dancing with whatever lady catches her eye as soon as it starts, and Kathryn will pretend to listen to Father's advisors while not retaining a word they're saying."

"What kind of dancing?" I ask, not really sure what to make of the rest of what he's saying.

"You're about to find out," he says, nodding towards the middle of the room.

There's a large space in the centre that's been cleared, and some musicians have already struck up a tune.

Several of the nobles are already on their feet, heading to the middle where they start to perform some kind of country dance.

Veronica gets up from the seat on the other side of Artie and picks up her goblet so she can finish her drink. She heads around the top table to where the nobles congregated.

Just as Artie said she would, she seems to catch the eye of a pretty blonde woman, and the two of them make their way to join the dancers.

The music is upbeat and makes me tap my fingers against the table as I listen. There's so much laughter coming from the dancers that it's impossible to ignore, but only in the best way.

Ernest disappears from my left, presumably taken to bed, as Artie said he would be, and Evelyn disappears a few minutes later.

"You know them well," I say to Arthur.

He laughs. "Or they're just predictable. I'm sure a lot of people here could tell you what each of us would do at a normal banquet."

"And what would you be doing?" I ask, leaning closer.

"It would depend on the day," he admits. "Sometimes, I join the dancing, other times, I retire to go read or do something else. When it's lighter and warmer, I might go for a ride, but that's not possible in winter."

"I'm sure you can ride in the dark," I say.

"I can, but it's best not to if I don't have to," he responds.

"So, what about tonight?" I ask, not really sure what I expect him to say, or what I want him to.

"I'm happy spending my evening with you."

I let out an amused laugh. "That's a good answer."

"And a true one," he promises.

My gaze strays back to the dancers, who seem to be having a good time.

"We can join them, if you'd like," Arthur says, noticing my attention.

"I don't know any of these steps," I say. "Or the tune."

"It doesn't matter," he responds. "Or it doesn't matter to anyone else, I can understand if it does to you. Do you see the man standing with the musicians?" He gestures in that direction.

I nod. "Who is he?"

"He's the caller, he calls out the steps that the dancers are supposed to be doing."

"This is nothing like the balls I'm used to," I murmur.

"We have those too, but not for the Winter Solstice."

I watch the dancers, kind of wishing that I could go down and join them, but worrying about the fact I don't know the steps. "Are you sure it will be all right if I don't know the steps?"

"I'll be right there with you," he promises.

That's enough for me and I nod. "I'd like to dance."

He smiles widely and gets to his feet, offering me his hand. I slip mine into it, enjoying the touch and instantly having a reminder of how good it felt for him to touch me elsewhere.

I'm glad the banquet hall is already warm, because it hides my blush as I think about that.

Arthur gives me a look that makes it seem as if he knows what I'm thinking. And maybe he does. There's a chance he's thinking about it too.

Instead of saying anything about it, he leads me down to the middle of the room so we can take our place for the next dance. No one pays us any attention, as if it's normal for one of the royals to be taking part. Which I suppose it must be, Veronica is already here dancing.

A bout of nerves springs to life inside me as the music starts and I realise I'm actually going to have to dance while not knowing the steps.

It's so different from anything I've done before.

My experience of dancing has been at formal balls, including the one where I met Arthur.

This kind of dancing is something the commoners do in Someil, but none of the nobility here in Falhaven seem to care.

The caller starts shouting out moves, and I realise I know some of them, but I'm not all that good at them.

"I need to spin you," Arthur says over the music, taking my hand and guiding me under his arm. It's not the same as when doing this during a formal dance, but I enjoy it, even if I stumble from trying to move so fast into the next move.

"I'm not very good at this," I tell him.

"You're doing great," he assures me, hopping around me like the dance asks him to do.

Even if I'm not sure I'm dancing the way I'm supposed to, I can feel the wide smile on my face, and know that my enjoyment is echoed on Arthur's face too.

I stumble through the next move, and he reaches out to steady me, a calming presence that I want to have around me more. Which isn't something I need to fantasise about, it's my reality.