‘Bethel!’Ania stomped her foot.
‘Oh, fine!Rise, Caris.’
I felt my face stretch into a wide triumphant grin as I straightened.
‘Now that everyone is here, we can dance.’Ania brought her clasped hands to her rosy cheek.
My smile disappeared and I had the urge to run and hide behind the velvet drapes while no-one was looking at me.
‘You and Tomas can watch for now while we show you a simple quadrille,’ Ania told me.
‘A what?’I muttered to Tomas as we stepped back.
‘It’s a square dance with multiple couples,’ Tomas explained while the others turned to face each other in the middle of the room.
‘You know how to dance too?’I hissed.
Tomas chuckled.‘I’m the only brother of four sisters.’
Ania counted steps in place of music, and the others began to dance.
‘How do Atlas and Torgrin know how to dance?’
‘Atlas said Ania and Bethel taught them when they were hired as their guards.They even attended royal balls,’ said Tomas.
‘Right, it’s your turn, Caris and Tomas.’
I must have let my fear show on my face.
‘Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.’Tomas bowed, and I curtsied, following Ania and Atlas’s lead.
Despite Tomas’s help, I was a terrible dancer.I picked up the timing of the steps, as it was similar to training with a sword, but I could not emulate the grace and lightness Ania and Bethel moved with.
Bethel snickered while mimicking the stomp of my boots.
‘We can practi se as often as you need, Caris,’ said Ania.
A light-footed and elegant partner, Tomas led me as best as he could.
‘Perhaps a taller partner for Caris would help.Captain Torgrin, you are the tallest, I think.You take Caris’s hand and lead her into the reel.Everyone else, stop and let’s watch,’ said Ania.
Hellfire, take me now.
Torgrin came to stand stiffly beside me.I had watched him dance with Bethel and could see how perfectly they moved about the room together.Her delicate hand in his, their dark heads intimately close.
‘I think you must hold hands for this to work,’ Atlas said with a chuckle.
Torgrin still didn’t hold out his hand for me to take.Why was he making this even more awkward?
Finally, he held his large, call used palm out to me, and I placed my hand in his.There was an ever-so-slight tingle at the contact that disappeared so quickly I thought I might have imagined it.
‘You need to lift your feet.’He frowned while I concentrated on taking two steps with a hop forward to match his movements.
I ignored him and repeated the steps Ania had shown me.
‘I’m supposed to lead.’He squeezed my hand.
‘Sorry, I forgot,’ I said breathlessly.
