We hardly reached the end of the stairway when the king spotted us. He hurried over, smiling at me and offering a rushed compliment about how I looked. Then, muttering assurances about bringing Ava right back, he all but dragged her off to make those introductions Gwinn had mentioned. It left me standing there alone, but to my relief, it wasn’t for long. Nira graciously came over when she saw that her father had stolen Ava.
“Come on,” she said, looping her arm in mine. “Accompany me in a dance.” I wouldn’t resist the princess physically, but my face portrayed my reluctance. Nira simply laughed. “You can no longer use the excuse that you can’t. Ava and I made sure of it.”
She was right. They had taught me to dance, just like she’d promised, though my confidence in it wasn’t nearly as solid as I’d have hoped before doing it in public. Nira left me little choice, however. She took me straight to the large area where other guests were dancing, and started me on the simplest of Ronan routines they’d made me familiar with.
At first, neither of us said anything. Mostly I was trying to focus on not fumbling around. I still didn’t make conversation right away once I got into the steps, because I found myself glancing at the other dancers. I’d remembered what Nira said about taboo things in Valens being considered normal in Ronan, and as I studied the guests, I realized she was right. Men and women were coupled together, surely, but so were men coupled with men, and women with other women. Though I had no doubt some of these were merely platonic, like Nira and myself, there were others that clearly weren’t. It was simultaneously fascinating and encouraging.
“Tell me, Princess,” I said, glimpsing my feet to make sure I was doing the dance correctly. “Was there a particular boy you were so interested in flirting with?”
Nira tried to contain the smile on her face, but she answered without even having to search for him. “To our left. In the blue tunic and black vest.” I looked at him, and when it lasted more than a moment, she cleared her throat as if to keep me from appearing suspicious. “I won’t be flirting with him though.” My eyebrows rose at that. “I’m too shy.”
I nearly snorted with disbelief. Nira was anything but shy, but she appeared serious, which could only have been telling about the depth of her affection for him. “Do you think me shy?” I asked, and Nira nodded. “If I fancied someone, shyness wouldn’t keep me from flirting. You certainly have nothing to be nervous about.”
“Were you forward with Ava?” she asked.
“Ava?” I repeated in shock. I don’t know why it surprised me so much. Nira knew, and I was certain her entire family suspected something. “Ava and I… we’re not…”
“Not what?” Nira asked, sidestepping in time with the music. “You’re clearly fond of each other.”
“Aye, but,” I paused, trying to figure out how to explain it. “It’s complicated.” Nira didn’t look satisfied with that. “I’m not highborn.”
“I’ve known my sister nearly two days now,” she said, “she doesn’t seem to mind.” It took her all of one second to catch the look on my face and figure it out. “It’s not her who minds.”
“I don’t mind the consequences of her being royal,” I answered. “Not anymore. But I have family that I cannot abandon for a castle.”
“So then, Kiena,” Nira began sarcastically, “why would I stop being shy about flirting with Vanick, when clearly affection is not a guarantee of acceptance?” My mouth fell open as I struggled for a response. At making her feel more confident, I’d failed miserably. “In spite of my reserve,” Nira said, not looking the slightest bit defeated, “I’ll approach Vanick, if…”
“If?” I prompted.
“If you ask Ava to dance,” she finished. I sighed instantly, and Nira took my hands with excitement. “Come on,” she begged, “don’t you want her to remember it after you leave?” I glanced Ava’s direction to consider it, and Nira made an indicative nod toward Vanick. “Or for the sake of young love!”
“You are wicked, Princess,” I laughed. “Are you even shy? Or have you set me up?”
Nira’s lips curled with a smug smile. “I guess you’ll never know.”
“Have I got to do it right away?” I asked. If I was going to ask Ava to dance, I needed some time to build up strength, that way I’d be able to resist any bursts of temptation.
“Whenever you’d like.” Nira shrugged, gazing in Vanick’s direction once more. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go uphold my end of the bargain.”
I nodded and watched her stride directly up to the boy. “Yeah, right, she’s bloody shy,” I muttered under my breath.
Now that I was alone again, I looked around for something to do. Ava was no longer being dragged about by her father, and was at the end of the table full of food, conversing with a couple of young men. I strode over, working up the nerve to try and make conversation with the first noblemen I’d experience, but just before I reached them, they parted with Ava. It was actually somewhat of a relief…
“Making friends, I see,” I said, leaning my shoulder against the wall beside the table.
“A few.” Ava grinned, though it seemed to be more at my return than at the fact that she was making friends, and for that, I couldn’t help but smile.
But despite her joy, this was the first time in a long time that I’d actually felt awkward with her. I still felt out of place amongst people like this, but at the back of my mind, I knew it was more than that I was out of my element. It was the conflict of leaving soon. The conflict between wanting to enjoy my last days with Ava and wanting to sulk about losing her already. The conflict between wanting her all to myself and knowing I had to share her with her family. Most of all, the conflict between how much I wanted my hands all over her, how much I wanted to be as near her as possible these last days, and how I knew doing that would make leaving all the more painful.
I didn’t know what to say now, and when Ava noticed, she hesitated for a long moment and then took my hand. “You should try some of the food.”
“The infamous Ronan sweets?” I asked, letting her fingers slip through mine as she pulled me along the length of the table.
She didn’t let go of my hand when she stopped, and she reached for a single red berry with her other. “Try this one,” she said. I must have looked hesitant, because she chuckled. “I promise it’s not that sweet.”
I let her put the berry in my mouth, and no sooner had I bit down than a burst of sour liquid from the center of it washed over my tongue. It wasn’t just a little sour, either. It was so terribly sour that my face puckered and my eyes watered. So terribly sour that I couldn’t even move my tongue to swallow the berry, so it just sat there getting more and more sour by the second, while Ava just got worse and worse at holding back her amusement. By the time I managed to swallow the fruit, she’d covered her mouth with her hand, but her shoulders were shaking.
“Thanks for the warning,” I choked, my lips twitching with a smile at how pleased Ava was.
She burst into laughter, throwing her arms around my neck in a conciliatory hug. “Your face, Kiena!” She pulled back and planted a kiss to my cheek. “I’m so sorry, but that was so adorable I’d do it again.” She kissed my cheek twice more and gave me a second hug.
I wrapped one arm around her waist when she released me, turning her toward the table with an evil grin as I grabbed another of the berries. “Your turn.” She gasped and tried to make her retreat, but I had a firm grasp on her waist. “Come on now,” I chuckled, “it’s only fair.” She whined, but held her hand out for the berry. I gave it to her, waiting patiently for her to eat it. All she really did was stare at it, and then at me, and she was taking much too long. “The longer you wait the wor—”