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Ellie gave her a playful smile. “Only if it’s full of chocolate and comes with a croissant.” Fine. She’d let her sister divert the conversation, but Arianna wasn’t letting it go. She’d have a talk with Niall later and inquire about her sister’s duties.
They entered a room full of body length mirrors that stretched the length of the wall. Stacked crates lined the right side of the room, but otherwise the space was wide open. The wooden floor looked polished and new as if no one ever danced on it.
A thrill of delight ran up Arianna’s spine. She loved to dance. It was the only thing her father ever complimented her on. She’d never felt nervous to stand before the other students, not like she did during sparring sessions where every gaze burned through her like a hot iron. Dancing was just . . . freeing somehow. She couldn’t explain the rush.
“So how are your skills?” Ellie asked Rion.
Rion was studying his mate and took too long to answer. “I don’t have any.”
“You’ve never had a single lesson?” Ellie ran her hands through her hair. “Gods, my father started us at five.”
“We mostly played,” Arianna reminded her.
Ellie ignored her sister. “You’ve never danced a single time in your life?”
Rion shrugged. “Can’t say I had many willing volunteers.”
“Right.” Her sister made a face. “The opening dance will be the most important. Everyone will be watching, so I think it’s best if we focus on that one. Two weeks should give us plenty of time for one. If we have time, we’ll touch on the basics of another.” She glanced around the room. “I think it’s safe to say you won’t have to dance with anyone else, but,” she held up a finger, “you should know that a great deal of males and females will be dancing with Arianna.”
Rion clenched his jaw and suddenly Arianna was questioning the entire event. Of course they’d wanted to dance with her. She bit her lip. She hadn’t thought this through. There would be males putting their hands all over her, and she’d seen how Rion had reacted to Niall touching her. How did she expect him to handle an entire room of people?
“Maybe this is too soon,” Arianna said. They’d promised she could have a decade if she asked for it. “I’ll tell Niall we need to wait and let the bond settle for a while before—”
Ellie shook her head. “You’re doing this. The invites were sent this morning.”
Her face paled. “So soon?”
“The council seems to think everyone will be scrambling to attend. You literally have citizens climbing the fence to get to you. The ball will give them a chance to settle down.”
“Oh gods.”
“And I heard about their little theory.” Ellie rolled her eyes. “They don’t want to believe you two are mates, so they’re likely going to use this ball to try to expose Rion as the monster they believe he is.”
Arianna furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?” Either her sister had gone snooping or the council had already discussed it with her. Arianna guessed the former.
“Think about the impact it would create if Rion acted the way he did with Talon and Niall. No offense,” Ellie added quickly. “The nation’s most trusted advisors will be in attendance. It’s a test and Niall hopes to gain the upper hand.” Rion cursed and Arianna paced the room, wondering, not for the first time, if they should just leave altogether.
“But,” her sister said. “We aren’t going to let that happen because you,” she pointed at Rion, “are going to learn to control yourself for a few hours and I,” she gestured at herself, “am going to make sure no one provokes you.”
Arianna gave her sister an exasperated look. “And how do you plan to accomplish that?”
“I have a secret weapon.” Ellie raised her voice. “You can come in now.” Talon stepped into the room but leaned against the threshold with his arms folded. The expression on his face told Arianna he didn’t like Ellie’s idea any more than she would.
“I’m failing to see how this helps the situation,” Arianna said.
Ellie looked straight at Rion without faltering. “Would you rather have a stranger’s hands on Arianna or someone you know who will respect her boundaries?”
His gaze darted toward Talon and back. “I’d rather not have either.”
“Well, that’s not an option. You held yourself together with Niall, but Talon seems to set you off by simply being in the same room, so we’re going to practice and you’re going to get all your growling and snarling out in this room.” Arianna opened her mouth to speak, but Ellie interrupted. “And if any of you touch your magic and destroy this beautiful room, you’ll be stepping into the sparring ring with me.”
Rion surveyed Ellie and Arianna blanched as he seemed to size her up. No way she was letting those two into the ring together. Rion wouldn’t hurt her sister, she knew that, but Ellie didn’t always understand boundaries.
“Furthermore,” Ellie continued. “I’m going to have a dance with you,” she gestured to Rion, “to prove to the other ambassadors that it’s not just Arianna who trusts you.” Arianna bristled at that, her own instincts taking over despite it being her sister who suggested it. Ellie pointed a finger at her. “And you’re going to control yourself, too.”
Arianna’s face fell. If she felt like this with her sister, how was Rion going to manage with complete strangers? “What if we can’t?” she asked.
Ellie shrugged. “Then the whole thing blows up, rumors start, and we’ll have a kickass story to tell when all the heat dies down.” No one smiled. “Lighten up, that’s why we’re here. To practice.” She turned toward Talon. “Now get over here and let’s get started.”
